《Legend of Ascension: The Nine Realms [A xianxia cultivation adventure]》


 1.1 - He Yu

    Armed with only a drinking gourd for his day¡¯s supply of water and a simple barrier talisman, He Yu set out from the relative safety of Shulin town. It was several days past the height of summer, and hot even under the canopy.


    He left early in the morning. Only barely awakened into the First Realm of cultivation, the forest was a risky place to be. But staying in the forest after dark would be even worse, and he wanted to have plenty of time.


    He was searching for sixty-year ginseng. He¡¯d learned of the medicinal root from a passing merchant. Venturing outside the formation stones that marked the boundary between the human world and the world of spirits was dangerous and ill-advised. But he was out of options, and sixty-year ginseng didn¡¯t grow close to human settlements. So into the forest he went.


    Perhaps if Shulin¡¯s resident cultivation expert had consented to teach him, he¡¯d have better odds. Then again, if He Yu had gotten a place in Dong Wei¡¯s school, he wouldn¡¯t need the sixty-year ginseng in the first place. When he¡¯d learned of the spirit herb from a passing merchant, He Yu hadn¡¯t hesitated. He handed over his meager savings in exchange for an apothecary¡¯s manual describing the herb, and a protective talisman to help against any low-realm spirits he ran across.


    So long as nothing too strong wandered into the area and noticed him, he¡¯d be fine.


    With a sheen of sweat glistening on his brow, He Yu spent most of the morning poking through the underbrush, peering around tree trunks, and investigating bamboo thickets. Each failed possibility only increased his determination. So what if he got attacked by an awakened beast? So what if a spirit found him? His life was meaningless anyway¡ªexcept for one thing.


    Cultivation. To cultivate was to defy the heavens. At least that was what Dong Wei always said. It was what everyone in town said, including He Yu¡¯s own father.


    To He Yu, cultivation was something else. It was the stuff of legends. His whole life he¡¯d heard stories of legendary heroes, striding on clouds, flying atop sacred treasures, and engaging in battles that shook the foundations of the world. There was nothing he wanted more than to be like the heroes of those stories. To be a hero¡ªa legend.


    As he searched through the undergrowth he couldn¡¯t help but let his imagination run wild. The sixty-year ginseng would shore up his cultivation base. If the apothecary manual was correct, simply consuming the root unrefined would allow him to reach the middle stage of Qi Gathering. Surely Dong Wei would have to admit He Yu to his school if he reached the middle stage.


    ¡°Too weak. Of body and spirit both.¡± That¡¯s what Dong Wei had said each time He Yu applied to the school. Each time he¡¯d been turned away.


    With every year that passed, he grew harder to train properly. His cultivation base never grew, and it seemed more likely that Dong Wei was right. That He Yu simply didn¡¯t have the talent to be a cultivator.


    The sun climbed ever higher, casting a dappled mosaic on the forest floor beneath the canopy. He Yu found nothing, but he continued to search anyway. Even as the doubts that had grown deeper roots in the back of his mind over the years crept to the surface, He Yu searched.


    He Yu¡¯s father had been a disciple at the nearby Shrouded Peaks Sect. It was the most prestigious sect in the whole southern region of the Dragon Empire. Disciples were routinely expelled from its ranks if they failed to meet the strict requirements for maintaining membership. Which was why He Yu¡¯s father was a simple blacksmith rather than a legendary immortal.


    It would be easy to say that was the reason He Yu was weak. Everyone knew talent was inherited. He Yu¡¯s father had no talent, so why would He Yu have any? Talent or no, He Yu cultivated anyway. The only thing he could say for certain was that he¡¯d never become a legend if he didn¡¯t try.


    He¡¯d always been smaller than the other children in Shulin, with a slight build and intensely curious eyes. Something he¡¯d always been bullied for. He was old enough that he wore his hair pulled back into a proper warrior¡¯s bun. Maybe a bit presumptuous of him, but he was on the path of cultivation, regardless of what anyone thought.


    Most would describe him as being filled with a sort of constant nervous energy. He wasn¡¯t exactly nervous, but moving simply helped him think. It made it so that he had a hard time sitting still. He also tended to latch on to certain things or ideas, especially if they were new. He simply couldn¡¯t help himself¡ªhe was just easily excited, and prone to rambling about things. Especially so if it was something that interested him.


    That ability to latch onto something and pursue it relentlessly served him well today. Despite the heat, despite finding nothing, He Yu continued to search. Once or twice he needed to stop. Duck behind a tree or crouch in a thicket in response to an unfamiliar noise. He reached into the pouch at his belt where he¡¯d tucked away the barrier talisman for safekeeping.


    This was the land of beasts and spirits, after all. A human of the mere First Realm was little more than a snack for the forest¡¯s stronger inhabitants. Most would call him a fool for venturing out by himself, but as far as he was concerned, this was his best chance at taking the next real step upon his Way.


    Sixty-year ginseng itself wasn¡¯t special, at least in the merchant¡¯s eyes. It was common enough in the Dragon Empire. The variety that grew near Shulin wasn¡¯t particularly potent, either. The southern forest was legendary for its remarkable lack of qi. Another mark against He Yu breaking into the middle First Realm.


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    But an unremarkable spirit herb in an unremarkable backwater could be as a gourd of water to a man dying of thirst. Especially if that man had an even lower cultivation base than was usual for the already qi-starved southern empire.


    Thankfully the varieties of sixty-year ginseng that grew near Shulin wouldn¡¯t need to be refined. They were of a low enough grade that He Yu could consume one raw and not risk a spiritual backlash. It wouldn¡¯t be as effective, but He Yu didn¡¯t have the skill to refine it into a pill, anyway. Dong Wei certainly wouldn¡¯t do it for him. Besides, any boost was better than the nothing he had now.


    The day wore on and the sun moved ever further to the west. He Yu was about to head back for the night when he caught sight of the telltale red berries the manual told him to look for in the undergrowth. The heavens had truly smiled upon him. He moved towards his prize but drew up short when a rustling came from the foliage.


    A squirrel the size of a house cat emerged from the dense ground cover. Its fur was jet black except for a patch of gold on its chest and neck. It dragged several bundles of the spirit root behind it.


    ¡°Shoo!¡± He Yu shouted. ¡°I need those.¡± He wasn¡¯t about to let some squirrel get away with his cultivation resources.


    The squirrel dropped its bundle of sixty-year ginseng, but it did not flee. Instead, it bared its teeth and chirped in a way that sounded disturbingly threatening. The fur along its back bristled and formed spikes, doubling in length. He Yu barely had time to react before the squirrel scampered towards him.


    Of course, it would be a spirit beast. It may have just been a squirrel, and had it not been awakened he could have simply kicked it off into the undergrowth. So that was exactly what he tried.


    The squirrel darted to the side as He Yu¡¯s foot sailed past. It flicked its tail in his direction and several of the spikes formed from its fur shot towards him. Clumsy and graceless, He Yu dove out of the way. The spikes thunked into the bark of a nearby tree, sending a shower of splinters into the air.


    He Yu¡¯s heart pounded in his chest. He didn¡¯t have the time right now to imagine what those spikes would have done to him, nor was he particularly interested in doing so. Best to let the tree take the brunt of that attack. He reached for the pouch at his side, but another volley of spikes forced him to dive out of the way again.


    The awakened squirrel stood over the herbs and chattered at He Yu again. He held up his hands in what he hoped would be taken as a sign that he had no intention to fight. As much as he hated to admit it, he probably wasn¡¯t a match for the squirrel. It was faster than he was and could shoot magical spikes from its fur. It could keep the roots it already had. Surely there were more in the patch he¡¯d seen. Awakened beasts were intelligent enough that it should pick up on the fact that he meant it no harm.


    As he backed away, the squirrel made no move to follow, or attack. He Yu let out a heavy, relieved breath. As much as it shamed him to be bested by a squirrel, it was awakened and he¡¯d still get his ginseng. The roots were the only thing that mattered. If he could harvest those and use them to boost his cultivation, he could come back and exact vengeance at his leisure.


    He moved roughly in the direction of the patch of herbs, making sure to give the awakened squirrel a wide berth. The squirrel watched him, not wanting to abandon its prize. As He Yu began moving a bit more deliberately towards the patch, confident that his adversary had backed down, it let out a series of increasingly angry chattering and rushed him again.


    He Yu cursed as he ducked behind a tree to avoid another shower of spikes. He should have known better. An awakened beast would need some source for its cultivation base. Low-grade beasts like this couldn¡¯t cultivate on their own, so the squirrel must be feeding on the sixty-year ginseng. They were probably the reason it had awakened in the first place. Once awakened, it would be intelligent enough to realize the source of its strength. Now it would guard that source from any intruder.


    Reaching into his pouch, He Yu pulled out the paper talisman he¡¯d brought with him. He¡¯d intended to use it to create a temporary barrier while he cultivated once he¡¯d got what he came for. The talisman was expensive and it almost seemed a waste to use it on a squirrel of all things. Expensive or not, he needed that root. If he could just get it, he¡¯d come out ahead.


    Stepping out from behind the tree, He Yu pushed a trickle of his qi into the talisman. The slip of paper shone as he held it before him, and a protective barrier bloomed outwards in the direction of the awakened squirrel. The barrier reached the squirrel, and as it expanded it pushed the squirrel away from both him and the ginseng it guarded.


    The spirit beast made more angry chattering noises and shot volley after volley of spikes at the barrier, but to no avail. Eventually, the squirrel realized it was pointless and vanished into the undergrowth. As the talisman wilted to dust, taking He Yu¡¯s life savings with it, he let out a heavy sigh.


    It was a victory, even if a hollow one. Certainly, it wasn¡¯t how he¡¯d imagined a fight with an awakened beast would go. He¡¯d spent most of the ¡°fight¡± hiding behind trees and only came out on top because of an expensive magical item he¡¯d purchased. Not much of a start to his own legend, were he honest.


    He¡¯d gotten what he came for, and that was all that mattered. The merchant had said the herbs didn¡¯t need to be refined, but beyond that, he had no idea exactly how he was supposed to use them. The awakened squirrel had probably just eaten it.


    Figuring that if simply eating the herbs was good enough for an awakened squirrel, it was good enough for him, He Yu bit into it. Unsurprisingly, it tasted like ginseng. He swallowed the first mouthful, and immediately he felt the qi in his dantian crackle to life.


    He could barely contain his excitement. He wanted to rush home and tell his father and Master Dong Wei. But he reined himself in. That would be wasteful. Right now, he needed to cultivate more than anything. Make use of this boost while he could. After scratching a few hasty formation characters into the bark of nearby trees for protection, he sat down near the patch of herbs and began to cultivate.


    Hopefully, nothing would disturb him. He cycled the sixty-year ginseng. The fresh medicinal qi from the spirit root flowed through his meridian, gathered in his dantian. He breathed according to the rudimentary cultivation technique he¡¯d learned from his father¡ªthe only reason he¡¯d managed to awaken himself.


    Hopefully this would allow him to reach the middle stage of Qi Gathering. To finally take another step along his Way. To take another step toward forging his legend.


    Hopefully it would work.


    That hope died when the most powerful spirit he¡¯d ever felt simply popped into existence right in front of him.

 1.2 - Encounter With a Spirit

    He Yu¡¯s eyes snapped open. His heart skipped, and his cultivation base trembled. The spirit before him looked human enough. She had the face of a woman in her early twenties¡ªalthough one could never be certain with a spirit that strong. Her nose hovered only a few inches from his own. An amused and slightly smug grin played across her lips. Brilliant seafoam green eyes swirled with subtle, shifting currents. Spirit or not, she was easily the most beautiful person he¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°So somebody is home in there,¡± she said as she stood up from crouching in front of him. Her voice carried the sound of a tumbling brook beneath her words.


    Her movements were unnaturally graceful as she shifted her weight and folded her hands at her waist and tucked them into the sleeves of her gown. She moved with a fluidity that He Yu found more than a bit unnerving. A noticeable coolness, and the sensation of mist hung about her. As though he stood at the base of a waterfall rather than under a tree. He Yu swallowed as he sat before the newcomer, all but certain she was some kind of natural spirit of the forest or a nearby lake.


    ¡°Perhaps I was mistaken,¡± she said, halfway to herself. ¡°Surely if somebody lived inside that head, that somebody would have said something by now.¡±


    From his seated position, He Yu cupped a fist in his palm and bowed as best he was able. ¡°Apologies, great spirit. This one hadn¡¯t felt your approach. A humble mortal meant no offense, especially to a being as ancient and wise as yourself.¡± It was always best to flatter natural spirits. Especially the strong ones.


    The spirit laughed, a sound like running water or gently pattering rain on roof tiles. It only further cemented his conviction that a true spirit stood before him. For some unfathomable reason.


    ¡°You give me face, young man. However, I am no ancient. Merely one who walks the Way. I¡¯ve been told there¡¯s a town nearby. Might you be able to direct me?¡±


    Despite the warmth of the summer afternoon, He Yu¡¯s blood ran cold. This was so much worse than a natural spirit. If this woman had spoken true, she would have to be a powerful immortal. He¡¯d no reason to doubt that she was. The unnatural sensations surrounding her should have been his first clue.


    Spirits acted in accord with their nature and could thus be easily appeased. By contrast, immortals were capricious and unpredictable. Any slight¡ªreal or perceived¡ªand she would obliterate him. The entire town of Shulin would quickly follow. As dangerous as a spirit would have been, this was so much worse.


    ¡°So you¡¯re just a traveler then?¡± he asked before he could help himself and mentally kicked himself for doing so. He knew better than to risk offending an immortal, but it had always been a poor habit of his, blurting out the first thing that came to his mind. That he was more afraid than he¡¯d ever been in his life apparently wasn¡¯t enough to keep him from doing it even now. It would be just his luck that this would be the thing that got him killed. Right when he¡¯d finally gotten the one thing he needed to join Dong Wei¡¯s school, too.


    Much to his relief, the woman gave another soft laugh before she answered. ¡°Indeed. What else did you think I might have been?¡±


    He Yu answered her frankness in kind. ¡°A natural spirit of these lands. Perhaps the sovereign of a river or lake.¡±


    To his credit, she certainly didn¡¯t look like any sort of traveler he¡¯d ever seen. Her fine silk gown, a pale blue affair with patterns of crashing waves at the hems and sleeves, looked as though it had just been made. Her hair was likewise immaculate, held back by an ornate hairpin, with not a single strand out of place. Nor was her jade-like skin marred by a single speck of dirt. She looked more a noble lady than a humble traveler. But if she was an immortal, how else would she look?


    ¡°A lake spirit? No, I am a woman of flesh and blood. I¡¯d have thought you¡¯d recognize a fellow Daoist. Seeing as you walk the Way yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not at all,¡± He Yu said quickly, giving another awkward bow. ¡°I¡¯m just a novice, especially compared to one such as you.¡± It was always best to stroke an unfamiliar cultivator¡¯s ego, even if they seemed kind.


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    The woman gave a dismissive flick of her sleeve. ¡°Stop with the flattery,¡± she said, but not unkindly. ¡°I find it tiring and have to put up with far too much of it back at the sect. Stop groveling and stand up.¡±


    ¡°What sect?¡± he asked as he stood, dusting off his pants. Of course, there was only one sect she could be referring to.


    ¡°The Shrouded Peaks Sect,¡± she said. ¡°Surely you¡¯ve heard of us?¡±


    He had. ¡°Is it like the school Master Dong Wei runs here in Shulin?¡± It was the only real point of reference he had, although he knew the Shrouded Peaks Sect was known throughout the whole Dragon Empire.


    The woman¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Something like that.¡± The break in her genial manner was gone almost as soon as He Yu had noticed it, as her smile returned. ¡°So are you one of this Master Dong Wei¡¯s students?¡± There was a hint of something less than kind in her voice though, but it was so brief He Yu thought he likely imagined it.


    ¡°No,¡± He Yu admitted. ¡°He won¡¯t teach me.¡±


    She nodded, almost as though she¡¯d expected the answer. Then, she asked, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°He says I¡¯m too weak.¡± It was a shameful thing to say aloud, but he couldn¡¯t deny that it was true.


    ¡°Too weak?¡± she asked. ¡°Your cultivation base is as one would expect of an early First Realm. No worse off than anyone else who has just awakened to Qi Gathering. Weak in the grand scheme of things, yes, but typical for your advancement.¡±


    He Yu looked down before answering her. ¡°I¡¯m not very strong. Even most of the girls in town are stronger than I am.¡± Surely she could see for herself that he was small for his age¡ªshort and slight of build, both. He¡¯d never been able to decide which was worse.


    The woman laughed when she heard that. It was the same laugh as before, full of mirth and lacking any trace of mockery.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He Yu asked, still looking down and sounding very sullen to his own ears.


    ¡°First, tell me your name, young man.¡±


    ¡°He Yu,¡± he answered. ¡°My father is the town blacksmith, He Gang.¡±


    ¡°Well met, He Yu. I am called Zhang Lifen, and I represent the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me why you laughed at me,¡± he said, finally looking up. He fully expected to see the same sort of thing he¡¯d gotten used to from the people of Shulin. Mockery, derision, or perhaps pity, if the person before him were particularly kind. What he saw instead caught him a bit off guard.


    Her smile was kind now, and somehow more genuine than it had been before. ¡°I laugh because Dong Wei is a fool if he won¡¯t teach you. As I said, your spirit is no different than anyone else of the First Realm.¡±


    ¡°You already said that,¡± he half mumbled.


    ¡°You were cultivating here in the woods outside your town¡¯s boundary stones, absorbing qi into your dantian before I interrupted you, were you not? Making use of the spirit root you¡¯d found. I saw your battle with that beast, by the way. Good show.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t tell if she was mocking him or not. ¡°I was,¡± he said, still unsure of what she was getting at. Anyone of her advancement, whatever it was, would have been able to do as much as he had. That, and more.


    ¡°Well then, you¡¯ve already set your feet upon your Way. Just as I¡¯d said.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± he asked, still sullen. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that my spirit and body are both too weak to be a real cultivator. Otherwise, Master Dong Wei would have accepted me into his school by now.¡±


    ¡°At its simplest,¡± Zhang Lifen said, ¡°cultivation is aligning yourself ever closer with the nature of your Way. As you ascend through the realms of cultivation, your nature exerts greater influence not only on the world around you but on your own self.¡± He Yu decided to take her at her word. Who was he to debate the nature of such things with an immortal?


    ¡°True,¡± she continued, ¡°you may have a touch more difficulty reaching the Foundation stage than your peers, but beyond that? Once you¡¯ve left Qi Gathering behind you, any physical weakness you began with ceases to be of any real consequence.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he teach me then?¡± He Yu asked. It was the only thing that came to mind. Up until mere seconds ago, he¡¯d always believed he¡¯d be destined to remain more or less where he¡¯d been his entire life. Of course, he¡¯d never been about to let that stop him from trying.


    Zhang Lifen shrugged. ¡°Who knows? I¡¯d take anything he says about cultivation with heaping of doubt. He¡¯s not particularly skilled, you know. Hardly a master, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°A master like you?¡± He Yu asked.


    She laughed again. ¡°I think I like you, He Yu. As much as it swells my pride to be called such, I cannot claim anything of the sort. While I stand at the peak of the Fourth Realm and have earned a place as a core disciple of my sect, my own master is of the Eighth.¡±


    He Yu simply stared at her. Fourth Realm meant that she¡¯d formed her Golden Core. That was impressive enough as only the most talented were said to be capable of that, but the Eighth Realm? Cultivators of the Eighth Realm only existed in legend as far as he was concerned.


    ¡°Shut your mouth before you catch a fly,¡± Zhang Lifen teased. ¡°Now, I believe you were supposed to guide me to the nearby village. You should introduce me to this Dong Wei fellow, as well. I should like to have a chat with him.¡±

 1.3 - Zhang Lifen Arrives in Shulin

    With Zhang Lifen trailing behind him, He Yu headed back towards Shulin and then through the town proper. Shortly after they entered the central square, he heard a voice that set his teeth on edge.


    ¡°He Yu! You look like you¡¯ve been out in the forest all day again. Still pretending to be a cultivator?¡±


    Keeping his eyes forward, He Yu kept walking towards Dong Wei¡¯s school. It lay on the far side of town and was impossible to miss. A broad single-story building that wrapped around a central courtyard, it was larger than any other structure in Shulin.


    A slight girl about He Yu¡¯s own age stepped in front of him. Although she was even smaller than he was, he froze.


    ¡°Sha Xiang,¡± he said, cupping a fist. ¡°I need to see Master Dong Wei.¡±


    Her features darkened, and He Yu immediately knew he¡¯d made a mistake.


    ¡°What do you need to see Master for?¡± she demanded.


    Sha Xiang was Dong Wei¡¯s star pupil. What she was doing outside the school he couldn¡¯t have said, but here she was, making his life miserable. Not as if that was anything new. She¡¯d been doing the same since they were children.


    ¡°Lady Zhang wanted to see him,¡± He Yu said, gesturing to Zhang Lifen who had, so far, observed the exchange in silence. It was only then that He Yu noticed any trace that Zhang Lifen was an immortal had vanished.


    ¡°Lady Zhang?¡± Sha Xiang said, shifting her attention. ¡°Well, you certainly look rich. Never seen you before though.¡±


    He Yu¡¯s blood went cold. Sha Xiang had always been a bully, and with her increasing cultivation under Dong Wei¡¯s tutelage, she¡¯d only become more insufferable. But no matter how strong she may think herself, Sha Xiang would be nothing before an immortal of the Fourth Realm.


    Zhang Lifen inclined her head towards Sha Xiang. ¡°And who might you be?¡± So far, the visiting immortal from the sect remained calm. He Yu could only hope she stayed that way.


    ¡°I am Sha Xiang, First Disciple of Master Dong Wei. What business do you have with him?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I see,¡± Zhang Lifen replied. ¡°Run along and fetch him for me then.¡±


    Sha Xiang¡¯s expression turned first to shock, then fury. He Yu froze, unsure of what to do. He¡¯d seen enough of Sha Xiang¡¯s temper over the years to have a fairly good idea of what was coming. If he stopped her, he¡¯d be certain to pay for it later. But if she weren¡¯t stopped, she would be sure to offend Zhang Lifen.


    Although Zhang Lifen had seemed to be kind enough so far, He Yu still didn¡¯t know how she would respond should someone truly insult her. Thankfully, Zhang Lifen responded first.


    The temperature around them suddenly dropped, and the sensation of cool mist returned. It was stronger than it had been back in the clearing, but far from the sort of overwhelming pressure He Yu had come to expect from the stories. Sha Xiang, being a cultivator herself, immediately recognized what had happened.


    ¡°Apologies, Lady Zhang,¡± Sha Xiang said, bowing over a salute. ¡°I did not know you were an immortal. I only sought to guard my master¡¯s time. I will let him know of your arrival.¡±


    ¡°See that you do.¡± As Sha Xiang hurried off, Zhang Lifen turned to He Yu. ¡°I take it you two know each other,¡± she said.


    ¡°She¡¯s one of Dong Wei¡¯s students. She likes to push people around. I don¡¯t think she meant anything serious though,¡± He Yu said, forcing a laugh.


    Zhang Lifen gave him an appraising look. ¡°I see,¡± was all she said. ¡°Come, then. We shouldn¡¯t keep this master waiting.¡±


    When they arrived at the school, Zhang Lifen strode up the steps and pushed open the double doors leading to the entryway without even the courtesy of announcing herself.


    He Yu scampered up the steps and into the school behind her. He found Dong Wei already waiting for them. He was an older man, perhaps in his sixth decade, with pride to match his years.


    ¡°Honored Lady,¡± he said, pressing his fist into his palm in salute. Sha Xiang stood a few steps behind him. ¡°What can this humble Master do for such an esteemed guest?¡± Then, his eyes fell on He Yu and his expression darkened.


    Zhang Lifen smiled. ¡°I¡¯m here for the tournament, of course.¡±


    ¡°Tournament,¡± Master Dong Wei said, voice betraying some small measure of confusion.


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    ¡°Yes. Young He Yu here has told me you¡¯ll be holding a tournament to select new students for your school. I¡¯d love to attend, and see what talent Shulin has to offer.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± He Yu began. He¡¯d said no such thing and desperately wanted to announce that fact.


    ¡°You dare speak before your betters?¡± Dong Wei interrupted, sending He Yu another glare.


    He Yu clamped his mouth shut.


    Dong Wei turned back to Zhang Lifen. ¡°Of course! I would be honored to have a guest such as yourself in attendance,¡± he said, taking the news that he was to host a tournament in stride. ¡°Do you have lodgings? My school is open to you, Honored Lady. Come, I¡¯ll show you to rooms where you can stay until the tournament has concluded.¡±


    As Dong Wei turned and retreated further into the school, Zhang Lifen shot He Yu a very unapologetic look. ¡°Of course, it would be rude to refuse your hospitality, after all,¡± she said, not turning from He Yu. Then, she added, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the tournament. I expect you¡¯ll acquit yourself well.¡±


    Sha Xiang shot one last sneer in He Yu¡¯s direction before she followed the older cultivators into the school. For his part, He Yu couldn¡¯t have left the school fast enough.


    Once free of the school, He Yu hurried to his father¡¯s forge across town. Shulin was a large enough settlement that the steady stream of folk needing metalwork done kept He Yu¡¯s father busy most days.


    His father was expecting him. ¡°Yu¡¯er. What¡¯s this I hear about an immortal coming into town?¡± he asked, limping out from his inside the workshop.


    He Gang was the town smith and a modest cultivator himself in the middle First Realm. While no fighter¡ªthe injury he¡¯d taken to his leg during his apprenticeship had seen to that¡ªhe was gifted at using qi to enhance the creations of his forge. He was a stern man, but not an unkind one. He was the only reason He Yu knew anything about cultivation at all.


    ¡°Her name is Zhang Lifen, and she¡¯s from the Shrouded Peaks Sect,¡± He Yu answered. ¡°She¡¯s sort of made Master Dong Wei host a tournament.¡±


    He Gang¡¯s normally stern expression darkened, but he didn¡¯t seem angry with his son. ¡°What is she doing here?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say. Just that she was looking for the town and asked me to show her the way.¡±


    ¡°Where did you meet her?¡± he asked.


    ¡°In the forest just outside of town,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± He Gang said. ¡°Now what¡¯s this you said about a tournament?¡±


    He Yu looked away from his father before answering. It was foolish to feel guilty about it he knew, there wasn¡¯t anything he could have done.


    ¡°Zhang Lifen told Master Dong Wei that I said there was going to be a tournament and that she wanted to watch. Then Master Dong Wei invited her inside and I came back here.¡±


    A series of expressions crossed his father¡¯s features then. First, a look of resignation, then amusement. Finally, the all-to-familiar serious set that He Yu was accustomed to. ¡°Right, so you¡¯ll be entering then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He Yu said, fidgeting a bit and still not looking directly at his father. ¡°She said she¡¯d see me there, but so will anyone else who¡¯s awakened and I don¡¯t have a chance.¡±


    He Gang cuffed him on the ear. ¡°Stop it,¡± he said. ¡°How long do you have?¡±


    He Yu looked up at his father, the blow having done its job, and pulled him out of his head. ¡°Stop what?¡± he demanded. Then the question finally registered. ¡°You want me to enter?¡±


    He Gang had an odd relationship with He Yu¡¯s cultivation. On the one hand, he was the only reason He Yu could practice at all. For his fifteenth birthday, He Gang had given him an old and worn cultivation manual, allowing him to awaken into the First Realm and begin his Way. He Gang had said these techniques were the basis for all further advancement, and that if He Yu wanted to practice, he needed to master them.


    On the other hand, his father had also refused to teach him. Any time He Yu had come to him with his difficulties, He Gang had told him to consult the manual. The one time He Yu¡¯s frustration at his difficulties had finally pushed him into one of his foul tempers, He Gang had finally explained.


    Simply, his father had told him that he wasn¡¯t qualified to give any guidance and that it was better he figure it out on his own, anyway. That had been the end of it.


    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t want to?¡± his father asked.


    He Yu started fidgeting again. ¡°No,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°What if I lose?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Then you lose,¡± his father said simply.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to lose.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯d rather not compete at all?¡±


    There was something about the tone his father had taken, an accusation that cut through the words themselves, that gave He Yu pause. His first instinct had been to agree. A part of him would rather step aside, and let the more skilled youths compete for whatever prize the tournament would offer. It would be a grand one, worthy of the stories. Of that he was certain. The disciple from the Shrouded Peaks Sect wouldn¡¯t have forced it upon Dong Wei otherwise.


    Another part of him stirred, dissatisfied. Hadn¡¯t he always wanted to be a cultivator? He hadn¡¯t given up when Master Dong Wei had refused to teach him. Instead, he¡¯d pestered his father and eventually received the manual that had allowed him to awaken into the First Realm.


    He¡¯d gone back to Dong Wei twice a year after that, when the school accepted new students, and had been rejected each time. So why should he give up now? To walk the Way was to challenge the will of heaven itself. Could he truly call himself a cultivator if he balked at this?


    Furthermore, Zhang Lifen expected him to participate. Hadn¡¯t she said he was no different in spirit than anyone else of the First Realm? That meant he had a chance. So he should take it, shouldn¡¯t he?


    He Yu looked up at his father, who¡¯d been regarding him with that same look from before the whole time he¡¯d been lost in his thoughts. ¡°No,¡± he said.


    With a nod, He Gang turned towards their home rather than back to the forge. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got some time. She expects something of you. Best to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°How would you know that?¡± He Yu asked, following after his father.


    ¡°I was a disciple at her sect once, remember?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem fair,¡± He Yu muttered. ¡°How could I possibly do whatever she expects of me?¡±


    He Gang chuckled. ¡°The Shrouded Peaks Sect is a real sect. Not the excuse of a school that Dong Wei runs. Tests are never so straightforward.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you wouldn¡¯t teach me anything?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± He Gang said. ¡°Come on, we need to prepare you for this tournament as best we can in what little time we have.¡±

 1.4 - Only Three Days?

    News of Zhang Lifen¡¯s arrival spread quickly, and by noon of the next day, the tournament was announced. He Yu balked at the news. When he told his father, He Gang¡¯s only response was to grimace and set his shoulders. They had a mere three days to prepare.


    He Gang took him out behind their house and told him to demonstrate his forms. The Qi Gathering manual he¡¯d been using up to this point had included basic martial forms, and He Yu had been practicing them almost as diligently as he had the cultivation techniques. Based on his father¡¯s reaction, He Yu hadn¡¯t been practicing them diligently enough. Or even correctly.


    In addition to the basic forms themselves, his father gave him pointers to improve the manual¡¯s simple body reinforcement technique. While these basic exercises were a far cry from proper arts, they would lend power to his strikes, and strength to his defense during the tournament. He Gang didn¡¯t think that any of the others entering would have proper martial techniques themselves, but He Yu would need to be able to use qi to reinforce his body if he wanted to stand even the slightest chance.


    The cycling patterns themselves weren¡¯t all too different than the method he¡¯d been using so far, and he was able to adapt to them easily enough. Immediately, he could feel the difference. Pushing qi into his limbs gave him strength he¡¯d never known, and his father told him that if he were able to learn proper body techniques, he could make himself even stronger.


    After several sweaty hours, He Yu had at least managed to elicit a slightly less disapproving nod from his father when he ran through his forms and stances. He could only practice for so long before his stamina gave out, but He Gang still pushed him harder than He Yu had ever dreamed of pushing himself.


    In between the exercises, he kept looking for ways to get his father to tell him about his time at the Shrouded Peaks Sect, but to no avail. Every time he broached the subject, He Gang would just ignore the question and demand that He Yu continue the exercises or meditate on the insights he¡¯d gained during them. Throughout the afternoon, He Yu grew more insistent, and eventually, his father said, in a manner that brooked no disagreement, ¡°Ask the disciple.¡±


    That would have been all fine and good, had he been able to. When He Yu wasn¡¯t hard at work drilling his martial forms with his father, or cultivating out behind their home, he¡¯d asked around town about Zhang Lifen. It hadn¡¯t taken long for rumors to follow the news of her arrival.


    Master Dong Wei had been the only ¡°real¡± cultivator in Shulin for as long as anyone could remember, although he wasn¡¯t particularly well-liked. The most common talk said that Zhang Lifen was here as part of some quest and that her wanderings had simply brought her to Shulin by chance. Somehow, He Yu didn¡¯t think that was the case. A number of people had seen her about¡ªusually in the company of Master Dong Wei and wearing a long-suffering expression¡ªbut she seemed to spend most of her time either secluded inside Master Dong Wei¡¯s school, or out alone in the forest.


    Many of the young men of Shulin seemed to have become smitten with her and endlessly boasted about how they¡¯d win her affection with their performance in the tournament. That, or they dared each other to approach her with some proposition or another. He Yu couldn¡¯t deny she was the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever laid eyes on, by far. Aside from her conventional good looks¡ªwith long black hair, pale skin, and those startling blue eyes¡ªthere was a certain grace about her in the way she moved and carried herself.


    The night before the tournament He Yu finally asked his father about that. He Gang had laughed and said there was nothing all that special about her appearance. Her uncanny movements were a product of extensive cultivation of water qi, something that He Gang claimed to be certain of. Her appearance, on the other hand, was simply a consequence of her advancement. The result of perfecting both her body and her spirit, and removing any imperfections she may have once had.


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    ¡°She¡¯d mentioned something about that,¡± He Yu said once his father had finished his explanation.


    ¡°Did she,¡± He Gang replied, his tone carefully neutral.


    He Yu nodded. ¡°When I told her about how Dong Wei said I was weak, she said that by the time I had stepped fully into the Second Realm, it wouldn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t wrong,¡± his father said, not looking up from his work of etching a basic formation into a tool he¡¯d been making for a wealthier customer.


    Rather than focus on the fact that his father had known all this time that He Yu¡¯s relative lack of strength was no real obstacle to proper cultivation, he asked the other question that had risen in his mind over the past few days. ¡°Does Dong Wei know?¡±


    At this point, his father did look up. ¡°Know what?¡± he asked. He Yu suspected that his father knew exactly what he meant.


    ¡°That it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    He Gang shook his head. ¡°I doubt it. Just look at him. In fact, I¡¯d expect that Zhang Lifen is just as old as Dong Wei, if not older.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean that,¡± he said. His father must be trying to trick him for some reason. Zhang Lifen looked only a few years older than he was. She couldn¡¯t possibly be old enough to be his grandmother.


    ¡°Which part?¡± He Gang asked without looking up from his work, apparently completely serious.


    ¡°Any of it.¡±


    ¡°Did you think cultivators are called immortals for no reason at all? There¡¯s more to the Way than just martial forms and cultivating qi, and the benefits of just those basics are many. Zhang Lifen told you she was at the peak of the Fourth Realm? Most cultivators who arrive at her level do so only after decades of effort. Even then, it can take decades more to achieve a breakthrough. Although, I doubt she¡¯s had that much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He Yu asked. There¡¯d been a note of what he could only describe as awe in his father¡¯s words.


    ¡°As a core disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect, she would have to be an exceptional talent. I didn¡¯t know her when I was there, which means she was likely already an inner disciple then.¡±


    He Yu fell silent as he thought on what his father had just told him. While nothing had been said about the tournament prizes, He Yu had simply assumed that if he won he¡¯d be able to study under Dong Wei.


    It would only make sense that if he could prove himself in front of Dong Wei, the whole town, and most importantly Zhang Lifen, he¡¯d be awarded a place at the school in Shulin. But over these past few days¡ªever since meeting Zhang Lifen, really¡ªhe¡¯d begun to question if he still wanted to. He¡¯d even begun dropping the ¡°Master¡± honorific. He hadn¡¯t done so intentionally and hadn¡¯t even realized it the first few times. It just didn¡¯t feel right anymore. At the same time, if he didn¡¯t learn from Dong Wei, what other options did he have?


    He supposed the only course left to him was to seek out the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Hearing his father talk about it¡ªif only the few words he spared for his time there¡ªhad whetted his appetite. Much in the same way the manual he¡¯d received for his fifteenth birthday had. In the two years since, the path of cultivation had always been like a locked treasure vault. The promise of power and ability beyond his dreams lay sealed away, always close but always beyond his reach.


    Sure, he knew the stories of mighty cultivators of legend, just as any child did. Warriors capable of sundering mountains, splitting the sky, or rending the earth. Heroes and villains who could walk on clouds, call storms of fire, and seal away terrible and ancient powers. Figures of immeasurable power capable of defying the heavens themselves.


    As he reached his adolescence and failed to grow as large or as strong as the other boys in Shulin, he¡¯d taken refuge in his imagination. He¡¯d cast himself as the hero of those stories and reveled in the fantasy of being someone important and strong. Someone powerful. With Zhang Lifen¡¯s appearance in the only home he¡¯d ever known, those fancies didn¡¯t seem so out of reach anymore.


    Even just a taste, he figured, would be enough. If the Shrouded Peaks Sect could produce cultivators that put Dong Wei to shame, he¡¯d be an idiot not to at least try. If he only made it as far as his father had, cast out as a failure before passing the lowest of their ranks, he was certain he¡¯d still learn more than he ever would staying in Shulin.


    He¡¯d give a good showing at the tournament, that much was certain. But even if he won, he wasn¡¯t about to latch himself to someone like Dong Wei. A much larger world of cultivation awaited him, and this tournament was his gateway. He would fight, and when he won he would leave Shulin and seek out the Shrouded Peaks Sect.

 1.5 - Tournament

    Fueled by his excitement for the coming day, He Yu woke up earlier than usual on the morning of the tournament. It had been hard falling asleep with his imagination buzzing from the possibilities he now saw for his future. If he felt tired, that was subsumed by anticipation. Or anxiety. It had become increasingly difficult to untangle the two as the tournament drew near. The tournament had come to dominate his every thought over the past few days, and now it represented a tremendous opportunity that he couldn¡¯t bear to pass up.


    After a light breakfast and some time meditating just outside Shulin¡¯s boundary stones, He Yu made his way towards the square at the center of town. Shulin wasn¡¯t a large town, at least not by the standards of anyone who had traveled more than a few days north. It was, however, a good measure bigger than the other villages that hugged the forest edge. It normally hosted a market in the central square, but over the past few days that square had transformed into the arena for Dong Wei¡¯s tournament. Upon seeing it that morning, it looked like something out of the stories he¡¯d fed his imagination on for years.


    Formation stones had been set up at each of the square¡¯s corners, and streamers bearing more formation script had been strung between them. They were beyond anything He Yu had ever seen in town before, and he¡¯d no doubt Zhang Lifen had assisted with their construction. Three sides of the square had also been bounded by hastily constructed wooded seats for the spectators and the fourth side was now home to a pavilion, presumably for Dong Wei and Zhang Lifen. At the center of the square was the tournament stage, a simple wooden platform raised several feet above the flagstones of the square itself.


    Off to one side sat a table for the participants to register, with a line of entrants already waiting. One of Dong Wei¡¯s students tended it, and standing a few feet away was Dong Wei himself, speaking to a very bored-looking Zhang Lifen. When He Yu approached, Dong Wei turned to him with a scowl.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Registering for the tournament,¡± He Yu said, pressing a fist into his palm and giving a slight bow. He desperately hoped he didn¡¯t sound as though the question had ignited a storm of uncertainty and doubt. He knew full well that Dong Wei thought him unfit for cultivation, but he¡¯d simply assumed that if he could prove himself with the tournament, that wouldn¡¯t matter anymore. For the first time since hearing of his father¡¯s history, it dawned on him that Dong Wei¡¯s animosity towards him might be of another sort altogether.


    ¡°You think I would let a weakling like you compete with my students?¡± Dong Wei asked, every word oozing disdain. ¡°Even allowing you to set foot in the same arena as them would bring dishonor upon both my students and my school.¡±


    That caught He Yu off guard. Compete with Dong Wei¡¯s students? The competition was supposed to determine the school¡¯s new students. At least that¡¯s what Zhang Lifen had said when she¡¯d come up with the whole story about the tournament in the first place. That the Shrouded Peaks Sect disciple had placed the blame for the tournament at his feet¡ªsomething he¡¯d not been expecting Dong Wei to forgive¡ªwas now the least of his concerns. How could he expect to win if he was forced to compete with students Dong Wei had been teaching all this time?


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t see any harm in it,¡± Zhang Lifen said with a disinterested air. ¡°If he¡¯s such a weakling, why wouldn¡¯t you allow him to compete? He certainly couldn¡¯t threaten anyone that mattered.¡± As she spoke the last part, she fixed He Yu with a look that turned her words into a direct challenge.


    Dong Wei hardly could have noticed, however. The instant she¡¯d started speaking he¡¯d turned back to her and bowed deeply. ¡°Of course,¡± he said once it was painfully clear she was done speaking. ¡°If you think he ought to compete, I¡¯ll not gainsay you.¡±


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    The sect disciple gave a slight shake of her head. ¡°I expect the tournament will be sufficiently impressive regardless,¡± she said, still not turning fully back to Dong Wei. He Yu squirmed under her gaze. Whether it was some technique of hers or simply the weight of expectation, he couldn¡¯t say.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s parting words when they¡¯d last spoken came to him then, and he gave her a brief nod. He would acquit himself as well as he was able. The rest would simply be the will of heaven. The Shrouded Peaks disciple responded with a quick, small smile. Finally, she returned her attention to Dong Wei. It seemed his father had been right, and she¡¯d taken some sort of interest in him. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should be excited or terrified of that. Either way, he¡¯d resolved to fight as best he could.


    Making his way to the competitors¡¯ area, he forced himself to focus on the contest ahead. The matches would be fought until either one side yielded or was forced out of the ring. No weapons would be allowed, hand-to-hand strikes only. Advancement in the tournament was determined by elimination-style brackets, with the winner proceeding to the next round. It was a fairly standard affair, all things considered¡ªso long as he ignored the fact that the whole tournament was the fabrication of Zhang Lifen in the first place. And the fact that he was likely going to shoulder the blame for it.


    It was still early, which allowed him to watch as the other competitors began to arrive. They were mostly town youth about his own age, with fifteen being the youngest permitted to enter. While any serious cultivation was frowned upon for youth younger than that, the youngest entrants would have at least awakened to the First Realm. They would likely have had the benefit of some formal training, something that He Yu was very aware he lacked. At least that thought eased any apprehension He Yu felt at beating up children two years his junior¡ªeven if those ¡°children¡± were probably larger and stronger than he was.


    Finally, the students from Dong Wei¡¯s school began to arrive. Each one circled the outside of the arena with heads high and shoulders back. Wearing the crisp uniform of the school, and looking all the more impressive for it, seeing them sent a spike of apprehension through He Yu. Every one of them would be much further along in their cultivation than he was. He didn¡¯t think any would be too close to the peak of Qi Gathering yet. The oldest didn¡¯t look more than a year or so older than he was, and everyone knew cultivation was a process that took more time the higher one climbed. If He Yu was still in the low First Realm, as Zhang Lifen had said, it was hard to imagine that Dong Wei¡¯s students would be that much more advanced.


    He Yu sat and stewed in his own mix of excitement and worry as contestants and spectators alike filtered in. Waves of uncertainty crashed over him as he waited for the tournament to start. Dong Wei¡¯s students were real cultivators. At least compared to him. They¡¯d proper training, they were more advanced than he was, and even without those advantages, they were just simply bigger and stronger. There was no way he¡¯d be able to truly compete.


    But did that truly matter? The great cultivators of legend¡ªlike Tan Zihao of the Jade Kingdom, or Gao Huiliang the Magnificent¡ªwould they back down from such a challenge? Surely not. They strode towards certain death in all the stories, yet emerged victorious time and again. If He Yu wanted to match their deeds one day, how could he do so if he balked now? Their example would guide him through this tournament, and like them, he would emerge victorious.


    Finally, Dong Wei stood and called for silence. They were about to begin. ¡°This year¡¯s tournament comes with an auspicious visitor,¡± Dong Wei began. He¡¯d decided to take Zhang Lifen¡¯s story about the tournament in stride, and simply pretend that everything about it was just a regular thing that people did in Shulin. ¡°The esteemed Lady Zhang has traveled from the great Shrouded Peaks Sect to observe our humble tournament, and will select from among the participants recruits to join the sect as prospective outer disciples.¡±


    A soft murmur of surprise ran through the crowd, a parallel to He Yu¡¯s reaction to the news. The nerves that he¡¯d been struggling to contain all morning now threatened to boil over out of his control, and the resolve he¡¯d found only moments ago buckled. It hadn¡¯t ever crossed his mind that Zhang Lifen would be looking to recruit people for the Shrouded Peaks Sect. At least the news explained why Dong Wei¡¯s students were now allowed to compete. That realization did not, however, provide He Yu with any sense of comfort. If anything, it only meant that the competition would be all the more fierce.

 1.6 - He Yus First Fight

    The first few matches passed quickly while He Yu waited for the announcement of his turn on the stage. Practiced, if not particularly skillful, displays of martial prowess went on for several minutes at a time. When it became apparent who the victor was, the defeated party would yield, the two combatants would salute one another, and the crowd would celebrate with polite cheers. It was all fairly standard, so far as tournaments in Shulin went.


    When it finally came to his turn, He Yu stepped onto the arena platform and pressed his fist into his open palm in the traditional salute. His opponent was another of the town youth, a boy named Bao Wen, just old enough to compete at fifteen. As the son of a wealthier family, Bao Wen had no doubt benefited from training and medicines that He Yu hadn¡¯t ever been able to access. He was bigger, too. Steeling himself, He Yu remembered Zhang Lifen¡¯s words. He would acquit himself well. His future as a real cultivator depended on it.


    Drawing his focus down to a single point, He Yu¡¯s qi rotated in his dantian. He was so intent on being ready that he almost missed the gong that signaled the start of the match. In that brief moment when he scrambled to adjust, Bao Wen rushed him, and He Yu immediately found himself on the back foot.


    Bao Wen¡¯s first blow was a quick strike aimed at He Yu¡¯s head. He only managed to avoid it because of the instinct to not take a punch to the face. It was a clumsy, graceless stumble back and away¡ªnot the artful dodge he¡¯d always imagined himself using in a fight among cultivators. That thought, more than the narrowly missed attack, drained him of any semblance of confidence he had left.


    For the first time since the tournament had been announced, He Yu grasped the reality that he¡¯d never actually been in a fight before. At least not with anything larger than a squirrel. Sure, he¡¯d practiced his forms behind his home and out in the forest, but this was different. Tournament or not, this was real. This was an opponent who was trying to hurt him and would likely succeed. To beat him. Panic welled up in He Yu¡¯s chest and froze him in place. Bao Wen drove a fist into his gut, forcing the breath out of him. He Yu pitched over, gasping for air.


    ¡°Yield,¡± Bao Wen said, just loud enough for He Yu to hear over the pounding of blood in his ears. ¡°I¡¯ll not dishonor myself by beating a weakling like you half to death.¡±


    He Yu squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth to prevent himself from doing just that. His opponent hadn¡¯t even used qi to strengthen his blows, so far as he could tell. Bao Wen might just be so far beyond him that he couldn¡¯t sense it, though. It didn¡¯t matter. He couldn¡¯t yield. He couldn¡¯t just give up. Not now, not ever. His Way was long¡ªso much longer than this. If it weren¡¯t, why would a disciple from the Shrouded Peaks Sect take any interest in him at all?


    His eyes were still shut, so he didn¡¯t so much as see the kick coming for his face as he felt it. His qi stirred, pushing him to move. He Yu¡¯s eyes snapped open just in time to see Bao Wen¡¯s foot sail a hair¡¯s breadth from his nose. Then, He Yu lashed out with a clumsy kick of his own. It was enough. Bao Wen was off balance from his own graceless attack, and when He Yu struck his ankle, the other boy tumbled to the ground.


    To his credit, Bao Wen was back on his feet only a heartbeat after He Yu. But a single heartbeat was enough. Somewhere between having the wind knocked out of him, and realizing he¡¯d only one choice before him, He Yu¡¯s world had collapsed to a single point with a single goal. Nothing existed but the two fighters and nothing mattered except that he won.


    As Bao Wen rolled to his feet with an ease that suggested countless hours of practice, He Yu had already begun cycling qi into his limbs. When he struck at Bao Wen, the explosive power of the blow surprised him nearly as much as it did Bao Wen.


    His opponent managed to bring his arms up into a guard, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Either he didn¡¯t expect the force of the attack or wasn¡¯t skilled enough to cycle qi on instinct. Whatever the reason, He Yu¡¯s straight punch broke through Bao Wen¡¯s guard and sent the other boy staggering. Although Bao Wen had kept his feet, he was clearly off balance.


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    He Yu wouldn¡¯t get another chance like that. He¡¯d no doubt that by this point Bao Wen had taken his measure, and would use every bit of his superior training and size to punish He Yu for having the audacity to fight back.


    Before Bao Wen could regain his balance, He Yu set his shoulder and charged. Unsure of how exactly to follow up the surprise strike, and make Bao Wen yield, He Yu could only see one option before him. Force his opponent out of the arena. Cycling qi to his legs, he barreled down on the other boy. He drove his shoulder into Bao Wen. Several staggering steps later, Bao Wen¡¯s back foot landed on nothing but air and he tumbled off the raised arena platform, crashing down to the flagstones of the town square.


    Other than the gong signaling the end of the match, He Yu¡¯s victory was met with silence.


    Chest heaving, he faced the onlookers. Dong Wei¡¯s face was the color of He Gang¡¯s forge, and the old cultivator looked as though he barely had a handle on his temper. Most of the others gathered wore expressions of either disbelief or disgust. True, it had been a clumsy victory, but it had been a victory nonetheless. He Yu didn¡¯t care what they thought, anyway. There was only one person in the audience whose opinion mattered so far as he was concerned.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s expression was thoughtful. Gone was the same half-amused partial smirk that she¡¯d affected from the moment he¡¯d met her. She looked at him with an intensity he hadn¡¯t noticed from her before, and her attention pressed down on his shoulders like a sack of rice. She clearly thought the victory was clumsy, and he couldn¡¯t deny that she was right. Nobody else had won by any method other than forcing a yield, just as Bao Wen had demanded of him.


    Nobody except He Yu. His heart plunged, and all the ways that he¡¯d failed in her esteem started to spiral in his thoughts, a dozen different manifestations of inadequacy playing out all at once.


    He should have known better. Shouldn¡¯t have fooled himself. What actual reason had she ever given him to believe that she¡¯d any interest in him as a possible disciple for the Shrouded Peaks Sect? He¡¯d simply assumed. Like as not she would have told anyone to ¡°acquit themselves well¡± in a tournament. He¡¯d never been special, and that sure wasn¡¯t about to change now. Head heavy and hanging low, he walked off the stage, his victory souring only moments after he¡¯d grasped it.


    The remainder of the first round passed in a dull haze. Fists connected to flesh, and the townsfolk who¡¯d gathered to watch cheered as the fighters displayed their martial skill. Nobody else won in the same clumsy manner He Yu had. It was all practiced strikes and blocks and counters and throws. And each winner left the stage with their head held high to the acclaim of the onlookers.


    It was enough to make him sick. Not with the shame he¡¯d felt just after his win, but with resentment. It shouldn¡¯t matter¡ªhe¡¯d won. If this were a real fight, with real stakes, would anyone begrudge him a victory at any cost? He could worry about ¡°honorable combat¡± later. Once he¡¯d the strength to do so. And if Zhang Lifen wasn¡¯t impressed, well there wasn¡¯t anything stopping him from heading to the Shrouded Peaks Sect on his own, was there? If they wouldn¡¯t take him, he¡¯d just keep looking until he found someone who would.


    He Yu kept telling himself as much while the match-ups for the second round were drawn, and through the first few fights of the same. By the time his name was called to take the tournament stage again, he¡¯d even managed to convince himself that it didn¡¯t matter if he lost here. Shulin could rot, and if Zhang Lifen and the Shrouded Peaks Sect wouldn¡¯t have him, they could rot, too. He¡¯d follow his Way to its very end¡ªno matter where it took him, and if only to show them all that he could.


    He Yu gathered his resolve and stepped onto the tournament stage. So lost to his determination, that he¡¯d not paid attention to his opponent. When he took the stage a second time, he came face-to-face with Sha Xiang. She was dressed in the school¡¯s uniform and appeared more than ready for the coming match. Her hair was pulled back into a short braid, and her eyes were hard as she sized him up. She¡¯d been studying with Dong Wei since the day she¡¯d turned fifteen, which meant she¡¯d be a far more formidable opponent than Bao Wen. When He Yu met her gaze, she pressed her fist into her palm.


    ¡°It will be an honor,¡± she said, voice spiked with condescension.


    He Yu returned the salute, and said, ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Sha Xiang gave a smile that held no warmth, and her eyes gleamed. She was obviously looking forward to beating him into the dirt. He Yu had no doubt that the round had been rigged and that Sha Xiang had specific instructions from Dong Wei to humiliate him. No matter. If there was a way to win, he would find it. His future as a cultivator depended on it.

 1.7 - Sha Xiang

    The gong announced the start of the match, and Sha Xiang exploded into an attack. He had no time to react. Her fist crashed into his face, and stars bloomed in his vision. She swept his feet out from underneath him, sending him tumbling to the ground. Finally, she planted a foot on his shoulder and shoved him out of the arena. The gong signaled the end of the match as the crowd¡¯s cheers burned He Yu¡¯s ears and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.


    He picked himself up off the flagstones, ignored as he was by everyone else, and hobbled to where Shulin¡¯s healer waited for him. His left eye was already swelling shut, and his head still rang. It had all been so fast. He hadn¡¯t even the time to cycle qi that he might have endured maybe one strike. If He Yu had held any doubt about his opponent being rigged, they were gone now. As he submitted himself to the ministrations of the healer, he looked across the arena with his remaining good eye.


    Sha Xiang sat amongst her peers with her arms folded over her chest. Rather than accepting their congratulations, she shot a look of pure contempt across the arena at He Yu. The anger that boiled up at that sight surprised him. Just moments ago the only thing he¡¯d felt was the shame of defeat and frustration at the unfairness of it all. But seeing Sha Xiang act as though she had some cause to be offended lit a fire in his belly. In the stories about great cultivators of the past, these sorts of slights often sparked rivalries. He Yu could only imagine the look on Sha Xiang¡¯s face when he appeared before her after several decades of cultivation and challenged her to a duel.


    A slight pressure at the edge of his senses caused him to turn towards Zhang Lifen. He found her looking at him, the only break in her otherwise unreadable expression was a slight furrow between her brows. He Yu immediately ducked his head. Of course she would be disappointed with him. She had told him to acquit himself well and he¡¯d done the opposite. In both his fights. Any chance he may have had with the Shrouded Peaks Sect was gone. He¡¯d been a fool to even consider it.


    He spent the rest of the tournament feeling sorry for himself. Each time the crowd erupted in cheers at the end of a round, it was like he had a bludgeon of regret striking him about the shoulders. He was only halfway paying attention when the final round concluded, and Sha Xiang stood victorious in the arena. It didn¡¯t surprise him that she¡¯d been the one to take the tournament. No doubt Zhang Lifen would sweep her away to the Shrouded Peaks Sect now, and leave He Yu to live out the rest of his days in shame.


    ¡°With the tournament concluded, I have made my selections for the prospective disciples of the Shrouded Peaks Sect,¡± Zhang Lifen said, her voice carrying easily over the noise of the crowd. She stood in the center of the tournament stage, although He Yu couldn¡¯t have said when she¡¯d moved. ¡°My first selection is Sha Xiang. As the winner of the tournament, she has demonstrated her ability and I expect she will prosper as a disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    Polite murmurs spread throughout the crowd at that. He Yu couldn¡¯t say he was particularly surprised. It only made sense that the winner of the tournament would be offered entry to the sect.


    ¡°For my second selection, I choose He Yu.¡±


    He Yu froze, and he felt the weight of the assembled crowd¡¯s gaze upon him. This had to be some sort of joke.


    ¡°I would have a word with both prospective disciples,¡± Zhang Lifen said.


    The unspoken command in her words caused He Yu to turn. Zhang Lifen remained at the center of the tournament stage, and she was looking directly at him. Swallowing his rampaging nerves, He Yu took a step back toward the arena. From the far side of the town square, Sha Xiang stared death at him.


    ¡°This is an outrage!¡± Dong Wei¡¯s voice cut through the haze of He Yu¡¯s thoughts. The master of Shulin¡¯s cultivation school stalked, red-faced, towards the sect disciple. ¡°He Yu was eliminated in the second round, and he fought without even the slightest shred of honor in the first. Offering him a position at the sect is an insult to my student.¡±


    Slowly, Zhang Lifen turned towards Dong Wei. Ever since He Yu¡¯s first encounter with her, she had nearly always worn an amused or playful expression. The stories had always made cultivators into stoic figures who controlled their emotions, and Zhang Lifen had never really fit into that image. She did now. Her features were neutral, any hints of her reaction absent. Her posture was the same as it always had been, confident but relaxed, as though she were wholly at ease with her surroundings.


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    For a moment, Zhang Lifen remained silent. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, but it carried in a way that should have been impossible. ¡°You forget yourself, Dong Wei,¡± was all she said.


    With her words came the crashing of water¡ªa river overflowing its banks, a dam buckling and bursting, a village swept away in a flood. Instinctively He Yu drew in a breath and held it, just before the waters surged over his head and pulled him into their crushing black depths.


    While he knew he stood in the town square, some panicked animal part of his brain told him that if he breathed in, he would get a lungful of water for his trouble. That he would surely drown. He struggled against the sensation of crushing weight and fought to remain on his feet against a surging tide.


    Before him, Zhang Lifen had not moved. She hadn¡¯t even adjusted her posture, but she now seemed a giant, towering over those unfortunate enough to still be present in the square. The hem of her gown drifted about her feet, and her hair gently swayed in unseen currents. Just looking at her like this made He Yu want to sink into the depths of her spirit, to let go of his breath, and allow the black silent stillness to claim him.


    As fast as they had come, the waters receded. The tide drew back, and He Yu sucked in a breath of the sweetest air he had ever tasted. Although the terrifying presence had retreated, Zhang Lifen still dominated the square. She had tilted her chin up, almost imperceptibly, and stared down at Dong Wei who had thrown himself to the ground in kowtow.


    ¡°I was sent here as a representative of the Shrouded Peaks Sect to choose prospective disciples. As a core disciple of the inner sect, I may do so at my own discretion. Who are you, Dong Wei, to gainsay me?¡± Zhang Lifen¡¯s voice was like the surface of a mirror-still lake, tranquil but with hidden danger below.


    ¡°This one gives his deepest apologies for his impertinence,¡± Dong Wei said, his forehead pressed to the flagstones. Had Zhang Lifen not been so terrifying mere seconds ago, seeing Dong Wei humbled like this would have been comical.


    ¡°Were it up to me, I would tear your excuse for a school to the ground and cripple your cultivation, so as to teach you a lesson,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°But the Elders of the Shrouded Peaks Sect see fit to allow you to continue operating in our territory. At least I am not so foolish as to question the wisdom of my betters. I know my place, Dong Wei.¡± The whole time she spoke, Zhang Lifen¡¯s tone remained utterly, and terrifyingly, calm.


    ¡°Lady Zhang is most merciful and wise,¡± Dong Wei said, his voice trembling.


    ¡°I have made my selection. If you disagree, by all means, petition the sect Elders. Though I would not expect them to be as merciful as I have been, were I you. Now get out of my sight. You should meditate on this lesson, and perhaps gain some insights for your own, lacking, cultivation.¡±


    With speed that belied his age, Dong Wei retreated, bowing to Zhang Lifen and babbling yet more apologies all the way. She watched him go, her face remaining expressionless the whole time. As Dong Wei fled the town square, she said, ¡°Come here, both of you.¡±


    Once He Yu and Sha Xiang stood before her, Zhang Lifen spoke again. ¡°You are now both prospective disciples of the outer sect. Your first task is to travel to the sect itself, located in the Shrouded Peaks to the northwest.¡± She produced a pair of metal disks and handed one to each of them. ¡°These tokens will show you the way. Stick to the roads, as the sect maintains formation stones and keeps them safe. Should you require lodgings or provisions, simply present your tokens to any wayside inns.¡± With a pointed look at He Yu, she said, ¡°You should leave no later than tomorrow morning.¡±


    He Yu bowed deeply, and said, ¡°This one thanks you, Lady Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore,¡± Zhang Lifen said, looking now in Sha Xiang¡¯s direction, ¡°any grudges you have with each other should be forgotten for the time being. To settle them while you are on the road is to bring dishonor upon yourselves, and to the sect. There will be plenty of time for such matters once you are in competition with each other as outer sect disciples.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Lady Zhang,¡± Sha Xiang said, her voice stony.


    He Yu felt only a shiver of apprehension at the implication of Zhang Lifen¡¯s words.


    ¡°I have no more time to waste,¡± the sect disciple said. ¡°Make your way to the Shrouded Peaks.¡± With that, she was gone, leaving only the scent of rain and a curl of mist to mark her passing.


    Sha Xiang turned to He Yu. ¡°Once we enter competition with one another, I will show you no mercy,¡± she said. ¡°That you have been granted entry to the sect alongside me is a stain on my pride and an insult to my talent.¡± She then turned on her heel and stalked off.


    He Yu watched her go. There was no doubt in his mind that she would harbor this grudge. He certainly wasn¡¯t going to forget the humiliation he¡¯d suffered at her hands. Nor was he going to waste the opportunity that Zhang Lifen had handed him.

 1.8 - To the Shrouded Peaks

    ¡°So you¡¯ll be going then,¡± He Gang said as He Yu burst into their modest home behind the forge.


    He Yu drew up short, duty conflicting with desire. A good, dutiful son would stay. Learn his father¡¯s trade, take over once his father was too old to work, and care for him in his older years. That¡¯s how things were supposed to work.


    Nothing in their family worked the way it was supposed to, though. His mother had been lost to fever when he was just a child. His father had never remarried. He Yu had caught the same fever but had lived. The town healer said the lingering effects of the fever were why He Yu was so frail even today. That had made it impossible for him to help his father around the forge, or to learn his trade. He Yu had always been grateful for his father¡¯s indulgence of his fascination with cultivation¡ªfruitless as it was¡ªbut now he wondered.


    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± He Yu asked.


    He Gang looked up from his tea. ¡°You¡¯re asking me? I¡¯d have thought you would be on your way to the Shrouded Peaks already.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to take care of the smithy? Who¡¯s going to take care of you?¡± Now that the prospect of leaving his father and the only home he¡¯d ever known was real, it didn¡¯t seem so appealing anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Do you see any other blacksmiths in Shulin? I¡¯m sure that once you leave, I¡¯ll have less fortunate families breaking down my door and begging me to take one of their sons as an apprentice. If not, I can afford to hire an assistant should I need to.¡± He Gang shook his head and clicked his tongue. ¡°You think I wouldn¡¯t have put you to work if I truly needed you? I may not be wealthy, but my services command enough of a price that I could let you cultivate rather than work the forge. So that you might have the chance you¡¯ve been given now. It would be more disrespectful not to take it, Yu''er.¡±


    He Yu swallowed and looked down at his feet. He was grateful for his father¡¯s words and consideration, but now he was out of excuses. ¡°I¡¯m afraid,¡± he admitted.


    His father nodded, as though he¡¯d expected as much. ¡°It is wise to be cautious when stepping into the unknown,¡± he said. ¡°Nearly anyone can cultivate the First or Second Realm with enough effort. Qi Gathering is the first step on the Way, and the Foundation stage is merely the second. But to join a sect and go further is to truly join the world of cultivation and walk among the immortals. It is not a decision to be taken lightly.¡±


    He Gang¡¯s words had grown serious as he spoke, and He Yu took his time to consider them. He had heard the legends of cultivators. Everyone had. The world of immortals was one of grudges, conflict, and death. Already he had seen evidence of such¡ªSha Xiang would be waiting for him at the sect, and already she held one such grudge. If the stories were anything to go by, he would collect more enemies and rivals as he progressed. He would have to overcome those obstacles and more should he want to continue his advancement.


    Even so, there would also be opportunity. Just as he collected enemies, he would naturally collect allies, even if only those of convenience. As he advanced, he would no doubt acquire treasures beyond his wildest imagination. If he worked hard, and if the heavens favored him, he would surpass his enemies. He would defeat the challenges that stood in his way. Most importantly, he would walk the Way.


    He thought back to the display of power he had seen just that afternoon. When Zhang Lifen had unleashed her qi she had cowed Dong Wei as though he were nothing. He supposed that to her, Dong Wei was nothing. Most striking had been how effortless it had seemed. Zhang Lifen had barely moved, using no techniques that he could see. Yet she towered over the square, and her qi had overwhelmed all present. What could she do if she had really tried? What could he do, if he had such strength?


    He did, however, have one final doubt. ¡°I didn¡¯t even win, though,¡± he said. Surely his father had known. He had been at the tournament, after all.


    He Gang simply nodded. ¡°No, you did not.¡± Again, his tone hinted that this had been expected.


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    ¡°Then why would she still pick me?¡±


    ¡°Lady Zhang likely had already made up her mind before you even felt her presence,¡± He Gang said.


    ¡°Made up her mind about me? Any one of Dong Wei¡¯s students is more advanced than I am. Why not one of them?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?¡± He Gang said with a shrug. ¡°She had her reasons, and if you live a hundred years, you might begin to understand them. Such is the way of immortals.¡±


    ¡°But I lost. I didn¡¯t even make it past the second round.¡±


    ¡°Were I to guess, you were likely meant to lose.¡±


    He Yu stared at his father. ¡°What sort of test are you meant to fail?¡±


    ¡°A piece of advice, Yu''er. Or a warning, if you like. There will be many such tests at the sect, and what counts as passing may not always be obvious. If Lady Zhang is anything like the sect Elders, she wanted to see what you would do when presented with an obstacle you could not overcome. Would you stay at home, convinced you could not win? Or would you compete despite knowing you would lose? If she gave you a sect token, then whatever she saw satisfied her.¡±


    A test he was meant to fail. No, failure would have been to stay home. To not compete in the tournament. A thought came to him, unbidden. The test had been meant to teach him something. What, he didn¡¯t know, but he could feel it just at the edge of his thoughts. He shook his head and looked back to his father.


    He Gang nodded. ¡°So you¡¯ve made up your mind, then."


    He had.


    ¡°Get some rest. You should leave as early as you can tomorrow. The Shrouded Peaks are a long journey from Shulin.¡±


    He awoke early the next morning. Just as the sun peeked through the forest to shed its first rays upon the new day, He Yu set his feet upon the road. He carried little with him. A few spare changes of clothes, enough food for several days of travel, a small iron pot for cooking, and the bamboo scroll that was his Qi Gathering manual. He had little else of any real worth, were he honest.


    Saying goodbye to his father had been harder than he¡¯d imagined, given his excitement at being accepted into the sect. But He Gang bid him good fortune and gave him one final word of encouragement before he set off. It was the most he could have wanted. Those first hours after leaving the formation gate were spent reflecting on his father.


    He Gang had seen his son¡¯s interest in the world of cultivators and fostered it when Dong Wei had denied him entry to the school in Shulin. That interest had led He Yu to diligently cultivate the Qi Gathering manual his father had found for him, and that had led Zhang Lifen to him. Whatever she¡¯d seen in him that day outside of Shulin, it had given him the chance to follow a path that he had thought closed off to him. It had given him the chance to succeed where his father had once failed. It was often said that every master desires to see their student surpass them. While He Gang certainly wasn¡¯t a master, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but think this was the best opportunity he¡¯d ever get to make his father proud.


    After an hour or so of walking along the cart path that led northwest from Shulin, He Yu emerged from the outskirts of the southern forest. Here the path intersected with a larger, well-maintained road running roughly east to west. Zhang Lifen had said the Shrouded Peaks Sect headquarters lay to the northwest, in the Shrouded Peaks. She had also said that the token she¡¯d given him would show him the way. It would likely be better to be sure, so He Yu fished the token out of his pack.


    The token itself was a metal disk as large across as his palm. The characters for the Shrouded Peaks Sect were stamped in the center, and formation characters he didn¡¯t recognize ran around the outer edge. For a moment he held the token, unsure how he was supposed to use it.


    When a flicker of worry about his route slipped through, he found that certainty of the path ahead arose unbidden in his mind. He knew that, for the time being, he needed to follow the road west. The knowing was as solid as the ground he stood on. While he hadn¡¯t been expecting anything particularly spectacular, he hadn¡¯t been expecting anything so underwhelming either. Well, it wasn¡¯t as if the sect would give him some amazing treasure. If all it did was ensure he wouldn¡¯t get lost on the way, it did its job. He Yu pocketed the token and set his feet to the west.


    A short time after nightfall, He Yu came upon a wayside inn. Upon entering, he presented the token to the proprietor as he¡¯d been instructed. The man nodded, directed him to a room on the second floor, and told him to sit downstairs if he wanted a meal. He Yu had almost thought he would be dismissed out of hand, or asked to pay, but it seemed Zhang Lifen had spoken true once more. A part of him was a bit disappointed that he hadn¡¯t been shown the deference Zhang Lifen had been shown back in Shulin, but he supposed that would come in time.


    The meal he received was hot and filling, and the bed was warm and dry. The best part was that he didn¡¯t have to pay for it. Before he left the next morning, he asked the proprietor about that and was simply told that the sect would provide recompense. With a good night¡¯s sleep, a full belly, and a full pack, He Yu set off to the Shrouded Peaks Sect once more.

 1.9 - Arrival

    The road to the Shrouded Peaks Sect and the Shrouded Peaks was lined with well-maintained formation stones, so there was little risk of running across spirits or beasts. What few travelers he came across were friendly enough, and He Yu was glad for the company while he had it. Rice paddies lined the road on either side, hills dotted the horizon, and always to the west lay the Shrouded Peaks.


    As he grew closer to his destination, the road became better maintained, the towns larger, and the people conspicuously wealthier. By now it was clear the roads were patrolled not just by the sect, but also by the town garrisons, keeping them free from spirits and bandits alike. The formation stones served little purpose here other than peace of mind, since the surrounding fields, villages, and large towns had little fear of attack. It wasn¡¯t until He Yu left the main road to hike the foothills of the Shrouded Peaks that he found himself once again in terrain where the formation stones provided any real benefit.


    Finally, he came to a town called Xu Xiang. Nestled into a hollow at the base of the mist-cloaked mountains, it was small by the standards of the towns he¡¯d passed along the way, but none the poorer for it. He Yu arrived just before the sun moved behind the mountains, and the small central square still bustled with people. Many of them wore outfits similar to what Zhang Lifen had worn. Rather than her pale blue, theirs were all the same ash grey in color. Uniforms of the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s lowest ranked students, he learned after asking a passerby who¡¯d also directed him to an inn.


    The inn wasn¡¯t too crowded, with only a few other patrons sitting and talking to one another. Traders and merchants, by the look of them. He Yu presented his token to the proprietor, received a curt nod and an indication that he¡¯d have food brought to him in a moment, and took a seat to himself. A short distance away he caught sight of a girl about his own age staring at him. When he looked up at her to say something, her eyes grew wide in alarm, and she quickly ducked her head, looking away.


    When his food came a short time later, he caught her looking at him again. Meeting her eyes a second time, she reacted in much the same way as the first. The whole time he ate, he caught her casting furtive glances his way. By the time he finished his meal, he¡¯d finally had enough.


    ¡°Is there something I can help with?¡± he asked when he caught her looking his way again.


    ¡°What?¡± She glanced around, looking anywhere but at him as a blush colored her cheeks. ¡°Oh, nothing. I¡ªum¡ªyou have a token.¡± The last bit came out in a rush, and she heaved a sigh once she¡¯d finished speaking.


    ¡°This?¡± he asked, holding up the sect token.


    The girl nodded vigorously before producing her own token, identical to his own. ¡°Are you headed up the mountain in the morning?¡± She asked, apprehension clear in her words.


    ¡°I was planning on it.¡±


    In an instant, she was out of her chair and sitting in the one opposite him. ¡°Can I go with you?¡± she blurted out, her flush deepening. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and then continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to go alone, but nobody with a token would let me go with them. I¡¯ve been down here for weeks. I can¡¯t go back home, at least I don¡¯t think so, but I don¡¯t want to go up the mountain alone either, but I don¡¯t want to give up¡ª¡±


    She clearly wasn¡¯t done talking, but she¡¯d run out of breath, giving He Yu just enough of a pause to jump in. ¡°Sure, I guess, but who are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Chen Fei,¡± she said, cupping her fist in greeting. She heaved another sigh and seemed to become immediately more at ease. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to join the sect, too.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve just arrived too?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What? Oh, no. I just didn¡¯t want to go up alone, like I said.¡± Chen Fei looked away, a sheepish expression crossing her face.


    ¡°Right,¡± He Yu said. ¡°But why not?¡±


    She turned back again, eyes wide once more. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,¡± she answered in hushed tones.


    ¡°And you¡¯re scared?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± she said, but the protest was halting and half-hearted. The blush had returned to her cheeks, too.


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    He Yu took a moment to look her over. She was sturdy, and easily taller than he was. Her clothing was of a strange fashion, with more fur and leather and felt than he¡¯d ever seen anyone wear. About her neck hung a pendant inscribed with a protective formation script. Given that she had a token, she had to be a cultivator herself.


    ¡°So how dangerous is it?¡± He Yu asked, trying his best to steer things away from points she was embarrassed about.


    ¡°Not super dangerous,¡± Chen Fei answered, perking up a bit. ¡°The inner disciples mostly keep the area free of beasts and spirits, but not everything. Anything weak enough that it would run away from an inner disciple is allowed to stick around. The path is supposed to be a challenge. Makes sure that only those who are strong enough make it up the mountain. Less than half the prospects that head up the mountain ever come back.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound encouraging. ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t see any reason to come back down?¡± he offered. He didn¡¯t honestly think that the sect would allow half their prospective recruits to die on the final leg of their journey¡ªespecially after taking on the expense of getting them to this point in the first place.


    ¡°Maybe not. But then again, Xu Xiang is here only because of the sect,¡± she mused. ¡°Disciples come down here all the time to buy and sell things. I¡¯ve heard enough talk while I¡¯ve been here, most of the traders all say this is their best stop.¡±


    At least that explained most of what he¡¯d seen from the town up until this point. Bringing the conversation back around to the point, He Yu asked, ¡°So what do you actually know about the trail?¡±


    ¡°Only that it¡¯s dangerous, but I¡¯m sure we can do it together.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said. It was clear he wasn¡¯t going to get much more out of her about the path up the mountain than that. Still, if she¡¯d been here for weeks, she had to have learned something useful. ¡°So is there anything you can tell me about the Shrouded Peaks Sect itself?¡±


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know?¡± she asked.


    Come to think of it, he didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t even know what exactly it was he didn¡¯t know¡ªor what he was supposed to. Growing sheepish in his turn, he said, ¡°I¡¯d never heard of them until Zhang Lifen showed up at my home town looking for recruits.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow, I¡¯d thought I came from far away. It must have taken you forever to get here. I mean, nothing wrong with that. If there¡¯s no reason for the sect to ever show up, I guess you wouldn¡¯t know about them, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, we had formation stones around to keep the worst threats at bay. Oh, we also had a cultivator who ran a school of his own.¡± The southern forest wasn¡¯t exactly what He Yu would consider safe, but Shulin itself was safe enough a place to live.


    ¡°Your town had its own school?¡± she asked. ¡°So you¡¯re not under the protection of the Shrouded Peaks Sect? And they sent a disciple to collect recruits in another school¡¯s territory?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Huh, weird.¡± Chen Fei shook her head. ¡°So the schools and sects and clans and whatever else sort of divide territory amongst themselves. They keep rogue cultivators from causing too much trouble and protect the people living in their territory from spirits and awakened beasts. Unless there¡¯s some sort of conflict between them, they stay out of each other¡¯s way. So if your town had its own school, there shouldn¡¯t be a reason for a disciple from another sect to show up. That sort of trespass could lead to a pretty serious fight. Never mind the fact that the sect poached a possible student. That¡¯s enough to start a war if you ask me.¡±


    He Yu thought back to how easily Zhang Lifen had cowed Dong Wei. At least he now had some answers for the conversation between the two of them after the tournament. ¡°I don¡¯t think the school at Shulin is up to the task of fighting the Shrouded Peaks Sect. I¡¯m pretty sure the sect considers us a part of their territory.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± she said.


    ¡°Guess they¡¯re desperate or something,¡± He Yu said without thinking.


    ¡°Yeah, that seems about right,¡± she said, looking down and away. It seemed she¡¯d a story that was more similar to his own than he would have thought.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, trying to sound encouraging, ¡°I guess it¡¯s just up to us to prove our worth to them, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m sure once we make it up the mountain we¡¯ll do fine.¡± He couldn¡¯t have said why exactly it had suddenly become so important that he tried and cheer her up, but it had.


    She looked back up at him, a little bit excited and a little bit surprised. ¡°You mean we can go together?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I already said as much, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Without warning she launched herself across the table and wrapped her arms around his neck in a half hug, half tackle. ¡°Thank you! You won¡¯t regret it!¡± Then, as if she¡¯d realized what she¡¯d done, she disentangled herself from him, looking sheepish once again. After a moment¡¯s pause, she looked up and said, ¡°You never told me your name.¡±


    ¡°Um, He Yu,¡± he answered, still a bit thrown from her sudden attack.


    ¡°Right, He Yu. Well, we should set off early tomorrow. It¡¯ll take us most of the day to climb the path, and we need to reach the school before dark or they won¡¯t let us in. Night!¡±


    Chen Fei stood and disappeared up the stairs leading to the inn¡¯s second floor and the guest rooms. That left He Yu to try and piece together what exactly had just happened. The girl seemed nice enough, and¡ªif he were honest¡ªit would be a welcome change to have someone to share the ascent with after all this time on the road by himself. It wasn¡¯t as though he wasn¡¯t used to being on his own. He¡¯d never had any real friends to speak of back home. Well, he could sort all that out later if need be. The important part was that he¡¯d finally arrived.

 1.10 - Mountain Path

    The next morning when He Yu came downstairs he found Chen Fei already waiting for him. She was dressed in the same leathers and furs as the previous night, with the addition of a small pack slung over her shoulder and a wooden walking staff in one hand. Her hair hung down to the middle of her back in a thick plait. Seeing her standing confirmed his suspicion from the previous night that she was taller than he was, but he¡¯d been used to that sort of thing for years now. She was also bulkier. Even with her strange clothing, she looked far more the warrior than he did. Looked more the warrior than Sha Xiang had as well, now that he thought about it. On appearances alone, He Yu would have bet on her every time against any of Dong Wei¡¯s students.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He Yu asked.


    Chen Fei responded with a vigorous nod. ¡°Are you going to be able to carry all that?¡± she asked a moment later, motioning to He Yu¡¯s much larger pack.


    A heat rose up his neck and into his cheeks. He had to fight down his reaction at the initial implication of her words. Sure, she looked like she could break him over her knee, but he didn¡¯t figure her the type to point that out. After their conversation last night, he thought he¡¯d managed to take somewhat of her measure. She was far too friendly to mock him for his size.


    ¡°Climbing is a good bit harder than traveling over flat land,¡± she offered after a few moments of him not responding. ¡°I grew up in the mountains, you know.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t known, but any questions about where exactly she grew up were washed away at the surge of relief that she truly wasn¡¯t mocking him. ¡°Oh, right,¡± he said. ¡°I grew up in the south.¡± He felt stupid once he¡¯d said it since it didn¡¯t have any bearing on anything, but it had been something to say.


    ¡°You should tell me about it on the hike. It¡¯ll help pass the time.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°Ready?¡± She nodded, and they headed out of the inn together.


    The formation gate marking the path up the mountain lay at the west end of Xu Xiang. A pair of thick wooden pillars carved with formation characters and topped by an even larger crossbeam marked the start of the trail. The path itself was packed dirt, and quickly rose along with the terrain, soon disappearing into the shroud of mist that obscured the higher peaks. Once the gate had faded into the mist behind them, they began their climb in earnest.


    ¡°So you grew up in the southern forest?¡± Chen Fei asked, breaking the silence of the mists.


    ¡°I did. In a town called Shulin. Ever been?¡±


    ¡°Never even heard of it,¡± she admitted.


    That took him by surprise. It shouldn¡¯t have, once he thought about it. Shulin was all he¡¯d ever known. While his journey to Xu Xiang had been largely uneventful, it had given him a taste of just how small his world had been before leaving.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± he asked. ¡°You said you grew up in the mountains?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she said, sounding hardly out of breath, unlike He Yu. ¡°Further to the north, along the western slopes. Same general range as the Shrouded Peaks, I think, but less mist and more snow. Once I crossed, I followed the mountains south pretty much the whole trip.¡±


    He Yu had only ever seen snow a few times. It rarely got cold enough for snowfall, and when it did, it melted within a few hours at most.


    ¡°The village I grew up in was below the snow line, at least in the summer. During the winter we could be stuck inside for weeks at a time.¡±


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    ¡°That sounds rough,¡± He Yu said. Even in the harshest weather back home, staying indoors was more a matter of comfort than necessity.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t too bad. It¡¯ll be nice to spend time somewhere a bit warmer, though.¡±


    The hike up the mountain wasn¡¯t exactly what He Yu would consider warm. The ever-present mist made his skin clammy and his clothes damp. It would have been downright cold if it weren¡¯t for the exertion of the climb. An exertion that was steadily wearing him down. When they¡¯d set out in the morning, he¡¯d planned to call for a halt around midday. Now that they were in the thick of the mist, with no glimpse of the sun or sky, keeping track of the time was nigh impossible. Regardless of whether or not the school would let them in after nightfall, it was a good thing Chen Fei had wanted to leave early. He couldn¡¯t imagine taking the trail in the dark.


    As they climbed, the mist clung to He Yu¡¯s hair and clothes, soon making him just as wet as the moss-covered rocks along the trail. The grey shroud that hung around them and muted sound had grown thicker as they climbed as well. If it weren¡¯t for the way Chen Fei stopped and stiffened, He Yu would have thought he¡¯d imagined the quiet laugh that bubbled from seemingly all around them.


    When the laughter came a second time, Chen Fei let out what He Yu could only describe as a squeak before she dropped to one knee and slammed her palm onto the dirt trail. The talisman at her neck flashed, and a circle of glowing formation characters appeared around her, followed by a shimmering dome big enough to cover her where she knelt.


    ¡°Oh no, no, no,¡± she said, her words breathless and verging on panic. ¡°This was such a bad idea.¡±


    Any concern he¡¯d held for the strange laughter a moment ago fled at the sight before him.


    He¡¯d imagined that if there was any trouble on the path, Chen Fei would be the one to handle it. She certainly looked as though she were more capable than him. The staff she¡¯d been carrying, now on the ground outside the circle, was thick enough that could easily crack more than a few skulls. Seeing her cringing in the middle of a barrier formation like a frightened child was the last thing he¡¯d expected.


    The laughter drew closer, and it took on an icy sinister edge. He Yu stooped and grabbed Chen Fei¡¯s discarded staff. Formation characters were etched along its length, with a separate ring forming a band at each end. He wasn¡¯t particularly good with formations, as he found the process of making the characters themselves tedious at best, but he knew an enchanted weapon when he saw one.


    ¡°What does this do?¡± He Yu asked, shaking the staff in Chen Fei¡¯s direction.


    She made no reply other than to keep muttering her half-panicked regrets about coming to the sect.


    He Yu huffed a sigh, frustration at Chen Fei¡¯s reaction eclipsing his fear. It looked like he was on his own. Against some unknown foe, in a shroud of mist that prevented him from seeing more than a few feet in front of him. On the side of a mountain where spirit beasts and worse were allowed to dwell so they could pose a challenge to prospective disciples of the sect at the peak. All things considered, he should be in a worse state than Chen Fei.


    But he wasn¡¯t. That same part of his mind that latched on to his cultivation had turned itself to this. Whatever this actually was, it was something that lay before him. A problem to be solved, a challenge to overcome. The world shrank down to a single point with him at the center, and everything else fell away. He was scared. He¡¯d be an idiot not to be, but that was just another part of the problem now. Something to be accounted for, and dealt with. The Shrouded Peaks Sect lay at the end of this trail, and whatever was causing the laughter was simply in the way.


    He looked over the characters inscribed on the staff in his hand. There were two¡ªno, three¡ªdistinct formation scripts. The characters along the staff¡¯s length made up one, but the ends seemed to be separate from one another. One end of the staff was considerably more worn and dirty than the other, indicating the bottom. He Yu didn¡¯t have the time to try and puzzle out the staff¡¯s function, so he just went with his gut. A moment¡¯s focus and he pushed a trickle of his own qi into the ring of characters at the top of the staff. A soft orange glow lit up the script, and bloomed to about the intensity of a lantern¡ªand that was it.


    The warm light from the staff did seem to carry farther into the surrounding mist than He Yu thought it ought to have, and now he could make out dark, vaguely human-looking shapes drifting about just outside the light¡¯s reach. Chen Fei was still huddled inside her barrier, not paying attention to anything other than the ground and her frantic mutterings. Her staff had bought some measure of safety¡ªfor the time being¡ªand now was probably the only chance He Yu was going to get if he wanted her to move.

 1.11 - Fear of the Unknown

    ¡°Chen Fei,¡± He Yu said, perhaps a bit more forcefully than he¡¯d intended.


    She looked up at him, eyes wide and frightened, but she¡¯d at least given him some form of response.


    ¡°We need to go. I don¡¯t know how long your staff will work for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Until you run out,¡± she said. Her voice was small and timid, lacking all the bubbly cheer it had contained up until now.


    ¡°Okay, fine. Until I run out.¡± She could only mean qi. He knew that was something that could happen¡ªall the legends about cultivators said as much. Battles would last until one side ran out of qi to fuel their techniques, but he hadn¡¯t the slightest idea how long that could be for him. The legends said powerful cultivators could last for days or weeks. He didn¡¯t think he could go quite that far, but then again he¡¯d never really needed to expend his qi on anything serious. The tournament in Shulin had been the most he¡¯d ever pushed himself, and he hadn¡¯t felt like he was running out of anything.


    He needed to focus. Get to the top of the mountain. That was the goal. ¡°Chen Fei,¡± he said. ¡°Get up, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He Yu blinked. ¡°What?¡± he asked without thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯m going to stay here until it¡¯s safe, then I¡¯ll go home. You can keep the staff.¡±


    ¡°Chen Fei, this isn¡¯t funny,¡± he snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± She¡¯d bowed her head again and somehow managed to hunch even further into herself. ¡°This was a mistake.¡±


    Mistake or not, this was the last thing he needed. He pushed aside the frustration that was rapidly threatening to overwhelm him and looked around¡ªjust to make sure whatever was out in the mist wasn¡¯t closing in while he was distracted. They had drawn closer, but he still couldn¡¯t quite make them out. Vague and indistinct, they were almost like shadows caught out of the corner of your eye that you mistook for something else. They pressed against the light of Chen Fei¡¯s staff and seemed to be overpowering it somehow, the radius of the orange glow having shrunk since he¡¯d last looked.


    What had changed? The glow itself didn¡¯t seem any less intense, it just didn¡¯t carry as far into the mist. He Yu hadn¡¯t done anything except activate the staff¡¯s script. Chen Fei had thrown up her barrier, but then she¡¯d just huddled down inside it.


    Just then, Chen Fei let out another muffled sound. The mist pressing in closer. It was a small change, almost too small for He Yu to notice. Had he not already been paying attention to the boundary between the staff¡¯s glow and the encroaching shadows, he probably would have missed it.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, finally getting a bit of a handle on the situation, and feeling the same sort of detachment that had come over him during his tournament fight with Bao Wen. He didn¡¯t quite understand it, but he was grateful¡ªit allowed him the space to think without his fear or frustration getting in the way. The mist had to be one of the tests his father had warned him about. He was certain, and all he had to do was figure out what the sect elders wanted from him.


    ¡°I know,¡± Chen Fei answered with a half sob.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± He Yu said, trying¡ªand probably failing¡ªto keep his rising frustration out of his voice. ¡°They¡¯re not real,¡± he added quickly.


    That seemed to at least partly get through to her. ¡°What isn¡¯t real?¡± she asked, looking up at him once again.


    ¡°The spirits, or shadows, or whatever you call them. Or maybe the danger, I don¡¯t know.¡± He was losing the thread. He forced himself back to the point. ¡°They feed on fear. It¡¯s a test. We need to keep pushing forward.¡±


    She looked skeptical but didn¡¯t immediately disagree. ¡°How do you know?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Just trust me,¡± he said, trying to project the certainty he only partially felt. It was the only real answer he could come up with.


    ¡°If I stay here will they leave me alone?¡±


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    He Yu took a deep breath. Now was not the time to get frustrated, and he knew it but it was getting more and more difficult not to give in to it. If she would just move they would be fine. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said, forcing calm into his voice that he didn¡¯t wholly feel. The barrier obviously made her feel safe. If there was some way they could bring it with them, it might give her enough confidence to keep pushing forward. He was sure that was all they needed, to just keep climbing the mountain.


    ¡°Can you make that barrier move with you?¡± In the stories of great cultivators, they sometimes used mobile formations. He wasn¡¯t sure if someone needed a certain level of advancement for such a technique, but it was better than sitting here while the shadows closed in.


    She hesitated, then asked, ¡°Would that help?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± He Yu said automatically. He¡¯d no idea if it were true, but he¡¯d say anything to get her moving at this point.


    Chen Fei took a deep breath, then said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The barrier winked out, and the shadows collapsed on them. The light from Chen Fei¡¯s staff reached barely further than the length of his arm, and He Yu could make the shadows out clearly now. They were much more solid than a moment ago, and they now looked to be wearing robes similar in cut to the disciple uniforms he¡¯d seen in Xu Xiang. His own fear spiked, and the light from the staff flickered.


    Then, a formation circle bloomed out from Chen Fei. The characters glowed a faint silver white in the mist. One of the shadows was caught in the circle¡¯s initial expansion, and when the characters touched it, the spirit gave out a hissing shriek. Parts of the shadow burned away to nothing, and the rest all took up their companion¡¯s cry and retreated into the mist.


    The light from the staff, still powered by He Yu¡¯s qi, expanded as well. It illuminated the mist just as it had before the shadows had closed in, the orange glow providing He Yu with a very real sense of comfort. To his side, Chen Fei was standing once again and looked to have regained most of her confidence. But not all. She peered out into the mist, bottom lip between her teeth.


    After a moment, she asked, ¡°Are they gone?¡±


    He Yu looked out into the mist as well and managed to catch a couple flickers of barely visible movement. ¡°No, but they¡¯re not close anymore. We should get moving.¡±


    Chen Fei gave him a nod, and then they resumed their climb.


    The shadows dogged their steps for several more hours. They would begin their icy laughter, and close in on the pair. Each time they did, the mists would overwhelm the soft light from Chen Fei¡¯s staff, but they never came within reach of the barrier formation. The first couple of times the shadows closed back in, Chen Fei visibly shrank, but as it became apparent that the barrier would hold, she quickly regained her confidence. Eventually, she seemed to be back nearly to the same cheerful demeanor as that morning, and even the occasional laughter from the shadows faded completely.


    Now that they seemed to be out of imminent danger, He Yu finally gave voice to his curiosity. ¡°How did you do that with the formation? I mean, I heard it was possible, but I¡¯ve never seen a formation work like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a family art,¡± Chen Fei said easily. ¡°The area where I come from isn¡¯t exactly safe. Spirit beasts are common, and we¡¯re on the eastern side of the mountains, so we also have to deal with raids from the steppe. Most everyone in the village who cultivates has at least some skill with formations. My grandfather can create barrier formations that hold up to things two full realms higher than him.¡±


    He Yu managed to pick his jaw up off the path after a moment. A single realm difference was practically insurmountable. Creating a barrier strong enough to withstand even that would be a feat worthy of legends. Two whole realms? It should be impossible. But, there was no reason for Chen Fei to lie to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal,¡± she said, shooting him a glance. ¡°Spirits are particularly susceptible to formations, and the nomads lack advancement resources, so they aren¡¯t quite as strong as their advancement level might suggest. They also tend to advance quickly, so that doesn¡¯t help either.¡±


    Spirits and beasts being unable to overcome formations wasn¡¯t exactly news to him. It was one of the main things that kept small towns like Shulin habitable. The fact that he¡¯d gone his whole life without even knowing the town was under the protection of a sect only spoke further to the effectiveness of Shulin¡¯s formation stones. The bit about advancing quickly, however, was something he¡¯d not heard before.


    ¡°Sorry about earlier, though,¡± Chen Fei said before he had a chance to press her about advancement. ¡°I sort of freeze up sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, you look like someone who can take care of yourself.¡± He meant it, too. She was noticeably bigger than him, and not just in height. The way she carried herself¡ªand the ease with which she¡¯d made the climb¡ªsuggested a fair amount of muscle under her leathers and furs.


    Her answer was soft and carried with it a note of shame. ¡°I¡¯m a coward,¡± she said. ¡°Everyone back home knows it, and now so do you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true,¡± he said.


    She cast a glance his way but said nothing. Her expression made it clear what she thought of his response.


    ¡°I mean, those mist shadows had some sort of fear technique they used. I was pretty scared, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you didn¡¯t try and hide in a formation.¡± Then, in a much smaller voice, she added, ¡°Or try to leave me.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t immediately have an answer to that. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to figure out a way to make you stronger,¡± he eventually said. It probably wasn¡¯t the right thing, but it was the best he could come up with. ¡°That way, you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±


    When Chen Fei didn¡¯t respond, he cast a glance her way out of the corner of his eye. Her head was down, as if in shame, but he thought he caught the ghost of a smile on her lips.

 1.12 - The Shrouded Peaks Sect

    When they arrived at the sect proper, the diffuse daylight of the mists had dimmed considerably. The entrance to the sect was a large circular gate set into a high stone wall. Slate shingles lined the top, and formation characters decorated the gate itself. There was no guard, no way of telling if anyone stood inside, and no indication of what to do.


    The token Zhang Lifen had given him brought him this far, so he pulled it from his pack and held it before him. A gong sounded from within the sect, and the gate silently opened. Zhang Lifen stood inside, hands folded at her waist.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made it,¡± she said. ¡°Fine work in the mists. I¡¯d half expected you to leave her, but I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t. You cut your arrival rather close, however. Had you come a day later, your entry would have been denied.¡±


    Chen Fei pressed her fist into her palm. ¡°Senior Sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhang Lifen.¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Zhang is most kind,¡± she finished.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re here,¡± He Yu said.


    Chen Fei cast a wide-eyed glance in his direction. He Yu thought he saw a slight quirk at the corner of Zhang Lifen¡¯s lips.


    ¡°You will follow Junior Sister Chen¡¯s example, and refer to me as Senior Sister Zhang. At least until such time as you become a core disciple yourself. Then you may simply call me Sect Sister, as we would be peers. The other ranked disciples aren¡¯t as lax as I am, Junior Brother He.¡±


    He Yu swallowed and saluted her. ¡°Senior Sister Zhang is most kind,¡± he said. Zhang Lifen had seemed to respond favorably when Chen Fei had said it, so it seemed a good option until he learned the specifics of how he was supposed to address disciples of a higher rank.


    ¡°Good,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°Now that the formalities are out of the way, I can instruct you both on the things you¡¯ve missed. Follow me.¡±


    Although he wanted nothing more than to sit and rest his weary legs, He Yu forced himself to motion. At the very least he had the excitement of finally reaching the sect to keep him going.


    ¡°You¡¯ve each passed your first test by arriving before the cut-off. You¡¯ll have to do better in the future, though. The next culling of disciples is in six months. If you have not reached the Second Realm¡ªthe Foundation stage¡ªby then, you will be expelled from the sect. From the time you reach the Foundation stage, you have one year to advance to Body Refining. If you fail to accomplish this, you will be expelled from the sect.¡±


    Chen Fei opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again.


    Without turning around, Zhang Lifen said, ¡°Yes, that means you have one year from today, Junior Sister Chen. Make good use of it.¡±


    He Yu grimaced¡ªChen Fei was already at Foundation. There probably wouldn¡¯t be very many disciples at such a low stage of advancement as he was. Which only meant he would have to work that much harder if he wanted to remain at the sect.


    Zhang Lifen flicked her sleeve towards a low building off the path to their right. ¡°The assignment hall for the outer sect,¡± she said, still not turning as they continued to walk. ¡°There you will receive your stipend of two low-grade spirit stones per week. Use them to cultivate, or purchase resources from the market as you see fit. There is also a job board for the outer disciples. You should focus mainly on cultivation, but you will need to earn sect contribution points to purchase tutoring from inner sect disciples, manuals from the outer sect library, or resources not easily available at the outer sect market. It is best to begin accruing sect points early.¡±


    He Yu took mental notes of all she had said. The stories all said that cultivators valued spirit stones for their ability to aid in cultivation, but he¡¯d never heard of them being used as currency. Given that they were ¡°low-grade,¡± the stones likely wouldn¡¯t be worth much. He would also have to check the job board when he had the chance. Zhang Lifen¡¯s suggestion of stockpiling sect points wasn¡¯t one he would ignore. The stories all agreed that it took a tremendous amount of effort and resources to advance the further one progressed along their Way.


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    Past the assignment hall, Zhang Lifen gestured towards a path sloping down and behind a small grove of trees. ¡°Beyond lies the outer sect market. The majority of your advancement needs can be purchased there for spirit stones.¡± Indicating the opposite side of the path, she said, ¡°That way lies the manual pavilion. Any purchases from the pavilion must be made with sect points. The arts and techniques therein will form the foundation of your Way.¡±


    Then, she stopped in the path and turned to face He Yu and Chen Fei. ¡°Speaking of,¡± she said. ¡°Junior Brother He, I trust you¡¯ve brought the manual containing the cultivation technique you were using when I found you?¡±


    He Yu nodded.


    ¡°Show it to me.¡±


    He quickly unshouldered his pack and dug out the bamboo scroll that served as his Qi Gathering manual. Until several moments ago, it had been one of his prized possessions. Now that he was here at the Shrouded Peaks Sect, he didn¡¯t think it amounted to all that much.


    Zhang Lifen glanced over the manual before rolling it back up and returning it to him. ¡°This could serve you through the Foundation stage, if necessary. However, I would recommend you learn a new cultivation technique unless you have a better one lying around. Every disciple can request a copy of the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s cultivation technique at the manual pavilion. Not only will it serve you much better than your current one, but it will also prepare you to learn both the White Mountain Soul Art and the White Mountain Body Art.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning, you will report to the training field for physical instruction with Sect Brother Ren Huang. In the afternoon, you will attend a cultivation lecture held by Sect Elder Wen Xi. This is a rare opportunity for you both. Elder Wen has only recently emerged from seclusion¡ªspecifically to teach this year¡¯s disciples. He is a master of spiritual cultivation, and the insights you will gain from his instruction are an advantage few others can claim.¡±


    He Yu could barely contain his excitement. Back in Shulin, he¡¯d dreamed of studying under Dong Wei. That dream had lost its shine once he¡¯d gotten a taste of the difference between the ¡°master¡± and Zhang Lifen. Now he would receive instruction from someone Zhang Lifen considered a master. During his weeks on the road, He Yu had allowed his imagination to run wild with all the possibilities that would lay before him at the sect. For the first time since childhood, when the stories of cultivators had captured him, He Yu wondered if perhaps he had set his sights too low.


    ¡°Junior Brother He.¡± Zhang Lifen¡¯s sharp words brought him back to the present. She stood before him, a jade badge in her hand. ¡°Welcome back,¡± she said, once he¡¯d returned his attention to her. ¡°This is the key to your residence. The men¡¯s living area is down that path. You may collect your stipend for this week any time before sundown tomorrow.¡±


    He Yu took the key and gave Zhang Lifen a salute. ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister,¡± he said. When he rose, he noticed Chen Fei was gone. ¡°Excuse me, but where did Chen Fei go?¡± he asked. The fact that she¡¯d left without saying anything stung him a bit, to his surprise.


    ¡°I sent her on her way,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°While she has her own challenges to overcome if she is to make anything of herself, they are quite different than yours. More difficult in a way, I think.¡±


    ¡°My challenges?¡± he asked, although he had a feeling he knew what she meant.


    Zhang Lifen nodded. ¡°You have the lowest cultivation on the mountain,¡± she said, making no effort to soften her words.


    A stab of shame stuck into his gut. The embarrassment of both his victory and defeat in the tournament at Shulin returned, too. A part of him had known this would be the truth of things, but it hurt to hear. He¡¯d been avoiding thinking about it the entire time he was on the road, instead focusing on all the stories and legends that had fueled his desire to cultivate in the first place. But now that he was here, Zhang Lifen had forced his eyes open.


    ¡°You are barely awakened¡ªmerely a step into the First Realm,¡± she said. ¡°Sect Brother Ren¡¯s training would have been difficult regardless, but all the more so for you. The weakness of your body will add an extra burden and one you can ill afford. The physical cultivation technique you demonstrated during your tournament fights was rudimentary and poorly formed. The sect cultivation technique will provide useful insights and allow you to improve it, but that technique will only take you so far. You must endure until you can learn the White Mountain Body Art.¡±


    ¡°When can I learn that?¡± he asked, lifting his chin a bit. The message he¡¯d taken away from Zhang Lifen¡¯s words was simply that the path ahead wasn¡¯t impossible.


    ¡°Neither the White Mountain Body Art nor the Soul Art are suitable for the Qi Gathering stage. You¡¯ll need to break through to the Foundation stage before you can begin cultivating either of them.¡±


    ¡°Six months is too long.¡± He hadn¡¯t meant to say it out loud.


    Zhang Lifen gave him a quick, small smile. ¡°The sect cultivation technique will provide a substantial boost to your cultivation. Especially compared to the technique you¡¯ve been using so far.¡±


    ¡°This disciple thanks Senior Sister Zhang for her instruction,¡± He Yu said, pressing a fist to his palm and giving her a bow. While he was tempted to say that she had given him far more than she knew, he suspected that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. She had clearly sent Chen Fei away so that she could have this very conversation with him.


    ¡°Go,¡± she said, flicking the sleeve of her gown towards the manual pavilion. ¡°There is a little time yet to gather your manual and your stipend. You¡¯ve a lot of catching up to do, He Yu.¡±


    Without another word, she turned and left him alone in the path.

 1.13 - Settling In

    After collecting the manual containing the sect cultivation technique and his stipend, He Yu went to the residence indicated by the jade token. By this point, he wasn¡¯t surprised that it worked similarly to the token that had granted him entrance to the sect. By simply holding it, the knowledge of where he was supposed to go flowed into him.


    The men¡¯s residences lay off the main path, nestled against the mountain slopes and surrounded by carefully tended gardens. Cypress and red pine dotted the path and stood outside homes, and the sound of a waterfall came from somewhere close by. Now that He Yu wasn¡¯t fighting against a phantom fear for his life, or swept up in his imagination, he sensed¡ªfor the first time¡ªthe abundant qi of the Shrouded Peaks.


    That a sect would establish itself in a location dense with qi was obvious now that he was here. The difference between the Shrouded Peaks and the woods around Shulin was pronounced. It was tempting to sit down right there next to the path and cultivate his Qi Gathering technique. As deficient as the technique may be, it would certainly work far better here than it had back home.


    He resisted the urge. The attendant at the manual pavilion had given him the White Mountain Cultivation manual without hesitation, and Zhang Lifen had told him it would be a far superior technique to the one he was using. He¡¯d already resolved to begin cultivating the technique that very night. Besides, he had spirit stones now, too.


    Although there was nobody visible on the path, he was no fool to sit on the flagstones and reveal wealth to any passerby. The stories all said that cultivators were notorious for fighting each other over the slightest amount of wealth. No, it was best to wait. Once he had settled in to his new home for the night, he could begin to cultivate, absorbing the additional qi from the spirit stones.


    A giddy sense bubbled up inside him as the reality of his new life finally settled on him. He had truly stepped into the world of immortals. A real cultivator. Part of a real sect. How long before he could humble a pompous pretender like Dong Wei? How long before he could command power and respect like Zhang Lifen? True, his Way would be long and difficult. Even if the physical training would be arduous at first, Zhang Lifen had told him that would soon cease to matter. For the time being, all he had to do was endure and push himself to reach the Second Realm¡ªthe Foundation stage. Then he could set his sights higher.


    So occupied with thoughts of both his present and his future, He Yu failed to notice the warm glow of lanterns coming from his new home as he entered the central courtyard. Unthinking, he slid aside the door to the main room and stepped inside. A young man, perhaps a year or two older than himself, sat near the center. He wore a sect uniform, and a jian lay across his lap.


    Without looking up he said, ¡°Yours is the west, and there¡¯s a cultivation chamber to either side of the main hall.¡± He inclined his chin in the indicated direction, then he went back to scraping a whetstone across the straight edges of his sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He Yu forced himself to say. ¡°I thought this was supposed to be my residence.¡± He was a bit taken aback by the whole thing and caught off guard.


    ¡°It is. And I¡¯m the one you get to share it with.¡± This time, the young man at least spared He Yu the briefest of glances. ¡°You think there¡¯s enough space on the mountain for every outer sect disciple to get their own home?¡± The young man scoffed. ¡°You have to at least be in the inner sect to get an entire house to yourself.¡±


    Actually, he had thought that he would have the house to himself. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said again. ¡°I am He Yu, by the way,¡± he offered, still standing in the doorway.


    ¡°Shut the door if you want to make small talk.¡± His housemate¡¯s words weren¡¯t exactly rude¡ªjust direct, and a little bit clipped.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± He Yu repeated as he shut the door behind him. He was still trying to find his feet in this conversation. Mentally he cursed himself for being so awkward and probably making a poor first impression.


    ¡°I am Li Heng,¡± his housemate said, still not looking up from sharpening his blade.


    ¡°He Yu.¡±


    ¡°You said that already.¡±


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    ¡°Oh, right. So,¡± he paused, searching for something to say, ¡°you¡¯re a disciple too?¡±


    Li Heng sighed, set down his whetstone, and finally turned his full attention to He Yu. He had fine features and a self-assured expression. His uniform wasn¡¯t quite the standard set of clothes He Yu had seen down in Xu Xiang. It was of noticeably higher quality, both in material and cut. His hair was gathered into a neat topknot and held in place by an ornate crown hairpin wrought from silver and inlaid with jade. Li Heng was obviously rich, which made He Yu all the more self-conscious under his attention. A slight pressure weighed down on He Yu for a moment before it was gone. Li Heng frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not even at the Foundation stage?¡±


    Now he felt downright embarrassed. ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± he admitted.


    Li Heng shook his head. ¡°What are they thinking, letting in a commoner with no cultivation to speak of,¡± he said to himself. He returned his attention to He Yu. ¡°At least you¡¯ll be gone soon. Probably for the best, all things considered.¡±


    The elation he¡¯d felt earlier from finally arriving at the sect came crashing down around him. The reality of Zhang Lifen¡¯s words finally sank in, as well. This was going to be hard. Perhaps the hardest thing he¡¯d ever done in his life. He Yu reached into his pocket, where he¡¯d stashed his two low-grade stones. As he ran a thumb across one, the crackling qi coursed up his arm, causing a slight shiver.


    ¡°You said there¡¯s a cultivation room to either side?¡± he asked.


    Li Heng gave an affirmative nod. Even He Yu could see that the conversation was over. So he shouldered his pack once more and made his way to his room. It was a small affair, but cozy in its own way. A bed, a chest for his belongings, and a small writing desk were the only furnishings to speak of, other than a small metal cylinder etched with formation characters in the corner furthest from the door. A brief inspection showed it was a scripted heater¡ªa welcome addition given the chill created by the mountain¡¯s cloak of mist. Atop the chest were several folded sets of clothes, no doubt his uniforms. Not bothering to unpack, He Yu set his things down next to the desk. He placed one of his two spirit stones inside his pack. Along with the jade slip containing the sect cultivation technique, he took the other stone and headed to the cultivation room on his side of the house.


    Sitting in the lotus position, he sent a trickle of qi into the jade slip, and the knowledge of the technique flowed into him. The sect cultivation technique was immediately recognizable as more efficient than his old technique. The slip directed him to cycle his qi in a way similar to what he was used to, but the most noticeable difference was how he was to direct qi to his extremities. While he didn¡¯t have a solid grounding in cultivation theory, he could at least recognize what this cultivation technique would provide. In addition to preparing him to fully cleanse and open his meridians, it would also send qi to his muscles and bones in much the same way that the basic body enforcement technique he¡¯d learned from his father had. Further, the emphasis on compacting the qi he absorbed before cycling it to the rest of his body would increase both the capacity and density of his spiritual center. He Yu set his excitement aside along with the jade slip containing the sect cultivation technique. He could marvel at it all he wanted later. With the spirit stone gently cupped in his palms, he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing in accordance with the technique. Immediately, he felt the difference.


    Here on the mountain, the qi was far more dense than it had been back home. Each breath drew in a tremendous amount¡ªnearly as much as an entire afternoon of cultivating in the woods outside Shulin. When he cycled the qi to his dantian in accordance with the cultivation technique, it crackled with an intensity that almost caused him to lose the technique. When he sent his qi from his dantian along his meridians into his extremities, he saw the technique in a new way. While the differences between the White Mountain technique and the Qi Gathering technique he¡¯d been using were small at first glance, they amounted to a technique that was far more refined and elegant than the one he¡¯d been using. Qi flowed more easily into and through him. Even without the bounty of qi on the sect mountain, cultivating this technique alone would have sped up his advancement considerably.


    At the edges of his perception, a faint tingling in his palms tugged at his awareness. The spirit stone. It was a source of concentrated qi¡ªmore than he¡¯d ever sensed in one place before. And it was only a low-grade stone. Without having to really try, he drew in the qi from the stone along with his next breath. The energy surged into him, swirled inside his dantian, and revitalized his body and spirit. An awareness came over him then¡ªand he understood how this cultivation technique was preparing him for something greater. The White Mountain Body Art, and the White Mountain Soul Art.


    He stood at the foot of a mountain, and insights flowed into him from the slopes above. The path to the peak was long and fraught with obstacles, both hidden and not. Somewhere along that path stood Sha Xiang. At some point, he would have to contend with the grudge she surely bore him, but she remained far above him still. More important was the first leg of his Way. It would bring him to the barrier between the First and Second Realms. A barrier that he must reach, and break through, within six months. The spirit stone in his hands crumbled to dust, its qi fully absorbed and cycled to his dantian. He Yu gave it no notice¡ªhe continued to cultivate, and contemplated the path before him.

 1.14 - Rivalry

    When He Yu finally emerged from the cultivation room, he found Li Heng waiting for him in the gray early morning light. As the night before, Li Heng was immaculate in his appearance. He leaned against one of the pillars that ringed the inner courtyard and regarded He Yu with a thoughtful look.


    ¡°Perhaps we got off on the wrong footing,¡± the other cultivator said. Much of his haughtiness from the previous night was gone, replaced by a subtle note of approval.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean,¡± He Yu said. This wasn¡¯t at all what he¡¯d expected to find when he emerged from his cultivation, but he was cautiously optimistic about the change.


    ¡°I will not try and hide behind your uncertainty. If we are to be housemates, I owe you at least that much.¡± Li Heng pushed off the pillar and took a step closer. ¡°I had initially dismissed you because of your low cultivation and status. While your common birth can hardly be helped, your cultivation is another matter entirely. You spent your first night at the sect in cultivation, and that is at least worthy of notice. Many of our peers have spent weeks relaxing while they wait for the formal sect training to begin, as if they were guests in one of the Dragon Emperor¡¯s summer palaces.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my birth?¡±


    Li Heng remained impassive except for the slight thinning of his lips at the question. ¡°You¡¯re a commoner,¡± he said as though that explained everything.


    ¡°Alright, so?¡± He Yu asked. He was a little prickled that Li Heng had simply assumed, but he couldn¡¯t fault him. He wasn¡¯t wrong, after all.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am, do you?¡± The question was the first real crack in Li Heng¡¯s composure. His voice, his expression, and even the shift of his posture all betrayed a small measure of surprise as he spoke. The shock that he¡¯d even noticed such small cues almost caused He Yu to miss what the other cultivator said next. ¡°My father is General Li Bao, Marquis of the Western Passage.¡±


    He Yu blinked. He¡¯d known that there was a wider world beyond the forests surrounding Shulin. That the lands he lived in were part of a larger whole, governed by the faraway Dragon Emperor. But that had never really mattered. Shulin was isolated, unimportant, and crouched on the very southern edge of settled lands. He was dimly aware that a whole system of officials, scholars, and nobility supported the empire that technically ruled over his home, but beyond that he was ignorant.


    ¡°I see,¡± He Yu said, uncertain of how else to respond.


    Li Heng appeared then to have come to a decision. He gave a curt nod and said, ¡°Clearly. You have much to learn, it seems.¡±


    That caused He Yu to relax somewhat. He¡¯d heard that nobles could be quick to anger, but Li Heng didn¡¯t seem to be the type. ¡°I would be honored to receive your instruction, Sect Brother Li.¡± That was the proper form of address, right? Since they were sect brothers, that would level their social standing a bit. He hoped it would, at least.


    The noble waved his hand in dismissal. ¡°None of that,¡± he said. ¡°If we are to share a residence, we should dispense with unnecessary formalities. Bonds formed in the sect stretch beyond a mortal lifespan, after all. Call me Li Heng.¡±


    An uncomfortable mix of emotions settled over He Yu. On the one hand, he was grateful it seemed that Li Heng wasn¡¯t going to lord his status over him. But he was being awfully forward, especially for someone he¡¯d only just met. He didn¡¯t get the impression that Li Heng was being disingenuous, though. Everything about the noble seemed perfectly frank.


    Having noticed He Yu¡¯s hesitation, the noble said, ¡°You don¡¯t trust me.¡± There was no accusation in his words, simply an observation and a statement of fact.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    ¡°Fair,¡± Li Heng said with another of his curt nods. ¡°My interest in you extends beyond the simple fact that we share a home. As I have mentioned, you spent the night in cultivation. It shows that you have, at the very least, the necessary drive to follow your Way far. Further, it shows that perhaps I was wrong to so quickly dismiss you last night for your low cultivation. The sect wouldn¡¯t have accepted you if you didn¡¯t hold some measure of talent, so it would be unwise for me to ignore you out of hand.¡±


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    He Yu wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. ¡°That was surprisingly forthright,¡± he found himself saying before he could think better.


    ¡°A noble ought to show his true face to the world, so that none may doubt his character,¡± Li Heng stated. Then he added with a touch less certainty, ¡°Or so my father says.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just not used to such honesty,¡± He Yu admitted.


    Li Heng broke into a broad, friendly grin. Despite the words from only a moment ago, He Yu thought he saw Li Heng¡¯s true face for the first time. ¡°Well then, we shall just have to change that, won¡¯t we?¡± he asked, clapping He Yu on the shoulder.


    ¡°I suppose we will,¡± He Yu said with a chuckle, the apprehension about where this conversation could have gone draining away.


    ¡°Good to hear. Now, you¡¯re coming to Senior Brother Ren¡¯s physical training, right? It¡¯s almost time.¡±


    He Yu had very nearly forgotten about that. He gave a quick nod in the affirmative, before accompanying Li Heng to the training area.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for us to be seen together,¡± Li Heng said as they approached the broad plaza near the sect¡¯s outer gate. ¡°Once the members of the outer sect all fully enter competition with each other, it¡¯s good to know who is aligned with whom.¡±


    He was about to ask Li Heng what he meant by that, but a sharp blow struck He Yu between the shoulder blades and sent him sprawling. He rolled over onto his back and saw a familiar figure standing over him, cracking her knuckles as she glared down in pure contempt. She was accompanied by another uniformed female disciple.


    Blood rushed up He Yu¡¯s neck, accompanied by a hot flash of anger. He¡¯d been here less than a day and already Sha Xiang was pushing him around. On the road to the sect he¡¯d held on to some small hope that she would just let things go, but it seemed now that hope had been in vain.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± sneered Sha Xiang. She wore the uniform of an outer disciple and had a glove stitched with formation characters on each hand.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± asked Li Heng as he offered a hand to help He Yu up. A slight frown was the only indication of his reaction to what had just happened.


    ¡°She¡¯s another new disciple. From the same town as I am.¡±


    ¡°Beat you half to death in the tournament. At least now that I¡¯m here I can see just how badly Dong Wei was holding me back. Still have to carry the shame of sharing the outer sect with you. I half expected you wouldn¡¯t make it here in time.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad we both have this opportunity,¡± He Yu said as he regained his feet, trying to sound as though he weren¡¯t wishing she would simply drop dead and leave him alone. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to carry a grudge from back home.¡± He still held a sliver of hope that this would be the end of it, despite the attack. As unfair as the whole thing was, he just wanted it to be over with.


    ¡°Still don¡¯t see why you got to join the sect,¡± she snapped. ¡°I¡¯ve already reached Foundation. And that¡¯s before the sect training has even begun.¡± The condescension in her sneer grated on his nerves, but he tried not to let it show. If she¡¯d reached the Second Realm, he was even more helpless than he had been during the tournament. She¡¯d beaten him back home, and she looked about ready to do it again. He Yu wished she would just drop the whole thing, and let him be on his way.


    Li Heng apparently felt much the same. He stepped between the two of them and said, ¡°I should offer my congratulations on your advancement, then. Clearly, you have a bright future, Sect Sister. We¡¯ll be on our way if it¡¯s just the same. I wouldn¡¯t want to keep Senior Brother Ren waiting.¡± His tone was the perfect example of manners and nobility, and he even gave her a congratulatory salute as he spoke.


    ¡°Like I¡¯d let a worm like He Yu get off this hook. I still owe him for shaming me before Zhang Lifen. Get out of my way, pretty boy.¡± She took a step forward, but Li Heng didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°That would be most unwise,¡± he said. There was a coldness to his words that surprised He Yu. It looked as though Li Heng was going to make something of this. He Yu wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, having an ally to help him stand up to Sha Xiang wasn¡¯t unwelcome, but at the same time, he feared what escalating things would truly mean for him going forward.


    A flicker of uncertainty passed over Sha Xiang¡¯s features before she squared her shoulders and drew herself up to her full height before Li Heng. She was nearly a head shorter than him. ¡°I said get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°So you can beat up on a fellow disciple who has barely awakened to low Qi Gathering? I think not. Such behavior is more fitting of a bandit than an honored disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. I refuse to stand by and allow it.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t say what his housemate¡¯s advancement was, but he¡¯d clearly heard Sha Xiang¡¯s boast about her own. A fact that wasn¡¯t lost on Sha Xiang, either. For a moment it looked as though she might actually back down. Then, she shot a glance towards the female disciple at her side. Having an audience seemed to give her the necessary confidence to press on. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to teach you a lesson, too,¡± she said and launched a punch at Li Heng with her gloved fist.

 1.15 - A Noble Ally

    Li Heng reacted to Sha Xiang¡¯s attack with confident and practiced ease. Smoothly stepping to the side, he avoided her blow entirely. With that same casual ease, he drew back his hand, extending his first two fingers. In the moment before his counter-attack, Sha Xiang¡¯s eyes went wide as she realized this wasn¡¯t someone she could just push around.


    Striking out with his two extended fingers, Li Heng caught Sha Xiang in the throat. He followed up with a kick to the center of her torso that sent her tumbling across the courtyard flagstones. She recovered quickly and rolled to her feet before adopting a more guarded stance.


    Li Heng stood with his side angled towards his opponent, and his right hand held behind his back. The first two fingers of his forward hand were extended and surrounded by a faint silvery shimmer. He gave Sha Xiang a slight nod, and said, ¡°It seems I am not the one in need of a lesson, Sect Sister.¡± The earlier coldness remained in his words and was now joined by the clipped dismissive tone he¡¯d used with He Yu the night before.


    With no words and no preamble, Sha Xiang launched herself at Li Heng again. This time rather than dodge, Li Heng elected to deflect her attacks. As she lashed out with a flurry of blows, the noble caught each one on his outstretched fingers, pushing it away. For every attack that he deflected in this manner, the silver shimmer around his fingers grew brighter.


    After deflecting a particularly vicious series of punches, Li Heng broke off from his opponent. He seemed to almost glide over the ground as he backed away, extending his fingers once again. A silver light flashed from his fingertips, and a thin beam lanced towards Sha Xiang.


    Her instincts were good, so Dong Wei¡¯s training had at least amounted to something. She managed to dodge Li Heng¡¯s technique¡ªif only barely¡ªrather than try and block. He Yu watched the exchange with fascination and a heaping of envy. That attack Li Heng had used¡ªit was the first time in his life he¡¯d seen a real technique used in a fight.


    Sure, Zhang Lifen had practically crushed everyone present at the tournament, but that had simply been a result of her overwhelming spiritual presence, not a true technique. This was different. This was the sort of technique that the immortals in the stories would sometimes use. It may be on a far smaller scale, but it was the beginning. The sort of technique that Li Heng had used was the first step on the path up the mountain He Yu had seen in his meditation the previous night. The entire reason he¡¯d come to the Shrouded Peaks Sect summed up in a single attack.


    Sha Xiang and Li Heng faced one another from a distance of about a dozen or so paces. Sha Xiang appeared to be having second thoughts after witnessing Li Heng¡¯s technique. The noble seemed perfectly content to let her make up her mind as to her response.


    Before either of the fighters could make another move, a tremendous spiritual weight crashed over the entire plaza. He Yu collapsed instantly, intense heat searing the air from his lungs. With every ounce of strength he had, he managed to lift his head in the direction of the new spiritual presence.


    From the far end of the plaza, a bulky male cultivator strode towards the confrontation. He wore a pair of sect trousers with embroidery patterned like flames and an open vest, revealing a broad, heavily muscled chest. He was easily the largest man He Yu had ever seen. His sheer size, along with the furious expression he wore, would have been intimidating enough on their own.


    Apparently, he¡¯d decided that a further display of his power was necessary¡ªhe was also wreathed in living flame.


    Fire danced around his head and flickered over his bare arms and shoulders. Blazing tongues licked across the flagstones, leaving small scorch marks in their passing. As he advanced, the heat burned away the mountain¡¯s ever-present mist, allowing the clear sky to shine through for the first time since He Yu had arrived at Xu Xiang. The cultivator¡¯s eyes were two pits of burning red¡ªeach one an ember of an endless, hungering blaze. As he drew closer, a spiritual sensation of rage and destruction came with him¡ªan inferno that would consume all that it touched, leaving only ash.


    ¡°So this is where my students are,¡± he said, his voice a low angry rumble. The spiritual weight remained for a moment before finally lifting. The flames swirling around him died as his spirit retreated, and he seemed more human than he had moments ago. He Yu could breathe again, and for that alone he was grateful.


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    Li Heng threw himself onto his hands and knees, touching his forehead to the ground in kowtow. ¡°Apologies, Senior Brother Ren, this disciple meant only to protect his junior from senseless aggression.¡±


    This must be Ren Huang then, the physical cultivation trainer. Well, he certainly looked like he knew a thing or two about physical training. He Yu wasn¡¯t sure whether or not that boded well for him.


    Ren Huang grunted and turned toward Sha Xiang who was glaring at the senior disciple with the sort of look she normally reserved for He Yu. ¡°Was there something you wanted to say?¡± he asked.


    For a moment, it looked as though Sha Xiang would say something. Then, she bowed. ¡°No, of course not, Senior Sect Brother.¡±


    ¡°Smart girl,¡± he said, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°Get to the training yard. You¡¯re already late.¡± Then, he muttered, ¡°Only a day in and they¡¯re already fighting.¡± He turned and walked back toward the training field, shaking his head as he did.


    Sha Xiang and her companion followed after Ren Huang, sparing a quick glare over her shoulder at He Yu. Once the instructor had finally left the plaza, Li Heng picked himself up from the flagstones.


    ¡°Want to tell me what that was about, little brother?¡± Li Heng asked. He kept his eyes locked on Sha Xiang as she retreated. He sounded as though he regretted letting her go.


    ¡°Little brother?¡± He Yu asked, only half seriously. More than anything, he was grateful that the noble had intervened on his behalf.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve now clearly thrown my lot in with you for all the other disciples to see. Half measures aren¡¯t becoming of a noble.¡±


    If Sha Xiang was as intent on holding onto the events of the Shulin tournament as she seemed, He Yu was going to need the help. If Li Heng was intent on helping him, there was little reason to refuse, so far as He Yu could see. ¡°Zhang Lifen came to my hometown and held a tournament to determine who she would invite to the sect. Sha Xiang and I were the ones chosen.¡±


    Li Heng raised an eyebrow and gave him an amused smile. ¡°You won a tournament? And gained the attention of the sect¡¯s rising star in the process? I wouldn¡¯t have expected as much from you, but I suppose that does explain your low cultivation in a roundabout way.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I lost in the second round. Sha Xiang was the one who beat me.¡±


    ¡°And that answers my last question,¡± Li Heng said as he started off toward the training field once more.


    ¡°What did you mean about rising star?¡± He Yu couldn¡¯t have kept his excitement out of his voice if he tried. He had already been impressed with Zhang Lifen, but if what Li Heng had said was any indication, she was an even bigger deal than he¡¯d thought.


    ¡°Zhang Lifen. Pretty much everyone in the sect knows of her. She¡¯s considered a peerless talent. Her cultivation is actually rather low for a core disciple, but that¡¯s exactly what makes her special. She¡¯s incredibly young for a peak Golden Core. They say that even though she¡¯s only barely sixty years old, she¡¯s been half a step into the Fifth Realm for at least a decade. Shoring up her cultivation base, or so the rumors say.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s ready to break through, why doesn¡¯t she?¡± He Yu asked as they walked. That Li Heng had so casually mentioned Zhang Lifen¡¯s age wasn¡¯t something he was quite ready to think about. He knew well from all the stories that cultivators often looked much younger than they actually were¡ªespecially the further they advanced¡ªbut he simply couldn¡¯t reconcile that a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties was old enough to be his grandmother.


    ¡°It¡¯s a balance when you¡¯re a genius like her. Advancing through the first three stages is fairly trivial. Zhang Lifen reached late Body Refining when she was something like twenty years old, just for reference. For the lower realms, the faster the better. But once you reach Golden Core, things change. It¡¯s no secret that older cultivators are stronger, even if they¡¯ve been stuck at a bottleneck for decades. You can keep gathering qi and increasing the density and power in your dantian at the peak of a stage, but only to a point. No matter how long you stay at the peak, you¡¯ll always gain more by breaking through.


    ¡°The more qi you manage to pack into your dantian before the breakthrough, the stronger that breakthrough will be, and the further you can go in the next stage. A cultivator who takes their time, and pushes themselves to the absolute limits will be far stronger.


    ¡°Of course, this really only matters once you¡¯ve reached the Fourth Realm. As I said, until you¡¯ve actually formed your Golden Core, advancing a stage is nearly always the better option. The benefits of remaining at the peak are hardly ever worth delaying an advancement.¡±


    He Yu silently listened as they made their way to the training field. The biggest thing he took away from what Li Heng had just told him was that he needed to advance. Sha Xiang had already managed to increase the gap between them, and it was up to He Yu to close it. Sure, once he managed to reach the Fourth Realm¡ªsomething that seemed a lifetime or more away¡ªhe could do as Zhang Lifen did and gather strength. But now? He needed to break through. Of that much he was certain.

 1.16 - Training Begins

    They arrived at the training field just as Ren Huang was ordering the outer sect disciples to form up. There were perhaps a hundred gathered, all within a year or two of He Yu¡¯s age. At the far end of the field, He Yu caught sight of Chen Fei. She was chatting with another female disciple who carried herself much like Li Heng did. Probably another noble. Hopefully, he could catch up with her before Elder Wen¡¯s cultivation lessons that afternoon.


    Ren Huang¡¯s voice rolled over the training field like thunder. ¡°Pay attention disciples,¡± he boomed. ¡°This is the only warning you¡¯re going to get. For the next three months, there will be no duels between first-year disciples.¡± A low murmur passed through the gathered disciples at the news.


    ¡°Already two of you have fought and forced me to intervene. I expect that I won¡¯t have to again,¡± Ren Huang continued. He Yu glanced toward his housemate, who maintained a stony expression and kept his own eyes locked forward. ¡°Any further conflict during the grace period for new disciples will see you expelled from the mountain and banned from the sect. There will be no further warnings. Am I clear?¡±


    The gathered disciples shouted, ¡°Yes, Senior Brother!¡± and saluted. Mostly in unison. He Yu tried his best to imitate those around him. He took a small measure of solace that he wasn¡¯t the only one who had been caught out.


    ¡°This does not mean you are not already in competition.¡± Folding his arms over his chest, Ren Huang strode among the rows of disciples and continued to speak. ¡°The ban serves two purposes. One, it allows new disciples to acclimate themselves and shore up any weakness in their cultivation. Use this time wisely. Open conflict can prove a benefit or a disaster to those with lower cultivation bases. You have six months from today to reach the Second Realm if you haven¡¯t already. Use this time well. Failure to advance your cultivation will see you expelled from the sect.


    ¡°Second, this ban is meant to teach you that not all competition comes in the form of open conflict. Demonstrate your worth to the sect. This physical training class is one area where you will have the opportunity to compete. Never forget, from this moment forward you are all in competition with one another.¡±


    Silence hung over the training arena as Ren Huang finished speaking. This hadn¡¯t been anything that He Yu had wanted to hear. Immediately he could see how this new situation disadvantaged him. He was the least advanced disciple in the outer sect. His weakness meant that his training here with Ren Huang would be all the more challenging. He worried that this would mean that he would only fall further behind.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t going to try. The most important thing he¡¯d learned that morning was that Sha Xiang wasn¡¯t going to allow him the luxury of slacking. He¡¯d no doubt that she would be coming for him once the grace period was over. He couldn¡¯t always count on Li Heng to save him, either. He shouldn¡¯t count on Li Heng. For what purpose was he here at the sect, if not to gather his own strength? All he needed to do was reach the Second Realm. Then any weakness he felt now would cease to be of any consequence. Then he could stand up for himself, and prove to everyone that he belonged at the Shrouded Peaks Sect.


    That didn¡¯t mean his weakness wouldn¡¯t hinder him in the meantime¡ªa lesson he soon learned from Ren Huang. Training began as soon as the speech on competition ended. Ren Huang barked a command at the gathered disciples, ordering them to run a circuit around the mountain. A formation gate to one side of the plaza led to a trail, and the disciples all moved towards it at his word.


    He Yu quickly began to tire. He fell behind the other disciples as soon as they began, and his breath grew more labored with each stride. A slight wheeze appeared shortly after the first bend¡ªonly a scant few dozen yards past the start of the trail. His legs burned, blood pounded behind his ears, and blackness crept into the edge of his vision. As the back of the disciple in front of him grew further away, he almost resigned himself to failure.


    Then, recalling the crude technique his father had taught him for the tournament, he tapped his dantian. The pool of qi at his spiritual center was far more potent than it had ever been. A result of spending his first night at the sect in cultivation. He couldn¡¯t allow himself to marvel at that. There was a trail to run, and he would need all his strength to keep going, and all his focus to maintain the body enforcement.


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    He cycled his qi according to the sect cultivation technique, as he had the previous night. Qi thrummed as it flowed along his meridians, and into his limbs. His breath became less ragged, and his legs more steady. The blackness at the edge of his vision faded, and even the encroaching headache retreated. Qi surged through him, revitalized him, and lent him the strength he desperately needed. Until it ran out.


    The change was slow at first. The surge of energy lessened by degrees, so slight in the beginning that he failed to notice. As he continued to draw upon his qi, the weakness returned. The first real indication that he was running dry came when he stumbled and his breath hitched, disrupting the technique.


    When he tried to reestablish his rhythm, he found his qi sluggish, and that it took far more effort to push what he¡¯d left through his meridians. A moment later, he realized just how far he¡¯d emptied his dantian. What had seemed only moments before like an ocean of qi, was now little more than a pond. A pond that was rapidly running dry.


    He stopped the flow and immediately regretted it. Fatigue crashed over him. His limbs turned to lead, and darkness rushed in from the edges of his vision. His lungs burned. His heart thundered. He was certain he was going to die. He pitched forward, and the dirt path rushed up to meet him.


    A strong hand caught him by the collar of his uniform. ¡°Stupid,¡± said Ren Huang, as he hauled He Yu to his feet.


    Now he wished he had died. It would be better than the shame of failing the run on the first day. A sound like rushing wind filled the air, and he found himself back in the training square.


    ¡°Sit. Cultivate,¡± Ren Huang said, letting go of He Yu¡¯s collar. He seated himself in the lotus position, and Ren Huang said, ¡°Draw in qi from your surroundings next time. Don¡¯t spend yourself. Use just enough of your own reserves that it only trickles from your dantian.¡±


    He Yu tried to respond, choked, and then coughed. After drawing in a wheezing breath, he managed to force out, ¡°Thank you, Senior Sect Brother.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Ren Huang said, but there was no anger or disapproval. ¡°Cultivate and restore yourself.¡±


    He Yu did as he was told. The rich ambient qi of the Shrouded Peaks quickly restored him. Using the White Mountain technique, he sent qi to his aching limbs. The fatigue from the run faded, and he soon restored his qi reserves. Whether that was due to the richness of the environment or his embarrassingly low cultivation base, he wasn¡¯t willing to venture a guess. He already wanted to curl in on himself and die of shame at having failed what seemed like such a simple task.


    Since he¡¯d been given no other instructions, he simply continued to cultivate once he¡¯d restored himself. Dimly, he became aware of other disciples returning. They came slowly at first, each accompanied by Ren Huang. Each sat down and cycled just as he¡¯d been instructed to. That made him feel a tiny bit better. Even if he was the first, at least he wasn¡¯t the only one.


    ¡°All of you, on your feet.¡± Ren Huang¡¯s command cracked across the training square like a thunderbolt, wrenching He Yu from his cultivation.


    There were about twenty other disciples in the square with him. Given that they wore the standard sect uniforms and looked far less refined than Li Heng, he guessed they were all commoners like himself. As he stood, he glanced towards the trail. A group of disciples was approaching, no doubt those disciples whose physical strength and cultivation were advanced enough to complete the run first. Li Heng was among them, much to He Yu¡¯s chagrin.


    He supposed he shouldn¡¯t be surprised. As a noble, Li Heng had probably been fed all sorts of medicinal pills and elixirs, along with actually having been taught real cultivation before arriving at the sect. That would explain the silver shimmer around his fingers while he fought Sha Xiang. He would have to ask Li Heng about that later.


    Among those at the front, He Yu was surprised to see Chen Fei as well, along with the girl she¡¯d been talking to earlier. He¡¯d known Chen Fei was already in the Second Realm, but he hadn¡¯t thought her the type to be particularly athletic, given how she¡¯d reacted to their trial.


    Although, now that he thought more, she had said she¡¯d grown up in the mountains. She hadn¡¯t shown any signs of fatigue on the way up either. It was more than a little unfair in his eyes. As the two girls passed the formation gate, Chen Fei chattered and her companion occasionally nodded, content to remain on the receiving end of the conversation.


    Ren Huang gave the order for the disciples to form up in ranks as before, without giving the new arrivals the chance to restore themselves. As Li Heng took his place beside He Yu, the noble gave him a brief nod. As they practiced their forms, more disciples filtered into the square. Much to He Yu¡¯s satisfaction, Sha Xiang was one of the last to complete the run.


    While they drilled, Ren Huang shouted a lecture at them about the importance of establishing strong foundations, both in their cultivation and their martial forms. He Yu found it a bit difficult to listen, given that he had to focus on executing both the strikes and blocks perfectly, otherwise Ren Huang would appear next to him and strike him about the shoulders with a bamboo rod.


    He Yu had to suppress a groan at the thought of continuing this training for the next three months. The only thing thing that allowed him to endure it was the certainty that he would otherwise be powerless before Sha Xiang when she finally came for him.

 1.17 - On Cultivation

    When Ren Huang finally released them from the day¡¯s training, there was precious little time for them to get to the other side of the outer sect area for Elder Wen¡¯s cultivation lecture. The lecture was held in a plaza similar to the one they¡¯d just left, only smaller. Elder Wen Xi stood like a stone pillar at one end of the plaza, surveying the arriving disciples with an impassive eye. He was dressed in a black and white robe, and looked to be in his late sixties. Once the last of the disciples took their seats, a slight spiritual pressure pressed down on He Yu. Judging by the shifting of the disciples around him where they sat, they¡¯d felt it as well. Then, Elder Wen spoke.


    ¡°The Second Realm is called the Foundation stage because it is just that¡ªa foundation for all your future cultivation. Many of you have already begun to cultivate the White Mountain technique. Many of you have not. Whether this is out of sheer laziness or because you possess your own cultivation technique, it matters little.


    ¡°My aim is not to tell you how or what to cultivate. My aim is to explain the why. To give you an understanding of the deeper spiritual principles behind all cultivation. If you take to your lesson well, you will make appropriate decisions for yourself. That said, the sect cultivation technique is the foundation of the two principal arts of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. If you find yourself unable to discern your own Way after my instruction, the two White Mountain arts will serve you well.¡±


    From there, Elder Wen launched into a fast-paced lecture covering the basics of cultivation. He Yu found it all fascinating. The appeal of cultivation had always been in the stories of the great heroes and their deeds, but the act itself had been something that captured his interest like nothing else ever had. He listened to Elder Wen¡¯s explanations with rapt attention, wishing he¡¯d thought to bring a calligraphy set to take notes with.


    Many of his fellow disciples seemed bored or distracted. This was fine with him. Elder Wen announced that there would be rewards for those students who performed up to his expectations. Those expectations seemed to center around advancing cultivation quickly and with a high degree of stability. At the end of each week, Elder Wen would choose five disciples. This week¡¯s winners would receive a Five Phases Refinement Pill. Based on the reactions of those disciples still paying attention, it was a suitably impressive prize.


    Elder Wen spent the rest of the lecture discussing various aspects of qi. At the opening of this discussion, he repeated something Zhang Lifen had said. Cultivation was an imposition of the spirit upon the world. One key way this manifested was through the aspects of a cultivator¡¯s qi. There were many different aspects qi could take, with the five phases¡ªwater, wood, fire, earth, and metal¡ªalready familiar to He Yu. It was only then that he realized what the Five Phases Refinement Pill was. He swallowed his embarrassment at taking so long to figure it out as best he could.


    After a handful of examples of how a cultivator¡¯s qi manifested in the world around them, He Yu realized this was why he¡¯d thought Zhang Lifen was a true spirit at first. The sensations that accompanied her, the fluid grace with which she moved, and even the color and shifting patterns of her eyes¡ªthey were all outward manifestations of her water-aspected qi. Elder Wen stressed throughout his lecture that as cultivators advanced, they became ever more like true spirits. That certainly seemed to be true for Zhang Lifen.


    The remainder of Elder Wen¡¯s lecture covered the various aspects of qi. Special emphasis was placed on the aspects that were most common on the sect mountain. The waterfalls and mists provided abundant sources of water-aligned qi, while the mountain itself provided a source of mountain qi. He Yu had initially thought that mountains would be earth-aspected, but Elder Wen explained that subtypes of the five phases existed, and were often cultivated along with the phases themselves. Lake and ice were two subtypes of water qi, while mountain was a common subtype that combined earth and metal.


    All this only increased He Yu¡¯s excitement for his future. Once he could cultivate the White Mountain arts, he would become unstoppable. By the time Elder Wen released them from their lecture, his imagination had gotten well and truly away from him.


    On the way back to their home, Li Heng said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to make sure you get one of those pills Elder Wen is handing out at the end of the week.¡±


    That took He Yu by surprise, but he wasn¡¯t about to pass up the opportunity. ¡°I¡¯d have thought you¡¯d want it,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can get one on my own. Besides, I¡¯m already at the middle Foundation stage, and my qi is beginning to take on the aspects of my cultivation. It would be a benefit without a doubt, but it would do far more for you.¡± With a laugh, he added, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s five spots. No reason we can¡¯t both get one.¡±


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    Although both Ren Huang and Elder Wen had stressed that the outer disciples were in competition with one another, he was grateful that he didn¡¯t have to compete with Li Heng. At least not for the time being. The noble was clearly far above him in both his cultivation base and his knowledge of the theory behind it.


    ¡°He Yu!¡± called a familiar voice from behind him. He Yu turned and gave a quick salute to Chen Fei as she approached. The other young woman he¡¯d seen her with earlier was a few steps behind.


    ¡°I tried to catch you after the physical training, but you left so fast. How did you manage to finish the run so quickly?¡± Then, to his embarrassment, she added, ¡°You could barely make it up the mountain just a day ago. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve broken into the Second Realm already.¡±


    He could tell it wasn¡¯t meant to, but it stung just the same. Doubly so coming from her, for reasons he was not particularly keen on examining just then. ¡°I didn¡¯t finish,¡± he admitted. ¡°Ren Huang brought me back to the plaza and told me to cultivate.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes more sense,¡± she said. There was a sort of oblivious innocence to the observation that dulled the edge of the shame he felt.


    ¡°Are you going to introduce me to your friends, Sister Chen?¡± asked the young woman from behind Chen Fei. She had an accent that He Yu couldn¡¯t quite place, and her voice was surprisingly husky, with just a little bit of a creak beneath it. As she spoke she gave a slight¡ªalmost imperceptible¡ªsmirk.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Tan Xiaoling, this is my friend He Yu. We met in Xu Xiang and came up the mountain together.¡± Chen Fei hesitated for a moment, then said to He Yu in an embarrassed half-whisper, ¡°I don¡¯t know who your friend is.¡±


    Li Heng saluted and bowed to Tan Xiaoling deeply. ¡°Princess Tan, please forgive me for not recognizing you sooner. I am Li Heng, heir to the Western Passage.¡± He Yu looked to Li Heng, who held his bow for a moment longer, and then back to Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling. Chen Fei was staring intently at a spot on the ground she was scrubbing with her toe, and Tan Xiaoling simply looked amused.


    Tan Xiaoling was the picture of poise and beauty, with fair skin, and hair that shimmered in the light. Her clothes were an approximation of the sect uniform but clearly of staggeringly higher quality, even compared to Li Heng¡¯s. Despite her refined appearance, there was a sense of danger that clung to her.


    The princess inclined her head to Li Heng. ¡°No forgiveness necessary, as we are not yet acquainted. I had heard the son of the peerless General Li had joined the sect, and I am pleased that we can meet through mutual friends. It eases somewhat the burdens of formality, does it not?¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Li Heng answered.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s smile grew fractionally. ¡°I¡¯m glad you agree.¡±


    ¡°General Li?¡± Chen Fei asked, turning to Tan Xiaoling.


    ¡°Our new friend comes from a rather important family,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. Then turning to He Yu, she added, ¡°I am not familiar with you, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not anyone important,¡± He Yu said as he bowed over a salute, suddenly feeling very inadequate.


    ¡°No? Little Sister Chen seems to think otherwise.¡±


    Chen Fei¡¯s eyes doubled in size and she turned the color of a sunset. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough,¡± she said, grabbing Tan Xiaoling¡¯s hand and pulling her toward the women¡¯s residences. ¡°Nice meeting you Li Heng. We have places to be. Sect points to earn. Bye!¡±


    As the two disappeared it was clear that Chen Fei was just as embarrassed as He Yu was. Which made him feel a little bit better about that whole interaction. He didn¡¯t have time to wallow in it, though. As soon as the other two were out of earshot, Li Heng clapped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should curse you or offer incense to all of my ancestors for my good fortune. Sect Sister Chen, was her name? Whoever she is, she¡¯s made friends with someone very powerful. She seems to have taken a liking to you, too. How a commoner with no cultivation could have won such powerful allies so soon is beyond me. I almost feel inadequate.¡±


    ¡°Chen Fei,¡± he said, then added, ¡°Would you stop calling me that?¡± He knew that Li Heng was teasing him, but he couldn¡¯t help but still feel a bit bruised about it.


    ¡°Calling you what?¡± Li Heng asked in a tone that suggested he knew exactly what He Yu meant.


    ¡°A commoner with no cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Am I incorrect?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± He Yu admitted.


    ¡°There¡¯s an easy solution to that, you know,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You just need to advance.¡±


    He Yu looked up. Any trace of teasing or mockery was absent from Li Heng¡¯s features. ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course I am. I meant what I said this morning. Your dedication speaks volumes. I had already considered you an ally worth investing in once I saw that. Coming with a princess attached is just a bonus.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure that he actually came with a princess attached, but he wasn¡¯t about to argue. Whatever their relationship, Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling seemed to have grown rather close in a very short time. And Chen Fei seemed at least open to the idea of a friendship with He Yu. A part of him, however, felt that he should be at least a bit upset about how Li Heng was talking¡ªthat his interest in He Yu was one merely of utility. Instead, he found the honesty refreshing.


    He Yu pulled himself out of his thoughts, forced a smile, and found it came far more easily¡ªand honestly¡ªthan he¡¯d expected. ¡°Well, I suppose we¡¯ll just have to start working on that lack of cultivation problem then, won¡¯t we?¡±

 1.18 - Escalation

    Over the next few days, He Yu established a predictable rhythm for himself at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Ren Huang would begin by ordering the gathered disciples to run. Taking the advice he¡¯d received that first day to heart, He Yu absorbed what qi he could from the environment, and allowed only a trickle from his dantian to flow into his limbs. While this practice offered substantial improvements, he still wore himself out long before he finished. Once he was finally exhausted, Ren Huang would haul him back to the training grounds and order him to cultivate.


    When the disciples had either finished their run or been similarly rescued, they would fall into ranks and practice their martial forms. On Ren Huang¡¯s instruction, they would cycle qi to their limbs and bones and organs in accordance with the sect cultivation technique. Ren Huang would spend this time giving pointers on further use of the technique. The end goal was to strengthen their bodies and prepare them for learning the White Mountain Body Art.


    During the afternoons, the lectures on the particulars of cultivation with Elder Wen proved both far more interesting and useful, at least so far as He Yu was concerned. In addition to discussing the nature of qi and its varying aspects, Elder Wen also covered its relationship to the body. The insights He Yu gained from these lectures allowed him to refine both his use and understanding of the sect cultivation technique. This allowed not only for more productive cultivation in the evenings but also easier cycling during his morning exercises.


    The least favorite part of He Yu¡¯s day was the early evenings. This was when he performed jobs in exchange for sect contribution points. The jobs¡ªat least the ones he was both allowed to take and able to complete¡ªwere more like chores, really. The better-paying jobs were things like hauling shipments of supplies up the mountain from Xu Xiang. After his first time up the mountain, he wasn¡¯t in any hurry to climb it again. Especially not with a whole shipment of provisions on his back. So instead he had to content himself with minor chores like sweeping the steps to the manual pavilion or hauling firewood for the crafting hall. The only thing that kept him doing it was Zhang Lifen¡¯s admonishment that he begin collecting points as early as possible.


    After completing his sect tasks for the evening, He Yu returned to his home. There, he shared a quick meal, tea, and conversation with Li Heng before he secluded himself for cultivation. Once he took his place in the small cultivation room off the main room of their shared home, he soon lost himself in the flow of qi and the examining various insights he¡¯d gathered during the day. It was during this time that he felt he was most productive, although his mediation quickly led him to find the truth that everything he did each day was foundational.


    The first real disruption in this newfound routine came in the middle of that first week. During physical training, Sha Xiang singled out He Yu as her partner for their daily sparring. When she positioned herself across from him, the look on her face sent a cold chill down his spine.


    ¡°Ready to train?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be of much help with your training,¡± He Yu said, glancing around and hoping for some form of salvation.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fun,¡± she said with a chilling grin. ¡°For me, at least.¡±


    He Yu grimaced at that. He¡¯d been afraid that she was going to use this as an excuse to take out some of her grudge on him, and it seemed he wasn¡¯t wrong. Taking a deep breath, he fell into the stance they¡¯d been practicing since the beginning of the week. Sha Xiang did the same but with noticeably more comfort and ease. Much to He Yu¡¯s dismay, he noticed that she also wore the formation-stitched gloves she¡¯d had that first day.


    Just as he was about to protest again, Ren Huang¡¯s voice boomed out over the training square. ¡°Begin!¡±


    Sha Xiang stepped forward and lashed out with a low punch aimed at He Yu¡¯s gut. The way she moved was almost lazy, but her blow contained far more power than it had back during the tournament. Air rushed from He Yu¡¯s lungs as Sha Xiang¡¯s fist connected, and he doubled over involuntarily. Then her knee rushed up to meet his face and the next thing he knew, he was on the cool flagstones that paved the training square.


    ¡°Get up,¡± she said with unconcealed contempt. ¡°I need to at least make it look like this is a real sparring session.¡±


    He Yu rolled over onto his back and stared into the gray, mist-shrouded sky. ¡°Give me a minute,¡± he heard himself say. Was he really going to get up and let her beat on him even more?


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    With a snort, Sha Xiang fell back into a combat stance.


    Although he was still shaky at best, He Yu did the same. ¡°This one humbly requests Sect Sister Sha goes easy on him.¡± Maybe if he were obsequious enough she would spare him her worst.


    When her next blow lifted him off his feet, he found his answer. Worse still, she somehow managed to hit him twice more on his way down. As he rolled over and pushed himself up once again, he couldn¡¯t decide whether the pain or the humiliation was worse.


    By now several of the nearby pairs had stopped their sparring to watch. He was certain Sha Xiang wasn¡¯t about to let him stop now, so the next time she beat him down they¡¯d have quite the audience. As he fell into his stance again, he couldn¡¯t help but notice that he was swaying a bit on his feet. That couldn¡¯t be good, but at least he wasn¡¯t seeing double or anything.


    Sha Xiang drew back her fist again, then froze.


    The faint scent of smoke was the only indication of Ren Huang¡¯s approach. ¡°What is this?¡± he rumbled from behind He Yu.


    Relief so profound washed over him that he nearly collapsed.


    Saluting the physical cultivation instructor, Sha Xiang said, ¡°We were simply sparring, Senior Brother Ren.¡± It seemed she could at least swallow her pride before a core disciple, now.


    ¡°You call this sparring?¡± Ren Huang asked, finally stepping into view and waving a hand at He Yu.


    ¡°Does Senior Brother¡ª¡±


    A sharp crack cut off Sha Xiang¡¯s response as Ren Huang struck her across the face. With a note of satisfaction, He Yu thought he saw her blink away tears.


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s fitting to beat up a fellow disciple who¡¯s barely awakened, how about I serve as your sparring partner?¡± Ren Huang asked, his voice an angry rumble.


    ¡°This one is unworthy to dare,¡± Sha Xiang said, bowing her head over another salute.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask if you were worthy or not,¡± Ren Huang said. Sha Xiang visibly stiffened. Then, the core disciple commanded, ¡°Hit me.¡±


    A flush crept up Sha Xiang¡¯s neck, and He Yu couldn¡¯t tell whether it was shame or rage. Either way, he was going to relish every moment of this display. Especially now that the entirety of the first-year disciples had gathered around the three of them.


    ¡°I said, hit me.¡±


    ¡°As Senior Brother wishes,¡± she answered, before driving a fist towards Ren Huang¡¯s midsection.


    The core disciple stood as still as a mountain. The blow connected sure enough, but Ren Huang didn¡¯t even flinch. Sha Xiang grimaced as she shook out her hand.


    ¡°No wonder you need to push around babies,¡± he said.


    Now it was He Yu¡¯s turn to feel a flush of shame redden his cheeks. He couldn¡¯t exactly deny Ren Huang¡¯s assessment, but was it necessary to say it like that, and in front of everyone?


    ¡°Again,¡± Ren Huang ordered.


    This time, Sha Xiang didn¡¯t hesitate. She struck out at Ren Huang again, but this time he caught her by the wrist. He lifted her by one arm so that her feet were dangling a few inches from the ground, then he punched her square in the chest. An audible crunch accompanied the impact, and Sha Xiang let out a pained cry as her ribs shattered.


    ¡°That was without the use of any techniques,¡± Ren Huang said. Then he tore off her formation stitched gloves. ¡°Or weapons.¡±


    ¡°Those are mine,¡± Sha Xiang managed to groan.


    Ren Huang slapped her, and her head snapped to the side. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t throw you off the mountain.¡± The gloves burst into flames and were reduced to ash in an instant. ¡°Not as fun, being on the receiving end, is it? Meditate on what you¡¯ve learned here when you get the chance.¡±


    This time Sha Xiang didn¡¯t speak. Nor did she try and blink back the tears that had welled up as a result of Ren Huang¡¯s discipline. Or abuse. He Yu was having a hard time seeing the difference, and he was surprised to find that he actually felt a bit bad for her.


    Sure, she¡¯d been petty and cruel to him, but suffering this humiliation in front of all her peers? Not to mention the injuries she¡¯d sustained. The way she wheezed as she dangled in Ren Huang¡¯s grip confirmed that several of her ribs were broken, and He Yu suspected that her silence was the result of a dislocated jaw after that last slap. This was far more than even she deserved. While a part of him did want to relish seeing her brought so low, he couldn¡¯t justify it. Not even a little.


    Ren Huang finally let go of her wrist, and Sha Xiang crumpled to the ground at his feet. ¡°From now on I determine sparring partners, since you all can¡¯t seem to be trusted to pair off sensibly.¡± He turned his back on Sha Xiang and stalked towards the formation gate leading out of the training plaza. ¡°Class is over for today. You should all think about the example Junior Sister Sha has provided for you. Maybe take her to the medicine hall while you¡¯re at it.¡± With that, he left the training plaza.


    One by one, the other disciples began to wander towards the exit as well. Nobody seemed inclined to move to help Sha Xiang. Finally, He Yu approached her and offered a hand to help her up.


    She slapped his hand away and glared up at him from where she was still curled up on the flagstones. The look in her eyes was one of pure hatred as she tried, and failed to speak through her injured jaw. When He Yu didn¡¯t immediately back away, she lashed out at him with a kick.


    For a moment he debated whether he ought to say anything to her or not, but she continued to glare death. After another moment, he shook his head and left her. Hopefully, she would remember that he¡¯d at least tried. He wasn¡¯t terribly optimistic about that, however, as he could feel her stare searing hatred into his back as he walked away.

 1.19 - The Long Road

    When he settled into his nightly cultivation towards the end of the week, He Yu brought his second spirit stone with him. Just holding it sent crackling pulses of energy from his fingers up to his shoulder. After sealing the door to the cultivation chamber and taking the lotus position, he drew in the qi from the spirit stone.


    The difference was immediate. Between the constant practice over the past few days and Elder Wen¡¯s pointers, his qi moved more smoothly and easily than it ever had before. He Yu drew out the power of the spirit stone in only a few breaths, the energy surging into his dantian and swirling like a barely contained storm of power. A storm of power that threatened to burst out of its vessel and overflow into his channels. For an instant, alarm threatened to overwhelm him¡ªbut one of Elder Wen¡¯s lessons came drifting from the depths of his memory.


    He Yu focused on the power churning in his dantian. He took hold of it and pushed, compacting it into an ever smaller seed of qi. As Elder Wen had instructed, he kept his focus on his breathing and his heartbeat, maintaining the even calm so critical to successful cultivation. Slowly he matched his breathing to his heartbeat. Then he matched both to the pulsing of his qi. When all three moved in unison, he pushed in the spaces between each pulse, compacting his dantian incrementally with each beat.


    His qi wanted desperately to rage out into his meridians, but he kept a firm hold of it, just as he¡¯d been instructed. Each time he packed it down, his dantian brightened just a tiny bit in his inner sight. How long he wrestled with his spirit, he couldn¡¯t have said, but after some time he couldn¡¯t compress his dantian any further. Despite that, his qi kept building. He tried to hold it in, to keep it from raging through him, but it soon became too much to hold onto.


    Qi surged out of his dantian. It pushed through his meridians, encountering a strange resistance that hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago. He Yu¡¯s shock at the sensation was short-lived. A stench unlike anything he¡¯d ever known made him gag. He drew in another breath and retched. The stench was like someone had left a carcass out in the sun to rot, and then shoved it in the cultivation room with him. He opened his eyes, took a breath, and retched again.


    He was covered in a thick, black sludge. It seeped out of his skin and had soaked into his sect uniform, thoroughly ruining it. Now that he¡¯d brought his attention away from his cultivation, the smell had somehow become even worse. He tried to stand, but the qi raging through his meridians somehow wasn¡¯t done with him. It still pushed through his body, expelling more of that black sludge.


    He Yu coughed and gagged, struggling to take a breath. Finally surging qi abated, and he could at least make himself stand. He stumbled to the door and flung it open before collapsing outside and drawing in a blessedly sweet lungful of untainted air. The whole experience of expelling impurity from his body was so much worse than Elder Wen¡¯s lectures had made it sound.


    Li Heng waited for him in front of the cultivation chamber with a bucket of water at his feet. ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said. He motioned to the bucket with his foot. ¡°I brought this for you.¡±


    Now that he could properly breathe, He Yu took a moment to marvel at the energy coursing through his meridians. When he stood it happened just slightly faster and more easily than he was used to. He took a deep breath, and his lungs felt fuller than he¡¯d ever remembered them. Qi crackled in his dantian. His spiritual center was smaller, but far more dense. He felt like he¡¯d been reborn.


    ¡°Is this Foundation?¡± he asked in wonder.


    Li Heng laughed. ¡°You think you could go from barely a foot in the First Realm to breaking fully into the Second in only a few days? No, you¡¯ve only reached middle Qi Gathering. There¡¯s a long way yet to go.¡±


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    As he sloughed off the sludge from his breakthrough, he allowed himself a bit of a grimace. ¡°I suppose I should have expected as much,¡± he said, letting his disappointment seep into his words. True, middle Qi Gathering was a step forward, but he¡¯d allowed himself to hope that he¡¯d taken a much larger one.


    The noble reached out to clasp him on the shoulder, then seemed to remember the sludge and stopped himself. ¡°Don¡¯t mistake me, little brother. Given where you started, reaching the middle stage so quickly is quite the feat. You should be proud of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I have a long way to go,¡± he said, thinking of Sha Xiang. She was already fully in the Foundation stage. He was proud of himself though. A few months ago, the middle First Realm was a distant dream that he only could have attained with Dong Wei¡¯s help. Now? Now it was a reality. He¡¯d have been giddy if it weren¡¯t for the overwhelming disgust he felt at being covered in foul-smelling sludge.


    ¡°You do. Now get cleaned up. I¡¯ve some wine we can share to celebrate.¡±


    He Yu was more than happy to do just that. After he stripped off his ruined sect uniform¡ªwhich he resolved to burn¡ªhe washed off the sludge of his breakthrough in the courtyard. He¡¯d have to thank Li Heng for his foresight later.


    Once cleaned and properly dressed, he joined Li Heng in their home¡¯s main hall. Their celebration was restrained but cheerful, with Li Heng once again congratulating him on his breakthrough. The wine was sweet, and quickly went to his head. With his tongue loosened, He Yu asked Li Heng about something that had been on his mind ever since their first day of training.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with Tan Xiaoling?¡± he asked.


    Li Heng¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±


    ¡°You called her ¡®princess,¡¯ didn¡¯t you? Is she a daughter of the Dragon Emperor?¡±


    ¡°If she was, she certainly wouldn¡¯t be here, as prestigious as the Shrouded Peaks sect may be. No, she is the daughter of one of the empire¡¯s tributary kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± He Yu said, unsure of how else to respond. ¡°So you know each other, then?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. Her father and mine have a complicated relationship, to say the least. It seems that she knew I was to be sent to the Shrouded Peaks Sect, however. That means there was likely at least communication between our families on the matter. Beyond that, I can only speculate. As a commoner, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with any of it, though.¡±


    He Yu frowned. ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to tell me¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Li Heng cut in. ¡°The affairs of nobles are tangled, at best. You should count yourself fortunate that you have the luxury of remaining uninvolved for the time being.¡±


    That caught his attention. ¡°For the time being?¡±


    Li Heng nodded. ¡°You think you can show this level of potential and remain a commoner? If tonight is any indication, you¡¯ll have a title by the time you¡¯re twenty,¡± he said with a laugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that,¡± He Yu muttered.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m joking?¡± Li Heng asked. Then he added, ¡°Well, only by half. Twenty would be a stretch, even for a once-in-a-generation talent.¡±


    ¡°You said it,¡± he answered, if somewhat begrudgingly. ¡°I¡¯m just a commoner.¡±


    ¡°A commoner who has caught the attention of the sect¡¯s rising star, already displayed obvious dedication, and broken into the middle Qi Gathering stage after a mere three days in the sect. Or do you intend to go rogue?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± All this made no sense. He¡¯d always thought someone had to be born a noble.


    ¡°You really are from a backwater,¡± Li Heng mused. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said holding up a hand to forestall He Yu¡¯s protests. ¡°I¡¯ll stop with that.¡± He paused for a moment, thinking. ¡°How do the nobles gain and keep their power? Cultivation. The great noble families all consist of accomplished cultivators. Their cultivation is why the Dragon Emperor elevated them in the first place. My grandfather was granted his position as marquis of the Western Passage when he entered the Sixth Realm.


    ¡°Advance quickly enough and you¡¯re bound to attract attention. If you stay in the sect you can likely avoid it a bit. Eventually, it becomes impossible, though. The other nobles notice you then seek to either turn you into an ally or, at least, ensure you won¡¯t turn on them. If not, they¡¯ll try and eliminate you as a threat. Savor your time to cultivate now, free from the maneuvering of the great families and clans. It won¡¯t last if what I¡¯ve seen is any indication of your future.¡±


    That shed a bit of light on his interaction with Tan Xiaoling, at least. He Yu decided he would put it to rest for the time being. If staying out of noble affairs was a luxury, he¡¯d savor it for as long as he could manage.

 1.20 - Five Phases Pill

    After his breakthrough to the middle First Realm, He Yu was disappointed to find that the sense of boundless energy he¡¯d initially felt didn¡¯t amount to all that much. If he were to guess, it managed to let him last half again as long during Ren Huang¡¯s run around the mountain compared to before. When he finally collapsed, gasping for breath, Ren Huang appeared to haul him back to the training plaza. He Yu allowed himself an inward groan. He was pleased to find he recovered much more quickly than previously, so he took as much comfort in that as he could.


    Elder Wen¡¯s lecture that afternoon ended early. He had finished both his introductory lessons on the various aspects of qi and the basics of spiritual cultivation. Before releasing the disciples, he produced a small box of lacquered wood and held it before him.


    ¡°The sect rewards talent, ambition, and dedication,¡± he said. ¡°Beyond that, we invest further resources in those disciples who will receive the most benefit from them. In this way, we strengthen those with the ability to best make use of that strength. This likewise strengthens the sect itself. Before releasing you for your day of rest and individual cultivation, I will announce the five of you who have distinguished themselves in this week¡¯s competition.¡±


    The first disciple Elder Wen called was an effeminate-looking young man by the name of Yan Shirong. He was about He Yu¡¯s age, and almost as small. He didn¡¯t look like a particularly impressive cultivator. According to the elder, Yan Shirong had broken through to the Foundation stage the night before. He was the only outer disciple to have advanced realms since the beginning of the week. He took the Five Phases Refinement Pill from Elder Wen with a polite salute before returning to his seat at the front.


    The second name that the elder called made He Yu¡¯s gut sink¡ªSha Xiang. He Yu grimaced as he faced the reality of what this meant. Whatever advantages she already possessed over him were now only compounded by the Five Phases Pill. Although he had expected to hear that she¡¯d already advanced again, the real reason she¡¯d been given the reward this week was the advancement she¡¯d gained beforehand. Elder Wen declared that it wouldn¡¯t be fair to exclude such a talented disciple who had managed to advance to Foundation on her own, before the formal instruction had even begun and without the benefit of sect resources. As she collected her pill and returned to her seat, she caught He Yu¡¯s eye and gave him a smug grin.


    Next, Elder Wen called the female disciple who had been with Sha Xiang on that first day. Her name was Qiao Xia, and she had not only gone from middle Qi Gathering to late, but she had also reached the peak. As Elder Wen handed over the Five Phases Refinement Pill, he fixed her with a direct look and said he expected a breakthrough into the Second Realm soon. Qiao Xia bowed, but her demeanor was nervous as she quickly returned to her seat.


    The fourth disciple was a dangerous-looking young man called Cui Bao. He stalked up to the front, gave a too-slight bow, and took his pill without a word. Elder Wen¡¯s eyebrows creased slightly, but he said nothing. As he did so, Li Heng leaned over and whispered into He Yu¡¯s ear, ¡°That¡¯s one to watch. A tiger among wolves, if I¡¯ve ever seen one.¡± Although he appreciated the warning, He Yu hadn¡¯t needed it. He¡¯d avoid that one as well as he could.


    Finally, Elder Wen called He Yu¡¯s name. The initial shock he¡¯d felt at winning the competition¡ªeven if he¡¯d come in last¡ªwas quickly outweighed by guilt. He and Li Heng were both supposed to have gotten a pill. He Yu tried not to let that show on his face as he accepted the Five Phases Refinement Pill from Elder Wen and bowed more than was strictly necessary.


    ¡°Outer Disciple He joined the sect with the lowest cultivation of you all,¡± said Elder Wen. He Yu wanted to curl in on himself when he heard that. Sha Xiang sneered at him from where she sat, but he caught encouraging smiles from both Li Heng and Chen Fei. As much as he wanted to return to his place in the gathered disciples, Elder Wen continued speaking. ¡°Despite that, he broke through to the middle Qi Gathering stage in only three days. Evidence that with the right mind and proper dedication, anyone can excel, and aspire to the heights of cultivation.¡± Qi, whisper-quiet and like a gentle spring breeze wrapped around He Yu. The Elder¡¯s voice spoke in his ear. ¡°It seems Core Disciple Zhang was correct in her judgment. I for one, expect great things from you and will be watching closely.¡±


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    He Yu resisted the urge to look at the Elder Wen as he was released from the older cultivator¡¯s qi. That had clearly meant to be only between the two of them. As much as it swelled his pride to think that he¡¯d already caught the attention of a sect elder, the comment had also contained a note of warning that made him feel more nervous than he¡¯d care to admit. Truly, the attention of the powerful was a mixed blessing.


    ¡°You are all dismissed,¡± the elder said once He Yu had returned to his seat. ¡°There is no training or instruction tomorrow, so use the day as you will. Those who aspired for a reward this week but failed, meditate on your performance. Perhaps the insights you gain will allow you to gain favor next week.¡± With barely a flicker of movement, Elder Wen Xi leaped into the mists above and was gone.


    ¡°Congratulations, little brother,¡± Li Heng said, clapping him on the shoulder. Over the week, He Yu had gotten well used to that gesture from him. ¡°Put that somewhere safe. You¡¯ll want to save it for when you¡¯re ready to break through to the Foundation Stage.¡±


    He smiled in return. ¡°I feel a bit bad, though. We were supposed to both earn a pill.¡±


    Li Heng waved the comment away. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aiming for one. I¡¯m a long way from breaking through to late Foundation, and I don¡¯t need it, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He Yu asked. He¡¯d learned over the week that Li Heng had his own advancement resources, provided by his family. Learning about Li Heng¡¯s access to resources beyond what he could earn at the sect had sent pangs of envy through him. It must be nice to be rich. Despite those resources, he¡¯d taken the noble at his word when Li Heng said they should both earn one.


    Chen Fei bounded over to the two of them, cutting off Li Heng¡¯s response. ¡°Good Job!¡± she shouted, drawing the attention of several other disciples. ¡°I hoped you¡¯d get something since you really do need it, but still, that¡¯s great!¡±


    He Yu felt blood rush up his neck. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, scuffing at the ground with one foot.


    Then, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial near-whisper, Chen Fei added ¡°Anyway, what I wanted to say is that Tan Xiaoling found a great spot for cultivation. She wants to show us tomorrow.¡±


    He Yu shot a glance at Li Heng. ¡°Who exactly is ¡®us¡¯?¡± he asked.


    ¡°All of us,¡± she said. ¡°You, me, and Li Heng, of course.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the offer,¡± Li Heng said, ¡°but you can tell Princess Tan that won¡¯t be necessary, and send her my thanks regardless.¡±


    Chen Fei made a humming noise and nodded. ¡°Yeah, she said you might say something like that. I¡¯m supposed to tell you that if you don¡¯t come, she¡¯ll drag you along herself.¡±


    Li Heng paled but quickly regained his composure. ¡°I see. Well then, please inform Princess Tan that I would be happy to accompany her.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± she chirped. ¡°Meet us in the plaza by the main sect gate tomorrow morning. Same time as Elder Brother Ren¡¯s lessons. Tan Xiaoling said it¡¯ll be a bit of a hike, so we need to leave early.¡±


    As Chen Fei left, He Yu turned to his housemate. ¡°If you¡¯re already middle Foundation, could Tan Xiaoling really drag you anywhere?¡±


    ¡°More than that,¡± he said with a shake of his head. ¡°She¡¯s half a step into the Third Realm already. Which, by the way, is why she didn¡¯t win anything this week. I¡¯d bet a year¡¯s worth of my allowance that she¡¯ll wait until the last possible moment to advance to Body Refining. Unless something forces her to do it first.¡±


    He Yu took a moment to process that. If she was already at late Foundation, that meant she could spend an entire year preparing herself for the advancement to Body Refining. Given what Li Heng had told him about how the trade-offs of advancement worked, he didn¡¯t know if he would be able to hold off advancement like that. Especially in the early stages when he was already so far behind, and when from everything he¡¯d heard, it was generally considered to go fast until you reached the Fourth Realm. He just supposed that was the benefit of being a princess.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said at length, ¡°at least she seems to be on our side.¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s expression didn¡¯t give He Yu much confidence that his housemate thought the same. ¡°For the time being,¡± the noble muttered.


    He Yu let the matter drop. Whatever it was between Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling, it was the affairs of the nobility. Li Heng had advised him to stay out of it, and He Yu was going to take his housemate¡¯s advice for as long as he could.

 Interlude - Zhang Lifen

    The door to Zhang Lifen¡¯s home banged open, accompanied by a wave of heat and the scent of smoke. She didn¡¯t need to turn her attention away from the painting she was working on to know who¡¯d just arrived. Nobody else would be visiting her at this hour, and certainly not without first announcing their presence.


    ¡°I¡¯d been wondering when you were going to stop by,¡± she said, adding some final details to the work before setting her brush aside. ¡°Sit down and I¡¯ll make us tea.¡±


    Ren Huang grunted as he seated himself. He¡¯d always been a man of few words, and over the years she¡¯d gotten rather good at deciphering his various non-verbal methods of communication. It meant he was a good listener, and she appreciated that about him. Not many of her peers enjoyed her penchant for verbal meandering and gossip.


    ¡°Is this about that little slap-fight earlier this week?¡± She¡¯d been on one of the inner sect mountains tending to her own cultivation when Li Heng and Sha Xiang had come to blows, so hadn¡¯t heard about it until the next day. ¡°Or perhaps that sparring session between the two disciples I brought to the sect?¡± Were she of a similar temper to Huang, she would have confronted him that day about how he¡¯d dealt with that particular incident. He¡¯d gone too far, in her opinion. But she wasn¡¯t about to impress upon their long friendship for something so trivial. As a Fifth Realm core disciple, he outranked her and was in charge of the physical development of the outer disciples this year, besides. It was his right to do as he saw fit.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked as he finished settling in. She gave him a moment to decide whether or not he¡¯d anything else to say while she put away her brushes and ink. It could be hard to tell with him sometimes.


    At length, he did speak. ¡°That girl you brought with him is trouble. She carries demons in her heart.¡±


    ¡°Sha Xiang,¡± she said, mostly to herself, as she set herself to preparing the promised tea.


    Huang grunted an affirmative.


    ¡°Do you think I was wrong to bring her?¡± she asked.


    Silence. Zhang Lifen schooled her features before she turned. She found Huang¡¯s gaze boring into her. It was answer enough.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± she said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you would. You never do think much past what you want.¡± Some of the tension drained from his posture, however¡ªa good sign. So she wasn¡¯t going to make a fuss about his accusation. It was obvious he wasn¡¯t here to have that fight again, and she wasn¡¯t about to provoke him to it.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°So what do you think of the boy?¡± she asked, allowing a smile to flicker across her lips. This was what he¡¯d come about, after all. As much as they enjoyed the other¡¯s company, he rarely stopped by without reason these days. The responsibilities of rank, and all that.


    ¡°He¡¯s weak.¡± It was nothing more than a statement of fact, and they both knew as much. It wasn¡¯t what she was interested in, however.


    ¡°He is,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°Each day he¡¯s the first to falter during the run.¡±


    Zhang Lifen let the matter hang while she finished the tea. ¡°Junior Brother He simply needs the proper opportunities and incentives,¡± she said once she took her seat across from Huang and began pouring the tea.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the girl talking to Xiao Jun.¡±


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s brows creased ever so slightly. ¡°That could pose some difficulties,¡± she said. Xiao Jun had come to the sect two years ago, and Zhang Lifen had marked him as a potential problem from the beginning. She hadn¡¯t been wrong.


    ¡°He¡¯s been collecting allies among the outer sect. No doubt he¡¯ll gain entrance to the inner sect with the next tournament,¡± Huang said.


    Her fingernail clinked against the side of her teacup. She¡¯d expected as much from Xiao Jun. Someone with his talent didn¡¯t often stay in the outer sect for long. It was only ill fortune and his low status that had seen him eliminated so early the previous year. The sect elders wouldn¡¯t easily allow that to happen to him a second time. As his power grew, he would be easier to watch¡ªand manage¡ªonce he joined the inner sect. It was no wonder he and Sha Xiang had found one another so easily.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to make sure that Junior Brother He is adequately motivated.¡±


    ¡°Tell me why you picked him, of all people. Couldn¡¯t you have just brought the girl?¡±


    ¡°Master Cai said to bring back two,¡± she reminded him. ¡°He didn¡¯t say both needed to be adequate for our purposes, so I formed a plan once I had a grasp on the situation.¡±


    Ren Huang scowled at her. ¡°Lifen,¡± he began.


    ¡°None of that,¡± she said, cutting off whatever objection he was about to voice. ¡°The boy, as you would call him. You know he¡¯s self-taught?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t¡ªhis silence said as much.


    ¡°Furthermore, they¡¯re from the southern forest. The little village with that Dong Wei character, to be precise. You¡¯ve been there, I¡¯m sure. Weak as the boy is, consider the circumstances.¡±


    Huang¡¯s expression grew thoughtful. He knew well the place she spoke of, and he was a talented cultivator himself. The fact that He Yu had managed to awaken himself at all was practically a miracle. She¡¯d watched while He Yu went to the manual pavilion on his first day to obtain his copy of the sect¡¯s basic cultivation technique, so she knew that Huang hadn¡¯t witnessed the wholly inadequate technique He Yu had been using. She didn¡¯t need to mention it though. The facts she¡¯d already presented made her case well enough.


    Nor did she need to mention the drive she¡¯d seen in He Yu during his short time at the sect. Less than a week, and he¡¯d already advanced. Which was good, if Sha Xiang had already been pulled into Xiao Jun¡¯s orbit. She also didn¡¯t mention that Master Cai had taken an interest in him. That her teacher had even noticed the boy at all was more a confirmation of her hunch about him than anything else.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to baby him,¡± Huang said, standing.


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± she said. ¡°Just keep Sha Xiang away from him for the time being. And if she falls under Xiao Jun¡¯s sway¡­¡± Zhang Lifen shrugged and left it at that. If Sha Xiang was fated to give in to her demons, then who was Zhang Lifen to stand in her way?

 1.21 - Waterfall

    Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling were already waiting when He Yu and Li Heng arrived at the main sect gate the next morning. As they approached, Li Heng slipped into the overly formal mask he wore around Tan Xiaoling.


    ¡°Li Heng, He Yu,¡± the princess said, betraying the ghost of a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you could join us.¡±


    ¡°I would not dare to refuse your offer of resources, Princess Tan,¡± Li Heng said stiffly.


    ¡°Nor would I,¡± He Yu added after a moment.


    Tan Xiaoling shook her head. ¡°This is going to be a long day if I have to deal with both of you acting like that. The Jade Kingdom is far from the Shrouded Peaks, and within the sect we are peers. Treat me as you would any other disciple.¡±


    That took a massive weight off He Yu¡¯s shoulders. All of this formality was new to him, and he feared it was only a matter of time until he slipped up and offended someone. It wasn¡¯t surprising that Tan Xiaoling didn¡¯t want them kowtowing to her. She¡¯d quickly struck up what looked like a close friendship with Chen Fei. Maybe that was just the way nobles conducted themselves with commoners they were forced to share homes with during their time in the outer sect. It was similar enough to how Li Heng treated him, after all.


    Likewise, Li Heng seemed to relax a bit as well, but not completely. Perhaps it was due to him being more aware of the formalities of rank. Whatever was keeping him on edge, Tan Xiaoling had clearly noticed, but for the time being, she appeared content to accept the small amount of ground Li Heng had ceded to her request.


    Their destination was a cave higher up the mountain. Tan Xiaoling said it would take a few hours to get there, assuming they didn¡¯t run into any trouble.


    ¡°Trouble like the mist spirits Chen Fei and I encountered on our way up the mountain?¡± He Yu asked. He¡¯d rather not have to contend with them again, but at least with more powerful disciples along he supposed he didn¡¯t have to worry too much.


    ¡°Spirits such as those have no business going any higher than the lowest reaches of the outer sect,¡± the princess answered. ¡°They¡¯d be little more than a snack for the residents of the upper slopes.¡±


    That hadn¡¯t been at all what he¡¯d wanted to hear. Based on the slight falter in Chen Fei¡¯s step, she hadn¡¯t either.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not had the opportunity to explore much of the higher peaks,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°What sorts of spirits dwell there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that would overly trouble you or me,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°I¡¯ve encountered some wood spirits, but they¡¯re a cowardly type and most are only around late First Realm. A few of the stronger ones could be compared to early Second, but they¡¯re far more rare. None dared to approach me when I was alone, so I doubt they would do so to us as a group.¡± That was comforting to hear. The prospect of having to fight wood spirits on his day off wasn¡¯t something He Yu had planned on. Chen Fei visibly brightened as well. ¡°There are stronger spirit beasts on the mountain, however. I¡¯ve heard rumors that an awakened bear nearing the peak of the Second Realm has been seen wandering the mountain. I haven¡¯t encountered any signs of it, though.¡±


    ¡°Spirit bears can be dangerous even at low levels of advancement,¡± Chen Fei said.


    Tan Xiaoling nodded. ¡°They can. As I said, though, I don¡¯t expect trouble. I scouted the area thoroughly and found no signs of it. I suspect that if we¡¯re to encounter any trouble, it will come from our fellow disciples.¡±


    Li Heng hummed and nodded at that, as though he¡¯d expected as much. Chen Fei looked even more nervous than she had a moment ago.


    ¡°I thought fights were forbidden for another three months,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°They are,¡± Tan Xiaoling said simply. ¡°But the sect elders aren¡¯t as strict in their ban as Senior Brother Ren¡¯s actions on our first day here would suggest. If you fight within the outer sect proper, or somewhere the sect elders have a particular interest in, then you can be certain someone will arrive and put a stop to it. Or, at the very least, they¡¯ll hand down punishments after the fact.


    ¡°However, the sect encourages competition. A small dust-up between disciples over resources out in the mountain wilderness won¡¯t draw any real attention. Especially if the disciples exercise restraint in their conflict. That¡¯s why I asked Li Heng to come, and also why I¡¯ll be joining you all. At least for the time being.¡±


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    ¡°So this cave then?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°Nothing you or I couldn¡¯t get elsewhere on our own,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°Make no mistake, though, our time will not be wasted if we cultivate there. He Yu will benefit the most, as he is still only at the Qi Gathering stage. Chen Fei doesn¡¯t have access to the kinds of resources provided by either of our families, so this will greatly aid her cultivation as well.¡±


    That answer seemed to satisfy Li Heng but only ignited more questions in He Yu. ¡°Why go out of your way to help us?¡± He Yu asked, before thinking better of it. He really needed to get better about being so forward with powerful people.


    Li Heng balked, but Tan Xiaoling only gave a slight smile. ¡°Fei could use the extra help,¡± she said. Fei. Had they grown that close already? ¡°And I am not my father,¡± she added, nodding towards Li Heng. Again, some understanding seemed to pass between the two nobles as Li Heng relaxed by another degree. ¡°Aiding you and Sect Brother Li builds goodwill with you both. Besides, Chen Fei asked that I help you as well, Sect Brother He. This little trip allows me to accomplish all of those things.¡±


    Well, at least she¡¯d explained herself. He Yu had half expected her to give him one of her smirks and say something like ¡°I have my reasons,¡± and leave it at that. He¡¯d not expected that Chen Fei would single him out by name, and the thought of it caused no small measure of embarrassment. Although he likely didn¡¯t know the cause, Li Heng seemed to have picked up on He Yu¡¯s awkwardness and thanked Tan Xiaoling on both their behalf.


    It took them until midmorning for them to reach their destination. When they¡¯d reached roughly the halfway point, Tan Xiaoling pointed out a stream running down the mountain, close to the path they were on. From there, they followed the stream which led to a small pond at the base of a sheer cliff.


    A waterfall cascading down from the top of the cliff fed the pond, and the cave entrance sat nearby. The rich qi around the pond carried a strong water aspect, and He Yu could sense the earth and mountain qi emanating from inside the cave even from a dozen feet away.


    ¡°Stay close to the cave entrance,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how deep it goes and haven¡¯t explored very far. There aren¡¯t any signs of beasts or spirits as far as I can tell, but you can¡¯t always be certain.¡±


    Chen Fei cast an uncertain glance in the direction of the cave mouth. He Yu simply nodded. The qi here was so rich and dense that he didn¡¯t think there¡¯d be much point for him to even go inside the cave, let alone plumb its depths. Not wanting to waste any time, He Yu settled into the lotus position just outside the cave mouth and began to cultivate the White Mountain technique. Just as his awareness faded from the world around him, he caught Tan Xiaoling proposing a ¡°light sparring session¡± to Li Heng.


    As the sounds of martial practice mingled with the rush of the waterfall, He Yu¡¯s awareness sank into his spirit and he focused on the swirling qi in his dantian. In the days since his breakthrough to the middle Qi Gathering stage, he¡¯d gotten used to the increased density of his own qi, but he felt a renewed surge of pride and ambition when he contemplated it now.


    Each breath drew in the abundant qi from both the waterfall and the cave. The difference between this particular spot and his cultivation chamber within the outer sect was almost as pronounced as the difference between the sect and the forest around Shulin. To cultivate in such an area would have been far beyond his wildest dreams before he¡¯d met Zhang Lifen.


    Even the middle Qi Gathering stage had seemed nigh unobtainable before coming to the sect. True, he¡¯d been working towards it in the years since his father had bought him that old technique manual, but a part of him had never truly believed he could reach it. Not without instruction from someone like Dong Wei. Now his sights were set on advancing to the late Qi Gathering stage, the Foundation stage, and beyond. He would walk his Way to its end.


    As he focused on his breath and cycled in accordance with his cultivation technique, qi coursed through his meridians. He sent the rich qi of the waterfall cave to his muscles and bones and organs. His whole body and spirit crackled with the qi of the upper mountain. This was his Way. His path to strength. With his spiritual awareness so focused on his future of unrivaled strength and ability, he nearly missed the shadow that loomed in the corner of his spirit. As soon as he turned his spiritual awareness to it fully, it loomed over him, obfuscating the visions of his future.


    He was strong. Stronger than he¡¯d ever thought possible. He stood atop a mountain, and the world stretched out beneath his feet. With one hand raised, he touched heaven. But he was alone. No signs of anyone, friend or foe, could be sensed for a thousand years¡¯ journey in any direction. With the solitude came a sense of desolation that caused a disquiet to lodge in his heart. Far below the land lay in ruin, devastated by a battle that had raged for weeks. A battle between immortals.


    The unease he¡¯d first felt reared in his mind and spirit. Had he caused this? Had he, in his quest to become the hero he¡¯d always dreamed he would one day be, destroyed the land he looked over now? He couldn¡¯t have. Heroes didn¡¯t destroy those they fought for. They wouldn¡¯t be heroes if they did.


    That thought did little to reassure him, however.


    Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. Chen Fei sat a short ways away, still lost in her cultivation. Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling exchanged blows, performing a complex dance of strikes, blocks, and counters. As He Yu looked on, the unsettling sensation faded, and soon he was able to turn back to his cultivation. Although he focused on cultivating the more physical components of the White Mountain technique, the dark spot on his spirit remained.

 1.22 - He Yu Chooses His Weapon

    A week after the waterfall excursion, Li Heng found He Yu on their day off. ¡°You need a weapon,¡± he said. There was a matter-of-factness to his words, a tone that suggested this wasn¡¯t up for debate.


    ¡°Sha Xiang doesn¡¯t use one. Ren Huang doesn¡¯t either. I¡¯ve never heard anyone talk about what kind of weapon Zhang Lifen uses, either.¡± He didn¡¯t object to a weapon on principle. During Ren Huang¡¯s lessons, he¡¯d quickly learned that weapons offered a tremendous advantage over bare fists and feet.


    It would cost him, though. He¡¯d been saving points since arriving at the sect, but he didn¡¯t want to spend them. They would better be used to purchase advancement resources, he felt. Especially now that he felt he was close to the late First Realm.


    Li Heng held up a finger. ¡°First, you don¡¯t know whether or not Ren Huang uses a weapon. He could easily keep one in his storage treasure.¡± He Yu hadn¡¯t thought of that. Most cultivators kept one. They usually took the form of a ring, or other piece of jewelry, allowing them to seemingly produce objects from thin air.


    ¡°What about Sha Xiang and Zhang Lifen?¡±


    ¡°Sha Xiang has that glove of hers. Had, I suppose.¡±


    He Yu crossed his arms over his chest. That didn¡¯t seem fair. A glove wasn¡¯t a proper weapon, but that was beside the point. ¡°And Senior Sister Zhang?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an archer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± He Yu said. ¡°A bow would allow me to stay out of the fight, but still contribute.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough for a proper bow.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Lifen hardly looks that strong,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°You think a peak Golden Core isn¡¯t strong?¡±


    He Yu was too busy bristling at Li Heng calling him weak to think about how strong Zhang Lifen might be. ¡°What kind of weapon should I use then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A spear,¡± Li Heng said.


    He Yu¡¯s hopes died before they¡¯d even fully formed. It was a peasant¡¯s weapon. Surely that was why Li Heng had suggested it.


    ¡°Easy to use. It has a good amount of reach, and it provides leverage. As your skill improves, the properties that compensate for your weaknesses turn into advantages. Besides, you can always learn other weapons later.¡±


    He realized he wasn¡¯t going to win this one. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go find me a spear.¡±


    He Yu had never actually been to the sect market before. Purchases had to be made with spirit stones, and he used most of his for cultivation. He could always purchase more stones with sect points, but what if he needed something from the manual pavilion? His weekly stipend from the sect had been the key to his advancement so far, and he was loathe to spend it on anything else.


    As if reading his mind, Li Heng said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about the cost. Anything you buy right now won¡¯t last beyond the Second Realm anyway. You wouldn¡¯t be able to make full use of a treasure meant for higher realm cultivators even if you could afford one.¡±


    ¡°Like your jian,¡± he said. The silvery light that gathered around the blade had fascinated him, but he¡¯d never found the opportunity to ask about it. One didn¡¯t simply ask a cultivator about their treasures or techniques.


    Li Heng nodded. ¡°It was my grandfather¡¯s, and it will serve me through Nascent Soul. But as I said, I can¡¯t make use of its full power yet.¡±


    A sword suitable for a Fifth Realm cultivator. He Yu couldn¡¯t believe it. Li Heng¡¯s jian must be worth more than the entire town of Shulin, and then some. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. No wonder it gathers light the way it does.¡±


    For the first time since meeting him, Li Heng showed a flicker of genuine pride. ¡°The light comes from my family¡¯s Lunar Mirror Sword Art. It helped my grandfather earn his assignment as Marquis of the Western Passage. The source of the light is the art¡¯s principle technique, the Winter Moon Reflection.¡±


    A name was good enough for He Yu. It was honestly more than he would have gotten out of anyone other than Li Heng. He hadn¡¯t even asked Chen Fei the name of her family art. And Tan Xiaoling¡ªwell, he wouldn¡¯t dare raise the subject with her, although he was certain she had her own arts as well.


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    The fact that his friends all had actual family arts passed down through generations stung. Maybe if he¡¯d come from an established family with cultivator ancestors, he wouldn¡¯t be at such a disadvantage. Even Chen Fei, for all her objections to conflict, was a Second Realm cultivator before she¡¯d even been accepted to the Shrouded Peaks Sect.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how anything I can find here can compare to that,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± Li Heng replied. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t need to. Like I said, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to use a real treasure. Even if you had one, it would be no different than any other spear you found at the market at best. At worst, it could cause a backlash and permanently damage you.¡±


    ¡°It still doesn¡¯t make a whole lot of sense to buy something that I¡¯ll just replace as soon as I break through.¡±


    ¡°Why not? The dueling ban ends in a few more months. We¡¯ll have plenty of resources then.¡±


    ¡°Nobody told me our stipends are getting increased,¡± He Yu said. That would be a welcome change.


    Li Heng gave a soft chuckle. ¡°No, we¡¯re going to take them.¡±


    He Yu suddenly felt rather uncomfortable. ¡°Take them? Like, rob people?¡±


    At least Li Heng had the decency to look affronted at that. ¡°Rob them? Of course not. I¡¯m just talking about the spoils of victory.¡±


    That sounded an awful lot like robbing people. Though, in nearly every story victorious cultivators would take a token of victory from their defeated opponents. It usually took the form of some elixir or pill, or perhaps simply a minor treasure. If there was a particularly vicious grudge, the victor might take something of greater value. The stories always portrayed it as a just price exacted for unprovoked aggression. Now that he thought about it, there wasn¡¯t much difference between what happened in the stories and what Li Heng had called it. Spoils of victory. He Yu wasn¡¯t certain how he felt about that.


    ¡°I suppose we can sort that out when the time comes,¡± he muttered, not really wanting to wrestle with the implications just then.


    When they arrived at the weapon seller¡¯s stall, He Yu took a moment to let his eyes wander over all the pieces arrayed before him. The four basic weapons¡ªthe staff, the dao, the spear, and the jian¡ªwere all well represented, along with many others besides. The one that immediately drew his attention was a finely made guandao. The metal shaft, longer than he was tall by half a foot, was etched with formation characters. He Yu immediately reached for it, imagining himself standing victorious amidst his fallen foes like the God of War himself.


    ¡°That is the exact opposite of a good weapon for you,¡± Li Heng said.


    He Yu grabbed the haft of the weapon and pulled himself off balance as he tried to lift it. ¡°How heavy is it?¡± he asked, turning to Li Heng.


    ¡°Probably weighs more than you do,¡± the noble replied with an amused grin. ¡°Most consider it more of a training tool than a proper weapon. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so heavy.¡±


    He Yu hefted the guandao again. It would be a difficult weapon to use, but he wanted it. He wanted anything other than a spear, to be honest. Maybe it was his desire to be like the legends that inspired him. Maybe it was the indignation he¡¯d felt earlier at Li Heng saying he was weak. Maybe it was the certainty that he¡¯d grow into it as his cultivation improved. He didn¡¯t know which it was, or if it were all of those things. All he knew was that this was going to be his weapon. It was a weapon suitable for a legendary hero if there ever was one.


    ¡°How much?¡± he asked the weapon seller, an older outer sect disciple with a build that reminded He Yu of his father.


    ¡°Ten low-grade stones,¡± came the answer.


    After a brief haggling session, Li Heng managed to talk the dealer down to seven stones and a promise that he wouldn¡¯t sell the guandao to anyone else. He Yu rushed to the commission hall to exchange some of his contribution points. With the weapon cradled in his arms¡ªas much from necessity owing to its weight as from possessiveness¡ªthe pair headed back to the residential area.


    ¡°Can you teach me to use it?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°I know a couple of basic forms. You¡¯re better off purchasing lessons.¡±


    He¡¯d been afraid of that. Outer sect disciples could purchase tutoring from inner sect disciples in exchange for sect points. Points he was loathe to part with, especially after using so many on his new weapon.


    Li Heng gave him a sidelong glance. ¡°If you want to be able to use that thing, you¡¯ll need proper training. At the very least you¡¯ll want a technique you can use with it. It¡¯s just wasted spirit stones otherwise.¡±


    As much as he hated to admit it, Li Heng was right. At the very least, he needed to learn the basic forms of the weapon. If he couldn¡¯t rely on it in a fight, he may as well have just thrown his spirit stones off the mountain. ¡°I just wanted to spend those resources on my advancement,¡± he eventually muttered.


    ¡°What do you think weapon training is, if not advancement? Sitting and meditating is all fine and good, but do you think Zhang Lifen got to where she is by sitting in a cave and absorbing qi from spirit stones? Do you think that¡¯s all Sha Xiang is doing? No. Why do you think we spend half our day with Senior Brother Ren?¡±


    As much as He Yu wanted to shoot back because of his injured pride, he knew that¡ªas always¡ªLi Heng was right. Martial training was just as much a part of his cultivation as meditation was, and it was a part he¡¯d so far been neglecting outside Ren Huang¡¯s lessons.


    Sure, he¡¯d been sparring with Li Heng, but there was only so much he could gain from that. Li Heng couldn¡¯t use anywhere near his full strength. The gap was just too huge. The noble was right about one other thing, too. Sha Xiang certainly wasn¡¯t neglecting her martial training the same way he was. He¡¯d seen her sparring with the other disciples. She¡¯d gotten faster and stronger.


    He Yu sighed and resigned himself to spending even more of his contribution points. At least, he told himself, it was for a good cause.

 1.23 - Inviting Chen Fei

    With a weapon now in hand, He Yu set his sights on purchasing a combat art for the guandao along with tutoring from an inner sect disciple on how to use it properly. While he didn¡¯t have much context for how many sect points he¡¯d paid for the weapon, it had certainly felt like a lot. He was certain he¡¯d have to pay even more for the art and the lessons. To that end, he set about his daily sect jobs with renewed vigor.


    At the end of the week, his hard work paid off unexpectedly. Elder Wen hadn¡¯t announced what the prizes for that week¡¯s competition were, or even what the nature of the competition was. So it came as a total surprise when on the last day of lessons for the week, He Yu¡¯s name was called.


    ¡°Outer Disciple He has completed more than twice the number of sect assignments as the next disciple, and has amassed the greatest number of contribution points out of all the first-year disciples,¡± Elder Wen announced once He Yu had taken his place at the Elder¡¯s side.


    He Yu looked at Elder Wen in shock. How had he, of all people, managed to beat out everyone else in contribution points? It couldn¡¯t be because of his advancement. He was still the least advanced outer disciple in the entire sect so far as he could tell. Were the others just all that lazy? The nobles he could understand. At least to a degree. Li Heng made no secret the fact that he¡¯d brought resources with him, and could request more from home should he need them. He Yu had assumed the same would hold for Tan Xiaoling. But the rest?


    Elder Wen flicked the sleeve of his robe and a small pill box appeared in his hand. ¡°This pill will greatly aid your cultivation, and allow you to perform even greater services to the sect,¡± he said, the corners of his mouth tugging ever so slightly upward. ¡°Make sure you take it in an environment with abundant qi, to reap the greatest benefit from it.¡±


    He Yu took the pill and thanked Elder Wen. It would be perfect to take the following day at the waterfall. As Elder Wen finished the day¡¯s lecture, He Yu lost himself in all the ways the pill would benefit him. He¡¯d been beginning to feel rather stuck since he¡¯d not yet made any progress¡ªat least any that he could notice¡ªtowards the late First Realm. Of all his companions in the sect, he was the only one still at the Qi Gathering stage.


    With his head still swimming among all the dreams of advancement as he left the lecture, he saw Chen Fei sitting by herself on one of the tree-lined paths winding between the outer sect buildings.


    She seemed a bit muted, giving only a slight smile when she saw him.


    ¡°Chen Fei,¡± he said as he drew close. ¡°I wanted to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she replied. Normally he¡¯d have expected more of a reaction from her. At least a bit more curiosity.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± he asked. It wasn¡¯t¡ªeven he could see that.


    She heaved a sigh and then sat down on a nearby rock. ¡°It¡¯s Qiao Xia,¡± she said after a moment.


    It took He Yu a moment to recall who Qiao Xia was. She¡¯d been the girl that had accompanied Sha Xiang that first day, and had often been seen with her ever since.


    He Yu hesitated for perhaps a bit longer than he should have, since she looked up at him, clearly expecting something. She¡¯d left more than enough space for him to join her. He supposed he didn¡¯t need an invitation. At least not a spoken one. After taking a seat next to her on the rock, he asked, ¡°What did she do?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been telling everyone I¡¯m a barbarian. Said that once the dueling ban is over she¡¯ll drive me out of the sect and send me back where I belong.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re leaving the sect?¡± he asked, heart dropping. He couldn¡¯t have said why, but he desperately wished she would say no.


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    Chen Fei¡¯s face fell. ¡°So you think so too?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Then, as he realized what she must have taken from his reaction, he quickly said, ¡°No! The opposite. You should stay. I mean, if you want.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve got more of a right to be here than I do, after all.¡± It was true, but something in him didn¡¯t like saying it. It made him sound awkward. ¡°Anyway,¡± he said, desperate to change the subject, ¡°are you coming to the waterfall tomorrow?¡±


    Her face screwed up a bit at that. Some strange blend of a grin and a grimace. The grin soon won out, and she nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s all you wanted you should have just asked.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that what I just did?¡±


    She sighed and shook her head, but seemed to have mostly forgotten her earlier mood. ¡°Usual time?¡± she asked.


    He Yu nodded. ¡°Li Heng said he¡¯d be busy tomorrow, so he won¡¯t be coming.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Tan Xiaoling said the same thing.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯ll be just us then,¡± he said.


    ¡°Looks like it,¡± she said, a ghost of a smile on her lips.


    He Yu quickly excused himself, fearing he¡¯d only say or do something incredibly stupid if he stayed. By the time he made it back home, he still hadn¡¯t managed to figure out if that had been the right move. He also couldn¡¯t figure out why it was so damn hard to think straight whenever he was around Chen Fei.


    When He Yu sat down with a huff across from Li Heng, the noble arched an inquisitive eyebrow. When He Yu said nothing further, Li Heng stood and began to prepare tea.


    ¡°You typically don¡¯t need an invitation to speak,¡± he said when he¡¯d finished with the tea and returned to the table.


    ¡°I am not sulking,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were.¡±


    He sighed and accepted the cup Li Heng passed across the table. ¡°I asked Chen Fei to come with me to the waterfall today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d assumed the two of you would be headed there tomorrow. I take it she turned you down then? Surprising, given the way she acts around you.¡±


    ¡°No, she said she¡¯d come.¡±


    Li Heng set down his tea cup. ¡°So I fail to see the problem then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do around girls. I couldn¡¯t hardly make friends back home, let alone catch the eye of any girls.¡±


    ¡°Well, she clearly sees something in you already, so just keep acting however you have been,¡± he said with a shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s your advice? I thought you¡¯d have something better than that, seeing as you¡¯ve managed to nab a princess, of all people.¡±


    At that, Li Heng nearly spat out his tea. ¡°There is nothing between me and Princess Tan,¡± he said, brows drawing together.


    ¡°No?¡± He Yu asked. A part of him was tempted to tease Li Heng about it, but there was something to the way the noble had stiffened at the suggestion that made him hesitate.


    ¡°No. That would be inappropriate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure she thinks that way,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen how much time you two spend together when we go to the waterfall.¡±


    By now Li Heng¡¯s noble¡¯s mask was fully in place. ¡°Princess Tan is a peerless talent in our generation. I would be a fool not to accept cultivation pointers from her. Besides, she has said herself that the reason she came to the Shrouded Peaks Sect is to make friends outside the restrictions of her rank.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just friends,¡± He Yu said. His tone left no doubt as to what he thought of that.


    Li Heng, who¡¯d by now regained his composure, flicked his sleeve and took another sip of his tea. ¡°For someone who¡ªby your own admission¡ªis ignorant of the intricacies of courtship, you certainly have some opinions on the matter.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about courtship!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not interested in courting Sect Sister Chen?¡±


    His shoulders slumped. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted.


    Li Heng shook his head. ¡°Look, Yu, back home I had my pick. Between my status and my clear talent at cultivation, I could basically have any girl I wanted.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± He Yu muttered.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Li Heng said, holding up a hand to stop any further comment. ¡°It may seem absurd, but once you break through into the higher realms, the same will be true for you. Compared to mortals, cultivators are absurdly wealthy. You¡¯ll have no lack of choice in prospective matches. The same will hold true for Sect Sister Chen. People like Princess Tan and I don¡¯t have the luxury of choosing our matches based on any feelings we may have. Politics gets in the way. If you can find a match now, before such considerations become important, you should take the opportunity.


    ¡°If you think there might be something between you, then let it grow. From where I stand, she clearly sees something in you. I think we both know you feel the same way. Just keep doing whatever it is you¡¯ve been doing because that¡¯s what got her interested in the first place. Be yourself, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out fine.¡±


    He Yu stewed in that non-advice while Li Heng cleaned up. Be yourself sounds all fine and good, especially if you¡¯re the son of a powerful noble who can have your pick. At least Li Heng was right about one thing¡ªwhatever had gotten Chen Fei interested in him, it wasn¡¯t anything he¡¯d done on purpose. If only he could have said what exactly that had been.

 1.24 - Contested Resources

    The next morning He Yu met Chen Fei near the formation gate at the foot of the waterfall trail. She seemed particularly bright that morning, which eased a bit of He Yu¡¯s lingering awkwardness about the previous afternoon. As they walked, He Yu listened to her chatter as he tried to figure out just how exactly he was supposed to simply be himself.


    By the time they reached the waterfall, he still hadn¡¯t managed to come up with any answers. So it was just as well that they began their day as they typically did by cultivating the rich qi of the area. After taking the pill he¡¯d won the previous day, He Yu quickly lost himself to his cultivation, cycling his qi through his meridians in accordance with the sect cultivation technique. Over the weeks he¡¯d grown accustomed to the flood of insights he often gained while cultivating the technique, but for the first time, he actively hoped that he would gain something useful from it.


    He had no such luck. If it weren¡¯t for the calm that accompanied his time spent in cultivation, he¡¯d have grown frustrated at his lack of answers. It seemed as though he¡¯d have to navigate this wholly under the power of his inexperience. As he was lamenting that fact, the approach of voices intruded upon his cycling.


    He Yu opened his eyes but didn¡¯t rise from his seated position. His guandao lay nearby, as he didn¡¯t yet have a storage treasure and had to lug it around with him. A glance toward Chen Fei told him she had heard the newcomers¡¯ approach as well.


    She shot him a worried look when she noticed he¡¯d stopped his cultivation. ¡°Who do you think it is?¡±


    It was immediately clear why she was concerned. Tan Xiaoling had warned that other disciples might contest the cultivation spot, and there was the possibility that whoever was coming would do just that. He Yu didn¡¯t see why that ought to be the case, though. There was plenty of space and more than enough qi. At least he thought so. Absently he wondered if the natural qi of an area like this even could be depleted.


    Despite his own willingness to share, any hopes of avoiding a fight were dashed when he saw who¡¯d come to their spot. Sha Xiang emerged from the trees along with Qiao Xia, the girl who¡¯d accompanied her on that first day.


    ¡°Look who it is,¡± Sha Xiang sneered, locking eyes with He Yu.


    ¡°A barbarian and a weakling,¡± Qiao Xia said.


    Sha Xiang was perhaps the last person he¡¯d wanted to run into here, especially without Li Heng or Tan Xiaoling around. He desperately hoped that she wasn¡¯t going to start a fight, but didn¡¯t have much faith in that, were he honest with himself. He didn¡¯t know what Qiao Xia¡¯s advancement was, but if she were calling him a weakling he should probably assume she was already at the Foundation stage.


    If he hadn¡¯t been completely cursed by the heavens, Sha Xiang wouldn¡¯t have advanced in the three weeks since their first encounter. Even if she hadn¡¯t, that still put him and Chen Fei at a serious disadvantage. Of the two of them, only Chen Fei was Foundation, and He Yu didn¡¯t know at which stage. As a middle-stage First Realm, he would only get in her way should it come to violence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a barbarian,¡± Chen Fei said. He Yu shot a glance in her direction. She still hadn¡¯t risen from her position by the pond, and the dejected expression she¡¯d worn the previous day had returned. A spike of anger pierced him at that. Whatever the truth was, she didn¡¯t deserve to be bullied by anyone, especially whoever this Qiao Xia girl was.


    ¡°Oh, it looks like someone¡¯s angry,¡± Sha Xiang said, a smug grin spreading across her lips. He Yu cursed himself for his inability to keep his thoughts off his face. ¡°Gonna fight for your sweetheart¡¯s honor now?¡±


    Sha Xiang was goading him. Trying to provoke a response. He knew it. If things came to blows¡ªand it was increasingly clear that they would¡ªthe sect elders might turn a blind eye. If they didn¡¯t, it was likely they¡¯d punish whoever started it more severely. He Yu summoned all the willpower he could muster to push down his anger.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t all cultivate here,¡± he said as calmly as he could manage.


    ¡°Only because you can¡¯t manage to keep what¡¯s yours,¡± Qiao Xia responded. ¡°Sha Xiang and I can handle the both of you easily enough. Want me to show you?¡± A parasol appeared in her hand, summoned from her storage treasure. She snapped it open to reveal the formation characters that decorated the paper stretched across its bamboo ribs.


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    Chen Fei stood now, drawing herself up to her full height. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± she said. ¡°We could all benefit from the resources here, and not waste our energy fighting each other.¡± Her voice sounded surprisingly firm, something that gave He Yu some much-needed confidence.


    Hesitation flickered across Qiao Xia¡¯s features in the face of Chen Fei¡¯s sudden assertiveness. She was a short girl with delicate features, looking more like a spoiled rich child than an immortal fighter. Especially compared to Chen Fei, who stood a full head taller than both Qiao Xia and Sha Xiang. It was to his chagrin that He Yu realized he was about the same size as both of them¡ªwith Chen Fei the only one present who actually looked the part of a warrior in the fur-trimmed felt and leather outfit she wore on their free days.


    Sha Xiang slipped a formation stitched glove onto her hand. It was similar to the one she¡¯d used previously, but noticeably newer. It seemed she hadn¡¯t any trouble replacing the ones that Ren Huang had destroyed. The only bright spot in all of this madness was the fact that nobody had fallen into a combat stance yet. Which meant He Yu might still be able to talk his way out of this.


    ¡°I agree with Chen Fei,¡± He Yu said, trying to project confidence he only partly felt. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can all come to some sort of agreement about to best use the resources here.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell should we share with you when we can just take it?¡± Sha Xiang demanded. At least she still seemed inclined to talk for the time being. He Yu hoped that Chen Fei¡¯s presence¡ªplus the memories of being humbled by both Li Heng and Ren Huang the last times she¡¯d started something¡ªwould be enough to keep her talking.


    Qiao Xia at least had the decency to look a bit offended at Sha Xiang¡¯s vulgar speech, but she clearly wasn¡¯t about to back down either. ¡°And what¡¯s more,¡± she said, ¡°we¡¯d be giving up a valuable spot to a barbarian.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a barbarian,¡± Chen Fei said, a bit of the resolve she¡¯d shown earlier draining away.


    ¡°No? Look at yourself. You sure dress like one. And your accent isn¡¯t that different from one of them either,¡± Qiao Xia said, her contempt clear.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a barbarian,¡± Chen Fei repeated. She was clearly growing more distressed, but He Yu couldn¡¯t exactly figure out why. If she wasn¡¯t a barbarian, then what was the big deal?


    ¡°Leave her alone,¡± He Yu said.


    Qiao Xia swung her parasol in several lazy loops around her. Mist rushed in to swirl around the slight girl as she did so. Sha Xiang cracked her knuckles. Then, a familiar voice¡ªfeminine, yet husky with a slight creak to it¡ªcame from behind and above He Yu.


    ¡°You should reconsider your path, Sect Sister Qiao.¡± Tan Xiaoling stood at the top of the waterfall, gazing imperiously down at the four of them with her arms folded over her chest. Li Heng stood next to her.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re still resorting to thuggery, Sect Sister Sha,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how this is any of your business,¡± Sha Xiang said, glaring up at the two nobles.


    Tan Xiaoling leaped down from the waterfall and landed next to Chen Fei. A dao saber fell into her hand and she pointed it at Sha Xiang. ¡°I fail to see how it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Sha Xiang and Qiao Xia shot worried looks at one another.


    ¡°I found this spot on my own,¡± Tan Xiaoling continued. ¡°I shared it with my friends. Now it seems you mean to take it from us. Should I stand by and let that happen? Should I allow myself to look weak by allowing the likes of you two walk over me like this?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Princess Tan,¡± Qiao Xia said quickly, bowing over a salute.


    Sha Xiang shot her companion a dissatisfied look but said nothing.


    ¡°No? You seemed eager to fight a moment ago. Or was I mistaken?¡± By now a dangerous sharpness had crept into Tan Xiaoling¡¯s words. It was more than a simple shift in tone. There was a presence to it not unlike the weight of a cultivator¡¯s qi. It sent a shiver down He Yu¡¯s spine. ¡°I would be happy to oblige you both,¡± she added.


    It appeared as though Sha Xiang were wrestling with herself, but after a moment she backed down as well. ¡°We¡¯ll leave,¡± was all she said.


    ¡°No threats? No promises of vengeance? It seems you¡¯ve finally learned your place in the pecking order,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. She was goading Sha Xiang, and it looked almost like it was going to work.


    Better judgment won out, however, and Sha Xiang saluted Tan Xiaoling once more before turning and retreating into the forest with Qiao Xia. ¡°Trash,¡± Tan Xiaoling spat as they left. From the way Sha Xiang¡¯s shoulders tensed, she¡¯d clearly heard.


    Once the two other girls had left, Tan Xiaoling finally sent her dao back into her storage treasure. ¡°Good thing Li Heng and I finished up early,¡± she said.


    ¡°They won¡¯t forget this,¡± Li Heng said after joining the rest of them at the bottom of the waterfall.


    He Yu turned to the two of them and bowed. ¡°Thank you for coming to our aid. I don¡¯t think we would have been able to defeat them on our own.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling waved a hand. ¡°Think nothing of it. If I couldn¡¯t protect my friends, what am I worth?¡±


    The question was obviously rhetorical but it stuck in He Yu¡¯s chest, and he couldn¡¯t help but turn it over in his head for the rest of the day. If he couldn¡¯t even protect himself, what did that say about him, then?

 1.25 - The Heavenly Palace

    With his jade stamp in hand, He Yu went to the outer sect manual pavilion for the first time since he¡¯d arrived at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. As a First Realm outer disciple, he only had unfettered access to the ground floor. He would gain full access to the second and third once he advanced to Foundation and Body Refining, respectively. If he wanted to browse the floors beyond and the techniques they contained, he¡¯d need dispensation of some sort. The easiest way to obtain that was to earn it by completing jobs for the sect.


    Of course, this put him in a difficult position. At the middle stage of Qi Gathering, he had a rough time completing jobs other than simple chores. Without the extra resources, the only way he¡¯d been able to keep pace with the other First Realm disciples was by burning through his weekly stipend along with any other spirit stones he could afford with the sect points he earned. Spending the precious few sect points he¡¯d managed to squirrel away on his guandao had hurt, and it had taken him nearly two weeks to gather enough points to where he felt he could afford a basic art for the weapon. That he was the leader in total points collected mattered little to him, given how far behind he¡¯d started in his cultivation.


    He was looking over the admittedly limited selection of guandao arts when the sound of someone softly clearing their throat caught his attention. A man wearing black elder¡¯s robes trimmed in white stood before him. His face was just beginning to show signs of age in the form of smile lines around the corners of his eyes.


    He Yu immediately performed a deep bow, not daring to speak. The elder¡¯s presence was uncanny¡ªor rather, it was the lack of such. Every higher realm cultivator he¡¯d encountered so far had some form of spiritual weight that followed them and pressed down on the world, even with their spirit restrained. Zhang Lifen gave the impression of fathomless, crushing depth. Ren Huang was an all-consuming blaze. Elder Wen was a timeless, ancient forest bursting with life. But this¡ªthis elder was empty. There was nothing to mark his presence.


    ¡°So this is the young man who has caught my disciple¡¯s interest,¡± the elder said.


    He Yu didn¡¯t dare respond. The only possible reason he couldn¡¯t grasp the elder¡¯s spiritual presence must be that it was so vast and beyond him that it was simply impossible to comprehend.


    Besides, he hadn¡¯t been commanded to speak, and he had long since learned to keep his mouth shut in the presence of sect elders. Never mind that he was terrified. What reason would a sect elder of this power have for seeking him out personally?


    ¡°Have you no tongue? Can you not speak?¡± the elder asked.


    There was something familiar about the way the elder spoke that itched at the back of his mind. ¡°This one offers his humblest apologies, Honored Elder.¡±


    ¡°Stop that. I have no patience for your groveling. Nobody else is in this section, and I¡¯ve made certain we won¡¯t be disturbed. I am Elder Cai Weizhe. I¡¯ve graced you with my presence, or at least a projection of such, so ask your questions.¡±


    This was all too much. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked before he could help himself. ¡°This one offers his sincerest apologies,¡± he hastily added, giving another bow.


    Elder Cai gave an impatient sigh, sounding very unlike He Yu¡¯s image of an elder at that moment. ¡°If the heavens are kind, Zhang Lifen will break you of that habit before you amount to anything I must deal with regularly.¡±


    It took him a moment longer to piece everything together. The elder had initially seemed so familiar because he had the same disregard for formality that Zhang Lifen had displayed when the two of them were alone. That explained where she¡¯d gotten it from. While she had never given the name of her own master, she had mentioned he was of the Eighth Realm¡ªDivine Soul Apotheosis. That likely explained the projection and the lack of any spiritual weight to his presence.


    ¡°You¡¯re Zhang Lifen¡¯s master, then?¡± he asked, feeling at once a touch more at ease and considerably more nervous.


    ¡°I am,¡± Elder Cai said with a nod. ¡°While I generally trust her judgment, I can¡¯t say I agree with her choice in this case. I find you quite unimpressive. You have potential, that much anyone can see, but it yet remains untapped. As things stand now, you¡¯ll be swept away once the grace period for new disciples ends. I suppose that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, aren¡¯t you?¡±


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    ¡°I need an art to pair with my guandao. As a First Realm, I have hardly any techniques or arts besides the cultivation technique that I came here with. Senior Sister Zhang told me to cultivate the White Mountain technique instead, which I have.¡±


    Elder Cai nodded. ¡°At least you took her advice. I suggest you continue to do so, such that she is able to give. Now, the guandao¡­¡± Elder Cai let his voice trail off as he turned to the shelf next to He Yu. It was stacked with rolled-up bamboo scrolls, bound manuals, and jade slips. After a moment a manual flew from its place and into Elder Cai¡¯s waiting hand. He handed it to He Yu. ¡°The Five Crescent Winds. It is a suitable art for a First Realm to begin cultivating, but it will only reveal its true power when combined with other arts.¡±


    As he took the volume, He Yu bit back a bitter response. He needed something he could use now¡ªsomething that would give him an edge in the coming conflicts. This didn¡¯t seem as though it would help until he was much further along his Way. ¡°This one thanks the Honored Elder.¡±


    ¡°A strong house needs a strong foundation,¡± the elder said, clear displeasure creeping into his words. Unsurprising that an elder would sense He Yu¡¯s dissatisfaction so easily. ¡°While its true function is to support other arts, the Five Crescent Winds is more than capable of standing on its own. The sooner you begin your path to mastering it, the better it will serve you when you begin to draw out its potential.¡±


    ¡°Pardon my asking, Elder Cai, but why give me this?¡±


    ¡°Zhang Lifen has an unfortunate fondness for wagers. When she chose you for the sect, all that she stood to lose was some small measure of her reputation. Something a disciple of her talent can easily afford.¡± Elder Wen paused, then sighed before continuing. ¡°However, the workings of the wider world continue to move, heedless of our desires. I now find it necessary to place my thumb on the scales, as it were. Come, follow me.¡±


    Elder Cai turned and headed for the stairs that would take them to the higher floors, and He Yu silently fell in behind him. He had questions to be certain, but they were better left unvoiced as it seemed Elder Cai was intent on taking their conversation in a different direction.


    ¡°Make no mistake, I¡¯ve provided you with a suitable art for your guandao more for my own disciple¡¯s benefit than for yours. Barring some form of intervention, I have little doubt that you would not have made it much further in the outer sect. What I have prepared for your future advancement is something altogether different.¡±


    Now that made He Yu¡¯s imagination buzz with anticipation. ¡°This humble disciple thanks the Honored Elder,¡± he said.


    A second projection of the elder appeared next to him and rapped He Yu twice on the head with the back of his knuckles while giving him a disapproving glare. The first projection continued to walk and talk, hands folded behind his back. ¡°While your qi is still diffuse owing to your low cultivation, it is trivial to glean your natural affinities. Wind and water are the strongest, so either could form the basis of your Way. Both if you wanted. Add to that your choice of weapon and the weapon art you already have in hand, and I have what I think will be the ideal art for you.¡±


    As he spoke they passed the second floor and continued toward the third. The buzzing turned into a veritable roar. The third floor? That was reserved for Third Realm disciples. He wasn¡¯t even certain a first-year disciple would normally be granted access at all. Unless they performed some great task far beyond the sect¡¯s expectations. It seemed anything was possible if you had a sect elder with you.


    They wound through the maze of shelves piled with techniques and arts gathered by the sect and deemed suitable for the outer disciples. There were noticeably more jade slips here than on the lower floors. That made sense, as the slips were ideal for storing the intricate knowledge of arts suitable for cultivators of higher realms. Only one question hung over their walk through the pavilion. What sort of art would be stored on the third floor, yet still be suitable for someone still at the Qi Gathering stage?


    When they finally arrived at their destination, it was clear that this section was not visited often, except by whoever had the routine job of keeping dust away from the dark and forgotten nook. What few bound manuals were here looked positively ancient. Even the jade slips showed visible signs of age, with occasional nicks and chips at their edges, and obvious wear in the binding twine. Elder Cai plucked a jade slip from a particularly out-of-the-way shelf and handed it to He Yu.


    ¡°The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace,¡± he said. ¡°While a Foundation stage disciple can begin cultivating it, disciples below the Third Realm will be unable to advance it beyond its most rudimentary techniques. Thus it would be unsuitable for you under normal circumstances.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help his frown. That was the second time Elder Cai had referred to some unusual circumstances motivating this visit.


    As expected of an Eighth Realm cultivator, the elder had noticed his reaction and nodded. ¡°Do not mistake this for a simple gift or great fortune. If Zhang Lifen is correct in her estimation of your potential, and you prove capable of mastering this art, it will carry you to the heights of cultivation. Should you fail to master it,¡± Elder Cai shrugged. ¡°No great loss. You should begin to cultivate that art only once you achieve the Foundation Stage. Now, go.¡±


    Elder Cai¡¯s projection vanished, leaving He Yu standing alone in a forgotten corner on the third floor of the outer sect¡¯s manual pavilion. Holding a jade slip containing an art picked specifically for him by a sect elder. An art that could carry him to the heights of cultivation¡ªand bring him one step closer to forging his legend.

 1.26 - Learning the Land

    When He Yu returned home, he was so lost in thought he didn¡¯t notice Li Heng in the courtyard until he nearly crashed into him. It was well past the time they typically met for their evening spar so it shouldn¡¯t have caught him off guard that Li Heng had begun without him. He¡¯d just been far too inside his head to think about much else on his way back.


    The noble returned his sword to his storage treasure and then beckoned He Yu to follow him into the main room. While Li Heng prepared tea for them, He Yu remained lost in his thoughts. The meeting hadn¡¯t gone poorly. Quite the opposite, in fact. He¡¯d come out of it with two arts, picked by a sect elder specifically for him. What bothered him about it were the allusions to outside forces and the implication that He Yu was somehow meant to be¡­ well, he didn¡¯t know what. He was just a First Realm cultivator. Not even at the late stage yet. How was he supposed to matter in any way at all?


    ¡°That¡¯s a face if I¡¯ve ever seen one,¡± Li Heng said. The tea was done, and Li Heng was busy in the process of serving it, something he was much better at than He Yu.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said again. ¡°I just have a lot on my mind is all.¡±


    ¡°If you want to talk,¡± Li Heng began, leaving the door wide open. Over their months of living together, Li Heng had become rather adept at knowing when to press He Yu, and when to simply leave an invitation.


    ¡°What¡¯s been going on in the empire? Like with politics?¡± he asked.


    Li Heng blinked. ¡°Not what I¡¯d expected,¡± he said, ¡°but I suppose you¡¯d have to take notice sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± The comment had caught him off guard. He¡¯d been expecting a simple explanation about whatever it was nobles got up to when they weren¡¯t cultivating. An explanation that would most likely bore him, and provide no insights into what Elder Cai had said.


    ¡°Well, if you make it into the inner sect and form your Golden Core, you¡¯ll invariably be drawn into imperial politics. That assumes you don¡¯t choose to live out the entirety of your immortal lifespan in the sect, of course. Rogue cultivators are tolerated, but only to an extent. Even if you spent a thousand years cultivating in a cave or on a mountaintop somewhere, once you come back to the world at large, imperial politics would find you whether you liked it or not.¡± When He Yu didn¡¯t respond, Li Heng asked, ¡°so what prompted this, anyway?¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t decide how much he wanted to tell Li Heng. Nothing that Elder Cai had said seemed like it had been meant in confidence, though. He couldn¡¯t imagine that a sect elder would entrust an outer disciple with any real secrets anyway. After some consideration, he failed to find any reason to dissemble.


    ¡°I had a run-in with a sect elder at the manual pavilion,¡± he said. ¡°He gave me some arts to cultivate and made a couple of vague mentions about things in the sect and the empire moving. Just trying to figure out what exactly he meant by all that.¡±


    Li Heng gave a thoughtful hum and tapped his chin before answering. ¡°I suppose the sect elders would take a longer view of things. I hadn¡¯t given it much thought, but it does seem like the various fractures among the noble clans have been growing over the past couple of generations. Things have been stable for hundreds of years, so I guess it was bound to happen eventually. The empire long united, as they say.¡±


    While he¡¯d never heard that specific turn of phrase before, He Yu could at least get the thrust of Li Heng¡¯s comment. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here then?¡± he asked.


    After a nod to indicate the affirmative, Li Heng asked, ¡°What do you know of the situation at the border?¡±


    Not much, if he were honest. Li Heng told him that his father, General Li Bao held the Western Passage for the emperor. Since coming to the sect he¡¯d managed to pick up a few more tidbits about the empire¡¯s political landscape and had learned of the Western Passage¡¯s importance. It was a small, relatively flat region situated between the mountain ranges that served as the empire¡¯s western and northern borders. While either of the border mountains had numerous passes that allowed traversal during the warmer parts of the year, the Western Passage was an obvious point of weakness in the empire¡¯s natural defenses.


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    Once He Yu had relayed his knowledge of the region¡¯s geography, Li Heng nodded again. ¡°That makes the appointment a coveted one. To complicate things for my family in particular, the Li only rose to prominence in my grandfather¡¯s time. He earned his appointment as the General of the West when he reached Nascent Soul and was granted his appointment as Marquis upon reaching the Sixth Realm. When my father also attained Soul Refining, my grandfather stepped down as outer head of the family and secluded himself in cultivation. He has since advanced to the Seventh Realm. We are a young family with few advanced cultivators, so our position isn¡¯t the most stable. To answer your question, then, I am here in the south to hopefully gain allies.¡±


    ¡°Why not attend one of the sects closer to your home?¡± He Yu asked. It seemed the more sensible option to him.


    ¡°Because our enemies are all in the northwest.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you were so distrustful of Tan Xiaoling at first?¡± He knew roughly that the Jade Kingdom lay on the far side of the Western Passage, hugging the southern edge of the great desert beyond.


    ¡°In a sense. The Jade Kingdom has its own cultivation traditions, and Princess Tan surely has access to resources at least equal to those of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. I can¡¯t see any reason for her to leave home simply to train. I assumed she was here to collect allies since her own situation is even more precarious than mine.


    ¡°Despite having no brothers or sisters of her own, her father hasn¡¯t named her as his heir. She needs allies even more than I do, but the Jade Kingdom typically looks inward in such matters. Since getting to know her better, it doesn¡¯t seem as though she¡¯s particularly interested in forming political relationships. I could only guess as to what she¡¯s doing so far from home.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± He Yu muttered.


    Li Heng gave a noncommittal shrug. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much if I were you. You¡¯ve got a long way to go before imperial politics will try and rope you in. Besides, whatever this elder has in store for you, I wouldn¡¯t worry about it right now. There¡¯s little you could do about it anyway. Tell me about the arts.¡± He Yu first produced the manual containing the Five Crescent Winds. Li Heng looked it over and gave an approving nod. ¡°Good choice, but I¡¯d expect no less from an elder. You¡¯ll be able to take this art far, especially if you cultivate complementary techniques.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Elder Cai said.¡± He shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that Li Heng could tell so much about the art with just a glance. That was just the advantage of having not only higher cultivation, but the advanced tutoring the noble had no doubt received during his younger years.


    ¡°Elder Cai?¡± Li Heng asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s who gave you these arts?¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°I know of him. My family keeps extensive historical records. Grandfather says it¡¯s important we know the capabilities of notable cultivators within the empire.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± He Yu said, pulling out the jade slip containing the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. ¡°This is the second one he gave me.¡±


    After a few moments, Li Heng put down the slip. ¡°This is quite the art,¡± he said. ¡°I can hardly make sense of it past its foundational technique, which appears to just be a cultivation technique. A complicated one, however, with some other aspects I can¡¯t quite discern. It will be difficult to master.¡±


    A pit formed in He Yu¡¯s stomach at that response. ¡°Elder Cai said something to that effect. What did it say?¡±


    Li Heng shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s best if you find out for yourself. Once you reach the Second Realm, you¡¯ll be able to comprehend the slip¡¯s contents.¡±


    The jade slip lay between them, softly reflecting the lantern light. He Yu considered it for a moment. Li Heng seemed a bit unsettled by what he¡¯d seen in the art. It seemed a little unfair that he wouldn¡¯t share what he¡¯d learned. ¡°Elder Cai also said this art would take me to the heights of cultivation.¡±


    Li Heng gave a sharp laugh. "Did he? I suppose that¡¯s assuming you can manage it. I¡¯ll keep my family art if it¡¯s just the same. It¡¯s good enough for my father and grandfather, after all. By the time I climb as high as them, I¡¯ll have the necessary insights to improve it if I need to.¡±


    A small stab of envy stuck He Yu with that comment. The idea that he could simply improve an art passed on to him from a Seventh Realm ancestor seemed so far out of reach. But Li Heng had been so casual about it. It was just one more difference between them. ¡°I suppose I¡¯d better get to work,¡± He Yu sighed. ¡°Elder Cai said I can¡¯t begin cultivating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace until I reach Foundation. I¡¯m not even at late Qi Gathering yet.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Li Heng said, the corners of his mouth quirking into a grin.


    He Yu perked up. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you found a pill that will take me to the peak of the First Realm, and you want to give it to me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he answered with a laugh. ¡°I think I have a bit of a plan though. First, you need to learn how to properly use that guandao of yours. Get a tutor, and cultivate the Five Crescent Winds. We¡¯ll have to wait for the end of the truce anyway.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly the answer he¡¯d hoped for, but it was something. Given that he hadn¡¯t had to pay for the manuals Elder Cai had chosen for him, he was far less opposed to the idea of hiring a sect tutor now. At least now he was finally making real steps along his Way.

 1.27 - The Five Crescent Winds

    He Yu groaned and rolled over onto his side. His guandao lay a few feet away. Above him loomed his sect tutor, a burly inner disciple wearing a conical peasant¡¯s hat, named Fang Yingjie.


    ¡°The guandao is not a sword,¡± Fang Yingjie said. His voice was deep but surprisingly quiet. Despite that, it cut through the thundering blood in He Yu¡¯s ears. ¡°This truth is the foundation of the Five Crescent Winds. Use your weapon in its fullness. Focus solely on the blade at your peril.¡±


    As He Yu pushed himself to his feet and retrieved his guandao, he couldn¡¯t deny the words. The whole reason he¡¯d ended up on the ground was due to a strike to his gut from the iron cap at the bottom of Fang Yingjie¡¯s own weapon. A part of him wanted to ascribe the difference to his tutor¡¯s sheer size¡ªthe only person of a similar stature he¡¯d met so far was Ren Huang. At the same time though, his cultivation wouldn¡¯t allow him to do so. The self-understanding¡ªand the insights he¡¯d gained into others¡ªthat had fractionally grown each day from cultivating the White Mountain technique had shown him the truth of such things.


    While Fang Yingjie¡¯s size might suggest he would be slow, the inner sect disciple wielded his guandao in graceful sweeping movements. Movements that contained as much speed as they did power. The strike that had knocked the wind from He Yu for the tenth time that afternoon had been a follow-up from one such sweeping strike. The reversal had been sudden. He¡¯d expected another looping slice, not a swift jab with the opposite end of the weapon.


    No, Fang Yingjie¡¯s reputation was well-founded. He was considered a particularly notable talent with the weapon and credited his cultivation of the Five Crescent Winds as the reason. The sect points He Yu had spent on the lessons were equal to a month¡¯s worth of his weekly stipend in spirit stones, but he could already see the value in the exchange¡ªdespite spending most of the day lying in the dirt.


    ¡°Form the Crashing Wind,¡± Fang Yingjie instructed.


    He Yu stepped forward as he¡¯d been taught, bringing the blade of his guandao crashing down in an overhead arc. His tutor stepped into the attack, as He Yu had expected he would. Sparring with Fang Yingjie was very different than with Li Heng, or even with the other outer sect disciples for that matter. Fang Yingjie was an aggressive fighter. Where Li Heng would defend and deflect, allowing his Winter Moon Reflection to absorb the incoming attack and grow in strength, Fang Yingjie met him blow for blow¡ªevery defense an attack, and every attack a defense.


    As Fang Yingjie had explained during their sparring that afternoon, the Five Crescent Winds used the power, weight, and reach of the guandao to its fullest advantage. Using it like a staff, Fang Yingjie could block attacks and push his opponent away, throwing the attacker off-balance if performed with enough force. He Yu had ended up in the dirt enough times just from that alone. This time, however, Fang Yingjie did something different.


    After he shoved He Yu away, he raised the guandao in a one-handed grip. ¡°The Bracing Wind,¡± he said. Fang Yingjie slammed the butt of the guandao down to the ground, and a burst of wind qi boomed out around him. Dust flew into the air, and He Yu¡ªstill off balance from the previous technique¡ªended up in the dirt yet again.


    Shaking his head, He Yu pushed himself to his feet once more. He almost objected. It was unfair of his tutor to use his higher cultivation to push him around. He Yu wouldn¡¯t gain anything if Fang Yingjie simply bullied him. But then, his spiritual senses told him the truth of things. Fang Yingjie¡¯s cultivation was still suppressed. While he still had the skills, insights, and experience of an early Fourth Realm cultivator, he¡¯d limited the potency of his qi to that of a late First Realm.


    ¡°I can do that?¡± He Yu asked in disbelief.


    ¡°You cannot,¡± Fang Yingjie answered, jabbing a finger at He Yu¡¯s chest. ¡°Not yet. You don¡¯t yet have the appropriate insight, nor the control. Continue to cultivate the Five Crescent Winds should you wish to master its secrets.¡±


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    ¡°What¡¯s the point then?¡± He Yu sighed. ¡°I need techniques I can use now.¡± He was being petulant, he knew. But he was frustrated. The end of the grace period grew closer every day, and he still didn¡¯t feel like he was much of a fighter. Better than he had been before coming to the sect, certainly, but he was still only middle Qi Gathering. He might be able to stand up to some of the late First Realms¡ªthose with a particular deficiency of talent¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t enough.


    Fang Yingjie released his guandao, letting it vanish into his storage treasure. ¡°Come,¡± he said. Without another word he turned, his long stride carrying him towards a path at the far edge of the training area.


    Like most of the sect, the training field was a terrace cut from the living stone of the peak itself. Broad and flat, it was paved with flagstones and bounded by formations. Just outside the formation boundary lay the trees, the mountain, and the mists.


    The path Fang Yingjie led them down was of packed dirt and flanked by mountain red pine. Boundary stones were spaced at the proper intervals. Because of their proximity to the sect proper, these stones mostly served as practice for the outer sect disciples who studied formation scripts. Mist clung close to the ground as it did everywhere else on the mountain, muting sound and casting the world in diffuse gray. Before long they emerged onto a more natural clearing that overlooked one of the many valleys surrounding the outer sect mountains.


    Fang Yingjie indicated a spot near the edge of a sheer drop and then seated himself near the precipice. Once He Yu had taken his place next to the inner sect disciple, Fang Yingjie pointed out over the valley.


    ¡°Observe,¡± he said. ¡°The wind lifts the leaf and carries it where it will. The leaf does not object, nor does it resist. Yet, the leaf always arrives where it was meant to. But from whence does the wind come?¡±


    He Yu scowled. ¡°How is this supposed to help me master the art?¡±


    Fang Yingjie regarded him, his expression betraying no judgment. ¡°How can one master the wind if one does not become like the wind?¡± he asked.


    It was a silly question. How could he be like the wind if he¡¯d not yet mastered it? He said as much, but Fang Yingjie¡¯s reply was silence. For a moment longer He Yu recalled their sparring again.


    Without quite realizing what he was doing, he began to cultivate according to the White Mountain technique as he reviewed the day¡¯s lessons. The world faded away, and the insights that had previously eluded him drifted through his meditation.


    Fang Yingjie was aggressive, yes. But he was also fluid. He moved with his weapon. The guandao was heavy. That was in its nature. Just like it was the nature of a leaf to fall to the forest floor, or be carried by the wind. Wind could topple trees and wear down mountains, but it could also carry something as delicate as a leaf without harming it. There was, in that distinction a balance. A harmony.


    The many sparring sessions He Yu had spent with Li Heng returned to him. Li Heng practiced the Lunar Mirror Sword Art. Its principal technique was the Winter Moon Reflection. The night and moon were aligned with yin. Yin was the receptive force, and Li Heng¡¯s arts revolved around receiving his opponent¡¯s attacks. But he also returned them.


    ¡°I strike like the wind and descend with the heavens,¡± He Yu said, opening his eyes. The truth of that statement resonated with something deep within him. Something connected to the knowledge of the Five Crescent Winds and the techniques it contained.


    Fang Yingjie nodded. ¡°Use the nature of your weapon to its fullest. When you have acknowledged the guandao¡¯s nature, then you may truly call forth the winds.¡±


    The final moment of their training came to him again. Fang Yingjie held his guandao aloft in one hand, the metal cap struck the ground, and a burst of wind followed. One by one, the moments leading up to Fang Yingjie¡¯s use of the Bracing Wind technique played out in the eye of He Yu¡¯s mind. He saw how they flowed together¡ªlike wind rushing through a mountain valley.


    He Yu opened his eyes and bowed from his seated position. ¡°This one thanks Senior Brother Fang,¡± he said. It was the proper and expected response to lessons, but it was sincere. The insights he¡¯d gained from the day would take weeks to mediate on properly, he was certain, but they would aid him more than any single lesson he¡¯d yet had since joining the sect.


    ¡°Before you go,¡± Fang Yingjie said, withdrawing a brush set and paper from his storage treasure. With practiced strokes that suggested a skill in calligraphy that surpassed the mere ability to write, Fang Yingjie wrote the names of several training manuals.


    Handing the scroll to He Yu he said, ¡°Study these manuals. The martial forms they contain will be of use to you. Many are for the spear and the staff, but they apply to the guandao as well. They will supplement Sect Brother Ren¡¯s lessons well, I should think. I look forward to witnessing your progress for myself someday.¡±


    He Yu bowed again, this time pressing his fist into his palm. He took the dismissal for what it was and set his feet on the path that would take him back to the outer sect, and the manual pavilion.

 1.28 - Sparring Session

    Sweat poured off of He Yu despite the ever-present chill of the mountain. Chest heaving from the effort of his basic martial forms, he cast a glance over to the waterfall cave entrance where Chen Fei sat in meditation. She opened her eyes as the spirit stone she¡¯d been cradling in her lap lost the last of its luster.


    Tossing the now dull stone aside, she asked, ¡°How are the lessons going?¡±


    It had been several weeks since he¡¯d learned the Five Crescent Winds, and he¡¯d since had as many lessons from Fang Yingjie. ¡°Good,¡± he answered, still trying to catch his breath. Li Heng had been correct in admonishing him about only cultivating using spirit stones and the qi he could absorb at the waterfall.


    Between the exercises his tutor had shown him, and the increasing physical benefits from the sect¡¯s basic cultivation technique, He Yu had become stronger than he¡¯d ever imagined possible. Still, he tired far more quickly than many of the other disciples, and he wasn¡¯t anywhere near as strong as Li Heng or Tan Xiaoling. That didn¡¯t bother him as much as it once had though. He was stronger, and he was improving. Zhang Lifen had told him it wouldn¡¯t be until the Second Realm that he¡¯d finally be free of his weaker constitution, so the fact that he was already seeing results pleased him to no end.


    ¡°Care for some sparring?¡± he asked.


    Chen Fei frowned but didn¡¯t immediately disagree as he¡¯d been afraid she might. The two of them had never sparred together before, not even in Ren Huang¡¯s lessons. After his first match with Sha Xiang, He Yu usually only sparred with other disciples of the First Realm, who were becoming fewer by the week. It wasn¡¯t so much that he was afraid of losing out on sparring partners, however. It was the way seeing Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling practice with each other made him think of Chen Fei. Watching the two also gave pangs of what he¡¯d only worked out to be envy after several days¡¯ worth of examination.


    Over the weeks the two nobles¡¯ sparring had taken on a slightly different character that He Yu hadn¡¯t noticed at first. Holds lasted a bit longer than they needed to. When one¡ªusually Tan Xiaoling¡ªgained an advantage over the other, there was an almost tangible tension between the two that wasn¡¯t strictly martial. For whatever reason though, this odd sort of closeness between the two nobles only bolstered Li Heng¡¯s stiffness when they weren¡¯t sparring, which in turn only heightened Tan Xiaoling¡¯s annoyance at his formality towards her. Whatever was passing between them wasn¡¯t any of He Yu¡¯s concern, though.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chen Fei asked when she finally decided upon her answer.


    ¡°Why not? Since practicing with the guandao, I¡¯ve realized how much I¡¯ve been neglecting the physical portion of my cultivation.¡±


    ¡°What about Li Heng? You spar with him in the evenings, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same,¡± he said, blood creeping up his neck as his thoughts turned once again to the sorts of looks Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling had started giving each other during their exercises.


    ¡°He can¡¯t use his full strength against me,¡± he quickly added.


    She hummed wordlessly, then said, ¡°I guess that makes sense. I¡¯m still not sure though.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use my guandao, of course. Unless you have a weapon, that is. It wouldn¡¯t be fair.¡± He¡¯d known going into this that she didn¡¯t like confrontation. It wouldn¡¯t do to scare her off with such a large weapon as a guandao at first.


    ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t you need to learn it?¡± she asked. He¡¯d expected her to be embarrassed at the implication. Instead, she looked more confused than anything else.


    ¡°I just thought it wouldn¡¯t be fair, is all. Like I said, you can use a weapon too, I¡¯ve just never seen you with one.¡±


    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re right, though. I don¡¯t use one, but Tan Xiaoling says I should practice against weapon users. So it¡¯s up to you I guess.¡±


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    ¡°We can start with hand-to-hand,¡± he said, the flush creeping a bit further up his neck. It really wouldn¡¯t be fair to use a guandao against her if she was limited to her fists.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, almost incredulously.


    ¡°I am,¡± he said.


    Instead, she just shrugged as she stood, and gave him a nod. ¡°Okay.¡± She dropped into a well-practiced martial stance.


    He Yu carefully leaned his guandao against a tree and adopted a stance of his own, his blood pounding in a way that wasn¡¯t simply the anticipation of a fight. ¡°Ready when you are,¡± he said.


    Whatever he¡¯d been expecting from this sparring session, the explosive attack Chen Fei launched at him wasn¡¯t it. He saw it coming, of course. His senses and instincts had been considerably improved since his beating during the tournament at Shulin. He was just powerless to do anything about it. It was like his body hadn¡¯t yet learned to keep up with his perception. Or maybe it was just that Chen Fei was somehow that fast. None of that mattered in the end.


    When her punch connected, it knocked him off his feet and sent him flying away from her. He slammed into the ground, tumbled over once, and finally came to a stop with his face in the dirt. That single hit had been worse than the entire match against Sha Xiang and every subsequent beating he¡¯d gotten in training combined. She hadn¡¯t even cycled qi. At least not as far as he could tell.


    She was at his side almost immediately, hands hovering over him like she couldn¡¯t decide if she wanted to help or if even touching him would cause further injury. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are you okay? Are you hurt? I have medicine.¡± She fumbled in a pouch at her waist for said medicine. In some still-functioning part of his mind, He Yu was glad that he wasn¡¯t the only disciple on the mountain still without a storage treasure.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he groaned, pushing himself over onto his back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said again, sounding even more distressed than she had a moment ago. She held out the medicinal pill for him, the rich woody scent filling the air.


    As much as he wanted to take the pill she¡¯d offered, he had his own. He waved her off and dug around in his own belongings for a moment before he found the pill he was looking for. It wasn¡¯t as high quality as hers, but he was already recovering from the shock of her strike. ¡°Where did that come from?¡± he asked after using his medicine and propping himself up on one elbow.


    Chen Fei hung her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. Tan Xiaoling hardly reacts when I hit her, even if she isn¡¯t using her body enforcement.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t see what the problem is though. I thought we both agreed to spar.¡±


    ¡°I know, I just¡­¡± she let her voice trail off and she looked away. She was quiet for a long time, before she finally answered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± He Yu knew it was a mistake before the words even left his mouth.


    She whipped her head around to glare at him. ¡°Why do you think? I can¡¯t go my whole life being the only coward in my village. I can¡¯t be the only one who can¡¯t bring myself to harm someone who is literally trying to kill me.¡± Her eyes glistened with the beginnings of unshed tears despite the obvious anger and frustration in her words.


    After another moment she turned away once more. ¡°Sparring with Tan Xiaoling is different. I don¡¯t think I could hurt her no matter how hard I tried. With Sect Brother Ren, things are slower and more controlled. And he always pairs me up with people who are stronger anyway.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± He Yu said. It sounded hollow to his ears, and he doubted Chen Fei believed him.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    He Yu fell back onto the dirt next to the waterfall pond. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡± That, at least, seemed like the safe and correct thing to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of getting hurt. I¡¯m afraid of hurting people. Why am I even here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He Yu said. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you are.¡±


    The silence stretched on for much longer than He Yu felt comfortable with. When he looked to see what Chen Fei was doing, she was just sitting there with her shoulders slumped and looking at him with a conflicted expression. ¡°Why?¡±


    Giving her the best approximation of a shrug that he could manage, he said, ¡°Because I like you?¡±


    Her mood instantly shifted. She looked like a startled rabbit, with her eyes wide and a flush rapidly creeping into her cheeks. ¡°You do?¡± Her voice had somehow managed to become even smaller.


    ¡°I mean you¡¯re the first real friend I met here, and you helped me up the mountain that first day.¡±


    Her face immediately fell. ¡°Oh,¡± was all she said.


    ¡°Which is why I wanted to spar,¡± he added, hoping that his reasoning would in some way make sense to her.


    It didn¡¯t. ¡°Well, you got what you wanted,¡± she said.


    ¡°I just thought if we sparred it would be a way to get to know each other better.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that would¡ª¡± Chen Fei cut herself off before turning away. ¡°I guess we could try again sometime. If you wanted.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not worried you¡¯d hurt me again?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to,¡± she said.


    ¡°I mean it¡¯s probably fine. I need to get stronger anyway, and maybe it¡¯ll help you get used to actual fighting.¡±


    She turned back around to glare at him. ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°Ready to go again?¡± Her words were clipped and she was obviously angry, but He Yu couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    He pushed himself to his feet and again fell into a ready stance. When she came at him this time, she didn¡¯t hold back.

 1.29 - Enemy Revealed

    Whatever had gotten into Chen Fei at their waterfall sparring session faded faster than He Yu¡¯s bruises did. She¡¯d ignored him for most of the next two days, causing Tan Xiaoling to occasionally shoot a questioning look his way. However, she soon returned to her normal, cheerful self. He Yu figured that if she wasn¡¯t going to make anything out of it, he wouldn¡¯t either.


    The rest of the week passed quickly, and the four of them hiked up to the waterfall again on their free day. Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng settled into their sparring, sparking that now-familiar envy in the pit of He Yu¡¯s stomach. Chen Fei settled into meditation before He Yu had a chance to ask if she wanted to try sparring with him again, so he resigned himself to yet another afternoon of cultivating mostly alone. Just as they were getting ready to leave, unfamiliar qi intruded the area.


    Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng both snapped to alertness. He Yu was a bit slower to respond, but he adopted one of the stances he¡¯d been practicing with Fang Yingjie. Chen Fei froze, eyes wide.


    From the edge of the clearing stepped a cultivator wearing a black and gray uniform with patterns of clouds embroidered around the sleeves. His qi was far stronger than any of the first-year disciples, and it reminded He Yu of a mass of shadows.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s qi flared to answer the newcomer¡¯s, giving the impression of dryness and heat. Neither of their unleashed spirits were as overbearing as Zhang Lifen¡¯s or Ren Huang¡¯s, but they were strong enough to suppress the natural qi of their surroundings. Much to He Yu¡¯s dismay, however, Tan Xiaoling¡¯s qi was noticeably weaker than the newcomer¡¯s. He Yu wasn¡¯t anywhere near the point where his qi sense could determine someone¡¯s advancement, but based on the difference in potency alone, he could only assume the cultivator in black was fully in the Third Realm.


    ¡°So these are the misfits Junior Sister Sha allows to cloud her spirit with anger,¡± the cultivator in black said, mostly to himself. ¡°I¡¯d expected so much more.¡±


    ¡°Sha Xiang sent you?¡± He Yu asked before he could stop himself.


    ¡°I sent myself, intending to take your measure,¡± the newcomer said. ¡°Already I am disappointed.¡±


    At the implied threat, Li Heng allowed his spirit to settle over the pond as well. Weaker still than Tan Xiaoling, his qi was sharp and cold. The cultivator in black gave a condescending smile.


    ¡°We have no quarrel with you, Sect Brother,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. Despite her words, the razor-edged sense of danger He Yu had felt from her when they¡¯d first met returned. Even directed at someone other than himself, that sharpness sent a shiver down his spine. Then, she added, ¡°We will not, however, willingly submit ourselves to predation or banditry.¡±


    ¡°As expected,¡± the cultivator in black said, sounding wholly unconcerned. ¡°I am called Xiao Jun.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t backed down. He Yu looked first to Li Heng, then to Tan Xiaoling. Neither of them looked ready to back down either.


    Xiao Jun nodded. ¡°As expected from the princess of the Jade Mountains and the son of the esteemed General Li. Very well then, let us exchange pointers.¡±


    Xiao Jun¡¯s initial attack took the form of several large spikes of shadowy qi that shot out from the billowing darkness around him. Tan Xiaoling swept her hand before her, and a whirlwind of sand knocked the attack away.


    Li Heng produced his jian from his storage treasure and held the flat of the blade before him. The shadow spikes curved unnaturally in their flight and struck the blade. Each spike caused the blade to glow ever brighter with the Winter Moon Reflection.


    An ornate dao saber appeared in Tan Xiaoling¡¯s hand. The pommel was worked into the likeness of a roaring tiger, and the blade gleamed in the fading light. ¡°Bandit,¡± Tan Xiaoling spat, turning the word into a curse. Wind kicked up around her, and sand eddied around her feet.


    ¡°We¡¯re all part of the same sect, we shouldn¡¯t fight,¡± shouted Chen Fei. Despite her words, she¡¯d taken a ready stance after the first exchange of attacks. Fear was etched plainly on her features, and He Yu thought she looked to be on the verge of running. Her qi was the weakest aside from his, and the only impression he could gain from it was that of a certain solidity. She wasn¡¯t yet advanced enough to take on a more defined aspect, let alone assist in this fight.


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    Which brought He Yu around to the core of their problem. They were technically four-on-one against a Third Realm cultivator, but only two of them could meaningfully contribute. He Yu wasn¡¯t under the slightest impression that he would do anything other than get in the way if he tried to help. He was middle Qi Gathering¡ªthe weakest one present by a long stretch. Chen Fei might be able to weather an attack or two, but between her obvious trouble with the mere idea of conflict and her lack of advancement, she wouldn¡¯t be able to harm Xiao Jun.


    That left Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng. At least they seemed to be intent on fighting their attacker, but He Yu had no idea whether they could do anything to him either. A realm advantage was supposed to be nigh impossible to overcome in a one-on-one fight. While Tan Xiaoling may be half a step into the Third Realm¡ªat least according to Li Heng¡ªHe Yu couldn¡¯t say what stage Xiao Jun was at. Early Body Refining? Middle? Surely if he was late, they were all dead. Even if he wasn¡¯t, He Yu didn¡¯t think Li Heng was enough to tip the scales by himself.


    Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng each circled the more advanced cultivator in opposite directions. Xiao Jun made no move to prevent them from flanking him. Instead, he turned his attention fully to Li Heng. A meteor hammer¡ªa round iron weight attached to a length of chain¡ªflew towards Li Heng. Just as he had in the face of Xiao Jun¡¯s previous attacks, Li Heng held forward the flat of his blade. The meteor hammer struck Li Heng¡¯s jian, a single metallic note sang out, and the silver light of the Winter Moon Reflection vanished. In the moment of Xiao Jun¡¯s attack, Tan Xiaoling moved in. Her dao flashed as she struck, eddies of wind aspected qi following its arc. Without turning to face her, Xiao Jun whipped his meteor hammer around, knocking her blade away.


    He Yu adjusted his grip on his guandao, looking back and forth between the fighters. He felt useless. There was no way that his cultivation was up to the task of contributing to the fight in any meaningful way. If anything, he¡¯d only make things more difficult for Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng if he got involved. They were already on the back foot as it was.


    Next to him, Chen Fei was still rooted to the spot. At least she was at the Foundation stage already, but her cultivation wasn¡¯t anywhere as strong as either of the nobles.


    ¡°We should do something. Help them somehow,¡± He Yu said, keeping one eye on the back-and-forth between the combatants.


    ¡°What can we do?¡± she asked.


    He didn¡¯t have a good answer for that.


    Li Heng took another attack on the flat of his jian. Whatever disruption Xiao Jun¡¯s meteor hammer caused, it seemed to only work if Li Heng was already holding a technique. The blade flared, and before Xiao Jun had time to cancel it with another attack, Li Heng launched a silver beam of light at Xiao Jun. The shadow cultivator dodged easily, sending out another volley of spikes. Li Heng activated his movement technique and flashed away, but the spikes had done their job and prevented him from following up on his momentum.


    Into that space, Tan Xiaoling moved. She¡¯d produced a second dao saber, and she attacked with fluid patterns that flowed from offense to defense and back. As she fought, the whirlwind of sand that she¡¯d used to deal with Xiao Jun¡¯s first attack had grown, and now cloaked her in a swirling cloud of wind and grit. He Yu didn¡¯t know what the technique was supposed to do, or even how much it would affect a higher realm cultivator, but Xiao Jun didn¡¯t seem keen on finding out either.


    Xiao Jun maintained a distance from Tan Xiaoling that kept him just outside the edge of her cloak of wind and sand. His meteor hammer gave him an advantage in reach over both Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng, and he used that advantage to good effect. His meteor hammer struck out at Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling in turn, keeping either of them from getting too close to him, and he occasionally tossed out those spikes of shadow from his billowing shadow aura. Li Heng had quickly abandoned trying to use the Winter Moon Reflection, as Xiao Jun had taken to disrupting the technique before Li Heng had a chance to retaliate. With the loss of his principal technique, Li Heng grew visibly frustrated at his waning contribution as the fight dragged on.


    Tan Xiaoling fared somewhat better, but she didn¡¯t seem particularly effective either. At one point Xiao Jun landed a strike on her with his meteor hammer, causing her whirlwind to wink out. After that, she was careful to either dodge his strikes or block them with her paired dao. Despite her mounting aggression, she never managed to land a hit on the Third Realm cultivator, despite managing to close the gap several times.


    All the while He Yu looked on. He searched for an opening¡ªany opening¡ªthat he might be able to use. He¡¯d heard several stories of strong villains being distracted at critical moments, allowing the heroes to land a finishing blow. He didn¡¯t think¡ªat least he hoped¡ªthat Xiao Jun was trying to kill them. If he could sneak in, he may get hurt but he hoped it wouldn¡¯t be too badly. If only he could find the opportunity, he could do something that mattered for once.

 1.30 - Xiao Jun

    As the fight progressed, it became increasingly obvious that Xiao Jun had the upper hand. He was unconcerned with either Tan Xiaoling¡¯s or Li Heng¡¯s attacks, and both of them appeared to be flagging. They would exhaust themselves long before Xiao Jun did. Once that happened, it wouldn¡¯t matter that he wasn¡¯t trying. They¡¯d be at his mercy.


    ¡°We have to do something,¡± He Yu said, looking to Chen Fei and desperately hoping she¡¯d found some well of resolve he hadn¡¯t known about.


    The look she returned told him all he needed to know. It was a look of fear, of shame, of helplessness. ¡°He¡¯s too strong,¡± she said, her voice small.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± He Yu said, doing his best to sound confident and assured. In the moment he couldn¡¯t have said whether it was to protect against his fear or to try and banish hers. ¡°They can¡¯t do this on their own.¡±


    ¡°But what can we do? Neither of us is strong enough, and you know it.¡±


    Her words stung¡ªbut they were true. They stung because they were true. And because he knew it. But he had to try, didn¡¯t he? Could he call himself an immortal if he didn¡¯t face foes that pushed him to his limits and beyond? The stories were all filled with cultivators who stared down powerful foes and triumphed against impossible-seeming odds. If he wanted to be like the heroes, he needed to act like one. And what was more heroic than standing against insurmountable odds? How could he claim a legend of his own if he didn¡¯t stand against villains that towered over him?


    Once again He Yu adjusted his grip on his guandao, heart pounding in his ears. He forced himself into the breathing pattern of the White Mountain cultivation technique. If anything it would help calm him. Before his resolve could waver, he set his gaze on Xiao Jun and activated one of the techniques he¡¯d been practicing with Fang Yingjie¡ªthe Rushing Wind.


    In an almost contemptuous gesture, Xiao Jun flicked his wrist toward He Yu. The meteor hammer twisted in the arc of its swing and hurtled at him with blinding speed. He Yu¡¯s breath hitched, and his limbs locked up. There was no way he could contend with that weapon¡ªLi Heng barely could, and he was a full realm ahead of He Yu.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± When exactly Chen Fei had leaped in front of him, he couldn¡¯t have said. But her shout brought him back into the present. Her hands were held before her, ringed by a circle of formation characters that glowed in the fading light.


    Xiao Jun¡¯s meteor hammer crashed into her formation. For a brief instant, a semi-transparent barrier flared in the center of Chen Fei¡¯s formation before it shattered. Xiao Jun¡¯s meteor hammer hit Chen Fei square in the chest with a sickening crack. She stumbled several steps back before falling, landing face up. Her mouth gaped as she let out a strained groan and struggled to breathe.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s face went cold. The arrogant quirk of her lips she often wore had been replaced with hard determination when the fight had started, but now hatred burned in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± she said, voice even and hard. There was a complete absence of compassion or remorse. The sense of danger He Yu had felt from her previously returned, spiking into his nascent spiritual perception like a frozen blade. He¡¯d known that Tan Xiaoling was by far the strongest disciple among the first-years, but he¡¯d never once had reason to be afraid of her. Now he did.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Xiao Jun said, lazy and unconcerned. ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough for now. You¡¯re all worth far less than Sha Xiang credits you with. Bringing her up to speed shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± He waved a hand in Chen Fei¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to clean up this mess.¡± Shadows surged around him and then rushed back into the forest. In an instant, Tan Xiaoling was at Chen Fei¡¯s side.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Chen Fei managed to say between gasps.


    ¡°I have medicine,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, still clearly worried.


    Chen Fei waved the princess away and pushed herself up onto one elbow. Her breathing had returned to normal, and she looked otherwise unhurt. ¡°My barrier took most of the attack. The first technique of the White Mountain Body Art did the rest.¡± That, at last, seemed to satisfy Tan Xiaoling. ¡°Thanks for making me cultivate it so early,¡± Chen Fei added, if a bit sheepishly.


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    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have done any good if he¡¯d not been holding back,¡± Li Heng said, frowning.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tan Xiaoling replied, a note of her earlier cold anger returning. Then, she turned to He Yu. ¡°What¡¯s this about Sect Sister Sha, now?¡±


    That some sort of enmity existed between the two of them should be obvious to anyone who¡¯d paid a moment¡¯s attention to either of them. Sha Xiang often went out of her way to make cutting remarks toward He Yu, or otherwise harass him.


    Tan Xiaoling hadn¡¯t bothered to ask about the encounter at the waterfall some weeks before. Now that a higher realm cultivator had come, claiming Sha Xiang as the reason, the princess seemed far more interested in the animosity between them. He briefly filled Tan Xiaoling in on the details. The princess listened quietly until he was done.


    ¡°It seems as though Sha Xiang has managed to find herself a benefactor, then. Not as auspicious a one as you, Sect Brother He, but one I am currently unable to contend with,¡± Tan Xiaoling said.


    It struck his pride that Tan Xiaoling had simply assumed that she would have to be the one to deal with Xiao Jun. He didn¡¯t give that thought voice, though. Instead, he said, ¡°Li Heng mentioned that he was holding back.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling nodded. ¡°He was. I¡¯d place him in the late Third Realm. I couldn¡¯t say if he¡¯s reached the peak yet or not, but that makes little difference to us.¡±


    ¡°At least he¡¯s still an outer disciple,¡± Li Heng said. The princess nodded her agreement.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°It would be difficult for him to gain permission to access the outer sect otherwise,¡± Tan Xiaoling answered. ¡°If he were a member of the inner sect, it would be grounds for expulsion for him to attack us. And then, only if the sect elders were feeling merciful. To attack a junior is a grave offense.¡± The princess shook her head, and then added, ¡°It matters little. If Sha Xiang has found a powerful benefactor, then I suppose that¡¯s her good fortune. We¡¯ll simply have to ensure that we keep up with her, even with whatever aid Xiao Jun provides.¡±


    ¡°What is all this ¡®we¡¯ business?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°I kind of get Li Heng, seeing as he lives with me. But why you? What benefit do you gain by helping me?¡±


    During his evening talks with Li Heng about cultivators and the nobility, he¡¯d learned two important things. First, cultivators were notoriously greedy and would take any advantage they could get in their pursuit of greater power. Second, alliances were matters of expedience and lasted only so long as neither party could gain greater benefit through betrayal.


    ¡°Because Fei asked me to.¡± There was a finality to Tan Xiaoling¡¯s tone that indicated this was all that needed to be said on the topic¡ªand that this was all she would say.


    Chen Fei quickly looked away as scarlet rose up her neck. He Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit embarrassed himself. Especially after the exchange after their first sparring session. Whether it was from the fact that Chen Fei felt the need to look out for him, despite her own difficulties with conflict, or that a part of him wanted her to, he wouldn¡¯t say.


    Wouldn¡¯t examine it, more accurately. Those sorts of feelings were best left forgotten, had his experiences with girls in Shulin been any indication. Besides, he had to cultivate. Especially now, in the face of what they¡¯d learned that evening.


    Li Heng, clearly sensing the growing atmosphere of discomfort, clapped He Yu on the shoulder in a now-familiar gesture. ¡°Count your fortune, He Yu. Princess Tan is a powerful ally. I am grateful to have her on our side, for one.¡±


    ¡°As you should be,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, the half smile she often wore returning to her lips. ¡°My interest in the two of you isn¡¯t purely for the benefit of Sister Chen, after all.¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s countenance grew into what He Yu had come to think of as his noble¡¯s mask. ¡°I am at your service, Princess Tan,¡± he said.


    The princess arched an eyebrow, but her expression was more of curious amusement than anything else. ¡°One day, I will inquire as to just what exactly it is you mean by that, Sect Brother Li. But for now, the day grows short. We should head back.¡±


    The trip back down the mountain wasn¡¯t what He Yu would count among his favorite journeys, all things considered. He already felt guilty at having to rely on Li Heng¡¯s protection since his first days at the sect. Now it seemed he¡¯d gained yet another shield in the form of Tan Xiaoling. As Li Heng had said, she was a formidable ally, but He Yu resented the fact that he needed one. Then there was the matter of Chen Fei, of course.


    The whole way back, she wouldn¡¯t meet his gaze. He¡¯d occasionally glance her way, and catch her looking at him out of the corner of her eye, but she would quickly turn away when he did, and a flush would color her cheeks. That was fine, he supposed. He was still ashamed of the fact she¡¯d felt need to save him. That she¡¯d risked injury to save him.


    Sure, she¡¯d been fine, but that was beside the point. The fact that she¡¯d been at risk made his heart clench. He¡¯d rather not think about what that meant. The girls back home had all made it very clear what they thought of him, and there was no reason Chen Fei should be any different. Especially given how much stronger than him she was.

 1.31 - Yan Shirong

    The following weeks saw He Yu following much of the same routine as he had when he first arrived at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. His evening tea with Li Heng turned into increasingly intense sparring sessions following the attack at their waterfall cultivation spot. Li Heng had insisted that if Sha Xiang had found herself a Third Realm benefactor, her advancement would only increase as a result. He Yu couldn¡¯t help but agree.


    Between his basic drills with Ren Huang each morning and his evening sparring with Li Heng, He Yu had come to think that he was turning into a passable combatant. The time spent at the waterfall each week was well spent, too. Li Heng and Chen Fei usually came along, but Tan Xiaoling had begun taking on increasingly dangerous assignments from the sect and was often absent. Chen Fei said the princess was gathering resources for her advancement to the Third Realm, and intended to break through soon after the grace period was up.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit jealous at that prospect. True, he¡¯d long since advanced to the middle First Realm, and thanks to their time at the waterfall he was closing in on the late stage. But the breakthrough to Foundation seemed even more distant now than it had when he¡¯d first arrived on the mountain.


    At least now that he was at the middle Qi Gathering stage, He Yu could complete jobs for the assignment hall quickly enough that he frequently took two each day. His stockpile of contribution points had grown to where he felt comfortable purchasing extra spirit stones every other week or so. Along with his weekly stipend as an outer disciple, they provided a welcome¡ªand much-needed¡ªboost to his cultivation. By his accounting, things were going relatively well. Except for one problem¡ªSha Xiang.


    It wasn¡¯t her increasingly hostile attitude towards He Yu and his friends that bothered him. Nor was it the fact that she¡¯d solidified herself at the head of the coterie she¡¯d gathered around herself. No, it was the fact that she had earned a prize from Elder Wen nearly every single week since they¡¯d arrived.


    By contrast, He Yu had only won two prizes himself. One in the first week when he¡¯d received the Five Phases Refinement Pill, and the second when he¡¯d learned that he was leading in contribution points. He didn¡¯t need to be told what that difference would mean for their respective advancement. He Yu was lamenting this fact to Li Heng one evening while walking home when they found someone waiting for them seated under a tree in front of their house. The figure stood as they approached, and He Yu recognized Yan Shirong from when they¡¯d each won a Five Phases pill that first week.


    Yan Shirong wore a sect uniform made of plum-colored silk that faded to black near the sleeves. Patterns depicting cranes were embroidered with silver thread at the hems of his robes. His hair fell over his shoulders and back unbound. As they drew close, Yan Shirong said, ¡°Sect Brothers. It is good to finally meet you.¡±


    He carried no visible weapons, but neither did Li Heng or Tan Xiaoling. There was no reason to believe that Yan Shirong didn¡¯t possess a storage ring like the other nobles did. He Yu had come to learn such treasures were fairly common. ¡°Yan Shirong, was it?¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said the other disciple. ¡°I¡¯ll not waste either of your time. As you know, the end of the dueling ban for outer disciples rapidly approaches. I have chosen to reveal myself and offer my services to those who I feel will most likely make use of them.¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And what services might those be, Sect Brother Yan?¡±


    ¡°My arts are far less suited to direct confrontation than yours are, Sect Brother Li. However, I have eyes and ears in many places that you do not. My services, thus, are related to the most valuable of currencies¡ªinformation.¡±


    ¡°So then you¡¯re a skulking spy,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°As you meant no offense with your observation, I will take none. I am most certainly a spy, but I do not skulk.¡±


    ¡°Why would we need your services?¡± He Yu asked. More importantly, why did Yan Shirong think that they were any more likely to need them than any other disciples?


    ¡°Because your adversaries have many advantages you aren¡¯t yet aware of, and you can be sure they will press their grudge at the first opportunity.¡±


    ¡°You speak in vagueries and offer nothing that holds any value I can see,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°There isn¡¯t a disciple on the mountain by now who hasn¡¯t made enemies. You could have said as much to anyone and been at least partially true.¡±


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    He Yu nodded his agreement. ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific. Especially if we¡¯re to pay you, which I assume is what you¡¯re really after.¡±


    ¡°Quite. The information I offer comes at a cost. Spirit stones, to be precise, but we can speak of exchange later. I will offer you the following for free, just to prove my good faith. First, your rival Sha Xiang has fallen under the sway of an outer sect disciple known as Xiao Jun. He has been in the outer sect for three years now and has recently entered the middle Body Refining stage.


    ¡°As such, he is easily able to funnel resources to Sha Xiang, which she has been using to bolster her cultivation. This is how she has both been able to win Elder Wen¡¯s weekly competitions and gather followers of her own.


    ¡°Second, the attack that the two of you suffered at Xiao Jun¡¯s hands, along with Princess Tan and Sect Sister Chen, was meant to assess your strength so that he could gauge how best to aid Sha Xiang in pursuing her grudge against you and your allies, Sect Brother He.¡±


    Li Heng pursed his lips as Yan Shirong spoke. He Yu just nodded along. Certain things the other disciple said weren¡¯t exactly secret and would have been easy enough to find out for anyone who had the time or inclination to do so. The attack they¡¯d suffered at their cultivation spot wasn¡¯t among them.


    Tan Xiaoling had warned them all to keep the very existence of the spot a secret so that they didn¡¯t have to compete for it unnecessarily. By extension, knowledge of Xiao Jun¡¯s attack was to remain between the four of them as well.


    While He Yu knew he tended to blurt things out without thinking, he hadn¡¯t done so. At least not with any of the information Yan Shirong had just revealed that he knew.


    As though he sensed their hesitation, Yan Shirong added, ¡°Like calls to like. Xiao Jun''s shadow-aligned qi is easy for me to track and his perception techniques are lacking. His interest in you, Sect Brother He, seems to be rooted in the identity of your benefactor, Zhang Lifen.¡±


    While he didn¡¯t exactly go around bragging about it, anyone who¡¯d seen him with Zhang Lifen that first evening when he arrived would have known there was some relationship between them. Then there was Sha Xiang. She knew about Zhang Lifen and clearly felt that she favored He Yu. There was very little that Yan Shirong had said that indicated exceptional information-gathering abilities¡ªother than his knowledge of the waterfall and Xiao Jun¡¯s attack there.


    ¡°Nothing you¡¯ve mentioned is a particularly well-kept secret,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Trust me or not,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°That is up to you. However, the reason I revealed myself tonight is because I have come into possession of a certain piece of knowledge. This too, I will offer for free, since you will learn of it on your own soon enough. There is to be a competition prior to the end of the dueling ban. It is one last chance for the outer disciples to earn rewards from the sect before restrictions are lifted. One last opportunity to gain advantage. When the competition is announced, I hope you¡¯ll see that my services can be of value and that we can form a mutually beneficial relationship.¡±


    ¡°Who else have you spoken to?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°Princess Tan and her handmaiden, of course,¡± Yan Shirong said. Something about his tone made He Yu bristle. ¡°And I¡¯ve also approached Sha Xiang and her two closest followers, Qiao Xia, and Cui Bao.¡±


    That seemed to have been the wrong answer, given Li Heng¡¯s response. The noble stepped forward. His qi flared out, silver and cold. ¡°You¡¯ve given away the trap,¡± he said.


    Yan Shirong simply looked amused. ¡°No trap. As I mentioned, I¡¯ve offered my services to those I felt would most likely make use of them. Presently, that includes the little cliques that have formed around Princess Tan and Sha Xiang, and both their respective followers. As much as I tried to demonstrate my worth, Sect Sister Sha rebuffed my offer. Her loss, I suppose.¡±


    Again, the way Yan Shirong spoke rubbed something in He Yu the wrong way. It wasn¡¯t exactly wrong to say that they¡¯d all gathered around Tan Xiaoling, but the idea that she was some sort of leader didn¡¯t seem right. Aside from Li Heng¡¯s deference towards her¡ªwholly of his own volition and usually to Tan Xiaoling¡¯s discomfort¡ªthey all acted more or less as equals.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s trying to deceive us,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to trust him?¡± Li Heng shot back.


    ¡°I never said that. I just don¡¯t see what he has to gain by lying about anything that he¡¯s told us. He knows enough to use our encounter with Xiao Jun to prove his ability to gather information. Besides, if he cheated us, we could hunt him down with Tan Xiaoling and Chen Fei. I don¡¯t think he would be able to stand up to all four of us.¡±


    ¡°I most certainly could not stand up to the four of you,¡± Yan Shirong said with a chuckle. ¡°But I can promise you would have a difficult time finding me if I didn¡¯t want you to. Either way, I¡¯ll be leaving now. Speak to me after the competition if you¡¯re willing to do business.¡± Yan Shirong gave a slight, but respectful bow, and left.


    Li Heng stared at the other disciple¡¯s back as he retreated. Once he was well out of earshot, the noble said, ¡°I don¡¯t trust him.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± He Yu said.


    Li Heng remained silent. While He Yu could understand his trepidation, he didn¡¯t have the same resources the noble did. He still hadn¡¯t reached the late Qi Gathering stage, and the end of the dueling ban was fast approaching. Worse still, that meant he had just over three months left to advance to the Foundation stage, or he would be banished from the sect. Perhaps Yan Shirong would know of locations of treasures or valuable herbs.


    Anything that could help him advance.


    If he could guarantee his spot in the outer sect for another year, he could use that time to cultivate. Then he could close the gap with Sha Xiang. He didn¡¯t expect Li Heng to understand, but it was a chance He Yu had to take, despite the risks.

 1.32 - Advancement

    With the end of the grace period fast approaching and a new art in hand that he couldn¡¯t yet use, He Yu decided it was time to attempt breaking through into the late First Realm. For weeks now he¡¯d been feeling the building pressure in his dantian, but he¡¯d wanted to push his cultivation base as far as he could before he broke through.


    Despite the difficulty in continuing to cultivate at the middle stage of Qi Gathering, He Yu could now see how delaying his breakthrough would allow him a stronger foundation to begin his advancement with. He could only imagine the difference it would make if he delayed his advancement to Foundation in a similar fashion. Of course, that was under the assumption that the advancement to Foundation would be similar to the jumps between stages. The common wisdom was, after all, that advancing quickly until breaking into the Fourth Realm¡ªGolden Core¡ªwas universally considered the superior option.


    However, external factors now forced his hand. Sha Xiang was first among them. She¡¯d sought him out during sparring practice earlier that week, and she had been far harder on him than was appropriate. Ren Huang had quickly noticed and put a stop to it, but He Yu still spent the remainder of the afternoon in the medicine hall, missing Elder Wen¡¯s lecture as a result.


    Sha Xiang had spent the rest of the week hauling sacks of rice up from the sect town at the base of the mountain. Any satisfaction He Yu could have gained from her punishment was blunted by the fact that she swore she would make him pay for the indignity. It was hardly fair, but by now he¡¯d come to expect as much from her.


    The other main factor that prompted his decision to break through was the announcement of a competition between the outer disciples before the end of the grace period. One last chance to earn rewards before they would compete more openly, just as Yan Shirong had predicted. The exact nature of the competition hadn¡¯t yet been revealed, but the fact that it had been announced by Ren Huang at the end of one of their runs gave He Yu the impression that it would likely involve something physical. Combat, most likely.


    Despite the physical training he¡¯d been undergoing these past months, he was still noticeably weaker than his peers. That left him with only one path ahead. Zhang Lifen had said that he would overcome his childhood weakness when he reached the Foundation Stage, and he had a suite of arts waiting for him when he broke through. There was little reason to delay his advancement to late Qi Gathering any further, and many reasons not to.


    At the end of the week He Yu informed Li Heng of his intent. He took the Five Phases Refinement Pill from its hiding place in his room and secluded himself in the home¡¯s cultivation chamber. He¡¯d wanted to save the pill for his breakthrough to Foundation, but he needed to advance now. The pill would still benefit his cultivation base.


    Settling into his cycling position, He Yu popped the Five Phases pill into his mouth. Qi surged through his meridians as the pill bolstered the basic aspects of his qi. Wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, each aspect fed and consumed the others, cycling through him in a riot of energy. It took all the practice he¡¯d gained in the past months with the sect cultivation technique to wrestle control of the surging vital energy and direct it into proper patterns. His grip was tenuous, but he was in control.


    With the initial surge over, He Yu turned his attention to the bright pool of qi in his dantian. He cycled qi through his meridians, and back into his dantian, each time using the control granted by the sect¡¯s cultivation technique to compress his dantian just a tiny bit more. Each time he did so, he felt the resistance increase. Each repetition of the cycle became more difficult than the last, and before long it felt as though his dantian would explode. He didn¡¯t know what would happen if it did, but he couldn¡¯t spare a thought for that. He had to keep going.


    Time had long since ceased to mean anything. It had been hours, at least, and He Yu was exhausted; mentally, physically, and spiritually. But he wasn¡¯t done yet. The foul scent of impurities leaking from his pores reached him through his meditation, but he couldn¡¯t spare more than the tiniest flicker of his attention. He would have to clean himself¡ªand the cultivation chamber¡ªwhen he was done. It was a good sign though, and he spared what little satisfaction he could at that.


    He kept pushing. Kept compacting. Squeezing his dantian and the qi it contained into an ever smaller pool of energy at the center of his spirit. Then, something snapped. His dantian collapsed, and for a moment became so bright it blinded his spiritual perception.


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    Vital qi poured into his meridians. It didn¡¯t quite rage, though. Not like it had when he¡¯d first taken the Five Phases pill. There was a subtle sense of form to it¡ªlike it was filling into a vessel perfectly crafted to contain it. With this surge of newly potent qi, he felt power. Strength like he¡¯d never known filled his limbs. He could immediately tell his spirit was more potent than it had been mere moments ago. Vitality he¡¯d never even imagined filled him. He¡¯d done it.


    When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the floor of the cultivation chamber. The stench that had broken through his meditation was overwhelming. He gagged, rolled over onto his side, then retched. He forced himself to his feet and stumbled to the door. Black, viscous liquid covered the floor. It covered him. He¡¯d ruined another sect uniform.


    Throwing open the door, he took a step out into the cool night air and sucked in the sweetest breath he¡¯d ever taken. After a few moments, he managed to force himself back into the cultivation chamber and retrieve the bucket of water he¡¯d brought with him. Once back outside he dumped it over his head. It did little to help, but little was far better than nothing. He Yu looked up, and just as with his first breakthrough into the middle stage of the First Realm, he found Li Heng leaning against one of their home¡¯s pillars.


    ¡°You smell awful,¡± the noble said.


    ¡°Is it always this bad?¡±


    ¡°It gets worse, then it gets better. You¡¯ll run out of impurities eventually.¡±


    That would be something to look forward to. ¡°I feel strong,¡± he said. It was difficult not to revel in it. Not to gloat.


    ¡°Just wait until you begin cultivating the White Mountain Body Art,¡± Li Heng said, pushing off the wall. ¡°Get cleaned up and meet me in the main room. We can celebrate.¡±


    He Yu stripped off his ruined robes and spent a few minutes sloughing off the remainder of the black gunk coating his skin. Once dressed again, he joined Li Heng. A jar of wine and two cups sat on the table before him.


    When He Yu had taken his seat, Li Heng pushed a cup towards him and said, ¡°You were wise to seek a breakthrough before the end of the grace. Anyone still in the Qi Gathering stage, even those at the late stage or the peak, will be easy prey for those who¡¯ve managed to reach the Foundation stage.¡±


    ¡°Will it really be that bad?¡± he asked. There had been a rising air of tension among many of the disciples with the approach of the grace period¡¯s formal end. In the past week, it had become all but impossible to ignore.


    Li Heng fixed him with a considering look. After a moment he said simply, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Care to explain?¡±


    ¡°Already he reaches above his station,¡± Li Heng said. It was the sort of comment that He Yu would have mistaken for offense, or perhaps mockery, just a few months prior. He¡¯d gotten to know the noble well enough since then, however. ¡°The sect had been shielding us,¡± he began. ¡°I know you¡¯re familiar with all the stories. Heaven knows you never stop talking about them. They don¡¯t tell the whole of it. The grudges. The rivalries. They¡¯re much more fierce than the tales let on.¡±


    ¡°How bad could it be?¡± He Yu asked. He¡¯d come to realize in the short time he¡¯d been at the sect that the legends that had first attracted him to the life of a cultivator weren¡¯t quite the truth. Despite that, he thought he¡¯d gotten a good enough handle on what was accurate, and what was embellishment.


    ¡°Not that bad,¡± Li Heng said with a dismissive wave. ¡°Sect rules prevent us from harming each other too much. No killings. No maiming, if we can avoid it.¡± He Yu couldn¡¯t help but notice the way Li Heng emphasized that last part. ¡°But, the fighting will be real. And it won¡¯t be between a couple of barely awakened children with no training to speak of. Sha Xiang is a middle Foundation stage cultivator.¡± Li Heng fixed him with a hard look. ¡°She¡¯ll be coming for you.¡±


    ¡°Surely she won¡¯t challenge me on the first day,¡± He Yu said. He wasn¡¯t entirely certain of that, but he could at least hold out some small hope that he¡¯d be able to catch up to her.


    Li Heng tapped his chin with a finger, then said. ¡°She¡¯s collected a fair number of other grudges since the beginning, to nobody¡¯s surprise. Making friends doesn¡¯t seem to be high on her list of priorities, and Xiao Jun¡¯s backing has made her arrogant. I suspect she¡¯ll spend some time with her allies pushing around second realms who have a bit more resources to their name. You¡¯re not a threat, so she¡¯ll likely deal with you at her leisure. Especially if you keep your head down and go out of your way to avoid her.¡±


    He Yu pushed down the sour feeling that rose at those words. As much as he hated to hear it, Li Heng wasn¡¯t wrong. Sha Xiang had a full realm advantage on him, and she¡¯d been receiving support from a Third Realm cultivator for at least a month at this point. More importantly, she¡¯d no doubt been cultivating the sect arts, something He Yu hadn¡¯t yet even begun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look like that,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°I have a plan.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned. What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to do the same thing.¡±


    ¡°And that would be?¡± He had a feeling that he already knew the answer.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to fight anyone we can beat, and take them for all they¡¯re worth,¡± Li Heng said as if it were obvious. ¡°That should be enough to push you to Foundation before Sha Xiang deigns to notice you. Like I said, she¡¯s gotten arrogant. I¡¯m keen to finish my duel with her and remind her of her place.¡±


    As much as he was ready to end whatever rivalry, one-sided as it was, that existed between himself and Sha Xiang, He Yu wasn¡¯t comfortable with the eagerness in Li Heng¡¯s tone.

 1.33 - Competition

    On the day before the truce was set to end, the outer sect disciples gathered after their daily run. Ren Huang¡¯s voice thundered out across the training field. ¡°Traditionally the sect organizes a competition to mark the end of the grace period for new disciples. This is an opportunity to earn rewards, and to taste the competition to come. This year is no different.


    ¡°There have been increased sightings of spirit beasts and lesser spirits on the outer sect mountain. Since they haven¡¯t been dealt with already, you will do so now. You¡¯ll be judged by the quantity and quality of cores acquired. There will be no sect points rewarded for the cores. The three disciples with the greatest contribution will receive tutoring from a core disciple as their prize.


    Confrontation between disciples is allowed so long as you show appropriate restraint. Work alone or in teams of no more than three as you prefer. You have until sundown.¡±


    The gathered disciples began to cluster into small groups. He Yu immediately moved to join Li Heng. To his surprise, Yan Shirong joined them as well. He wore his typical robe of deep plum but had taken to wearing his hair bound in a crown hairpin, much like Li Heng.


    ¡°I thought you two didn¡¯t like each other,¡± He Yu said once they¡¯d exchanged formalities. Yan Shirong looked offended, but it looked affected. Li Heng grimaced.


    ¡°I don¡¯t dislike him, I just have no reason to trust him,¡± the noble said. ¡°He approached me yesterday and asked to join us for this exercise. Since I assumed that Princess Tan and Chen Fei would want to work together, I figured he could join us.¡±


    He Yu glanced over to where Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling were already leaving the training field. Hopefully, the hunting competition wouldn¡¯t pit their two groups against one another. He¡¯d sparred with Chen Fei enough to know that she was far stronger than she let on, and Tan Xiaoling was by far the strongest disciple in their cohort. It did sting a bit that Chen Fei hadn¡¯t approached him, though.


    ¡°Seems fair,¡± he said. ¡°Will Sect Brother Yan be able to keep up?¡±


    Yan Shirong sniffed at the question. ¡°My arts aren¡¯t suited to direct confrontation. Do not take that to mean I am helpless.¡± He then gave He Yu a look that spoke volumes.


    ¡°Sect Brother He isn¡¯t as weak as he seems,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°He¡¯s late First Realm now, which puts him on par with all the other disciples who still remain at Qi Gathering. No longer can it be said that little brother is the weakest disciple in the outer sect.¡±


    It was a backhanded compliment if ever there was one, but it wasn¡¯t wrong. Of the few disciples still at Qi Gathering, all were now at the late stage. While it stung that he was still one of the weakest disciples in the outer sect, he wasn¡¯t the weakest anymore.


    ¡°We should get moving,¡± He Yu said, glancing towards the formation gate. Over half the disciples had already left the training field.


    Once past the gate, Yan Shirong bid them to follow as he headed deeper into the wooded slopes of the outer sect mountain. When they were a good distance off the path and away from prying eyes and ears, he produced several small bone constructs fashioned into the likeness of birds. A swell of shadowy qi curled around the puppets. Caliginous tendrils worked their way into the puppets¡¯ joints, acting like tendons. Soundlessly, they rose into the air and took off in different directions.


    Yan Shirong turned to the other two, veins of black creeping into his sclera at the corners of his eyes. ¡°The constructs will act as scouts. They should make for easier going as we search. They will also prevent any other disciples from surprising us.¡±


    He Yu fell in behind his companions as they struck deeper into the forest. He wasn¡¯t entirely certain how he felt about Yan Shirong¡¯s constructs. They made him feel uneasy, but he couldn¡¯t deny their usefulness. After a quarter of an hour or so, he voiced the other thing that had been bothering him about Yan Shirong¡¯s technique.


    ¡°Your qi seems awfully similar to Xiao Jun¡¯s,¡± he said.


    Without turning, Yan Shirong said, ¡°It is to be expected. We both cultivate shadow techniques.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I meant,¡± He Yu began.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°To address your thinly veiled accusation, I am in no way affiliated with him. The Yan are proud servants of the Dragon Emperor. We serve in the Ministry of Information and have done so for generations. Whatever prompted Xiao Jun to cultivate shadow arts, he has no legacy to speak of. He and I are not the same.¡±


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    ¡°So you¡¯re a noble, too?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°I am the fourth son of a minor comital house,¡± Yan Shirong answered. ¡°While our arts are poorly suited to the struggles of the great clans, they are well suited to the needs of the Ministry of Information. We have made a niche for ourselves there and have thus maintained our status.¡± Pride tinged Yan Shirong¡¯s words as he spoke, and He Yu decided not to press the issue. He didn¡¯t want to offend, and he suspected he¡¯d come close to doing so already.


    As they walked He Yu rested his guandao on his shoulder. He desperately wished for a storage treasure. He¡¯d put off getting one, preferring to spend his resources on his cultivation. While confident in his decision, he was awfully sick of dragging the heavy weapon around.


    ¡°Ahead. First Realm, so it shouldn¡¯t pose much threat,¡± Yan Shirong said, interrupting He Yu¡¯s thoughts.


    Li Heng produced his jian. ¡°Keep a sharp eye out. There could be more nearby.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t,¡± Yan Shirong said, sounding slightly offended.


    The three disciples emerged into a small clearing. At the far end sat the wood spirit. It was vaguely human-shaped and about the size of a small child. It crouched at the base of a tree, poking at the dirt with a stick. The spirit didn¡¯t look up, as though it hadn¡¯t even noticed their approach. He Yu couldn¡¯t sense the wood qi he should have from such a spirit.


    Next to him, Li Heng adjusted his grip on his jian. ¡°Something¡¯s off,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s clearly one of the wood spirits. I¡¯ve hunted enough to know what they look like,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    A high feminine laugh rang through the clearing as the wood spirit faded to mist. Several of the more densely packed trees near it faded as well. Where the ¡°spirit¡± had crouched just a moment ago, Sha Xiang stood with her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her lips.


    She¡¯d taken to wearing a scandalous variation of the sect uniform recently. It was cut much like the men¡¯s and it left her arms bare up to the shoulder. She¡¯d also replaced her single glove with a matched pair inlaid with metal plates etched with formation characters. Li Heng gave her a look of obvious disapproval. To either side of Sha Xiang stood the two disciples she had pulled into her orbit over the past months.


    Qiao Xia stood with the same parasol she¡¯d used back when He Yu had first encountered her with Chen Fei at the waterfall. The mist that had formed the illusion rushed back to her, coiling around her feet before rushing up and into the sleeves of her robe. She rested the parasol on her shoulder, absently spinning it as it gathered yet more mist.


    On Sha Xiang¡¯s other side was the same boy from that first week in Elder Wen¡¯s lecture, Cui Bao. He looked just as sharp and dangerous as he had back then. He carried no visible weapons and wore a standard sect uniform, which meant he was most likely a commoner as well.


    ¡°So much for the Yan family arts,¡± Li Heng muttered.


    Yan Shirong did not respond to the barb. Instead, he stared death at Qiao Xia, who only continued to laugh. One of his constructs flitted off into the forest.


    ¡°About time you assholes showed up,¡± Sha Xiang said. ¡°I was getting tired of waiting.¡±


    ¡°A lady should speak more properly than that,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°And as much as I hate to admit it, you are a lady of the Way, Sect Sister.¡±


    Sha Xiang scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me. I¡¯d hoped for another shot at you. Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get it so soon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect an easy fight. I was unarmed last time.¡±


    ¡°And I was still early Foundation,¡± Sha Xiang shot back. He Yu¡¯s apprehension only increased at that. Surely she couldn¡¯t be late already, not even with backing from a Third Realm disciple.


    ¡°So you were,¡± Li Heng said, seeming completely unfazed. ¡°Regardless, your reliance on cowardice tells me all I need to know. Stand down, and I will let you leave in peace.¡±


    Sha Xiang¡¯s expression twisted, but it was Cui Bao who spoke up. ¡°Hey. Come here and say that to my face, pretty boy.¡±


    Li Heng turned his head to Cui Bao and looked him over for a moment. ¡°Trash like you isn¡¯t worth my time,¡± he said before turning back to Sha Xiang.


    The other disciple¡¯s fists clenched at his sides, but Sha Xiang pointed at Li Heng. ¡°That one¡¯s mine,¡± she said. ¡°He embarrassed me on the first day, and I¡¯ve been waiting for three months to get payback. I¡¯ll buy you something nice once we take their cores to make up for it.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any cores,¡± He Yu said.


    Cui Bao barked a laugh at that. ¡°We should just beat them out of principle, then.¡±


    ¡°Bao, go play with He Yu,¡± Sha Xiang sneered. ¡°I¡¯ll join in on the fun once I teach this smug asshole of a noble a lesson.¡±


    The clearing exploded into violence. Yan Shirong, despite his insistence that he wasn¡¯t suited for combat, rushed Qiao Xia without hesitation. Daggers appeared in each hand and he threw them with blinding speed. Without ever losing her smile, Qiao Xia batted the flying daggers away with her parasol. Both cultivators used movement techniques freely. Yan Shirong maintained a medium distance while Qiao Xia darted in and out of striking range with her parasol.


    Li Heng was a touch more restrained. This appeared to suit Sha Xiang just fine. She attacked with nearly the same ferocity Yan Shirong had demonstrated towards Qiao Xia. Li Heng began on the defensive, absorbing her attacks with the Winter Moon Reflection, gathering the silver light along the edge of his blade.


    Sha Xiang was far more confident than she had been during their first duel and didn¡¯t give Li Heng any of the same openings she had back then. From what little of their fight He Yu could see, the two of them appeared far more evenly matched than they had three months ago.


    Cui Bao produced a pair of wicked-looking hatchets. ¡°Better hope you know how to use that oversized stick of yours,¡± he said ¡°Not gonna hold back just because you¡¯re First Realm.¡±

 1.34 - Fight!

    He Yu unlimbered his guandao and fell into the ready stance he¡¯d practiced with Fang Yingjie. Despite their difference in cultivation, he should have the advantage when it came to weapons. He had longer reach, and the sheer weight of the guandao should make it difficult for Cui Bao to effectively block with his hatchets, even if he used them both.


    Much like during the tournament in Shulin, He Yu¡¯s world narrowed down to a single point. His focus pinned onto Cui Bao. The stories always spoke of skilled or clever cultivators beating foes with higher advancement. Now was his chance to do the same.


    He Yu stepped into a wide, sweeping swing. The gathering of wind qi along the leading edge of the guandao caused mist to curl in a trail behind his attack. Cui Bao ducked under the blade and darted inside He Yu¡¯s guard. It was a smart move, but He Yu had trained for this. Even without a proper body technique, he¡¯d still learned to cycle qi to his muscles and bones, and the training with his tutor had taught him what to do when an opponent ultimately tried this very tactic.


    Stepping back as though Cui Bao¡¯s move had caught him off-guard, He Yu pulled the guandao in close, holding the haft across his body. When Cui Bao pushed his advance, He Yu was ready. Qi pulsed along the length of his weapon¡¯s haft, and he pushed off with his back foot. Cui Bao¡¯s eyes widened fractionally when He Yu shifted back to the offense.


    He thrust out with both hands, shoving the guandao¡¯s weight at his advancing opponent. The impact sent shocks up He Yu¡¯s arms, and he staggered half a step back. He hadn¡¯t expected to meet such resistance, but he had managed to stop Cui Bao¡¯s advance. It was only through the hours of training under Fang Yingjie that He Yu managed to execute his follow-up.


    He drove the butt of his guandao at Cui Bao¡¯s midsection. Much to his surprise, he scored a decent hit. He felt the slight give of the other disciple¡¯s flesh and heard the rush of air escaping his lungs. This was his moment. He brought the blade down in an overhand strike, activating the Crashing Wind as he did. The blade howled like a summer storm as it fell, the currents of wind qi tugging at He Yu¡¯s robes.


    Cui Bao stepped into the attack. His hatchet moved with blinding speed as it arced up and around the guandao, just behind the blade. He hooked He Yu¡¯s weapon and wrenched it downwards. With the additional force of a Foundation Stage cultivator¡ªdoubtless with a proper body art as well¡ªthere was no chance He Yu could have diverted the strike. The guandao crashed to the ground, burying the blade into the dirt. Cui Bao slammed one foot down on the haft and locked eyes with He Yu.


    ¡°My turn,¡± he said. All the danger He Yu had felt radiating off Cui Bao that first week in Elder Wen¡¯s lecture returned. Even inexperienced as he was, He Yu knew he was in trouble.


    Cui Bao moved far faster than anyone He Yu had ever trained against. His hatchets trailed embers as they cut fiery arcs through the air. It was only the nascent spiritual perception he¡¯d gained from his months cultivating the White Mountain technique that allowed him to track Cui Bao¡¯s attack.


    He let go of his guandao and stumbled back¡ªaway from the onslaught and his only weapon. He instantly realized his mistake. The other disciple advanced, positioning himself between He Yu and the abandoned polearm. Any advantage He Yu might have once been able to leverage now lay on the other side of a cultivator with a full realm¡¯s advancement on him.


    ¡°Empty your storage treasure and I¡¯ll go easy on you,¡± Cui Bao said, every word soaked in smug satisfaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± He Yu was so shocked that Cui Bao would even assume so, let alone demand its contents, that he didn¡¯t even think to try and dissemble.


    ¡°You¡ªwhat?¡± Cui Bao¡¯s disbelief would have been comical if it weren¡¯t for the sudden spike of danger from his spirit that accompanied it.


    Rather than answer, He Yu rushed past Cui Bao, making a gambit for the guandao. At least, he tried to.


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    Cui Bao reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his sect uniform, tossing him to the ground as easily as he would a child¡¯s toy. The Second Realm cultivator raised his hatchet. It was just like he¡¯d been back at the tournament in Shulin¡ªpowerless and at the mercy of someone stronger than himself.


    The hatchet fell, nascent fire qi trailing its arc.


    There was the brief flicker of an impression of moonlight shining down on fresh snow. He¡¯s sparred with Li Heng enough to know the noble¡¯s spiritual presence. He opened his eyes, and gratitude warred with shame when he saw exactly what he¡¯d expected.


    Li Heng stood over him, his eyes hardened to iron, and a shimmer of silver light gathered around the edge of his jian. Someone else had stepped in to save him when he¡¯d been under threat.


    Again. He Yu stared up at the sky. He may as well just leave the sect. If this was how his life was going to be, he should probably just go back home.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Li Heng snapped.


    Without thinking, He Yu obeyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need your help.¡± With a kick so effortless it almost looked careless, Li Heng pitched the guandao in He Yu¡¯s direction. ¡°I can¡¯t fight them both alone.¡±


    That was enough to shock him back to the moment. Somebody needed him¡ªhis friend needed him. Weak as he may be, that meant he wasn¡¯t worthless. That meant he needed to rise to the moment.


    He took stock of the situation. While Li Heng¡¯s sudden appearance had certainly stopped Cui Bao in his tracks, he¡¯d since been joined by Sha Xiang. She¡¯d gotten a bit worse than she¡¯d given in her initial clash with Li Heng, by the look of things. More than a few flyaway strands of hair had escaped her braid, and her sect uniform had suffered several cuts. But other than that, she appeared to still be in good fighting shape.


    Li Heng, on the other hand, looked more or less the way he always did. Self-assured and impeccably put together. His silver and jade crown hairpin glinted in the diffuse light that filtered through the mist, as a fitting counterpoint to the shimmer around his blade. He was, by He Yu¡¯s estimation, the picture of what a cultivator should be. Refined. Noble. And most importantly, just. It was hard not to feel small and insignificant by comparison.


    Cui Bao spat. ¡°Figures you¡¯d need help.¡±


    He¡¯d locked eyes with Li Heng before he spoke, but it was Sha Xiang who answered. ¡°Says the idiot who couldn¡¯t handle a First Realm by himself. You¡¯re going to owe me, Bao.¡±


    Cui Bao grinned in a manner that confirmed any doubts as to why Sha Xiang had twice referred to him so informally. ¡°Looking forward to it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Later. We¡¯ve got a job to do,¡± Sha Xiang snapped.


    He Yu frowned at that. A job? He¡¯d thought this was just an extension of her incredibly one-sided grudge against him. That could only mean Xiao Jun was behind their ambush. What motivation could he possibly have, then, for interfering in a contest between first-year disciples?


    ¡°Whatever you bandits intend, I won¡¯t permit it,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Allow me to offer some pointers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try,¡± Sha Xiang sneered.


    ¡°As you wish, Lady Sha,¡± Li Heng said.


    An arc of silver light sailed through the air trailing a single pure tone. Again, the sensation of moonlight and winter¡¯s chill filled He Yu¡¯s spiritual awareness. Cui Bao¡¯s eyes widened, and it was only Sha Xiang¡¯s shove that sent him out of harm¡¯s way. In the moment that followed, He Yu almost couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªthe idea that Sha Xiang would put herself at risk for someone else seemed absurd on its face. As it turned out, she hadn¡¯t put herself at risk in the slightest.


    Instead, she raised her gloved fist. She punched into the arc of sword light, activating a technique as she did. Golden-brown earth qi wreathed her hand, giving the impression of a mass of solid stone. It was, thankfully, a weaker and far less distinct impression than that of Li Heng¡¯s spirit. Despite that, it was enough. Li Heng¡¯s technique shattered under the impact¡ªbut Sha Xiang¡¯s technique didn¡¯t survive the contact either.


    ¡°You¡¯ve improved measurably, Sect Sister,¡± Li Heng said, giving her a slight nod.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯ve noticed,¡± she said, shaking out her hand and still sounding for all the world like an arrogant child.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be enough,¡± he said, his stance shifting for a strike in a way He Yu only noticed due to their months of practice together.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to be.¡± As she spoke, Cui Bao launched himself at Li Heng from the side opposite He Yu.


    Li Heng redirected his attention and shifted his half-formed strike into a block. But Cui Bao adapted just as easily, twisting around Li Heng¡¯s waiting jian like a tongue of flame. His hatchet sang as it struck out, now inside Li Heng¡¯s guard.


    He caught Li Heng across the ribs. Red bloomed on his robe. Cui Bao hooked his other hatchet around Li Heng¡¯s wrist. For an instant, it looked as though Cui Bao had the upper hand, but then Li Heng was several steps away. The only indication that he¡¯d used a technique was the faint impression of drifting snow. Cui Bao wasn¡¯t about to let Li Heng off easily, however, and pressed his attack.


    Much to his dismay, this left He Yu staring down a very satisfied-looking Sha Xiang.

 1.35 - Rematch

    ¡°Been looking forward to this,¡± Sha Xiang said.


    He Yu didn¡¯t doubt it. ¡°It would be an honor to exchange pointers,¡± he said, giving a slight bow. If there was any goodwill left in Sha Xiang, there was certainly no harm in trying to draw it out.


    There wasn¡¯t.


    She sneered at him, saying, ¡°I¡¯d thought I would have to wait until after the grace period to make you pay. Guess fortune has favored me.¡±


    Something snapped inside him at that. It might have been the unfairness of it all or the sheer arrogance she¡¯d never once let go of. It might have been one of a hundred other little things that all led to the same place. The whole reason for her ridiculous attitude wasn¡¯t his fault.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s ¡°tournament¡± story had specifically mentioned a way for students to earn a spot in Dong Wei¡¯s school. He shouldn¡¯t have had to fight anyone who was already enrolled, let alone Dong Wei¡¯s star pupil. That she¡¯d been placed against him in the second round had obviously been Dong Wei¡¯s doing. It had achieved its intended effect and eliminated him from the tournament.


    Despite all that, Zhang Lifen had chosen him for the sect anyway.


    Distantly, he heard himself replying to her with surprising hardness. ¡°You won¡¯t find me so easy an opponent as you did last time.¡± The only thing he felt as he stared her down was an iron resolve. She may have a full realm advantage over him, but so had Cui Bao. He¡¯d managed to land a solid hit against one, so why not the other?


    Sha Xiang launched forward. Her attack was much the same as it had been back at Shulin¡ªa strike to the face as she sought to end the fight quickly and embarrass him in all at once.


    With a practiced motion, He Yu stepped to the side of her blow, bringing the heavy blade of his guandao crashing down. Sha Xiang twisted to avoid it, and he felt a glimmer of satisfaction at the flicker of surprise that crossed her features. It didn¡¯t last.


    To the credit of her talent, she recovered seamlessly and launched a low kick at his knee. He braced his guandao and used it to vault over her attack, launching into a kick of his own. When they turned to square off once again, their eyes met for a moment and understanding passed between them. There would be no peace.


    He Yu could have ended things here, had he only put his weapon aside and let her beat him within an inch of his life, then take anything of value he had. She would have laughed at him and mocked him to her followers, but that would have been the end of it. He would never do such a thing. He would never bow before her. He had learned somewhat of pride in his time at the sect.


    He¡¯d no doubt that she¡¯d gained some insight towards him in that moment as well. She would have been cultivating the White Mountain technique all this time. The understanding that came with cultivation extended past the self and out to the world and the people in it.


    He Yu had gotten much better at reading people since he¡¯d come to the sect, and Sha Xiang could likely say the same. Her eyes narrowed fractionally, and that told him the truth of his assumptions.


    ¡°So be it, then,¡± she said, his voice hard and low.


    Sha Xiang¡¯s qi rippled outward, carrying with it the impression of golden earth and jagged stone. As alarming as her nascent presence was, He Yu found a small comfort in it. Her presence was vague and indistinct, the impressions it carried fleeting. Weaker than any of his friends¡¯ presences. Even now, He Yu had to push the occasional glint of moonlight produced by Li Heng¡¯s fight with Cui Bao from his thoughts lest he lose focus on his opponent.


    The comparison between the two was stark. Considering the two at once, Li Heng was clearly the stronger of them. Sha Xiang¡¯s presence was nearly on par with Chen Fei, and while Chen Fei had pretty soundly beaten him during their spars¡ªespecially when she¡¯d been angry and hadn¡¯t held back¡ªHe Yu could stand up to her. Which meant he could stand up to Sha Xiang.


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    ¡°I¡¯d been saving this,¡± Sha Xiang said. The muscles in her arms bunched and earth qi gathered around her fists. The formation characters stitched into her gloves flared, and plates of stone formed over her knuckles. ¡°Earth Sundering Fist,¡± she said, arrogance creeping into the words. ¡°Shame to waste it on you, of all people.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t without any techniques of his own, though. Sha Xiang attacked again, and He Yu slammed his guandao down. The Bracing Wind kicked up a cloud of dust and leaves and twigs as wind qi burst out from the guandao. In the moment where his technique interrupted her momentum, he formed the Crashing Wind, slamming a downward stroke wreathed in wind qi. For a moment, began to believe he could win.


    Then, Sha Xiang caught the blade. It was such a simple movement. She simply reached up and grabbed his guandao. The blade made a sound like he¡¯d struck stone when it impacted her hand.


    He tried to wrench it free, but her grip held.


    Another pulse of qi rippled out from her, and again he felt the impression of stone and golden earth. She stepped inside his guard and punched him squarely in the gut. Only the months of cultivation and training kept him from crumpling from her strike, but it hurt like a thousand demons.


    He struggled to get his breathing back under control despite his practice with his cultivation technique. It was only that small presence of mind that allowed him to notice as her fist pulled back for a second strike.


    Silver flashed, and Sha Xiang let him go. She leaped back, only just avoiding the sword light from Li Heng¡¯s Winter Moon Reflection. A dusting of snow, and Li Heng was between them. ¡°Sect Sister Sha ought to know better than to bully her juniors,¡± Li Heng said. His tone was mocking, each word dripping with condescension.


    ¡°Again,¡± she spat. ¡°Why do you insist on getting involved in what doesn¡¯t concern you?¡±


    ¡°Do the troubles of my little brother not concern me, Sect Sister? Should I stand by while a lady of the Way pushes around someone so clearly incapable of standing against her for more than a moment? No, I think it is only proper as both a noble and a friend to come to the aid of Sect Brother He in this.¡±


    Sha Xiang had no answer but to glare. Cui Bao appeared at her side, looking noticeably worse than he had at the start but still eager to fight. Despite the obvious confidence in Li Heng¡¯s demeanor, He Yu wasn¡¯t so sure himself. Sha Xiang and Cui Bao were both far stronger than he was, and he wasn¡¯t sure he could tip the balance if they joined up against Li Heng. Especially since using the Bracing Wind, then defending against Sha Xiang¡¯s one attack had taken more out of him than he cared to admit. Not even to mention the qi he¡¯d spent in his brief exchange with Cui Bao.


    As grateful as he was for the assistance, a part of him shrank at the fact Li Heng had needed to step in and save him for a second time. He¡¯d genuinely thought that he would be able to hold against Sha Xiang long enough for Li Heng to deal with Cui Bao. Then, between the two of them, Sha Xiang would have no choice but to yield.


    The two other disciples both activated their techniques, earth qi gathering around Sha Xiang¡¯s fists, and fire qi sparking along the edges of Cui Bao¡¯s hatchets. Both appeared intent on Li Heng this time. Whether they deemed him the greater threat, or they simply considered He Yu irrelevant, he couldn¡¯t say. The truth of it didn¡¯t matter, though. He needed to help his friend. It was the least he could do.


    He stepped up next to Li Heng and brought his guandao to bear. From the subtle shift in Li Heng¡¯s stance, he could tell the noble appreciated it. For the first time, he realized that the fight had taken far more out of Li Heng than he¡¯d let on. That didn¡¯t bode well. Cui Bao had quite obviously spent more of himself than Li Heng had, but Sha Xiang had barely fought and was still as fresh as she¡¯d been at the beginning of the exchange.


    ¡°I¡¯d like it if Yan Shirong were here,¡± Li Heng muttered, adjusting his grip on his jian.


    He Yu cast a glance around the glade. Yan Shirong and Qiao Xia were gone, their fight carrying them off into the trees somewhere. He couldn¡¯t say which side would benefit more from having the both of them present, but another ally would certainly make him feel better about their odds. Given Li Heng¡¯s words a moment ago, he felt the same.


    ¡°Cui Bao is nearly spent,¡± He Yu said. ¡°If I can deal with him, maybe we can take Sha Xiang together.¡±


    Li Heng didn¡¯t look convinced but nodded anyway. ¡°Be careful,¡± he said. ¡°That one¡¯s every bit as dangerous as I¡¯d marked him for that first week.¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Spent or not, Cui Bao was still fully in the Second Realm. It would be a hard fight, but it was the only real choice he was left with.


    Li Heng took a step forward and pointed his jian at Sha Xiang. ¡°If you¡¯ve not yet seen enough of the Li family arts, I¡¯m more than happy to continue the demonstration.¡±


    Sha Xiang coiled and launched herself at Li Heng, earth qi thrumming around her fists. The sounds of combat filled the glade once more.

 1.36 - Round Three

    The initial clash between Sha Xiang and Li Heng was brief. After a rapid exchange of blows, they broke off. Li Heng¡¯s jian glinted sliver and He Yu thought the golden shimmer of earth qi around Sha Xiang¡¯s fists seemed to have dimmed. She seemed wary of him, more than she had at the beginning of the afternoon. Despite her apparent caution, none of her arrogance had diminished to match.


    ¡°Bao!¡± Sha Xiang shouted.


    A wild laugh escaped Cui Bao¡¯s lips as he flung himself at He Yu. Orange sparks danced around his hatchets and flames licked at his feet. His expression was one of frenzied and reckless enthusiasm as he closed the distance. He Yu knew how this would go¡ªCui Bao would seek to get inside his guard as quickly as possible, negating He Yu¡¯s advantage in reach.


    He had trained for this¡ªand if there was one lesson Fang Yingjie had drilled into him above all others, it was that he was not a swordsman. He was not limited to only his blade. The haft could be used just like a staff, and the metal cap on the butt could be used to bludgeon as effectively as any club or mace. The guandao was a versatile weapon, and while its weight made it difficult to master, that was also one of its strengths.


    With a step back, He Yu withdrew his weapon, avoiding Cui Bao¡¯s attempt to hook it with one of his hatchets again. He drew back the blade as though readying one of the wide, sweeping strikes the weapon was known for. Cui Bao reacted as he¡¯d expected. He darted forward, pressing his attack and seeking to get inside the arc of the swing.


    He Yu activated the Bracing Wind. Qi churned around the metal cap on the guandao¡¯s end. With a swift jab, he pushed yet more qi through his strained meridians and tired limbs. His strike began from the earth, as he had learned in Senior Brother Ren¡¯s lessons. It gathered power as it moved through his legs, his hips, and finally his arms. Cui Bao had both his hatchets drawn back, readying a strike of his own. He Yu caught him square in the chest.


    Qi burst out around him, wind whipping at the hem and sleeves of his sect uniform. Cui Bao staggered back, losing his grip on one of his hatchets. While not as powerful as any of the times Fang Yingjie had used it, the Bracing Wind had done its job. Cui Bao was wide open. He Yu was quite pleased with himself for using it along with a strike like that. If he could take Cui Bao out of the fight now, he could help Li Heng. Surely the two of them would be too much for Sha Xiang to handle by herself.


    Just as he was about to follow up with a sweep of his blade, a flicker of movement off to the side caught his attention. Stars exploded in his vision before he could fully react. As he fell he caught a glimpse of Sha Xiang returning to a ready stance, her fist glowing like a golden sun. Cui Bao was already back on his feet and had retrieved his lost hatchet. The two of them wasted no time and advanced on He Yu as he struggled to clear his head.


    Sha Xiang reached him first. He¡¯d only managed to push himself to his knees when her second punch cracked against the back of his skull, forcing him back to the ground. He Yu desperately cycled his last meager reserves of qi to try and regain some semblance of control over his body. As Sha Xiang was joined by Cui Bao, she readied a third strike. How could she have beaten Li Heng so quickly?


    ¡°Scatter,¡± came Li Heng¡¯s voice from the other side of the clearing, hard and low.


    He Yu let himself fall to the ground, relief flooding every inch of his being. Somewhere close yet impossibly distant, a man screamed. Cui Bao hit the ground inches away. As He Yu pushed himself to his feet once again, he saw a red stain spreading from the rent silk of his uniform back. Sha Xiang had turned her attention to where Li Heng stood. The Li scion¡¯s expression was hard, and He Yu could feel the anger roiling in his spirit.


    ¡°Trash,¡± he spat. ¡°You¡¯ve taken this too far, Sect Sister. Time to end it.¡±


    Sha Xiang¡¯s expression was furious in her own way. Her eyes blazed, and her mouth was set in a snarl. ¡°I mark my grudges, you bastard. You, He Yu, that bitch princess who¡¯s always covering your asses¡ªyou¡¯re all mine.¡± She slammed her fists together, filling the glade with the sound of cracking stone. ¡°And you¡¯re first.¡±


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    Moonlight flashed, and Li Heng was within striking distance. His jian arced towards Sha Xiang. She ducked and moved in, balling a qi-infused fist. From the ground where Cui Bao lay, He Yu heard the faint crunch of a medicinal pill. Cui Bao¡¯s wounds began to close as he pushed himself to his feet. He crackled and sparked as the medicine did its work, each increasingly steady breath bringing new intensity to his restored qi. The time for individual duels was over, it seemed.


    Well, that suited He Yu just fine. He¡¯d spent months training with Li Heng. He knew the noble¡¯s style and techniques. He knew how he favored defense and counter-strikes. He knew the speed with which Li Heng could reposition. As Senior Brother Ren Huang had relentlessly drilled into them, training against someone lets you fight alongside them. He Yu turned his attention fully to Cui Bao.


    The other disciple wasn¡¯t back in the fight fully, so he¡¯d a few moments of total advantage yet.


    He planted his guandao in the ground and used it to launch a flying kick at Cui Bao¡ªattacking and closing the distance at once. Cui Bao reacted faster than he¡¯d anticipated, managing to turn and meet the brunt of the strike with a shoulder tackle. Normally, such a counter from a Foundation stage cultivator would have sent He Yu flying, but Cui Bao hadn¡¯t yet fully managed to recover from Li Heng¡¯s attack. He was rapidly on the mend, however, so He Yu pressed his tiny advantage while he still had it.


    He launched into a series of sweeping strikes, wind gathering along his guandao with each pass. Almost immediately he had Cui Bao on the back foot. The other disciple had to spend precious qi to beat back the onslaught, his fires fractionally dimming each time he deflected one of He Yu¡¯s strikes. The exchange wasn¡¯t entirely one-sided, however.


    Now that Cui Bao was flagging from the extended fight, and cycling qi to his injuries, it was easier for He Yu to get a sense of the other disciple¡¯s style. Early on it had been evident that he favored quick, aggressive strikes. While He Yu didn¡¯t think he was using a proper movement technique, he was obviously cycling qi to his leg meridians, boosting his speed and maneuverability. His ability to quickly change direction and attack from different angles explained why Li Heng may have had a hard time with him earlier. The noble would be the stronger of the two, He Yu was certain, but Cui Bao¡¯s style was well suited for dealing with someone like Li Heng.


    He Yu surprised himself with the assessment. He¡¯d always been quick to pick up on things, especially when he was interested in them. It was probably the only reason he¡¯d been able to teach himself the rudimentary cultivation technique he¡¯d been using when he first caught Zhang Lifen¡¯s attention. Now he¡¯d managed to quickly gain an understanding of his opponent¡¯s fighting style in the heat of battle. Surely if he could develop this, he could turn it to his advantage.


    His newfound insight was cut short by a blur of motion, and an impact against his side. He felt, as much as heard, the sharp crack of several of his ribs breaking. Letting out a silent cry, he fell to one knee, dropping his guandao.


    Sha Xiang stood over him but was forced to abort any follow-up as Li Heng took advantage of her shift in focus. Cui Bao turned his attention to Li Heng as well, and He Yu began to panic. He was effectively out of the fight. Each breath sent spikes of pain through his chest¡ªthere was no way he¡¯d be able to wield his guandao with broken ribs. While he was certain that Li Heng could have eventually prevailed against either of his opponents, He Yu didn¡¯t like the noble¡¯s chances against both at once. After they dealt with Li Heng, they¡¯d be coming for him, and he wasn¡¯t under any impression they would be kind.


    Both of them moved to flank Li Heng, making it impossible for him to defend from them both. Cui Bao¡¯s hatchets sparked, and Sha Xiang¡¯s fists gleamed. He Yu resigned himself to his fate at their hands. Not every battle could end in victory, and even the greatest heroes of the stories suffered setbacks. So long as they didn¡¯t kill him, he could exact his revenge later.


    All three disciples still in the fight froze, and an instant later He Yu felt it, too. Three more presences had entered the small clearing, two of them familiar. The third could only be Yan Shirong. His presence was that of silence and shadow, reaching out to lightly touch everything around it. It fit, given everything he¡¯d seen of the comital scion.


    The other two presences were Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling¡ªa sturdy mountain and a scorched windblown desert, respectively. Chen Fei had Qiao Xia slung over her shoulder. The girl was bound hand and foot in tendrils of shadow, likely a technique of Yan Shirong¡¯s, and Chen Fei carried the girl¡¯s parasol in her free hand.


    ¡°And here I thought my friends were threatened by someone who mattered.¡± Tan Xiaoling said. She drew her dao and leveled it at Sha Xiang. ¡°Stand down, and I won¡¯t have to remind you of your place.¡±

 1.37 - Aid

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Sha Xiang said.


    ¡°My concern is what I choose it to be,¡± Tan Xiaoling replied, wind tugging at the hem of her gown. Her presence brought the dry heat of a relentless sun and the vast expanse of a parched land. It was stronger than He Yu remembered. Had she finally completed her breakthrough into Body Refining? Surely he¡¯d have heard about it if she had. It would put her even further above the other first-year disciples than she already was.


    Sha Xiang glanced around and then changed tack. ¡°It¡¯s awfully brave of you to show up and take us five on two.¡±


    ¡°You misjudge me, Sha Xiang,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, still as imperious and impassive as always. ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight using such cowardly methods. I¡¯ll deal with you and Sect Brother Cui myself. Both of you at once, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Cui Bao shot Sha Xiang a look. It was the first time He Yu had ever seen his arrogance falter. Cui Bao seemed to know where he and Sha Xiang stood, and he clearly didn¡¯t like their odds against Tan Xiaoling, even two-on-one.


    Earth-infused fists flexed, then relaxed. Sha Xiang let her arms fall to her side, and said, ¡°I won¡¯t forget this.¡±


    ¡°See that you don¡¯t,¡± said Tan Xiaoling. She gestured to Qiao Xia and added, ¡°Take this one with you.¡±


    Chen Fei set the girl down with a gentleness that He Yu didn¡¯t think Qiao Xia deserved. Yan Shirong snapped his fingers and the shadows binding Qiao Xia faded to smoke, then to nothingness. Her pride bruised, Qiao Xia glared daggers at Yan Shirong as she snatched her parasol from Chen Fei and rejoined her companions.


    Once Qiao Xia was clear of Tan Xiaoling, Sha Xiang slammed her fists together. Earth qi burst from the impact, and the golden sheen that had encased her fists during her fight with Li Heng returned¡ªstronger and brighter than before as she poured qi into her technique. She launched herself at Tan Xiaoling, much like she had when fighting Li Heng. It would have been a sound plan under most circumstances. Tan Xiaoling had nothing like the Winter Moon Reflection. However, that didn¡¯t mean she had no techniques of her own, and to He Yu¡¯s knowledge, Sha Xiang had never sparred with Tan Xiaoling before.


    A whirlwind of dust and sand and grit kicked up around the princess. Tan Xiaoling and Sha Xiang disappeared for a moment before the whirlwind subsided. Once the air cleared, Tan Xiaoling stood as though she¡¯d not moved a muscle. Sha Xiang lay a few feet away, sprawled against the splintered remains of a fallen log.


    ¡°Clever,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, a slightly mocking tone creeping into her voice. ¡°Can¡¯t be accused of dueling before the grace period is over if you don¡¯t issue a challenge. At least, I imagine that was your thinking.¡±


    Sha Xiang groaned. She¡¯d have some nasty bruises¡ªat the least¡ªif the state of the log she¡¯d crashed into was any indication. The myriad cuts from Tan Xiaoling¡¯s whirlwind of biting sand were already beginning to heal, drawing upon the last remains of Sha Xiang¡¯s qi. As she pushed herself to her feet, Sha Xiang wisely made no move toward Tan Xiaoling other than to glare.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over,¡± she said, sounding noticeably less assured than she had earlier.


    ¡°I look forward to our formal duel, Sect Sister Sha. Until then, make sure you leave my friends to their own devices. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to remind you of today¡¯s events.¡±


    This time, Sha Xiang and her companions made no attempts at trickery or violence. As they left the clearing, Qiao Xia remained subdued compared to earlier, and Cui Bao supported Sha Xiang as she limped off. Once the three of them were gone, Tan Xiaoling sent her dao back to her storage treasure and turned to He Yu and his housemate.


    ¡°Fortunate you had Sect Brother Yan with you,¡± she said. ¡°His construct found us easily enough, and it was a trivial thing to subdue Qiao Xia between Chen Fei and myself.¡±


    Chen Fei said nothing but allowed a small smile to cross her lips at the mention of subduing the girl who had insulted her weeks earlier. With their relative positions established, it was unlikely Qiao Xia would give her much trouble in the future.


    ¡°I would have dealt with her in time,¡± Yan Shirong said with a sniff. ¡°I may not be as adept at direct combat as the peerless Princess Tan, but Qiao Xia and I are well-matched against one another.¡±


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    With a smirk that indicated she thought otherwise, Tan Xiaoling said, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Li Heng reached He Yu¡¯s side and helped him up, taking care to avoid agitating his injured ribs. ¡°You did well, He Yu,¡± he said. There was a sincerity to his voice that at least served to take away some of the sting of the day¡¯s events.


    All things considered, he had done well. It didn¡¯t feel like enough, though. His broken ribs and the continued ringing in his head were evidence enough of that. Worse still, he¡¯d needed someone stronger to come in and save him again.


    He Yu shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    Li Heng arched an eyebrow. ¡°Not enough? You took two hits from a middle Foundation stage while standing blow-for-blow with an early Foundation. That¡¯s more than I would have expected from anyone still at Qi Gathering.¡±


    Gingerly probing his broken ribs, He Yu winced. There was definitely more than one broken. He¡¯d have to go to the medicine hall if he wanted to be ready for the end of the grace period tomorrow.


    ¡°I need to break through,¡± he said.


    ¡°I might know something to help with that,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    Despite the pain in his ribs and the ringing in his ears, He Yu whipped his head around to Yan Shirong. ¡°What?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°You should reconsider,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°You¡¯ve only just reached late Qi Gathering. Take time to allow your cultivation base to settle.¡±


    ¡°You said it¡¯s best to go quickly through the lower realms. It doesn¡¯t get any lower than Qi Gathering,¡± He Yu said. The idea that he should wait seemed absurd¡ªespecially after the events of the day.


    ¡°The sect market has elixirs and medicines that will take you to the peak of Qi Gathering easily enough,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m shocked you haven¡¯t bought one already. Most cultivators in your situation would have.¡±


    Li Heng said nothing, but his expression said enough. In the face of the more experienced cultivator¡¯s objections, He Yu hesitated for a moment. But then, he nodded at Yan Shirong. Wasn¡¯t this exactly the thing he¡¯d been hoarding his spirit stones and contribution points for?


    ¡°You can show me which ones to buy, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course I can,¡± Yan Shirong said, sounding almost offended. ¡°Most of my own advancement since coming to the sect has been fueled by similar medicines. Why work harder when you can spend money to work smarter?¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t sure about Yan Shirong¡¯s logic, but he didn¡¯t think he had much of a choice at this point. ¡°It¡¯ll wipe out my savings,¡± he said, half to himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s for a good cause,¡± Yan Shirong said with a glint in his eye that made He Yu wonder if maybe the shadowy cultivator might be getting a cut of the sale from the merchant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the competition either,¡± Tan Xiaoling added. She¡¯d remained quiet up until that point, and there was no indication as to whether she agreed with Yan Shirong or Li Heng on the matter.


    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time left, and even if you don¡¯t win, you¡¯ll have your cores.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t earning sect points for the cores,¡± He Yu reminded her.


    ¡°Senior Brother Ren never said anything about selling them,¡± she said.


    He Yu sighed. That would have been a bright spot if it weren¡¯t for his injuries. As things stood he wouldn¡¯t be any use even against the weakest of wood spirits. He may as well just head back to the outer sect and spend the afternoon in the medicine hall.


    ¡°Here,¡± Chen Fei said, handing him a pill wrapped in paper. ¡°This should at least help. You should still go to the medicine hall after, though.¡± She gave him an encouraging smile as she offered him the pill, its pungent scent filling the air.


    He almost didn¡¯t want to take it. How long would he have to keep relying on others to carry him? When would he be able to stand on his own? But if he didn¡¯t get stronger, he¡¯d never be on equal footing with his allies.


    Chen Fei frowned, then shoved the pill at him. ¡°Take it,¡± she said in a tone that left no illusions as to what would happen if he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± He Yu muttered, as he popped the pill in his mouth. He bit down, and revitalizing qi flooded his meridians. It took him a moment to get it under control and begin cycling it properly.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard,¡± Li Heng said.


    He Yu shot him a scowl. Then, to Chen Fei, he said, ¡°Thanks again. I owe you.¡±


    ¡°No you don¡¯t,¡± she said, a slight edge creeping into her words.


    It looked as though she were about to say something else, but Tan Xiaoling cut her off. ¡°Find something nice for her. No medicine, though.¡±


    Chen Fei quickly looked away, and He Yu sighed.


    ¡°That was a rather expensive pill,¡± Yan Shirong said, just loud enough for everyone to hear. He Yu suddenly felt a bit too warm for the mountain¡¯s perpetual cool.


    A spike of danger came from Tan Xiaoling, and Li Heng moved in between the two of them. ¡°Come over here, Sect Brother Yan, I need to speak with you.¡± It looked like Li Heng was a bit rougher than he¡¯d needed to be as he pulled Yan Shirong to the far side of the clearing. Tan Xiaoling glared after the two of them.


    ¡°Well, now that¡¯s taken care of, we have cores to collect,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Better get hunting. Tan Xiaoling and I already have more than a dozen.¡±


    The two girls disappeared off into the forest, and He Yu let his shoulders slump. There was no way the three of them would be able to collect enough cores to surpass them. Especially with how much qi they¡¯d all spend fighting Sha Xiang and her goons.


    With the girls gone, Li Heng and Yan Shirong returned. Yan Shirong was glaring at Li Heng, who looked entirely unconcerned. ¡°We should follow their example,¡± he said. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t win the contest, Princess Tan is correct. Selling the cores will go a long way to replenishing our funds.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Yan Shirong said with a sniff. ¡°I have plenty of spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°Then you can forgo your share,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    As Li Heng and Yan Shirong bickered over the division of spoils, the three of them set off to make good use of what time they had left in the day.

 1.38 - Foundation

    The medicinal pill He Yu had accepted from Chen Fei helped him recover from the earlier fight easily enough. The ringing in his head had quickly subsided, and the pain in his ribs had eased but not completely healed. They still bothered him if he wasn¡¯t careful, but Li Heng had assured him a breakthrough would take care of that. As far as he was concerned, reaching the Second Realm was now a given since Yan Shirong¡¯s suggestion.


    Li Heng had grumbled a bit but quickly relented. Come the morrow, the outer disciples would be fully in competition with one another. He Yu would need to be in good condition, but more importantly, a breakthrough would mean that he¡¯d be better able to take care of himself. Without advancing, he¡¯d be an easy victim for anyone looking to score some quick spoils.


    Reaching Foundation would also allow the two of them to begin issuing challenges of their own. Li Heng had been planning for the end of the grace period for quite some time. He had a list of disciples that he wanted to challenge¡ªwhether because they possessed a particular combination of strength and wealth that made them easy yet profitable targets, or they¡¯d simply given some insult over the past three months. Regardless of who Li Heng had painted a target on, he¡¯d insisted that He Yu join in.


    Besides, He Yu desperately wanted to reach Foundation. Despite Li Heng¡¯s continued assurance that he¡¯d acquitted himself well during their fight with Sha Xiang, he couldn¡¯t help but feel as though he ought to have been able to do more. He was a real cultivator now. Shouldn¡¯t he want to do more than weather a few blows to the head from a qi infused fist?


    Besides the general increase in power he knew would come with advancement, he was eager to crack into the arts waiting for him once he reached Foundation. Most of the Second Realm disciples had been cultivating the White Mountain Body Art for some time now. During their waterfall training sessions, He Yu had come to learn firsthand just what the art was capable of. Chen Fei had taken to the art well. She stood a full head taller than most of the other girls in the outer sect and was stronger than anyone at her level of cultivation. She was nearly as tall as Li Heng, and Ren Huang¡¯s physical lessons had only enhanced the gifts she¡¯d begun with. Despite their difference in cultivation, she was on roughly the same level as Tan Xiaoling when it came to pure physical strength.


    According to Chen Fei herself, it was all thanks to the White Mountain Body Art. He Yu had asked her about it when he¡¯d noticed how much stronger she¡¯d become after one of their sparring sessions. She¡¯d told him the art cultivated a combination of metal and mountain qi. The first technique¡ªthe Eternal Mountain Root¡ªwas a refinement of the techniques Ren Huang had been teaching them up until that point. It made sense that he would be preparing the outer disciples to cultivate the sect¡¯s signature body art. What had surprised him was just how much more effective the proper technique was.


    However, the art he most wanted to begin cultivating was the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. Dire warnings from Elder Cai aside, it seemed like just the thing he needed to propel him to where he felt he ought to be. He¡¯d done a bit of digging, and while information about the art was sparse, it did exist.


    The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace was an art out of legends. It formed the basis for the entire Way of a handful of immortals He Yu recognized from the stories that had enchanted him his whole life. Most records of the art were well over a thousand years old, and the most recent information he could find concerned something called the ¡°Dawn Palace.¡± Whatever this palace was, it had been sealed by an unnamed¡ªor unknown¡ªcultivator who reputedly had mastered the art. That alone was enough to set He Yu¡¯s imagination alight with possibility.


    When the three of them returned to the training grounds with their spirit cores in hand, He Yu had managed to work himself nearly sick in his impatience. All he could think about was the elixir and his breakthrough. He didn¡¯t even mind when the fifteen cores Li Heng, Yan Shirong, and himself had collected didn¡¯t even get them into the top five groups.


    Unsurprisingly, Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling had come in first, and each was rewarded with a personal lesson from Ren Huang. It wasn¡¯t fair, all things considered. Tan Xiaoling was by far the most powerful of the first-year disciples. She had the highest advancement and had the benefit of an entire kingdom¡¯s worth of resources to fuel her cultivation before she¡¯d even set foot in the Shrouded Peaks Sect.


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    Moreover, despite Chen Fei¡¯s reluctance to harm her fellow cultivators, she had become a capable combatant herself over the past three months. More than a few of the outer disciples shot angry or envious glares at the two girls as they graciously accepted their win.


    Once released from their physical training, He Yu and Li Heng followed Yan Shirong to the sect market. Yan Shirong indicated the vendor with the elixir and then excused himself to prepare for the following day. A sense of quiet anticipation had settled over the first-year disciples, as more and more filtered into the outer sect market to spend excess spirit stones on any last-minute elixirs or talismans to ready themselves for the end of the grace. Obtaining the elixir was simple enough. Li Heng spent a few minutes haggling with the vendor so as to ease the burden on He Yu¡¯s purse, and the elixir was his.


    On the return walk to their shared home, he said, ¡°You¡¯ll be using that tonight.¡±


    He Yu nodded. ¡°Will it be that much of a difference? Breaking into Foundation?¡±


    ¡°I suppose after your match with Cui Bao such a question would be expected,¡± he answered. ¡°It will. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve really been on the receiving end of the difference yet. At least not truly. While I can¡¯t speak for Chen Fei, I¡¯ve been holding back considerably during our sparring.¡±


    Thinking back to the one time Chen Fei hadn¡¯t held back, He Yu absently rubbed at his injured ribs. ¡°Mostly,¡± he mumbled.


    Back at their home, He Yu excused himself to the cultivation chamber on his side of the courtyard. Taking the elixir, he settled into the sect¡¯s basic cultivation technique, calming his thoughts and focusing on the surge of energy crackling in his dantian. Within moments, he¡¯d slipped into a deep meditation.


    Once again he stood atop a mountain. There were others, standing on distant peaks. Some he recognized as those he¡¯d come to know in his time at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. He was connected to them by thin, almost invisible threads. Whether that was destiny or fate, he couldn¡¯t say. He was connected to others, too. Some were foes, some were individuals unknown. A sense of relief settled in the back of his mind. He wasn¡¯t alone.


    The events of the day, the week, the month¡ªit all came back to him in a rush. His time at the sect, his time before in Shulin. Zhang Lifen had lifted him up and brought him to the Shrouded Peaks. Li Heng had approved his dedication and had forged the first link in a chain that had since grown to more than an alliance of convenience. Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling loomed in his thoughts, their friendship was something he¡¯d come to envy without even realizing it.


    Sha Xiang appeared before him, along with her coterie of followers. Much of her strength had been gained through the patronage of Xiao Jun. Another large measure of it was due to the support of Cui Bao and Qiao Xia. She had stood against He Yu and his companions, and it had taken the intervention of someone more than He Yu himself to finally overcome her.


    The energy in his dantian had built to a storm. It was like his previous breakthroughs, but more. Part of it was due to the elixir, but the rest was the result of months of cultivation. Refining his cultivation of the White Mountain technique. Punishing daily training under Ren Huang¡¯s watch. Hours listening to Elder Wen discuss the nature of cultivation and the intricacies of the spirit. It had all been leading to this.


    As he¡¯d learned in Elder Wen¡¯s lessons, He Yu packed the qi churning in his dantian down as small as he could manage. The excess qi provided by the elixir coursing through his meridians was directed to his dantian as well, adding to the reserves he¡¯d cultivated over the past months. Qi from the outside world, gathered by the formation script in the cultivation chamber itself, rushed into him at his call. All of it he cycled to his dantian, compressing it into an ever more compact point of crackling and pulsing pool of vital energy.


    Then, he could hold it no longer. He let go. Qi surged through his meridians. It was all he could do to guide it and direct it to flow in an orderly fashion according to his cultivation technique. Pressure built in his entire body, pushing outwards. An instant later, the stench broke into his meditations. It was so overwhelming this time he nearly lost control.


    He struggled not to gag, to keep his breathing locked to the rhythm of the White Mountain technique. His bones hardened, and his ribs knit themselves back together. A fog he¡¯d not even noticed lifted from his thoughts as the damage he¡¯d suffered from Sha Xiang¡¯s blow to his head repaired itself. His breathing slowed and fell into the pattern of the White Mountain technique in a way that was somehow more right than it had been before. His meridians surged with power. His whole being¡ªbody, mind, and spirit¡ªsurged with power.


    He Yu opened his eyes. He was covered in the black sludge he¡¯d expelled from his body during his breakthrough. That didn¡¯t matter. Nothing mattered. He¡¯d done it.

 1.39 - Disappointment

    He Yu stood and took a single step towards the door. Movement was different now that he¡¯d advanced. That one step contained more power than he could have mustered at a full sprint just hours before. Despite that, he had more control over his body than he¡¯d ever known.


    Stepping out of the cultivation chamber into the gray false dawn and the crisp morning air, he marveled at the change. The sounds of a just-stirring world contained more than he¡¯d ever thought possible. The rustle of a mouse in the undergrowth, the near-silent rush of an owl returning to roost. The soft sigh of silk an arm¡¯s length away.


    He turned to where Zhang Lifen stood, hands folded into the sleeves of her gown, her cerulean eyes intent. He bowed, pressing his fist into his palm. ¡°Forgive this one¡¯s appearance, Senior Sister.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations on reaching Foundation, Junior Brother He. Inadequate as it is.¡±


    He Yu froze at her words, panic spiking into his thoughts. He tried and failed to stammer out the only thing he could ask in response.


    ¡°Clean yourself up,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you out front.¡± She turned and drifted off as though carried by the mountain¡¯s mist.


    He did as he¡¯d been told. As he sloughed off the black sludge of impurities expelled through his skin, he tried to think of what else she could have meant. How could she deem him inadequate? He¡¯d done it. He¡¯d broken through to Foundation. With three months yet to go, he¡¯d passed through the first real gate for remaining in the sect. More importantly, he could properly support his friends now.


    Cleaned and changed, he stepped out through the outer gate to the home he shared with Li Heng. Zhang Lifen sat atop a nearby stone, beneath one of the red pines that dotted the residential area. As he approached, she stood and began walking down a path that led to one of the many secluded groves on this part of the mountain.


    ¡°Ask your question,¡± she said as he fell in behind her.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®inadequate?¡¯ Did I not truly reach Foundation?¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± she said. ¡°But you failed to do so under ideal conditions. While there is nothing strictly wrong with using elixirs to aid your advancement, you should not come to rely on them. I used a similar elixir when I achieved Foundation, after all.¡±


    He Yu let out a heavy breath. He¡¯d thought that he¡¯d done something to damage his advancement. That his breakthrough had been incomplete, perhaps.


    ¡°No,¡± she continued, ¡°you¡¯ve not failed to break through.¡± She stopped in the path and turned. ¡°You weren¡¯t yet ready. The elixir brought you to the boundary, and the elixir is what pushed you past it.¡±


    ¡°But you said¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know what I said. Do you? True, many use similar elixirs to fuel their advancement. Sha Xiang, for example. I suspect your encounter with her yesterday was the reason you chose to advance in such a manner.¡±


    ¡°Then why shouldn¡¯t I do the same?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Will you become a false dragon, relying on medicine to fuel your advancement? You¡¯ll certainly rise quickly if you do. You may even reach Body Refining at a younger age than I did. However, you would do well to remember that the path becomes more difficult the further you travel. Elixirs alone will never bring you to the heights of cultivation, and allow you to challenge all of heaven and earth.


    ¡°There is more to ascending the realms of cultivation than simply increasing your cultivation base. If there wasn¡¯t, nobody would ever get stuck at a bottleneck. Did you ever consider that there might be a reason most cultivators never progress beyond Body Refining? Should you truly wish to achieve the greatest heights, it would be best to put thoughts of easy advancement behind you.¡±


    He Yu fell silent. Zhang Lifen had effectively brought him to the sect and then left him to his own devices. The only aid she¡¯d given him had been informing him that he could get a copy of a cultivation technique available to all outer disciples anyway. How could she expect that without guidance, he¡¯d muddle his way somewhere?


    For a moment, neither of them spoke. At length, Zhang Lifen said, ¡°I could have broken through without the elixir. Can you say the same?¡±


    He thought back to the past few weeks, feeling as though he were approaching something, but he couldn¡¯t honestly say he¡¯d been close. ¡°No,¡± he admitted, although he was certain she already knew the answer.


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    ¡°Just so,¡± she said, flicking her sleeve. ¡°Let us put the past behind us. What¡¯s done is done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he asked, almost unable to believe how easily she¡¯d dismissed the whole issue. ¡°What¡¯s done is done?¡±


    ¡°There is no changing it. You ought follow the example of someone like myself or Junior Sister Tan in the future, however. Approach the next realm and take half a step into it, then take your elixir. Try it when you advance stages within the Second Realm, then tell me I¡¯m wrong if you can. Advancing to gain advantage over an enemy is common enough. If it was going to happen, it¡¯s better that it happened early. Now, we have more pressing matters to discuss. You¡¯ve come into possession of quite the interesting art, have you not?¡±


    He Yu nodded. ¡°The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace.¡±


    ¡°Master Cai does like to test me,¡± she said with a faint note of resignation. ¡°I am familiar with the art, at least in passing, but my nature is unsuited to cultivate it. I will be of little help on your journey to master it. I daresay hardly anyone on the mountain will, aside from Master Cai himself.¡±


    Of the two things He Yu wanted to say to that, he picked the one that seemed more pressing. ¡°It isn¡¯t as if you¡¯ve been much help so far.¡± As soon as he¡¯d spoken, he froze. Then, he bowed deeply in apology.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t incorrect,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°There was little I could have done that you wouldn¡¯t have been better served doing for yourself, and circumstances prevented me from taking a more active hand in your advancement during the grace period. The elders deem it best to allow the outer disciples to guide their own development during their time in the outer sect. Despite their restrictions, I likely could have provided more instruction and remained within the bounds of sect rules. Like instructing you to reach a bottleneck before stuffing yourself full of elixirs, for example.¡±


    He hardly thought taking a single elixir counted as ¡°stuffing.¡± Instead of objecting, he asked his other question, ¡°What did you mean about Elder Cai and the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace?¡±


    ¡°Master Cai is the inheritor of the art. He learned it from its original creator, the Cloud Emperor himself.¡±


    ¡°Was he the one who sealed the¡ª¡±


    Zhang Lifen held up a silencing finger. ¡°Let us not speak of things better left alone for now. But to answer your question, yes. And it was his hand that erased the records of such. I can assure you there are reasons, and those reasons are best left to mists of memory and time.¡±


    He Yu fidgeted as he held back the torrent of questions that leaped to the tip of his tongue. If Elder Cai was the nameless cultivator who sealed the Dawn Palace, why would he want to erase all records of such? He recalled that Li Heng had seemed to know something of that, but it was probably best if he listened to Zhang Lifen for the time being. Instead, he asked, ¡°When are you going to start actually training me?¡± His words were perhaps a bit more edged than he¡¯d truly meant for them to carry, but he couldn¡¯t say he regretted it.


    ¡°When you reach the inner sect, of course. As I said, I am prevented from taking too active a hand while you yet remain an outer disciple. Now that the grace has expired, I am permitted a bit more freedom in how I approach your development, however. First, you should immediately begin cultivating the White Mountain Body Art. Sect Brother Ren¡¯s training has prepared you well for it, and it will complement your other arts besides. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace contains a cultivation technique. You should begin cultivating that while continuing to increase your mastery with the Five Crescent Winds.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve reached Foundation, your weekly stipend will increase as well, to help offset the increased costs of your advancement. It will, however, not be enough on its own. You¡¯ll need to continue taking sect jobs, and you should probably begin venturing out into the surrounding sect territory to collect resources to either sell or use for yourself. As you advance, the costs will only increase. Without a family¡¯s backing, you¡¯ll be on your own paying for them.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like much guidance to me,¡± he said, letting his shoulders slump.


    For the first time since she¡¯d appeared in his courtyard, her too-knowing grin returned. ¡°When you reach the inner sect, you¡¯ll long for the days of my restraint, while cursing my name with every breath.¡±


    ¡°When I reach the inner sect,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course. Your position is far stronger than you realize, He Yu. You have powerful allies, and Junior Brother Li¡¯s plan for duels will gain you a bounty of resources. My own master¡¯s intervention aside, it seems my hunch about you has proved itself correct.¡±


    There was something about the way she¡¯d spoken that prickled at him. He couldn¡¯t place what exactly, and he thought it was probably better to stay quiet anyway. Whether his silence was more to a better understanding of how he fit into things at the Shrouded Peaks Sect, or due to the increased self-mastery from his cultivation, he couldn¡¯t say and didn¡¯t think mattered. It was an improvement either way.


    ¡°This humble disciple is grateful for any instruction Senior Sister Zhang can provide,¡± he said, pressing his fist into his palm.


    Zhang Lifen rapped the back of her knuckles on the top of his head. ¡°Stop that. No need to be so formal when it¡¯s just us.¡±


    The strike was too much like Elder Cai¡¯s. He Yu wondered how long it had taken the elder to break Zhang Lifen of her own sense of propriety. ¡°My apologies,¡± he said.


    ¡°No need,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m prohibited from doing anything as instructive as dropping you in a den of spirit wolves every time you forget, so take advantage while you can, I suppose.¡± He Yu¡¯s eyes widened a bit at that, but she didn¡¯t give him time to respond. ¡°Li Heng is looking for you. No doubt he wants to spread his wings now that the grace period has ended. Make sure you get yourself a storage treasure soon. You¡¯ll need it, I think.¡±


    She dismissed him with a wave, and He Yu rushed back home to meet with Li Heng.

 1.40 - Cultivating the Heavenly Palace

    When He Yu arrived back at their shared home, Li Heng was already awake and waiting for him. He sat in the courtyard, his jian lying across his lap.


    ¡°There you are,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d half thought Senior Sister Zhang would have kept you longer. Did she have any lessons that you can share?¡±


    ¡°She scolded me for using an elixir to fuel my breakthrough. Said I should have waited until I reached the peak myself, and then used the elixir to push past it. Something about a false dragon.¡±


    Li Heng gave a nod as if he¡¯d known already. ¡°She isn¡¯t wrong, but I think her standards might be too high, especially in your circumstances. Advancing to the Foundation stage was the most important thing. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to push the limits of the higher realms.¡±


    ¡°Did you reach Foundation that way?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but I had time,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°I began cultivating as soon as I turned fifteen, and I wasn¡¯t allowed to even consider joining a sect until I reached Foundation. Your situation is different, in case you hadn¡¯t realized.


    ¡°If you were still at Qi Gathering, even at the peak, you¡¯d be nothing more than prey for any Second Realms looking for some easy spoils to help catch them up to the talents of this year.¡±


    ¡°Like you,¡± He Yu said. By this point, he¡¯d moved well past the need to keep the bitterness from his voice with Li Heng.


    ¡°Just so,¡± the noble replied. ¡°But fear not, I have something for you.¡± He tossed a jade slip to He Yu.


    Unrolling the slip, He Yu did feel some small measure of comfort. It contained the White Mountain Body Art. ¡°My thanks,¡± he said, giving Li Heng a bow.


    Li Heng waved the comment away. ¡°Absorb the knowledge from the slip, and get your guandao. I want to see for myself what a Foundation He Yu is capable of.¡±


    As it turned out, Zhang Lifen had spoken true. Ren Huang¡¯s training had all been nothing more than preparation for this art. The cycling patterns of the first technique¡ªthe Eternal Mountain Root¡ªwere very similar to the exercises Ren Huang had been teaching him all these months. The technique contained in the full body art was more refined, much like the sect¡¯s basic cultivation technique had been a superior version of the cultivation technique he¡¯d been using before joining the sect.


    Activating the technique, he hefted his guandao. From weeks of practice, he¡¯d gained a familiarity with the weapon. A feel for its heft, and how to work with that weight. He was immediately thrown by how light it now seemed. While he didn¡¯t feel any stronger, the massive polearm was like a feather in his grip.


    ¡°You¡¯ll settle in faster than you¡¯d think,¡± Li Heng called over his shoulder. ¡°Just don¡¯t think too much and it will fall into place.¡±


    He Yu decided his housemate probably knew best and took the advice as he gave his weapon a few practice swings. It wasn¡¯t quite right, but he saw what Li Heng had meant. Pushing away his thoughts about all the little differences, He Yu settled into a combat stance. Across the courtyard from him, Li Heng did the same.


    In a flash, Li Heng crossed the distance and pressured him with a series of rapid thrusts. The sheer aggression from the noble wasn¡¯t entirely new, but it was unexpected. Li Heng preferred to fight more defensively, letting his opponent¡¯s attacks power up his Winter Moon Reflection. It seemed he had other tricks as well.


    As Li Heng pressed the attack, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but notice that despite the increased aggression, he could hold his own. Li Heng was certainly putting far more power behind his strikes than he had before, but He Yu found himself at least able to endure with just the additional strength and durability granted by his breakthrough. It wasn¡¯t enough, though. He could see that Li Heng would break through his defense sooner rather than later.


    He Yu activated the Eternal Mountain Root. Given that he¡¯d only just learned the technique, it was clumsy, but months of preparation meant that he succeeded regardless. The qi that surged through his meridians took on a mountain aspect as it flooded his muscles, joints, and bones. Vital energy pulled from the very heart of an ancient and indomitable peak filled him and gave him strength he¡¯d never before felt. He activated the Bracing Wind just as Li Heng launched into another series of attacks, and pushed the noble away.


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    The flicker of a grin played across Li Heng¡¯s lips as he slid back. He Yu advanced. Wind qi churned around his guandao¡¯s blade as he brought it to bear. In that moment Li Heng¡¯s sword seemed a flimsy and delicate thing in comparison. How could such a small weapon ever hope to stand against the might of a weapon as massive as the guandao? Especially when enforced with the Five Crescent Winds.


    Metal clashed against metal, and a silver light flared around Li Heng¡¯s blade. It was the first time Li Heng had ever used the Winter Moon Reflection in their sparring sessions, and He Yu was unprepared. His guandao rebounded off Li Heng¡¯s Jian, and a burst of qi carrying an unfamiliar aspect shoved him back. He was off balance, and as a consequence had no defense for the kick Li Heng launched square at his chest.


    It was a favorite combo of Li Heng¡¯s¡ªHe Yu had seen it more than enough times. That didn¡¯t make it any easier to take. He spared a brief moment of wonder at the fact his ribs didn¡¯t shatter before he crashed into one of the formation-reinforced pillars lining the inner courtyard of their home. He Yu groaned as he picked himself up.


    Li Heng sent his sword back to his storage treasure and gave a nod. ¡°Acceptable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I met your standards, Heir of the Western Passage,¡± He Yu said. Although he wanted to feel at least a bit stung at how badly he¡¯d just been beaten, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at just how much stronger he¡¯d become. Li Heng had shown more of his strength in that duel than he ever had before. Even though he¡¯d lost, it had not been nearly as one-sided as he would have expected. Not only had it shown him clearly just how much stronger he¡¯d become, but it also demonstrated how much further he needed to go. Pressing his fist into his palm, he said, ¡°This one thanks you for your instruction.¡±


    ¡°Enough of that,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°We¡¯re friends, and you¡¯ve finally taken your first real step on the journey of cultivation. Everything before was mere child¡¯s play. Why do you think the sect expels anyone who fails to reach Foundation after six months?¡±


    He Yu hadn¡¯t given much thought to the advancement requirements since that first day. A worry lodged in his heart at the reminder. ¡°What if I can¡¯t reach Body Refining in a year¡¯s time?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it,¡± Li Heng said with a dismissive flick of his sleeve. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve advanced you¡¯ll receive a larger stipend, and you¡¯ll have access to better-paying sect jobs. That will go a long way to providing for your increased cultivation needs. You can make up any shortfall with spoils.¡±


    He Yu shifted at the mention of spoils but said nothing. He still wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea of beating up other disciples and taking their resources, but Li Heng treated it as a given. None of the advice Li Heng had given him so far had led him astray, so why should he question now?


    ¡°Seems fair,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°So, ready to go earn some advancement resources?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll hold off,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Senior Sister Zhang told me I should begin cultivating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. I should probably listen to her.¡±


    Li Heng stroked his chin thoughtfully. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. I wouldn¡¯t spend too much time in seclusion, though. If we wait, all the easy pickings will dry up. A hard-fought victory is sweeter, but you have a lot of catching up to do still.¡±


    After excusing himself, He Yu retrieved the jade slip containing the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace and closed himself in his cultivation chamber. He sent a trickle of qi into the slip, and the knowledge of the art filled his thoughts. The foundation of the art was the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. It was primarily a cultivation technique, and even with his limited expertise he could see it was vastly superior to the one he¡¯d been using. It was also considerably more difficult. The technique required him to cycle his qi in far more complex patterns, while also holding insights he¡¯d gained from his experiences in life. Doing so would grow his cultivation base, and give him tremendous insight into both himself and others.


    The second technique the art contained was called the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. It was a complicated and potent movement technique that harnessed wind-aspected qi. Immediately he saw why Elder Cai had said the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace would suit him well. The weeks he¡¯d spent cultivating the Five Crescent Winds had given a slight wind aspect to his qi.


    According to Elder Wen¡¯s cultivation lectures, the aspect of the arts and techniques a cultivator used would impress themselves on their spirit and cause their qi to take on those aspects. It was the source of the strong presence that powerful cultivators had on the world around them when their qi was unrestrained.


    He¡¯d also learned from those same lessons that each cultivator¡¯s nature would be more strongly aligned with certain aspects than others. He Yu could only assume that¡¯s what Zhang Lifen had meant when she said that she was unsuited to cultivate the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. It was most likely why Elder Cai had given He Yu the art in the first place.


    The remaining techniques were sealed. They would become available to him once he¡¯d advanced his cultivation of the art¡¯s foundational technique far enough. Then he would have to suffer a tribulation. The slip didn¡¯t specify precisely what kind of tribulation it would be, but based on the stories it was nothing that he¡¯d want to look forward to.


    With the path forward as clear as it could be for the time being, He Yu settled into the lotus position and began to cultivate according to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment.

 1.41 - He Yus First Duel

    He Yu struck what he hoped would come across as an imposing stance, guandao held in one hand at his side, blade pointed to the heavens. He¡¯d spent the past three days sequestered in his home and familiarizing himself with the first two techniques of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. It had taken a bit of effort, but he felt as though he¡¯d managed to get the hang of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment in that time. The second technique, the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight was the more difficult of the two, and it sent him crashing into walls or nearby trees more often than not. Still, he thought he¡¯d gained enough practice with them that he felt ready to begin dueling.


    ¡°Ma Peng!¡± he shouted. ¡°I challenge you to an exchange of techniques!¡±


    Several passersby stopped whatever business they were about to gather and watch the coming duel. As it turned out, the duels had become somewhat of a spectacle among the outer sect disciples. As fighting broke out more frequently, many began betting on the outcome. He Yu was torn between a grin and a grimace as he caught the murmurs of bets being cast in Ma Peng¡¯s favor.


    The son of a low-ranked but wealthy noble clan, Ma Peng had been an obvious target according to Li Heng. He was still peak First Realm, and most likely relying on his status to protect him from the other disciples who still were close to his level. Anyone with a high enough status to not fear potential retribution was closer to the level of Li Heng or Tan Xiaoling. Even so, Li Heng had warned that Ma Peng would have a well-formed cultivation base, and potentially access to better arts than the other First Realm disciples.


    When He Yu had asked if he needed to fear any sort of retribution for challenging a noble, Li Heng had dismissed his concerns out of hand. That he¡¯d been sponsored by the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s rising star ought to be enough for the time being. He Yu wasn¡¯t certain if that was true, but he¡¯d agreed to go along with the plan anyway. He needed the resources he could collect as spoils.


    Ma Peng stepped forward and produced a dao saber from nowhere. He Yu fought back the urge to smile. That meant Ma Peng had a storage treasure, which was the main thing He Yu hoped to gain from this fight.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a surprise though, as Ma Peng liked to flaunt his wealth. He dressed more finely than even Li Heng or Princess Tan, and the saber itself was worked with an ostentatious amount of detail and ornamentation. The idea that someone with that much money didn¡¯t have a storage treasure was absurd.


    ¡°Who is this? Some peasant issuing a challenge to me, the great Ma Peng?¡±


    At this, He Yu¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°We shall see how great you are,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t put much stock in the other disciple¡¯s boast.


    ¡°Know your place,¡± Ma Peng sniffed. ¡°It will be trivial to beat some barking dog from a nowhere backwater. I accept.¡±


    The two disciples faced off against one another across the plaza. They were ringed by a considerable crowd now, most of whom seemed to be eager to see the ¡°peasant¡± get beaten down. Several jeers came from the gathered crowd, all directed at He Yu.


    Nothing he wasn¡¯t used to by now.


    It was well-known that he¡¯d come to the sect as the weakest of the outer disciples, and he¡¯d been in seclusion since his breakthrough. Nobody in the outer sect would have developed a refined enough spiritual sense to determine his cultivation level until the fight began.


    Of course, once everyone realized that he¡¯d achieved Foundation, they¡¯d mark him for a coward for beating up on an opponent who was still at the Qi Gathering stage. Which was the point, according to Li Heng. It would make other disciples at He Yu¡¯s stage more likely to accept duels or issue challenges of their own. Any negative reputation he gained from this one fight would quickly be washed away by his future victories. Assuming he could actually win them.


    He Yu pushed those thoughts aside. Now wasn¡¯t the time.


    Ma Peng gave him an arrogant sneer, and He Yu attacked.


    With a powerful leap, he launched himself across the space between them. He activated the Crashing Wind and brought his guandao down in an overhand strike. Ma Peng only just managed to bring his dao up in time. He Yu easily broke through the other disciple¡¯s defenses. It wasn¡¯t a clean hit, and Ma Peng managed to activate his own technique. At the last instant, he slipped away from the attack.


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    ¡°Bandit! Coward!¡± Ma Peng shouted. A murmur of agreement spread through the gathered disciples. That had clearly not been an attack that someone only at the Qi Gathering stage should be capable of.


    He Yu shrugged but said nothing as he turned to face Ma Peng. He activated the Eternal Mountain Root and charged. The blade of Ma Peng¡¯s dao turned to mist. He Yu advanced, leading with a series of sweeps and jabs. Despite its insubstantial appearance, Ma Peng¡¯s saber was more than capable of deflecting the blows. Still, he was on the back foot.


    With a cloak of wind qi swirling around his guandao, He Yu launched himself into the air once more. This time, rather than block, Ma Peng faded to mist. His guandao cracked against the flagstones, and He Yu glanced around for his opponent.


    ¡°Fool,¡± Ma Peng sneered as he stepped from the mountain¡¯s ever-present mists and placed a foot atop He Yu¡¯s weapon, much in the same way Cui Bao had done just days prior. ¡°Your inexperience will be your undoing.¡±


    Ma Peng¡¯s blade¡ªstill a thing of insubstantial-looking mist¡ªlashed out towards He Yu¡¯s throat. He activated the Eternal Mountain Root and wrenched his guandao upward, tipping Ma Peng off balance. It was almost comical to see the other disciple flailing as he tried to regain his balance. He Yu¡¯s follow-up was swift, but not swift enough.


    The other disciple faded away once more, using his movement technique. It was an effective means of getting out of He Yu¡¯s reach. It likely would have been a good way to get inside his guard as well, but Ma Peng¡¯s confidence had taken a hit in the duel¡¯s opening moments.


    Growing impatient, He Yu used the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. He dashed towards Ma Peng, propelled by powerful winds that allowed him to cross dozens of feet in a single step. He raised his blade, and let the thrill of the technique¡¯s pseudo-flight sing in his veins.


    He shot past Ma Peng. Just like during practice, he¡¯d lost control. Too late to stop himself, he slammed into a cluster of onlookers. They all fell to the flagstones in a tumble of limbs and robes.


    Ma Peng pounced on the opportunity. His movement technique was far more practiced than He Yu¡¯s, and he stepped through the mists to stand over where He Yu was still trying to extract himself from the mess of disciples that had broken his fall.


    ¡°Still just a churl,¡± Ma Peng sneered, lifting his misty blade.


    Somewhere along the way, He Yu had lost his guandao. With no weapon of his own, his only real option would be to avoid the strike that Ma Peng readied¡ªbut there was a pile of disciples underneath him. It wasn¡¯t a question of whether or not he¡¯d be blamed should the onlookers be injured, but rather the simple fact that he couldn¡¯t allow them to be. Heroes didn¡¯t sacrifice others simply to win a duel.


    He Yu activated the Eternal Mountain Root once again. He caught Ma Peng by the wrist, and with the strength of the body technique, tossed him to the ground. He Yu was back on his feet before his opponent hit the flagstones. His guandao lay a few feet away. An instant later, he stood over Ma Peng with the blade of his weapon at the other disciple¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Yield,¡± He Yu said, blood surging in his ears. He almost couldn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d won.


    Ma Peng turned his head to the side and spat. ¡°Take your spoils. But know I won¡¯t forget this.¡±


    He Yu hesitated then. This was tantamount to robbery. Did heroes rob their defeated foes?


    ¡°Give me your storage treasure,¡± he said.


    Ma Peng paled but slowly moved to comply.


    ¡°Empty it first,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I just want the treasure itself. You can keep everything else.¡±


    Although he made no effort to hide his shock, Ma Peng still sneered as he summoned half a dozen cases of medicinal pills, several jade slips, and a pile of low-grade spirit stones. ¡°I won¡¯t forget this,¡± he repeated. Regardless, he handed the dull gray ring to He Yu.


    Taking his spoils, such as they were, He Yu turned and left Ma Peng to scramble and collect his belongings among the crowd of disciples who¡¯d gathered to offer their ¡°help¡± in moving his riches back home. Leaving the site of the duel, He Yu caught sight of Li Heng. The noble had his arms crossed and gave He Yu a slight frown as he approached.


    ¡°You were supposed to take him for all he was worth,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°All I needed was the storage treasure. How do I use this thing anyway?¡±


    ¡°You needed far more than that,¡± Li Heng answered. ¡°You¡¯re still far behind Sha Xiang, and after that display, I¡¯d bet a month¡¯s worth of my allowance that you¡¯ll have challengers practically knocking down your door.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± He Yu demanded, more than a bit annoyed at Li Heng¡¯s tone.


    ¡°It was a sloppy fight. They¡¯ll think you¡¯re an easy target.¡±


    He Yu shrugged, ¡°I just won¡¯t use my movement technique. Anyway, why are you so intent on robbing people?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not robbery to take your earned spoils.¡± There was a twinge of tension in Li Heng¡¯s voice, as though he didn¡¯t wholly believe himself. He Yu was certain he wouldn¡¯t have noticed before reaching Foundation.


    He let the matter drop¡ªhe had more important things to worry about for the moment than arguing the ethics of robbing one¡¯s defeated foes with his roommate. Like preparing for his coming showdown with Sha Xiang.

 1.42 - To an Allys Aid

    ¡°Da Ning!¡± Li Heng bellowed. ¡°Come and face me!¡±


    He Yu sat atop a fallen log, cycling the medicine from the pill he¡¯d just eaten. His guandao was tucked away inside his new storage treasure. It was a massive quality of life improvement, not having to carry the heavy thing around with him everywhere.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s suggestion to focus on cultivating the White Mountain Body Art had already paid dividends. The boost in strength, speed, and vitality he¡¯d experienced from advancing to Foundation had only been bolstered in the days since. The Eternal Mountain Root technique made wielding his guandao practically effortless. He¡¯d easily won all of his duels and had even allowed himself to collect a small amount of spirit stones from his opponents. It was only a fraction of what he could have taken, he told himself, so it was hardly the same thing as robbery.


    While he waited for Li Heng¡¯s opponent to show himself, He Yu tried to cultivate according to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, the foundational technique of the Hidden Palace art. The cultivation technique would grant insight both into oneself, and the world around him. The jade slip containing the Hidden Palace art extolled the virtues of the technique. All fine and good, except that it was monstrously difficult. Since his first stumbling attempts at cultivating the technique in the days since his breakthrough, He Yu had come to at least try it in every spare moment he had.


    ¡°What do you want, miscreant?¡± came a male voice, no less refined and imperious than Li Heng¡¯s.


    He Yu opened his eyes and observed the newcomer with what he hoped was the sage-like appraisal of the Cloud Emperor himself.


    Da Ning was perhaps a year older than He Yu and carried himself much the same way as Li Heng did. It made sense. The Da were a vassal clan of the ducal house given authority over the vast southern forests of the Dragon Empire.


    The Da scion was dressed in a finely made version of the sect uniform, much like all the other wealthy disciples tended towards. Meaning to answer the challenge, he carried a jian. He Yu almost pitied him. Up until the last few days, he¡¯d only ever seen Li Heng fight against Tan Xiaoling and himself. Since He Yu had been a mere First Realm until only recently, Li Heng had needed to hold back considerably.


    Against Tan Xiaoling, appraising Li Heng¡¯s talent had the opposite problem. The Jade Princess, as the other disciples had taken to calling her since the end of grace, overmatched him by such a measure that his skills were unable to shine through. Against anyone at or near his own level, Li Heng was peerless. It was, perhaps, the only reason he could stand as well as he managed against Tan Xiaoling.


    ¡°You heard me,¡± Li Heng said, his jian falling into his hand.


    ¡°Kowtow and beg forgiveness, and I will let you go,¡± Da Ning answered.


    The two disciples clashed, jian sparking and ringing into the morning mists. It was clear from the first exchange that Li Heng was the superior swordsman, so He Yu ceased paying attention to the fight. Instead, he chose to turn his attention toward unraveling the secrets of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. They would fight, Da Ning would wear himself down, and Li Heng would move in to finish him.


    Chen Fei¡¯s voice called his name, breaking into his meditations. Opening his eyes, he saw her rushing towards him from out of the mists. Her hair was out of place, which wasn¡¯t entirely unusual for her after training, but a bloody gash ran up her arm. It was already stitching itself back together, so she must have taken a pill for it, but it gave him pause regardless.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked as she drew near.


    She was breathing heavily. Another sign that something was amiss. She could run to the base of the mountain and back without growing short of breath. After a moment, she managed to gasp, ¡°Xiaoling. She needs help.¡±


    He Yu hesitated. Tan Xiaoling needed help? What could he do to help her? He looked to Li Heng, still locked in combat with Da Ning. It would be a while yet before their duel was finished. Maybe if he could convince Chen Fei to wait for a moment. Surely nothing could threaten Tan Xiaoling so much that he couldn¡¯t wait a few more minutes. He tried not to think about the obvious question¡ªif Tan Xiaoling was under threat, how could he, of all people, be expected to come to her aid?


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    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. At least her answer would give him a few moments to think.


    ¡°Sha Xiang and the others. Xiao Jun, too.¡±


    His blood ran cold. Sha Xiang and her coterie had been noticeably absent since the end of the grace. That she¡¯d resurfaced now¡ªand challenged Tan Xiaoling of all people¡ªdid not bode well. He Yu hadn¡¯t closed the gap near enough to help against her. With the addition of Xiao Jun, a fully Third Realm cultivator, he¡¯d be worse than useless.


    ¡°Please,¡± Chen Fei said, worry clear in her words. ¡°Come help.¡± She grabbed He Yu by the hand and pulled him off the log he¡¯d been sitting on.


    He Yu looked to Li Heng¡¯s duel. Maybe, if they waited and brought Li Heng along, the four of them would be enough. Tan Xiaoling was strong and might be able to hold off Xiao Jun on her own long enough for the others to deal with Sha Xiang and her followers. Once they¡¯d been defeated, the four of them could surely take Xiao Jun together.


    Chen Fei followed his gaze. ¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± she pleaded, giving him another tug in the direction of the path she¡¯d come from.


    He Yu cursed his ill fortune and then followed her. Not before calling over his shoulder, ¡°Princess Tan needs us!¡± Much to his relief, he saw the brief nod Li Heng gave in his direction, just before the silver shimmer around his jian flared. Li Heng wouldn¡¯t be far behind.


    As they rushed along the path carrying them away from the outer sect and higher up the mountain, He Yu tried to shake off the growing anxious anticipation. Maybe there was a way he could single out Cui Bao or Qiao Xia. He didn¡¯t think Cui Bao had been close enough to advance when they last fought, so surely He Yu would be able to beat him now¡ªespecially with how well he¡¯d stood against him despite his disadvantage last time.


    Qiao Xia probably wasn¡¯t much stronger than Cui Bao, either. At least he hoped. A parasol certainly wasn¡¯t the sort of weapon he¡¯d want against something as heavy and deadly as a guandao. Sha Xiang was a serious worry though. Li Heng could surely deal with her once he arrived. Besides, Chen Fei was along, too. They could deal with this.


    When they arrived at the site where Tan Xiaoling was holding against the four other disciples, He Yu¡¯s heart plunged into his gut. The glade they¡¯d been fighting in¡ªor what was left of it¡ªwas wrecked. What red pines were left standing were stripped of bark and scoured down to living wood bleeding sap. The ground was cracked and scorched, and a few small flames licked at the remaining undergrowth at the edges of the battle.


    Tan Xiaoling stood at the end opposite the path, her back against the stone of the mountain itself. She held a dao in each hand, and her expression mirrored the anger carved into the tiger decorations of her sabers. Her uniform was torn in several places and stained red-brown with dried blood. Her chest heaved with each breath, but her stance remained strong, and her expression showed equal parts rage and defiance.


    Arrayed before her were Sha Xiang, Cui Bao, and Qiao Xia. The three of them stayed well out of her reach, and it was easy to see why. All three looked about as haggard as Tan Xiaoling, with torn uniforms and obvious wounds. The Jade Princess had apparently given as good as she¡¯d received.


    The only person in the clearing who didn¡¯t look the least bit concerned was Xiao Jun. The Third Realm disciple lounged on a sturdy tree branch that had escaped most of the fight¡¯s fallout. He toyed absently with his meteor hammer, swinging it in lazy loops as he looked on with a bored expression.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s gaze flicked to where He Yu and Chen Fei emerged from the mists. A cyclone of dust and grit kicked up around her, and she rushed the three disciples before her. The confidence He Yu had seen the three of them display just days earlier was entirely absent from their response. Cui Bao and Qiao Xia both backed off, adopting strong defensive stances. Sha Xiang was the only one who seemed able to stand her ground against Tan Xiaoling. Even so, the Jade Princess had her on the back foot after only a brief flurry of strikes.


    Then, Xiao Jun acted. His meteor hammer flew at the princess and struck her square in the chest. Whatever technique he¡¯d put into it not only knocked her off her feet but also disrupted her sandstorm. She was back on her feet in an instant, but that instant was enough. Sha Xiang and her followers moved in, and Tan Xiaoling was fighting three-on-one, still clearly under the effects of Xiao Jun¡¯s technique. Without thinking, He Yu rushed forward.


    Xiao Jun appeared in front of him in a burst of shadowy qi. The Third Realm reached out and shoved He Yu back. It was such a lazy and effortless motion, but it sent him sprawling back more than a dozen feet. The sheer difference in strength was almost beyond what he could grasp. As Chen Fei helped him up, he withdrew his guandao from his storage space.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xiao Jun drawled. ¡°Either you¡¯re incredibly brave, or monumentally stupid. I think it¡¯s the latter.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this on my own,¡± He Yu said to Chen Fei. How she would be able to help, he couldn¡¯t say. But it was true¡ªhe needed her.


    She visibly steeled herself and nodded.


    Xiao Jun laughed. ¡°Beg for your lives and¡ª¡±


    A sudden spiritual weight bore down on the clearing. Even as He Yu struggled against it, managing to suck in one last lungful of air before he was dragged down, he allowed himself to feel profound relief like he¡¯d never felt before.


    Zhang Lifen appeared in the middle of the clearing, the presence of her qi forcing everyone else to their hands and knees. The sense of dark, crushing depths remained for a moment, then relented. Even though she¡¯d withdrawn her presence, her qi lingered as she regarded the scene with her swirling cerulean eyes.


    ¡°How fortunate,¡± she said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have arranged things better myself.¡±

 1.43 - Confrontation

    Xiao Jun leaped to his feet, his features twisted in fury. ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you!¡± he shouted. ¡°The sect rules forbid it.¡±


    Zhang Lifen inclined her head. ¡°That¡¯s correct. I am unfortunately quite restrained from interfering in this little slap fight you¡¯ve started, Junior Brother Xiao.¡±


    That was the last thing He Yu had wanted to hear from her. All hopes that she¡¯d come to his¡ªand his friends¡¯¡ªrescue died as Zhang Lifen spoke.


    ¡°However,¡± the core disciple continued, ¡°you haven¡¯t exactly been following the sect rules either, have you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an outer disciple,¡± he said, lifting his chin.


    ¡°And a third-year. Which means you are forbidden from interfering in first-year competition during the grace period.¡±


    Xiao Jun¡¯s expression darkened. How Zhang Lifen had known of his attack at the waterfall cultivation spot, He Yu couldn¡¯t have said. But apparently, it was a serious enough breach to warrant her involvement in this. At least he hoped.


    ¡°What of it?¡± Xiao Jun asked.


    ¡°I could let the sect elders know,¡± she said. ¡°Although I suspect they already do. I assume the only reason they haven¡¯t yet acted is that nobody has made any fuss over it. Maybe they¡¯re simply unconcerned and turn a blind eye to a fight among children. How much are you willing to wager on either outcome, Junior Brother Xiao?¡±


    ¡°This conflict doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Xiao Jun repeated.


    ¡°Oh, but it does,¡± she said. ¡°We each have a junior here, do we not? And those juniors have a grudge to settle. Perhaps we ought to let them do so? Without interference from either of us, of course.¡±


    Instantly the mood in the glade shifted. Xiao Jun looked thoughtful. Sha Xiang, eager. Tan Xiaoling visibly relaxed, and Chen Fei glanced at He Yu with unconcealed worry. For his part, He Yu tried to keep all the tangled mess of things he was feeling from showing¡ªespecially in front of Zhang Lifen.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but she had acknowledged him¡ªat least in some small way. It had sort of been a given up until then that she was, what exactly? Mentor? Sponsor? He supposed it didn¡¯t really matter.


    That she¡¯d recognized thus should have been cause for a celebration. It would have been under any different circumstances. However, it had also thrown him into direct confrontation with Sha Xiang, and done so long before he was ready. At the same time, this was a chance to prove himself. To finally put the grudge between Sha Xiang and himself to bed.


    ¡°Junior Sister Sha has a full stage¡¯s advancement on Junior Brother He,¡± Xiao Jun said. He sounded oddly wary like he expected some trick. Given everything He Yu had seen from Zhang Lifen so far, it was probably wise of him to be cautious.


    ¡°She does, doesn¡¯t she? I guess that simply means I am at a disadvantage in this,¡± Zhang Lifen remarked with an air of such utter indifference that He Yu couldn¡¯t help but be a little stung by it.


    ¡°So those are your terms then,¡± Xiao Jun said, his voice still carefully even.


    ¡°They are.¡±


    Sha Xiang slammed her gloved fists together with a crack of earth qi. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± she said, fixing He Yu with a far too eager gaze.


    Forcing himself to stand a bit straighter and summoning what shreds of courage he¡¯d still left, He Yu thumped the butt of his guandao against the ruined earth of the glade. ¡°I also accept.¡±


    He was terrified. Even as he projected the sort of confidence he thought expected of him, he mentally scrambled for some sort of plan. Some trick, some way out. Something¡ªanything that would let him gain enough of an edge to come out of this without every bone in his body ground to pulp underneath Sha Xiang¡¯s earth-infused fists. He kept coming up blank.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Zhang Lifen said. She moved to the edge of the glade and waved her hand. An ornate cushioned chair appeared from her storage treasure and she sat down with all the grace befitting a lady of her station. He Yu was still grappling with how he should feel about how unconcerned she was. It was as if she didn¡¯t care if he won or lost either way.


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    Xiao Jun moved to stand next to her. ¡°No interference,¡± he said again, still sounding a bit wary but noticeably more confident than earlier.


    ¡°I, Zhang Lifen, swear upon my honor and position as twelfth-ranked core disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect not to interfere in this contest in any way that would affect its outcome.¡±


    Xiao Jun nodded. ¡°I, Xiao Jun, swear upon my honor and position as an outer disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect not to interfere in this contest in any way that would affect its outcome.¡± While he supposed he appreciated the gesture, He Yu didn¡¯t think that Xiao Jun¡¯s position as an outer disciple carried quite the same weight as Zhang Lifen¡¯s.


    ¡°Begin,¡± Zhang Lifen said.


    Sha Xiang launched herself at him, fists gathering golden earth qi. He Yu¡¯s world collapsed to the now-familiar single point of focus. His limbs moved almost of their own accord as he brought his guandao across his body, ready to receive her attack. Qi surged through his meridians in accordance with the Eternal Mountain Root. He was far from mastering the technique, but it had already proved its worth in the duels he¡¯d fought¡ªand won¡ªover the last few days.


    A rippling golden fist lashed out at him, and he moved. He brought the metal shaft of his guandao up, cycling wind qi all along its length, calling the Bracing Wind. The impact sent out a blast of wind and earth qi whipping at He Yu¡¯s uniform. Sha Xiang staggered backward for half a step, shaking out her fist.


    ¡°It will be an honor to exchange pointers, Sect Sister,¡± He Yu said, giving a shallow yet respectful bow from behind his weapon.


    Sha Xiang let out an almost animal growl and launched herself at him again¡ªthis time, he did not defend.


    As she leaped through the autumnal air, He Yu saw her with clear eyes. The days of cultivating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment coalesced into a moment of perfect awareness. He saw the arc of her leap, the bunching of her muscles as she readied her strike, the flow of qi through her meridians, and the formation of her technique even before it had begun. The insight of the Cloud Emperor was fleeting, lasting for the time it took to draw a breath, but it was enough.


    He Yu moved, catching her wrist with his guandao as he stepped aside. Sha Xiang¡¯s eyes widened a fraction as she realized what he¡¯d done. That was all the time she had to react. Wind qi burst out again¡ªthis time not in a clash of techniques, but in a formation of the Bracing Wind so perfect it could have caused him to weep. He twisted his weapon, catching her wrist in a lock even as the burst of wind forced her back and away. Sha Xiang cried out as her arm twisted unnaturally.


    She was not seriously injured, he knew that much. As a Foundation stage since before he¡¯d even arrived at the sect, she would have been cultivating the White Mountain Body Art far longer than he had, and the Eternal Mountain Root was well suited for strengthening oneself in the face of such injuries. He¡¯d thrown her off balance though. He had a chance to go on the offensive, and he did.


    Mountain qi surged through his leg meridians, and he kicked. He caught her on her upper thigh and sent her reeling. In a single smooth motion, he swept his guandao before him as he backed up, creating the ideal spacing for his weapon. He¡¯d taken her measure so far, and easily guessed what she¡¯d do next.


    Predictably, she rushed at him, seeking to close the distance. He continued the follow-through of his previous strike, bringing the heavy weapon into position for an overhand strike.


    ¡°Bow before the Crashing Wind,¡± he said, confidence surging in every word.


    The guandao fell, wind howling around its blade. Sha Xiang met it with a punch reinforced by both her own earth-aspected technique and the Eternal Mountain Root. Her fist crashed into the blade straight on, blood spurting from where she¡¯d met its edge. The wounds were superficial and would heal in moments, but that was a trickle of qi she¡¯d spend on something other than attacking him.


    He Yu¡¯s earlier resolve gave way to hope¡ªhe could see a clear path to victory.


    He Yu drew his blade down, deepening the cut. Through his familiarity with his weapon formed in countless hours of training, he could feel the blade scrape bone. Sha Xiang grimaced and grit her teeth. Bringing his grip up closer to the blade so he could fight better at Sha Xiang¡¯s range, he stepped in towards her with a quick thrust.


    As he¡¯d been meditating on Fang Yingjie¡¯s lessons over the past weeks, He Yu had begun to grasp just how truly versatile and adaptive the guandao was. It was like he had four weapons in one. Now, he used it like a spear, performing a series of quick jabs, probing Sha Xiang¡¯s defenses.


    Any one of them would have been trivial for her to simply take, letting him score an individually insignificant hit. But that would bleed her of even more qi if she wanted to allow the tiny cuts to heal.


    Otherwise, she could let them bleed¡ªbut that would just mean she¡¯d be amassing a collection of tiny wounds that would eventually wear her down just the same. Of course, he¡¯d no illusions about who would run out of qi first. She had a full stage advancement on him, after all. The longer this went on, the more it would favor her.


    Sha Xiang let out a wordless roar and slammed her fists together. A crack like stone shattering accompanied a burst of qi. Her hands looked as though the skin had dried and hardened to some middle state between flesh and stone. Golden earth qi swirled around her hands, curling up her arms to the shoulder. He Yu could feel whatever technique she¡¯d just used down to his bones. When she looked up at him with burning hatred in her eyes, it was all he could to keep himself from running.

 1.44 - Escalation

    To the side of the clearing, Xiao Jun laughed. ¡°I should have added one of those wagers you¡¯re so fond of to this contest, Senior Sister Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Zhang Lifen said. He Yu didn¡¯t spare her a glance, focused as he was on Sha Xiang, but her voice had taken on the serious timbre it often did when she dropped her usual playful affect. If he¡¯d needed any signal of how dire things had just become, that was it.


    Sha Xiang pointed at He Yu. ¡°When this is over, I¡¯m taking your storage treasure, everything in it, and tossing it all off the side of the mountain just to spite you. Then I¡¯m tossing you off after it.¡±


    ¡°That would just make it easier to retrieve,¡± he said.


    That had apparently been the entirely wrong response. Sha Xiang roared again and launched herself across the clearing. Thankfully, the technique she¡¯d activated hadn¡¯t made her any faster. He Yu could follow her movements just as easily as he could before, and now that the gap between them was a single stage, he could match them as well. The technique did make her much stronger, though.


    She¡¯d been strong before, to be certain, but now every blow felt like it had half a ton of earth and stone behind it. As her fists crashed into the haft of his guandao in a rain of blows, He Yu was thankful to Li Heng for making him spend his precious spirit stones on a quality weapon. Reinforced as it was with formation scripts to handle the stresses placed on it by Second Realm cultivators, the weapon held. If it hadn¡¯t, any chance he may have left would have shattered along with it.


    The succession of strikes sent concussive shocks up He Yu¡¯s arms. He managed to block her attacks, but only just. A fact that was not lost on Sha Xiang. Each blow grew fractionally more frenzied than the last, and her increasing abandon made it more difficult to defend. Some distant part of his mind not entirely focused on the fight mused at how unlike the cultivators of the stories she seemed now. When rivals fought, they were supposed to be determined¡ªand yes, she certainly was that¡ªbut they were also supposed to be in control of themselves. It made him think of Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling when they fought. There had to be a path here. If only he could find it.


    Sha Xiang continued to press him, her attacks relentless. With the strength granted by the Eternal Mountain Root, he endured. But just as he¡¯d feared, the effort drained his qi reserves. He needed to go on the offensive, but Sha Xiang showed no signs of letting up.


    It was a risky move, but He Yu saw no other real option. He activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Wind curled around his legs, and he darted away from Sha Xiang. Unlike when he¡¯d used it during his first duel, he was prepared for the technique and was able to control it, but only just. Having created distance, he darted in for an attack.


    Cutting off the flow of wind qi to his legs, he replaced it with the mountain qi of the White Mountain Body Art. He wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake as that first duel and use them both at once. Besides, now he needed raw power rather than speed.


    He Yu lunged, sweeping his guandao before him, and cloaking it in the Shearing Wind. The blade sang as it flowed from one attack to the next. Of course, Sha Xiang wasn¡¯t defenseless, but the speed of his technique allowed him to keep her at bay as he pressed his offensive.


    She became visibly more frustrated as the onslaught of the Shearing Wind along with the power from the Eternal Mountain Root prevented her from mounting an effective counterattack of her own. It was enough to keep her at bay, but He Yu grew frustrated himself as he continually failed to break through her defenses.


    Worse, the longer this went on, the more qi he spent. He had no doubts that she could last longer than him, given that he was still only early Foundation while she was surely close to reaching late Foundation by now. Although they were within the same realm, He Yu knew well enough the difference. Once his qi ran out, the fight was lost.


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    As Sha Xiang deflected another sweep of the guandao with a palm strike shining with golden earth qi, He Yu shifted his attack and brought the metal end cap of the weapon around. He struck her in the side of the head, much harder than he¡¯d thought himself capable of. The blow sent her staggering away from him, and hatred flared in her eyes.


    She spit blood and lifted her chin in his direction. ¡°I won¡¯t rest until I have repaid your insults tenfold, He Yu.¡±


    ¡°What did I even do?¡± he demanded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who arranged the tournament match, and you won anyway! This is absurd!¡±


    ¡°Do you truly have so little pride that you can¡¯t see?¡± she asked, her words laced with venom. ¡°I was forced to humiliate myself by beating what may as well have been a child. Before my family. Before the whole village. I will always be remembered for that, not for my victory in that stupid tournament.¡±


    ¡°And? Are you ever going back to Shulin? You¡¯ve already surpassed Dong Wei. Why should any of that matter now?¡±


    Silence stretched between them for what felt like a lifetime.


    ¡°Break before the Four Demon Fists,¡± Sha Xiang said, her voice growing calm for the first time since the fight began.


    ¡°Sha Xiang, no!¡± Xiao Jun shouted.


    Xiao Jun took a step forward, reaching out towards Sha Xiang as she gathered yet more earth qi. A surge of dark water qi rushed from where Zhang Lifen stood and crashed over Xiao Jun, forcing him back to the edge of the clearing as her tide withdrew.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao,¡± Zhang Lifen said with the tone of a grandmother scolding a wayward child. ¡°You would throw away your honor and break your oath of noninterference? I can¡¯t allow you to do such a thing. Not in good conscience.¡±


    In He Yu¡¯s spiritual senses, a faint gathering of qi rippled along Sha Xiang¡¯s arms, as though another larger pair had been laid over her own. They added bulk and muscle and power to her earth-infused limbs. Along with the technique came a tangible sense of danger. It was, in a way, similar to the presence of stronger cultivators, like Zhang Lifen, that weighed on the world around them. There was something else to it though. Something unfamiliar that He Yu couldn¡¯t quite place. He quickly glanced to Zhang Lifen. By her thoughtful expression, she sensed it, too.


    Whatever it was that Xiao Jun had tried to stop, Sha Xiang hadn¡¯t listened. She settled into a stance He Yu had seen hundreds of times before while training with Ren Huang. There was still something off about her, though. It had to do with the technique she used¡ªthe Four Demon Fists. She seemed larger than she had a moment ago, but that wasn¡¯t the whole of it.


    He Yu narrowed his focus and observed her with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. It didn¡¯t give him the perfect insight that it had earlier, but it gave him enough. Sha Xiang¡¯s technique was earth aligned, but that much he already knew. The paths it carved through her meridians were wrong somehow¡ªas though it went against her nature. He Yu frowned. That shouldn¡¯t be possible¡ªnot for someone following the Way. If the Four Demon Fists was so inimical to her very being, she shouldn¡¯t have been able to cultivate it at all. To further confuse things, her very being was so strongly aligned to earth that cultivating a purely earth aspected technique shouldn¡¯t have gone against anything about her. Whatever it was, he¡¯d have to leave it for later. Xiao Jun obviously knew something he didn¡¯t, and He Yu was certain a bit of research in the sect manual pavilion would turn up some sort of answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to end this,¡± Sha Xiang said. Even her voice sounded different in a way he couldn¡¯t quite place. The whole of it was unnerving, but he couldn¡¯t back down now.


    ¡°I never wanted this,¡± he said simply.


    Sha Xiang spat. ¡°Bleed, break, and die.¡±


    Those words caused something inside He Yu to crack. Just as he¡¯d told her, he¡¯d never wanted this. This grudge of hers was so comically one-sided. As far as he was concerned, the tournament in Shulin was part of another life. Sure, it had happened less than a year ago, but he wasn¡¯t the same person he was then. He was a cultivator now, walking the path of an immortal. He¡¯d stepped fully into the Second Realm, placing him on roughly equal footing with Dong Wei¡ªfifty years his senior, and the very man who¡¯d refused to teach him. By all possible measures of things, he¡¯d already achieved more than he¡¯d ever dreamed of before properly entering the world of immortals. That Sha Xiang could hold on to something so petty, so pointless, was laughable.


    Would an emperor bow to someone so small? Sha Xiang wasn¡¯t someone to be feared. She was a petty tyrant, fit only to be crushed. His dantian pulsed, then compressed. A great weight settled on his shoulders, bringing with it a sense of approval and acceptance.


    He Yu stood at the base of a stair, stretching towards heaven behind him. Far above floated a resplendent palace, filled with the secrets of ten thousand sages. He stood upon the clouds. The world lay before him, and far below, Sha Xiang stood and looked up at him in hatred.


    Back in the clearing once again, He Yu pointed his guandao at his opponent. ¡°Then let us end this.¡±

 1.45 - The First of Many

    Their renewed struggle filled the clearing with the sound of clashing metal and stone. Dust billowed away from their steps, and each meeting of metal and fist sent the mists curling back into the trees. He Yu wreathed his guandao in the winds, and Sha Xiang pulled strength and vitality from the very earth upon which she stood. The coldness that had settled over Sha Xiang only moments before once again gave way to her anger, but this too seemed to have been affected by the Four Demon Fists technique.


    There was a fury to her attacks that wasn¡¯t wholly her own. He Yu could see that now, with the insight and clarity granted him by the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. As they fought he saw cracks in her cultivation and her spirit. The qi that ran through her meridians was not wholly hers¡ªa thing that should not be possible. All he knew now was that he must ensure that whatever price she had paid for her power, it wouldn¡¯t be worth it.


    As they fought, He Yu found her movements become easier to gauge¡ªan effect of his greater understanding of the foundational technique of his art. He was far from mastering the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. The immense stair stretching to heaven that he¡¯d seen in his vision had been testament enough to that. But that moment of clarity regarding the grudge between himself and Sha Xiang had done something, as though the art itself had approved. With that approval, came bounty.


    The Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight came easier to him now, too. It was still risky to use, and he had to be careful to ensure he deactivated the Eternal Mountain Root first, but he had considerably more control than he had when he¡¯d first used it. Using his movement technique he circled Sha Xiang, striking at her like the five winds themselves before fading away to avoid her attacks. This was not to say that she was helpless before him. No, she scored plenty of hits herself despite his efforts. At least one for every two of his.


    With his body bruised and his head ringing, He Yu threw himself into the fight once again. By now he¡¯d completely given up trying to conserve his dwindling qi reserves and was rapidly running out. Each strike was now just a bit less powerful than the last and came after a slightly longer delay.


    Sha Xiang, on the other hand, only seemed to be growing more ferocious. Her furor was not without cost, however. The cracks grew fractionally with each of her strikes, each of her blocks, and each of her parries. He Yu never would have seen it without the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment¡ªshe showed no outward signs of flagging. It was only in the flow of her qi and the strain upon her meridians that such signs could be found.


    An earth-infused fist struck his guandao just where the blade met the haft. Panic threatened to overwhelm him as he lost his grip, and the weapon clattered to the ground a few yards away. Sha Xiang¡¯s follow-up lashed out, and he was only able to twist enough to partially deflect the blow. Pain shot through his recently healed ribs as they cracked under her fist once again.


    He Yu staggered back, activating the Eternal Mountain Root in anticipation of another strike. It never came. Sha Xiang¡¯s chest and shoulders heaved with each breath. The price extracted by her technique was finally catching up to her. Unwilling to throw this opportunity on the garbage heap, He Yu leaped at her, bringing both his fists down like a club. He activated the Crashing Wind, wreathing his fists in wind qi.


    Sha Xiang¡¯s face contorted. She was out of stance and vulnerable, and she knew it. Setting her shoulder, she charged He Yu. He didn¡¯t even notice the physical impact when she tackled him, so great was his shock. Never in ten thousand years would he have expected her to use such a move¡ªespecially on him.


    They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. For a moment they wrestled, each vying for advantage. He Yu punched her in the side. She slapped him across the face. His jaw cracked, but through the rush of battle and the churning of qi in his meridians, he couldn¡¯t be sure how bad it was. The next thing he knew, she was on top of him, straddling his chest and drawing back one fist while gripping his neck with the other. Her eyes burned.


    Time stretched and the moment she released her punch spun out into a span of centuries. There had to be a counter, there had to be something he could do. A jumble of lessons from months of sparring under Ren Huang¡¯s eye tripped over one another in his mind. No solution came to him. Then a deep, but surprisingly quiet voice cut through his panicked attempts to find a way out.


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    Become like the wind.


    Sha Xiang¡¯s punch was only inches from his face when he activated the Bracing Wind. The violent burst of qi knocked her back and away, and the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight carried him to his feet. One step carried him to his guandao, and a second brought him to Sha Xiang¡¯s side.


    She knelt on hands and knees before him, head hung in what he could only call defeat. He Yu readied his strike. Just as the wind wreathing his weapon howled to a crescendo, her qi shifted. She made no movement, but the impression of a massive arm separated from her physical limb and grabbed him by the throat. It slammed him into the ground, then tossed him aside like a child¡¯s discarded toy.


    Where the ghostly limb had grabbed him, his skin burned. He Yu stood and set his gaze upon Sha Xiang. Slowly, she picked herself up off the ground across the clearing. The space of their fight had become even more filled with detritus as a result of their clash.


    Off to one side, Zhang Lifen and Xiao Jun stood, both intent on Sha Xiang. Her own master was visibly concerned and appeared as though he wanted nothing more than to leap in and aid his prot¨¦g¨¦. Still bound as he was by Zhang Lifen, all he could do was watch. For her part, Zhang Lifen¡¯s expression gave away little. Any pretense of amusement was absent, and she wore a pensive expression. Her gaze remained fixed on Sha Xiang, even as she maintained her grip on Xiao Jun with the potent qi of a peak Golden Core.


    To the other side of the clearing were gathered the rest. Cui Bao and Qiao Xia looked on with similar concern to that of Xiao Jun, but unlike their backer, they made no move to interfere. Chen Fei stood next to Tan Xiaoling, one hand covering her mouth and her eyes wide. Princess Tan looked to have recovered¡ªno doubt having taken a medicinal pill during the duel¡ªand wore her usual stoic expression. At some point, Li Heng had joined them as well. He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to join the fight, but his honor and their friendship held him back. Win or lose, Li Heng would not take this fight from him. He Yu gave him a slight nod of thanks and received like in return.


    He Yu gripped his guandao in one hand and struck the earth with the metal end cap. He cycled qi according to the Eternal Mountain Root, afraid he¡¯d fall over if he didn¡¯t. ¡°Sha Xiang,¡± he called, using wind qi to carry his voice over the whole clearing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be done here," he said. "There¡¯s no sense in breaking ourselves against each other.¡± Silently he begged her to accept. He had next to nothing left and didn¡¯t know if he could last another exchange against her.


    Sha Xiang pushed herself to her feet and glared at him. She was unsteady and looked about ready to collapse. With the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he sensed her qi tremble, and begin to cycle in the same way it had when she¡¯d first used the Four Demon Fists. The technique was interrupted when she coughed and then spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, much to his dismay, she tried the technique again.


    This time she succeeded, but coughed up another gob of red.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite enough, I think,¡± Zhang Lifen said.


    He Yu easily sensed the change in Zhang Lifen¡¯s qi as she released Xiao Jun and crossed the clearing in a single step, coming between him and Sha Xiang. To his surprise, Xiao Jun collapsed in obvious relief, rather than move to stop Zhang Lifen¡¯s interference.


    With great apparent effort, Sha Xiang snarled a curse at Zhang Lifen. ¡°Stand aside, Senior Sister. You swore an oath.¡±


    ¡°This duel is finished,¡± Zhang Lifen said, her voice cold. ¡°Neither of you is capable of continuing. You most of all. It makes no sense to cripple your future for such a small thing, especially not when you have centuries ahead of you in which to settle it.¡±


    ¡°Stand aside,¡± Sha Xiang repeated.


    ¡°Do you wish to test your techniques against mine, Junior Sister? Your benefactor would not begrudge me stopping your foolishness should you force me to.¡±


    ¡°Listen to Senior Sister Zhang,¡± said Xiao Jun. ¡°She is right.¡± He looked pained at saying so, but He Yu could see the truth in it. There would be no victory for either of them if this continued. It was a fact that stabbed at the very source of his pride, but it was truth and he could deny it no more than he could his very nature. It didn¡¯t mean he had to like it, though.


    At Xiao Jun¡¯s urging, Sha Xiang finally relented. Spitting one final mouthful of blood, she dropped her techniques. Without their aid, she very nearly collapsed. Cui Bao was instantly at her side, but she shoved him away, saying something too quiet for He Yu to hear. It couldn¡¯t have been kind, given the expression it provoked.


    As she hobbled out of the clearing, Sha Xiang called over her shoulder. ¡°This isn¡¯t over.¡±


    He Yu dropped his own techniques. He was spiritually and physically exhausted and wanted nothing more than to collapse to the ground and sleep for a week. His head still rang, and the sharp pain in his side told him that he¡¯d broken his ribs again. The fight may be over, but all he could feel was bitterness.

 1.46 - Distant Horizons

    He Yu didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d collapsed to his knees, or when he¡¯d lost his grip on his guandao. He did know that when Chen Fei shoved a medicinal pill at him this time, he didn¡¯t object. After taking it, vital wood qi flooded his meridians and began to knit his wounds back together. It would take more than a single pill to get back to full strength, but at least now he wouldn¡¯t collapse in the dirt.


    Looking after the retreating Sha Xiang, Tan Xiaoling mused, ¡°What possessed her to resort to such a technique?¡±


    Li Heng hummed in agreement. ¡°What indeed.¡±


    Chen Fei turned to Zhang Lifen from where she knelt next to He Yu. ¡°Senior Sister Zhang, a question if I may?¡± When Zhang Lifen nodded, Chen Fei continued. ¡°What did Sect Sister Sha do? What was that technique?¡±


    It was a long moment before Zhang Lifen answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, looking off into the mists. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like it. Whatever it was, it extracted a heavy price. She has strained her cultivation. I suspect that¡¯s why Xiao Jun tried to stop the duel when she used it.¡±


    ¡°But you allowed it to continue,¡± Li Heng said.


    Zhang Lifen turned back to the assembled outer disciples. ¡°I did. It is not my concern if she ruins her cultivation base or not. Nor is it my concern that, if in doing so, it allows her to defeat my own student. Such is the way of things in the sect.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling nodded at that, as though the words were simply what she¡¯d expected. Li Heng didn¡¯t appear as accepting but said nothing. Chen Fei looked away from them all, distraught. He Yu had a hard time feeling anything at all.


    ¡°Stand, and follow me,¡± Zhang Lifen said to He Yu. To the rest, she said, ¡°Go back to the outer sect. He Yu will be safe with me. Today¡¯s combat has come to an end, so you can move without fear.¡±


    The others saluted Zhang Lifen and left without complaint. He Yu was certain she¡¯d meant what she said. As worn out as Tan Xiaoling still was from her earlier fight, she¡¯d recovered considerably. With Li Heng and Chen Fei accompanying her, nobody still capable of combat would dare challenge the three of them. And for once, He Yu suspected that Zhang Lifen actually did mean to extend her protection to him. At least for the moment.


    Zhang Lifen drifted along the mountain paths, leading He Yu further up the slope. The going wasn¡¯t particularly hard, something for which he was infinitely grateful. The medicine Chen Fei had given him flowed through his meridians, restoring a good measure of the strength he¡¯d used during the fight.


    As they walked through the mist-shrouded red pines that lined the dirt track, Zhang Lifen said nothing. For that, He Yu was thankful. He was angry with her¡ªmore angry than was proper, or than he cared to admit.


    She had brought him to the Shrouded Peaks Sect and practically abandoned him. Everything else he¡¯d attained since then, he¡¯d had to claw from the sect with his own blood and sweat. Sure, his friends had supported him, but their support paled in comparison to what Sha Xiang had gotten from Xiao Jun. Zhang Lifen had said it herself¡ªSha Xiang¡¯s advancement had been largely due to the resources he¡¯d been funneling her way.


    It was hard not to give himself over to resentment at that.


    He Yu tried not to stew in bitterness at the sheer unfairness of his time at the sect so far as he followed his ¡°teacher¡± through the forest and the mist. At length, she led him to an outcropping much like the one Fang Yingjie had taken him to after his guandao lesson.


    The world fell away below them, blanketed by the perpetual clouds and mists that gave the Shrouded Peaks their name. Zhang Lifen stood half a step from the edge and gazed out over the mists, her hands folded in the sleeves of her robe. For a long time, she said nothing.


    ¡°You did well,¡± Zhang Lifen said eventually, still looking out over the mists below and the lands beyond.


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    ¡°Did I?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°I lost.¡± The bitterness he¡¯d felt at how the duel had ended still hadn¡¯t faded.


    Finally, Zhang Lifen turned to face him. ¡°Did you really?¡± she asked. The question held more than its words suggested, and He Yu found himself thinking about his answer longer than he was used to.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t win,¡± he muttered to the dirt at his feet after a few moments.


    ¡°Not winning isn¡¯t the same as losing, He Yu. I had expected her to grind you into the dirt. Instead, you fought her to a standstill and pushed her far enough that she was willing to damage her cultivation and reveal a closely guarded secret. The fact that you managed to stand your ground at all simply proves that my hunch about you was right all along.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you even suggest the fight?¡± he asked, pouring as much accusatory outrage into his words and his gaze as he met her eyes.


    ¡°Because I knew it would be a valuable lesson, regardless of the outcome,¡± she said without sounding the least bit apologetic. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have killed you. It¡¯s against the sect rules, Xiao Jun wouldn¡¯t have allowed it even had I not been present. He¡¯s invested too much in her."


    ¡°Right,¡± He Yu scoffed. ¡°At the very least she couldn¡¯t kill me. As if I haven¡¯t spent enough time just getting beaten bloody since I came here.¡±


    Zhang Lifen reached out, and with one finger under his chin guided him to look at her once more. ¡°Do you think I really needed your help finding Shulin when we first met?¡±


    She was clearly making a point, so he answered simply¡ªif a bit petulantly. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°And do you really think I chose both you and Sha Xiang by chance, rather than design?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She released him from her grip, such as it was. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. However, I didn¡¯t expect her to fall under Xiao Jun¡¯s sway. At least not so soon. But I¡¯m never one to waste an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°How was that an opportunity?¡± he asked. He was still a bit angry with her, but there were hints of something at the edge of her words, and he was curious, too.


    As she regarded him before she answered, her smile dropped. Her eyes¡ªalways swirling like an ocean current¡ªchurned as though they¡¯d been made rough by a storm, and turned so dark they became nearly black. When she spoke, there was a hardness to her voice he¡¯d never heard from her. ¡°There¡¯s a war, He Yu. It plays out across the schools and sects, between individual cultivators, between coteries like the ones you and Sha Xiang have formed, and between even whole nations. Your little spat with Sha Xiang is but one small skirmish in that war. The first of many you¡¯ll face.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that the only reason she¡¯s even here is because of you.¡± There was a small measure of relief that came with finally giving voice to some portion of the frustration that had been piling up these past months.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± she answered, sounding almost sad as she looked back out over the mists. ¡°You would have been caught up in it regardless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have been stuck practicing stunted cultivation out in the southern forest,¡± He Yu said. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d still be in that backwater, as everyone here keeps reminding me.¡±


    ¡°Do you truly believe that?¡± she asked, her back still turned.


    This time, he had no answer.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so,¡± she said after a time. ¡°You¡¯d have found a way, with or without my intervention. Of that I¡¯m certain. That¡¯s why I first approached you, why I picked you despite your loss in the tournament. Even if I¡¯d been wrong, Shulin and the southern forest aren¡¯t going to remain safe for much longer. You¡¯d have been caught up regardless of your advancement. At least this way, I have a soldier.¡±


    ¡°A soldier,¡± He Yu said, making no effort to hide the bitterness in his voice¡ªnot to mention the sudden worry for his father.


    Zhang Lifen remained gazing out over the mists. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted? To be a cultivator out of the legends?¡±


    It was. It had always been. He simply nodded in reply.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll need to catch her. Once you¡¯ve managed that, you¡¯ll need to surpass her.¡±


    ¡°Catch her?¡± he asked. ¡°You expect me to fight her again?¡±


    Finally, Zhang Lifen turned back. Her smile was back, and it was wicked. ¡°Of course. And I expect you to beat her.¡±


    ¡°What about Xiao Jun?¡± The prospect of leaving Xiao Jun to his own devices wasn¡¯t one he found particularly exciting, not after what the Third Realm cultivator had done to Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s nobody to me. Trash. Hardly even worth my time.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let him do what he wants?¡±


    ¡°Tan Xiaoling will no doubt want to exact vengeance for the way he humiliated her today, and I have some ideas on how I can use that. Worry about Sha Xiang in the meantime. Plus, the future holds bigger things, and I¡¯ll need you to be ready for them. You and all your friends. Consider it a training opportunity.¡±


    He Yu swallowed down the lump in his throat. ¡°All of us?¡±


    Zhang Lifen nodded. ¡°Things are heating up in a way they haven¡¯t for a long time now. The great powers are beginning to stir, and Master Cai is afraid that she is going to awake soon.¡±


    He Yu recalled everything he¡¯d managed to scrape together about Elder Cai and the Dawn Palace. ¡°Who is ¡®she¡¯? And what do you mean by waking up?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s best we leave that for later. Just hope that you¡¯re ready when the time comes.¡±


    He Yu joined her at the edge of the precipice. For some time they remained like that, staring silently out over the mists.

 Aftermath - Sha Xiang

    Now that they were well away from the site of her duel¡ªher failure¡ªagainst He Yu, Sha Xiang bit into a medicinal pill. She sagged in relief as the restorative qi coursed through her meridians. For the first time since her fight with He Yu had begun, the insistent voice that had clawed at the edges of her awareness quieted. Apparently, it was sated for the time being.


    ¡°That was foolish,¡± Xiao Jun said, not bothering to turn and look as he addressed her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± Sha Xiang snapped. ¡°You said it was going to be simple.¡±


    At that, Xiao Jun did spare her a look. He stopped in his tracks and whirled on her, his qi briefly flaring before he reined it in once more. The two stood and stared at each other for a moment, surrounded by the pines and mists of the path leading back to the sect proper.


    ¡°Did you hear what I said? I told you not to use that art yet. You aren¡¯t ready.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect me to do? If you hadn¡¯t been fucking around the whole time we would have dealt with that stuck-up bitch before the others arrived.¡±


    ¡°How many times have I told you? There are rules, and if we call too much attention to ourselves the elders will crush us under their heel. Besides, you¡¯re one to talk. You couldn¡¯t even handle a baby Foundation. You have a full stage on him, and you used the Four Demon Fists. You¡¯re a disgrace, and you¡¯ve no room to lecture me on anything.¡± Xiao Jun¡¯s voice rose with each word, and he finished with a shout.


    ¡°Xiang, let¡¯s just get you back,¡± Cui Bao said, reaching out to touch her elbow.


    She shoved him away, not taking her eyes off Xiao Jun. The voice had returned, and it had grown beyond a whisper this time. ¡°You¡¯re so scared of the elders, you¡¯ve had us sneaking around for months. You could have handled Tan Xiaoling any time, but you had to make a game of it. Then Zhang Lifen showed up and you pissed yourself. If I hadn¡¯t spent half the morning fighting that freak¡ªwithout any help from you, by the way¡ªI would have had plenty left to crush He Yu with. This. Is. Your. Fault.¡±


    As she gave in to her temper, the voice urged her on. Xiao Jun was weak. He¡¯d have them skulk in the shadows and live out their immortal lifespans scraping for whatever scraps the sect would throw them. Begging for whatever meager pills and elixirs that Kong Huizhong saw fit to spare for them.


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    If she were in charge, they could move on He Yu and his little posse right now. She could unleash the darkness wrapped around her dantian, and then she¡¯d show the other disciples on the mountain what real power looked like.


    Xiao Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You think you can take me?¡±


    That got her to be quiet for a moment. She knew full well what he meant, and so did everyone else present. The darkness in her spirit howled. She had to use every ounce of her willpower to stop herself from giving in and attacking him right there.


    Apparently, her silence was the wrong answer. Xiao Jun¡¯s qi rushed out, a writhing mass of shadow that reminded her of the silent darkness of a moonless night. Before she had time to react, he¡¯d crossed the space between them and had her jaw in an iron grip. He lifted her off the ground, and the reminder of Ren Huang doing something similar stoked the rage in her. The darkness in her spirit roared.


    Then, Xiao Jun fully released his spirit. Shadow crashed over her. The trail, the mountains, the mist¡ªit all faded. There was only her, and Xiao Jun. The formerly defiant and bloodthirsty presence that had been her closest companion since meeting Xiao Jun those months ago retreated in the presence of superior strength. It cowered before him, leaving her to face him without any of its strength. She hated it in that moment, for abandoning her when she needed it most.


    ¡°Emissary Kong decides when and how we move,¡± Xiao Jun said softly. ¡°Everything we have, he¡¯s given us. And he can just as easily take it back. I work on his orders. We work on his orders. But if you think you can do better, I¡¯ll be waiting. When you can leave me bloody and broken, you can have my place. Until then, you do what I say.¡±


    Xiao Jun tossed her to the ground and pulled back his spirit. Cui Bao and Qiao Xia looked on in silence.


    ¡°We have six months until the tournament for the inner sect. I expect the three of you to make it in. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯re on your own. I have no use for weaklings or cowards, and neither does Kong Huizhong. If you think he¡¯ll be kinder than me, you¡¯re sorely mistaken.


    ¡°Until the tournament, you cultivate. Once we¡¯re in the inner sect, we¡¯ll have far more freedom to maneuver than we do now. That, and greater access to both sect resources and the gifts of the Court. If you want vengeance for today, that¡¯s how you get it. I don¡¯t need to remind you what will happen if you fail.¡±


    He turned his back on the three of them and stalked off back to the sect proper.


    Sha Xiang glared at his back as he retreated. Of course she¡¯d make it to the inner sect. Once she did, she would surpass Xiao Jun. She would surpass Tan Xiaoling, too. She would surpass all of them. Then she would crush them. The darkness in her spirit preened with glee at the thought. It would be so easy, it told her. With its help, she would show them all.

 Lessons - Chen Fei

    Chen Fei struck the boulder before her, shouting the name of a single formation character. The character she¡¯d spoken flared at the point of impact, as though it had been painted upon the world in silver light by a master calligrapher. It persisted for an instant before fading, but it achieved its intended effect. The boulder crumbled, her mountain-aligned qi fueling the power of the formation character.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to shout it,¡± came the rumble of Ren Huang¡¯s voice from behind her.


    Turning and saluting him, she said ¡°This disciple offers her apologies, Senior Brother Ren.¡±


    ¡°If you shout, your enemy will know your intent. Hold the character in your mind, and place it upon the world at the moment of impact.¡±


    It had shocked her when she first learned that not only was Ren Huang a master of formation scripts but that he also had some passing familiarity with her family art, the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols. Or at least arts similar enough to it. He¡¯d laughed when she told him as much, claiming that her arts weren¡¯t so rare that he¡¯d never heard of the like. Anyone skilled at formations would be familiar with such techniques. Incorporating formation scripts into martial techniques¡ªeven a single character¡ªwas difficult and seldom worth the effort, however. Thus, it remained something most tended not to bother with.


    That conversation had occurred at their first training lesson. She¡¯d won that lesson by collecting the highest amount of wood spirit cores along with Tan Xiaoling in the competition the day before the end of the truce. It had seen her doing much the same as she was doing today¡ªpunching boulders at Senior Brother Ren¡¯s instruction.


    The second lesson had come at his invitation but had an undisclosed price attached to it. When she expressed her concerns that she might not be capable of paying for Senior Brother Ren¡¯s services¡ªor living up to his expectations¡ªto Tan Xiaoling, her housemate had just laughed. Ren Huang was a core disciple, she¡¯d said, and knew well what Chen Fei¡¯s capabilities were, both with regards to payment and what he would demand from her training.


    Ren Huang looked to the horizon, where the sun was just beginning to set. ¡°Our time is up for today.¡±


    Chen Fei saluted him once again. ¡°When will this disciple be expected to pay for the lessons?¡±


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    ¡°Now,¡± he said. With a flick of his fingers, a bamboo scroll appeared to hover before her.


    She unrolled the scroll and read it. ¡°I can¡¯t do this!¡± she half shouted in protest.


    ¡°I disagree,¡± Ren Huang countered. ¡°But, should you need to gain strength, the mountain¡¯s bounty will sustain you while you cultivate.¡±


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already adjusted the scripts around the outer sect. You will not be able to return until this task is complete.¡± Without further explanation, he took a single step and was among the treetops. He was gone an instant later.


    Chen Fei stared at the scroll in disbelief. An awakened bear had made its home nearby. It was at the peak of the Second Realm, and if allowed to hibernate for the winter it would surely advance. Come spring, it would threaten the outer sect disciples who ventured out to gather materials or train in the area. She was to dispose of it.


    She wanted to scream. The sound she made instead was more of a pathetic whine. This was so unfair. Sure, the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols art was well suited to dealing with awakened beasts, being rooted in the use of formation characters. But she wasn¡¯t suited for this task. There were other disciples who would be so much better at it. Tan Xiaoling, for example. She was everything Chen Fei wasn¡¯t. Strong, capable, and possessed of an unflinching confidence in herself. Someone like Tan Xiaoling wouldn¡¯t balk at an assignment like this. She was the kind of person Chen Fei was expected to be. The kind of person she was supposed to be.


    Allowing her shoulders to slump, Chen Fei heaved a sigh and scuffed at the dirt. Well, if she was stuck up here until she dealt with the beast, she may as well settle in. Using the technique she¡¯d spent the day practicing, she set about felling nearby trees. She would need shelter, and she didn¡¯t know of any caves that she could use nearby. She¡¯d built similar enough shelters back home, after all.


    Senior Brother Ren had been right about one thing¡ªthe mountain would sustain her. She honestly felt more at home right now than she ever had since arriving at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Her whole life had been spent in the mountains before now, and one set of peaks was much like any other. More importantly, this high above the ever-present mists she could feel the abundance of mountain qi. The other aspects that clung to the lower slopes were far less present here, so she may even be able to finally break into the middle Foundation stage up here. She was well aware that her advancement hadn¡¯t progressed at nearly the pace it needed to since she¡¯d arrived. One quarter of the year she¡¯d had to reach Body Refining was already gone, and she¡¯d not even advanced a single stage.


    As she set about to splitting logs with precise strikes supported by her Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols Art, her thoughts returned again to the unfairness of all this. Why would Senior Brother Ren task a weak and cowardly disciple with hunting an awakened bear? By the time she¡¯d finished building her shelter, the sun had already dipped behind the western peaks. Chen Fei lit a small fire, although she had little need for the extra warmth. With her shelter built, she settled in to cultivate before sleeping in her bed of pine boughs.

 2.1 - Consider it Training

    He Yu turned in the bundle of medicinal herbs and thanked the clerk behind the assignment hall counter as she marked down his contribution points. In the weeks since his fight with Sha Xiang, he¡¯d split his time between cultivation and taking on increasingly lucrative sect jobs. The beating she¡¯d given him had required a fair number of resources to bounce back from, and He Yu had no illusions about their relative strength, despite the damage she¡¯d caused her own cultivation.


    The only reason he¡¯d been able to match her was the fact that she¡¯d already spent a fair amount of qi fighting against Tan Xiaoling before he¡¯d arrived. He was certain that if he were to face her at full strength she would destroy him. He needed to get stronger, and for that, he needed contribution points.


    As he was about to leave, the girl behind the counter spoke up, ¡°Sect Brother He, I am to inform you that Senior Sister Zhang has accepted a job on your behalf.¡±


    He Yu suppressed a groan. ¡°Can she do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not aware of any rules that forbid it, and I would not dare to question one as highly placed as Senior Sister Zhang.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡± he asked. In all likelihood, the job was a way for Zhang Lifen to skirt the prohibitions on interfering with the outer disciples. She had said that she expected him to defeat both Sha Xiang and Xiao Jun in the future, and this was probably a not-too-gentle shove in that direction.


    The clerk handed him a bamboo scroll with the job details. ¡°Senior Sister said to consider it a training opportunity.¡±


    He Yu unrolled the scroll, and this time he actually did groan. At the northern edge of the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s administered territory, a group of bandits had moved into the area and were terrorizing the local population. Their leader, Hao Niu, styled himself as a king and was rumored to be a Third Realm cultivator. Zhang Lifen had once said that he¡¯d come to regret it when she took a more active hand in his training, and now he was beginning to see what she meant.


    ¡°Did Senior Sister Zhang leave any other instructions?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°She said that you can bring some companions, should you choose. If you do, any rewards will be evenly split among the participants.¡±


    He Yu glanced at the bamboo scroll once more. The amount of sect points awarded for the job was significant¡ªworth nearly as much as the total he¡¯d accumulated before his advancement to Foundation. The job also mentioned that the disciples completing it could help themselves to any spoils found in the bandits¡¯ possession, too. That didn¡¯t surprise him too much, and he honestly felt much better about robbing defeated bandits than he did his fellow disciples. The only thing he had to figure out was just how exactly he was going to defeat a cultivator at the Body Refining stage.


    After thanking the disciple at the commission hall, He Yu made his way back home. Obviously, Zhang Lifen meant for him to bring others along with him. Tan Xiaoling would be the most obvious choice as the strongest of any disciples He Yu was on good enough terms with to ask. The problem was that she had secluded herself in cultivation over a week ago, and had left no indication of when she would emerge.


    An extended journey away from the sect would be a good opportunity to spend time with Chen Fei. Except she had disappeared from the sect as well, and she was rumored to have been seen cultivating up on one of the higher peaks deeper in the sect mountains. He Yu didn¡¯t particularly enjoy the thought of wandering the mountains for weeks looking for her, just to ask if she¡¯d like to come deal with some bandits. Besides, if she were off by herself like that, she was likely there for a reason and probably wouldn¡¯t come anyway.


    Fortunately, Li Heng was in when He Yu arrived back at their shared home. The noble looked composed as always, in an immaculate¡ªand expensive¡ªversion of the sect outer disciple¡¯s uniform. His hair was pulled back and held in place by a silver and jade crown hairpin, but he¡¯d recently taken to allowing a lock to trail down on either side, framing his face. Between his noble bearing and his conventional good looks, He Yu found it hard not to be a bit envious every time he saw him¡ªespecially now that many of the young women in the outer sect had started to pay more attention to the heir of the Western Passage.


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    ¡°Hey, I had a question,¡± He Yu said as he took his place across from Li Heng as they settled in for their afternoon tea. ¡°Zhang Lifen sort of accepted a sect job for me. I can bring others along to help, and I wondered if you¡¯d come.¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Zhang accepted a job for you,¡± Li Heng repeated, sounding about as wary as He Yu expected he would. He¡¯d told his housemate about Zhang Lifen¡¯s expectations for him shortly after the end of the outer sect truce.


    ¡°There¡¯s a group of bandits led by a Body Refining cultivator. They¡¯ve been terrorizing the people in the northern extent of the sect¡¯s territory. I¡¯m supposed to deal with them.¡±


    Li Heng arched an eyebrow. ¡°Senior Sister must think very highly of you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°I barely held off Sha Xiang, and she only has a stage on me. How can Zhang Lifen expect me to deal with someone with at least a full realm¡¯s advantage?¡±


    This had been the question he¡¯d been turning over ever since learning of the job. Every stage within a realm was a considerable boost to a cultivator. He Yu had come to experience the difference for himself, both through his own advancement and by being on the receiving end of attacks from disciples with greater cultivation than his own. Every realm was a wider river than the last, and the Body Refining realm did exactly what its name suggested. As the body was perfected and prepared for the strain that the advances of the higher realms placed on it, the increases in physical strength, endurance, and durability were tremendous.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need help,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°I know, but who can we ask? Tan Xiaoling is in seclusion, and nobody has seen Chen Fei in over a week either.¡±


    ¡°Yan Shirong, of course.¡±


    He Yu wrinkled his nose at that answer. It was the obvious one, of course, but how much could Yan Shirong actually help? The comital scion was quick to point out that his arts weren¡¯t suited for combat, and if He Yu remembered correctly, Yan Shirong was only at the middle Foundation stage.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be of great help,¡± Li Heng said, preempting any objections from He Yu. ¡°Besides, it¡¯ll take us some time to get to the edge of sect territory. The two of you will be able to cultivate on the way. If we¡¯re lucky, one of you might advance a stage before we get there. The three of us should be able to handle a cultivator who¡¯s resorted to banditry.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t particularly like the way Li Heng had emphasized ¡°should,¡± but he couldn¡¯t argue with the logic behind a three-to-one advantage.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Li Heng added, ¡°with winter coming, it¡¯ll be nice to get off the mountain. Although we¡¯re far enough south that it should be rather mild regardless.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡± He Yu asked, far more concerned with the time away from the sect than the weather.


    ¡°A couple of months there and back, I suppose. The sects all administer vast territories, after all. Distance isn¡¯t much of a factor to higher realm cultivators.¡±


    It had taken He Yu nearly a month to travel from Shulin to Xu Xiang at the foot of the outer sect mountain. If it would take him a similar amount of time at a higher realm of advancement to travel to the territory¡¯s northern edge, the lands the Shrouded Peaks Sect controlled must truly be vast.


    ¡°Will our cultivation suffer from the journey?¡±


    Li Heng shrugged as he finished his tea. ¡°We¡¯d have more time to cultivate if we stayed on the mountain, that¡¯s certain.¡± He held up a finger when He Yu started to object. ¡°The trip will be valuable in its own right,¡± he said. ¡°The experience we gain isn¡¯t something we¡¯d get by staying within the safety of the sect. As much as it pains me to miss out on the potential duels with other disciples, that isn¡¯t truly battle. If Princess Tan were around, I¡¯d say ask her if you want.¡±


    Thinking of the times he¡¯d seen Tan Xiaoling in battle, He Yu recalled the sharp danger to her spirit that carried no particular aspect of her qi. ¡°Killing intent,¡± he said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t develop that through the sort of slap fights we get into here in the outer sect,¡± Li Heng said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s not so important now, but like with all things, the earlier you can begin to develop it, the better.¡±


    The idea of it didn¡¯t exactly sit well with He Yu, but all the stories spoke of it. He supposed that if he wanted to be a cultivator truly worthy of legends he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid it forever. More importantly, Li Heng hadn¡¯t led him astray so far.


    ¡°Fair,¡± he said, nodding his agreement. ¡°I still would prefer to be able to gather strength here on the mountain. Sha Xiang will be cultivating while we¡¯re away, and I¡¯m going to have to face her again eventually.¡±


    ¡°You think going up against a Third Realm cultivator with real combat experience won¡¯t be good training? Besides, who knows what sort of spoils we¡¯ll get from defeating him? The reward for the job is enough on its own to make up for the time we¡¯ll be gone. Then there will be months worth of your stipend just waiting for you when you get back.¡±


    Li Heng made all good points. ¡°Alright,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Let¡¯s hunt some bandits.¡±

 2.2 - Preparation

    As it turned out, Yan Shirong agreed to join them easily enough. He¡¯d tried to haggle a bit at first, demanding they pay him in spirit stones for his company upfront. Li Heng said he¡¯d be happy to do so if Yan Shirong would forgo his share of the job rewards. That put a swift end to the negotiations, and the three of them quickly hammered out the details of when they would leave.


    Yan Shirong had some business to attend to on the mountain that he wouldn¡¯t specify and said he needed a few days before he¡¯d be ready. While He Yu was eager to leave¡ªsince that meant he¡¯d be back all the sooner¡ªhe was more than happy to get a few extra days¡¯ worth of cultivation in before leaving the mountain¡¯s bountiful natural qi behind.


    With the arrangements made, He Yu made the difficult choice to part with some of his spirit stones at the sect market. As much as he was loathe to spend even more of his funds, his fight with Sha Xiang had taught him some valuable lessons.


    While the spirit stones themselves were valuable cultivation aids, allowing him to absorb more qi than he¡¯d otherwise be able to, they were worthless in a fight. What he really needed were medicinal pills. The stock that Chen Fei often kept around had proved their worth several times over, and if he were headed into certain battle he¡¯d be a fool not to carry some of his own. The price hurt, but He Yu kept telling himself that spirit stones would be worth nothing if he were dead. Besides, he¡¯d have months¡¯ worth of his stipend waiting for him upon his return. There was also the promise of loot from the bandits themselves, and finally, there was the most exciting prospect of all. And the one he¡¯d not wanted to voice in the presence of Yan Shirong or Li Heng.


    In practically every legend he was familiar with, cultivators found treasures of immeasurable power while they wandered the world.


    A part of him knew that he should have abandoned these sorts of fancies by now¡ªhe¡¯d been immersed in the reality of the immortal world for months. The heavens hadn¡¯t showered him with treasure in that time, not even once. He¡¯d spent most of his time running laps around a mountain, getting beaten in sparring matches, and listening to lectures on cultivation theory. As onerous as all that may have been, it had given him a greater measure of real power than he¡¯d had in all his years in Shulin striving to be good enough for that impostor, Dong Wei.


    Now he was going on a quest, just like in the stories. There was a certain excited giddiness that he couldn¡¯t quite manage to tamp down at that prospect. What sorts of possibilities awaited him on his journey? Li Heng would probably laugh at him for this, but at least he¡¯d be good-natured about it. He Yu could only imagine Yan Shirong¡¯s dismissive sniff if he found out.


    Shaking his head as he took inventory of his purchases, He Yu headed back home. He¡¯d bought a substantial stock of medicine, along with some elixirs he could take to boost his cultivation in the three days he¡¯d left until they set out. In the back of his mind, he thought back to the time Zhang Lifen had chastised him for using an elixir to break through, but this was different.


    He wasn¡¯t going to advance to Body Refining in the intervening three days. He wasn¡¯t even likely to advance to middle Foundation in that time either. All he was doing was trying to get the most out of the time he had left before he set out, and he didn¡¯t think his mentor would have a problem with that.


    His thoughts regarding Zhang Lifen were a bit more bitter than appropriate, were he honest. Despite her approval at how he¡¯d managed to handle his fight with Sha Xiang¡ªa fight Zhang Lifen had forced him into well before he was ready¡ªshe hadn¡¯t been much of a mentor to him before or since. She had called him her disciple, so he supposed there was at least that. It still hadn¡¯t amounted to much that he could see as any real benefit, though. And now she was sending him away from the sect for a length of time known only to heaven.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. While he couldn¡¯t be sure of the exact relationship between Sha Xiang and Xiao Jun, it was at least clear that she¡¯d gotten some sort of help from the older cultivator in the form of her Four Demon Fists. The instant he thought of the technique, he also recalled the sense of wrongness that had clung about her when she¡¯d used it. He Yu sighed to himself at that.


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    The reminder had come from the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. As he¡¯d continued to use the main cultivation technique of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace, such flashes of insight had been happening more frequently. The cultivation manual that Elder Cai had given him detailing the complete art had described the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment as a technique that would allow him to see the truth of things. Most often that truth pointed out that he was sulking about something he¡¯d no right to.


    It didn¡¯t exactly take the peerless self-awareness of a centuries-old immortal to recognize that whatever technique Sha Xiang had used during their fight had likely come at a great price. A price that He Yu was almost certainly better off for not having paid. That certainty still didn¡¯t lessen the sting of the fact that Sha Xiang had at least gotten something from her benefactor.


    With those thoughts and grumbles circling his head, He Yu took the first of his elixirs and cloistered himself in the cultivation chamber on his side of the house. As his breathing settled into the now familiar rhythm of his new cultivation technique, his disquiet floated away as though carried by a spring breeze. Cultivation had always been a subject of fascination for him, but in his months at the Shrouded Peaks Sect, it had become so much more.


    The self-certainty, the sense of belonging and rightness, the tranquility of simply being¡ªit was all something he wasn¡¯t certain he¡¯d be able to live without anymore. Cultivation brought with it a sense of peace that had only grown with time. The insights of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment told him this was simply a consequence of following his Way, even if he couldn¡¯t yet grasp exactly what that meant. It was a consequence he¡¯d gladly take.


    As he cultivated, he allowed himself to become lost within the insights of the past months. The things he¡¯d learned during his duel with Sha Xiang¡ªboth about how she had gotten so strong, and about his relation to her. The sense of fear, and sometimes sympathy had gradually shifted to pity in the past weeks.


    She was, in truth, a pitiable figure. Driven by fear of her own weakness. That was the only reason she had become such a bully and a tyrant in the first place, hadn¡¯t she?


    Most importantly, he¡¯d stood against her. That had taught him the most important lesson with respect to Sha Xiang. He no longer needed to fear her. Sure, she could probably still beat him in an even fight, but he would make her pay dearly for it. According to Zhang Lifen, he already had.


    Time away from the sect would bring opportunity. He would continue to progress. Then he would advance. When it finally came time for the inner sect tournament, he would be ready. When he faced Sha Xiang again as Zhang Lifen wanted him to, he wouldn¡¯t just fight her to a standstill.


    He would beat her, and he would show her that he wasn¡¯t her equal¡ªhe was her better.


    No, that wasn''t right. Even an emperor ought know that hubris could be one¡¯s undoing. To lord oneself above another, only left one blind to the larger threats lurking out of sight. He Yu resolved to take that lesson to heart. Magnanimity was an admirable quality, after all, and one befitting of a hero.


    When He Yu emerged from his cultivation chamber, it was early morning. He¡¯d long since gotten used to the fact that he could easily spend all night in cultivation and emerge feeling just as refreshed and energetic as he usually did after a good night¡¯s sleep. Sleep which he needed noticeably less of, now that he¡¯d reached Foundation. Five or six hours a night was usually enough unless he spent the whole night in cultivation like he just had. Then, he could usually go all day and be fully recovered after what would be considered a ¡°full¡± night¡¯s sleep for a mortal.


    The only real drawback was that he easily ate twice as much as he had before joining the sect. As he made himself a morning meal that would have been considered enough for a small family back home, he was glad that the sect provided for all his basic needs. Even at the generous exchange rate of spirit stones into imperial currency, he couldn¡¯t imagine he¡¯d be able to afford the amount of food he needed on just his weekly stipend.


    As he ate, he entertained a little wish about how nice it would have been if Chen Fei had been able to come with them instead of Yan Shirong. At least it would have been nice if he¡¯d been able to tell her where he was going. But she¡¯d disappeared from the sect shortly after their last encounter with Sha Xiang and hadn¡¯t told anyone where she was going. He Yu allowed himself a resigned sigh. She probably wasn¡¯t all that interested in him anyway. He could at least wish though.


    Having eaten, he returned to his cultivation chamber. He had three days until they left to hunt down King Hao, and he was going to make the most of them.

 2.3 - Travel

    When He Yu arrived at the outer sect gate, Li Heng and Yan Shirong were already waiting for him. Neither had changed their appearance much at all, which initially struck He Yu as odd. They looked like exactly what they were¡ªa pair of wealthy noble scions.


    He Yu had mostly gotten used to Li Heng always looking clean and well-dressed. The heir of the Western Passage stood out in his eyes less than Yan Shirong did. The comital scion was dressed in his typical robes of black and violet silk. Neither looked as though they had dressed for a months-long journey over land.


    Then again, neither had Zhang Lifen when He Yu had first met her. It was one of the reasons he¡¯d initially mistaken her for a spirit¡ªshe had been wearing a silk gown of pale blue, along with silver and jade jewelry. Her fine clothes hadn¡¯t even a speck of road dust on them. Hardly the look of a traveler. So it probably shouldn¡¯t have surprised him that Li Heng and Yan Shirong hadn¡¯t dressed for the journey either.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Li Heng said with the typical familiarity he used with He Yu.


    ¡°Sorry, I lost track of the time.¡± He¡¯d been lost in cultivation, trying to soak up a last-minute boost before they left the mountain.


    ¡°I¡¯d noticed,¡± Li Heng said, nodding in approval. ¡°Getting close?¡±


    He Yu shook his head. Middle Foundation was still a long way away as far as he could tell.


    Li Heng shrugged. ¡°Well, maybe we¡¯ll get the chance to hunt some awakened beasts on our journey. There¡¯s precious few of sufficient strength on the outer sect mountains to be worth hunting.¡±


    ¡°You should just buy some,¡± Yan Shirong said with a dismissive sniff. ¡°Sect Brother He ought to simply purchase elixirs as well. Then he could spend all that time he¡¯s been secluded, and not breaking through, on hunting or doing jobs. Then spend the spirit stones on advancement. It¡¯s simply the more efficient option.¡±


    Shame and desire twisted around one another inside He Yu as Yan Shirong spoke. On the one hand, he was right. It would likely be a far better use of his time to perform various jobs and earn more spirit stones that he could spend on advancement resources. Maybe if he did that, he wouldn¡¯t feel such pain at parting with what few spirit stones he had forced himself to spend so far.


    Then again, Zhang Lifen had chastised him for using elixirs to speed his advancement. False Dragon. That was the term she¡¯d used. She had told him to cultivate to the peak on his own, then take his elixirs. The result would be a stronger advancement. He supposed he ought to listen to her. She was the sect¡¯s rising star, after all.


    In the months that he¡¯d been on the mountain, He Yu had come to learn somewhat of Zhang Lifen. ¡°Rising star¡± was a bit of an understatement. She was a prodigy, the likes of which hadn¡¯t been seen in hundreds of years.


    Not only had she managed to advance to Body Refining while she was still seventeen years old, but she had also spent nearly half a decade cultivating at the Third Realm¡¯s peak before she formed a perfect Golden Core in her twenty-third year. That was the feat that had gained her a spot as a core disciple of the sect. What was more, she achieved all that before Elder Cai Weizhe had taken her on as his disciple.


    He Yu would be an idiot not to listen to someone like that. He was only seventeen himself, and he¡¯d only just managed to break into Foundation. Even Tan Xiaoling, this year¡¯s top outer sect disciple, hadn¡¯t reached Body Refining yet, and she was a full two years older than he was. Still, the thought of jumping forward a stage¡ªor even a full realm¡ªsimply by spending money was a tempting one.


    ¡°You can see to your own advancement however you wish, Yan Shirong,¡± Li Heng said with a dismissive wave. ¡°I, for one, fully support Sect Brother He¡¯s dedication. His hard work saw him going from the weakest disciple in the outer sect by a fair margin to someone who can now stand against a villain like Sha Xiang. And now he¡¯s provided us with a job that will see the three of us dealing with a Third Realm cultivator terrorizing the people under our sect¡¯s protection.¡±


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    ¡°Senior Sister Zhang has provided us with the job,¡± Yan Shirong pointed out.


    ¡°Can we just leave?¡± He Yu asked, feeling more than a bit awkward at the reminder of how weak he¡¯d been when he¡¯d first arrived. While he may still have been the weakest out of the three of them, he had come a long way. Yan Shirong was now only a stage above him at middle Foundation, and Li Heng had raised his cultivation to late Foundation using the resources he¡¯d gained from his initial duels after the end of the grace period.


    The three set off through the sect gate and down the mountain path leading to Xu Xiang. In the months since his first hike up the trail with Chen Fei, He Yu had made the trip down to Xu Xiang a couple of times to purchase more mundane things he couldn¡¯t find at the sect market. The mist spirits that had harried him and Chen Fei on their ascent had lurked around the edges of his perception on those trips but hadn¡¯t bothered him. Now, with three Foundation level cultivators on the path, they were completely absent.


    They kept a brisk pace through the mists and made it to town by late morning. As always, Xu Xiang was busy with merchants here to do business with the sect, and with disciples here to purchase mundane goods. The three made several quick purchases in town before leaving on the road that ran to the northeast out of Xu Xiang. None of them bothered trying to haggle much¡ªnot even Yan Shirong¡ªas the paltry amount of bronze coins they spent wasn¡¯t worth even a single low-grade spirit stone.


    Once on the road Li Heng threw his arms wide and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s good to be away from that mist,¡± he said, face turned up to the sun.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help but agree. Although there was a crisp coolness to the autumn air, it was decidedly less damp at the foot of the mountain, and more importantly¡ªbright. He¡¯d become so used to the eternal blanket of gray in these past few months that he¡¯d nearly forgotten how good the sun felt on his skin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get tan,¡± Yan Shirong muttered.


    ¡°Would you like a palanquin? Or perhaps just a parasol?¡± Li Heng asked with a grin.


    ¡°Obviously not,¡± Yan Shirong responded with one of his offended sniffs.


    He Yu suppressed a chuckle. Yan Shirong still held a grudge against Qiao Xia since their fight during the spirit core competition and got prickly whenever someone mentioned parasols around him because of it. Apparently, the girl had teased him relentlessly both during their fight and in the days following, and he hadn¡¯t come anywhere close to forgiving her for it.


    The three disciples fell into companionable chatter for the rest of the day as they traveled. By nightfall, they¡¯d managed to cover easily twice the distance He Yu would have been able to back when he¡¯d first made the journey to the sect, and when they made camp he barely felt the fatigue. After a simple meal, the three of them settled into cultivate before snatching a few hours of sleep.


    As He Yu lost himself in his cultivation, the now-familiar vision of himself standing atop a mountain reaching for the heavens returned to him. Over the past months, it had varied a little, with the figures representing his new friends at the Shrouded Peaks Sect appearing closer or further away. Now, both Li Heng and Yan Shirong were close enough to him that he could clearly make them out. Sha Xiang was still somewhere¡ªhe could feel her presence in the vision¡ªbut she was distant. More important were the gossamer threads of fate connecting him to his traveling companions.


    He reflected on something Li Heng had said to him shortly after they¡¯d first met. Bonds formed in the sect stretch beyond a mortal lifespan. Although he found it a bit odd that Yan Shirong was so clearly represented. Maybe it had to do with the fact that they were simply traveling together, seeing as he didn¡¯t particularly care for the young man. It wasn¡¯t as though he disliked Yan Shirong. He Yu just found him a bit prickly.


    The vision of his companions and the mountains fell away. The sudden change nearly shocked him from his cultivation. It didn¡¯t feel as though he was gaining any insights, but rather as though something from outside was intruding. Another vision filled his inner eye. A man, large and rough looking, carrying a massive two-handed bronze mace.


    Deep in his spirit, He Yu knew this man was the bandit king, Hao Niu. Behind him was a red sun, just barely touching the horizon. It was an unnaturally deep shade, stained the color of blood. A powerful sense of want radiated from that sun, carrying a spiritual weight that pressed down on He Yu even in his meditation.


    With far more effort than it should have taken, He Yu snapped his eyes open. A sheen of sweat had made his skin clammy in the late autumn air. His chest rose and fell as though he¡¯d just finished a light jog. Looking around, Li Heng and Yan Shirong seemed undisturbed. He shook his head, pushing whatever that vision had been away.


    He was just nervous. They were headed to do battle with a Third Realm cultivator. That must have been what he¡¯d seen. With the last vestiges of his vision still pressing in at the edge of his thoughts, He Yu turned in to get some sleep.

 2.4 - Hunting Beasts

    Over the next few days, they made better time than He Yu would have thought possible before joining the Shrouded Peaks Sect. The signs of civilization became increasingly sparse until they disappeared altogether. By the fourth full day of travel, they were well and truly in the wilds¡ªthe vast stretches of land between settlements that were the domain of spirits and awakened beasts. That night they made camp just inside the protection of a formation stone that the sect maintained along the route.


    ¡°We should be deep enough in the wilds to begin hunting,¡± Li Heng said once they¡¯d finished their meal for the evening. ¡°If we can find enough Late Second Realm beasts, we should be able to get He Yu up to Middle Foundation before reaching our destination.¡±


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t find any beasts with the appropriate aspects?¡± He Yu asked. The main benefit of beast cores was their potency¡ªthe higher the awakened beast¡¯s advancement, the more potent the qi contained in their core. The main drawback was that awakened beasts were more strongly aligned with their nature, and their qi took on those aspects as soon as they awakened. This meant that if a cultivator could find a beast with aspects of qi that matched their own, it could be a huge benefit to their advancement.


    Due to his cultivation of the Five Crescent Winds, He Yu¡¯s qi was beginning to gain a wind aspect. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace was supposed to cultivate wind, water, and heaven qi, but so far only the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight¡ªa wind-aligned technique¡ªcarried an aspect of its own. Much of the art¡¯s other techniques were locked behind further advancement in his cultivation of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, and deepening his cultivation of that technique required him to advance to Golden Core.


    ¡°Even if we don¡¯t find beasts aligned to our cultivation, the potency of their qi will benefit us,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Besides, doesn¡¯t your cultivation technique include a method for converting qi to the appropriate aspect?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s thought, He Yu said, ¡°I suppose it does.¡± When he cultivated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, the unaspected qi that he absorbed from spirit stones gradually took on a wind aspect as he cycled it. Now that he thought of it, he couldn¡¯t see a reason why the same wouldn¡¯t happen with qi which had already taken on an aspect other than wind.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be less efficient,¡± Li Heng said, ¡°but the potency of a beast core will make up for it somewhat. Ideally, we would find beasts that matched the aspects of our qi, but so long as the aspects don¡¯t oppose, it will still be a net gain. Between the aspects we all cultivate, any cores we find should be useful to at least one of us.¡±


    ¡°So that means we¡¯ll be venturing off the road,¡± He Yu said with a mix of apprehension and excitement. The memory of losing a fight to a squirrel was one that still stung. Hunting beasts and harvesting their cores would be a sort of revenge, but they were outside the bounds¡ªand the safety¡ªof the sect.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yan Shirong said with one of his dismissive sniffs.


    Li Heng nodded. ¡°With the three of us, anything of the Second Realm shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Should we run into a Third Realm beast,¡± he shrugged before continuing, ¡°it¡¯ll be good practice for facing this King Hao.¡±


    The next day they traveled until the sun was high overhead before leaving the protection of its formation stones behind them. This far from any settlements awakened beasts would be relatively common, but the vast majority would only be of the First Realm and of little use to a Second Realm cultivator. Their cores could be used in much the same way as a qi restoring medicine, but with far less potency¡ªonly worth the effort were one truly desperate. Signs of beasts were abundant, however, and it wasn¡¯t long before they spotted something promising.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Li Heng asked, arms folded across his chest as he looked at the track in the dirt. It was a long, sinuous disturbance in the soil and leaf-bed characteristic of a snake¡ªonly far larger than He Yu thought it had any right to be.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s certainly big enough,¡± said Yan Shirong. ¡°Easily Second Realm, maybe even Third. But not particularly useful.¡±


    Li Heng hummed a tentative agreement while He Yu looked between the two of them. ¡°Why not?¡± he finally asked when nobody volunteered an answer.


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    ¡°Serpents typically aren¡¯t aspected in a way that¡¯s compatible with any of our own arts,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Not surprising in my case, since awakened beasts that cultivate shadow qi are exceedingly rare. Li Heng cultivates aspects of ice, so he¡¯d get some use out of a beast core aligned to water. Poison is another common aspect in serpents, but none of us cultivate that aspect. As a subtype of metal, it could help with cultivating the White Mountain Body Art, but the efficiency would be terrible.¡±


    It made sense. The White Mountain Body Art cultivated mountain qi, which was a combined aspect of earth and metal. So not only would the poison qi first have to be converted to metal, but it would then have to be absorbed without its corresponding earth phase. In order to be converted into mountain qi, the earth would have to come from somewhere. Without a suitable source of earth qi at hand, that meant yet another conversion. Terrible efficiency was almost an understatement.


    ¡°The core from a beast that size would fetch a good price, even if it were only Second Realm,¡± Li Heng mused. ¡°Then there¡¯s the meat and the skin. Sell the scales, consume the meat.¡±


    ¡°We should go after it,¡± He Yu said. The mere mention of the meat made his mouth water a bit. Stories often spoke of cultivators consuming the meat of powerful awakened beasts as a means to grow stronger. Although his training had put on more muscle than he¡¯d ever had in his life, he was well aware that he was far weaker than his friends except maybe Yan Shirong in pure physical strength.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Li Heng said.


    Yan Shirong nodded a moment later. ¡°At the very least the price we get for core and skin will be enough to buy some spirit stones. I¡¯m not opposed to some snake stew, either.¡±


    With the agreement unanimous, He Yu activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. While the cultivation technique of his principal art didn¡¯t function as a true perception technique, the jade slip described it as allowing him to ¡°see the truth of things.¡± He hadn¡¯t thought much of the ambiguous wording at first, but it had shown its worth during his duel with Sha Xiang several weeks prior. Since then, he¡¯d explored its uses and had found that it could be stretched to a significant degree.


    Knowledge flooded into him. ¡°Early Third Realm,¡± he said, before gazing off to the dense vegetation a short distance from the road. ¡°It went that way.¡±


    ¡°Did you get anything about which aspects it cultivates?¡± Li Heng asked.


    He Yu shook his head. ¡°Not without actually seeing it. Hopefully I¡¯ll be able to eventually.¡±


    ¡°Useful technique, even still,¡± Yan Shirong noted with an arched eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯d say I was almost envious.¡±


    ¡°You should be,¡± Li Heng said with a grin. ¡°Sect Brother He was given his art by Elder Cai himself.¡±


    Yan Shirong¡¯s second eyebrow joined the first. ¡°How fortunate,¡± he said, his envy truly palpable now.


    ¡°Well, Elder Cai did say that it was more for Zhang Lifen¡¯s benefit than for mine,¡± He Yu admitted.


    ¡°Make yourself useful and find that serpent,¡± Li Heng said, ending any further discussion about He Yu¡¯s art.


    Yan Shirong grumbled about the unnecessary expense of his qi a bit but produced one of his constructs regardless. This one was shaped like a rat, and once he¡¯d infused it with the shadow qi that animated it, he sent it off in the direction He Yu had indicated.


    Following the construct, the three of them headed off. The dense woodline held denser undergrowth. Despite the late season, it was warm now that they¡¯d left the Shrouded Peaks¡¯ misty slopes, the cool brought by the canopy shade was a welcome change from the heat and dust of the road. It would have been even more welcome had the foliage not held the promise of an awakened serpent of the Third Realm.


    As they pushed further away from the road, Yan Shirong softly directed He Yu and Li Heng. Occasionally He Yu caught glimpses of the serpent¡¯s track through the undergrowth. The sheer size of it made him a bit nervous, and he was glad that he had the other two along. He also kept the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment active as they followed their prey. It wouldn¡¯t do to be surprised by a sudden strike coming unseen from the shadows, and he hoped the technique would at the very least provide an early warning.


    The tangle of vines and ferns and trees made the going difficult, even for three cultivators. The bursting plant life all around them lent a wood aspect to the qi in the area which only became more dense the deeper they went. He Yu glanced down and examined another trace of the serpent with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, and for the first time caught a trace of oozing poison in the serpent¡¯s passage.


    ¡°It¡¯s close,¡± he said softly. ¡°Poison qi in the track.¡±


    Li Heng grimaced and summoned his jian from within his storage treasure. ¡°I¡¯d hoped for something a bit less formidable.¡±


    With a nod of agreement, He Yu produced his guandao. As the weapon fell into his hand, the distant expression that indicated Yan Shirong was looking through the eyes of his construct faded.


    ¡°Ready yourselves,¡± he said, shadowy daggers forming in the air around him as he activated his combat techniques.


    The triangular head of a serpent, nearly as long as He Yu was tall, rose from the undergrowth. The serpent was covered in gleaming emerald scales, and a forked tongue flicked out briefly as it regarded the three of them with a frightening intelligence visible in its slit-pupiled golden eyes. Its body coiled behind it, giving it all the readiness it needed to strike.


    ¡°So,¡± it said in a sibilant hiss, ¡°prey finds us.¡±

 2.5 - The Poison Wood

    None of the three cultivators hesitated. A hail of Yan Shirong¡¯s daggers cut through the undergrowth as they flew towards the serpent. Li Heng appeared just behind the serpent¡¯s head in a flash of moonlit snow, his jian tracing a silver arc as it fell. He Yu rushed forward, carried by the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Wind qi gathered along the length of his guandao.


    Wood and poison qi bloomed out from the serpent as it activated its own technique. Emerald scales glinted in the soft light, and He Yu found his blade turned effortlessly. The crack of a branch or a sapling was all the warning he had before the serpent¡¯s tail¡ªas thick around as his torso¡ªlashed out from the undergrowth, sweeping at all three of them.


    The Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight carried him away and above the incoming tail. Out of the corner of his eye, Yan Shirong had hauled himself into the trees by sinewy tendrils of shadow made solid. He Yu couldn¡¯t see Li Heng, but the noble easily had the best movement technique of them all and He Yu spared no further thought for him.


    Releasing the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, He Yu allowed himself to fall. Wind qi whirled around the length of his guandao once more as he formed the Crashing Wind into an overhand strike aimed at the serpent¡¯s head. It darted to one side, and He Yu bit back an instant of frustration twinned with panic as his attack uselessly crashed against the serpent¡¯s scales once more. He was a bit off balance, and the serpent had him fixed in its golden eyes.


    The serpent¡¯s lower jaw hinged down, and two gleaming white fangs dripping with a clear liquid that was undoubtedly poison unfolded from the top of the serpent¡¯s mouth. He Yu managed to pull his guandao back into a ready position. The serpent struck. It was faster than he¡¯d counted on. His Foundation level perception allowed him to track its movement, but he wasn¡¯t yet fast enough to keep up with something like this. The massive guandao in his hands now felt somehow flimsy in the face of a gaping fanged maw rushing at him.


    A flash of silver preceded Li Heng appearing between He Yu and the serpent. A pure metallic note rang out as the Winter Moon Reflection took the attack meant for He Yu. Li Heng¡¯s jian shone brighter than He Yu had ever seen it before, and although Li Heng had successfully managed to deflect the strike, he was thrown back by its force. He slammed into a tree and staggered momentarily but somehow managed to keep his feet.


    ¡°Annoying mice,¡± the serpent hissed. It opened its mouth again, but this time did not strike. Instead, it shot a jet of concentrated poison qi at He Yu.


    This time, at least, he was ready. Not wanting to find out what that poison would do if he touched it, he dashed away with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Given the stream of dead and rotted plants left in the poison¡¯s wake, he¡¯d made the right choice. Following its attack, the serpent¡¯s head swayed from side to side. He Yu found himself on the opposite side of the beast from Li Heng, and the serpent was clearly intelligent enough to know this wasn¡¯t the best position for it to be in.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t about to let the serpent decide who to attack. Not if it was going to hesitate. He leaped forward, forming another overhand Crashing Wind. On the other side of the serpent, Li Heng held his jian in both hands. He looked like he was struggling to lift it as silvery qi streamed away from the blade.


    Despite his difficulty, Li Heng managed to bring his sword up and pointed it at the serpent. With attackers on either side, the serpent activated another technique. Shimmering green wood qi covered its already durable scales. He Yu¡¯s guandao bounced off it once more, the Crashing Wind slamming into the serpent¡¯s barrier. Wind and wood sprayed away from one another, and He Yu grimaced as he watched the barrier reform before he could bring his weapon around for another strike.


    A river of silver sword light blasted from Li Heng¡¯s jian, knocking him back once more. The temperature in the area immediately dropped, and frost even formed on a few of the plants closest to Li Heng. He Yu had to turn away and shield his eyes, so bright was the light released by Li Heng¡¯s technique. He knew from training with Li Heng that the Winter Moon Reflection absorbed attacks and allowed Li Heng to empower his strikes or return them as a blast of qi. If deflecting a single strike from the serpent produced a retaliation of this strength, He Yu didn¡¯t want to think about what it would have done had it connected.


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    When the light faded, the serpent¡¯s scales had been scoured away, exposing bloody pink flesh underneath. Any momentary victory He Yu felt was crushed as wood qi rushed in from the surroundings, and the wound rapidly closed. Within moments the snake was whole again, and if it was only playing with its food before, it was clearly angry now.


    ¡°Insolent worms,¡± it spat, droplets of poison spraying from its mouth. Venom fell on nearby plants as it spoke, causing them to wilt and decay. ¡°I will make you suffer.¡±


    Once more it opened its mouth and readied to strike, this time at Li Heng who¡¯d only just regained his balance. Given the sheen of sweat on his brow and the way his chest heaved with each breath, He Yu didn¡¯t think the noble would be able to weather another strike. Worse still, the green wood qi that had been shielding the serpent from attacks so far had only increased now that it had finished healing itself. A glance at their foe using the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment confirmed what He Yu had feared¡ªthe serpent had been holding back, confident that it wouldn¡¯t need its full strength to deal with a trio of Second Realms.


    Now, it had gotten serious. That Li Heng had managed to injure it had likely wounded the beast¡¯s pride, and it was now intent on making him suffer for it. Desperate to save his friend, He Yu gathered wind qi around his guandao once more, but he knew it was useless. He wasn¡¯t strong enough, and there was no way he¡¯d be able to break the serpent¡¯s defenses and deal enough damage to stop it.


    Shadows coalesced in the branches above where Li Heng grimly stared down the Third Realm awakened serpent. Without a word, Yan Shirong flung his arm forward, fingers splayed in the direction of the serpent. A hail of shadowy darts streamed forward, all aimed directly at the serpent¡¯s gaping maw. At the same moment, dozens of sinewy tendrils wrapped around both halves of the beast¡¯s jaw, forcing it to remain open as Yan Shirong poured his technique into the soft pink flesh of the serpent¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°As suspected,¡± Yan Shirong said as his technique finished.


    The snake let out an enraged shriek. It thrashed against the shadow bonds that still held its jaws, and the underbrush snapped and cracked around it. The bonds held, however, and Yan Shirong prepared another attack with a flick of his sleeve.


    Their advantage was short-lived¡ªthe beast¡¯s tail lashed up from the forest floor towards Yan Shirong. He hauled himself away with more strands of shadow, but in doing so he must have reached the limit of the technique. With another shake of its head, the serpent broke free of the bonds holding its jaws open.


    Rage boiled in every word as the serpent spoke once more, ¡°Suffer and die, pitiful rats. I will melt your flesh. I will swallow you whole. I will hunt your families and consume them all.¡±


    The arrow-shaped emerald head of the beast reared ten feet up in the air. Its mouth opened and a stream of noxious gas bellowed out. The newly formed clearing that their fight had created filled with a cloud of billowing poison fumes, the remaining plant life wilting and rotting as the cloud spread.


    Li Heng, having managed to recover from the burden of absorbing the serpent¡¯s strike, flashed away in a flash of moonlight and snow with his White Hare Dance. Yan Shirong pulled himself through the trees on strands of solid shadow, flitting away like one of his constructs. He Yu had little choice but to soar into the branches above using the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. The cloud of poison stayed close to the ground, and while it eventually spread over a large area, it did so slowly. For the moment, the serpent was intent on flooding the area with poison, giving them a moment to regroup.


    ¡°Attack the mouth,¡± Yan Shirong called as he alighted on a branch near He Yu.


    Li Heng appeared nearby with a grimace. ¡°Easier said, Sect Brother Yan.¡±


    A thought flashed to He Yu as his mind churned at the problem before him. While he didn¡¯t command the winds with the authority that his tutor Fang Yingjie could, he had made considerable progress with the Five Crescent Winds. He¡¯d seen what wind could do when harnessed¡ªTan Xiaoling¡¯s sandstorm had aspects of both wind and earth. One of the techniques in his Art¡ªthe Howling Wind¡ªcould cloak him in a manner much like Tan Xiaoling¡¯s sandstorm.


    The plan fell into place in his mind. It would be risky. Were he honest, the very idea of it was completely insane. But if he didn¡¯t risk his life, how could he hope to forge his own legend one day? How could he hope to challenge the very heavens?


    ¡°Li Heng,¡± he said. ¡°Can you take another blow from the serpent?¡±


    The noble glanced his way, then down at his blade. ¡°I can take the blow. Holding all that power is what I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to hold it for long,¡± He Yu said, desperately hoping his words carried a confidence he didn¡¯t feel. ¡°Just absorb it when it comes for me, then follow my lead.¡± Without waiting for acknowledgment, he turned to Yan Shirong. ¡°Be ready to bind the serpent again,¡± was all he said.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Yan Shirong asked. ¡°Nothing else?¡±


    ¡°I trust you¡¯ll know when to act,¡± He Yu said.


    If Yan Shirong responded, it was drowned out by the rush of blood in He Yu¡¯s ears. This was easily the stupidest thing he¡¯d ever done. He pushed aside his doubts and his fear as best he could. His world narrowed to a single point on the forest floor below as he wrapped himself in the Howling Wind, and leaped into the cloud of poison below.

 2.6 - Teamwork

    The winds churned around He Yu as he landed in the middle of the clearing. The Howling Wind whipped the serpent¡¯s poison around and away from him. The beast¡¯s golden eyes regarded him for a moment as he stared up at it with an expression he hoped would come across as defiant. Done with speech, the serpent¡¯s mouth opened and its fangs hinged down once again. With golden eyes fixed on its prey, it struck.


    It took everything He Yu had not to dash away using the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. He had the time. Ready as he was for the strike, and with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showing him the shape of the attack an instant before it happened, he could have avoided it. But he couldn¡¯t risk the serpent adjusting. He needed to stay here¡ªhe needed to bait the trap.


    The world around him slowed to a crawl as the arrow-shaped head with two glistening venom-tipped fangs surged ever closer. There almost wasn¡¯t enough space left between him and the serpent now, and panic rose once more as any window for escape closed. Then, a flash of silver and the impression of snow on a clear winter¡¯s night filled his awareness.


    The serpent struck Li Heng¡¯s ancestral blade, and for an instant moonlight filled the grove. Li Heng spun away from the attack, carried by the strike¡¯s momentum, and the serpent reared back. It recovered quickly, just as it had before, and opened its mouth once again. Whether to strike a second time or to bellow more noxious clouds, it made little difference. He Yu wasn¡¯t about to give it time.


    He formed the Rushing Wind and thrust his guandao like a spear. At the same time, he activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and crossed the dozen or so feet separating him and the serpent in an instant. A spray of blood erupted from the beast as he drove the head of his weapon into the roof of its mouth.


    ¡°Now!¡± he screamed, desperate the others would do their parts as the serpent thrashed and threatened to rip the weapon from his hands.


    Shadows curled around the serpent¡¯s jaws, forming into thick tendrils that stopped its movement for the space of a breath.


    Li Heng appeared next to him and thrust his jian into the serpent¡¯s mouth. The brilliant silver blade flared with qi. He Yu pulled back the guandao. Sword light streamed off the blade as Li Heng fully released the power he¡¯d absorbed from the serpent¡¯s strike. The beast¡¯s head popped like an over-ripe fruit, spraying blood and bits of brain and bone across the clearing. The beast¡¯s body fell to the forest floor with a thump and was still. With a pulse of the Bracing Wind, He Yu blew away the last of the serpent¡¯s lingering poison. Although he tried to be as nonchalant about it as he could, his blood thundered in his ears as Li Heng turned and gave him a single nod.


    ¡°That was quite the show,¡± Yan Shirong said, his shadow tendrils gently setting him down next to the other two.


    ¡°Quite the show indeed,¡± Li Heng said, his voice containing a note of respect along with something else that He Yu couldn¡¯t quite place. He¡¯d since stopped using the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment during the fight, so he received no insight from the technique. Glad as he was to simply be alive, he paid no attention to the minor shift in his friend¡¯s demeanor.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t sure that would work,¡± he said, his voice shaky in his own ears. He looked down at the dead serpent. ¡°What do we do with it now?¡±


    ¡°Well, the head is ruined, that¡¯s certain,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°The fangs would have sold for a decent amount.¡±


    ¡°Not sure we could have finished it off and left the serpent¡¯s head intact,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°And the rest?¡± He Yu asked. He wasn¡¯t certain what they would need to do to process the beast. The only real experience he had with this sort of thing was from the wood spirit hunt from several weeks ago. Once they¡¯d dispatched the spirits, their bodies simply dissipated into qi, leaving the cores lying on the ground. That clearly wasn¡¯t going to happen here.


    Li Heng produced a large hunter¡¯s knife from his storage treasure. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡± To He Yu, he added, ¡°I¡¯ll explain what you need to do.¡± Li Heng¡¯s words were more commanding than He Yu was used to, and once more something pricked at the back of his mind with them. He still couldn¡¯t have said what, and whatever it was, it was quickly forgotten as they got to work.


    The first task was to extract the beast¡¯s core. He Yu had to use the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to find its exact location, as none of the others had a perception technique suitable to the task. When they finally pulled the core from within the serpent, it was nearly twice as large as He Yu¡¯s fist. It pulsed with a faint green light and smelled of rotting wood. Poison and wood qi clung to it, and the three cultivators set in on a nearby stump as they decided what to do with it.


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    ¡°We won¡¯t get anywhere near what it¡¯s worth if we sell it in any of the towns we come across,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    Li Heng nodded his agreement. ¡°We¡¯ll have to bring it back to the sect. Otherwise, we¡¯re just throwing away spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to use it?¡± He Yu asked. Aspects aside, the core of a Third Realm beast would be a potent boost to his cultivation he was certain.


    ¡°Well,¡± Li Heng hummed, ¡°the wood qi would be useful for dealing with any wounds, but I don¡¯t think any of us are injured.¡± A quick glance around confirmed this was the case. Almost miraculous now that He Yu thought about it. ¡°Even then, it would be a waste. We¡¯d have to be on the verge of death to need anything close to the amount and potency of qi this core contains.¡±


    Yan Shirong sniffed, ¡°Besides,¡± he said, ¡°none of us cultivate either of these aspects. So much would go to waste. Not to mention the fact that only one of us would be able to absorb it. Better if we sold it and divided the spirit stones. We¡¯d all get our share, and absorbing the stones themselves would be far more efficient.¡±


    As loathe as he was to let a cultivation resource of this potency simply sit in a storage treasure until they returned to the sect, He Yu couldn¡¯t argue with their reasoning. They¡¯d only been on the road for a few days, besides, which meant they had almost a full month¡¯s travel ahead. There would be plenty of opportunities to collect more cores before they reached their destination.


    With the matter of the core settled for the time being, they got to work skinning the snake and butchering the meat. The skin would have to be cured before it would be of any use, and He Yu wondered if it might be worth having a portion of it fashioned into a protective treasure. Cultivators frequently did similar with parts from awakened beasts in the stories.


    Of course, when he mentioned it to the others, Yan Shirong just snorted. Li Heng at least seemed to mull it over before rejecting the idea though. In the end, it would only be a low-grade treasure, fashioned from the skin of a Third Realm beast. If he were willing to pour a foolish amount of resources into it, any treasure made from the skin might last a way into the Fourth Realm. Hardly worth the expense, especially given how short his days in the early stages of his advancement would be once his lifespan began to stretch into the hundreds¡ªor even thousands¡ªof years.


    The meat from the serpent was an entirely different story, however. Snake meat of even the mundane variety was said to have significant health benefits. Those qualities would still be present in the flesh of an awakened beast, of course, but the real prize was everything else.


    Feasting on the flesh of awakened beasts was said to have all sorts of benefits for cultivators. Eating meat from a Third Realm beast while they were still only at the Foundation Stage would enhance those benefits even further. It may only be one snake, and given how much each of them ate compared to mortals it would only last a week at most, but the effects would last far longer than the meat itself.


    When He Yu asked if it was truly that auspicious of a find, Li Heng and Yan Shirong both practically fell over each other trying to explain. The most immediate benefit would be the restoration of the qi they¡¯d expended in the fight. Even with the pills he¡¯d taken after his fight with Sha Xiang, it had taken He Yu more than a day to fully replenish his reserves. That was all cultivation that hadn¡¯t gone to his advancement. The snake meat would get them topped up that very night, and allow for their nightly cultivation to add to their base rather than simply replenish what they¡¯d spent.


    More importantly, the meat would fortify their bodies, and give them a higher baseline than they¡¯d otherwise have at their stage. It was common knowledge that the Third Realm¡ªBody Refining¡ªwas primarily the time that a cultivator spent preparing their physical body for the rigors of greater advancement.


    By strengthening themselves on the flesh of a Third Realm beast now, they would be able to push themselves that much further once they reached the Third Realm. The way Li Heng explained it, the effect would be similar to what Princess Tan was doing by staying at the peak of the Foundation Stage for as long as she was.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be like a shortcut then?¡± He Yu asked, thinking back to how Zhang Lifen had chastised him after he¡¯d broken through to Foundation.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Li Heng said as he stirred the nearly-done snake soup they¡¯d made with the help of some wild medicinal herbs Yan Shirong had found. ¡°It¡¯s almost the opposite. Knowing her, she probably sent us as far from the sect as she did intending for us to hunt beasts on the trip.¡±


    ¡°We are truly blessed to share in Sect Brother He¡¯s good fortune,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°If only all of us could have such a mentor.¡±


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Hardly,¡± he said with a sniff. There was a slight humorous note to his response that hadn¡¯t been there previously, however. Almost as if the other cultivator had finally sort of decided He Yu and Li Heng were worthy of his attention. He Yu figured he¡¯d take it. Especially since he¡¯d have to spend a couple of months with Yan Shirong.


    When the soup was ready, it turned out to be everything Li Heng had promised it would. Feeling well-fed and refreshed, the excitement He Yu had initially felt about this trip only increased as he imagined all the benefits two months in the lands outside the sect would bring.

 2.7 - The Passage of Bandits

    The next month saw the journey settle into a productive routine. The first half of the day was spent on travel itself. Once they found a suitable spot to camp around midday, they left the road and began hunting beasts. While they never managed to find another Third Realm beast, there were plenty of the Second, and several were even close to advancement before the three cultivators found them. The bounty of the wilds saw them feasting on awakened beast meat nearly every night, and harvesting cores daily. In that time He Yu even managed to break into the Middle Foundation stage.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t quite what I¡¯d been expecting,¡± he admitted the next morning.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Second Realm,¡± Yan Shirong said with a shrug over his breakfast.


    ¡°It is a bit underwhelming, isn¡¯t it?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°I just expected, I don¡¯t know, more. Going from early Qi Gathering to the middle stage was such a large jump. Then there was the breakthrough into Foundation.¡±


    Li Heng nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just because you¡¯ve had time to get used to Foundation. While it¡¯s true that each Realm is a wider river than all those that come before it, you end up spending comparatively more time reaching each stage. It makes those breakthroughs feel a bit less jarring than they would otherwise. Don¡¯t worry though, from everything I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ll still get your big moments when you ascend to an entirely new Realm.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to push to late Foundation before we arrive?¡±


    ¡°Not without some tremendous fortune,¡± Yan Shirong snorted. ¡°I¡¯m certainly not making it without help. These beast cores aren¡¯t anywhere near enough.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t exactly what He Yu had wanted to hear, but it did make sense. It had taken him more to reach each breakthrough in both time and resources than it had the previous ones. He¡¯d already long since figured out that his rapid advancement through the First Realm was wholly due to having such a low cultivation base to begin with. It would have been more difficult not to advance with such a low base in an environment as rich in qi as the Shrouded Peaks. There was a reason the sect was located there, after all.


    One unexpected upside to his breakthrough, however, was that it allowed them to travel faster than before. Which meant they were able to allot more time to hunting awakened beasts. Although the cores were nice in the absence of spirit stones, the real prize was the meat.


    Already He Yu could feel the benefits. All three of them had packed on a noticeable amount of muscle since leaving. None of them were anything close to the hulking mountains of flesh and muscle that either Ren Huang or Fang Yingjie were, but He Yu was beginning to feel as though he was finally beginning to look the part of a cultivator.


    Granted, the meat hadn¡¯t done anything for his height. He was still a bit on the slender side, too, but there was certainly a hardness to his physique that very much hadn¡¯t been there when they¡¯d left. Also, his disciple¡¯s uniform was beginning to feel a bit tight around his chest and shoulders. It was a sensation that was as unfamiliar as it was welcome.


    Perhaps most importantly, Li Heng and Yan Shirong constantly reminded him that they wouldn¡¯t really see the benefits of their improved diet until they reached the Third Realm. Combining that promise with the way Li Heng had likened it to Tan Xiaoling remaining at the peak of Foundation all this time, He Yu almost wished that he could stay out here in the wilds until the sect deadline to reach Body Refining was drawing close. All things considered, the journey to the northern border of the sect lands was far more productive than He Yu had ever imagined it would be.


    It was enough to forget why they¡¯d come. Almost.


    The first burned-out village they came across shocked all three of them back from whatever illusions they¡¯d developed on the trip. The scent of charred wood hung heavy in the air. Crows perched on what remained of the buildings, but He Yu thankfully couldn¡¯t see any bodies. Still, there was a stench in the air that made his stomach turn.


    ¡°Welcome to the world of immortals,¡± Yan Shirong said, making no effort to hide his distaste.


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    ¡°No wonder the sect marked this King Hao for death,¡± Li Heng added. Both the nobles had taken on a seriousness that He Yu had never seen in either of them before.


    ¡°These people never stood a chance,¡± He Yu said. There was an unexpected mix of emotions churning in his gut at the sight of this ruined, burned-out village. From all that he¡¯d heard throughout his childhood, he thought he¡¯d been prepared to have to face this someday. Intellectually, at least. As it turned out, facing it in person was quite a different matter.


    How could someone willfully inflict such suffering? The heroes of the stories had always been protectors of mortals, but usually from spirits and beasts and demons. When the villains were other cultivators, the grudges were personal affairs. Petty, certainly¡ªbut they never involved mortals. Not like this.


    Li Heng shoved a charred beam from what probably used to be someone¡¯s home with his foot. ¡°Can¡¯t be more than a week past,¡± he said.


    ¡°You think they¡¯re close?¡± He Yu asked, surprised at the heat he heard in his voice.


    Yan Shirong shot him a look. ¡°It won¡¯t do anyone any good at all to go in all burning with the righteous desire for vengeance.¡±


    ¡°Yan Shirong is right,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be like your fights back at the sect.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel as though the other two were babying him. Wasn¡¯t he middle Foundation now? Same level as Yan Shirong, and the two of them were only a stage behind Li Heng. The gap between He Yu and the others had narrowed considerably in the months since he¡¯d joined the sect.


    ¡°We should track them,¡± he said, perhaps with a bit more sharpness than he¡¯d intended.


    At least there was no disagreement on that point. Yan Shirong sent off several of his constructs without another word, and Li Heng set to poking about in the ruins once again. It didn¡¯t take long for them to find the bandits¡¯ trail¡ªthey apparently hadn¡¯t seen any need to hide. The trail led to the north, closer to the border of the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s territory. Probably just past the official border, Li Heng surmised.


    ¡°Is that why nobody¡¯s dealt with them yet?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Most likely nobody could be bothered,¡± Yan Shirong said with a shrug as they followed the trampled grass and broken underbrush left in the bandits¡¯ passage.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t be bothered?¡± The bite of the heat from earlier had returned to He Yu¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Something like this is beneath the concerns of the sect elders,¡± Li Heng said, his tone carefully measured. ¡°It would take a far greater threat to pull them from their cultivation. Any one of the core disciples could handle this easily, and so could any of the higher-ranked inner disciples, for that matter. I¡¯ve no idea how many of them there actually are, but King Hao is only Body Refining. Anyone of at least the Fourth Realm could deal with this easily enough.¡±


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t they?¡± He Yu demanded.


    ¡°So they could send us,¡± Yan Shirong said with a shrug, as though it were obvious.


    Before He Yu could say anything, Li Heng elaborated. ¡°Remember how Senior Sister Zhang said to consider this a training opportunity? That¡¯s why they haven¡¯t done anything. Jobs like this are a good way to push outer disciples. To give them real experience. And to cull the ones who aren¡¯t fit for the world of immortals.¡±


    The very thought made him sick. How could the elders be so callous? There were real people who had suffered¡ªdied¡ªwhile the sect simply stood by, viewing the presence of a bunch of marauders on their northern border to be nothing more than a training opportunity. What if this had happened to Shulin? He Yu had no illusions as to whether Dong Wei would be able to protect the town in that case. It seemed that living under the administration of a sect wasn¡¯t a guarantee of protection either.


    He Yu looked up to find Li Heng standing in the path before him. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and he wore a serious expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, Yu, but this is the world we inhabit now. Protecting mortals is a righteous goal¡ªnoble, even¡ªbut we have bigger concerns.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± he practically spat. The anger that had risen in him in response to the burned village and the indifference that Li Heng and Yan Shirong displayed surprised him. He hadn¡¯t expected to feel so strongly about this.


    ¡°Well,¡± Li Heng said, ¡°our own cultivation for starters. If we can¡¯t get stronger, how can we expect to prevent worse things from happening to the innocent?¡±


    A certainty settled over He Yu as he took in Li Heng¡¯s words, activating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment without being fully aware that he was even doing so. It was reflexive, automatic in a way that it hadn¡¯t been before. Through the technique, he could see that Li Heng was trying to convince himself as much as he was He Yu. The excuse was flimsy, and Li Heng knew it. That stoked the fire in He Yu¡¯s belly even further, and he found that the Heavenly Palace Art, through his cultivation technique, approved.


    It was almost enough to shock him from his anger. How could an art approve? He set that aside for the time being. As much as he wanted to explore it, this particular truth was beyond him. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment made that fact as clear as it had its approval. If anyone could help him understand why the art would even care, it would be Elder Cai. And he couldn¡¯t exactly consult Elder Cai right now. They had bandits to kill.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± He Yu said, the weight of certainty settling over him. ¡°We¡¯ve got a job to do.¡±

 2.8 - Encountering the Ox King

    Li Heng¡¯s guess about the bandits¡¯ location turned out to be correct; on the second day, they crossed the northern border of the Shrouded Peaks Sect territory. The only demarcation was a large stone carved with the characters for the sect. The stone was weathered and old, and the lands here in the north were far more wild than any they¡¯d moved through up until this point.


    It took them another three days to track the bandits to their camp. They moved swiftly, the prospect of hunting beasts forgotten despite being so deep in the wilds. The easy chatter they¡¯d come to share on the journey subsided as well, replaced by a grim silence.


    ¡°Ahead,¡± Yan Shirong said, jerking his chin to indicate the direction.


    ¡°Any lookouts?¡± Li Heng asked as he drew to a halt in the path the bandits had cut for them.


    Yan Shirong shook his head.


    ¡°Why would they?¡± He Yu asked. His anger had cooled over the past three days, but it hadn¡¯t left completely. ¡°Nobody¡¯s coming for them, as far as they¡¯re concerned.¡±


    ¡°Spirits, beasts,¡± Li Heng answered. ¡°There are plenty of reasons to post sentries, even if you don¡¯t expect an attack.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s quite a few of them,¡± Yan Shirong said, bringing them back to the matter at hand. ¡°Thirty or so at a minimum, if I had to guess.¡±


    For the first time since the ruined village, He Yu hesitated. Thirty bandits was a tall order, but they should be able to handle a ten-to-one fight. All three of them were immortals, after all.


    Li Heng hummed and stroked his chin. ¡°That¡¯s a bit too many.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to risk using any perception techniques through the construct, so I couldn¡¯t get a sense for their advancement, but at least we know their leader is only Body Refining.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean advancement?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°You think some of them are awakened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be certain that nearly all of them are,¡± Li Heng said, voice grave.


    He Yu looked from Li Heng to Yan Shirong, searching for some indication that this was some sort of joke they were playing on him in a misguided attempt to lighten his mood before the fight. It only took a moment to realize they were completely serious.


    ¡°Even as part of a group, even led by a Third Realm cultivator, you wouldn¡¯t live long out in the wilds without at least some cultivation base,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Did you really think they¡¯d send sect disciples after a bunch of mortals?¡±


    Placing a reassuring hand on He Yu¡¯s shoulder, Li Heng said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much. There will likely only be a handful of Foundation stage cultivators among them. The majority will be in the First Realm, and except for perhaps their leader, none of them will have any proper techniques or arts.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so certain?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like Yan Shirong said for starters. The fact that they¡¯ve managed to stay alive all the way out here is enough to guess they¡¯ve awakened. But you don¡¯t get to stay on top of a group like this simply because you¡¯re a likable sort. If their leader is in the Third Realm, that means the rest will probably be Second Realm at best. Unless he¡¯s close to forming his Golden Core.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he is?¡± He Yu asked, his resolve now all but shattered.


    ¡°Answer me this,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Do you think Senior Sister Zhang is trying to kill you?¡±


    He almost simply said ¡°no,¡± but then he remembered everything Zhang Lifen had said about her training and the way she¡¯d already pushed him into conflict with Sha Xiang. She¡¯d even told him that she¡¯d fully expected him to lose when he¡¯d last fought Sha Xiang. So now that he considered it, he couldn¡¯t be certain that Zhang Lifen wouldn¡¯t simply see this as something that would ultimately benefit him, rather than as certain death.


    After another few moments of silence, Li Heng said, ¡°I don¡¯t think the Commission Hall would have let her accept the job on He Yu¡¯s behalf if Hao Niu were that strong.¡±


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    ¡°Okay,¡± He Yu said, beginning to feel a bit better. ¡°But why won¡¯t they have proper techniques?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re bandits,¡± Yan Shirong said as if that were explanation enough on its own.


    ¡°They were most likely former disciples of some sect, maybe even the Shrouded Peaks Sect,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Or perhaps they were students of a school like the one that charlatan ran in your hometown. Regardless, they awakened but didn¡¯t have any talent, or they lacked the resources. Whatever the reason, they were either kicked out or left on their own. If they were the sort of cultivators who could make anything of themselves, they wouldn¡¯t have turned outlaw.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± He Yu said, ¡°We¡¯re just going to fight through thirty or so First and Second Realm cultivators, and then do battle with their Body Refining leader? If I recall you and Tan Xiaoling didn¡¯t fare too well against Xiao Jun, and he¡¯s Third Realm.¡±


    Li Heng scowled at the reminder. ¡°That was different.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Jun is late Third Realm,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Besides, he¡¯s had access to sect resources, too. Not only is his advancement greater, but his cultivation base is of a much higher quality. To answer the more pressing question though, we are absolutely not going to fight thirty bandits. It would be a waste of resources. We¡¯re going to challenge Hao Niu, kill him, then go home.¡±


    ¡°What, we¡¯re going to run at him one at a time, then? Simply wear him down?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Of course not. He¡¯ll fight us all at once. I doubt he¡¯d stay king of all these bandits for long if he refused,¡± Yan Shirong sniffed.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a point,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    As they pushed towards the camp, a sharp whistle came from the trees. In the space of a breath, they were surrounded by a dozen rough-looking men, all brandishing weapons. Their clothes were dirty, the weapons were of low quality, and a quick sweep of the group confirmed that all were of the First Realm. He Yu¡¯s guandao fell into his hands and he made ready to strike.


    ¡°We are here for your leader,¡± Li Heng announced, sounding as self-assured as ever. He hadn¡¯t even produced his jian. Nearby, Yan Shirong had at least drawn a pair of his daggers.


    ¡°What makes you think you can just walk in here and demand to see King Hao, pretty boy?¡± one of them asked, taking a step forward.


    Li Heng inclined his head to stare down his nose at the bandit. ¡°We are representatives of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. You lot have trespassed in sect lands and terrorized people under the sect¡¯s protection. We are here to deliver justice to your leader.¡±


    The gathered bandits burst into raucous laughter. A couple of them even turned and began wandering back in the direction of their camp. Li Heng¡¯s jian fell into his hand. ¡°This is your last warning,¡± he said. ¡°Deliver Hao Niu and you will be allowed to live.¡±


    A crack of wood splintering came from nearby, and a tree toppled towards Li Heng. The noble deftly avoided it, but to He Yu¡¯s judgment, he did seem a bit shaken. Where the balau tree had once stood, there was now a large man standing with a massive two-handed bronze mace propped on his shoulder. The man wore an oft-mended lamellar vest and a cloth headscarf. His scruffy and unkempt beard was split by a jovial grin that was at odds with his otherwise fierce countenance. With a laugh, he took a single step forward that carried him several dozen feet to stand before Li Heng.


    ¡°So the sect finally sends its dogs after King Hao!¡± he said with a booming laugh. ¡°You want to fight the Ox King? I shall give you what you want.¡±


    King Hao hefted his mace. The haft was nearly as long as King Hao was tall, but the bandit leader wielded it as easily as a child¡¯s toy. The head, a knobbed bronze sphere several feet across, sailed through the air in a wide arc. It carried no technique that the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment could detect, just the power of a Body Refining cultivator¡¯s raw physical strength.


    Li Heng brought up his jian. The bronze mace struck the blade, and the Winter Moon Reflection flared a brilliant silver white¡ªbrighter even than when they¡¯d fought the awakened serpent. Li Heng stumbled back, knocked off balance by the sheer weight of the attack. A brief moment of panic spiked in He Yu. He¡¯d never seen his housemate fail to weather an attack with the Winter Moon Reflection before. Li Heng held the now-gleaming jian at his side, almost as if he were struggling to lift it. With a roaring laugh, King Hao readied his mace for another strike at the now-helpless noble.


    There was no time to think, no time to hesitate. Only time to act. He Yu rushed forward, carried on wings of wind by the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. He poured yet more qi into his guandao, forming the Rushing Wind as he charged King Hao. The bandit leader flashed He Yu a smile and shifted the direction of his own weapon¡¯s swing, once again wielding the massive bronze mace as if it were weightless. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed him the arc of the attack¡ªKing Hao wasn¡¯t bothering to defend. The mace was coming right for He Yu, and his Peerless Judgment technique left no doubt as to which fighter would land their blow first.


    He Yu dropped his Rushing Wind and used the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight to yank himself up and away from King Hao¡¯s counterattack. While his movement technique couldn¡¯t grant him true flight yet, it did allow him to remain in the air long enough to ready another strike at the bandit. As He Yu let himself fall, bringing the Crashing Wind with him, King Hao laughed once again.


    With a large meaty hand, King Hao grabbed He Yu¡¯s guandao just below the blade. ¡°Is this the best the Shrouded Peaks Sect can send?¡± he asked.


    Then, he simply tossed He Yu into a tree. With nothing to push off of, and his techniques disrupted by the sheer strength of King Hao¡¯s throw, He Yu slammed into the rough bark. Dimly, he heard wood crack and splinter. Then he hit the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to send your remains back to the sect,¡± King Hao said with a grin that held far more malice than humor.

 2.9 - Pursuit

    King Hao hefted his mace once more, readying another attack. He was several dozen yards away still, but he¡¯d already demonstrated that his movement technique could easily cover the distance. He Yu pushed himself to his feet and readied his guandao. To his relief, he saw that Li Heng had regained his balance with the time He Yu had bought him, but he still seemed to be struggling with his jian.


    Shadows rose from the grass at King Hao¡¯s feet and wrapped around the arm holding the mace. ¡°Miscreant,¡± Yan Shirong sniffed. ¡°Suffer justice.¡± Spreading his arms, an array of daggers appeared in an arc over his head. They shot toward King Hao, each one trailing shadow qi in its wake.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t about to waste the opportunity. He surged forward once again with the aid of his movement technique, wind qi churning down the length of his guandao. From the corner of his eye, he caught Li Heng struggling to bring his jian up and level the point at King Hao.


    The Ox King ripped his arm free of Yan Shirong¡¯s shadow bindings. He swept the daggers away with his mace like so many gnats. Without even bothering to look, he landed a punch square in the center of He Yu¡¯s chest. Once more He Yu found himself sailing away from the bandit king, this time with several broken ribs for his trouble.


    Then, the world went white. A gleaming torrent of qi erupted from Li Heng¡¯s jian. The temperature noticeably dropped as the ice and moon aspects of the technique briefly overwhelmed the more balanced ambient qi of the area. The noble had to bring his off hand up to grip his sword¡¯s hilt, and even then he barely seemed in control.


    For an instant, King Hao was engulfed by the silver light streaming from Li Heng¡¯s ancestral jian. Then, shadows surged out from the bandit king. For an instant, He Yu thought Yan Shirong had joined in the attack with a technique of his own. The shadows swallowed Li Heng¡¯s sword light, and once the noble¡¯s attack finally died, He Yu could see the umbra surrounding King Hao was tinged a deep red.


    The shadows around King Hao faded. It seemed the heavens had at least granted them some small favor, as the bandit leader hadn¡¯t escaped wholly unscathed. His lamellar coat was cracked, and in several places completely blasted away. His eyes blazed with fury, and flickers of the same deep red light that had tinged the shadow danced deep within them.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you be doing that again,¡± King Hao rumbled.


    The bandit king unleashed his spirit. Whatever hints of shadow¡ªand whatever that red light had been¡ªnow completely vanished. He Yu felt the impression of a fortress wrought of earth and metal, with gates of bronze and a brilliant fire blazing atop the bastion¡¯s highest tower.


    King Hao¡¯s spirit was hovering somewhere around the border of the low and middle stages of the Third Realm, but for whatever reason the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint his advancement. He was comparatively weaker than Xiao Jun, however. It wasn¡¯t much, but if that was all the heavens would give them, He Yu would gladly take it.


    That relief turned out to be short-lived, however. An oddly familiar sensation, unlike any aspect of qi He Yu had ever felt, settled over them all. It was cold, sharp, and incredibly dangerous. An instant later, he remembered where he¡¯d felt it before. Tan Xiaoling. His mouth went dry as he realized what the sensation was¡ªkilling intent. More honed than any he¡¯d felt before.


    Yan Shirong appeared next to He Yu, hauling a mostly useless Li Heng with him. ¡°We can¡¯t fight him,¡± he said. In the face of King Hao¡¯s fully released spirit, now layered with a refined killing intent, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but agree.


    As he turned to run, He Yu popped a medicinal pill into his mouth. From the corner of his eye, he saw Li Heng, still supported by Yan Shirong, do the same.


    King Hao howled with laughter from behind them. ¡°A chase then!¡± he shouted. ¡°Hunt these pups! Show the disciples of the Shrouded Peaks Sect what happens when you cross King Hao!¡±


    An excited cry went up from King Hao¡¯s men as they set to pursuit. The bandits quickly spread out, with the First Realms among them falling further and further behind the Second Realms. King Hao stayed at their head, clearly more interested in the chase than the fight at this point.


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    He Yu silently thanked Senior Brother Ren for countless runs around the outer sect mountain. With the physical conditioning of Ren Huang¡¯s lessons combined with his greater advancement, he could keep ahead of the pack of bandits without tiring. More importantly, he could do so without really expending any qi, giving the pill he¡¯d taken the opportunity to work to the fullest.


    By now, Li Heng was moving under his own power. ¡°We need to lose them quickly,¡± he said.


    ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Yan Shirong asked. Of the three of them, he seemed to be under the most strain from the run. Something that He Yu would have allowed himself to feel proud of, under other circumstances.


    ¡°The White Hare Dance isn¡¯t good for much other than short distances.¡±


    ¡°My movement technique isn¡¯t either,¡± He Yu said. While the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight was excellent for a charge with his guandao raised and ready to strike, he couldn¡¯t maintain it for long. From what he¡¯d gathered from studying his art manual, it would only ever be decent for long-distance travel at best¡ªeven when he gained true flight with the technique.


    ¡°Same here,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    That put them in a bind. While they all cultivated the White Mountain Body Art to some degree, neither of the foundational techniques for the art were suitable for their current situation. The Eternal Mountain Root¡ªthe art¡¯s basic enforcement technique¡ªcould be used to extend their strength and endurance for a time, but it would drain them quickly if they tried to maintain it for an extended run.


    With no answer immediately obvious, they fell into a grim silence as they continued to run. If there was any bright spot in their predicament, it was that Li Heng¡¯s guess about the bandits¡¯ cultivation seemed correct. By now even the Second Realm bandits were steadily falling behind. King Hao still kept easy pace with them, but he seemed not to want to abandon his men either. He kept the three disciples in sight, but his attempts to do the same for his men meant that he was falling further behind as well, albeit less quickly than the bandits.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t let the three of them forget that he could catch them whenever he wanted. Whenever it seemed that they just might have lost him, King Hao would surge forward, laugh, and take a swipe at one of them with his mace. They would have to activate a movement technique to avoid the strike. That would just prompt another laugh, followed by King Hao falling back to make sure his men kept up once more.


    For the remainder of the day, the bandits chased them through the wilds. As the sun grew ever lower, He Yu could keenly feel the strain of their flight on his meridians and his dwindling qi reserves. Yan Shirong looked like the only thing keeping him going was the certainty that to stop would mean death. He Yu couldn¡¯t say he felt much better, and even Li Heng looked to be on his last legs.


    If there ever was a chance for them to stand and fight, it had long since passed. Now, any hope they had left lay solely in them losing King Hao and his men. Something they hadn¡¯t managed to do after a full day of running.


    As the afternoon sun dipped low and the light grew golden, the three of them emerged from the forest onto the shores of a lake. A modest hut squatted a few dozen yards away from the shore, and an old man sat out front tending a pot over a cook fire. With a peaceful expression, he looked up at the three disciples as they emerged from the woods.


    Li Heng cupped a fist and bowed. ¡°Honored Elder,¡± he said, ¡°there is a group of vile men a short distance behind us. They are beyond our ability to deal with, and we cannot offer you any protection should they seek to harm you. Please, hide or flee. This one could not live with himself if you came to harm.¡±


    While a part of He Yu chafed at the fact they¡¯d stopped for some random old man living in the woods by himself, it was the right thing to do. Cultivators were supposed to be protectors of the weak. Failing that, shouldn¡¯t they at least try and ensure the man didn¡¯t come to harm?


    The old man seemed to be completely oblivious to Li Heng¡¯s words. He simply continued to stir his cook pot. When the three of them made to leave, he spoke. ¡°Sit. My soup is nearly ready, and there¡¯s enough to share.¡±


    ¡°Elder,¡± Yan Shirong said, ¡°all of our lives are in danger.¡±


    The old man tutted. ¡°So impatient. Sit, I have soup.¡±


    With a sigh, He Yu went over to the man and sat next to him. Li Heng and Yan Shirong stared in disbelief. ¡°I for one would like a meal before I die,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore, and neither can you.¡±


    A wordless look passed between his two companions, but they joined him nonetheless. They were just as spent as he was, and already they could hear King Hao¡¯s shouts growing closer. The old man remained silent as he tended to his cook pot. Given the sounds of pursuit growing ever closer, He Yu wasn¡¯t confident he¡¯d get his meal after all. Still, he was tired from running all day. Continuing to do so only delayed the inevitable, anyway.


    King Hao burst from the tree line along with several of his more advanced men. The bandits looked just as exhausted as He Yu felt, but King Hao seemed to still be in high spirits.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he boomed. ¡°The chase is over already? No matter. Now it¡¯s time to learn what it means to face King Hao!¡±


    ¡°Is this barking dog the one who chased you here?¡± the old man asked.


    King Hao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Watch your tongue, old man. I¡¯ll rip it from your head if you don¡¯t.¡±


    The old man¡¯s white eyebrows rose as he looked up to King Hao. ¡°Treat your elders with more respect, whelp.¡±


    With that, the old man stood and released his spirit.

 2.10 - Old Guo

    The pressure from the old man slammed into He Yu like a physical blow, knocking him back more than a dozen feet, and then weighing down on him like a mountain. It was unlike anything he¡¯d felt before, not even when Zhang Lifen or Ren Huang had unleashed their spirits. The old man radiated vibrant life and deep, ancient power.


    He was a tree, towering more than a hundred feet over them all. His branches stretched out to grasp the lake, the surrounding forest, and the bandits alike. His skin was bark, older and harder than stone. He had survived strikes of lightning sent as tribulation from the heavens. He had drunk deeply from the rain and the lake, both. He was as ancient as he was powerful. One hand closed into a fist at his side, and an old boar blazing with yet more power emerged from behind the ancient tree¡¯s trunk.


    ¡°These young men have shown me the proper respect,¡± the old man said. ¡°They are under my protection. King? Hardly. Be gone, or I, Old Guo, will crush you for your insolence.¡±


    Several of the bandits threw themselves to the ground in kowtow. King Hao was among them. ¡°This one offers his humblest¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said be gone!¡± Old Guo¡¯s voice was the crack of ancient wood, a massive tree falling in a deep forest.


    Without another word, the bandits fled.


    When Old Guo withdrew his spirit, He Yu threw himself to the ground along with both Yan Shirong and Li Heng in kowtow. ¡°This one thanks the Honored Elder,¡± he said. It never hurt to show respect, but he never could have imagined accepting an invitation for soup would turn out like this.


    ¡°Bah. The soup is almost ready. Get out of the dirt and go wash up. All three of you. I¡¯ll not wait for supper any longer than I must.¡± Old Guo said.


    It was a short walk to the shore of the lake, taken in silence. Only when the last traces of dirt and sweat from their day-long run were washed away, did He Yu dare to speak.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even think to observe him with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment,¡± he said. ¡°How advanced is he?¡±


    Yan Shirong shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it was wise not to use a perception technique on him.¡±


    ¡°Always best not to offend someone of his level,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°His spirit was similar to my father¡¯s, but stronger if I¡¯d have to guess.¡±


    Both He Yu and Yan Shirong said nothing. General Li Bao, Marquis of the Western Passage, was well known to be of the early Sixth Realm¡ªSoul Refining. ¡°I¡¯d wager that we only experienced a portion of Old Guo¡¯s presence,¡± he added. ¡°I have never stood before my father¡¯s full spiritual presence before. As a mere Foundation, I doubt I would survive the ordeal.¡±


    ¡°The Yan family patriarch is of the late Fifth Realm himself. I¡¯ve never even met him,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Most of the ranked members of my family are all Golden Core. My uncle, the family¡¯s outer head, is only early Nascent Soul. Even that was too much for me to bear on the times I attended court.¡±


    He Yu was having a difficult time processing all this. Rationally he¡¯d known that both Yan Shirong and Li Heng would have family members far more advanced than he was, but he¡¯d never really grasped what that truly meant in practical terms.


    Yan Shirong was from a comital family, the second lowest rank of imperial nobility. And even they were led by a patriarch that had achieved the Nascent Soul stage. The Li family, a single rank higher than the Yan¡ªand a young family by Li Heng¡¯s own admission¡ªhad a Sixth Realm cultivator as their outer head. What sorts of monsters would the higher-ranked families have, then?


    The three of them returned to Old Guo¡¯s cookfire in sober silence. Several bowls of soup had already been laid out for them. Old Guo regarded the three disciples as they approached, saying nothing. It wasn¡¯t until they¡¯d finished their meal in apprehensive silence that the old cultivator finally deigned to speak.


    ¡°Tell me what three Foundation disciples of the Shrouded Peaks Sect are doing so far out here,¡± Old Guo said, eying each of them in turn.


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    ¡°We accepted an assignment from the sect to deliver justice to the bandit, Hao Niu,¡± He Yu said.


    Old Guo frowned. ¡°Did the sect not know of his advancement? Why send children to deal with someone like him?¡±


    ¡°My mentor, Zhang Lifen, accepted the job on my behalf,¡± He Yu admitted. ¡°She said to consider it a training opportunity.¡±


    The old cultivator nodded and stroked his beard. ¡°This Zhang Lifen must think highly of you to send a mere Second Realm against a Third.¡±


    ¡°She expects a great deal from me, Honored Elder, and she did allow for companions.¡±


    ¡°And what good were they?¡± Old Gou snapped. ¡°I would slap some sense into your mentor were she here.¡± Turning to Li Heng and Yan Shirong, he asked, ¡°What of you, then? Who might the two of you be?¡±


    Both bowed over a salute and introduced themselves in turn.


    ¡°Li Heng. You look a bit young to be Li Renshu¡¯s son, if memory serves.¡±


    ¡°This one is his grandson, Honored Elder,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°This one¡¯s father, Li Bao, now serves as Marquis of the Western Passage.¡±


    ¡°That makes more sense, then,¡± Old Guo muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve had the misfortune of crossing blades with your grandfather. If he¡¯s since secluded himself from public life, then I¡¯ve no desire to do so again.


    ¡°You, Yan Shirong? I know of your family¡¯s reputation as spies for the Dragon Emperor. You¡¯re not here to spy on Old Guo, are you?¡±


    Yan Shirong threw himself to the ground. ¡°Of course not, Honored Elder. This one is merely assisting his Sect Brothers.¡±


    Old Guo chuckled to himself. ¡°Bah, get up, all three of you. Show me what you¡¯re made of.¡±


    The three of them looked to one another in stunned disbelief.


    ¡°You heard me,¡± the old cultivator said. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± He jerked his chin in Yan Shirong¡¯s direction. ¡°You first, boy.¡±


    ¡°This one¡¯s arts aren¡¯t exactly suited to direct combat,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    ¡°Good. All the easier to figure out how to make you useful then.¡±


    Yan Shirong grimaced, but he didn¡¯t object a second time. A dagger appeared in each hand, and he launched them at Old Guo. The old cultivator snatched them from the air with a single motion.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± he demanded.


    Shadows rose from around Yan Shirong¡¯s feet as he activated the technique He Yu had seen him use several times to obscure his movement. Old Guo reached into the growing shadow and hauled Yan Shirong out by the front of his robes.


    ¡°I said show me what you¡¯re made of! Not how fast you can run.¡±


    Yan Shirong manifested three more daggers suspended over his head, and another two in his hands. When he attacked this time, he spaced the projectiles in an attempt to prevent Old Guo from catching them so easily. The old cultivator swatted them out of the air like flies. He looked like he was only half paying attention at this point, stroking his snow-white beard and gazing off into the darkening forest.


    Shadows pooled around Old Guo¡¯s feet, and the same tendrils Yan Shirong had used to bind the serpent shot up to wind their way around Old Guo. With barely a flex of his spirit¡ªnot even a proper technique¡ªOld Guo blasted the bindings away from him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough,¡± Old Guo said. ¡°Are those all your techniques? I¡¯d heard the Yan family arts were suited only for spies and sneak thieves.¡±


    ¡°This one apologizes for his inadequacy,¡± Yan Shirong said, embarrassment palpable in his features and his words. ¡°This one has puppets, but they¡¯re less suited for combat than the feeble techniques you¡¯ve seen so far. This one also cultivates the White Mountain Body Art, but has only been able to make use of its first technique.¡±


    Old Guo waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Subtlety has a power all its own. Your deficiency comes not from your arts, but how you use them¡ªthat much is clear.¡± Turning to Li Heng, he said, ¡°Your turn, scion of the Li family.¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s jian fell into his hand as he took a practiced sword stance before Old Guo. ¡°Apologies, Honored Elder, but this one¡¯s arts work best when he is able to first receive an attack.¡±


    ¡°I told you I fought your grandfather, boy. Do you think he waited for someone to strike him first, boy?¡±


    Li Heng pressed his lips into a thin line and swallowed, but said nothing. Instead, he attacked. In a flash, he crossed the distance to Old Guo and delivered a quick thrust. The old man pushed the blade to the side with one finger and then wheeled on Li Heng with a snap kick. To his credit, Li Heng did manage to bring his jian up in time to deflect the blow. However, once he did so the blade shone even brighter than it had when taking the blow from King Hao. Li Heng grunted as the blade pulled him off balance. The jian fell from his fingers, and the silver light winked out.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough,¡± Old Guo said. Li Heng bowed his head in shame, but He Yu thought he could detect a note of sympathy in the old cultivator¡¯s voice. He didn¡¯t have time to think on it, though. Old Guo finally turned to him and said, ¡°You, boy. I never caught your name.¡±


    ¡°This one is called He Yu, Honored Elder.¡±


    ¡°He family. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve heard of you.¡±


    ¡°This one is of common birth,¡± He Yu said, his cheeks heating.


    ¡°Good,¡± Old Guo said, a smile cracking his features. ¡°Young, common-born, and already Foundation. Maybe this mentor of yours wasn¡¯t as brainless as I¡¯d first thought. Show Old Guo what you¡¯re capable of.¡±


    By now it was clear that anything other than an outright attack wouldn¡¯t satisfy the old man¡ªfutile as such an attack might prove to be. Regardless, He Yu drew his guandao from within his storage treasure and summoned the wind.

 2.11 - Unexpected Aid

    He Yu had learned better than to hold anything back after watching how Old Guo had reacted to Li Heng and Yan Shirong. With wind churning along the length of his guandao, he surged forward with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Old Guo¡¯s initial reaction was almost imperceptible¡ªif He Yu had still been even early Foundation, he¡¯d have likely missed it. The old cultivator¡¯s white brows drew fractionally together as He Yu brought his weapon down in an overhand strike.


    Slipping to the side, Old Guo¡¯s hand tightened into a fist aimed at He Yu¡¯s chest. There was only an instant to react, and He Yu activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment without thinking. He could see the shape of the attack, the precise moment when Old Guo would launch his punch, and where exactly it was meant to land. In the space of a breath, he diverted himself with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, and twisted away from the blow, only to find Old Guo¡¯s other hand gripping his neck like an iron vice.


    ¡°Where did you learn that art?¡± the old cultivator said, his eyes steel as he released his grip.


    He Yu threw himself to the ground. He didn¡¯t bother trying to keep the absolute terror from his voice as he answered. ¡°This one was given his arts by Elder Cai Weizhe of the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Old Guo demanded.


    ¡°This one couldn¡¯t say for sure. The Elder said he was placing a finger on the scales for the benefit of his disciple, Zhang Lifen.¡±


    ¡°Cai Weizhe is your martial grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Honored Elder.¡±


    Old Guo hummed but said nothing for some moments. After the silence stretched into an uncomfortable span of time, he finally spoke. ¡°The three of you, come here.¡± Once they¡¯d gathered around, he turned to Yan Shirong. ¡°I¡¯m only familiar with your arts by reputation. Once I see a bit more of what you can do, I¡¯ll be able to help you easily enough.¡±


    To Li Heng, he said, ¡°Your deficiency is clear as day. If you can¡¯t press the attack, then what use are you? Your grandfather certainly wouldn¡¯t wait around for someone to strike him first. Then there¡¯s the fact that you can barely use his technique. Pathetic! Clearly, that¡¯s the first thing we need to work on.¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Old Guo said finally turning his attention to He Yu. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think on what to do about you. Your guandao art is common enough that I¡¯m familiar with it. But the one that Cai Weizhe gave you,¡± Old Guo let his voice trail off. He shook his head before finally continuing. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something. Regardless, I¡¯ll have the three of you ready to deal with that ox, Hao Niu, come spring.¡±


    The three of them exchanged looks, each one wearing an expression full of apprehension, disbelief, and more than a little gratitude. King Hao was clearly beyond their capabilities, and He Yu didn¡¯t want to return to the sect after his first real assignment in failure. There was just one thing that bothered him, though.


    ¡°Pardon, but why help us?¡± he asked before he could help himself.


    One of Old Guo¡¯s white eyebrows rose fractionally. ¡°Why? Because you¡¯re disciples of the sect, perhaps. The sect elders allow me to live here so long as I don¡¯t interfere in their business, but I¡¯d rather they don¡¯t come knocking down my modest little hut demanding why I left three of their outer disciples to die at the hands of a bandit. A little goodwill never hurt anyone.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m helping you because the bandits are scaring away all the beasts and spirits I would normally hunt for my medicine and elixirs? Maybe I just want them gone. Don¡¯t question a good thing. Clean up supper and get some rest. Training begins in the morning.¡± Old Guo spun on his heel and disappeared inside the hut, slamming the door closed behind him.


    He Yu was the first to set about to do as he was told. While he may not have been much help with his father¡¯s actual work, he was no stranger to cleaning up around the forge. This was little different. After a moment and a sharp look, Li Heng and Yan Shirong joined in as well. Once they¡¯d made their way back to the lake shore and were scrubbing the soup pot and bowls, Yan Shirong finally spoke.


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    ¡°I don¡¯t see why we have to listen to some old hermit,¡± he said.


    ¡°Would you rather he¡¯d left us to die?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°We aren¡¯t a match for King Hao as we are. If he¡¯s going to help us, I don¡¯t see why we ought to refuse.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to help us,¡± Yan Shirong grumbled. ¡°He¡¯s going to put us to work, tell us it¡¯s training, then send us to our deaths when he can¡¯t get much else from us.¡±


    ¡°I think Brother He has it,¡± Li Heng said, but with noticeably less confidence than when he normally offered his position on disagreements between the two of them.


    He Yu glanced in Li Heng¡¯s direction. The noble had his head down and looked thoroughly ashamed of himself. While he¡¯d a hunch of why exactly that was¡ªand knew full well that it was probably not the best time to ask¡ªHe Yu never really had been one for tact in the first place.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your sword technique?¡± he asked. ¡°First the snake, then with the bandits. You¡¯ve never had any trouble before.¡±


    The noble¡¯s features darkened for a moment, and then he let out a heavy sigh. ¡°The weight of the attacks. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the technique or the blade. Both against the serpent and against King Hao, when I absorbed the attack with the Winter Moon Reflection the blade became nearly impossible to lift.¡± Li Heng paused for a moment while he focused on scrubbing out a bowl. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ve never noticed any increase in weight when I absorb the power of attacks from lower realm opponents.¡±


    At least that explained what had happened. And it explained why Li Heng seemed so bothered at what Old Guo had said to him. The Lunar Mirror Sword Art had been created by his grandfather and passed down to him. When they¡¯d first met, Li Heng had been visibly proud of it, proclaiming that the Winter Moon Reflection was the art¡¯s principle technique. It would be a stain on both himself and his family¡¯s reputation if he couldn¡¯t adequately use it in battle.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Yan Shirong asked. ¡°The old man seemed pretty put out by whatever it was that you did, He Yu.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just used my cultivation technique to see the shape of his attack so I could avoid it. For all the good it did.¡±


    Yan Shirong¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like any cultivation technique I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d circled around the subject of He Yu¡¯s art. While Li Heng had been surprisingly forthcoming with information about his own family art, He Yu couldn¡¯t exactly say the same for Yan Shirong. This was fairly typical, of course.


    Cultivators kept knowledge of their arts close, and seldom even gave the names lest their opponents learn of their capabilities. He Yu didn¡¯t even know the name of any of Zhang Lifen¡¯s arts, and she was supposedly his mentor. Sharing knowledge of one¡¯s arts was a sign of trust, though. A quick check-in with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment confirmed He Yu¡¯s hunch about the matter¡ªif he wanted to foster trust between himself and Yan Shirong, he¡¯d have to be the one to move first.


    ¡°The art is called The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. As I mentioned before, it was gifted to me by Elder Cai.¡±


    ¡°Should that mean something?¡± Yan Shirong asked. ¡°I feel like it should, given the way Old Guo reacted.¡±


    ¡°Elder Cai inherited the art from its creator, and used it to seal some ¡®Dawn Palace.¡¯ All this happened over a thousand years ago, and the records on it are basically impossible to find.¡±


    ¡°Well, if there¡¯d be anyone outside the sect that might know, apparently it¡¯s a Sixth Realm cultivator named Old Guo living by himself in the woods,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°What¡¯s so special about this art, then?¡±


    He Yu finished washing up and stacked the now-clean bowls inside the cooking pot. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. The cultivation technique, the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, allows me to see the truth of things. Or at least that¡¯s how the manual described it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds more like a perception technique,¡± Yan Shirong said with a frown.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of both,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Okay, so you¡¯ve got a weird cultivation technique. Anything else?¡± Yan Shirong sounded distracted as he spoke, like he was turning over some problem, or plumbing the depths of his memory for some obscure fact. Either way, he¡¯d been drawn in.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s my movement technique, the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that. Just a wind aspected technique as far as I can tell.¡±


    He Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s about all I¡¯ve gotten from it, myself. There¡¯s more to both the techniques and the art, but any knowledge of them is beyond my ability to comprehend yet.¡±


    ¡°Arts can be like that,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re going to stay here, hopefully, Old Guo will be able to unlock something in you.¡± Then, he shrugged, and added, ¡°In all of us, I suppose.¡±


    Back at Old Guo¡¯s hut, He Yu settled in to get some cultivation in before he snatched his several hours of sleep for the night. The natural qi of the area was rich and abundant, but heavily aspected towards wood and water. It shouldn¡¯t have been surprising given the abundance of trees¡ªand the nearby lake. It was disappointing, however. At least he¡¯d be receiving training from a Soul Refining cultivator come morning.

 Interlude - Tan Xiaoling

    Tan Xiaoling emerged from her cultivation chamber, and into the crisp evening of early winter. The stench of extruded impurities clung to her still, despite having washed herself and changing into a fresh gown already. Her first steps with her new body¡ªa pale imitation of what it would become now that she¡¯d finally broken into the Third Realm¡ªwere filled with an unexpected but not unwelcome sense of strength and control. It would take some time to get used to this breakthrough, but she¡¯d been mentally prepared for over a year now.


    What she hadn¡¯t expected was the sharp increase to her senses. The chill that had deepened with the coming of winter cut into her skin, in a way that was strange¡ªshe knew that sensation was cold, but it didn¡¯t affect her like it would have weeks prior when she¡¯d secluded herself for her breakthrough. She could taste the air. Smell the ever-present mists. Hear the soft approach of a power still far greater than her own.


    Tan Xiaoling turned and bowed over a salute¡ªone fist pressed into her palm¡ªgiven to her senior.


    ¡°Congratulations on attaining Body Refining,¡± said Zhang Lifen. A smile played across her lips. Tan Xiaoling couldn¡¯t determine whether it was mocking or simply smug. Senior or no¡ªTan Xiaoling didn¡¯t like the woman.


    ¡°This one thanks Senior Sister,¡± she said.


    ¡°This one,¡± Zhang Lifen said absently. ¡°Is that really appropriate? You are nobility after all. And highly ranked if I¡¯m not mistaken. I¡¯ve made my choice to stay in the sect, so I¡¯ve no real title to speak of. However, I am your senior, so what exactly is the protocol here, I wonder?¡± The core disciple waved a dismissive hand. ¡°I find all that formality tiresome, anyway. Senior Sister will do for now, I suppose. At least until such a time as we can call each other peers.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, Zhang Lifen¡¯s attitude doing nothing to lessen her dislike of the woman. ¡°Is there something you require of me?¡± she ventured after a moment of silence stretched between them for a bit longer than she was comfortable with. She hated to admit it, but she felt as though she were already on the back foot with this conversation.


    Zhang Lifen regarded her for a moment, her unnerving cerulean eyes shifting as she held Tan Xiaoling¡¯s gaze. ¡°I wanted to speak to you about Xiao Jun,¡± she said at length.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s blood surged at the name, and she involuntarily clenched a fist.


    ¡°As I thought,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°How convenient for me.¡±


    ¡°What about him?¡± Tan Xiaoling was now in even less of a mood to deal with this woman.


    ¡°I had told He Yu that I expected you would want to deal with Xiao Jun. I thought it might be worthwhile to see where you stood on the matter.¡±


    ¡°I owe him,¡± she said. Zhang Lifen had seen the tail end of what Xiao Jun¡¯s treachery had done, and how he¡¯d humiliated her. The older woman had to know that Tan Xiaoling wouldn¡¯t¡ªcouldn¡¯t¡ªlet an insult like that stand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed,¡± Zhang Lifen said in that airy way of hers. ¡°I think that perhaps you and I can come to an agreement here.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± Tan Xiaoling knew this was bait. She knew she was playing right into whatever game Zhang Lifen was running here. She¡¯d seen enough of Zhang Lifen¡¯s type back home¡ªsomeone who used their status and influence to pull others¡¯ strings for their own benefit. But she couldn¡¯t help herself.


    ¡°We both know you aren¡¯t capable of defeating him as you stand now,¡± Zhang Lifen began. It was true. Despite the quality of her breakthrough, owing to all the time she¡¯d spent at the peak of Foundation, Xiao Jun was still beyond her ability. ¡°While I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯ll be able to challenge him soon enough, I¡¯d like you to wait.¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked before she could stop herself. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the coming tournament.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling nodded. At the height of summer, several weeks before the new year¡¯s disciples were set to arrive, the sect would hold a tournament to determine who would join the inner sect. She had a feeling she knew what was coming next.


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    ¡°Wait for the tournament,¡± Zhang Lifen began. ¡°As I¡¯m also sure you¡¯re aware, the pairings for the tournament brackets aren¡¯t exactly fair. I can ensure that you fight Xiao Jun at the tournament. Thus your victory over him will be in front of the entire outer sect¡ªand whichever seniors happen to be in attendance.¡±


    The admission didn¡¯t come as much of a surprise, just as Zhang Lifen had suggested. It was somewhat of an open secret that the brackets of such tournaments were often arranged in such a way that certain disciples were all but guaranteed to advance to the qualifying rounds, ensuring that the favorites of elders and influential seniors were given a place in the inner sect. Of course, one still had to win their respective matches, and anyone who made it into the inner sect would still be a talented cultivator in their own right.


    ¡°As much as it pains me to admit it, Xiao Jun is currently the strongest disciple in the outer sect,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°I have no doubt that I would face him in the tournament regardless.¡±


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, you¡¯d be correct,¡± the other woman said. ¡°Let me be clear, then. Do as I say, and I can ensure that you can have your satisfaction on a fitting stage. You can repay the humiliation you¡¯ve suffered as many times over as you want. Likewise, seek to pursue your grudge on your own terms, I can just as easily make sure you don¡¯t face him. I could have him eliminated in the first round, or I could simply have you expelled from the sect. It makes little difference to me.¡±


    It took a great deal of effort for Tan Xiaoling to rein in her temper. She wasn¡¯t used to being on the receiving end of threats, especially from someone capable of making good on them.


    ¡°I take it there¡¯s more to this than simply wanting me to do your dirty work for you?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked.


    ¡°I know somewhat of the difficulties you face back home.¡± Zhang Lifen allowed her voice to trail off, letting the reminder of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s situation hang between them for a moment, before affecting a casual shrug.


    Then, something shifted in Zhang Lifen¡¯s demeanor. Like a veil had dropped, and Tan Xiaoling was truly seeing her for the first time. No longer was she the vain and somewhat flippant woman Tan Xiaoling had always marked her for. There was a danger¡ªa ruthlessness¡ªlurking beneath that exterior. She¡¯d shown a bit of that over the course of their conversation already, but now it was on full display. Despite Zhang Lifen¡¯s spirit remaining tightly restrained, Tan Xiaoling couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    ¡°When I recruited He Yu and Sha Xiang to the sect I¡¯d thought to gain two disciples. I lost one, but in the process, I gained four more. At least in potential. Li Heng has quite clearly hitched his fortunes to He Yu, though I doubt he¡¯s done so out of pure altruism. Yan Shirong is shrewd enough that he¡¯ll see the profit in sticking with the two of them long before they return to the sect. Chen Fei will likewise want to follow the boy who showed her a small measure of kindness, and once she returns from Sect Brother Ren¡¯s training, I expect she¡¯ll have little trouble keeping up. That leaves you, Junior Sister Tan.


    ¡°I know you feel a fondness for Junior Sister Chen, but I¡¯m not willing to place my faith in that bond. Nor am I willing to place my faith in your budding interest in Junior Brother Li.¡± Tan Xiaoling¡¯s cheeks heated at that, but she said nothing. ¡°I want to know where you will stand when the time comes, Tan Xiaoling.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with Xiao Jun?¡± she asked, casting her brief embarrassment aside.


    ¡°You recall the fight between my disciple and his?¡±


    ¡°His disciple? Surely you can¡¯t mean Sha Xiang.¡±


    Zhang Lifen merely fixed Tan Xiaoling in her gaze.


    That technique she¡¯d used. The one Xiao Jun had tried to stop the duel over. ¡°He was the one who gave her that technique?¡±


    ¡°She received it by way of Xiao Jun, yes. Master Cai was most unhappy that Sha Xiang had been given such a thing. He has tasked me with breaking the nascent alliance forming around Xiao Jun via the gifts he¡¯s distributing amongst his followers.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. So this was all at the bidding of Zhang Lifen¡¯s master, Elder Cai Weizhe. ¡°Politics. A game I¡¯m familiar with, and want no part of.¡±


    ¡°Politics is nothing more than the exercise of power, Princess Tan. It is endemic to the world of immortals.¡±


    ¡°What does Elder Cai care for an outer sect disciple such as Xiao Jun?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked, changing tack.


    ¡°Xiao Jun is merely an unwitting herald of something far greater than himself. Sha Xiang, too. There will come a time¡ªsooner than I think any of us are comfortable with¡ªwhen battle lines will be drawn. All of us will need to decide where we will stand.¡±


    ¡°I know where I stand,¡± Tan Xiaoling said.


    Zhang Lifen spent far too long holding Tan Xiaoling¡¯s gaze, as though she were searching for something. ¡°A lone tree may fall in a storm where a forest survives.¡± Tan Xiaoling began to respond, but Zhang Lifen silenced her with a gesture. ¡°As I said, I know well why you came here. Why you left the Jade Kingdom and came all the way to the Shrouded Peaks. You ought to know, perhaps better than any of your peers, what it means to walk in the world of immortals. You have friends, Princess. Choose them before the choice is made for you.¡±


    Then, the veil was back. Zhang Lifen¡¯s demeanor shifted once more, and the unserious woman had returned. ¡°I look forward to your rematch with Xiao Jun,¡± she said. Without another word, she turned and drifted out of the courtyard.


    Tan Xiaoling stared after her. Her thoughts turned first to Chen Fei¡ªthe only person who¡¯d even come close to what she might call a friend. Then they turned to the lonely years in her father¡¯s palace. She shook her head.


    The rest were allies, at best. And poor ones at that. She couldn¡¯t count on them¡ªthey weren¡¯t nearly strong enough. When her uncle finally got tired of waiting, he¡¯d be coming for her. When that happened, she needed to be ready.

 2.12 - Old Guos Training

    Much to He Yu¡¯s disappointment, the first thing Old Guo had them do was chop wood. Where the old man had gotten his axes from, He Yu couldn¡¯t have said, but he produced three of them. Once the disciples each had an ax in hand, Old Guo pointed them to the tree line and told them to get to work.


    ¡°This is outrageous,¡± Yan Shirong said, once they were within a few yards of the trees. ¡°Jobs fit for a servant.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°But I think we should at least do what he asked. If only out of gratitude for saving us, and then consenting to train us.¡±


    He Yu said nothing. Mostly because he was actually looking forward to the work. It was an odd feeling. He¡¯d never been strong enough to help with any of the household chores that involved real labor back when he¡¯d still been living with his father. The best he could manage was to sweep the forge or wash up after meals. The fact that after only a few months of cultivation at the Shrouded Peaks Sect he was strong enough to fell a tree seemed like a tangible mark of progress to him. While he was still far weaker than Li Heng both in cultivation and raw physical strength, it was far more than nothing.


    Planting his feet shoulder-width apart, He Yu took a hearty swing at a tree. The ax rebounded from the trunk as though it had struck stone, sending shocks up his arms. He dropped the tool with a pained shout and shook out his hands.


    Li Heng frowned. ¡°Trouble? Chopping wood can¡¯t be that difficult.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± He Yu said picking his ax back up. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t. At least not from what I¡¯ve ever seen. I¡¯ve never actually chopped wood before,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Maybe your technique is wrong?¡± Yan Shirong ventured.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Li Heng said, taking He Yu¡¯s place next to the tree. His swing was no more successful than He Yu¡¯s. The ax head rebounded just like it had for He Yu.


    ¡°Foolish children!¡± came a sharp shout from behind them. Old Guo stood there, eyebrows drawn together in displeasure. ¡°Have you learned nothing from your time at the sect? Did you think I would have you chopping trees if it weren¡¯t for some other purpose as well? Cycle qi! Use your body arts, assuming you have them.¡±


    He Yu stepped up to another tree, feeling a bit the fool as he did. Of course these wouldn¡¯t be common trees. Given that Old Guo had made his home here¡ªand based on his presence from the night before, cultivated aspects of wood¡ªthese trees must have some strong spiritual aspect to them. A brief look with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment confirmed as much, and when He Yu planted his feet a second time, he also activated the first technique of the White Mountain Body Art, the Eternal Mountain Root.


    Qi flooded his limbs. He stood as though he were one of the giants of the Shrouded Peaks, practically rooted to the ground by living stone. The muscles of his arms swelled with strength and power, as mountain aspected qi surged through his meridians. He swung his ax. This time, when the head connected with the bark, the handle snapped. He at least allowed himself to feel some small sense of satisfaction as the ax head flew off into the dense undergrowth.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Old Guo snapped.


    He Yu¡¯s initial instinct was to throw himself to the ground and apologize, but Old Guo had produced yet another ax from nowhere and held it out for him. He took the tool from the old immortal, absently wondering just how many axes he had in his storage treasure, and why he kept them there in the first place.


    ¡°Apologies, Honored Elder,¡± He Yu said, hefting his new ax. It was heavier¡ªand hopefully sturdier¡ªthan the previous. ¡°This one was simply trying to follow the Elder¡¯s instructions.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Old Guo grumbled. ¡°I meant your body enforcement technique. Never mind, we can deal with that later. You!¡± Old Guo jabbed a finger at Yan Shirong. ¡°Chop!¡±


    He Yu scrambled to make some sense as to what had made Old Guo angry as Yan Shirong took up a stance next to another tree. He¡¯d only done as he was told.


    The comital scion drew back his ax and swung. The ax didn¡¯t even so much as scratch the bark of the tree.


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    Old Guo threw up his hands in disgust. ¡°Outrageous! Young Master Li! Chop!¡±


    Yan Shirong¡¯s expression was a mix of frustration, annoyance, and shame as he relinquished his spot for Li Heng to take. Unsurprisingly, Li Heng¡¯s attempt fared little better than his peers¡¯ had.


    ¡°This is absurd. Do none of you have a body art appropriate to your cultivation? Why are all of you attempting to use a mountain aspected body art, when none of you cultivate mountain qi?¡±


    ¡°The White Mountain Body Art is the only body art this one had access to, Honored Elder,¡± He Yu said into the ground as he kowtowed before the increasingly irate old immortal.


    ¡°At least you have an excuse,¡± Old Guo snapped. Before He Yu could feel too much better, he added, ¡°But not much of one. I know how the sects operate. Surely you¡¯ve made enough contribution points to purchase something more fitting to your spirit, no? You cultivate wind! Why wouldn¡¯t you purchase a body art to compliment it?¡±


    He Yu had no answer. The others fared little better under Old Guo¡¯s questioning. Once the old immortal had chastised each of them in turn, he produced yet another ax and took his place next to one of the trees.


    ¡°Observe.¡± Old Guo removed his outer robe to reveal a well-muscled torso and arms that belied his age. He held the ax in one hand, drawing it back for a swing. The muscles in his shoulder and arm bunched, and there was even a slight distortion in the air around them. However, he didn¡¯t use any qi that He Yu could sense. Only the physical strength he¡¯d gained from what He Yu could only assume amounted to hundreds of years¡¯ worth of physical cultivation.


    The ax practically disintegrated when it connected with the tree. The handle snapped instantly, much like it had when He Yu had struck the tree with the Eternal Mountain Root activated. Metal screeched as the ax head tore itself apart under the force of Old Guo¡¯s blow and the seemingly indestructible bark.


    ¡°The bark of the Stonewrought Pines that grow in this area of the Dragon Empire harden over the course of their ten-thousand-year lifespan. They are powerful spiritual trees, rich with qi. Not even I, an expert of the Soul Refining stage can harm them with physical strength alone. It is one reason why I chose this spot to cultivate towards the Seventh Realm.


    ¡°The other reason is this. Stonewrought Pines can only be harmed by qi that aligns with fundamental aspects of the one who strikes them. They are still tough, and only by more fully aligning one¡¯s techniques with one¡¯s natural affinity can one hope to chop down one of these trees. Even for one who has reached the Sixth Realm, this training refines control, and strengthens one¡¯s alignment to their fundamental nature.¡±


    Old Guo curled his hand into a fist, this time cycling wood qi to the limb. It wasn¡¯t a full release of his spirit as when he¡¯d chased off King Hao, but he still radiated the presence of a forest older than memory. He launched a quick, straight punch at the tree that had just shattered his axe. Wood cracked and splintered under the blow, and chunks of bark flew from the trunk.


    ¡°So we simply need to infuse the ax with qi that aligns with our natural affinity?¡± Yan Shirong asked.


    ¡°That would be enough on its own, but I¡¯ve given the three of you a unique opportunity. You had the right idea when you used the White Mountain Body Art. It was the choice of technique that was the mistake.¡±


    He Yu grabbed the ax from Yan Shirong and stepped up to an untouched tree. When he¡¯d first been preparing for the tournament in Shulin, his father had taught him how to cycle his qi to his limbs. It had been unaspected qi, of course, since that was all he cultivated at the time. But there was no reason he couldn¡¯t do it with wind qi, was there? So far as He Yu could tell, Old Guo hadn¡¯t done anything special when he¡¯d punched the tree a moment ago. He¡¯d simply cycled wood qi into his arm.


    In much the same fashion as he had during the tournament in Shulin, He Yu cycled qi through his meridians and into his limbs. This time, he drew upon the wind aspected qi he¡¯d since cultivated through the Five Crescent Winds. Elder Cai had told him his natural affinities were for wind and water, but he¡¯d yet to cultivate any water techniques, thus he had no water qi to draw upon. Old Guo¡¯s eyes narrowed as He Yu drew back the ax yet again, but the old cultivator said nothing. For good measure, He Yu activated the Sweeping Wind, cloaking the ax in yet more wind qi.


    The ax bit into the bark with a satisfying thunk. He Yu couldn¡¯t help but give a small smile.


    ¡°Good! Good!¡± Old Guo exclaimed. ¡°Tell me, why did you both enforce your body and activate a technique for the ax?¡±


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± He Yu asked. He searched to old cultivator¡¯s features for some sign of displeasure but found only shrewd appraisal.


    ¡°No,¡± Old Guo said slowly. ¡°But tell me why.¡±


    ¡°This one simply thought it would be best to do both,¡± He Yu stammered after a moment.


    Old Guo nodded. ¡°Powerful arts inherited from family or patrons will only take you so far,¡± he said, addressing all three of them once more. ¡°It is a trivial thing, as He Yu has demonstrated, to cycle aspected qi to one¡¯s limbs. It is a technique that even one barely awakened to the world of immortals can accomplish.¡± He gave a knowing look to He Yu as he said the last.


    ¡°Similarly, if one does not have a specific technique, a cultivator can enhance even a mundane weapon with their qi. This is the basis for forming your own techniques. The further you advance, the more important it becomes to develop techniques that are wholly yours, aligned with your own nature, and forged from your own qi. Train hard and lay the foundation that is the purpose of your current stage of advancement.¡±


    Donning his robe once again, Old Guo turned and left, materializing another three axes as he did. Without another word of protest, the three of them began to train.

 2.13 - Lessons on Foundation

    Over the next week, He Yu, Li Heng, and Yan Shirong would head to the nearby forest edge and chop trees each morning. It took them the better part of their time to chop through the tough bark of the Stonewrought Pines, even with the instruction they¡¯d gained from Old Guo on that first day.


    He Yu felt that he perhaps had the easiest time of it, oddly enough. Cycling wind qi in an improvised body enforcement technique was similar enough to his demonstration of what his father had shown him, and it only got easier the more he did it.


    The biggest hurdle he had was his own conception of wind qi. How would the wind lend strength to something as solid as one¡¯s body? He could almost picture Fang Yingjie scowling at him from underneath his conical peasant¡¯s hat in response to the question.


    A simple check with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment confirmed what he¡¯d suspected¡ªthe wind was perfectly capable of lending him strength. Storms could topple trees and weather mountains with their gusting winds, so why couldn¡¯t he chop a tree with the aid of the same?


    Of course, he also had the benefit of his guandao technique, too. The Five Crescent Winds wasn¡¯t an art that particularly cared what sort of weapon he used, despite being developed for the guandao. Adapting it to an ax was trivial, although He Yu quickly learned that the Sweeping Wind was the only technique that was useful for this particular task.


    Yan Shirong complained about the training, which He Yu wasn¡¯t particularly surprised about. He did, however, participate¡ªdespite having a rough go of it, especially on that first day. None of his techniques had prepared him to use his shadow aspected qi in a manner that would assist this particular task. He¡¯d never had the benefit of needing to use a generic body enforcement like He Yu had.


    Although he¡¯d availed himself well in the fights they¡¯d had so far, Yan Shirong¡¯s arts weren¡¯t meant for direct combat. As such his family arts didn¡¯t have a body enforcement technique as part of their repertoire. While he¡¯d learned the White Mountain Body Art¡ªonly because it was free, he¡¯d admitted¡ªhe seldom cultivated it. He thus had little experience with its principal body enforcement, the Eternal Mountain Root.


    Also, none of his offensive techniques charged his daggers with qi in the way the Five Crescent Winds did. He admitted that he¡¯d only a single attack technique as part of his arts, the Myriad Black Thorns. It was the close-range spray of shadow darts he¡¯d used during their fight with the Third Realm awakened serpent. That technique was basically just a directed blast of qi shaped into the form of the darts themselves.


    When He Yu asked him about the times he¡¯d thrown daggers at King Hao, Yan Shirong admitted that it was simply as it had appeared. He¡¯d used another technique, one that he called the Umbral Puppetmaster¡ªthe technique that created the shadowy tendrils he used to bind the serpent¡ªto quite literally throw a number of daggers that he kept in his storage treasure. That was enough to give He Yu an idea, however, and before long he¡¯d helped Yan Shirong work out a method of using his Umbral Puppetmaster to support each swing of his ax.


    Much to He Yu¡¯s surprise, it was Li Heng who had the most trouble with Old Guo¡¯s training.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t how my arts are meant to work,¡± Li Heng said, grimacing at the ax in his hand. He¡¯d been trying¡ªand failing¡ªto figure out a way to adapt the Winter Moon Reflection to channel its silvery lunar qi into his ax without receiving a strike first. ¡°It goes against the nature of the art.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a body technique that goes along with your sword art?¡± He Yu asked. From the research he¡¯d done into arts trying to uncover information about the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace, he¡¯d learned that most combat arts contained their own body enforcement technique. The Five Crescent Winds was unique in that respect, leaving a noticeable gap in He Yu¡¯s repertoire. Fortunately, he¡¯d the White Mountain Body Art to fill that gap for the time being.


    Li Heng shook his head. ¡°Not that I can use, at least. The Lunar Mirror Sword Art does contain a body enforcement technique, but I need to be Third Realm before I can begin to cultivate it. The strain would be too much otherwise.¡±


    It made a certain sense. Li Heng¡¯s fighting style relied on absorbing and redirecting his opponent¡¯s attack, using their own strength against them. From what He Yu had seen during their sparring sessions and when Li Heng fought others, the Winter Moon Reflection had been more than enough to defend him against assault from anyone at his own level. It hadn¡¯t been until Li Heng had fought opponents of the Third Realm that his principle technique had begun to fail him.


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    ¡°Well,¡± He Yu said, absently tapping the haft of his ax as he thought, ¡°Old Guo had said this training was meant to prepare us for higher realms by helping to align our qi more closely with our nature. What if you used a basic enforcement like the one I used, but cycled your own lunar qi? At the very least it should begin preparing you to cultivate your enforcement technique once you break through.¡±


    The big muscle in Li Heng¡¯s jaw clenched at the suggestion, but he said nothing for the moment. After the silence had stretched between them for a time that He Yu thought far too long, the noble turned away. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to resort to such a basic technique to cut down a simple tree.¡±


    ¡°Well it isn¡¯t a simple tree,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Old Guo said as much.¡± Immediately he realized that had been the wrong thing to say. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment opened his inner eyes, and he saw the wound on Li Heng¡¯s pride.


    The son of the esteemed General Li, Marquis of the Western Passage was the inheritor of a young, but well-respected art. He had the reputation of his family to uphold. Even Old Guo had spoken of Li Heng¡¯s grandfather¡ªthe art¡¯s creator¡ªin respectful terms, saying he¡¯d not want to cross blades with him again.


    More importantly, perhaps, was the weight bearing down on Li Heng¡¯s shoulders. Despite his relative youth, he bore a tremendous responsibility, given his family¡¯s precarious political position. The Li were a young family, and they held a coveted assignment in the Dragon Empire. Enemies circled them, waiting for any sign of weakness to pounce upon.


    Other, deeper thoughts hid below Li Heng¡¯s immediate concerns, but He Yu couldn¡¯t grasp the shape of them. They were linked to his pride, that much was certain, but the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment gave no insight into their nature¡ªonly their existence.


    ¡°I know that,¡± Li Heng snapped, drawing He Yu¡¯s attention back from the truths revealed by his technique. ¡°One should think that he¡¯d devise training more appropriate to our Way, is all.¡±


    He Yu frowned. He didn¡¯t think that was the issue at all. To him, Old Guo¡¯s training seemed the exact opposite. He knew full well that he lacked a body enforcement that was compatible with his other arts. Based on what he¡¯d learned in those first days at the sect from Elder Wen¡¯s lectures, it wouldn¡¯t become too pressing an issue until he reached Body Refining, but the sooner he could lay the groundwork for his future cultivation, all the better.


    Old Guo had done nothing to dispel that idea, explicitly telling them to lay the foundation that the Second Realm was named for. All things considered, He Yu would take the advice of a Sixth Realm cultivator over that of a petulant noble any day.


    Despite his protests, Li Heng did eventually relent. Suffusing his limbs with his lunar aspected qi seemed to help, and he even managed to channel some to his ax without having to first receive an attack. To be certain, he complained the whole way and gruffly rejected all of He Yu¡¯s offers for help, but he did manage to make some progress on his tree.


    As the week wore on, questions surrounding the merits of Old Guo¡¯s training faded to nothing. He Yu could feel the wind qi etching itself onto his spirit, carving through his meridians and deepening his connection to that aspect. During his nightly cultivation of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he could mark all the ways his spirit was beginning to take on the presence of wind.


    The swirling mass of qi in his dantian reminded him more and more of a rotating column of air, gathering the first wispy clouds of the coming rain far above. It hadn¡¯t been exactly what He Yu would have expected his spiritual presence to develop into¡ªhe hadn¡¯t had any expectations on that front, really¡ªbut he liked it. The late afternoon thunderstorms that frequently dropped torrents of rain on Shulin were the reason he¡¯d always loved summer.


    Elder Cai had said his spirit was aligned with wind and water, after all. What was a rainstorm other than those aspects made manifest? He¡¯d wondered how exactly his presence would manifest itself. He¡¯d never thought it would be anything like Zhang Lifen¡¯s, with its sense of crushing depth hidden beneath a tranquil surface, despite their shared affinity for water. What he¡¯d gotten instead was more aligned with his Way, and he didn¡¯t need the insights of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to see that.


    Both of his companions saw benefit from the training as well. Yan Shirong was easily the greatest beneficiary. Despite having been at the middle Foundation stage for some time, he¡¯d yet to develop much of a presence. That rapidly changed over the first few days as he carved his own shadowy qi into his spirit.


    When he used his techniques now, he gave the impression of smoke drifting in the dark corners of a dimly lit room. It was, He Yu thought, an entirely suitable way for his spiritual presence to develop. Old Guo had called him a spy, and Yan Shirong was proud of his family¡¯s service to the emperor as such.


    Li Heng continued to grumble, but he saw benefit, too. It was less pronounced than either He Yu or Yan Shirong¡¯s, but it was there. The sense of moonlight became sharper, somehow. It was subtle, but He Yu didn¡¯t think too much on that. Li Heng already had a fairly well-developed spiritual presence for a Second Realm cultivator, and if what Old Guo had told them was anything to go by, further refining it now would only benefit him.


    As much as He Yu was glad that his housemate had come around to Old Guo¡¯s training, he still couldn¡¯t shake the way Li Heng had been acting over the course of the week. He¡¯d been growing more brusque than He Yu was used to, and the noble had also given over to sulking when Old Guo wasn¡¯t around.


    He Yu tried not to think too much about it. They had training to do, and whatever pressures were weighing on Li Heng, they could be dealt with after the three of them had fulfilled their mission to deliver the sect¡¯s justice to King Hao.

 2.14 - Yan Shirong

    Yan Shirong picked himself up from the dirt and took a moment to be grateful for the formations woven into his clothes. Without them, every single outfit he¡¯d brought on this ¡°adventure¡± would have been ruined by now. As he settled back into his stance, he fixed his attention on his sparring opponent.


    He Yu. A mere commoner. Sure, he¡¯d managed to advance to middle Qi Gathering after less than a week at the Shrouded Peaks Sect, but anyone could have done that by accident on the outer sect mountain. It had earned him a reward from Elder Wen in the form of a Five Phases Refinement Pill, but Yan Shirong had gotten one of those, too.


    It wasn¡¯t the pill that bothered Yan Shirong at all. From what he¡¯d gathered on their month together away from the sect, He Yu had hardly used any pills at all. Now, he¡¯d reached the same level Yan Shirong was on.


    Sure, Yan Shirong protested at every opportunity that the Yan family¡¯s art, the Thousand Shadows Play wasn¡¯t suited for direct combat. That wasn¡¯t strictly true. It had combat techniques, and as he mastered his cultivation of the art, it would forge him into a formidable combatant. Still, it was at its best when he could stay back, strike from the shadows he cultivated, and use the army of constructs he¡¯d eventually control to do the heavy lifting for him.


    He knew he wasn¡¯t at his best in a head-to-head confrontation like this, but he was of a comital line. And an old one, at that. The Thousand Shadows Play Art had been refined over the course of generations, and in the world of immortals, generations could be measured in hundreds or thousands of years. All of that accounted for how one-sided this match was, but by Yan Shirong¡¯s reckoning, it should have been in his favor.


    Yan Shirong couldn¡¯t lay a damn finger on him. He¡¯d learned somewhat of He Yu¡¯s mysterious art during their trip. That guandao art he used wasn¡¯t anything special. But the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace, or whatever it was called? As far as Yan Shirong could tell, He Yu only had access to two techniques. The movement technique was bad enough, allowing him to zip around like a gust of wind and change direction in an instant. But it was that weird hybrid of a cultivation and perception technique that was the real problem. Of that he was certain¡ªthere was simply no other explanation for it.


    With a pulse of his qi, Yan Shirong stepped into shadow. His movement technique¡ªDarkwalker Shroud¡ªwas potent but impossible for him to fully use at this low advancement. Eventually, it would allow him to become shadow itself, but now all it could do was cloak him in darkness.


    For rapid movement, he had to activate his Umbral Puppetmaster technique. Then he simply used that technique''s shadow tendrils to pull himself where he needed to go, using the Darkwalker Shroud more like a smokescreen. It was a creative use of his abilities, and he was proud of himself for coming up with it. It was a good thing he¡¯d come up with it, too. It was the only thing keeping this match from being even more of an embarrassment.


    As Yan Shirong sailed through the air, pulled along by his strands of shadowy qi, he manifested a dozen throwing daggers from his storage treasure. He gripped each one with a shadow tendril and allowed a moment to marvel at how far he¡¯d come in the time they¡¯d been with Old Guo. That moment almost cost him the match.


    He Yu simply appeared in the path of Yan Shirong¡¯s flight, that damn guandao of his churning with a cloak of wind qi. It was an overhand strike¡ªone He Yu was overly fond of. Shadows curled around Yan Shirong and pulled him out of He Yu¡¯s range. The tip of the guandao passed a mere finger¡¯s width from Yan Shirong¡¯s nose. That had been close. But now it was his turn.


    Qi surged down the length of the shadow holding one of his daggers. Then another, and another. It had only taken him a couple of exchanges to realize that if he had any hope of landing an attack with the daggers he needed to space them perfectly. His initial instinct had been to launch them all at once and overwhelm He Yu¡¯s defenses. He Yu had simply slammed the butt of his guandao on the ground and blasted all of them away.


    As he¡¯d expected, He Yu still managed to deal with most of the daggers. But twelve was just too many, and several of them managed to connect. Yan Shirong allowed himself a small satisfied smile.


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    That was the most he¡¯d landed so far. Of course that didn¡¯t matter for much. He Yu had¡ªfor some reason¡ªstubbornly clung to his cultivation of the White Mountain Body Art even after they¡¯d begun their training with Old Guo¡¯s damnable trees. Yan Shirong saw the shift in the flow of qi around He Yu and recognized that he¡¯d activated the art¡¯s second technique, the Iron Fortress Redoubt.


    That was his opportunity. While the technique allowed He Yu to shrug off Yan Shirong¡¯s comparatively weak daggers, it was a heavy art, with aspects of mountain and metal. Yan Shirong had quickly determined that this was He Yu¡¯s biggest weakness¡ªhe couldn¡¯t use his movement technique at the same time as either of the White Mountain Body techniques.


    Yan Shirong pulled himself around He Yu, using his Darkwalker Shroud to obscure his movements. Hopefully, He Yu¡¯s perception technique was similarly limited by the body art, something Yan Shirong hadn¡¯t yet been able to determine. Once he¡¯d gotten behind his opponent, Yan Shirong dropped the Darkwalker Shroud and activated both his Umbral Puppetmaster and Myriad Black Thorns techniques.


    Shadow rose around He Yu¡¯s feet, twisting around his ankles and rooting him in place. Yan Shirong thrust out his hand and sprayed the Myriad Black Thorns into He Yu¡¯s back. His spiritual perception warned him of his mistake just an instant too late for him to react.


    As hundreds of shadow darts buried themselves into He Yu¡¯s back, he drove the metal cap on the end of his guandao into Yan Shirong¡¯s gut. His techniques disrupted, Yan Shirong doubled over and staggered back a few steps. He looked up to see that He Yu had turned around, and now regarded him impassively, a tell that Yan Shirong had come to learn meant he was using that perception technique of his.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough for now,¡± Yan Shirong said, holding out one hand in surrender.


    He Yu¡¯s demeanor instantly shifted, and the other cultivator broke into an excited grin. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten faster,¡± he said, vanishing his guandao back into his storage treasure.


    Begrudgingly, Yan Shirong accepted the praise. ¡°And you¡¯re still no easier to deal with,¡± he said. He allowed himself that moment to sulk about another loss before He Yu¡¯s excitement blew it away like smoke on the wind. It was tough to stay mad around him.


    The pair walked the short distance from where they¡¯d been sparring together to Old Guo¡¯s hut. He Yu stoked the cookfire that burned eternally out front and set water to boil for tea. It had become their habit to take tea after sparring in these past few days since Old Guo had spirited Li Heng away to wherever they¡¯d disappeared to. Yan Shirong certainly couldn¡¯t say that he minded.


    ¡°How long do you think they¡¯ll be gone for?¡± He Yu asked as they settled in to wait on the water.


    Yan Shirong shrugged. ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ll take sparring with you over whatever punishment that old monster has for Li Heng though.¡±


    While he hadn¡¯t made a secret of the fact that he didn¡¯t care for Old Guo¡¯s training, Yan Shirong could easily see the benefit of it. Sure, he¡¯d grumbled when they spent most of their first week chopping trees of all things, but it hadn¡¯t taken long to see the benefit. Maybe there was something to what He Yu had said about pills when they¡¯d first set out after all¡ªby his estimations, it would have taken over a month to see similar benefit if he¡¯d stuck to his old routine.


    At the end of that first week Old Guo had told them he was taking Li Heng away to ¡°deal with his shortcomings.¡± He then told Yan Shirong and He Yu to spend the second half of each day sparring while continuing to cultivate their foundation by chopping trees. He Yu had, of course, been thrilled at this. He was far too enthusiastic about chopping wood, but Yan Shirong had come to learn in the time they¡¯d been alone together that He Yu was simply obsessed with being a cultivator.


    Somewhere along the line, his head had been filled with the stories of old, and he wanted nothing more than to be just like those legends. It was a bit silly if Yan Shirong were honest, but he couldn¡¯t deny that it had served to drive He Yu. Or at least cause him to be more tolerant of their current absurdity than he otherwise may have been.


    Maybe there was something to it, Yan Shirong thought as he flexed his spirit. It was a hard thing to admit and it stung his pride, but He Yu had come far in his time at the sect. Without pills. That didn¡¯t mean Yan Shirong was going to stop using pills to boost his cultivation. That would be foolish. But how much further could he go if he simply used them as a supplement? He cast a sidelong glance to where He Yu was finishing up preparing their tea.


    Whatever his future advancement held, one thing was certain. Just because he¡¯d come to actually like He Yu, it didn¡¯t mean he was about to let some commoner out-pace him.


    Once they¡¯d finished their tea, Yan Shirong stood and stretched. The sun was still high enough that they¡¯d time for a bit more training. ¡°Care for another round?¡± he asked. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to getting beaten yet again, but he wasn¡¯t willing to fall further behind than he already was.

 2.15 - Li Heng

    Li Heng¡¯s ancestral blade crashed to the stone, and the silver light shimmering along its length winked out. His shoulders and arms ached, and a sheen of sweat had broken out on his forehead. He heaved a breath, and he picked the weapon up once again.


    ¡°Three,¡± Old Guo said. The disapproval contained in that single word set Li Heng¡¯s teeth on edge.


    ¡°Again,¡± Li Heng forced out. He raised his sword into a guard position.


    Across from him, the old cultivator curled his hand into a fist. In Li Heng¡¯s spiritual sense, Old Guo was a tree, ancient and strong, and his fist a knotted branch blackened by fire and lightning both.


    For the purposes of their training, Old Guo had limited his cultivation to the peak of the Body Refining stage. His presence wasn¡¯t anywhere near the overwhelming spiritual weight that had crashed over Li Heng when the old cultivator had chased off King Hao and his bandits. Old Guo¡¯s strength was still more than Li Heng could handle, but he supposed that was the point.


    Old Guo took a step forward and crossed the dozen or so yards between them, just as he had hundreds of times in the past days. His gnarled ancient fist slammed into Li Heng¡¯s jian. Silver light flared along the length of the blade, and the weapon¡¯s weight increased a hundredfold. Already aching arms and shoulders strained, and Li Heng poured qi into his meridians enforcing his arms with the simple enforcement technique He Yu had taught him.


    He shoved aside the wound to his pride at the thought. He shoved aside the shame at thinking poorly of the commoner he¡¯d come to regard as a friend. He was better than this. Better than such thoughts, and certainly better than this failure to master the most basic aspect of his family¡¯s art. Old Guo had seen his deficiency in an instant. Now he had spirited Li Heng away to this mountaintop to train. Train and admonish.


    A second impact sent shockwaves up Li Heng¡¯s arms, then a third. Once more, Li Heng dropped his jian after the third strike, the spiritual weight of holding onto that much power too much of a strain. He fought the urge to scream his frustration to the heavens. A noble had to maintain his decorum, even in the face of hardship.


    ¡°Again,¡± Old Guo commanded.


    For what seemed the thousandth time, Li Heng settled into a ready stance. Wind whipped around them, exposed as they were atop some lonely frozen mountain. Old Guo hadn¡¯t needed to explain why he¡¯d brought Li Heng here to train away from He Yu and Yan Shirong. Even without the week of training his foundation on the Stonewrought Pines, Li Heng was advanced enough that his presence had taken on the aspects of his family arts¡ªlunar and ice qi swirled in his dantian and coursed through his meridians.


    The peak Old Guo had taken him to was easily high enough that it was capped with snow year-round, even this far south. As soon as they¡¯d arrived, the old cultivator had told Li Heng they¡¯d be training at night, so daytime was for cultivation and any sleep he may need. Now, under the light of the near-full moon, and standing atop a flat rock surrounded by windswept snow, Old Guo began a lecture Li Heng had grown all too familiar with. Each word accompanied another relentless blow from the old cultivator¡¯s fists.


    ¡°The core of your family art is balance. Receive the attack, then return it. This much is clear to anyone who has fought a Li. What use are you if you can¡¯t accept an attack of even the Third Realm?¡± Old Guo began.


    Li Heng didn¡¯t think that was quite fair. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t receive an attack of the Third Realm. It was that he couldn¡¯t take an attack from a higher realm than his current cultivation. Which made him no different than any other cultivator. Even at the late Foundation stage, there was a significant difference in power between him and an early stage Body Refining cultivator. He¡¯d said as much almost as soon as the two of them were alone, but Old Guo hadn¡¯t agreed.


    ¡°I fought your grandfather,¡± Old Guo continued, circling where Li Heng stood waiting for the inevitable attack. ¡°We were both at the middle stage of Nascent Soul. I had more than enough insight to study the flows of Li Renshu¡¯s qi during our battle. The difference between you and your grandfather couldn¡¯t be more clear.


    ¡°Tell me, scion of the Li family¡ªraised in luxury and taught by scholars and bureaucrats¡ªwhen was the last time a foe truly pushed you? When was the last time you stepped up to your limit, and then went beyond?¡±


    A disquiet deep in Li Heng¡¯s spirit quavered at the question. It wasn¡¯t one Old Guo had asked him previously.


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    ¡°When I spar with Princess Tan,¡± he said. It was the most immediately obvious answer.


    Old Guo said nothing. In the silence that followed, it felt as though someone had stuffed cotton into his mouth.


    While it was true that Tan Xiaoling was stronger than him, and a better fighter if he were honest, did she really push him? Was sparring with her the sort of test Old Guo was asking about? Sure, she could push him. Given time she could always overwhelm him, the flashing of her paired dao eventually becoming too much for him to handle, too many successive strikes for him to reliably defend against.


    Something would always slip through his defenses, then he¡¯d find himself on the back foot. She would press that advantage with a savagery he¡¯d never found in anyone else, and then he¡¯d be forced to yield. Usually, not before they¡¯d tumble to the dirt¡ªLi Heng turned his thoughts away. He was here to train, not daydream.


    No, he admitted to himself, Tan Xiaoling didn¡¯t push him to the edge of his abilities. If anything, he never really tried against her. Not fully. He couldn¡¯t say if it was more due to respect for her station, or to the fact that he was enthralled by the sense of danger that clung to her like a gown of the finest silk.


    He was forced to admit to himself that even though she was stronger, she wasn¡¯t so strong that she could push him in the way that Old Guo had asked after. Nor would she. Their sparring was part training, part something he was too unsure of himself to focus on. Despite her strength, she was never actually trying to truly hurt him. Thus she would never truly push him.


    An uneasy certainty settled over Li Heng at that thought and he returned to Old Guo¡¯s question. When was the last time he¡¯d gone beyond his limits? With the serpent in the forest? No, certainly not that. He¡¯d been able to rely on He Yu and Yan Shirong then.


    In fact, despite being of the highest cultivation of the three, he¡¯d let He Yu act as bait for the stratagem that had felled the beast. For the thousandth time, he shoved that particular thought aside. He could focus on that¡ªand its implications¡ªonce they returned to the sect.


    Li Heng turned the question over again and again, even as he defended against the rain of blows from Old Guo. With each attack, with each clash of fist and iron, he reached further back in his memory. The further back he reached, the more his disquiet grew.


    Never. He¡¯d never been pushed. Never been tested. Not truly. He released his breathing technique and allowed his head and shoulders to slump forward.


    ¡°Stand up,¡± Old Guo snapped. ¡°Clearly you¡¯ve taken the wrong lesson.¡±


    Li Heng did as he was told.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fit to carry your grandfather¡¯s sword. To carry the blade that nearly killed me.¡±


    He looked down at the jian held in loose fingers. Maybe Old Guo was right, and he didn¡¯t deserve this blade. So lost in his self-doubt, that he barely reacted to the attack in time.


    When he spun away from Old Guo¡¯s punch and looked into the old cultivator¡¯s eyes, Li Heng¡¯s blood ran cold. Old Guo still had his cultivation suppressed to that of a peak Third Realm, but now his spirit radiated killing intent. The spirit of an ancient forest, wild and dark, churned around Old Guo. He attacked again.


    Li Heng dropped his sword after only the second strike this time, its power far too much now that Old Guo¡¯s attacks had been reinforced with his killing intent. The old cultivator lashed out with a snap kick that caught Li Heng in the side of the head. Stars exploded in his vision, and a gnarled fist slammed into his chest.


    He sailed through the air for a dozen or more feet¡ªhe couldn¡¯t tell anymore¡ªbefore he slammed into the ground. His jian, the ancestral blade of the Li family, lay somewhere out of reach. Old Guo rushed him like a charging boar.


    Li Heng activated the White Hare Dance. He flashed over to where he¡¯d dropped his jian. When he turned to face his opponent once more, Old Guo had already crossed more than half the distance between them, and had his arm cocked back for yet another blow.


    Silver qi sang along the length of Li Heng¡¯s blade as he deflected yet another devastating punch from a cultivator operating at a full realm¡¯s advantage. The weight of his blade was once again too much for him to bear, and as he spun away a second time, he knew deep in his spirit that this was his only chance.


    Mid spin, even as he increased the distance between himself and Old Guo, Li Heng pointed his jian at the old man. Sword light streamed off the blade in a torrent of power. Old Guo¡¯s spirit flared, and he became a thousand-year redwood. He blasted Li Heng¡¯s attack apart with a counter of his own, but Li Heng didn¡¯t relent.


    He couldn¡¯t. He was going to die here¡ªof that much, he was certain now. But at least he could do so in a way that wouldn¡¯t bring shame to his family.


    He swung his jian in a broad sweeping cut and activated the White Hare Dance. He appeared behind Old Guo with the blade in mid-swing and only inches from the old cultivator¡¯s neck. Old Guo¡¯s fist snapped up.


    Something stirred in Li Heng¡¯s spirit. He allowed the strike against his blade and activated the Winter Moon Reflection. This time, however, instead of spinning away as he normally did, he let the momentum from Old Guo¡¯s attack lead him into another strike. His blade sang with silver light, and the Lunar Mirror Sword Art joined the chorus.


    Li Heng¡¯s spirit buzzed with excitement and power. His sword felt light. Lighter than it ever had, yet he could feel the power in it, the strength and sharpness of a blade once carried into battle by his family founder, Patriarch Li Renshu.


    Old Guo took the most powerful attack Li Heng had ever delivered, and shrugged it off like nothing. Still, though, he retreated. The old cultivator settled into a more guarded, but still aggressive stance.


    ¡°Good,¡± Old Guo said, still holding onto his refined killing intent. ¡°You''re beginning to learn.¡±


    Without another word, Li Heng attacked.

 2.16 - Old Guo Provides Direction

    After a month or so, He Yu was pushing up against the boundary of the late Second Realm. These results were far beyond his expectations, given that he¡¯d only just reached middle Foundation. It shouldn¡¯t have surprised him, on further thought.


    He¡¯d been in near-constant combat or training since leaving the sect. He¡¯d been feasting on awakened beast meat and absorbing the qi from the cores they collected. He couldn¡¯t even begin to calculate the equivalent amount of spirit stones for all the resources he¡¯d consumed in these past months. A training opportunity, indeed.


    As he settled in to cultivate for the evening, approaching footsteps interrupted him. He Yu stood and bowed over a salute.


    ¡°Come with me, boy,¡± Old Guo said.


    He Yu hurried to follow the old cultivator as he turned and headed towards the lake shore. Old Guo had returned a week prior with Li Heng in tow and had since secluded himself inside his hut, instructing the disciples to continue their training as they had been. After seeing the change in his housemate upon his return, it was hard for He Yu to contain the buzzing of excitement at the prospect of whatever Old Guo had in store for him.


    They walked along the shore of the lake for some time, Old Guo saying nothing, and He Yu not daring to break the silence himself. Once they¡¯d reached the far side Old Guo held up a hand, calling for a halt. He turned then and spent far too long boring into He Yu with his gaze.


    ¡°You have benefited greatly in such a short time,¡± he said.


    ¡°This one thanks you for your instruction, Honored Elder,¡± He Yu said, giving another salute to the old cultivator.


    ¡°I take it you already know the benefits of remaining at the peak of a realm?¡±


    He Yu nodded. Tan Xiaoling had remained at the peak of the Second Realm for as long as he¡¯d known her, and she was by far the strongest of the disciples who had joined the sect at the same time He Yu did. If the rumors were to be believed, Zhang Lifen had spent over a decade at the peak of Golden Core, reinforcing her cultivation in preparation for her own breakthrough to Nascent Soul.


    ¡°I expect all three of you to reach peak Foundation within another month at most,¡± Old Guo said. He Yu had to choke back his shock. ¡°It would be advisable to remain there, and reinforce your cultivation until you return to the Shrouded Peaks Sect and can avail yourself of the resources you¡¯ll have access to there.¡±


    The idea of remaining at the peak of foundation as Tan Xiaoling had was certainly a thrilling one, but there was just one problem.


    ¡°Pardon my ignorance,¡± He Yu said, ¡°but what about King Hao?¡± Their first encounter with the Third Realm bandit king hadn¡¯t left any doubt as to his strength, and He Yu was certain that they didn¡¯t have a chance of beating him unless all three of them advanced.


    ¡°Tell me of your first encounter with the Ox King,¡± Old Guo said.


    He Yu recounted the fight. How the bandit leader had simply overpowered them with his Third Realm strength. How he¡¯d not even needed to use proper techniques to disrupt their attacks. How he¡¯d easily kept pace as they tried to run.


    ¡°Just so,¡± Old Guo said. ¡°Hao Niu may be early Third Realm, but his cultivation base is poorly formed. Make no mistake, it will be a hard-fought battle when you face him again. It will require all three of you to be at your best, and you may fall to him regardless. But you have proper arts, while he does not. That is your edge.¡±


    It was then that He Yu remembered the red-tinged shadow that had enveloped King Hao when he¡¯d defended himself against Li Heng¡¯s attack. When he mentioned it to Old Guo, the old cultivator looked troubled. He was silent for long moments after.


    When he finally spoke again, it was a question, and not one that He Yu had expected. ¡°What do you know of the art you cultivate?¡±


    ¡°Very little,¡± He Yu admitted. ¡°I know the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace was gifted to me by Elder Cai Weizhe, who inherited the art from its creator. The Elder said it would carry me to the heights of cultivation. Beyond that, I know little.¡±


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    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    He Yu hesitated at that. All the searching he¡¯d done had revealed precious little about the art. Or Elder Cai, now that he thought on it. What few snatches he¡¯d heard sounded like they belonged to a grand legend. ¡°Well, the only other thing is just a few mentions of what sounds like a legend. Elder Cai used the art to seal away something called the¡ª¡±


    Old Guo cut him off with a sharp gesture. ¡°It is best not to speak of some things.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He Yu demanded before he could think to stop himself. It had always been a bad habit of his, and he¡¯d been lucky that his mentor at the sect was such a permissive sort. As soon as the words had left his mouth, Old Guo¡¯s expression told him he¡¯d made a mistake.


    ¡°Do you think you¡ªa mere child of the Foundation stage¡ªknow better than I, Old Guo?¡±


    He Yu bowed his head, ¡°No, Honored Elder. Please forgive this one¡¯s indiscretion.¡±


    ¡°Is that all you know?¡± he asked sharply.


    He Yu swallowed the growing lump in his throat. He felt as though this was dangerous territory, and he had no desire to venture further. However, the obvious expectation of an answer left him with no choice.


    ¡°It¡¯s all I can say with any certainty, Honored Elder,¡± he said. ¡°There are certain other things this one¡¯s mentor has spoken of, though.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    He Yu recounted his talk with Zhang Lifen after his duel with Sha Xiang. How Zhang Lifen had made some vague allusions, mentioning a ¡°she¡± and saying that great powers were stirring. As he spoke, he risked a glance up at Old Guo.


    The old cultivator had always looked old, but in the way that immortals do. He was bald, and his eyebrows and beard were white like fresh snow, but he¡¯d always had an ageless quality to him. Certainly in those times where he¡¯d stripped off his outer robe, he¡¯d revealed the physique of a much younger man in peak physical condition. Now, he simply looked tired.


    ¡°It would have fallen to one of the younger generations eventually,¡± Old Guo murmured to himself. ¡°Follow me, and listen carefully,¡± he said, returning to his normal, iron-hard demeanor.


    As he fell in behind Old Guo once again, He Yu wrestled with his warring excitement and apprehension. Was he finally going to learn something of the legend of Elder Cai?


    ¡°The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace is an art that adapts itself to the natural affinities of those who cultivate it while adding a heaven aspect. For you, this means you cultivate water, wind, and heaven. The Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s arts primarily cultivate earth, metal, and mountain aspects. Do you see the problem for you?¡±


    He Yu indicated that he did. Already the conflict between the aspects of his arts was clear. He couldn¡¯t use his movement technique, the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, while he was enforcing himself with the physical techniques of the White Mountain Body Art.


    Zhang Lifen had instructed him to focus on cultivating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment rather than the White Mountain Soul Art, so he couldn¡¯t say whether he¡¯d experience a similar conflict with his spiritual cultivation. He suspected that he would.


    ¡°There are two basic strategies that cultivators adopt when selecting their arts,¡± Old Guo began. ¡°The first, and the most common, is to specialize. Selecting arts that match or support one¡¯s natural affinity allows for easier growth while cultivating a variety of aspects allows for greater flexibility. However, specialization can lead to difficulties in dealing with challenges that the aspects of one¡¯s qi are unsuited for, while a cultivator who spreads themselves out will be hampered by the conflicting aspects of their own spirit.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± He Yu asked, figuring that if Old Guo was going to lecture him on cultivation theory, he might as well get as much out of it as he could.


    The old cultivator turned to him, a slight crinkle appearing at the corners of his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re wise to ask. I, for one, have spent a thousand years cultivating wood aspected arts. Now I find myself stuck at a bottleneck. I may reach the late Soul Refining stage in time. Surely you¡¯ve sensed the abundant qi of the lake and the surrounding forest. Even so, should I manage to achieve the peak of the Sixth Realm, I fear that I¡¯ll be unable to break through to Divine Body Attainment before even my lifespan runs out.¡±


    He Yu remained quiet for some time. He knew that immortals would continue to age, and should they take too long to advance they would eventually die. He¡¯d never really thought about the practicalities of it, and what that meant for his own future, though. A thousand years and Old Guo had only reached the middle Soul Refining stage.


    ¡°Your friends are already set upon their paths,¡± Old Guo said, interrupting He Yu¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Yan Shirong cultivates shadow. He will likely need to add another aspect or two eventually. Li Heng cultivates lunar and water qi. As he progresses with his family art his qi will take on a sword aspect as well.¡±


    He¡¯d never heard of a sword aspect, but He Yu assumed it would be a subtype of metal. ¡°Pardon, but it seems like you¡¯re suggesting that I specialize as well,¡± he said.


    Rather than provide a direct answer, Old Guo said, ¡°There is an old temple in the mountains to the east. It was ruined long before I arrived in this region and lies just outside the sect lands. It shouldn¡¯t take you more than a few days to reach it. Perhaps you¡¯ll find something useful there.¡±


    He Yu could barely contain his excitement as Old Guo turned and left him standing by the lake shore. An ancient ruined temple that had existed for maybe hundreds of years? He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what sorts of treasures it may hold. It was something out of a legend. He didn¡¯t even need to think it over¡ªhe¡¯d leave in the morning.

 2.17 - The Heavenly Temple

    ¡°You¡¯re going where?¡± Yan Shirong fixed He Yu with a stern look as he planted himself firmly in the path leading east into the forest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few days. A week at most,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    ¡°I already told you where I¡¯m going,¡± he shot back. He really didn¡¯t want Yan Shirong coming along for what he¡¯d decided was his adventure. He¡¯d probably just pocket anything and everything of any worth and leave He Yu with nothing for himself.


    ¡°Are you certain you want to go alone?¡± Li Heng asked. It was a more reasonable way to phrase things, but He Yu still wasn¡¯t about to change his mind.


    ¡°I am,¡± was the only answer he gave.


    The three of them had been going back and forth like this all morning. He Yu had long since lost patience for it. Old Guo had taken him away from the others¡ªclear to the other side of the lake¡ªto tell him about the temple. It was obviously meant for him and him alone. Of course, he couldn¡¯t say as much. Even he had enough of a grasp on social conventions to see that.


    ¡°There might be danger,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He couldn¡¯t say that for certain but he was stronger now than he¡¯d ever been. He felt as though he had a good enough handle on the lands here, too. Besides King Hao, there wasn¡¯t anything around that was too dangerous. What awaited him at the temple was another matter, but he figured he could deal with that when the time came. Old Guo wouldn¡¯t send him into something he wasn¡¯t prepared to deal with.


    Just as Yan Shirong started to object once again, Old Guo emerged from his hut and put an end to the argument himself.


    ¡°Let the boy go,¡± he said. ¡°Li Heng needs to continue the training he missed while he was with me.¡±


    Li Heng grimaced at the mere mention of spending however long chopping Stonewrought Pines, but said nothing. Yan Shirong apparently wasn¡¯t interested in a similar display of good judgment.


    ¡°Then Li Heng can chop trees,¡± he said. ¡°I can go with He Yu.¡±


    ¡°No. You stay here. You¡¯ve your own training to see to,¡± Old Guo said.


    Yan Shirong looked as though he was about to object, but a quick flex of Old Guo¡¯s spirit buried the argument for good. With things finally settled, He Yu left the others behind.


    He spent the day headed east, following the directions Old Guo had given him. With the increased qi reserves he¡¯d gained by raising his cultivation base to the middle Foundation stage¡ªalong with the strengthening of his wind aspect thanks to Old Guo¡¯s training¡ªhe was able to use his movement technique more freely now.


    While still a long way away from granting true flight, the bursts of wind qi that propelled his steps when activating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight were exhilarating. He ate up the distance as the ground sped by beneath him. When traveling through denser parts of the forest, he leaped from branch to branch and from treetop to treetop. For the first time in his life, he moved like a true immortal.


    On that first day away he gave little thought to what he might find when he arrived, simply exulting in the feeling of movement, and the strength and speed his cultivation had granted him these past weeks. Before joining the Shrouded Peaks Sect he¡¯d been weak, frail. Zhang Lifen had said that he¡¯d have a harder time of things until he reached Body Refining, but she clearly hadn¡¯t counted on his good fortune.


    Between feasting on meat from Third Realm beasts and the strengthening of both his body and his spiritual presence from Old Guo¡¯s training, He Yu felt as though he¡¯d shed those concerns. But what if he hadn¡¯t? What if this was only the first taste of what he could expect upon breaking into the Third Realm? Zhang Lifen never said that he wouldn''t grow stronger with cultivation, just that by the time he reached Body Refining, his initial weakness would cease to matter.


    Either way, the mere thought excited him. He was stronger than he¡¯d ever been in his life. Both in raw physical power and in his cultivation base. He¡¯d replaced most of his sleep with meditation, needing only a few hours each night to feel refreshed. He could run for an entire day, with only a short break every few hours necessary to keep going. He couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what the future held.


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    Towards sundown on the third day, he caught sight of the temple. The temple was carved into the stone of the mountain itself, high above the tree line. It must have been huge, as He Yu could see the carvings of pillars, statues, and other decorations even from the base of the mountain. He could also see that it was old and in a state of disrepair.


    He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d exactly refer to it as a ruin like Old Guo had, but it was clearly abandoned. For how long he couldn¡¯t say, but if it had been this way since before Old Guo had arrived in the region, it must have sat forgotten and alone for some time.


    There was no sense in making the climb now, with darkness setting in. He Yu made a quick camp and settled in to cultivate. The qi in the area was noticeably more dense than the forest and lake that Old Guo had turned into his home. As soon as He Yu began to draw it into his dantian, he learned why the Old Cultivator hadn¡¯t made his home here. The qi carried a strong natural wind and water aspect, similar to what He Yu had grown used to in the Shrouded Peaks.


    However, the qi here was markedly different. The environment of the Shrouded Peaks Sect reflected the more calming aspects of both wind and water. A gentle spring breeze, or a cool brook tumbling through a forest. The qi that clung to this mountain was of a more intense sort.


    It called forth thoughts of high winds driving rain in a sudden, violent summer storm. He Yu felt a certain kinship with these qualities, more so than he ever had back at the sect. He decided to forgo sleep and spend the night in cultivation. He¡¯d be a bit tired the following day, but now that he was so close to the late Foundation stage, it wouldn¡¯t hinder his ascent up the mountain. This was just too good an opportunity to miss.


    As the sun crested the horizon, He Yu began his ascent brimming with excitement. The night¡¯s cultivation had been productive. The stormy qi he¡¯d absorbed into his dantian had somehow resonated with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment as he cultivated, and he felt a sense that it fit the art. Perhaps this was what Old Guo had meant when he¡¯d said the art would adapt itself to him.


    He felt almost as though he could have broken through to late Foundation right there, but he¡¯d held off. If it was this good at the base of the mountain, it could only be better once he reached the temple.


    It took him all morning to reach the temple itself. He moved quickly but made sure not to expend too much qi. There could be anything up there, and he needed to be ready to fight, or run, if he had to. Still, each step he took increased his excitement.


    As he climbed, aspects of thunder and heaven joined the wind and water. The feeling of intensity only grew, and by the time he placed his feet upon the temple steps, he could taste the rain on the air, and smell acrid lightning.


    Now that he could see the temple up close, it was in far worse repair than he¡¯d initially thought. Rubble was strewn about, and the pillars¡ªonce carved into the likeness of whatever god this place had been dedicated to¡ªwere so broken that he could barely tell they depicted a figure at all.


    The grand double doors leading inside were all but ruined, one of them barely hanging on to its hinges, and the other lay on the paved stone floor in pieces. Still, an aura of majesty hung about this place, aided in no small part by a charge that crackled in the air.


    With nothing but rubble and ruin to be seen outside, He Yu approached the entryway. The temple stretched away into the yawning darkness of the mountain. Braziers, cold and unlit lay to either side of the door. Steeling himself for whatever lay beyond, he crossed the threshold.


    He Yu moved slowly into the temple. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be cautious, even though he found no signs of activity. As he moved deeper, he had to push down his growing disappointment at the fact that he couldn¡¯t find signs of, well, anything.


    It quickly became apparent that this place had been abandoned for a long time. Peering through the darkness with his cultivator¡¯s senses, he found nothing. Where there might have once been scriptures he found only dust and empty shelves. Where there might have once been treasure, he found only cobwebs and rotted wood. Whatever this place may have once held, it had been picked clean long ago.


    As he turned to go, He Yu found himself face-to-face with a spirit. He jumped back, slamming into a pillar. It took everything he had not to immediately summon his guandao from his storage space. He couldn¡¯t risk antagonizing this being¡ªthe moment he¡¯d seen it, the spirit must have stopped suppressing its presence. Given the feeling it gave off, it was firmly in the Fifth Realm.


    The spirit itself had a form similar to a man. However, it was half again as tall as any man He Yu had ever known, even veritable giants like Ren Huang or Fang Yingjie. He wore robes woven of black silk embroidered with rolling clouds. A bureaucrat¡¯s cap perched upon a head formed of living fog. Two pits of crackling heaven qi pulsed where the spirit¡¯s eyes would be.


    The spirit¡¯s presence was everything that its appearance would suggest¡ªa tempestuous summer storm, cracking with thunder and flashing with heavenly lightning. Winds howled around He Yu, and rain pelted his spirit. The presence was every bit as intense as anything he¡¯d felt from either Zhang Lifen or Ren Huang. It was all he could do to keep his wits about him in the presence of a true great spirit.


    The spirit formed a mouth that flashed with lightning and spoke in a voice that rumbled with distant thunder. ¡°Welcome, Child of Storms.¡±

 2.18 - Storm Spirit Yongnian

    He Yu cupped his fist with his palm and bowed. ¡°Great Spirit, forgive this one for trespassing in your august domain. I had not sensed your presence before entering this place.¡± At least this time he could be certain he was dealing with a spirit, unlike when he¡¯d first met Zhang Lifen and mistaken her for the same.


    ¡°I hid myself when I sensed your approach. But answer me, if you did not mean to trespass, then why have you come?¡±


    Although he couldn¡¯t detect any anger in the spirit¡¯s voice¡ªor any other emotion, for that matter¡ªhe needed to proceed carefully. If he offended a being of this power, his life was forfeit. There was no way he could contend with a Fifth Realm spirit. He¡¯d be lucky if he made it halfway to the entrance before it obliterated him.


    ¡°An immortal who lives several days¡¯ journey away has been kindly training this humble disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. He advised me to come here and suggested I may find something to aid my cultivation.¡± He Yu didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d be able to rely on either Old Guo¡¯s or the sect¡¯s protection in this, but he didn¡¯t think it would hurt to invoke their names. At least he hoped it wouldn¡¯t, and as the silence wore on, that hope grew increasingly desperate.


    ¡°I am called Yongnian,¡± the spirit said at length. ¡°I tend this place in the absence of mortal worshipers. Tell me of the outside world.¡±


    That had not been the response He Yu had expected. A spirit wanted gossip? Well, he supposed that he may as well oblige him. Yongnian led He Yu to one of the few benches that looked as though it could still support any significant amount of weight, then beckoned him sit. When Yongnian removed his ¡°hands¡± from within the sleeves of his robe, He Yu saw they were made of the same insubstantial fog as the spirit¡¯s head before he folded his arms within his voluminous sleeves once again.


    He Yu sat and did his best to both calm his nerves and comply with Yongnian¡¯s request. Now that he¡¯d been pressed, he realized he didn¡¯t actually know much of what passed in the world beyond the day-to-day happenings of the sect. He didn¡¯t think the spirit would be interested in that, so he first spoke of Old Guo.


    Yongnian nodded along, and eventually said, ¡°I know of the one you describe. I can sense his power when he comes close to the temple. He has never come inside. How did Child of Storms come under the tutelage of Venerable Great Tree?¡±


    He Yu paused. That was the second time Yongnian had referred to him as the ¡°Child of Storms.¡± He itched to ask the spirit what he meant. If he had to venture a guess, it might have something to do with his spiritual presence. Yongnian had called Old Guo the ¡°Venerable Great Tree,¡± and that was certainly an apt description for what he¡¯d felt when the old cultivator had revealed his spiritual presence.


    ¡°This one is on a mission from his tutor at the Shrouded Peaks Sect,¡± He Yu began. He then went on to recount his journey and the initial encounter with the bandit king Hao Niu. He Yu was surprised at the anger in his words that rose unbidden when he recounted the discovery of the ruined village. While he didn¡¯t think a spirit would care about such things, he found himself describing the burnt homes and unburied corpses that King Hao and his men had left in the wake of their attack.


    The spirit gave him what He Yu guessed was a quizzical look, given the slight tilt of its head in an oddly human gesture. ¡°Where are your companions, then?¡±


    ¡°They are back with Old Guo¡ªer, Venerable Great Tree, I think you called him,¡± He Yu answered.


    ¡°It is not necessary to speak as I do, Child of Storms. Use your mortal names if it is easier.¡±


    That was a relief. He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d be able to keep all the descriptions straight if he had to refer to anyone other than himself or Old Guo. Then again, how would a spirit like this refer to someone like Li Heng? Silent Moonlight? Reflection of Fresh Snow? What about Yan Shirong? He Yu shook his head. He needed to focus.


    The spirit looked at him with that tilt of its head still but said nothing of He Yu¡¯s momentary lapse into distraction. Instead, Yongnian asked, ¡°Why do the actions of this King disturb you so?¡±


    There was a certain innocence in the question that caught him off guard. As though Yongnian truly didn¡¯t understand why he would be upset by the things he¡¯d seen. But there was a sincerity, too. As though the spirit truly wished to understand. He Yu took a moment to consider, and choose his words carefully.


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    ¡°We immortals are supposed to be righteous,¡± he began. ¡°If we give into the temptations of predation and banditry there is only chaos.¡±


    ¡°What is right?¡± asked Yongnian.


    The last thing He Yu had expected to find at a ruined temple was a spirit who seemed intent on discussing moral philosophy. ¡°Well, to protect those unable to do so for themselves, for one,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Is that truly right? Is that the wholeness of it? One could say that predation is the order of the world, set forth by heaven. Life feeds on life. Perhaps this so-called bandit harbors some great need?¡±


    The anger that He Yu had felt upon describing the burnt-out village returned. He bit down on his tongue¡ªnearly drawing blood¡ªto prevent himself from blurting out a hasty response. A twinge of intuition told him there was something to the spirit¡¯s words. Not that Yongnian was defending King Hao, but rather that he was asking for the purpose of gauging He Yu¡¯s answer. Although he was painfully aware that he didn¡¯t have a clear understanding of what the spirit was after, he did have something that would help him. He activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment.


    As He Yu looked at the spirit with eyes made clear by the discernment of a great sage, he saw his instinct confirmed. Yongnian¡¯s features became, if not clear, then at least readable. The billowing fog took on a slightly more human cast, and the pulsing crackle of his lightning eyes seemed somehow expressive. The spirit was curious as to how He Yu would answer. It was so obvious now. There was also the hint of a challenge in the questioning, too. Not that Yongnian thought He Yu was wrong. He wanted to test He Yu¡¯s conviction.


    When He Yu answered, his words were guided by the insight of his technique. ¡°Life feeds on life,¡± he began, ¡°but it does not do so out of cruelty. You speak of a possible need, but what need could drive the slaughter of an entire village? Simple need would have taken their winter stores and left them alive, not burned the whole place to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Would that have not been the crueler path? Is a quick death not preferable to a lingering one?¡±


    ¡°Assuming they would have died. Sure, they may have starved. But they might also have survived. Had the bandits left them alive, they¡¯d have had a chance. Besides, mercy doesn¡¯t leave unburied corpses.¡± He Yu wasn¡¯t sure if this was what the spirit was after, but it was what he believed to be true in the face of these questions. As he spoke, he found himself not particularly caring what the spirit thought of his words.


    ¡°So you seek to bring justice to these bandits,¡± Yongnian said. ¡°Tell me of your sect, young disciple.¡±


    The sudden shift in topic took He Yu off guard. He recovered quickly, thanks to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, and realized that this wasn¡¯t quite the shift that he¡¯d first thought. To the spirit, the line of questioning was all part of the same test.


    He began at the beginning. With how Zhang Lifen had found him after his embarrassingly narrow victory over an awakened squirrel. How she¡¯d orchestrated the tournament in Shulin to test him. How she¡¯d more or less abandoned him once he arrived at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. How that test had sown the seeds of rivalry between him and Sha Xiang. How he¡¯d needed to rely on those stronger than himself for protection and resources in those early days. How Elder Cai had gifted him with his first true art, and how he¡¯d studied the guandao under Fang Yingjie. How Zhang Lifen had thrown him upon Sha Xiang¡¯s mercy, fully expecting that he would lose. And how finally, she¡¯d sent him into the wilderness against a bandit king as a training exercise. It almost seemed, now that he looked at it this way, that perhaps Zhang Lifen was trying to get him killed.


    ¡°To walk the path of cultivation is to defy the very heavens,¡± Yongnian said when He Yu had finished his story, and¡ªwithout really meaning to¡ªexpressed his doubts about Zhang Lifen¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Perhaps your mentor is simply preparing you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± He Yu grumbled.


    ¡°Child of Storms,¡± Yongnian began. ¡°I will tell you about myself. That I am the attendant of this place should come as no surprise.¡± He gestured to the bureaucrat¡¯s cap perched atop his visage of mist and cloud. ¡°There is more to speak of, but this is not the place. Come with me.¡±


    The spirit drifted off, deeper into the ruins of the temple. He Yu had to scramble to his feet to follow before the spirit disappeared into the darkness. As he followed, the light managed to penetrate deeper than he thought it ought to have. By this point, he wasn¡¯t going to bother questioning it. Being able to see was, by far, the least strange part of this whole encounter.


    As they moved deeper into the temple, Yongnian periodically gestured to one of the bronze braziers that lined the hall. An orb of crackling lightning appeared within, where a flame ought to have. The orbs shed dim, steady light to guide them as the light from outside finally became too little to see by.


    Deeper in, the temple was no less ruined than it had been near the entrance, but the qi of the area became stronger with each step. Water and wind qi gave the impression of thick clouds and rain. Heavenly qi cracked and rumbled first at the edges of He Yu¡¯s perception, and then increasingly closer. They walked for what seemed like hours, and the qi of the area made it seem like he was walking through clouds with a storm raging all around.


    Wherever this spirit was taking him, he¡¯d be a fool not to follow.

 2.19 - Thunder Gods Shrine

    As He Yu followed Yongnian deeper into the temple, the spiritual weight of the place grew heavier and harder to bear. Just as he was about to say something to the spirit, to protest that he couldn¡¯t handle the weight of wherever they were going, they came to a massive set of iron-banded double doors.


    Unlike the rest of the temple, the doors were completely intact and in good repair. The door frame was carved from the living mountain itself and adorned with formation characters. That would be why the swirling storm of qi was so strong here.


    Yongnian raised what served as one of his hands, and gestured to the giant doors. They swung open without even a whisper. Beyond lay a grand shrine, dominated by a massive statue carved from a solid block of red jade. The statue depicted a winged god wielding a hammer and drum, his face carved into an expression of fury.


    ¡°There are few temples dedicated to the Thunder God,¡± Yongnian, said. ¡°Sit and cultivate, Child of Storms.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t have obeyed fast enough. This temple, ruined or not, was clearly a place of great power. He¡¯d have been a fool to refuse this opportunity. Once he¡¯d settled into position, he drew from the raging storm of qi that surged all around him, cycling it in accordance with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment.


    As he cultivated, Yongnian spoke. ¡°I have served as the steward of this place for countless mortal lifetimes. Once, this temple¡¯s halls were filled with those who sought to curry the Thunder God¡¯s favor, either to ward themselves from his attention or to strike at those who had wronged them. In those days, the Great Spirits and the myriad Gods of Heaven and Earth were foremost in the thoughts of Man. Arts like the one you practice, Child of Storms, were far more common than they are now.¡±


    As Yongnian spoke, the shape of a technique formed from his words. He Yu couldn¡¯t have said how exactly he grasped a technique from the story of this place¡¯s history, but he was certain it had something to do with the nature of his art. It was a body enforcement technique, and as he committed to memory the pattern it described, a name floated into his thoughts. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering.


    The art described nine pillars, each made of a column of living lightning. The first pillar of the art, the Foundation Pillar, described the leading edge of a thunderstorm, the brilliance of lightning arcing across the sky, and the flash of heaven¡¯s judgment. Unlike He Yu¡¯s other arts, where each technique functioned mostly as its own component, this art¡¯s techniques built upon one another, combining into a unified whole. Beyond that, he couldn¡¯t comprehend the art. It was far too advanced, and even this glimpse of its nature was almost too much for his spirit.


    He was dimly aware that Yongnian still spoke, but he¡¯d long since stopped comprehending the storm spirit¡¯s words. Instead, He Yu found himself apprehending meaning from them that was deeper than what any mortal would have gained. Most of that meaning contained the technique, but there was more.


    As he cultivated, the nature of his own qi became more clear to him¡ªboth his natural affinity and the ways in which the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace had shaped him. Wind was the strongest aspect that he cultivated, but his spirit was also aligned with water. Then, as a consequence of his cultivation of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, a nascent spark of heavenly qi had formed in his dantian as well.


    As he contemplated these insights, his dantian surged with the rich qi flooding into him from the temple. He Yu compressed his spiritual center, packing it down as he had with every one of his previous breakthroughs. The spark of heaven qi that he¡¯d been unknowingly cultivating flared to brilliance, and surged through his meridians.


    As the impurities were forced from his body, the sensation failed to reach him¡ªonly in his spiritual awareness could he discern the sparking qi forcing its way through blockages and purifying his body as it impressed itself upon his spirit, and he stepped into the late Second Realm. He had achieved late Foundation.


    When He Yu opened his eyes, the stench hit him. He nearly gagged. As he stood and gave Yongnian an apologetic bow, he sensed approval from the spirit.


    ¡°You have done well, Child of Storms. Venerable Great Tree was wise to send you to me.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Honored Spirit, but it seems I have made a mess of your temple,¡± He Yu said, keenly aware of the puddle of black sludge he now stood in. ¡°Allow me the chance to clean it myself.¡±


    ¡°That is not necessary. As I have said, I am the keeper of this place. I knew what could happen when I brought you here, and I will perform my duty. But come, it seems you are in need of new clothes.¡±


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    Clothes from a spirit? He Yu couldn¡¯t help but marvel at his fortune. Even if they were simple, mundane robes, they¡¯d at least be finely made. It didn¡¯t matter, though. His current set of disciple¡¯s robes were ruined. Again. He expressed his thanks and followed Yongnian out of the shrine. As they wound their way through the halls of the ruined temple once more, Yongnian continued to speak.


    ¡°You have gained but a glimpse of this art. Upon entering the Fourth Realm, the way to form the next three pillars will become clear.¡±


    A jade slip appeared before He Yu. He snatched it up without a word. An art that required him to reach Golden Core before he could advance it? He couldn¡¯t believe his fortune.


    ¡°Is it safe for me to begin cultivating it now?¡± he asked.


    Yongnian made a sound like an affirmative hum, laced with the crackling of lightning. ¡°Cultivating the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering Art now would be most advisable.¡±


    Well, He Yu certainly wasn¡¯t going to argue with that.


    At length, Yongnian led them to a room that, much like the shrine at the heart of the temple, seemed untouched by the passage of time that had ruined the rest of this place. It was, all things considered, rather cozy. A stove, sustained by formation script, burned merrily in the corner. A table was set with a fine porcelain tea set. Bundles of herbs hung from drying racks along the walls, all giving off the potent qi of high-grade spiritual medicines. Against another wall stood a finely crafted wardrobe. Yongnian crossed the room and opened it, withdrawing robes of dark gray silk patterned with gold thread depicting dragons curling among and around billowing storm clouds. It didn¡¯t take an expert¡¯s eye to determine that these were easily of a quality comparable to the clothes that Li Heng or Tan Xiaoling wore.


    He Yu¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°I can¡¯t accept these,¡± he began.


    Yongnian simply presented the robes to him, holding them out with both hands.


    After He Yu had sufficiently cleaned himself, he accepted the gift and offered his thanks, then slipped into the garments. They were easily the finest clothes he¡¯d ever worn. As he was putting them on he noticed the formation characters stitched into the the inside hems. While the robes themselves felt virtually like wearing the clouds themselves, a spiritual weight settled over him when he finished putting them on.


    ¡°These are not so precious that you need worry,¡± Yongnian said. ¡°The enchantments mostly keep them clean, and will also repair any damage they suffer over time. There are some other minor functions, but nothing worth speaking of at any length.¡±


    Not so precious. That the spirit could simply hand him a treasure¡ªeven a minor one, if his words were to be believed¡ªwas something that He Yu could barely wrap his head around.


    ¡°This one offers his sincerest thanks,¡± He Yu said, cupping a fist in his hand and offering a bow.


    ¡°Your manners are impeccable, Child of Storms. However, our time is at an end. I suspect that your companions have begun to wonder what has become of you. Return.¡±


    Yongnian waved an insubstantial hand as he spoke the final word, and space twisted around He Yu. When the world righted itself, he stood at the entrance to the temple. It was night, and the moon hung overhead. One look told him he¡¯d been gone far longer than he¡¯d anticipated. When he¡¯d left at Old Guo¡¯s direction, the moon had been nearly full. Now, it had shrunk down to a crescent.


    He shook his head and began the trek back down the mountain, still not quite able to believe what had happened. Finding a ruined temple, then treating with a spirit? Breaking through¡ªif only within a realm¡ªat a locus of potent qi? Receiving a treasure from a spirit as a gift? This was the stuff of legend. The sorts of happenings that had filled his head before he¡¯d joined the sect, and that he¡¯d honestly begun to wonder if he¡¯d ever get to experience. Now that he had, it was even better than he could have hoped.


    As he made his way back to his campsite, He Yu flexed his spirit. The difference was about the same as when he¡¯d advanced from early to middle Foundation. Which was to say, not much. At least not compared to the massive difference he¡¯d felt when advancing from the First Realm to the Second. It was, however, a matter of degree. Elder Wen¡¯s lectures had told him as much, and Li Heng had confirmed the same after his breakthrough earlier in their adventure. Intellectually, he knew he was stronger than he¡¯d ever been. His qi reserves were greater, and his spirit would be more closely aligned with his nature than ever. His Way was long, and he¡¯d a great deal further to go still.


    He still indulged himself on the way down the mountain. He activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and used the wind-aspected technique to leap hundreds of feet down the slope at a time. The robes Yongnian had gifted him made a noticeable difference in his ability to both control the technique and in the amount of qi it consumed. A quick once-over of the formation characters indicated that there were still other functions, just as Yongnian had said. He could explore them later. For now, he needed to get back to his friends.


    When He Yu returned to the clearing where they¡¯d spent the past months living with Old Guo, he wished that he had some means of preserving the looks on his companions¡¯ faces forever. Yan Shirong gaped at him with wholly unconcealed envy, and Li Heng displayed a mixture of surprise, approval, and amusement.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell us where you¡¯ve been, little brother,¡± Li Heng said, clapping He Yu on the shoulder as he approached.


    ¡°Indeed you will,¡± Yan Shirong agreed, the envy giving way to avarice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that you¡¯ll benefit quite as much as I did,¡± he admitted. ¡°My journey took me to an old temple dedicated to the Thunder God.¡±


    Before either of them could respond, Old Guo emerged from his hut. ¡°Good, you¡¯ve returned,¡± he said. ¡°And it seems that I was correct to send you away. Yan Shirong will join you and Li Heng in the late Second Realm any day now. We have just over a month before you¡¯ll need to be on your way.¡±


    Had he really been gone that long? He Yu shook his head. Old Guo was right¡ªKing Hao was still out there, awaiting justice.

 2.20 - Arrival of Spring

    The next month was the most intense of all the time they¡¯d spent with Old Guo. They awoke at dawn and spent the morning training their spiritual presence using the Stonewrought Pines. During He Yu¡¯s time away, both Li Heng and Yan Shirong had refined their spirits. Li Heng¡¯s had changed the least, but the sense of night, moonlit snow, and sharp cold had become all the more clear when he flexed his spirit. Yan Shirong¡¯s spirit had gone from the suggestion of an umbral cloak that hung about him to a far more solid, nearly physical presence.


    Judging by the reactions of his companions, He Yu¡¯s own spirit had gotten quite the boost during his time at the Thunder God¡¯s temple as well. During their training against the pines, He Yu cycled the sparking heaven qi of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. On that first day, he reveled as he chopped¡ªboth at the looks he received from Yan Shirong and Li Heng, and from the approving nod he caught from Old Guo.


    The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering didn¡¯t give him the solid and seemingly endless well of strength that the Eternal Mountain Root had, but it still made him far stronger than he would have been without a body art. The most obvious benefit of the technique was that it made him considerably faster. His skin also took on a slight shimmer, almost like it had become slightly reflective when he used the art. He guessed that it would also function to increase his body¡¯s durability. If this were only the first technique, he couldn¡¯t wait to see what the art would bring when he advanced.


    At midday Old Guo ordered the disciples to break and eat a meal of rice and fish. The old cultivator spent most mornings fishing on the lake, the catch that he fed them with contained the energy of low Third Realm awakened beasts. Vital energies from the spiritually rich meal restored them after their morning¡¯s training and bolstered their physical cultivation as well. It was a good thing too, since afternoons were pure torture.


    After they¡¯d eaten and refreshed themselves, all three of the disciples faced off against Old Guo for sparring. Although the old man suppressed his cultivation down to the late Third Realm, he was still far beyond their ability to contend with. He had centuries of experience over them, and combined with a full realm¡¯s advantage, every match was horrifically one-sided despite their three-to-one advantage. Which was apparently the whole point.


    As the days¡ªthen weeks¡ªwore on, Old Guo became ever more a whetstone against which the three disciples sharpened themselves. Li Heng had become noticeably more aggressive in his fighting style after returning from his individual training with Old Guo, and the group sparring saw that aggression increase again.


    While the noble had always given off an air of easy confidence before, that was now joined by a sense of resolve. He Yu stole a glimpse of Li Heng through the insight granted by the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment and saw that he¡¯d become more himself than he was before. It was odd in a way He Yu couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on, but He Yu was happy for him.


    Yan Shirong¡¯s combat prowess grew the most, and He Yu had to wonder if his protests regarding his arts had ever truly been genuine. The comital scion¡¯s ability to attack from unexpected directions by using his shadowy tendrils to launch throwing daggers at an opponent¡¯s back was almost enough to make He Yu a bit envious. Yan Shirong had also gotten far more adept at hauling himself around with those same tendrils, as well as using the billowing shadows of his presence to obscure himself. Truly, given time, Yan Shirong could easily become a frightening and formidable foe.


    Of course, He Yu benefited tremendously from this training as well. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering complimented his other arts perfectly. The Five Crescent Winds was an art designed to show its true nature in support of other arts, and it did just that. Activating any of his guandao arts while using the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering caused tiny flickers of heaven qi to spark within the swirling winds that curled around his weapon.


    The Five Crescent Winds techniques seemed almost to pull from the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, and the speed from the body art combined with the unexpected boost to the weapon art was almost too much for him to control at first. However, with the aid of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he soon adapted and felt as though he¡¯d become closer to what Fang Yingjie had been trying to impress upon him than ever before.


    Then, there was the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. It had always been a problem that he couldn¡¯t use his body art and his movement technique at the same time. Switching between the two constantly placed a strain on his meridians and drained his qi reserves faster than he¡¯d liked. By contrast, the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering fit the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight like a hand in a glove. It actually became easier to manage the potent movement technique while under the effects of his new body art.


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    Even with all the improvements the three of them had experienced over their months with Old Guo, none of it seemed to matter when they faced him. He was an absolute monster. His defense was an impenetrable shell of wood qi that made his skin harder than the Stonewrought Pines they¡¯d spend months training on. Not even their strongest attacks could even leave a mark on him. Every blow was like being hit by someone swinging an entire tree. He blasted through the defenses of each of their body enforcement techniques with a single hit.


    Even though he kept his cultivation suppressed to the equivalent of the late Body Refining stage, his presence was still a massive weight that pressed down on the three of them. Fighting the old man was like trying to punch an ancient spiritual forest full of awakened trees into kindling. Worse of all, he was faster than any of them, too.


    Despite the unfairness, they made progress. Each bout took just that tiny bit longer than the one before it. Each hit Old Guo landed took fractionally less time to recover from. As the month progressed, the old cultivator¡¯s approach to the fight went from casual boredom to something that almost resembled him paying attention.


    It was, He Yu had to admit, a little insulting that Old Guo clearly wasn¡¯t even trying. But they clawed back some small measure of their pride by the end of the month, when for the first time, Old Guo called a halt to the match before any of them were lying scattered about the clearing, bruised and spent of qi.


    ¡°Good,¡± Old Guo said with a nod. ¡°Cultivate and restore yourselves while I prepare supper. Tomorrow, you¡¯ll be on your way.¡±


    All three disciples saluted Old Guo. As the old cultivator turned to go, Li Heng said, ¡°Once we break through, we¡¯ll show King Hao what real cultivators are capable of.¡±


    ¡°I would advise against that,¡± Old Guo called over his shoulder.


    He Yu stopped in his tracks. All this time he¡¯d assumed they would break into the Body Refining stage before they faced the bandit king. They¡¯d been at the peak of Foundation, and half a step into the next realm for almost a month now. What had all of this been for, if not preparation for a breakthrough?


    ¡°The qi here will conflict with your aspects,¡± Old Guo continued. ¡°You also don¡¯t have access to any elixirs to aid you. I may have been generous all this time, but I am not that generous. You three already owe me more than you can possibly repay, and that¡¯s without a bunch of extra elixirs.


    ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re willing to settle, breakthrough. Otherwise, kill your bandit king, loot what you want from his corpse, and then use that and whatever payment you¡¯re getting from the sect to buy all the elixirs and pills you want. Once you return to the sect you¡¯ll be able to achieve far better breakthroughs than you would here. There¡¯s no sense in limiting your future potential for the sake of some bandit trash.¡±


    All three disciples looked at one another. Old Guo made a good point. The only question was whether or not they could beat King Hao while remaining at the peak Foundation stage. Although he¡¯d not said as much, Old Guo seemed to think so.


    Yan Shirong was the first to speak up. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. He spoke softly, as though that would somehow prevent a Sixth Realm cultivator from hearing.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a point,¡± He Yu began. ¡°If we can wait, like Tan Xiaoling has been, it¡¯ll just make us that much stronger later.¡±


    ¡°Assuming we survive,¡± Li Heng said. He¡¯d folded his arms across his chest and stroked his chin with one hand as he thought. He Yu had gotten to know him well enough to tell that he hadn¡¯t rejected the idea.


    ¡°I think we should make the decision together,¡± He Yu said before anyone else could come to a conclusion. ¡°Either we all advance or none of us do.¡± By the looks on the other¡¯s faces, they understood his logic. If they were all at the same level, they succeeded or failed by equal contribution. Or blame.


    It was surprising, however, that Li Heng was the one to offer an objection. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to have one of us advance? That way we¡¯d have a clear leader.¡±


    He Yu locked eyes with his housemate. There was something almost like a challenge in the noble¡¯s gaze, but He Yu couldn¡¯t deny that there was at least some merit to the suggestion. He didn¡¯t like the idea, though, simply on an instinctual level. He¡¯d not stopped having his visions during cultivation, where he was sometimes on a peak by himself, and sometimes surrounded by people he knew. He¡¯d been alone for most of his childhood, and he¡¯d be dead before he spent an immortal lifespan alone as well.


    Yan Shirong was the one to break the stalemate. ¡°I agree with He Yu,¡± he announced. It was so matter-of-fact, that it took He Yu by surprise. As much as he¡¯d not expected Li Heng to be the one to disagree, neither had he expected Yan Shirong to be the one to throw in his support. ¡°I, for one, have learned somewhat of my own lack of ambition these past few months. If I have an opportunity to achieve a better advancement to Body Refining, I¡¯m willing to take the risk.¡±


    With the other two against him, Li Heng relented. ¡°Guess it¡¯s all together then,¡± he said, breaking into his characteristic grin.


    As the three of them began their nightly cultivation, He Yu couldn¡¯t shake the notion that Li Heng¡¯s good humor about the decision wasn¡¯t wholly genuine.

 Interlude - Zhang Lifen

    Zhang Lifen stood with her hands folded in the sleeves of her gown while Master Cai tended to his garden. He¡¯d called her here for a purpose, and he¡¯d speak when he was ready. When he did speak, it was mostly what she¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Your reliance on good fortune will be the end of you,¡± he began.


    ¡°What ever do you mean?¡± she asked with a smile, trying for all the world to sound as innocent as she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over what happened with Disciple Sha enough times that I won¡¯t belabor the point,¡± Master Cai said. ¡°Same with your student¡¯s friends.¡±


    That was a little unfair. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to remind you that I was the one who put He Yu and Li Heng into housing together,¡± she began. It was a good thing Master Cai was so lax when it came to how she spoke to him. None of the other sect elders would have allowed her to talk back like this.


    ¡°You¡¯ve reminded me at every conceivable opportunity,¡± he said, giving her a flat look. ¡°I don¡¯t believe for an instant, however, that you orchestrated him meeting Disciple Chen down in the sect town, nor that you were behind that girl¡¯s friendship with the daughter of Tan Zihao. Then there¡¯s the Yan boy. His association with your student is borne solely from his own nature as a seeker of profit.¡±


    ¡°Fair,¡± she allowed.


    ¡°More importantly,¡± he continued, ¡°is the fact that you sent those three to their deaths.¡±


    ¡°In my defense, I was confident they would be able to handle Hao Niu at the time.¡±


    Master Cai sighed as he stood and turned to face her fully. ¡°That¡¯s my point. You didn¡¯t properly assess the risk. Where would we be if it hadn¡¯t been for their good fortune in meeting Old Guo?¡± Before she could answer, he cut her off. ¡°We¡¯d be down three disciples. Five, really. I doubt we¡¯d keep Princess Tan and Disciple Chen without the boys. I know as well as you do that your inroads with the princess haven¡¯t been going as well as you¡¯d like.¡±


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    ¡°She¡¯ll come around,¡± Zhang Lifen said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not listening,¡± Master Cai shot back. She grimaced¡ªhe was truly annoyed with her. ¡°At least Hao Niu revealed himself,¡± he said changing back to the subject at hand. ¡°Old Guo will expect compensation. Make sure you accept his requests once you¡¯ve cleaned up your mess.¡±


    Which meant that whatever the old man wanted, she was going to have to pay for it herself. Well, since according to Master Cai, Old Guo was intent on taking all three of the boys to peak Foundation before setting them after Hao Niu once more, she supposed she could live with that.


    ¡°How long?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The Li boy has already taken half a step into the Third Realm. He Yu will join him soon. Yan Shirong is the weakest link, but between his time with the other two and Old Guo¡¯s attention, he¡¯ll be motivated enough for the time being. Whether or not that lasts once he returns to the sect,¡± Master Cai shrugged. ¡°It will be another week or two, at least, before he sends them on their way. How long will it take you to get to them?¡±


    ¡°Three days, at most,¡± she said.


    Master Cai nodded. ¡°Good. Let them succeed or fail by their own merits, so long as it¡¯s just the bandit and whatever borrowed strength he has.¡±


    She nodded. Although she¡¯d grown fond of He Yu, Master Cai was right. She was confident they¡¯d prevail against a jumped-up bandit who fancied himself a true cultivator, borrowed strength or no.


    But that wasn¡¯t the real reason Master Cai wanted her near the disciples.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s fully pacted?¡± She didn¡¯t bother giving voice to that question¡¯s further implications.


    ¡°The Dawn Palace Formation still holds.¡± Master Cai still sounded troubled, though.


    ¡°But my presence is required, regardless,¡± she said.


    ¡°Perhaps I am being overly cautious,¡± Master Cai answered. ¡°Something you could learn from.¡±


    Zhang Lifen smiled and allowed herself to relax a bit at the jab. She saluted her master and excused herself. There was time yet to prepare, and she wanted to get as much cultivation in as she could before she left. Although the pressure in her dantian was almost to the point where it was too much to bear, she could push herself a little bit further before she broke through into the Fifth Realm. If Master Cai¡¯s unspoken fears proved correct, they would need all the strength they could muster. Hopefully, the children would be up to the task.

 2.21 - The March of Justice

    When He Yu awoke the next morning, Old Guo¡¯s hut was silent, dark¡ªand most importantly¡ª sealed with a powerful formation barrier. If he¡¯d needed a clear signal that there would be no fond farewells to mark the end of his training, that was it. Despite the near-certainty that Old Guo was deep in cultivation, He Yu still offered a salute and a deep bow before they left. Old Guo¡¯s comment about them owing him more than they could possibly pay was as true as the sun was bright.


    With nothing else standing in their way, they set off to find King Hao.


    Whatever point of contention had bothered Li Heng the previous night had vanished with morning, and he¡¯d returned to his usual good spirits. Yan Shirong was still filled with the same newfound sense of determination that he¡¯d shown when deciding to hold off for better conditions before advancing. He Yu wondered if perhaps the noble had turned a corner, but he admittedly still didn¡¯t know Yan Shirong well enough to tell either way.


    The three disciples dashed through the woods, back in the direction they¡¯d first come from when King Hao had chased them all those months previous. Even though they¡¯d journeyed in a mostly northerly direction when they¡¯d left the sect, they were still far enough south that winter had been a mild one. What cold they might have felt had been chased away by a combination of their cultivation and the constant, intense training that Old Guo had subjected them to. Now the signs of spring were beginning to show themselves, and the passing of seasons reminded He Yu of just how much time had passed since he¡¯d joined the Shrouded Peaks Sect.


    In the short span of just six months, he¡¯d managed to come further than he¡¯d ever dreamed that he could have when his highest ambition was simply to join Dong Wei¡¯s school back in Shulin. He¡¯d advanced to Foundation in half the time the sect had allotted him, and now he was half a step into Body Refining. Despite his misgivings at her ¡°guidance,¡± his mentor, Zhang Lifen, was considered to be the sect¡¯s rising star by literally everyone he¡¯d spoken to. Then, her mentor, Elder Cai Weizhe had personally picked two of the three arts that He Yu now cultivated. The third, by some insane stroke of fortune, had come from a Fifth Realm spirit he¡¯d met in a ruined temple. That same spirit had also gifted him the enchanted robes he now wore. The past season had been spent training under an old hermit of the Sixth Realm, and now he was on a mission to bring a murderous bandit to justice with his two companions.


    It was as if the heavens had conspired to make his dreams of living a legend into reality. For the first time since leaving the sect, He Yu allowed himself to truly get lost in that dream. Sure, he¡¯d had to work¡ªthose first months spending every night cultivating towards the Second Realm had been more stressful than he¡¯d realized at the time.


    The threat Sha Xiang posed had loomed over him then, but he¡¯d fought her to a standstill. These past three months had been worse in their own way. Old Guo had been a grueling instructor, even more so than Ren Huang, but that training had paid dividends, and had allowed him to take another significant step along his Way¡ªhis Way of Legend.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll tell stories about us?¡± He hadn¡¯t meant to ask it aloud. Blood and heat rushed into his cheeks when both Yan Shirong and Li Heng gave him inquisitive looks at the sudden question.


    ¡°About disposing of some trash?¡± Yan Shirong scoffed. ¡°Hardly.¡± It was He Yu¡¯s turn to raise his eyebrows at that. Yan Shirong¡¯s attitude towards King Hao had certainly evolved since they¡¯d been with Old Guo.


    ¡°Every legend has to begin somehow,¡± Li Heng said a bit more diplomatically, giving He Yu a reassuring grin. The two of them had spoken enough about He Yu¡¯s fixation on the stories of legendary cultivators of old, and his desire to become one of their number someday.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Yan Shirong allowed. ¡°But what makes you ask? Why would they?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I just want to live a life worth telling stories about. Why else would we cultivate, if not to reach for the heavens?¡±


    Yan Shirong hummed thoughtfully. ¡°I suppose I never gave it much consideration. I¡¯d always assumed that I would join the Ministry of Information, like the rest of the ranking members of my family.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I can see the merit in it,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to tell you of my family¡¯s situation.¡± It was a well-known fact that the Li family, young as it was, held a precarious place in imperial politics. Enemies circled them, and it was only the existence of their patriarch, Li Renshu, that kept them from being wiped out by jealous rivals. A cultivator of the Divine Body Attainment level wasn¡¯t an opponent to antagonize lightly.


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    ¡°Building a legend around oneself is a necessary component of power,¡± Li Heng continued. ¡°One¡¯s reputation is almost as important as one¡¯s individual prowess.¡±


    ¡°Only so far as one can defend it,¡± Yan Shirong countered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the point, though?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°Reputation and ability go hand-in-hand.¡±


    ¡°For some,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°My family, for example, doesn¡¯t have the best reputation. We¡¯re generally considered sneaks and spies. While not untrue, it doesn¡¯t do our capabilities justice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed,¡± He Yu said. Yan Shirong had turned into an effective combatant despite his protests to the contrary that he¡¯d maintained since they¡¯d met.


    ¡°I guess what I want to know is why?¡± the comital scion asked. ¡°Why do you want to become someone they spin legends about?¡±


    He realized that he never really considered the why, now that someone had asked him point-blank. Why did he want to become a legend? The threat of Sha Xiang had driven him in his first months at the sect, and the threat of King Hao had kept him going during his time with Old Guo. But what came next? If he didn¡¯t have some danger hanging over him, would he be able to continue? He couldn¡¯t find an answer that he felt with certainty, and that bothered him.


    As the silence dragged on, Li Heng thankfully interjected by changing the subject. ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time to think about our accomplishments once we join the inner sect. Assuming you¡¯ll both be competing?¡±


    That got He Yu¡¯s attention. He¡¯d nearly forgotten. Come summer, the sect would hold a tournament. The top eight competitors would earn a spot in the inner sect, with their performance determining their rank. Zhang Lifen had made it clear that he was expected to compete and win a place in the inner sect.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t actually given it much thought,¡± Yan Shirong admitted. ¡°I figured I would simply maintain the necessary advancement to avoid getting expelled from the sect, then possibly compete next year when the competition wouldn''t be as stiff. Or maybe just stay in the outer sect until I qualified for a spot in the ministry. Now? I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t sell yourself short, Sect Brother Yan,¡± Li Heng laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be competing,¡± He Yu said. Li Heng already knew that, of course, so he¡¯d spoken up mostly for Yan Shirong¡¯s benefit. He couldn¡¯t have said why, but he disliked the idea of leaving Yan Shirong behind in the outer sect.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Yan Shirong scoffed, but it lacked the derision that it would have contained before their trip.


    The three continued on for some time, talking of their future plans for their time in the sect as they used movement techniques freely to eat up the distance under their feet. Three months of training and feasting on third-grade fish had dramatically increased their strength, stamina, and qi reserves. He Yu also had the benefit of his new robes, which eased his use of wind-aspected techniques like the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight.


    It was around midday when the smell of burnt wood¡ªand worse¡ªreminded them of the realities of their task. Another village had been burned in the time they¡¯d been with Old Guo. This one was fresh, with embers still glowing in the ruins of the houses, and the corpses of King Hao¡¯s victims covered in carrion birds. As the disciples approached the ruins great flocks of them rose into the air, borne on black wings. He Yu couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the sight. The enthusiasm he¡¯d allowed to bubble all morning vanished as he was once again confronted with the stark reality of their mission.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick,¡± he said, making no effort to keep his growing anger from his words.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Li Heng said, his voice somber. He Yu knew well how his friend felt about the duties of the nobility¡ªthe sight was as much an affront to Li Heng¡¯s ideals as it was to He Yu¡¯s.


    Yan Shirong had already produced a trio of constructs and had sent them off to the north. It was only a few minutes before they returned.


    ¡°Two sentries, just past the bend in the road up ahead. There¡¯s a footpath that leads up into the hills. The camp is a short way along the path,¡± Yan Shirong said, relaying the information from his constructs.


    ¡°We should go and issue a challenge,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to wait any longer than we already have.¡±


    Li Heng crossed his arms and hardened his expression to one He Yu had never seen before. It was a mixture of anger and resolve. When he spoke, He Yu found out why. ¡°Agreed about not waiting,¡± the noble began, ¡°but we shouldn¡¯t issue a challenge. Sweep in, kill any of the lower realm bandits, and force King Hao to come face us.¡±


    He Yu swallowed. ¡°They won¡¯t stand a chance against us,¡± he said. From what he¡¯d been able to tell from their first encounter, the most advanced among them had been barely at middle Foundation. Even so, their cultivation bases had been poorly formed, and there¡¯d only been three or four of them, besides. The rest had been First Realm still, with another dozen or so in the early Second Realm.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°It¡¯s the tactically sound thing to do. Force King Hao into dealing with us, and frighten his lackeys enough so they don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± He Yu began.


    Before he could continue, Yan Shirong said, ¡°I agree with Li Heng. The last thing we want is to get overwhelmed. We may be stronger than the bandits, but King Hao still has a realm advantage on us.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t like it, He Yu backed down. There was no sense in making an issue of it, especially right before a battle. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡±

 2.22 - King Hao

    The first two sentries never had time to realize what had happened. Before they lay dead in the road, the three disciples were a good three dozen yards up the path. The second set of sentries fared a little better, at least managing to get their weapons out before they, too, were cut down. Shouts rose from the bandit camp, a makeshift thing with the beginnings of a palisade that suggested the group had intended to settle in for an extended stay in the region.


    The alarm didn¡¯t help though. The three Shrouded Peaks disciples breached the outer perimeter¡ªsuch as it was¡ªwith movement techniques well before the bandits could begin organizing anything resembling a defense.


    He Yu leaped over a barricade with his movement technique, wind curling around his guandao. He steeled his heart at the sight before him¡ªa boy not much older than he was, staring up at him with wide, fearful eyes.


    He hadn¡¯t even managed to pull his sword from its sheath before He Yu fell upon him. He Yu held the image of slaughtered peasants in his mind. It helped, if only a little, as he killed his first human opponent.


    He didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it. As soon as the boy¡¯s body hit the mud, he found himself rushed by half a dozen other bandits. He used his movement technique and the Five Crescent Winds freely, thanks to the robe he¡¯d received from Yongnian. The bandits fell as quickly as they came.


    Nearby, Li Heng flashed from one foe to another. The White Hare Dance carried him effortlessly between opponents, and the Winter Moon Reflection gleamed despite the brightness of the day. His time with Old Guo had clearly left its mark, as Li Heng fought with far more aggression than he¡¯d displayed even in their spars during the last month.


    Yan Shirong flitted about the edges, cloaked in shadow and using both that spray of shadowy thorns and his throwing knives to good effect. His dark tendrils rose from the bandits¡¯ shadows to bind their limbs and their weapons, allowing He Yu and Li Heng to cut them down all the more easily.


    In the span of only a few minutes, several score of bandits lay dead or wounded, and the rest had turned and fled. A good measure of this was clearly due to the disciple¡¯s sudden attack, but He Yu couldn¡¯t shake the recollection of how absolutely helpless that first one had seemed before him. This was what it meant to truly face a cultivator in battle. Thankfully, before he could lose himself in rumination over the fact that he¡¯d just killed a dozen or more people, a booming voice interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s this,¡± King Hao roared, finally revealing himself. ¡°The sect dogs have returned?¡± The Ox King was dressed as he was before in his worn lamellar, his massive bronze mace propped on one shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to deliver justice,¡± Li Heng said. His voice was an icy calm, and He Yu was thankful that he hadn¡¯t needed to say anything himself. He didn¡¯t trust himself to speak quite yet, the image of a young bandit staring up at him in fear still burned in his mind.


    King Hao threw open his arms. ¡°Then come and deliver it or die like dogs!¡± he shouted.


    Li Heng flashed over to King Hao in the instant the bandit leader was exposed. His sword traced a silver arc through the air and his lunar qi shone sharp and cold. In the moment of his attack, Li Heng¡¯s presence manifested itself more clearly than it ever had previously. It was a snow-covered field, with countless stars quietly winking while a sword-sharp crescent moon bathed the world in silver light. Despite its silence and serenity, danger lurked at the edges of things barely seen, and in the glint of moonlit snow.


    A massive weight of knobbed bronze slammed down on the edge of Li Heng¡¯s blade as King Hao reacted to the attack. The Ox King¡¯s spirit flared, a massive stone fortress with gates bound in iron. It carried an impressive spiritual weight with it, given that he was of the Third Realm, but He Yu could immediately tell it was less defined than any of their own had become in the time since their first fight. Old Guo had been right about the benefits of training their foundations, and He Yu began to believe that they¡¯d be able to win here.


    Li Heng spun away from the bandit king, his jian tracing a silver arc as he carried the momentum from deflecting King Hao¡¯s blow into another attack. He was wholly unburdened by the weight of his sword as he had been during their previous fight¡ªyet another benefit of the training they¡¯d received. Despite Li Heng¡¯s improvements, He Yu knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle King Hao alone.


    Activating both the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, He Yu joined the fray. His skin took on a slight reflective shine as his movements accelerated to the limit of what he could control. Wind curled around his guandao, and tiny sparks of heavenly qi flashed within the torrent. The Peerless Judgment flashed a warning, and He Yu deftly avoided a sweep of King Hao¡¯s mace. He¡¯d forgotten that the bandit had a movement technique of his own.


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    Li Heng flashed to the opposite side of the bandit with the White Hare Dance, and his eyes flicked up to meet He Yu¡¯s. A slight nod was all the response he gave, and with the weight of half a year¡¯s worth of intense training together, they attacked as one.


    The shadows around King Hao¡¯s feet churned, and a dozen tendrils rose, rooting him to the spot. Yan Shirong emerged from a billowing cloud of darkness above the bandit, held aloft by yet more strands formed of shadowy qi. His presence had become one of darkness and silence. A sense of absence that weighed on the senses through the lack of what should be. The three disciples attacked as one.


    * * *


    For so long, Li Heng had been using the Winter Moon Reflection incorrectly. He¡¯d been such a fool. Yes, the moon was a manifestation of Yin, receptive, cold, and dark. But cultivation was about balance. To bring out the true nature of the technique, it required its complement. The Yang had to come from somewhere, but he¡¯d always thought that it came from the attacks the technique received. Old Guo had shown him how incorrect that was.


    He¡¯d long known that the advancement of an art, especially an art so sublime as his family¡¯s Lunar Mirror Sword Art wasn¡¯t strictly tied to a cultivator¡¯s advancement. While higher cultivation was certainly required to bring out the fullness of one¡¯s techniques¡ªand to make use of more advanced ones¡ªthe key to mastering an art was understanding.


    Now, after these months of training, Li Heng had begun to grasp that understanding. The Yang needed to come from him. He attacked¡ªand the art sang in his spirit. The edge of his grandfather¡¯s jian shone with the brilliance of a blow he should not have been able to take, but in balance, he¡¯d found the way forward. Moonlight shone down, illuminating the snowy field of his spirit. Illuminating a path.


    Li Heng now took the first step on that path, and the patterns of qi formed in his mind¡¯s eye. He activated the Darkmoon Strife.


    * * *


    Yan Shirong supposed that he shouldn¡¯t have been all that surprised when Li Heng debuted a new technique in the middle of battle. Even he knew enough to gauge such things to be foolish¡ªnew techniques could be difficult to use properly, even in the best of circumstances. So much could go wrong in the heat of an actual fight. Despite that, something had changed within Li Heng since returning from his individual training with that old monster¡ªand it would have needed to manifest eventually.


    He could also appreciate the other noble¡¯s sense of presentation. The silver light that limned Li Heng¡¯s jian winked out mid-swing, taking the blade with it. The momentum of his attack carried him past King Hao and away from any retaliation, leaving three parallel dark scars on the world. Blood spurted from the newly made rents in King Hao¡¯s armor.


    Again he told himself that he didn¡¯t mind that he was so far behind. They would bury this trash, take their spoils, then return to the sect and receive payment. He would buy a mountain of pills and elixirs, then spend every waking moment until the tournament in secluded cultivation. When it came time for the tournament, he¡¯d have some new tricks to unveil¡ªand tricks had always been what he was best at.


    * * *


    It was only the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment that allowed He Yu to see through the cloying mass of shadow that rose around King Hao following that flashy new attack Li Heng had just used. He supposed Yan Shirong had spent enough time sparring with him to know that He Yu wouldn¡¯t be impeded by it, but they really ought to coordinate that sort of thing. Still, he capitalized on the bandit king¡¯s momentary distraction as King Hao tried once more to tear himself free of the ever-growing number of shadowy tendrils winding around his limbs.


    Wind howled along the length of his guandao, and tiny arcs of lightning danced along the leading edge of the blade. After a month of training and cultivation of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, his qi had gained a heaven aspect that complimented the Peerless Judgment well. He supposed that shouldn¡¯t have been all that surprising¡ª¡°heavenly¡± was in the name of the art, after all. But more importantly, it felt as though his spirit had settled for lack of a better term. Like¡ªas the name of the stage implied¡ªhe¡¯d forged a foundation for his future. Wind, water, and heaven.


    The water aspect was the most underdeveloped. There were aspects of it in the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, and it was only the cultivation of that technique that gave him the certainty that a new stage of the Heavenly Palace art lay just beyond his reach. A stage that would bring the water aspect into balance with the others. But for now, wind and heaven were enough. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he zipped around the lumbering brute of a bandit, his earlier misgivings all but forgotten.


    Then, King Hao roared. Shadows flared up around him, but not any of Yan Shirong¡¯s creation. They were tinged red, and He Yu had to cut off his use of the Peerless Judgment at the wave of wrongness that accompanied the sound.


    He Yu shuddered as he got the impression of a distant, bloody sunset. The impression was faint, but he somehow instinctively knew that it was far stronger than anything he¡¯d ever experienced. Something was weakening it, and without that weakening, the presence would have crushed everyone present.


    That faint, distant presence wrapped itself around King Hao, and his qi flared. He seemed to shrug off all the damage they¡¯d done up until that point and settled into an aggressive stance.


    His eyes were tinged red as he glared at the three disciples. ¡°Time to die,¡± he growled.

 2.23 - Suffer Justice

    Killing intent rolled off the bandit in waves as he readied his mace. What was worse, his qi had somehow increased in potency. Thankfully, the foreign presence faded, leaving only a hint of red in his eyes. Had he been holding back all this time? No, He Yu told himself. If he had, the Peerless Judgment wouldn¡¯t have reacted the way it had to the change. Something had happened to the bandit, and it had something to do with that faint presence he¡¯d felt a moment ago.


    Yan Shirong stepped from within his billowing cloak of shadow to appear next to He Yu. ¡°Did you feel that, too?¡± he asked, making no effort to hide his concern.


    ¡°I did,¡± he answered. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to feel about the fact that he¡¯d not imagined it. If Yan Shirong had felt it, no doubt that Li Heng had as well.


    ¡°We need to be careful,¡± Li Heng said, appearing next to them in a flash of silver and confirming He Yu¡¯s guess.


    ¡°Does anyone know what happened?¡±


    Both shook their heads.


    ¡°Right,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We can figure it out later. Let¡¯s end this quickly.¡±


    The grim set of both their features was all the agreement he needed.


    The battle was rejoined. The three disciples¡¯ qi flared as they activated techniques. Wind howled, shadows surged, and silver moonlight flashed. King Hao met them all. A meaty fist slammed into He Yu¡¯s jaw, sending him sprawling. Li Heng ducked a swipe of the massive bronze mace but was forced to retreat by the follow-up attack. King Hao grabbed Yan Shirong by the throat and tossed him clear across the camp.


    He Yu picked himself up and took a moment to observe. Something had changed about the bandit, but He Yu couldn¡¯t quite place it. Yes, he was a Body Refining cultivator, and they would do well to remember that, but he hadn¡¯t advanced. His qi still had that increased potency from earlier, but that could just be due to him no longer holding back. It had to do with his movements, but the exact nature of that difference remained unclear, even with the Peerless Judgment¡¯s ability to see the truth of things.


    A dozen of Yan Shirong¡¯s shadows rose around King Hao, each holding a gleaming throwing knife. The bandit swept a number of them away, but there was only so much he could do against so many coming from such different angles. He Yu dashed forward on the winds, and opposite his target, Li Heng attacked as well.


    King Hao activated his movement technique and appeared in front of He Yu. He grabbed He Yu¡¯s guandao and spun, launching him at Li Heng. Yan Shirong caught him with his shadow tendrils, giving him enough time to bring the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight back under control. As he righted himself, he saw Li Heng and King Hao exchange a series of blows.


    The bronze mace slammed into Li Heng¡¯s sword. Silver qi flared along the blade¡¯s length. Li Heng advanced, sweeping his jian in a broad cut. King Hao blocked the attack with the haft of his own weapon. Back and forth they went, exchanging blows faster than any mortal eye could follow. With each exchange, King Hao pressed Li Heng just that much harder.


    ¡°There¡¯s something different about him,¡± Yan Shirong said as He Yu alighted next to him.


    ¡°You noticed it too?¡±


    ¡°I likely don¡¯t have as good a sense of it as you do,¡± he said. The twinge of envy that He Yu had come to expect when Yan Shirong mentioned the arts Elder Cai had gifted him was absent. Instead, there was an unspoken question in its place.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get much. There was that brief sensation of¡ªsomething,¡± he said, struggling to remember what exactly the presence had been. He pushed down a spike of worry at that. It had been so strong when he¡¯d felt it. Why couldn¡¯t he describe it? Or even remember what it had been like?


    ¡°Well, that answers my question,¡± Yan Shirong said grimly. ¡°At least I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s having memory problems. I¡¯d thought maybe that I¡¯d knocked my head when that brute tossed me.¡±


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    Somehow, that didn¡¯t make He Yu feel any better. ¡°We should be careful, in case it happens again,¡± he said.


    Yan Shirong only nodded, and they both rejoined the fight.


    During their brief exchange, Li Heng had lost any semblance of an advantage he¡¯d once had. Although his sword shone, it seemed that it was once again weighing him down. The Peerless Judgment made the situation clear¡ªdespite his newfound confidence and understanding of the art, it was still too advanced for him to hold on to that much power.


    Until he grew his cultivation base, he needed to quickly shift to the attack to maintain control of the Winter Moon Reflection when facing someone of significant power. Well, He Yu thought, it was a good thing he¡¯d arrived just in time to provide Li Heng the opening he needed.


    He Yu used his guandao to vault at King Hao¡¯s back. The metallic shine of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering encased him as he slammed feet-first into the bandit¡¯s back. He caught himself on the winds, allowing his movement technique to carry him above the fray as King Hao stumbled forward. With the break in King Hao¡¯s assault, Li Heng leveled his jian at the bandit.


    Silver light streamed off the blade, accompanied by the distant roar of a winter¡¯s gale. The lance of qi struck King Hao square in the chest. Again, the bandit roared, and He Yu braced himself for another wave of wrongness.


    It never came. Instead, King Hao¡¯s spirit, and iron-bound fortress, loomed large in He Yu¡¯s spiritual sight. The central tower¡¯s beacon flared to life, flames dancing and leaping dozens of feet into the air. He Yu brought his awareness back to the mortal world to see the head of the bandit¡¯s mace begin to glow red as fire-aspected qi gathered around the weapon.


    He Yu released his movement technique and let himself fall. He poured as much qi as he could manage at once into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and a formation of the Crashing Wind. Heaven qi sparked in the howling wind along his blade, as he slammed down on King Hao, aided by the inexorable grasp of the earth.


    Blood spurted from where He Yu had struck, his blade digging into the meat between King Hao¡¯s neck and shoulder on his weapon side. The bandit lashed out with a closed-fisted backhand. Under the effects of both his movement technique and his body art, He Yu was too fast. He kicked off of King Hao¡¯s back, landing well out of reach.


    King Hao spun to face him. ¡°I¡¯ll destroy everything you hold dear. I¡¯ll take your mother and your sisters and I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an only child and my mother is dead,¡± He Yu shot back.


    ¡°Just fucking die,¡± the bandit growled.


    ¡°Dogs should not bark at their betters,¡± Li Heng said.


    Three lines of black tore across King Hao. As the wounds Li Heng had placed upon the world faded and King Hao roared in pain and fury, Li Heng¡¯s sword reformed from icy mist. He Yu couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. That was a technique straight out of legend as far as he was concerned.


    King Hao spun again, sweeping out with the flaming head of his mace. Li Heng took the blow on his jian and countered immediately, scoring another crimson line across the bandit¡¯s chest. Not about to allow King Hao any more chances to gain the upper hand, He Yu rushed in once more. Wind and heaven wreathed his guandao as he struck from behind. To his satisfaction, Yan Shirong emerged from the shadows and blasted the bandit with a spray of shadowy thorns.


    ¡°Cowards!¡± King Hao screamed, rage giving way to a hint of panic. ¡°Face me like men!¡±


    ¡°Butchers like you deserve death, not honor,¡± He Yu heard himself say. The heat in his voice caught him by surprise. He knew he was still angry about the destruction and slaughter he¡¯d seen, but he¡¯d thought that it had gone to that same place everything else went when he was focused on a critical task in front of him. Apparently not.


    He struck with all the force he could muster. The Five Crescent Winds churned along the length of his blade, and the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering lent his attack the sparking qi of heaven. His blade slammed into King Hao once again, rending his armor and sending a spray of blood into the afternoon sky.


    Yan Shirong called forth yet more throwing knives. One after the other, he buried them in whatever exposed bits of flesh he could find. The utter contempt and disdain written on his features made He Yu glad that he¡¯d gotten over his dislike of the comital scion. He didn¡¯t need to contend with yet another grudge. He was sure that Yan Shirong would carry one for decades if given the chance.


    A flash of silver struck the bandit as Li Heng appeared next to him. His blade came away from King Hao trailing glistening drops of red. ¡°Suffer justice,¡± he said softly.


    King Hao let out a wordless roar. He flailed about with his mace, but the attacks had become uncoordinated. He was clearly on his last legs, the fortress of his spirit was cracked and the walls had begun to crumble. The iron bands on the gates showed their age as spots of rust blossomed upon their once well-kept surface. Even the flame atop the fortress¡¯s highest tower guttered as it burned low.


    He Yu almost couldn¡¯t believe it. They¡¯d done it. King Hao¡¯s qi was almost completely gone. His presence was crumbling before their very eyes. They had him surrounded on three sides. All they needed to do was¡ª


    King Hao threw his head back and roared to the sky. His guttering qi surged, and he screamed, ¡°Empress, take me! Make use of this unworthy servant!¡± Red-tinged shadows rose from the ground, and the wrongness from earlier returned.


    This time it was accompanied by an overwhelming sense of want that made He Yu¡¯s blood run cold.

 2.24 - You Were Here All Along?

    The disciples moved as one. They needed no discussion. Whatever was happening to King Hao, they needed to stop it.


    He¡¯d been so close to death, but now his qi surged anew, aided by whatever power he had called upon. And it was another power, not his own. That much He Yu could see even without the aid of the Peerless Judgment.


    Attacks from all three of them landed within the space of a single heartbeat. He Yu¡¯s guandao scored a deep gouge in the bandit¡¯s armor, rending metal and flesh alike. Li Heng activated that new technique of his, and Yan Shirong unleashed yet another barrage of throwing knives.


    King Hao continued to roar his anger to the heavens as he flailed. His movements had become less coordinated, his swings going wide and hitting nothing. Whatever power had flooded into him ebbed, and the sense of his presence¡ªthat of a now-crumbling fortress¡ªreturned to what it had been before he called for aid.


    The disciples continued to press him. As they scored hit after hit, his movements became increasingly disjointed. He lurched like a poorly controlled puppet rather than a dangerous fighter, and each step became more of a stumble than the last. Dozens of throwing knives poked out from holes torn in his armor by jian and guandao both. At some point, he¡¯d lost grip of the mace, and now what passed for his attacks were merely listless swings of his arms.


    Finally, King Hao pitched forward, his spirit guttering out at last. The bandit hit the ground and was still. He Yu blinked.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he asked.


    Li Heng joined him at the fallen bandit¡¯s side and sent his jian back into his storage treasure. ¡°We have spent the past months training under an old master,¡± he ventured, but He Yu could hear the disbelief lurking between his words.


    ¡°A fitting end for trash such as him,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t quite so certain. Whatever power the bandit had called upon had faded too quickly for his tastes. Although he could find no trace of that power left in the bandit that now lay dead at their feet¡ªeven through the Peerless Judgment¡¯s ability to see the truth of things¡ªsome instinct told him that all was not as it appeared.


    ¡°It just seems too easy,¡± he muttered. Whatever feeling that things weren¡¯t what they seemed finally gave way. All the other things he¡¯d pushed to the edge of his thoughts for the sake of the battle rose to the surface.


    The lingering rage at the senseless suffering wrought at the hands of King Hao and his men during the months He Yu had been training. The terror of that first bandit, a boy no older than he was, frozen as he stared up at his end. The hollow feeling in his gut that hadn¡¯t faded with King Hao¡¯s death.


    The arrival of a new presence tore He Yu from his thoughts. He immediately recognized Zhang Lifen¡¯s approach and pressed a fist into his palm in salute. Although her arrival was sudden and unannounced, he wasn¡¯t surprised. Of course she¡¯d show up.


    ¡°Good work Junior Brothers,¡± she said with a slight smile. She stood with her hands folded before her and tucked inside the sleeves of her gown.


    ¡°How long have you been watching?¡± He Yu asked, ignoring the choking sound that came from Yan Shirong.


    ¡°Long enough,¡± she said airily. ¡°Quite the show you all put on. It seems your time with Old Guo was productive. I hadn¡¯t imagined things would go this well for you when I sent you away from the sect, but I¡¯m certainly not one to spit on good fortune. Now, let¡¯s collect our spoils.¡±


    The three of them fell in beside Zhang Lifen as she drifted over to a hut that was still relatively intact near the center of the former camp.


    ¡°Our spoils?¡± He Yu asked. He figured he could always ask about how she knew of Old Guo later. It wouldn¡¯t have surprised him if meeting him had been a part of her plan all along.


    ¡°I did have reasons besides your personal development for sending you here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Figures,¡± Yan Shirong muttered.


    Zhang Lifen cast an amused look over her shoulder and arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°Afraid I¡¯ll take the larger share of the loot, Junior Brother Yan?¡±


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    ¡°No, of course not, Senior Sister,¡± he answered over a hasty bow.


    ¡°She¡¯s just teasing you,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have told him just yet,¡± Li Heng said. Despite his insistence on formality around Princess Tan, he¡¯d heard enough about Zhang Lifen that he¡¯d gotten a feel for her sense of humor.


    ¡°I agree with Junior Brother Li,¡± Zhang Lifen said with a smirk. ¡°Wait until I leave before you make such accusations, next time.¡±


    He Yu simply scowled at his mentor¡¯s back as they entered the hut together. The building was a poorly made shack, but it was large enough for its intended purpose. It served as a sort of depot for the camp, with sacks of rice, jars of wine, and other miscellaneous foodstuffs stacked against one wall. Against the other was the various riches that the bandits had collected. Zhang Lifen went straight to the loot and spent a moment rummaging around before she held up a finely made jade pendant.


    ¡°Ah, here we go,¡± she said, admiring the piece of jewelry.


    He Yu activated the Peerless Judgment. The pendant appeared utterly mundane. ¡°Is it some treasure?¡± he ventured.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± she said. ¡°I just think it¡¯s pretty and wanted it for myself.¡± The pendant vanished into her storage treasure.


    ¡°You sent us here just for a mundane piece of jewelry?¡± he asked. He couldn¡¯t quite make up his mind as to how he wanted her to answer.


    ¡°Not just,¡± she said. ¡°I meant it when I said you ought to consider this a training opportunity. I thought getting away from the sect would be beneficial for you, and it turns out I was correct.¡± She then cocked her head to one side, as if listening for something. ¡°Come, let¡¯s move back outside. You can sort through your spoils in a moment.¡±


    He Yu frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing you need to concern yourselves with,¡± she said with a dismissive flick of her sleeve. ¡°You¡¯ll want to meditate on the battle here today when you¡¯ve the chance. All of you. You should also continue collecting beast cores on your way back. Use the time you have yet at the peak of Foundation to strengthen your cultivation base as much as you can, but don¡¯t delay for too long after returning to the sect. The tournament approaches, and you¡¯ll all need to push as far into the Third Realm as you can before then.¡±


    ¡°I thought we had a year from reaching Foundation to break through to Body Refining,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Normally yes, but my expectations are significantly higher. Besides, I need you to be promoted to the inner sect before I can begin training you properly, and I¡¯m not willing to wait until after next year¡¯s tournament.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready,¡± Yan Shirong said, giving Zhang Lifen a stiff salute.


    Her lips quirked in amusement. ¡°Best watch out, Junior Brother He. If you¡¯re not careful Junior Brother Yan might take your spot as my disciple.¡±


    He Yu rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. I was going to break through anyway.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± she said. ¡°Now, excuse me for a moment, I need to take care of something.¡±


    Danger spiked in He Yu¡¯s spiritual awareness, and he thought he could hear a single word whispered just at the edge of his hearing. ¡°Mine.¡± He turned to see King Hao Niu rising to his feet. Or at least King Hao¡¯s body.


    The corpse that rose as though pulled by puppet strings was surrounded by an aura of dim red light. Black veins shot through the corpse. King Hao¡¯s meridians. His eyes had turned black¡ªtwo spots of ink that held a pinpoint of red light at their center. Most disturbing, was his right arm.


    The veins that pulsed in the rest of his body had burst through the skin, and the arm was a twisted mass of what looked like exposed thick black muscle that flickered with a faint red light. More a tentacle than a human limb. The mass of twisting black filaments shot out, extending by nearly a dozen feet as they latched onto the bandit king¡¯s mace.


    King Hao retrieved his fallen weapon with astonishing speed. Far faster than he¡¯d ever moved before. Had He Yu not been at the peak of Foundation, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to follow the movement. Despite that, he still couldn¡¯t react in time. He could only watch as the massive bronze head of King Hao¡¯s mace blasted towards him.


    Like a river that had burst a damn, Zhang Lifen¡¯s spirit flooded the bandit camp. This was not the same as when she¡¯d cowed Dong Wei, or even Xiao Jun. This was a peak Golden Core at full strength. Despite being immeasurably stronger than he had been back in Shulin, He Yu collapsed under the weight of her unleashed power. Once more he found himself holding his breath for fear that he would drown. It was all he could do to lift his head so that he could watch his mentor do battle.


    Zhang Lifen stepped into the oncoming blow, covering a distance of more than a dozen yards in a single fluid step. Her hand curled into a perfectly formed fist, and she struck at the incoming ball of bronze. Metal screeched as the shaft of the hammer bent. Then she released a pulse of qi¡ªlike the rushing of a waterfall plummeting hundreds of feet down the side of a mountain¡ªand the mace¡¯s head cracked, then shattered to pieces. It happened so fast that He Yu could barely track it.


    She had used no technique that he could discern. Just a simple punch reinforced with qi¡ªthe same kind He Yu had learned from his father nearly a year prior, and the same basic enforcement he¡¯d been training all these months. But the power contained in that punch was the first real indication of the gulf that lay between him and his mentor.


    Briefly turning and offering an almost apologetic smile, Zhang Lifen said, ¡°The three of you should stay back. I can¡¯t guarantee your safety otherwise.¡±


    King Hao¡ªor whatever he¡¯d become¡ªlet out a roar to split the heavens. The hazy red light around the bandit king had grown more intense, and the tendrils that had taken over his right arm had spread to his shoulder and chest. His spirit felt wrong and twisted, and the air was thick with the scent of blood. He let out another furious roar and launched himself at Zhang Lifen.

 2.25 - The Court Revealed

    The bandit king¡¯s corrupted fist slammed into the ground, cracking the earth beneath it. Although He Yu hadn¡¯t seen her move, Zhang Lifen stood a good twenty feet away from the impact, the hem of her gown drifting as if underwater.


    She held an exquisitely crafted composite bow of black lacquered wood and gleaming white horn. Silver formation characters shone along its length. The treasure radiated a spiritual weight nearly as intense as Zhang Lifen herself.


    As she drew back the bowstring, an arrow of brilliant water qi coalesced into being. This too, gushed power. Between the weight of Zhang Lifen¡¯s fully unleashed spirit, her treasure, and her technique, it was nearly too much for He Yu to bear.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s bowstring thrummed. Water qi flared as her arrow leaped off the string, trailing icy mist in its wake. Her technique slammed into King Hao¡¯s corrupted shoulder, releasing a blinding flash of power. When He Yu¡¯s vision cleared, King Hao¡¯s arm was simply gone.


    Another technique streaked through the air, this time slamming into the center of King Hao¡¯s chest. When the flare of power faded this time, everything of the bandit from the waist up had simply been obliterated. For the second time that afternoon, the body pitched forward into the dirt. At least, what remained of it.


    Zhang Lifen turned to them, all traces of her usual playfulness gone. ¡°Collect whatever spoils you can carry and go,¡± she commanded. He Yu had seen her affect drop before, but never like this. It honestly frightened him.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Do what I said.¡± Her tone left no room for argument. ¡°Return to the sect as swiftly as you can, and work on your breakthrough. If you catch wind of anything¡ªI mean anything¡ªthat feels even remotely like what you¡¯ve felt just now, hide.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± he asked, even as he stuffed the bandits¡¯ ill-gotten lucre into his storage treasure. It was a small comfort that both Yan Shirong and Li Heng looked just as concerned as he felt.


    Finally, a little bit of the Zhang Lifen he¡¯d come to know returned as she gave him a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said, her tone softening. ¡°I can take care of myself. I just can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Something in her voice shifted again as she cut herself off. It almost sounded regretful. Then, she shook her head as she turned away to face the east. ¡°Get back to the sect. You¡¯ll be safe there.¡±


    He Yu swallowed. ¡°Promise you¡¯ll come back,¡± he said. It had just sort of come out. He knew that bonds between martial family were strong, but Zhang Lifen had never really been around all that much. Despite that, she was the reason he¡¯d come as far as he had.


    She gave him a reassuring smile at him over her shoulder. ¡°Of course. Although, you likely won¡¯t see me before the tournament,¡± she warned. ¡°I¡¯ll need to enter seclusion once I return to the sect. It seems my time as a Golden Core has come to an end. We can speak more when I emerge.¡±


    It only took a few more minutes for He Yu and the others to fill their storage treasures. The wealth they¡¯d gathered, and the payment of the bounty that awaited them back at the sect, were overshadowed by whatever had happened with King Hao and Zhang Lifen¡¯s sudden shift in mannerism.


    The bandit had called out to an ¡°Empress¡± before his qi changed. He Yu thought he had a pretty good idea of which Empress the bandit had meant, but he deliberately refused to dwell on that.


    The looming certainty that he¡¯d become caught up in something far larger than himself wasn¡¯t something he was ready to deal with.


    *    *    *


    Zhang Lifen let her smile drop as she watched her three juniors disappear into the forest before turning back to the east. They would be fine. She did spare a thought for herself, though, as she briefly focused on the pressure in her dantian. She¡¯d been at the peak for a long time, now. Perhaps too long, given the current situation.


    She wouldn¡¯t dwell on that, however. If anyone could have seen this coming, it would have been Master Cai¡ªand he hadn¡¯t. He would have warned her if he had, and instructed her to advance to Nascent Soul.


    She pulled a delicately carved figurine of a heron from her storage treasure and briefly spoke into it. With the message sealed, she pushed a trickle of qi into the formation script along its back and it vanished.


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    The approaching presence from the east would arrive before Ren Huang did, but not by much. Huang and herself would be enough to deal with this interloper together, she hoped. She just needed to hold on until he arrived. Fortunately, as a middle Fifth Realm, Ren Huang wouldn¡¯t take nearly as long to get here as she had.


    As she waited, she allowed herself to reflect on the outer disciples¡¯ progress. Their encounter with Old Guo had been fortuitous. They¡¯d advanced beyond her expectations in a remarkably short time. Master Cai had chastised her for sending them away from the sect in the first place, telling her that she¡¯d overestimated their abilities.


    But things had worked out, so where was the harm? Besides, now that things seemed to be advancing faster than Master Cai had anticipated, they¡¯d need to make use of anything¡ªand anyone¡ªthey could.


    The presence drew closer, and she was able to get a better sense of their advancement. Fifth Realm. Zhang Lifen put on her most disarming smile and folded her hands in the sleeves of her gown. Even though there was little she¡¯d be able to accomplish beyond stalling for time, she still needed to keep up appearances.


    Her opponent arrived with a burst of heat and a wave of blood. The emissary of the Sunset Court slammed down on the far side of the bandit camp. He had fine features that managed to at once look delicate and strong. His hair had a shine that would be the envy of any mortal lady of status and was bound up in a crown hairpin of gleaming black metal, inset with a large ruby. His black robes were of similarly high quality, and were embroidered with silver and gold thread.


    Although he carried no visible weapon, he was clearly here to fight. Now that they¡¯d come face-to-face, she could determine the exact level of advancement. Middle Nascent Soul, approaching the late stage.


    The emissary made no effort to restrain his presence. He was a towering suit of iron-wrought armor with four arms, each wielding a massive dadao. The armor glistened in the fading afternoon light, slick underneath a sheen of blood. Glowing molten metal dripped from the joints. Zhang Lifen could feel the heat coming off him in waves, and she had to force herself not to gag from the overwhelming stench of blood.


    Even though she was still only of the Fourth Realm, she met him in kind. Her own presence flowed out from her, a glassy and still sea. However, just beneath the surface were powerful currents that dragged anyone caught in them down into the silent depths hidden below. Black and cold, they whispered the quiet peace of the drowned to those caught in her embrace.


    Her smile came a bit easier now, as steam billowed between them and the weight of their combined spirits blasted away what little remained of the bandit camp. Water extinguished fire. That her own aspect overcame his wouldn¡¯t allow her to defeat him, not with such a difference in their cultivation, but it did mean she had a real chance of lasting until help arrived. She could always find a silver lining if she wanted.


    The emissary gestured to the body of King Hao, or what remained of it at least. ¡°This man was a servant of the Sunset Court. Do you know who is responsible for his death?¡± He spoke as if he were holding a normal conversation, despite being clear on the other side of the camp, nearly two hundred paces away. They were both advanced enough that there was no need to shout.


    Zhang Lifen inclined her head. ¡°I claim responsibility.¡± No point in being polite¡ªhumble speech would do her no favors here.


    ¡°Since you were surely unaware of your transgression, I¡ªKong Huizhong, Emissary of the Sunset Court¡ªoffer you the opportunity to repay your debt. Pledge your service to the Court, and you may live.¡±


    ¡°I was aware.¡± It took all her effort to keep her voice light. She was courting death and she knew it.


    The emissary¡¯s fierce eyebrows drew together. ¡°Our movements are not well known to outsiders. Tell me how you knew, and I swear your death will be swift and without undue suffering.¡±


    Even if she had believed him, she wouldn¡¯t have answered truthfully. Although the Court had to know that Master Cai had taken an apprentice¡ªXiao Jun would have told them as much shortly after they recruited him¡ªhe had been careful to maintain the impression that he was ignorant of their activities. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will,¡± she said, manifesting her bow from her storage treasure.


    As its weight, more spiritual than physical, fell into her hand, and her fingers curled around its familiar grip, she felt some small measure of comfort. This wasn¡¯t a fight she ought to be starting, but sometimes one had little choice in these matters. She doubted that even with Ren Huang¡¯s help this was a foe who could be defeated here. They could drive him off, however.


    Pushing aside concerns for her own safety, she drew back her bowstring. Things had moved quickly; moreso than Master Cai had anticipated. They¡¯d known the Sunset Court had infiltrated the sect via Xiao Jun for well over a year now. They¡¯d thought to use him to gauge the threat. It had been a good plan until King Hao appeared. At the very least, she could be certain Master Cai was watching. If she were to fall before Ren Huang arrived, he would know what had happened and would take action. He would continue playing at ignorance, or reveal himself as he saw fit.


    Time seemed to stretch as she drew back her bow. The arrow of qi formed by the first stage of her bow art¡ªthe Heart Piercing Black Rain¡ªsettled into completion at the same instant her bow reached a full draw. The bowstring thrummed, and she¡¯d nearly finished a second draw before her first arrow had crossed half the distance to her foe.


    ¡°Just need to hang on,¡± she whispered to herself as she released her second arrow and began to form her third.

 2.26 - Reflections

    He Yu glanced over his shoulder, back in the direction of the bandit camp. Water and fire aspected qi clashed in a wave of power that carried the sickly scent of blood. It was so strong he could almost taste it in the air.


    Activating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, he surged forward, thankful for the robes Yongnian had given him. Even with his advancement, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to use the technique this easily, or freely. The disciples had done as they were told and fled.


    All three of them used their movement techniques as freely as they could without exerting themselves so much that they¡¯d be forced to stop before morning. As soon as they¡¯d left the bandit camp, they had agreed they would travel the entire night. With the potent qi of the clash behind them, He Yu could see them pushing through the rest of the next day as well.


    Li Heng used the White Hare Dance in small bursts, flashing ahead and allowing the others to catch up before using his technique again. Yan Shirong hauled himself along on his shadow tendrils, swinging from tree branches in more wooded terrain and loping along like some qi-infused spider over more open ground.


    Sunset came and was followed by night. The moon rose and moved across the sky. It must have been nearing dawn when the strain of the day, the battle with the bandits, and their subsequent flight finally began to show its toll. They slowed their pace, but only to a quick jog. Never had He Yu ever imagined he would one day be thankful for Ren Huang¡¯s grueling runs around the outer sect mountain.


    ¡°What do you think happened,¡± He Yu asked to nobody in particular. The clash of powerful qi had long since faded behind them. He couldn''t have said whether it was due to the fight ending or simply being too far away. The legends said that battles between powerful cultivators could last for days, or even weeks.


    ¡°Something far beyond us,¡± Yan Shirong said. He was breathing the heaviest out of all three of them. Something that, under better circumstances, would have made He Yu marvel at how far he¡¯d come. Now, it was just a reminder that behind them lay a threat they were wholly incapable of dealing with.


    ¡°I won¡¯t disagree with that,¡± Li Heng added. It still didn¡¯t answer He Yu¡¯s question.


    ¡°King Hao said something about an Empress,¡± He Yu said. It had been stuck in his head ever since they¡¯d left, and he¡¯d had a good long while to think about it. ¡°Li Heng, you mentioned that your family keeps lots of historical records, right?¡± It had been a passing comment, months ago, but He Yu had always meant to follow up on it.


    ¡°We do, why?¡±


    ¡°Remember how you mentioned they tried to make Elder Cai the leader of the sect? I did some digging in the sect archives, and I think I know why. He used the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace to seal some formation. The Dawn Palace.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°What does this have to do with what happened today?¡±


    ¡°Zhang Lifen mentioned something about a ¡®she¡¯ waking up soon,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I think whoever this she is, it¡¯s the Empress that King Hao called out to.¡±


    ¡°And you think this Empress is sealed inside Elder Cai¡¯s Dawn Palace formation,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    He Yu indicated as much. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to get more from Zhang Lifen a couple of times, but she always changed the subject.¡±


    ¡°Some things aren¡¯t meant for the lower realms,¡± Li Heng said, but he didn¡¯t sound wholly convinced. The three of them had since come to a stop at the edge of a more open area and now stood in a circle as they talked.


    ¡°She¡¯s always pretty open, otherwise,¡± He Yu said. Then he recalled something else. ¡°She also mentioned that some sort of conflict was coming. Great powers were stirring. It was right after my fight with Sha Xiang, when she took me aside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send word to my father once we return to the sect,¡± Li Heng said. His features were drawn, and his concern was evident in his voice.


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    ¡°I can ask my family, too,¡± Yan Shirong offered. ¡°We are rather highly placed within the Ministry of Information, after all.¡±


    The offers of support, small as they were, made He Yu feel a bit better about what had happened. Yan Shirong had certainly been right about one thing¡ªwhatever was going on was far beyond them. At least for the time being.


    ¡°We should stop and cultivate for a bit,¡± he said, glancing back to the east where the breaking dawn was just beginning to lighten the sky.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch over us while you two restore yourselves,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°It is the duty of nobles to guard the empire¡¯s citizens.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a noble, too,¡± Yan Shirong said, even as he settled into a seated position.


    ¡°You¡¯re from a comital family. As the individual of the highest rank present, the duty falls to me,¡± Li Heng said. There was a seriousness to his words that made He Yu think of the times over the past months when Li Heng had acted strangely. Like when He Yu had taken the lead in their fight with the serpent, or when he¡¯d suggested they attack King Hao before breaking through.


    Whatever was bothering Li Heng, He Yu could talk to him about it later. The noble likely wouldn¡¯t want to discuss anything personal in front of Yan Shirong anyway. As he nodded to his housemate and settled into his cultivation, he let himself feel a measure of gratitude for Li Heng¡¯s offer. He was bone tired, and while it would be better to actually sleep, a couple of hours¡¯ worth of cultivation would keep him going through the day easily enough.


    As soon as he¡¯d fallen into the familiar pattern of cycling his qi in accordance to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he saw the face of that first bandit he¡¯d slain. He saw the fear as the boy froze, looking up at death made manifest. All the stories of the great heroes spun around in his meditations, circling that one image of a boy his own age.


    Was what he¡¯d done heroic? Or was he no different than the bandits he¡¯d killed under the guise of justice? He recalled the sight of a burnt-out village, littered with corpses. He recalled the corpse birds perched and their feasting. The stench of burnt and rotting flesh. Those people hadn¡¯t stood a chance. What was avenging them, if not justice?


    A small voice spoke up in the back of his meditations. That boy hadn¡¯t stood a chance, either. None of those bandits had. He Yu and his companions had cut through a bunch of people who could barely be considered cultivators. Even the early Second Realm bandits hadn¡¯t put up anything resembling a fight. The truth was, they had slaughtered several dozen people who were far weaker than themselves. And they¡¯d done it without hardly even a second thought at the time.


    Was that heroism?


    He didn¡¯t have an answer. That was the part that bothered him the most. If what he had done was right, then there was no problem. If he was wrong, he could simply do better in the future. But this¡ªthis uncertainty. It was unsettling. Answers like this were supposed to be easy. There was right, and there was wrong. At least that¡¯s what he¡¯d always believed.


    As he struggled to make sense of the flood of insights, a gentle word and a nudge brought him back to awareness of the world. Li Heng crouched in front of him, frowning.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Little Brother?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± He Yu said. He glanced over at Yan Shirong who was still deep in cultivation. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡±


    He Yu nodded. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll take over. Restore yourself.¡±


    Li Heng eyed him but didn¡¯t object. As the noble settled in to cultivate, He Yu perched on a low-hanging tree branch. Morning had finally come, and there was still no sign of the battle that, for all he knew, could still be going on back at the bandit camp. He thought back to that worry he¡¯d felt when Zhang Lifen had sent them away.


    It made all the frustration he¡¯d had towards her for ignoring him feel a bit childish. She¡¯d been clear from the beginning that sect rules prevented her from interfering with the development of the outer sect disciples, and there was no reason he¡¯d be excluded from that prohibition. Besides, she clearly had other, more important things she had to deal with. What had he thought someone like her would do all day?


    Sure, she probably spent a substantial amount of her time in cultivation and training, but she¡¯d been pretty clear that his stipend from the sect wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover his expenses, so the same likely held true for her. From what he¡¯d learned, each core disciple represented a significant portion of the sect¡¯s combat strength. The sorts of assignments she took were likely all similar to the battle she likely still fought.


    Well, if he¡¯d been selfish, he just needed to prove himself deserving of her tutelage. She¡¯d been clear on her instructions, besides. He was to return to the sect and work on his advancement. As much as he didn¡¯t have any clear answers on what it really meant to be a hero, he could say one thing for certain¡ªif he wanted to be one, he needed to get stronger.


    Zhang Lifen had told him that great powers were stirring. That someone was coming. And while she hadn¡¯t said it in so many words, she expected him to be ready. So he needed to get stronger.


    He had a clear path ahead of him. The tournament for placement in the inner sect was coming at the height of summer. Zhang Lifen had already said she expected him to gain entrance. So that¡¯s what he needed to do. Once he returned to the sect he would advance. Then he¡¯d have roughly five months to gather as much strength as he could. At least that was simple¡ªa clear path. He could figure out the rest along the way.

 2.27 - Return to the Shrouded Peaks

    In the main plaza of the outer sect mountain, Sha Xiang stood over her opponent and sneered. The darkness wrapped around her dantian howled in delight, reveling in their victory.


    ¡°Just dump it out,¡± she said.


    The boy, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to remember his name, looked up at her. Blood trickled down from his split lip, and several bruises were already forming on his face. ¡°Bandit,¡± he spat.


    She kicked him. ¡°I won. Don¡¯t make me remind you.¡±


    He finally obliged, dumping a pile of low-grade spirit stones on the ground. There were some paper talismans mixed in as well, along with a couple of pieces of jewelry inscribed with formation characters. It wasn¡¯t the best haul, if she were honest. Her darkness laughed as she scooped up her winnings.


    Qiao Xia looked on and shifted uncomfortably. Sha Xiang shot her a glance, and the other girl settled down. She had gotten a bit mouthy of late, saying they weren¡¯t conducting themselves like ¡°proper ladies of the Way.¡± Sha Xiang had slapped that nonsense out of her quickly enough. At least Cui Bao seemed to be enjoying himself.


    With her spoils tucked away in her storage treasure, she looked around to see if there was anyone else around worth fighting. He Yu and his little crew had all disappeared from the mountain since their last fight, and with the absence of both Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling, a power vacuum had quickly emerged. Sha Xiang had been more than happy to step into it. That bastard, Xiao Jun, had told her to get stronger, after all. No better way to do that than to fight.


    Of course, that damn princess had shown up again a few weeks back. She¡¯d broken through and was now pushing around second and even third-year disciples. That was fine. Sha Xiang would catch her eventually. Once she dealt with Xiao Jun and showed him what real strength looked like. Her darkness cackled at the thought. Its glee was infectious. Just as she was about to give up on finding someone else to slap around before she went and bought another batch of pills, she saw someone who made her blood surge.


    He Yu.


    He¡¯d entered through the sect¡¯s main gate. He had Li Heng and that Yan Shirong kid with him. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the robe he was wearing. Made him look like one of those soft nobles. At least he still had his hair tied in a proper warrior¡¯s bun. It seemed he¡¯d gotten rich. She took a step towards him, and her darkness was in full agreement with her intent.


    ¡°He Yu!¡± someone called out. ¡°I, Ma Peng, issue challenge! Accept or be named coward!¡±


    Sha Xiang stared death at the soft-looking noble wearing an audacious green robe that strode across the square. He¡¯d ruined everything. She was going to challenge He Yu. She should just attack them both. Ma Peng had only just reached the middle Foundation, while she was pushing up against the late stage. She could easily take them both on at once if she needed.


    He Yu cocked his head to one side in that annoying way of his, acting for all the world like he was stupid or something. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. ¡°I already beat you once.¡±


    Sha Xiang could have spit blood.


    ¡°See? He refuses!¡± Ma Peng called, drawing a bit of a chuckle from the gathering crowd of disciples.


    ¡°I never said that. I just asked if you were sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve advanced since we last met. The outcome won¡¯t be the same, and I¡¯ll take back my pride.¡±


    He Yu shrugged. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Should you start or should I?¡± His guandao fell into his hand. Sha Xiang¡¯s brows drew together at that. The weapon certainly looked as though it had seen some use. What had he been up to? She¡¯d half thought that he¡¯d left the sect and gone back to Shulin.


    Ma Peng shouted some battle cry about honor and drew his jian.


    He Yu¡¯s spirit broke over the square. It carried the scent of storm clouds heavy with unfallen rain, and the distant rumble of thunder. Wind tugged at the hem of Sha Xiang¡¯s uniform as He Yu rushed Ma Peng. His skin had taken on a dull shine, like it was halfway between flesh and iron. Tiny arcs of lighting crackled in the winds that wrapped around his guandao.


    He¡¯d reached the peak of Foundation. No, she realized, he was already half a step into Body Refining. Worse still, his presence was almost fully formed. That was supposed to be near impossible before breaking into the Third Realm. Her darkness shrank and hid. She cursed its cowardice.


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    The duel was over in seconds. Sha Xiang had already turned her back and was leaving the plaza before Ma Peng hit the flagstones. She had pills to buy.


    * * *


    He Yu took a single spirit stone from Ma Peng before sending him on his way. It would have been more insulting if he¡¯d taken nothing, suggesting that Ma Peng was so far beneath him that he wasn¡¯t even worth claiming a token of victory from. He¡¯d already beaten Ma Peng once, and had other concerns, anyway. Once that distraction had been dealt with, He Yu set about to asking after Zhang Lifen.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to learn that she had returned several days earlier. Half carried by Ren Huang, looking terrible. Her robes had been scorched and sported a number of dark stains that the rumors swore were blood. While only a few disciples had managed to catch sight of the two of them, the whispers had spread quickly.


    It was concerning that it had taken the two of them so long to get back. He Yu and his companions had moved as fast as they could, and it had still taken them two weeks. Zhang Lifen had vanished shortly after her return, apparently making good on her warning to He Yu that she¡¯d be in seclusion until before the tournament.


    Before He Yu could do the same, he needed to attend to some errands. A quick stop at the assignment hall saw them paid for their efforts in dispatching King Hao. Although he¡¯d known both what the payment would be, and that it would be split three ways, it seemed paltry now. Just his uncollected stipend alone was half again as large as the job payment after the split. Then there was all the lucre they¡¯d brought back with them.


    The three disciples made their way to the sect market. It took them the better part of the afternoon to sell off and then apportion their newfound wealth. The core of the spirit serpent they¡¯d harvested in those first days of their trip was the real prize. They managed to negotiate a price of six mid-grade spirit stones for it. It was the first time He Yu had even seen a mid-grade stone, and judging by Yan Shirong and Li Heng¡¯s reaction, they represented a tremendous help toward his breakthrough.


    The remainder of the evening saw them spending their riches on medicines and elixirs. Based on what Zhang Lifen had told him when He Yu had broken through to Foundation, if there was ever a time to stuff himself with pills, this was it.


    He bought another Five Phases Refinement Pill on Li Heng¡¯s recommendation, which cost him as much as his guandao had. The expense was far less painful this time around. He also bought a Flashing Cloud Elixir, which would help him with his heaven and wind aspects. To round out his cultivation base, he purchased a Hundred-Year Water Lilly¡ªa spirit herb that had spent a hundred years growing in a pond located on one of the inner sect mountains. It was a good purchase as it didn¡¯t need to be refined. Rather, it worked much like a spirit stone, allowing him to absorb its potent water-aspected qi directly.


    Although water was the weakest aspect of his cultivation base, he saw little point in neglecting it. Especially since the next technique of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace was called the Spring Rain Mirror. It didn¡¯t take an expert to guess what aspect that technique took.


    With their elixirs in hand, He Yu and Li Heng parted ways with Yan Shirong and headed back to their shared home. The comital scion was in good spirits as he bid them farewell, and it wasn¡¯t hard to see why. Based on the way he¡¯d talked over the course of their trip, He Yu had gotten the impression that he¡¯d expected to take much longer to reach the Third Realm.


    He Yu didn¡¯t blame him.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to advance this quickly either. Now he was going to break through after spending a month and a half cultivating at the peak of Foundation. Thinking back to his reaction when Zhang Lifen had sent him out for this ¡°training opportunity,¡± he shook his head. It was truly difficult to tell how much of what had transpired had been by chance, and how much by her design.


    Just as He Yu and Li Heng approached the entrance to the men¡¯s residential area, a familiar figure came bounding out of the evening gloom. Chen Fei had discarded her sect uniform, as many of the outer sect disciples had while he¡¯d been gone. Now she wore the same sort of outfit that she had when he¡¯d first met her.


    It was all leather and felt, with gray fur trim along the hems and sleeves. There was, however, one new addition. A thick bear pelt was draped over her shoulders. It gave off a spiritual impression similar to what the skin of the serpent had.


    ¡°He Yu, I¡¯ve missed you!¡± she said as she drew close.


    Li Heng shot him a knowing smile. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two catch up.¡± Then, he offered a salute and a polite bow to Chen Fei. ¡°Sect Sister Chen, it is good to see you. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to.¡±


    Now that he¡¯d seen her and she¡¯d mentioned it, He Yu realized that he¡¯d missed her as well. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you,¡± he said. His heart started beating faster for some reason, he was suddenly very nervous.


    ¡°Nice robes,¡± she said. Then she grinned. ¡°And you¡¯ve advanced. Congratulations.¡±


    He Yu briefly opened his spiritual perception with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. Chen Fei¡¯s spirit had always been solid and full of strength, but now he could see it for what it was. She gave the impression of a mountain, rising above its neighbors. The stone roots of her foundation reached deep into the earth, drawing in yet more strength and vitality.


    ¡°So have you,¡± he said. ¡°Late Foundation?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Senior Brother Ren trapped me higher up on the mountain. That¡¯s where I got this.¡± She gestured to the bear pelt.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said, gesturing to a nearby bench under a blooming peach tree. ¡°You can tell me about it. I¡¯ve got time.¡±


    She gave him a brilliant smile that made his heart sing. He really had missed her.

 2.28 - Body Refining

    It was well past dark by the time He Yu and Chen Fei had finished catching up. She had reached late Foundation over the winter, cultivating higher up on the outer sect mountain. Even though she could have returned once she¡¯d slain the spirit bear, she had elected to stay.


    At first, it had simply been to give the hide time to cure before she had it fashioned into the defensive treasure she now wore. She stayed because the qi was much better for her cultivation base up there, and because she needed time to cycle the bear¡¯s core after consuming it. It was mostly earth-aspected, with traces of mountain, so it was fully compatible with her own alignment of earth, metal, and mountain.


    When it was He Yu¡¯s time to relay what he¡¯d been up to, she listened attentively, remarking at his fortune both in meeting Old Guo, and the storm spirit, Yongnian. She said the new robe suited him.


    Although he recounted the majority of his time away in all the detail she asked after, he did leave out the final portion of their encounter with King Hao. He had a feeling that there was good reason Zhang Lifen had stopped him from speaking of the Dawn Palace and all its associated mysteries whenever they had come up.


    If he¡¯d needed any real proof of the danger involved, it had been that distant bloody presence that had claimed King Hao after his death. He needed to hear back from the investigations Li Heng and Yan Shirong conducted with their own families before he¡¯d be comfortable sharing more.


    As nice as it was to catch up, it was getting late and He Yu needed to enter seclusion. He had a mountain of spirit stones burning a hole in his storage treasure, and he was itching to use them.


    ¡°Good luck!¡± she said as he stood to leave. ¡°Hopefully I¡¯ll be able to join you in the Third Realm soon.¡±


    He Yu stopped and turned. ¡°That reminds me,¡± he said, not entirely sure how to broach the subject. ¡°Are you going to be participating in the summer tournament?¡±


    Although he knew that she didn¡¯t like fighting the other disciples, a tournament had to be different, right? It wouldn¡¯t be like they¡¯d be really fighting. The idea of leaving her behind in the outer sect was one he didn¡¯t want to have to face down.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t made up my mind,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be strong enough. Xiaoling says I¡¯m selling myself short.¡±


    One of the mid-grade spirit stones manifested from He Yu¡¯s storage treasure, and he shoved it into her hands. ¡°Here. Use this to break through.¡±


    Chen Fei¡¯s eyes bugged out at the stone. It was about the size of one of her fingers and glowing with a pale soft light. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said, holding the stone out for him to take back.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°You used expensive medicine on me twice, now.¡±


    A small crease appeared between her brows. ¡°I said you didn¡¯t need to pay me back for that.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a gift.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you behind,¡± he blurted out. Then, before he could regret it, or lose his nerve, he added, ¡°I¡¯d miss you if you stayed in the outer sect.¡± He kicked at a nonexistent rock on the flagstones.


    For a second, she looked like she was choking on something. Then she looked away, and said, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make sure to put it to good use.¡± He thought he could see a bit of a flush creeping into her cheeks.


    As he made his way back to his home, he mentally kicked himself for being so awkward. It really wasn¡¯t a big deal. He¡¯d had such amazing fortune in his time away from the sect. While no merchant himself, he didn¡¯t doubt that the robe Yongnian had given him was worth at least as much. And with the mountain of low-grade stones he had stuffed in his storage treasure, he probably had several mid-grade stones¡¯ worth if he wanted to exchange them anyway.


    Arriving home, he changed out of his good robe and went to the cultivation chamber on his side of the house. Li Heng was likely already secluded in closed-door cultivation, and He Yu was eager to do the same. Upon taking his elixirs, energy surged through his meridians and churned in his dantian.


    As he¡¯d been instructed by the alchemist at the outer sect market, he took the Five Phases Refinement Pill first. The balanced aspects of the pill¡¯s ingredients would generally increase his ability to absorb and circulate qi, as well as make it easier to tolerate the higher-grade medicines he¡¯d be taking afterward.


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    The Flashing Cloud Elixir came next. His own aspects were more strongly aligned with wind and heaven thanks to his cultivation of the Five Crescent Winds and the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, so bolstering those first would further prevent an imbalance. A chill rushed through his meridians, followed by a prickly crackle. Before long, the sensation concentrated within his dantian, causing a strange sensation he could only describe as a cold buzzing to radiate outward from his spiritual center.


    Finally, he ate the Hundred-Year Water Lilly. Soothing water qi gushed through his meridians and quenched the buzzing from the Flashing Cloud Elixir. The churning aspects seemed to knit themselves together into a unified amalgamation that settled into his cultivation base like slipping on a set of familiar and comfortable clothes.


    He Yu began to cultivate the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. The technique opened his inner sight to a vast collection of memories and insights¡ªall the knowledge of his self that he¡¯d been collecting over these months, but hadn¡¯t yet had time to properly sort through.


    His journey from the sect, accompanied by Li Heng and Yan Shirong. He noticed things now that had passed him by at the time. The snide remarks that Yan Shirong had made, and the tone he¡¯d used that was part mocking, part judgmental, and laced with an undercurrent of envy. The slow but steady grudging respect that had formed as he spent more time with He Yu. The frowns Li Heng had given him after their fight with the serpent. The way he¡¯d leaped at any opportunity¡ªhowever small¡ªto take the lead in the group¡¯s decisions.


    He remembered his time with Old Guo and Yongnian. As he trained his presence, his spirit fed his body and he became stronger and faster. The benefits of that training were redoubled once he gained the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. Hundreds of tiny insights, half-forgotten, flooded back to him.


    He recalled in incredible detail the tiny ways Old Guo shifted before he struck or the way his muscles bunched before he transitioned from a dodge or a block into an attack. All the ways in which the old cultivator steadied himself before he simply weathered a strike from He Yu¡¯s guandao. He noticed all the ways in which that month of near-constant sparring with a foe a full realm above him had refined the techniques he¡¯d been using into weapons worthy of an immortal.


    Those lessons fed into his fight with King Hao. The bandit king, such an insurmountable opponent that the first time they¡¯d faced him, they had been forced to run after only a brief exchange. He had been almost laughable the second time they fought. Until he called out to his Empress¡ªand until she had claimed him for her own.


    The sense of revulsion that arose at that memory nearly disrupted his cultivation and expelled him from his meditations. The overwhelming sense of possession and want that carried with it a grasping wrongness unsettled him in a way that he couldn¡¯t quite place.


    It was difficult to fathom really, and some instinctive part of him recognized that whatever he might be able to gain from contemplating it was far beyond his current advancement¡ªboth with regard to his cultivation base and his insight into his Way.


    As his contemplations turned more firmly to his Way, the sight of the ruined village returned, with its burnt homes and bodies left for the scavengers. The second village, that had suffered the same fate. The boy looking up at him brought all the questions he¡¯d not previously been able to answer flooding back.


    Within all that had happened, within the killing and the strife, could he find justice? During the journey back to the sect, he¡¯d returned to that question and the others that surrounded it many times. He still didn¡¯t have an answer. In the times they¡¯d stopped to cultivate, he sought answers within the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment but found none.


    It had bothered him, and the longer he went without answers, the more troubled he became. What was the judgment of an emperor for, if not to discern justice? He asked himself that question hundreds of times in the days they spent traveling. Each time he asked, he found nothing. His art had no answers for him. He was on his own.


    His dantian pulsed, then constricted. The pressure he¡¯d been feeling increased a thousand-fold, and for a moment he was afraid his spiritual core would burst, crippling his cultivation. He Yu wrestled his qi back under control and cycled it in accordance with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. The judgment of an emperor. The judgment he was cultivating.


    The insight hit him like a bolt from the heavens. This was his Way. He would never simply be handed the answers to his most pressing questions. It was his path to seek those answers out. To test them against his ideals. To determine what it meant to be just, to be a hero¡ªwhat it meant to cultivate the peerless judgment of an emperor.


    The qi of the Heavenly Palace art surged through his meridians. Impurities were forced out as his qi carved into the channels, infusing his muscles and bones. Strength like he¡¯d never known flooded his limbs, even as he sat and cultivated. Dozens of tiny aches he hadn¡¯t even known he had disappeared, apparent only through their now-absence.


    His dantian compressed like it had with his previous advancements, but his qi surged and his cultivation base remained. The density of his qi was more than double what it had been before his breakthrough. He briefly ached for the lost opportunity¡ªif he had been able to spend the remainder of his one-year allotment at the peak of Foundation, how strong of a breakthrough could he have managed?


    He Yu gagged, then retched. He opened his eyes to confirm what he¡¯d already felt. He was covered in the black sludge of his impurities. There must be buckets of it covering him. As he stood, he took a moment to marvel at the power he felt in his new body. Well, not strictly new, but close enough.


    He didn¡¯t bother to wipe the stupid grin off his face as he stepped into the world once more.

 2.29 - A Moment of Rest

    The first thing that hit He Yu once he was away from the stench of his breakthrough was the hunger. He was absolutely famished. Although he¡¯d been needing to eat more and more food as he advanced, he shouldn¡¯t have been secluded for that long. The first step was to wash himself off, though.


    He emerged into the central courtyard of his home to find Li Heng practicing his sword forms. The noble seemed different in a way that was difficult to pin down. The most obvious change was the two thin streaks of silver in his hair beginning at his temples. Not the silver of age that one would expect from the hair of a mortal elder. Silver like the moon, gleaming alone in the night sky.


    He Yu washed himself off while Li Heng finished with his forms. Once they were both done, Li Heng turned to him and said, ¡°Congratulations on your breakthrough, Little Brother.¡±


    He Yu broke into a broad grin. ¡°And congratulations on yours.¡±


    Li Heng stooped to pick up a decorative stone from the courtyard garden, then crushed it into tiny chunks in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s quite something, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time really enjoying it right now,¡± He Yu admitted. ¡°I¡¯m famished.¡±


    ¡°You must be,¡± Li Heng said as he sent his sword into his storage treasure. ¡°You were in there for nearly two weeks.¡±


    He Yu blinked. ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± he said. ¡°I know I can lose track of time when I cultivate, but that only felt like it should have been a day or two at most.¡±


    ¡°Count yourself lucky. Most people will take a month or more. The only reason we finished so quickly is because of Old Guo¡¯s training. Even my tutors back home never had me train to specifically strengthen my presence. Nobody even really forms one before Body Refining. At least, not as truly as we have.¡± Li Heng shook his head. ¡°Our fortune in meeting him was truly extraordinary. Now get dressed so we can head to the sect market and get some food.¡±


    Once they¡¯d set off on the path towards the market, He Yu cast a glance at Li Heng. ¡°I like the hair,¡± he teased.


    ¡°Little Brother is most cruel,¡± Li Heng with only partial sincerity. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll get used to it. We don¡¯t always get the sorts of changes we want when we advance, after all.¡±


    He Yu thought of Zhang Lifen¡¯s startling blue eyes and the way she moved like she was drifting across the top of a lake. ¡°I¡¯ll take what I can get,¡± he said. ¡°Before coming to the sect, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever leave the First Realm.¡±


    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve become a true immortal, you can go home and teach that Dong Wei a lesson. Master of the Second Realm?¡± Li Heng laughed. ¡°Achieving Body Refining is the easy part. Anyone can do it with enough dedication, time, and resources.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what people keep telling me,¡± He Yu said.


    As they walked through the outer sect, he couldn¡¯t help but notice how the other disciples made way for the two of them. A number even stopped what they were doing to offer slight bows over a salute. They were all of the Second Realm, of course. Anyone who hadn¡¯t already advanced to Foundation would have been expelled from the sect by now. What He Yu couldn¡¯t quite believe was how nobody else seemed to have reached Body Refining yet.


    As if he¡¯d read He Yu¡¯s thoughts, Li Heng said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we¡¯re typical. The sect¡¯s requirement of reaching the Third Realm no later than a year after breaking into the Second is strict. People like Princess Tan and I have a significant advantage, coming in already several steps along that path. I have no doubt that you would have made it, given your discipleship to Zhang Lifen, but we¡¯ve advanced incredibly fast. Not to mention the quality of our breakthrough.¡± As he said the last part, one hand drifted up to the streak of gleaming silver in his hair.


    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± he asked. While he knew the basics of the lower realms, it was the advancement to Golden Core that he was most curious about. The first three realms of cultivation did exactly what their names implied.


    At the Qi Gathering stage, a cultivator increased the amount of qi they had available, broadening their cultivation base and gathering the necessary power for achieving the breakthrough into the Second Realm.


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    The Foundation stage was the first true step on the path of cultivation. A cultivator established the foundation upon which all of their future advancement was based. While early in one¡¯s advancement, it was often said to be one of the most important stages.


    Upon reaching Body Refining, a cultivator used the qi they¡¯d gathered and the foundation they¡¯d established to further strengthen their physical body. It was like infusing a body technique into their physical being permanently. Body Refining cultivators were stronger, faster, and more resilient than the strongest of mortals¡ªby at least ten times over.


    The difference in sheer physical power compared to earlier realms wasn¡¯t the point, however. The true purpose of the Body Refining stage was to prepare the cultivator for the rigors of further advancement. Golden Core and beyond were all increasingly taxing, and a cultivator needed a body that could survive those further refining transformations.


    ¡°What¡¯s next? We cultivate,¡± Li Heng answered. ¡°There¡¯s only one way forward for us now. The inner sect.¡±


    ¡°The tournament,¡± He Yu said.


    Li Heng nodded. ¡°Sure, we can stay where we¡¯re at for now. We¡¯ve met all the requirements to stay in the sect. We could spend another year or two in the outer sect, and enter the tournament then. After that, however,¡± Li Heng shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s just say the talents of the younger generations often surpass the achievements of their seniors.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not staying in the outer sect,¡± he said. There was no question in his mind. Not after what he¡¯d seen in their time away. King Hao, Old Guo, Yongnian¡ªthey were each a reminder of how far he had to go.


    Yongnian had the power to gift him an art and an enchanted robe simply because they would be useful to him.


    Old Guo had demonstrated not only the power that lay further along the path of cultivation but also the wisdom and insight that came with centuries of meditation and reflection. The old cultivator had identified what all three of them had needed almost instantly and had then set them to training an aspect of their foundation that most neglected until later.


    Then there was King Hao, or whatever it was that had happened to him. Whatever power he¡¯d called upon, even the tiny sliver of it that He Yu had been able to grasp in that moment¡ªthat power represented a peak so far above him that he couldn¡¯t even bring himself to comprehend it.


    Was that a taste of the Seventh Realm? The Eighth? Ninth? The only thing he could say with any certainty was that if he¡¯d been exposed to the power in its fullness as he was now, it would have obliterated him. Probably without even noticing his presence.


    ¡°We have too far to go,¡± he said. ¡°Staying in the outer sect only means a slow death.¡±


    ¡°Somebody¡¯s driven,¡± Li Heng remarked.


    He Yu laughed. ¡°I need to forge my legend somehow,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Li Heng said, allowing himself a small chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll admit though, I do like you better when you¡¯re not being so serious.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± He Yu said, dipping his head.


    ¡°None of that.¡± Li Heng jabbed him with an elbow as they passed into the sect market. ¡°There¡¯s people around. The first step to becoming a legend is keeping up appearances. Unless you want your legend to be that of He Yu, the Master who Mopes.¡±


    He shot a glare at Li Heng, but the noble¡¯s overly serious affect won him over. He laughed and then shook his head. A vision he¡¯d had in his early days at the sect flashed in his memory¡ªstanding alone atop a mountain peak. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend,¡± he said.


    Something in Li Heng¡¯s smile grew strained at that, if only for a moment. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said. ¡°But I try.¡±


    ¡°Best I¡¯ve ever had,¡± He Yu replied. Then he jerked his head in the direction of a stand with a sign declaring ¡°Fatty¡¯s Magical Noodles¡± before heading that way.


    ¡°Surely you can¡¯t mean that?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°I never really had any friends back home. The other children in the village thought I was annoying. Once I was old enough to cultivate, anyone interested in that got into Dong Wei¡¯s school. Except me, of course.¡±


    The conversation paused while they each ordered a steaming bowl of noodles that practically oozed qi. It seemed the name on the sign wasn¡¯t a lie. They made their way to a less crowded area of the sect market.


    ¡°I guess I can relate, in a way,¡± Li Heng said at length. ¡°I was kept pretty isolated back home. Different reasons, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was awful,¡± He Yu said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°It was, trust me.¡± he laughed. ¡°Surrounded by tutors watching my every move, only adults to keep me company. Even though I didn¡¯t begin cultivating until the normal age, I¡¯ve been studying manuals and learning theory since I was ten.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have been that bad,¡± He Yu said through a mouthful of food.


    The atmosphere between them remained relaxed as they ate. Whatever had been bothering Li Heng on their trip seemed to have been left behind at some point on the road, and He Yu was grateful for that. It was good to sit and just talk about something entirely mundane, free of the worry of what lay ahead. If only for a few moments.


    The tournament would approach quickly. Only the top eight disciples would win a place in the inner sect, with their placement in the festival determining their starting rank. He Yu intended to be among them.


    Once they¡¯d finished eating, he turned to Li Heng. ¡°Back to training?¡± he asked.


    A brief nod was all the answer he needed.

 2.30 - Waterfall Cave Revisited

    When they returned to the central plaza, they found Tan Xiaoling standing before the path leading up to the men¡¯s living area. It wasn¡¯t exactly a surprise that she¡¯d achieved Body Refining while they¡¯d been gone. She¡¯d been half a step into the Third Realm when she entered the sect and had secluded herself immediately after Xiao Jun and his followers had ambushed her. What was a surprise was that she¡¯d already reached the middle stage.


    Physically, she was no different than before. At least not in any way He Yu could tell. She was, as always, the absolute picture of a noble lady. Her hair was pinned back with expensive ornaments. Her robes were of the finest silk, deep green with patterns worked in gold thread. A black sash encircled her waist, and her hands were folded before her within her billowing sleeves. No, nothing physical was all that different.


    However, even with her spirit restrained, that sense of sharp danger that had always clung to her seemed amplified. It was almost as if He Yu could feel the cold press of a naked razor on the back of his neck. He wasn¡¯t the only one, as many of the disciples coming and going in the main plaza gave her a wide berth.


    As the two of them approached, Tan Xiaoling inclined her head in their direction. ¡°Sect Brother Li, Sect Brother He. It is good to see you again.¡±


    They both saluted and bowed as was appropriate. While Tan Xiaoling preferred they treat her more as a sect sibling in private, she was a princess¡ªif a foreign one. Certain appearances needed to be maintained.


    ¡°Congratulations on your breakthrough, Princess Tan,¡± He Yu said.


    The now-familiar half-smirk tugged at one corner of her lips. ¡°Congratulations on yours. We should exchange pointers if we¡¯ve the chance before the tournament. I would be most interested to see what the disciple of Senior Sister Zhang has managed to achieve since he came to my aid.¡±


    There was no trace of malice in her words. In fact, she seemed genuinely grateful.


    ¡°Of course,¡± He Yu said, doing his best to keep the edge of nerves from his voice. Even without any ill will, she was still monstrously strong for her advancement. Li Heng had mentioned she¡¯d been dueling against second and third-year disciples while He Yu had been in seclusion. It seemed, based on her rapid advancement to middle Body Refining, that her bouts had gone well for her.


    Tan Xiaoling gave a perfunctory nod, indicating the formalities had concluded. ¡°I had hoped to catch you two. Sister Chen will be emerging from her seclusion soon. When she does I had hoped we could all go on a bit of a treasure hunt together.¡±


    That certainly got He Yu¡¯s attention. That Chen Fei was in seclusion meant she¡¯d be breaking into Body Refining as well. Almost as importantly, the prospect of a treasure hunt wasn¡¯t anything he¡¯d turn down. With the tournament on its way, he¡¯d no doubt burn through a large amount of his wealth on advancement resources.


    Then there was the issue of his weapon. It was still holding up for the time being, but back when he¡¯d purchased it he knew that it wouldn¡¯t survive long once he advanced to Body Refining. Even by the end of his adventure and his training with Old Guo, it had begun to show signs of wear.


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°The cave at the waterfall,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve gone a bit deeper inside than we¡¯ve explored before and could sense strong qi within. Strong enough that I thought we could all benefit once we¡¯d reached the Third Realm. No doubt whatever we find down there will be of some use.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to specify. They all knew the tournament was coming, and that more disciples would be breaking through to Body Refining in the coming months. Any advantage they had now would be short-lived. They needed to make sure they made the most of it while they could.


    ¡°We should bring Yan Shirong along,¡± He Yu said.


    Tan Xiaoling arched an eyebrow. ¡°The shadow cultivator? He didn¡¯t seem all that talented when I last met him.¡±


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    ¡°He¡¯s had a change of attitude recently,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°He¡¯s also likely in seclusion if he hasn¡¯t managed to enter the Third Realm already.¡±


    Princess Tan¡¯s second eyebrow joined the first. ¡°Is that so? I hadn¡¯t thought him for the motivated type.¡±


    ¡°He came along with us on our sect assignment,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I think it opened his eyes somewhat.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me about your adventure when you get the chance. I¡¯d not expected to hear that the both of you would return half a step into the Third Realm and then immediately seclude yourselves. Nor had I expected either of you to break through so quickly. It seems you encountered great fortune in your time away.¡±


    The details were worked out quickly enough. He Yu and Li Heng excused themselves and returned to their shared home. When asked, Yan Shirong agreed to join them easily enough, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of whatever treasures the Jade Princess thought to find in a cave she was reluctant to explore without the company of additional Third Realm cultivators.


    Several days later, word came that Chen Fei had broken through. With all of them now at the Body Refining stage, they agreed on a day to venture up into the higher reaches of the outer sect mountain and explore the cave. In the meantime, He Yu and Li Heng fell into a pattern of near-constant training and cultivation.


    Neither of them spoke of it, but He Yu could tell that Li Heng was just as disturbed as he was by the presence that had taken hold of King Hao. Not to mention the arrival of the cultivator who later arrived to do battle with Zhang Lifen.


    On the agreed day, the five of them met at the path leading towards the waterfall and the cave. When He Yu caught sight of Chen Fei, he couldn¡¯t help but grin. She had indeed broken through. There was a sense of solid power that infused even her most casual movements.


    While he didn¡¯t know what aspects her family art carried with it, he did know that she¡¯d been mostly cultivating the White Mountain Body Art since arriving at the sect. Her qi was strongly aligned to both earth and metal, and as she advanced she had begun to cultivate mountain at some point as well.


    She still wore the clothes that many would say marked her as a barbarian¡ªa wool felt coat trimmed with fur thrown over a practical set of trousers, with sturdy leather boots. The only real adornment she wore came in the form of her bear-pelt mantle, and a pair of leather vambraces reinforced with formation etched metal strips. The ensemble fit her well, and given her advancement to Body Refining, He Yu couldn¡¯t imagine anyone daring to call her barbarian or to question her place in the sect.


    Yan Shirong still had his characteristic arrogance as he strode up to the rest of them, but he was appropriately deferential to Tan Xiaoling. Although he¡¯d said that he had broken into the Third Realm while He Yu was still in seclusion, there was very little that was immediately different about his appearance or his spirit. The only real indication of his advancement was hard to notice¡ªhis shadow was darker than theirs, and somehow more solid. He Yu supposed it made sense, given Yan Shirong¡¯s family lineage and the arts he cultivated.


    They headed up the path, making astonishing time compared to the first trips they¡¯d made to the waterfall. He Yu didn¡¯t allow himself to think too much about the fact that he had been the whole reason it had always taken them most of the morning. Now they moved quickly, without really even having to exert themselves.


    When they arrived at the waterfall Yan Shirong shook his head. ¡°Your fortune is peerless to have had access to a spot like this. The qi here is some of the most potent I¡¯ve come across on the mountain. No wonder you all have managed to advance so quickly.¡±


    ¡°It grew stronger the further in I went when I came here on my own,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what awaits us beyond the point I turned back, so we should be on our guard.¡±


    ¡°I suspect whatever lies inside is meant to both challenge and reward outer sect disciples. Princess Tan¡¯s advice of caution is wise,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°How deep do we need to go?¡± Chen Fei asked. While she seemed to have lost a good deal of the clear apprehension she¡¯d brought with her to the mountain, a measure of it had returned with their immanent descent into the unknown.


    Tan Xiaoling gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°As deep as we need. I doubt there will be anything down there that would give a group of five Body Refining cultivators any trouble, though.¡±


    Chen Fei took a deep breath and nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± He Yu said. He was beginning to get antsy. The promise of rich qi and the possibility of treasure was almost too much, and he was eager to test out what his new body could do for him. While only a shadow of what it would be by the time he reached the peak of the Third Realm, the breakthrough to Body Refining had already washed away all the lingering traces of his mortal weakness. Every step until this point had seen him grow stronger than he¡¯d ever imagined he could be, but entering the Third Realm had dwarfed all his previous achievements.


    Sure, he¡¯d sparred with Li Heng enough since his breakthrough, but that wasn¡¯t the same. They had to hold back¡ªthere was only so much the formations in their home could deal with. Maybe Tan Xiaoling was being overly cautious and there wasn¡¯t anything of note to challenge them further inside. He certainly hoped not.


    Tan Xiaoling shot one of her half-smirks in his direction. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get inside, then.¡±

 2.31 - Entrance to the Depths

    The qi coming from inside the cave was noticeably more potent. Just crossing into the entrance, He Yu felt a tingling sensation prickle his skin. The aspect was mostly mountain, but there were traces of other aspects mixed in as well: water, likely filtering in from outside; traces of metal and earth that hadn¡¯t yet formed into mountain qi; and shadow seeping up from deeper in the cave. At the far end of the chamber, a cleft in the rock led deeper in. While it was too dark to see much of what lay beyond, it appeared to be the only way forward.


    ¡°The passage widens out just past there,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°It also slopes down pretty sharply. Then it opens up into a larger chamber. That¡¯s where I turned back.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling started towards the cleft, and Li Heng fell in behind her. He Yu, not wanting to wait any longer quickly joined them, while Chen Fei and Yan Shirong took up the rear. The cleft itself was narrow, forcing even He Yu to turn sideways to squeeze through. True to Tan Xiaoling¡¯s word, however, it opened up after only about ten feet. Despite the passage widening again, He Yu quickly began to feel claustrophobic.


    The mountain pressed down on him, its weighty embrace crushing him under tons of rock and earth. For the first time since he¡¯d advanced to the Second Realm all those months ago, he felt truly short of breath. Li Heng cast a glance over his shoulder and gave He Yu a sympathetic look.


    ¡°I should have thought to warn you,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°The heaven and wind qi in your presence are clashing with all this mountain qi. I¡¯m doing a bit better than you are, but the water in my own presence isn¡¯t liking this either. Breathe and cycle your qi according to your cultivation technique. That should help.¡±


    Almost as soon as He Yu fell into the familiar breathing pattern of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, the pressure lifted. As his qi followed the pattern through his meridians, he almost began to feel as if there was a bubble of wind and heaven cushioning him from the overwhelming weight of the mountain above.


    Tan Xiaoling and Chen Fei were, of course, fine. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s presence combined fire, metal, and earth. She wouldn¡¯t notice any discomfort, given that her own aspects were components of the overwhelming amount of mountain qi. Chen Fei, on the other hand, seemed to be bolstered now that they were inside. She primarily cultivated mountain qi, with bits of earth and metal to support it. This environment was perfectly suited to her.


    Yan Shirong seemed to be doing fine as well. Likely cushioned by the shadow-aspected qi that only grew denser the deeper they went.


    The slope was indeed steep, and had they all not the coordination and balance of immortals, it would have been treacherous. It was still dark, though. While the darkness didn¡¯t hinder them nearly as much as it would have if they were mortal, by the time they ventured a good way into the tunnel, it was getting difficult for He Yu to see. Just as he was about to speak up about it, the darkness began to lift.


    It was slight, at first. Less incremental than on the way in. Mortal eyes wouldn¡¯t have even noticed. But sure enough, each step forward made it just that much easier to see. The colors weren¡¯t quite right¡ªnot that there would have been much other than the gray of solid stone¡ªand the light seemed somehow cold. Soon, after following the slope downwards until it began to level out, He Yu saw the source of the light.


    The chamber Tan Xiaoling had spoken of was more of a cavern, if he were honest. The floor was rough, but mostly level. The ceiling lay hundreds of feet above. Pillars¡ªquite obviously carved intentionally¡ªrose from the floor and lined the sides of the vast space. Everything was shot through with veins of dimly glowing crystal. Several tunnels along the chamber¡¯s outer wall yawned in the dim light, leading deeper into the mountain.


    ¡°Spirit stone,¡± Yan Shirong breathed as he emerged into the cavern.


    ¡°Not worth harvesting,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°At least not here. If we could find where these veins led further up, we might manage to find some low-grade stones there.¡±


    He Yu reached out with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment and saw what she meant. The veins contained very little qi in any given section. Instead, they directed it upward, acting more like meridians that channeled the flow coming from deep below.


    Also, unlike proper spirit stones, the veins didn¡¯t seem to be able to contain the qi flowing through them. Qi seeped out from the veins, filling the chamber¡ªthe source of the qi that had drawn them here in the first place, and that had made the waterfall into such a beneficial cultivation spot.


    ¡°We should just stay here until the tournament,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Just think how strong we could become.¡±


    ¡°Not an awful idea,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Although we¡¯d have to answer some questions first.¡±


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    ¡°Like what?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Well, who¡ªor what¡ªcarved this place out,¡± Yan Shirong said. Then he pointed to one of the columns. ¡°That didn¡¯t form on its own. And look on the floor there, that isn¡¯t natural either.¡±


    The spot he indicated held what looked to be a long gouge carved from the rock. It was about a finger¡¯s length deep and as Yan Shirong had mentioned, clearly not formed by any natural process.


    Tan Xiaoling crossed her arms as she looked down at the gouge. ¡°I suspected I might find something like that. It was why I didn¡¯t want to explore this place on my own,¡± she said. ¡°Fei, can you tell anything about it?¡±


    As Chen Fei knelt to examine the mark, He Yu considered what Tan Xiaoling had said. She was the top-ranked disciple of all the first years, and she had been dueling¡ªand winning¡ªagainst second and third-year disciples since her breakthrough. To call her strong was almost an understatement. That someone like her was hesitant to come here alone spoke volumes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen its like,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°I can¡¯t say how old it is, either. There¡¯s nothing here that would cause it to wear. No water has pooled in it, but the rest of this cavern is pretty dry, too. Whatever made it is big, and likely carries earth or mountain aspect, but that¡¯s sort of a given with where we are.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the perception art,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    Chen Fei gave him a sheepish grin. ¡°No, just my eyes. I helped my father with hunting before I joined the sect. Well, everyone in my village helped with hunting, actually.¡±


    After spending months in Yan Shirong¡¯s company, He Yu could tell he wanted to say something. Something that would likely be less than kind. Wisely, he did not. The look Tan Xiaoling gave him¡ªsharp with warning and danger¡ªwas likely the reason.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said after the moment began to stretch into awkwardness. ¡°That¡¯s even more impressive, then.¡±


    Chen Fei beamed. Tan Xiaoling smirked.


    ¡°Well said, Brother Yan,¡± Li Heng said, clapping him on the shoulder. ¡°Hopefully we can all use our individual talents to unravel the mystery of these markings.¡±


    ¡°These markings?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s more over there,¡± Li Heng said, pointing to the base of another pillar.


    These grooves were shallower and led off into the closest tunnel. Whatever was responsible for them clearly came from deeper in.


    ¡°We should come back with a light source and explore the deeper tunnels. I¡¯d rather not try and cultivate here if whatever made those marks is likely to come back,¡± He Yu said. It was fairly obvious that whatever was responsible for the gouged stone frequented this place. The qi here was strong, and the beast likely came here for its own advancement.


    ¡°I can make a light,¡± Chen Fei said. With a brief flex of her spirit, a single formation character appeared above her head. It lit the cavern almost as though it were full daylight.


    In one previously dark corner, far from where the group stood, a massive shape moved. Chitin scraped against stone as a monstrosity uncurled itself from where it had been hiding. The creature stood twice as tall as any of the disciples and had a smooth black shell, segmented into two halves like a beetle.


    Its head resembled that of a mantis, and its black eyes glistened like oil on water. A pair of mandibles flexed, clacking together with the sound of snapping wood or bone. Its forelegs were massive bladed hooks. The remaining two pairs of legs were smaller but stocky, supporting the creature¡¯s weight. Despite the size of its back legs, it rushed forward with considerable speed.


    The group immediately sprang into action.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s paired dao fell into her hands, and a sandstorm kicked up around her as her presence surged outward. Her spirit felt like a sandstorm rolling across a parched wasteland while the sun beat down from above. Thousands of tiny shards, each one sharp as a razor, stripped the flesh from all who dared encroach. The flat expanse left all exposed, left nowhere to hide, take shelter, or rest. Even stone would eventually be ground to dust, adding yet more razor shards to the swirling storm that scoured the land.


    Li Heng manifested his jian, and even without taking an attack, it gleamed with unnatural brightness. He became a silent snow-covered field. The stars shone quietly down from the blanket of a black sky, and the whole of the land was bathed in the silver light of the moon. The silent, creeping, inevitable cold stole into any gap it could find. All who set foot upon these frozen fields would find their movement sluggish as they struggled to find warmth in that beautiful frozen land.


    Yan Shirong practically vanished from sight, becoming indistinct and blending into the shadows now made sharper and more distinct in the harsh light of Chen Fei¡¯s technique. Tendrils that looked almost like smoke rose around him, a dozen throwing knives held at the ready by limbs of darkness given substance. Shadows crept outwards from where he stood, casting darkness onto what should have been illuminated.


    Chen Fei grew. The expanse of her qi filled the room, as the mountain of her spirit drew power from the mountain above and around them. She was wholly in her element here, and it showed. She seemed to tower over them all, as her spirit swelled and became a peak that reached past the clouds to the heavens themselves. At the same time, her stance reached deep into the earth, drawing strength and vitality from the very ground she stood upon.


    Then there was He Yu. Cradled by the wind, he stood among the clouds. Behind him flickered the distant flashes of a storm on the edge of breaking. With the silent, discerning judgment of a ruler, he surveyed the lands below. The forms suggested by his friends¡¯ presences.


    None of them were yet as solid as someone like Old Guo had been, or even Zhang Lifen. But he could see and feel the shape of what they would become. He took a small moment of solace in that¡ªit seemed he might not climb to the heights of cultivation alone, after all.


    It was all he could spare, though. The creature was upon them in an instant, its forelimbs gouging stone as though it were nothing more solid than loosely packed dirt.

 2.32 - Cave Dwellers

    The disciples wasted no words. Tan Xiaoling struck first, her paired dao sabers flashing in Chen Fei¡¯s formation light. Her sandstorm moved with her, and for a moment both she and the creature were obscured. When she broke off her attack, twin wounds scored the thing¡¯s shell, and ichor oozed from within. The creature¡¯s chittering clicks increased in volume and pitch, and a pungent scent filled the cavern.


    ¡°It calls for aid!¡± Yan Shirong shouted. He¡¯d pulled himself up and away from the cavern floor with his shadow tendrils, well out of the creature¡¯s reach. A volley of throwing knives flashed out from the darkness around him, thunking into the chitinous shell.


    Li Heng stepped into the creature¡¯s advance, charging the Winter Moon Reflection. He Yu activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight to get above the beast, and brought his guandao down upon it, forming the Crashing Wind.


    The creature reared and thrashed, its momentum halted by the twinned assault. Chen Fei stepped into the opening. She slammed a fist into its shell, and a formation character bloomed at the point of the impact, sending a series of cracks spiderwebbing outward.


    He Yu shot her a grin. It seemed she¡¯d come a long way during his time away from the sect. Or maybe it was the insectoid nature of the beast. Regardless, she¡¯d stepped up to the fight in a way he wouldn¡¯t have expected at the start of winter.


    She beamed at him in return¡ªand nearly paid for it.


    A chitin blade sythed towards her. She let out a startled yelp and threw her hands up over her head. A circle of formation characters bloomed into being around her, glowing with faint silver light. The creature¡¯s forelimb slammed into her barrier. It briefly flickered at the impact, but the formation held.


    ¡°You two can flirt later,¡± Tan Xiaoling yelled.


    He Yu felt the heat rise in his neck, and it wasn¡¯t due to battle. She was right though, this was no time to get distracted.


    The sharp sense of danger that normally clung to Tan Xiaoling spiked. During his time away from the sect He Yu had grown more familiar with the feeling of another cultivator¡¯s killing intent, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about hers. How could her killing intent be so strong already? As he recalled the face of the first bandit in King Hao¡¯s camp, he decided it was probably best not to think about it right now.


    Tan Xiaoling stepped into another swing of the beast¡¯s claw. She caught the blow on one of her sabers, while she struck with the other. Her sandstorm surged, driving hundreds of tiny razor shards into the cracks in the creature¡¯s shell. It began to flail wildly as it backed away from its attackers and resumed its chittering once again. The scent that had filled the cavern at the beginning of the fight only became more overbearing.


    A second creature came barreling out from one of the darkened side passages. It charged into the center of the group, scattering the disciples with its wild swings. The first creature, now clear of the fight, surged with an upwelling of earth qi. The cracks in its shell began to slowly, but steadily, seal back together.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it heal!¡± He Yu called, using the Sky Dragon¡¯s flight to dart around the enraged newcomer in the center of the cavern.


    Li Heng flashed over to where the first creature had retreated. The two of them attacked together, while the sounds of battle rang out from behind them.


    With only the two of them to deal with, the creature fared much better. It was intelligent enough to position itself in a way that made it impossible for them to flank it. Wedged as it was between the cavern wall and one of the large pillars that buttressed the chamber, He Yu and Li Heng had no choice other than to attack from the front. All fine and good, except the bladed forelimbs had considerably more reach than either of their weapons.


    Li Heng fared a bit better than He Yu did in this regard. He could move in, catch a strike from the creature, and then release the gathered qi along his blade to attack from a distance. He Yu at least had the strength and speed granted by the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, but that wasn¡¯t enough to break through the creature¡¯s flurry of bladed forelimbs. It was all he could do to push it as best he could, even as the cracks in its carapace sealed themselves shut.


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    Taking a moment to break off from the foe before him, He Yu cast a glance over his shoulder. In the center of the cavern, the second creature seemed to have identified Tan Xiaoling as the most dangerous foe and focused much of its attention on her. Chen Fei fought alongside her housemate, but the two girls were in a similar predicament to He Yu and Li Heng.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s paired dao had a similar reach to Li Heng¡¯s jian¡ªwhich was to say far too short. Chen Fei was in an even worse position, fighting with just her fists. Yan Shirong was still well above the fight thanks to his techniques, but his daggers were almost wholly ineffective.


    He Yu grimaced. The fight had turned to a stalemate. Although he had plenty of qi left still, and was confident the others did too, he couldn¡¯t gauge if the creatures were close to their limits. The things were probably third-grade beasts, but aside from their ability to repair their shells, they hadn¡¯t exhibited any techniques.


    That made it tough to pinpoint their advancement. The disciples could have prevailed if it hadn¡¯t been for the appearance second creature. As it stood, they weren¡¯t strong enough to quickly deal with one of them while their attention was split, and He Yu didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen if they tried to focus on one. The creatures were obviously intelligent enough to coordinate, given the way the second had barreled into the middle of the group while the first had backed off. If they focused on one, the other was likely to capitalize on that and strike from behind.


    The fight continued for another few minutes. Razor-sharp sand blasted against chitin. Moonlight flashed. Formation characters cracked carapace and stone alike. Shadows surged and daggers flew. All around He Yu the winds howled, while flickers of lightning crawled along his blade and over his skin. Still, the creatures stood their ground.


    Then, a third creature emerged from the darkness. It rushed to join the fight in the center of the chamber, forcing Tan Xiaoling and Chen Fei apart. Tan Xiaoling managed to meet the creature attacking her blow-for-blow, her dao flashing in the pale light. Chen Fei wasn¡¯t faring nearly as well. Barrier formations flared to life, protecting her from the creature¡¯s onslaught, but Chen Fei was pushed back regardless. Amid its relentless strikes, she wasn¡¯t able to mount any attacks of her own.


    He Yu activated all his techniques at once. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering filled him with speed and added heavenly sparks to the winds that curled along his blade. The Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight carried him across the cavern in only a handful of steps, and the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed him the opening he needed. The Rushing Wind wreathed his guandao as he struck the creature square in the back, the blade sinking into the seam that separated the two halves of its shell.


    Ichor spurted from where he¡¯d struck. The pungent scent of the creature¡¯s distress redoubled again.


    Yan Shirong dropped from the cave wall and wound strands of shadow around the creature¡¯s limbs. Almost immediately it began to break free.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay,¡± he said.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t agree more. ¡°To the crevice!¡± he shouted.


    Li Heng flashed over in an instant, finally freeing up the creature he¡¯d barely been holding back on his own. It rushed to aid the one fighting Tan Xiaoling and she broke off her fight as well, using her sandstorm to cover her retreat.


    Within moments all five of the disciples were rushing up the tunnel leading to the crevice. Chen Fei had created a barrier formation behind them, blocking pursuit, but the creatures were already beating against it, and with each flash of the barrier at their strikes, the characters dimmed.


    He Yu and Li Heng were the last in the tunnel when the barrier fell. The creatures surged up the passage, now seven in total. Li Heng shoved He Yu into the crack.


    ¡°Go,¡± he said.


    Before he¡¯d even made it halfway through the narrow crevice, he could hear the grinding of chitin against stone. The creatures were far too large to fit through the narrow gap, but they were intent on making it through anyway.


    He Yu emerged from the gap to find the others waiting for him. Both Tan Xiaoling and Chen Fei looked more than a little roughed up. Yan Shirong disdainfully brushed off his robe but thankfully didn¡¯t seem keen to comment on what had happened. A moment later, Li Heng emerged as well, a gash on his arm visible through his torn robe dripping blood. From the other side of the passage, the creatures still seemed intent on carving their way through.


    ¡°Outside,¡± Tan Xiaoling ordered. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll venture far outside the cave, at least not during the day.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just let them loose onto the outer mountain,¡± He Yu said, even as he moved towards the entrance.


    ¡°Sure we can,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°The sect will likely put up a bounty for them if they start causing trouble. If the elders deem it too dangerous, they¡¯ll just send a squad of inner disciples to deal with them. I couldn¡¯t get a sense of their advancement, but I¡¯d wager that once they¡¯re on the surface, they won¡¯t be so tough. Without the strong qi from down there to draw upon, they¡¯ll be unable to mend their shells as easily. A squad of Third Realms could likely take one down if it remained alone.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t so sure he agreed with the assessment, but there was little he could do about it now. There was no way they could deal with seven of them, regardless of how much weaker they might become on the surface. They were all tired from the fight and had nothing to show for it. If there was anything he could take away from today, it was simply that he needed to train more.

 2.33 - Preparations

    Several weeks after the failed attempt to plumb the mountain¡¯s depths via the waterfall cave, He Yu stepped through a formation barrier and onto one of the sect¡¯s training fields. Fang Yingjie sat meditating on the far side, wind qi swirling around him as he cultivated. Without looking up, the Inner Sect disciple pressed a fist into his palm in salute.


    ¡°You have achieved much, Junior Brother,¡± Fang Yingjie said, his voice as soft as it was deep. Still, He Yu had no trouble hearing him. ¡°I look forward to seeing you in the inner sect. I would very much like to duel you for rank one day.¡±


    It was an odd way to acknowledge his advancement, but He Yu took it for the sign of respect it was meant to be. ¡°This junior thanks Senior Brother,¡± he said. ¡°Your instruction has proved most valuable over these past few months.¡±


    ¡°Then show me.¡± Fang Yingjie rose in a single motion, his guandao falling into his hand. The wind qi that Fang Yingjie had been cultivating swirled around the length of his weapon, coalescing into a crescent-shaped blade that extended from the guandao itself by roughly a foot.


    He Yu summoned his weapon. It was a considerable upgrade to his previous one and had cost him nearly all the wealth he¡¯d gained from his adventure over the winter. He¡¯d purchased it shortly after exploring beneath the waterfall cave. The weapon likely wouldn¡¯t have changed the outcome against those creatures, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t have hurt.


    The collar connecting the blade to the haft was worked into the likeness of a dragon. A formation script meant to enhance the flow of wind qi ran along the length of the haft. Based on his initial tests of the weapon, the script roughly doubled the efficiency of wind-based techniques. A second formation script was etched into the blade itself. He Yu had asked for it based on his increasingly heaven-aligned qi.


    While he¡¯d not yet managed to advance his understanding of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, it was clear how that art would affect his other techniques. Already the wisps of heaven qi he¡¯d been cultivating with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment had increased, and his presence was taking on more of a heaven aspect by the day.


    The guandao was forged of fourth-grade metal, and as such would serve him well as he advanced to Golden Core. Unlike his previous weapon, this one was of a high enough quality that it would be worth upgrading later. If he wanted to invest a considerable amount of resources into it, the guandao could become quite the treasure someday.


    His clash with the inner sect tutor was all the proof he needed that his new weapon had been worth the price. Fang Yingjie met him as an equal, keeping his cultivation suppressed to the low Third Realm. As they sparred, He Yu¡¯s techniques came more easily than before. His understanding of the guandao had grown significantly since his last lessons, and he began to believe that he might actually be able to beat his tutor.


    That belief came crashing to the ground when Fang Yingjie exploited an opening that He Yu hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d given. It was a swift, complex series of moves that saw He Yu¡¯s own weapon knocked to the side before the metal cap on the end of Fang Yingjie¡¯s guandao slammed into his chest. Wind howled, the inner sect disciple swept He Yu¡¯s feet from underneath him, and the next thing he knew he was staring up at a gleaming blade inches from his face.


    ¡°Do not allow yourself to grow complacent as soon as your fingers brush against victory,¡± Fang Yingjie said. ¡°Overconfidence has been the downfall of many promising young cultivators.¡± Then, he extended a hand to help He Yu back to his feet.


    ¡°This one thanks you for your instruction,¡± he said, saluting the older disciple.


    ¡°You have come far, Junior Brother. It seems Senior Sister Zhang¡¯s choice of disciple was wiser than some had thought.¡±


    That gave He Yu pause. ¡°Wiser how?¡±


    Fang Yingjie scowled at He Yu from beneath his conical hat. ¡°I do not concern myself with the rumors that spread among the inner sect. Neither should you.¡±


    He Yu gave a quick bow of apology. He¡¯d grown complacent with how he spoke to those around him. Zhang Lifen had always been lax when it came to protocol, and Li Heng had warmed up to him quickly due to their living situation. It would do well for him to remember that such familiarity wasn¡¯t the norm¡ªespecially if he gained a position in the inner sect.


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    ¡°Do not mistake my words for what they were not, Junior Brother He. While asking after such things is beyond your station, the more important lesson is that you should focus on your cultivation, not the mutterings of fools. Senior Sister Zhang would advise you to do as much herself.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± He Yu said, giving another salute.


    At the very least, it was another small insight into his mentor. Ever since the encounter with King Hao, some part of He Yu¡¯s thoughts had been preoccupied with questions surrounding her. Were he truthful, he knew next to nothing about her. She had said that she chose him because she saw potential in him. But what about Sha Xiang?


    The way in which Zhang Lifen had brought him into the sect all but ensured he¡¯d have an enemy in Sha Xiang. There was also the fact that she¡¯d all but abandoned him once he¡¯d arrived, occasionally showing up to mostly just make his life difficult.


    She¡¯d been present at the bandit camp when they fought King Hao, too. When the bandit leader had been taken over by that presence, Zhang Lifen had acted and then sent He Yu and his companions away. Since then he¡¯d convinced himself that she had known what would happen¡ªthat everything He Yu had experienced over the winter was a part of some plan of hers.


    At the same time, he¡¯d seen the mask drop on several occasions. There was more to her than the smiling, flippant woman she made herself out to be. It was clear she worked very hard to project a certain image of herself. He Yu didn¡¯t need the judgment of an emperor to see that. All of it taken together made it difficult to pin her down.


    ¡°You have my sympathies,¡± Fang Yingjie said. It seemed that He Yu hadn¡¯t hidden his thoughts as well as he¡¯d hoped. ¡°Come, let us train. It will help clear your mind, and I can show you how to improve your mastery of the Five Crescent Winds.¡±


    Despite his advancement, and his tutor¡¯s self-imposed limits, He Yu never managed to come close to beating Fang Yingjie. There was much that could be said for experience, and Fang Yingjie had a decades-long head start. That experience was something He Yu could learn from, however, and he did learn.


    While they fought, Fang Yingjie continued to lecture He Yu not only on the intricacies of the guandao but on the principles that underpinned the Five Crescent Winds. These lectures were more practical than the last time they¡¯d spoken of what it meant to strike like the wind¡ªbeing more akin to the Elder Wen¡¯s lectures on the theory of cultivation.


    By the time they parted ways, He Yu felt as though he was on the cusp of understanding something greater in the art. He would have to meditate on the insights he¡¯d gained that day to truly make use of them, but he had plenty of time for cultivation these days.


    The outer sect had settled into an uneasy truce in the past weeks, as more and more of the disciples entered seclusion in preparation for the tournament. Those who had already broken through to Body Refining were almost entirely focused on training and tutoring. Sect jobs were snatched up the moment they were posted, and there were grumblings about the lack of availability for inner sect tutors among those disciples still in the Foundation stage.


    Even Sha Xiang¡ªwho had created quite the reputation for herself as a duelist and a bully¡ªhad more or less left her usual prey alone since entering the Third Realm nearly two weeks ago. Instead, she could frequently be seen around the assignment hall in the company of Cui Bao and Qiao Xia. Apparently, the three of them were responsible for the lion¡¯s share of completed sect jobs.


    At the beginning of winter, that would have been a concern. Now? He Yu had spent most of the winter training with a cultivator at the Soul Refining stage. Now that he¡¯d returned to the sect, he and Li Heng were at the same stage and their sparring reflected that.


    They couldn¡¯t even spar in the courtyard of their home anymore, instead having to reserve one of the sect¡¯s training fields, lest their practice destroy their living quarters. Yan Shirong frequently joined them, and the resulting free-for-all was as instructive and invigorating as it was fun.


    Although the physical training with Ren Huang and the lectures with Elder Wen had come to an end, that didn¡¯t mean He Yu¡¯s days were spent in idleness. The failure to explore the waterfall cave didn¡¯t mean that Tan Xiaoling was any less interested in searching the outer sect mountain for any advantage. She and Chen Fei spent their days roving the slopes of the Shrouded Peaks hunting spirit beasts, and even roaming into the surrounding sect lands. He Yu and the others joined them more often than not.


    They all still spent time up at the waterfall as well, just keeping to the area around the lake and leaving the cave alone. As Tan Xiaoling and Yan Shirong had predicted, the horde of insectoid creatures stayed mostly inside the cave depths. The ones that did venture out were significantly easier to handle on the surface. Their cores fetched a good price at the sect market, as the aspects weren¡¯t suitable for He Yu¡¯s cultivation.


    Between their continued monopoly on the waterfall, their growing access to beast cores, and the increase to their weekly spirit stone allowance from the sect now that they¡¯d all reached the Third Realm, He Yu felt¡ªfor the first time since entering the sect¡ªthat there was no immediate pressure from a lack of cultivation resources. As such, he was able to throw himself fully into cultivation and training, pushing ever closer to middle Body Refining by the day.

 Interlude - Sha Xiang

    Sha Xiang leaned up against one of the trees in the copse and waited. She¡¯d been waiting for the better part of a day, now. The longer she waited, the angrier she grew. That bastard, Xiao Jun, had told her over and over again how important it was that she was on time. Told her when she needed to leave, how long it would take to get here, and what she needed to do when the Emissary arrived. And now, Xiao Jun was late.


    Anger rolled off her in waves.


    Cui Bao glanced over at her from where he¡¯d been tossing one of his hatchets into a fallen log, sensing her irritation. Bao sighed and stood. ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± he announced. ¡°This is pointless.¡±


    Part of her wanted to agree with him. They could be training right now. The tournament was only two weeks out, and while she was certain she was going to qualify for the inner sect, she wanted the top spot. She wanted to win.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll give him ¡®til sunset. Then we can leave.¡± The darkness wrapped around her core stirred, dissatisfied that she was still listening to Xiao Jun. After, she told it. Once we win the tournament, we¡¯ll deal with him.


    That seemed to calm it down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s coming,¡± Qiao Xia said from the edge of the copse.


    ¡°Nobody asked you,¡± Sha Xiang snapped.


    The other girl drew in on herself. Just seeing her act so meek made Sha Xiang¡¯s stomach turn. Why had she ever allowed Qiao Xia to latch on to her in the first place? She was weak. Keeping Qiao Xia around was only holding her back. The darkness cackled its agreement.


    Just then, Xiao Jun emerged from the wood. ¡°Good, you¡¯re all here,¡± he said.


    Sha Xiang¡¯s disgust turned to anger, all of it now directed at Xiao Jun. The darkness whispered. Just wait. A little longer. Soon.


    She wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she felt about the fact that it could almost form words, almost talk back to her. She pushed those thoughts from her mind. If Xiao Jun was here, it meant that the Emissary would arrive soon. About time.


    Xiao Jun¡¯s head snapped up, and he stared into the growing evening gloom. ¡°Down,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s come.¡±


    Grudgingly, she did as she¡¯d been instructed, and got down to her knees. In the dirt.


    A moment later, the Emissary stepped into view. He wore black robes embroidered with silver and gold, and his hair was bound in a crown hairpin wrought from black metal and set with a large ruby. Sha Xiang couldn¡¯t sense anything at all from his spirit, but Xiao Jun had stressed that this man was supposed to be in the Fifth Realm¡ªNascent Soul. From what she could see, he looked like one of those soft nobles, always acting like they were better than her.


    But she did as she¡¯d been told. She kowtowed to this man and kept her mouth shut. Regardless of whether Xiao Jun had been bullshitting her about this man¡¯s advancement, he was apparently the one who¡¯d been supplying them with advancement resources.


    So what if he was sneaking around, hiding his spirit? They were in sect lands still, and while she didn¡¯t think someone who was supposedly as powerful as he was should hide, she wasn¡¯t about to say anything. Especially if he had more pills.


    ¡°This one greets Kong Huizhong, Her Honored Emissary,¡± Xiao Jun intoned.


    Sha Xiang and the others remained silent, as they¡¯d been instructed. Xiao Jun had stressed that they should not speak unless they were directly addressed by Emissary Kong himself.


    ¡°You have not increased your cultivation base,¡± Kong Huizhong said. His voice was shot through with steel, and Sha Xiang felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck even though his words weren¡¯t directed at her. ¡°Only one of your subordinates has reached middle Body Refining, and barely so at that.¡±


    ¡°This one¡ª¡± Xiao Jun began, his voice meek and sounding very far away.


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    ¡°I did not bid you speak,¡± Emissary Kong said, his voice still calm despite its hardness. ¡°Failure. You have been given so much, and yet you fail. I am not interested in your excuses, Xiao Jun.¡± The following silence hung over the group like an executioner¡¯s blade.


    After some time, Kong Huizhong spoke again. ¡°The sect has learned of the Court¡¯s activities. I fought a disciple past the northern border who knew of us. How was this possible?¡±


    ¡°This one cannot say,¡± Xiao Jun said, practically a whimper.


    Unbidden, Sha Xiang¡¯s anger and disgust rose once more. It stilled when, only for a moment, she felt the weight of Kong Huizhong¡¯s attention on her. She held her breath until he¡¯d turned back to Xiao Jun.


    ¡°When I discover how the sect gained this information, I will act appropriately. Do you understand, Xiao Jun?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiao Jun said.


    While she couldn¡¯t be certain, Sha Xiang didn¡¯t think that ¡°acting appropriately¡± would be anything she wanted to experience.


    ¡°Rise. All of you.¡±


    Sha Xiang practically leaped to her feet along with the others. By now any doubt as to Kong Huizhong¡¯s power had vanished¡ªand he still hadn¡¯t revealed even the tiniest sliver of his spirit.


    Kong Huizhong flicked his sleeve, and a pill box appeared before each of them floating on nothing.


    ¡°Were it my decision, I would cripple your cultivation base as punishment for your failures. You would receive nothing, and I would find other, more capable, servants to carry out the Empress¡¯s will. You are fortunate that the Court has stayed my hand.


    ¡°These pills will greatly improve your cultivation and should allow the stragglers to reach middle Body Refining before the tournament. I expect all of you to qualify for the inner sect. Do not disappoint me, Xiao Jun.¡±


    The darkness in Sha Xiang hissed its displeasure at Xiao Jun. He¡¯d failed. He didn¡¯t deserve anything more from the Emissary. Let him fall. Let him be crippled. Allow her to take his place, to rise to the greatness she deserved.


    Kong Huizhong suddenly stood before her, and once more she trembled under the full weight of his attention. ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°So you are the one who received the demon core. I had assumed Xiao Jun would make use of it himself. No matter. Tell me your name.¡±


    ¡°This one is called Sha Xiang,¡± she said, careful to keep her eyes averted. Demon core. A part of her wanted to rip Xiao Jun¡¯s throat out over that. He¡¯d told her this was simply an advanced, living art. A necessary component of cultivating the Four Demon Fists art. More like a symbiote, or perhaps a highly advanced treasure, than a conscious thing in and of itself. She¡¯d believed him, like a fool. And now she learns that she has some sort of demon living inside her?


    Another part of her was simply relieved¡ªit explained so much. All the doubts about the core that she¡¯d pushed to the side because of how strong it made her. All the tiny whispers of mistrust towards Xiao Jun that intruded in her meditations. With two simple words, so many questions had simply vanished, answered in an instant.


    ¡°You have been given a rare resource, Lady Sha. Do not allow it to go to waste.¡± As he spoke the last, Kong Huizhong flicked his eyes towards Xiao Jun.


    ¡°This one thanks the Emissary,¡± Sha Xiang said as she bowed over a salute. Her mood shifted, and it was a struggle to keep the excited tremble out of her voice. Kong Huizhong hadn¡¯t needed to spell it out for her. Her demon core howled. Excitement. Delight. It preened¡ªthe Emissary had recognized it. Seen it. Acknowledged it.


    ¡°The rest of you,¡± Kong Huizhong said, turning his attention away from her. ¡°Do not disappoint me.¡± Without another word, he turned and left, his passage fading into shadow.


    The moment he was gone, Xiao Jun wheeled on them. ¡°You nearly got me killed,¡± he spat.


    ¡°Us?¡± Cui Bao flexed his spirit. Heat lapped against Sha Xiang¡¯s skin as she caught the scent of embers. ¡°You¡¯re the one who fucked up when you sent us after the desert rat of a princess. You¡¯re the one who hasn¡¯t advanced, and you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been off doing whatever for months while the rest of us actually got stronger. You want to try all three of us at once?¡±


    Sha Xiang couldn¡¯t have agreed more. Xiao Jun had stalled. He¡¯d been at the same level of advancement since they¡¯d met him. Sure, he could push them around when they were all just Second Realm weaklings, but that gap had narrowed considerably. If he didn¡¯t watch himself¡­


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about me,¡± Xiao Jun said, his voice low. ¡°What do you think will happen if you don¡¯t place in the tournament? Do you think I¡¯ll be the only one to suffer? Every single one of you needs to qualify.¡±


    Bao scoffed. ¡°See to your own house, Jun. I know where I stand, and from here, it looks like your time is about up.¡±


    Qiao Xia just stood there like the dumb spoiled piece of trash she was. Well, they¡¯d be leaving her behind soon enough too, for all Sha Xiang cared.


    Sha Xiang grinned. ¡°I¡¯m with Bao,¡± she said, as she slid an arm around his waist. ¡°Watch out, because there¡¯s a lot more on the line with this tournament than just the inner sect.¡±


    Together, she and Cui Bao left the other two. Her thoughts turned to the demon core as they left the copse together. Xiao Jun was finished, even if he didn¡¯t know it yet. Like hell she would let an opportunity like this go to waste. Together they would grow strong. Together they would defy the heavens.

 2.34 - The Last Out

    A week before the tournament for the inner sect was set to begin, He Yu broke through to middle Body Refining. With his continued cultivation of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, along with the addition of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, the amount of heaven qi in his presence had steadily increased. During his time cultivating to prepare for his breakthrough, his inner eye had repeatedly shown him a lonely mountain peak, shrouded in dark clouds.


    There was a different character to these images than the ones he¡¯d experienced in his first days at the sect. Rather than standing on a mountain peak, with visions that shifted between being alone or with companions, He Yu stood at the foot. He stared up, as the clouds churned and lightning flashed. Something within him compelled him forward, but a stronger force barred the way.


    The Peerless Judgment was clear in its message¡ªonly when he unlocked the last of the foundational arts of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace would the way be open. To that end, he would need to begin cultivating the art¡¯s third technique¡ªthe Spring Rain Mirror. The jade slip containing the Heavenly Palace art described the Spring Rain Mirror as a water-aspected defensive art. The rest of it eluded him for now though.


    Cultivating the technique required him to contemplate the Mirror itself. Because he couldn¡¯t yet even manage to form it¡ªnot even in his mind¡ªhe could hardly contemplate it. With the tournament fast approaching, he set the art aside for the time being. Hopefully, once he¡¯d joined the inner sect, he would be able to seek help from Zhang Lifen, or even Elder Cai himself. For the time being, he needed to focus on the techniques he could already use effectively.


    Three days before the tournament was set to begin, he received a message from Zhang Lifen asking him to meet her in the outer sect¡¯s main plaza. She was standing at the far end of the plaza when he arrived, looking for all the world like she hadn¡¯t been half dead and carried back to the sect last he¡¯d heard of her. Her robes were of the same sort she typically wore, light blue with black and green, and the small amused smile she usually affected was right where He Yu expected it to be. As he approached, he could immediately tell that she had broken through.


    Although her spirit was restrained, the sense of crushing depths and unseen currents had only increased since he¡¯d last seen her. The blue in her eyes looked less natural than it had previously. They now resembled a pair of glass-still lakes, rather than human irises. The drop in temperature and the sensation of light mist that accompanied her was only slightly more pronounced than before, but it was there.


    ¡°Congratulations on reaching the Third Realm, Junior Brother He,¡± she said as he saluted her.


    ¡°Congratulations on reaching the Fifth Realm, Senior Sister Zhang,¡± He Yu replied.


    ¡°It is nothing, but you have my thanks regardless,¡± she said with a flick of a sleeve. ¡°Come, we have much to talk about.¡±


    He Yu followed her as she drifted off down one of the paths that meandered through the manicured gardens of the outer sect. Once they were well away from the plaza and any potential eavesdroppers¡ªaccidental or otherwise¡ªhe couldn¡¯t help himself any longer.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he demanded. Then, just to be sure she couldn¡¯t evade him, he added, ¡°Back at the camp.¡±


    She turned, regarded him for a moment, and then sat down on a low wall beneath a peach tree. ¡°You saw what happened,¡± she said.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question. I know what I saw, but what does it mean? And what was that power I felt? Had Ren Huang been there all along too?¡± The questions continued, spilling out of him like a flood. Finally, he got to the one he¡¯d really wanted to ask. ¡°And what about this Emp¡ª¡±


    Zhang Lifen held up a hand to silence him. ¡°It¡¯s best not to ask after such things.¡± Her voice and features were hard.


    ¡°So you keep saying,¡± he muttered. He should have known she wouldn¡¯t actually answer any of his questions.


    Her features softened. ¡°There are things you¡¯re better off not knowing,¡± she said. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I don¡¯t know all the answers to all your questions.¡±


    ¡°But you have some.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she allowed.


    His frustration having spent itself for the time being, he sat down near her. ¡°And you¡¯re not going to tell me, are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Once you join the inner sect and form your Golden Core, we can speak more openly of these things.¡±


    He supposed that was about as good as he was going to get for the time being. But he still wanted to make sure. ¡°Promise?¡± he asked.


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    Zhang Lifen¡¯s lips quirked upwards. ¡°What sort of a teacher would I be if I didn¡¯t make good on my word?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been much of a teacher so far.¡± She¡¯d already said that she was limited in what she could do so long as he was in the outer sect, but surely she could do more than she had.


    ¡°I sent you on your adventure to deal with that bandit, didn¡¯t I? You profited greatly from it, after all.¡±


    ¡°And nearly got us killed!¡±


    ¡°But you lived,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Now, I hadn¡¯t counted on you running into Old Guo, but all the core disciples and sect elders know that he lives out there. That you were met with such good fortune that he decided to help you is truly a blessing from heaven.¡±


    He Yu sighed. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere with this line of conversation. ¡°So why did you call me out here then, if not to train?¡±


    ¡°The upcoming tournament,¡± she said. ¡°I trust you already know that to qualify for the inner sect you must place in the top eight.¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ve done everything I could to ease your path, but the rest will be up to you. It did, however, require me to make some concessions to get everything I wanted.¡±


    He Yu frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± she said. ¡°I have faith in your friends¡¯ abilities. All you need to do is win your fights. Once you¡¯ve placed in the top eight, the easy part is over regardless of the tournament¡¯s outcome.¡±


    He didn¡¯t like the sound of that at all. ¡°Hopefully this isn¡¯t something that¡¯s best left until later,¡± he ventured.


    For once, Zhang Lifen managed to look at least a little bit sheepish. ¡°I am not exactly popular among the disciples of the inner sect.¡±


    Somehow that didn¡¯t surprise He Yu in the least. ¡°And what does that mean for me?¡± he asked, despite having a sinking feeling about where the conversation was going.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably not aware, but there has never been a core disciple below the Fifth Realm before me. Talk is, the only reason I was allowed such a prestigious position was due to my discipleship to Master Cai.¡± She smiled. ¡°That talk is entirely accurate. Talented as I may be, without his influence, the spot would have gone to someone with greater advancement.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± He Yu said, ¡°I still don¡¯t see what this has to do with me at all.¡±


    ¡°One can¡¯t normally challenge a core disciple for rank unless they are themselves a core disciple. They¡¯ll be coming for you instead.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He Yu shouted as he leaped to his feet. This was absolutely ridiculous. ¡°Who¡¯s coming for me?¡±


    ¡°Nobody of the Fourth Realm,¡± she said as if it were nothing at all. ¡°At least not at first. Any Golden Cores in the inner sect will be of too high a position to challenge you. While they¡¯d certainly win, they¡¯d lose a tremendous amount of face. There¡¯s no honor in bullying your juniors. It wouldn¡¯t affect their rank, but it would damage their reputations. So that¡¯s one less thing for you to worry about.¡±


    ¡°That explains nothing,¡± he said, pacing across the small path where they¡¯d come to a stop.


    ¡°Rank is the currency of the inner sect,¡± she said. ¡°You rise in rank by challenging those above you. If you can¡¯t immediately beat a rival for whatever reason, you make them look weak by beating their allies. Or, in your case, their students.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m going to have a bunch of inner sect disciples coming after me as soon as the tournament¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± she said. ¡°That would be bad form. You¡¯ll have at least a week or so to find your feet before anyone comes demanding a challenge. It would be terribly bad manners, otherwise.¡±


    ¡°A week,¡± he said flatly.


    ¡°More than enough time,¡± she said. ¡°Besides, it would only be the dregs of the inner sect coming after you at first. Scavengers with low talent, looking to eke out some small measure of reputation. Your initial rank within the inner sect will be determined by your performance in the tournament. Even should you win the entire thing, it would take some time for you to climb the ranks such that anyone of any real talent would deign to notice you.¡±


    ¡°But then what? I just keep climbing the ranks? Fighting stronger and stronger people who are coming after me because they¡¯ve some grudge against you?¡±


    Zhang Lifen grew serious then. ¡°You could always stay in the outer sect.¡±


    He began to object, but she cut him off.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already reached middle Body Refining,¡± she began. ¡°The easy part of your advancement is nearly at its end. One more breakthrough, and that¡¯s it. There¡¯s a reason so many cultivators never leave the Third Realm. Forming your Golden Core will be the most difficult thing you¡¯ve ever done, He Yu. Then, it just gets more difficult the higher you climb.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already met the requirements to remain in the sect. Consider how many older disciples still populate the outer sect. Look at the alchemists and refiners who make medicines and elixirs. The craftsmen who create the low-grade treasures you outer disciples arm and armor yourselves with. You could be like them, or you could simply keep hunting low-grade beasts and selling their cores. Perform jobs that deal with problems too trivial for the more advanced members of the sect to bother with.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt you will achieve the peak of Body Refining soon. You may even be able to reach Golden Core in a few decades. There¡¯s a handful of them in the outer sect, you know. Even if you didn¡¯t, your lifespan is easily double that of a mortal already. If you stayed in the outer sect, you¡¯d have a safe, comfortable life.


    ¡°The sect would protect you, and whatever you chose to do with yourself would lead to you amassing a fortune the richest of mortals couldn¡¯t even dream of. Your days would be long and healthy. Free from the burden of age until the very last moments before your dantian fully degraded and you passed into the realm of the dead. It would be a long, good life.¡±


    She paused for a moment to let what she had just said sink in. ¡°All you would need to do was not enter the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± she continued, ¡°you join the inner sect. You¡¯ll have to fight and claw your way up. You¡¯ll face unimaginable hardship. And you¡¯ll expose yourself to danger far beyond what you¡¯re prepared to face. If you truly want to reach the heights of cultivation, that¡¯s how you do it. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    They met each other¡¯s eyes under the peach tree, and the answer needed no words. He Yu knew what sort of legend he would become.


    ¡°Acquit yourself well,¡± she said as she stood and drifted off.

 2.35 - The Tournament Begins

    Three days later, one hundred twenty-eight disciples stood in ranks on the newly constructed tournament stage. They faced the formation-inscribed pavilion where the sect elders were seated upon a raised dais. He Yu recognized Elder Cai and Elder Wen among them. In the center sat the sect leader, Zhou Shanyuan. He was flanked by four elders on either side. Although all nine were of similar advancement¡ªeach somewhere in the Seventh or Eighth Realm¡ªthey exerted no more spiritual pressure on the gathered disciples than the natural qi of the mountain itself, so powerful was the formation inscribed on the elders¡¯ pavilion.


    Just below them sat the core disciples of the inner sect. There were twelve of them in all. Both Zhang Lifen and Ren Huang were among them, both given a noticeable amount of space. It seemed that Zhang Lifen wasn¡¯t the only core disciple who was disliked.


    To either side extended a series of seats reserved for the inner sect disciples. Most of these seats were empty. The disciples that made up the inner sect had better things to do than watch their juniors fight one another for what amounted to scraps, it seemed. About a third of the seating capacity was filled, however, and those disciples were clearly of much higher advancement than anyone He Yu had encountered in the outer sect.


    On the other side of the arena sat He Yu¡¯s peers¡ªat least those who weren¡¯t competing. Although considerably more seating was available for the outer sect, the available audience stands were packed. In the months that He Yu had been away, dueling had continued among the disciples as they fought over resources and advantages.


    The tournament presented an opportunity to see a rival humbled, or a grudge vicariously repaid. To those disciples who were not competing, seeing stronger cultivators in combat would provide valuable insights into their own arts and techniques. There would be many breakthroughs in the coming days as disciples stuck at bottlenecks had the opportunity to observe this year¡¯s talents display their ability.


    The sect leader raised a hand, and the murmurs of the crowd silenced. All eyes turned to the pavilion. From what He Yu had learned of the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s history, Leader Zhou Shanyuan had held the position for roughly seven hundred years. Despite that, he looked like a man perhaps in his late fifties. His hair was a dignified gray, and his beard was kept to a short immaculate point. Some age lines were visible in his features, but they gave him a look of dignity rather than the sort of frailty typically associated with mortals as they aged. Even though he remained seated, Leader Zhou was a powerfully built man beneath his sect robes, with broad shoulders and chest.


    ¡°Welcome to this year¡¯s outer sect tournament.¡± Leader Zhou¡¯s voice was stern and iron-hard. Although he appeared to make no more effort than one would to speak to someone standing only a foot or two away, his words easily carried to all present.


    ¡°The one hundred twenty-eight gathered on the field will compete for the eight spots open in the inner sect by single elimination duels. Performance in all rounds of the tournament will determine the initial rank of the eight disciples who qualify. Conduct yourselves in a manner befitting of immortals, and bring honor to yourselves and the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    A thundering shout went up from all the disciples gathered on the arena stage as they saluted and bowed to Leader Zhou and the sect elders. They all filed off the stage and took their seats in the section that had been reserved for the competitors. The tournament would take place over the next two weeks, with the first several days spent on the lower bracket matches. The later portions of the tournament would progress at a round per day, giving the fighters who advanced a night to cultivate and restore themselves before facing their next opponent the following day.


    The last thing He Yu had learned only the day prior, was that the tournament would be to the death¡ªin a sense. Formations in the arena would transport the loser away the instant a ¡°fatal¡± blow was struck, but the injuries one suffered would be very real. The top-ranked healers and alchemists of the inner sect would be on standby at the medicine hall to treat the fighters and ensure that no recovery periods would be too long.


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    It had been stressed to all the competing disciples that this was to give them a taste of their future. The world of immortals was one filled with struggle, and death at the hands of a foe was always a heartbeat away. One could, of course, yield to their opponent and end the round early, but against anyone of similar cultivation, it would be incredibly shameful to do so. It was only an option if one was incredibly outmatched.


    As He Yu settled into his seat with his friends, the first pair of combatants stepped onto the stage. They were both late Foundation.


    ¡°Why would a Second Realm even bother?¡± He Yu asked. They had to know they didn¡¯t stand a chance at winning with the presence of so many Body Refining cultivators competing.


    ¡°Scavengers,¡± Yan Shirong said, making no effort to hide his disdain.


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong,¡± Li Heng said as the two competitors began their exchange. ¡°There¡¯s always a chance that the brackets will shake out in a way that eliminates some of the stronger competitors early, or allow a Foundation disciple to sneak into the top eight. Even if they don¡¯t manage a spot in the inner sect, the combat experience alone might be enough to push them through a bottleneck. Just simply competing will earn them esteem among the rest of the outer disciples, and make it easier to amass power for another try next year.¡±


    That made sense, once He Yu thought about it that way. He had spent weeks slamming into the brick wall that had been Old Guo when he¡¯d fought against the old cultivator with Li Heng and Yan Shirong. That training alone had sharpened him more than the rest of his time in the sect so far combined. It would be hard to blame the less fortunate and less talented outer disciples for wanting something similar.


    ¡°The real benefit of these early rounds is for us, though,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    Despite his earlier tone, he was observing the match with interest. It was progressing about as well as one would expect, given the advancement of the two contenders. They were a fairly even match for one another, and competent fighters, but it was clear that neither of them had the power nor the qi reserves to make for an interesting or lengthy fight.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He Yu asked. It was hard to see what he might learn from watching two people of lower advancement struggle with one another.


    Tan Xiaoling was the one who answered this time. ¡°These early rounds will allow us to gauge the competition,¡± she said, not looking away from the fight. ¡°While there¡¯s an informal ranking of outer disciples that formed once the dueling ban was lifted, the tournament lets us see what our sect siblings are really capable of. The top disciples will emerge rather quickly, and the rest of us will see some of what they can do. The shape of the later rounds will become clear rather quickly.¡±


    Her point was made clear at the start of the second fight. When Sha Xiang took the stage, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the peak Foundation stage disciple who had the misfortune of facing off against her.


    Sha Xiang¡¯s smile was more cruel than usual for her, and she didn¡¯t offer even the slightest incline of a bow when she saluted her opponent. That caused a murmur to run through the onlookers. Although she was technically his senior due to her advancement, the disciples had been instructed to treat each other as peers on the stage. It was disrespectful, and it spoke volumes of what she thought of the Foundation level disciple across from her.


    Once the match started, He Yu couldn¡¯t exactly say she wasn¡¯t justified. It may have been poor form under normal circumstances to do so, but he activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment in order to get a sense of her cultivation. She had reached middle Body Refining, putting her at the same stage as he was.


    Sha Xiang didn¡¯t even bother attacking, waiting instead for her opponent to make his move. He clearly didn¡¯t want to, as he made no effort to conceal his hesitation. She sneered and began throwing insults at him. After almost a minute, the Foundation finally did attack. From there, the match went very poorly for him.


    He didn¡¯t even land a proper hit with his butterfly swords. Sha Xiang lunged forward and grabbed him mid-swing, then slammed him into the stone arena floor. Then she slammed him again. And again.


    She repeated the move over a dozen times before the Foundation disciple finally turned to mist and vanished. By the end, he looked more like a limp doll than a cultivator with a body stronger than any mortal¡¯s. It was utter humiliation disguised as a fight.


    When she stood and smirked at the crowd, she met He Yu¡¯s gaze. He couldn¡¯t stop the surge of anger that rose as they locked eyes across the arena. She was little better than someone like King Hao. Hopefully, He Yu would have a chance to face her on the tournament stage.


    While he¡¯d spent countless hours since returning to the sect meditating on what it meant to be a hero¡ªto be just and good¡ªhe hadn¡¯t yet arrived at any answer, but he knew what a hero wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t Sha Xiang. He Yu didn¡¯t require an emperor¡¯s judgment to see Sha Xiang for what she was¡ªa cruel villain who delighted in the suffering of those weaker than her.


    The whole of He Yu¡¯s spirit ached for the chance to give Sha Xiang her due.

 2.36 - Inner Sect Tournament Pt. 1

    The second day of the tournament began with Li Heng taking the stage against a Second Realm. With the memory of the humiliation that Sha Xiang had delivered to her opponent the day prior still fresh in He Yu¡¯s mind, he was grateful that Li Heng conducted himself more or less how he always did. As a noble.


    Upon stepping into the arena, Li Heng saluted and bowed, despite his higher advancement and station. They were¡ªfor the duration of the tournament, at least¡ªto treat each other as peers. With the formalities completed, Li Heng¡¯s jian fell into his hand as he took a stance He Yu had seen hundreds of times.


    Given their difference in cultivation, the Foundation disciple stood no chance. The bout that followed was far more civilized than the previous day¡¯s, however. Despite being over rather quickly, the two fighters did manage to exchange several techniques. The Foundation never managed to land a hit on Li Heng, but he did manage to defend¡ªat least for a handful of strikes.


    Following his easy victory, Li Heng returned to his seat next to He Yu and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s all a bit tedious if you ask me,¡± he said.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t really disagree. ¡°Hopefully things get a bit more interesting in the next round.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± Li Heng replied. ¡°There will still be too many Second Realm disciples left, and the elders won¡¯t allow any truly interesting fights to take place until at least the third or fourth round.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He Yu asked, turning away from the pair of Foundation disciples on the arena floor. Zhang Lifen¡¯s comment about getting what she wanted and making concessions had suggested something similar, but he hadn¡¯t given it too much thought until now.


    From her seat just in front of him, Tan Xiaoling was the one to answer. ¡°The matches are set up beforehand. The disciples who are to join the inner sect were all but chosen before the tournament even began. The tournament itself is just a formality. The only thing it really decides is your initial rank.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t as guaranteed as she makes it sound,¡± Li Heng added, ¡°but it¡¯s close. There¡¯s always the chance for an upset. But competition will be stiff this year, that¡¯s for sure, with all of us along with Xiao Jun¡¯s little coterie.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem fair,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°That¡¯s sect politics for you,¡± Yan Shirong muttered from beside him.


    ¡°Disciples like myself and Tan Xiaoling will be given easy matches in the earlier rounds to ensure that we qualify for the later ones,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Our families are too powerful to risk angering.¡±


    ¡°Such a thing would never stand in the Jade Kingdom,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°But if it lets me crush Xiao Jun, I¡¯ll abide for now.¡±


    ¡°So what about me?¡± He Yu asked, trying not to let his rising worry win him over. If the inner sect was just a playground for nobles, did he even have a chance to make it in? What about having the opportunity to face Sha Xiang? Zhang Lifen had seemed fairly certain that his placement was a given, but how much sway could she have if the elders didn¡¯t want him in?


    Yan Shirong scoffed. ¡°You think they¡¯d just cast you aside? Zhang Lifen invited you to the sect herself, and you¡¯ve managed to come further than anyone else who joined this year. The only other disciple who began in the First Realm and has managed to reach Body Refining is that other girl from your village.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly do it on my own, though,¡± He Yu admitted.


    ¡°Who cares?¡± Yan Shirong asked. ¡°Take whatever advantages while you can. We all have a long way to go, after all.¡±


    He Yu fell into silence as he tried to calm his worry. Yan Shirong was right, however. He¡¯d come far, and the sect would be foolish to keep him restricted to the outer sect. He may be able to reach Golden Core in time without the training and resources the inner sect would bring, but he could do it faster with them. Zhang Lifen had treated his promotion as a given though, so that would have to be reassurance enough.


    When Chen Fei took to the stage as one of the last contestants of the day, He Yu¡¯s worry shifted to her. What if she didn¡¯t make it in? She was like him¡ªof low birth. Practically a barbarian by the standards of most outer disciples. She didn¡¯t have the backing of a notable core disciple like he did, either. Then there was the fact that she didn¡¯t like fighting with other disciples. While she¡¯d mostly gotten over her reticence towards sparring, she hadn¡¯t issued a single challenge since the end of the truce as far as he knew.


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    At first glance, the match-up appeared to be a bad one for her. Her opponent wielded a spear, while she still fought bare-handed. The boy she was fighting was early Body Refining, which He Yu thought would likely be her salvation as she¡¯d reached the middle Third Realm just days before the tournament. That should, he thought, even out the advantage of her opponent¡¯s weapon.


    He needn¡¯t have worried about her. Just before the signal to begin the match, Chen Fei apologized to her opponent. Then, when the gong sounded, she exploded into action. The disciple across from her clearly knew how to use his weapon to the fullest, as he met her advance with a swift thrust.


    A formation barrier shimmered into being between Chen Fei and the spear. Unlike the time she¡¯d used it against Xiao Jun, it held. Chen Fei tucked into a roll, coming inside the spear¡¯s reach from below. Then she surged back to her feet delivering an uppercut that lifted her opponent into the air. She followed up with a kick that sent him flying across the arena, then she dashed after him.


    He Yu¡¯s jaw hit the ground. ¡°When did she learn that?¡±


    Tan Xiaoling smirked as she looked back at him. ¡°Little Sister has been training,¡± she said. ¡°Her time up on the mountain was instructive, and I¡¯ve been spending quite some time with her since her breakthrough.¡±


    Apparently.


    Chen Fei made good use of her momentum, pressing her opponent and keeping him from using his weapon to its fullest. He was a Third Realm, however, so he wasn¡¯t so fragile as the Second Realms. While he did manage to score at least a dozen hits that He Yu could count, he never really managed to come off the back foot. It was clear that the match was over as soon as it had begun.


    When her opponent finally vanished in a puff of mist, Chen Fei looked embarrassed at the cheers. She returned to her seat, the minor wounds she¡¯d taken already closing up. Finally, now that she was among her friends and no longer the center of attention, she deflated.


    ¡°That felt so mean,¡± she said.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°You did well. Just remember, they¡¯ll put up more of a fight in the later rounds.¡±


    Chen Fei nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said, but to He Yu it sounded forced. She sat up straight and squared her shoulders, looking firmly in front of her.


    ¡°Why did they put her against another disciple of the same stage?¡± he asked. So far all the Body Refining disciples had fought Foundation stage opponents.


    ¡°They wanted to see if she¡¯d fold,¡± Yan Shirong said. Tan Xiaoling gave him a sharp look, and Chen Fei shrunk in on herself once again.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help but think that Yan Shirong was probably right. The elders had to know that she had difficulties when it came to fighting other disciples. He wanted to say something to reassure or comfort her, but he couldn¡¯t find any words that he didn¡¯t think would sound awkward. So he just kept his mouth shut while wishing that he hadn¡¯t.


    Any self-misery that he was ready to wallow in was washed away by the announcement of the next round. Xiao Jun and another female disciple of the Second Realm. The whole time the two of them were approaching the stage and going through the formalities of proper respect, Tan Xiaoling stared death at Xiao Jun. The sense of sharp danger that was always present around her increased as her killing intent spilled over. Many of the disciples seated near them moved further away, creating a ring of empty seats around the five of them.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t entirely certain he wanted to be so closely associated with someone whose obvious hunger for violence scared off their peers. Yan Shirong, of course, seemed to delight in it, practically preening from where he sat behind Tan Xiaoling. Chen Fei didn¡¯t notice, and Li Heng was focused on the coming match.


    For his part, Xiao Jun either didn¡¯t notice the disturbance in the stands, or he didn¡¯t care. He was late Body Refining, after all¡ªthe most advanced disciple in the tournament besides Tan Xiaoling herself, who¡¯d broken through a week ago. The shadow cultivator seemed wholly focused on appearing as casual and indifferent as he possibly could. Against a Second Realm, the match was already decided.


    Xiao Jun swung his meteor hammer in lazy loops around him, only occasionally launching it to disrupt his opponent¡¯s techniques. It was painfully obvious he was toying with the poor girl. She was clearly doing her best to put up some kind of a fight, but Xiao Jun would simply disrupt her techniques before she could fully form them. If she tried to advance on him and attack with her weapon, he¡¯d simply trip her up.


    The whole time they fought, Xiao Jun laughed. The fight dragged on and on¡ªto the point He Yu found himself growing bored. It was clear all Xiao Jun was doing was trying to humiliate her. He was doing a decent job of it. The girl fighting him was growing more and more frustrated and desperate, completely unable to land a single hit while Xiao Jun simply laughed. Finally, she¡¯d had enough and sent her weapon back to her storage treasure in surrender.


    That¡¯s when Xiao Jun struck. It was so fast that He Yu could barely track it. The meteor hammer lashed out in a wide loop, moving at blinding speed. The instant the weight at the end made contact with the side of her head, she vanished, transported to safety by the arena¡¯s formations.


    ¡°Outer Disciple Xiao,¡± thundered Zhou Shanyuan¡¯s voice. It was a deafening sound, and although He Yu could still feel nothing of the sect leader¡¯s presence, Xiao Jun slammed to the ground. ¡°Outer Disciple Hou surrendered to you, ending the match. See that you conduct yourself in a manner befitting your advancement.¡±


    Although the weight of Zhou Shanyuan¡¯s spirit had retreated, Xiao Jun kowtowed before returning to his seat.


    As he returned, Tan Xiaoling stood, raising her chin in his direction. ¡°Xiao Jun,¡± she said. ¡°When we finally exchange techniques, I will show you no mercy. I will butcher you like a rabid dog. Pray that your advancement fails you, so that your death may be swift.¡±


    Xiao Jun shot her an unbothered grin. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to the day, Jade Princess.¡±


    Even though Xiao Jun left the arena rather than sit for the remainder of the fights, Tan Xiaoling¡¯s killing intent took a long time to fade.

 2.37 - Inner Sect Tournament Pt. 2

    The third day of the tournament¡¯s first round saw Tan Xiaoling take the stage against another Body Refining cultivator.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she get matched against a Foundation stage disciple?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°Surely they don¡¯t think that her desire to fight is in question.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°I suspect they¡¯re using the other disciple as an example. Watch.¡±


    The two fighters faced one another across the arena. Unlike Xiao Jun the day prior, Princess Tan treated her opponent with respect. She bowed over a salute as though he were a peer, but when her paired dao fell into her hands she did something unexpected.


    ¡°You may surrender now, if you wish,¡± she said. Her voice was loud enough to carry across the arena to her opponent, but likely wouldn¡¯t have been heard by any spectators below the Third Realm.


    Several inner sect disciples in attendance leaned forward as she spoke, and even one or two of the core disciples perked up.


    Her opponent looked furious, but he said nothing in return. Instead, he called his own weapons, a pair of double ji, from his storage treasure. The gong signaling the start of the match sounded, and Tan Xiaoling called forth her sandstorm.


    It was over in seconds. Tan Xiaoling rushed forward as her technique expanded to fill most of the arena. The swirling cloud of dust and razor shards of sand obscured the actual fight, but it faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. When the Jade Princess reappeared, she was already making her way back to her seat. Her paired dao were back in her storage treasure, and no trace of her opponent was left to be seen. If He Yu were to guess, the other disciple likely hadn¡¯t even landed a hit.


    Li Heng shook his head. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to face her any time soon. I¡¯ve sparred with her enough times without the extra burden of the storm.¡±


    ¡°What does it do?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°She used it on me once, and it¡¯s a nasty technique. First, it blinds you. You can¡¯t see a thing inside of it, and trying to use any perception techniques only makes it worse. All you see is this wall of earth and metal qi. From what I can tell, it doesn¡¯t prevent her from seeing anything, though.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s the actual sand, or whatever is in it. It¡¯s like ten thousand razors constantly scouring you. They¡¯re minor cuts, but each one takes a tiny bit of qi to heal. The whole time you¡¯re in it, your qi is just draining away as you try and heal the constant damage. Of course, you could always consciously not cycle qi to the wounds. But that takes a bit of your concentration off the fight, and you¡¯d be shredded to pieces soon enough anyway.¡±


    Li Heng was right, it was a nasty technique¡ªand if it were anything like Li Heng¡¯s or Yan Shirong¡¯s family arts, it would only get nastier as she increased her mastery and developed it further.


    Most important was the fact that she¡¯d beaten a Body Refining cultivator so quickly. Granted, her opponent had only been at the early stage, while she had broken through into the late stage. But even with that difference, there should have been at least some exchange of techniques. He Yu supposed that spoke to the quality of her breakthrough more than anything.


    It only made him ache for the lost opportunity to spend the better part of a year at peak Foundation. Sure, advancing to Body Refining had been great, but how much better could it have been if he¡¯d had the time? He resolved to wait for as long as he dared before advancing to the Fourth Realm and forming his Golden Core.


    After a few fairly inconsequential fights between Foundation stage disciples, Cui Bao was called down. Like Sha Xiang before him, he faced a Foundation disciple, and also like Sha Xiang, the match was more an exercise in humiliation and brutality than anything else. The fight was over quickly, with Cui Bao¡¯s flame-sparked hatchets doing their work effectively, if with a touch of unnecessary cruelty.


    The last match of the day saw Yan Shirong facing off against an early Body Refining disciple, much in the same way Chen Fei had. This fight was a bit more evenly matched, however, and ended up as the first truly interesting match of the tournament. Most of this was due to Yan Shirong¡¯s arts being ¡°unsuitable for direct combat,¡± as the comital scion had so frequently claimed. He Yu knew better, and he could tell that Yan Shirong was holding back for some reason.


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    Eventually, Yan Shirong wore his opponent down with his seemingly endless supply of throwing knives. His opponent certainly knew how to fight, but was constantly confounded by his own shadow giving rise to tendrils that grabbed at his legs and bound his weapon. In the momentary distraction, Yan Shirong would pelt him with knives, all the while staying well out of reach.


    The next day, the fourth and final day of the first round, He Yu was finally called to the arena. His impatience had been building to a nearly unbearable level over the past three days, and now that he finally had his chance, he could barely contain himself. It was only a little disappointing that he found himself facing off against a mere Second Realm. Once the formality of salutes was done with and the gong sounded to begin the match, He Yu rushed forward.


    The following exchange was brief and wholly one-sided. He Yu¡¯s first strike shattered his opponent¡¯s guard and scored a wound from shoulder to waist that blossomed red. His next strike never truly landed¡ªhis blade had barely touched skin when the Second Realm disciple puffed into white mist, vanishing from the arena. It made He Yu feel a bit better about the gash he¡¯d left across the disciple¡¯s chest. At least he¡¯d be in the medicine hall now, being tended to by the sect¡¯s most talented healers.


    ¡°That was a joke,¡± he said with a huff, as he practically threw himself into his seat next to Li Heng.


    ¡°What did you expect?¡± the noble asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something more? I can¡¯t believe I waited until the last day for that.¡±


    ¡°You know the tournament isn¡¯t over, right?¡±


    He Yu sighed. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Li Heng said, throwing an arm around He Yu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But look at it this way, getting rid of all the lower realm disciples now just means the competition will be all the more fierce later.¡±


    ¡°Better be,¡± He Yu muttered.


    ¡°Most of the Second Realm disciples won¡¯t last past the next round,¡± said Yan Shirong. ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt things will get interesting soon enough.¡±


    The final match that held any real interest was when Qiao Xia took to the arena floor in one of the final bouts of the first round. He Yu had half expected her to act with the same disdain and cruelty that the rest of Sha Xiang¡¯s coterie had, but he¡¯d been wrong. She approached her fight with the grace that was expected of her, saluting and offering respect as was proper. The match was still horribly one-sided, however.


    With the first round concluded, the disciples had the rest of the day to rest and meditate on any insights they may have gained. There was the possibility¡ªhowever slim¡ªthat some of the disciples who were stuck at bottlenecks might break through. Leader Zhou Shanyuan had warned against attempting such a breakthrough, however. Any disciple who failed to appear for their match in the following rounds would be disqualified, regardless of the reason.


    When the contestants were dismissed, He Yu went directly to the outer sect market. He purchased several medicinal pills, one for each of the aspects he cultivated. While he only had a day, and he didn¡¯t think he was close to breaking into late Body Refining, he saw absolutely no harm in doing whatever he could to increase his cultivation base over the next day.


    As he cultivated, He Yu reflected on the previous four days. Tan Xiaoling had been right about what she¡¯d said the first day¡ªthis round had allowed him to gauge the competition. Tan Xiaoling was obviously one of the top contenders, crushing her Third Realm opponent. Not only had it been the shortest match, but the two fighters had also been the closest in advancement. Xiao Jun was strong, but his opponent hadn¡¯t been a challenge, so it was difficult to gauge the extent of that strength. The same held for Sha Xiang, Cui Bao, and Qiao Xia. They were obviously some of the stronger contenders, much like He Yu and his friends.


    On the back of Zhang Lifen¡¯s certainty that he¡¯d make the inner sect¡ªalong with Li Heng¡¯s and Tan Xiaoling¡¯s assessments of the tournament would proceed¡ªHe Yu really only had one worry. That he might not be the one to defeat Sha Xiang.


    Although he had been preoccupied during the winter while he¡¯d trained with Old Guo, he hadn¡¯t forgotten that he had unfinished business with her. Neither had she. Sha Xiang had sought him out in the crowd after her match. Her stare had been as much a challenge as any words. Upon reflection, the brutality of her first match had been a threat. A threat directed at him and his friends.


    This wouldn¡¯t be the same as it had been the last time they fought, however. He¡¯d spent the winter in training. He¡¯d advanced, and now he stood on equal footing with her. Although she had spent a good portion of her strength already when they¡¯d last fought, he had forced her to use that technique of hers, and he had met her blow for blow. And he¡¯d done so while she had a stage advancement on him.


    The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment pulsed in approval. He was on as good a footing as he could be against her. He had little doubt that she would advance to the inner sect during the tournament. So if he couldn¡¯t face her here, he could challenge her then. Regardless of what happened, he would bring the storm of justice upon her.

 2.38 - Inner Sect Tournament Pt. 3

    The second round of the tournament was little different than the first. Easy victories for the disciples who were paired against opponents far weaker than themselves, and fairly uneventful matches for the rest.


    Sha Xiang and Cui Bao both displayed the same cruelty as they did in the first round. Xiao Jun similarly humiliated his opponent. Qiao Xia was the only disciple among them who treated her opponents with any amount of respect.


    Chen Fei¡¯s fight in the second round was against a Second Realm disciple this time and she won easily enough once she¡¯d finished apologizing to her opponent again. He Yu, Li Heng, and Yan Shirong all won their matches as well, although Li Heng had been paired against an early Body Refining disciple. It had still been a fairly easy fight for the well-practiced noble.


    Much like she had on the first day, Princess Tan conducted herself with dignity and offered her opponent a chance to surrender. They had, of course, refused. The girl she¡¯d been matched against was also a Third Realm, and pushing up against breaking into the middle stage. She didn¡¯t fare any better than Tan Xiaoling¡¯s opponent on the first day.


    ¡°How is she so strong?¡± He Yu asked, still not entirely believing the fight he¡¯d just witnessed.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Jade Kingdom for you,¡± Yan Shirong said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°The Jade Kingdom is a harsh land,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°They control a large territory, but the capital is the only settlement of any considerable size. It hugs the mountains that line the southern edge of the White Desert. The rest of the population is scattered among tiny villages either clustered around oases or tucked away in the high valleys of the Jade Mountains. The whole land is lousy with bandit clans, awakened beasts, and spirits. As a princess of the royal Tan family, it¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s seen her fair share of combat before coming to the sect. She would have been sent into the wilds with a company of soldiers to hunt bandits as soon as she broke into the Second Realm.¡±


    ¡°I went on my first bandit assault when I was a peak First Realm at thirteen years,¡± Tan Xiaoling said as she returned to her seat.


    Nobody back in He Yu¡¯s home of Shulin began cultivating before they turned fifteen. As far as he could tell, that was the standard in the empire. If she¡¯d been cultivating¡ªand fighting¡ªfor that long, no wonder she already had such a strong cultivation base and refined killing intent.


    The third round of the tournament passed like the first two had. With the first full week of the tournament done, the remaining disciples were given a day to rest before the commencement of the fourth round. By now all the Second Realm disciples had been eliminated, and the fights would actually matter.


    This round was perhaps the most important, as it would determine which disciples would earn a place in the inner sect. The eight disciples who advanced to the next round would all be guaranteed a spot, and the rounds beyond this would be a contest for initial rank and the prestige that came from placing well in the tournament itself.


    When the first round was called, He Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It was Chen Fei against Qiao Xia. This would be the most evenly matched opponent either of them had fought so far, with both of them having reached middle Body Refining just in the week prior to the tournament¡¯s start.


    He recalled how despondent Chen Fei had been back when Qiao Xia had taken to insulting her, calling her a barbarian who had no place in the Shrouded Peaks Sect. It seemed that since her breakthrough, Chen Fei had embraced her background, and had fought in every round of the tournament so far dressed in the same outfit she¡¯d worn when first arriving at the sect. Plus one bear-skin mantle.


    The two girls took the arena floor. They were cordial to one another, bowing as was appropriate, but for the first time since the beginning of the tournament, Chen Fei didn¡¯t apologize.


    ¡°Barbarian trash,¡± Qiao Xia said. ¡°Thankfully I won¡¯t have to put up with your presence in the inner sect.¡±


    Chen Fei squared her shoulders. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so cruel.¡±


    The gong sounded, and both girls¡¯ presences filled the arena.


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    Qiao Xia¡¯s spirit was a rolling bank of clouds and mist, cascading through densely wooded slopes of mountain and hill. Strong with wood and water, her spirit was rich with life. The scent of red pines and damp earth arrived with the clouds, along with a drop in temperature much like when Zhang Lifen unleashed her spirit. He Yu thought he could almost make out voices, lurking just at the edge of his hearing, beckoning him deeper into the misty pine boughs.


    Chen Fei was a mountain. Solid and strong, she towered to the heavens. Her stance reached deep into the earth, pulling strength and stability from the very ground she stood upon. Earth, metal, and mountain qi all coursed through her, and He Yu immediately recognized the White Mountain Body Art from his own brief time cultivating it.


    As she settled into her stance, the sound of cracking stone accompanied the layers of earth qi she gathered into her body with the Eternal Mountain Root technique. Metal followed, and then finally mountain. He Yu activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment just to be certain. While he didn¡¯t know the names of the techniques, his suspicions were confirmed¡ªChen Fei had mastered at least the first two stages of the White Mountain Body Art.


    Rushing forward as she had in her first match, Chen Fei pulled back a fist reinforced with the strength and weight of a mountain. Qiao Xia¡¯s weapon, a brightly painted parasol, fell into her hand. The parasol snapped open just as Chen Fei reached her opponent. Mountain crashed into wood, and Qiao Xia stumbled back several steps under the impact.


    He Yu had been on the receiving end of one of Chen Fei¡¯s punches back when she was only at the Foundation stage. She hadn¡¯t been using any sort of body enforcement techniques back then, either. He could only imagine what her blows must feel like now.


    To her credit though, Qiao Xia recovered quickly. She used a movement technique to create distance, and swept her open parasol in front of her, spinning it as she gathered a bank of mist about her. Qiao Xia retreated into her mist as it rolled across the arena, growing denser by the second. Chen Fei settled into a defensive posture, looking around for her foe.


    A figure flickered within the mist, and Qiao Xia stepped into view once again. Her parasol was closed now, and she thrust it like a sword as she closed the distance between herself and Chen Fei with another movement technique. Unlike the time He Yu had fought her, she wasn¡¯t laughing as she darted in and out of her mist. Her features were set and serious, and her lips drawn into a thin line.


    A circle of formation characters flashed into being, blocking Qiao Xia¡¯s strike. Before the girl had even started to recover, Chen Fei had launched a spinning kick at her head. Her booted foot cracked against Qiao Xia¡¯s skull, and this time the girl hit the arena floor more than a dozen yards from where she¡¯d first been hit. With a single leap, Chen Fei crossed the distance, surging toward the ground with unnatural speed. Qiao Xia managed to roll away, but she was still caught in the edge of Chen Fei¡¯s attack.


    When Chen Fei¡¯s foot slammed into the flagstones, cracks spiderwebbed across the floor of the arena. An instant later, stone burst up from the earth all around her. For a good ten feet in all directions around Chen Fei, the arena floor erupted in jagged stone spikes. Qiao Xia screamed in a mix of pain and outrage as her gown, and the whole left side of her body was torn and bloodied.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lose to a barbarian like you!¡± she shouted, snapping her parasol open once again. Wood qi gathered around her ruined limbs and her wounds began to close. It would be expensive to heal that much damage that quickly, He Yu mused, but it was probably the right call given her circumstances. Besides, wood qi was ideal for healing the body, and it would have been wasted potential to cultivate wood without access to some sort of healing art.


    Chen Fei made a quick gesture with her hand, and the formation character for metal shone on the stones beneath Qiao Xia¡¯s feet. The smaller girl let out a half-choked cry as her wood-aligned technique was blasted away by the surge of metal qi from Chen Fei¡¯s formation. In an instant, Chen Fei was on her opponent again. Qiao Xia¡¯s defense grew increasingly desperate as she did everything she could to meet the relentless barrage of punches and kicks.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lose¡ª¡±


    Qiao Xia¡¯s words were cut off when Chen Fei slammed a fist into her gut. Although the smaller girl managed to block the next attack, it proved too much for her parasol. The bamboo and paper weapon cracked and splintered to pieces as the formation giving it the strength to serve as a cultivator¡¯s weapon finally gave out. An instant later, Qiao Xia was on her back, Chen Fei standing above her, a qi-infused fist raised and ready.


    ¡°Surrender,¡± Chen Fei said. It was the harshest word He Yu had ever heard her speak. In that moment he¡¯d no doubt about her resolve¡ªthe fight was over and if Qiao Xia didn¡¯t concede, Chen Fei would end it right there.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± the other girl choked out, her eyes flicking to where Sha Xiang sat alongside Cui Bao and Xiao Jun.


    Chen Fei¡¯s fist cracked the flagstones beneath where Qiao Xia had lain just an instant before, as white mist puffed away from the impact.


    ¡°Congratulations, Disciple Chen Fei, the first fighter to qualify for the inner sect in this year¡¯s tournament.¡± Leader Zhou¡¯s voice carried easily over the sounds of the gathered disciples¡¯ cheers.


    As she returned to her seat, He Yu met her gaze. Her expression was grim, like she¡¯d just bitten into something rotten, but there was still a hint of pride there. For his part, He Yu was just happy that she¡¯d made it. He¡¯d been worried for her, but now he could put all that to rest and focus on what lay ahead. And if that first fight had been any indication, he had plenty of reason to be excited for what lay ahead.

 2.39 - Inner Sect Tournament Pt. 4

    Leader Zhou called Sha Xiang and another disciple named Deng Qi onto the stage next. As the two of them descended to the arena floor, Sha Xiang trembled with barely concealed rage. It was almost enough for He Yu to feel sorry for her opponent, who had only recently achieved Body Refining so far as he could tell. He¡¯d be going against an angry Sha Xiang at her full strength. He Yu had had a difficult enough time when she¡¯d already been spent.


    While a part of him understood that it made sense she would be angry at Qiao Xia being knocked out of the tournament before qualifying for the inner sect, He Yu still thought her reaction was a bit much. As she waited for the match to start, her qi was barely controlled, a riot of earth and fire and something more sinister just underneath that He Yu couldn¡¯t quite place.


    He looked to the stand where the sect elders sat, but if they noticed, or cared, that she had something like that in her spirit, they gave no indication. Neither did any of the core disciples. There were, however, several inner sect disciples who seemed to be engaged in intense conversation and frequently pointing to the stage. At least that confirmed He Yu wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d noticed.


    The gong sounded, and Sha Xiang¡¯s qi surged. This was the first time so far in the tournament that she¡¯d fully revealed her spirit. Her presence was a cracked and burning mound in the middle of a desolate wasteland. Toxic fumes poured from the rents in the earth along with waves of heat, no doubt created by the earth¡¯s very blood. As her spirit surged, earth qi gathered around her fists.


    Her arms¡ªbared by the sleeveless uniform she¡¯d taken to wearing¡ªtook on the appearance of rough stone, cracked and weathered by countless ages. The gloves she¡¯d always used since coming to the sect, oozed a molten mix of earth and fire. Underneath the scent of sulfur and stone, He Yu caught just a hint of something faint and coppery.


    He was initially taken aback by the feeling of her spirit. Aside from the wrongness it carried¡ªamplified from the last time he¡¯d felt her like this¡ªit was far more developed than he would have expected. As far as he knew, she hadn¡¯t had the same opportunity to train her presence that he had. And she¡¯d still been late Foundation when he had returned to the sect at the end of winter.


    He Yu wracked his brain, trying to come up with any training methods or elixirs that would have allowed her to solidify her presence so quickly. He kept coming up blank. Could she simply have just advanced her cultivation base that far and that fast completely on her own?


    Her opponent, to his credit, stood his ground in the face of Sha Xiang¡¯s unleashed presence. Deng Qi summoned a staff of hardwood, inscribed with formation characters, and banded in iron. His spirit was aligned primarily with metal. When Sha Xiang rushed to attack him, he met her in kind.


    The fight was brutal and short. Sha Xiang caught Deng Qi¡¯s staff in one hand and slammed her other fist into his chest. Even from the stands He Yu could hear his ribs and sternum shatter. She ripped the staff from his hands, then grabbed him by the throat. That same sense of wrongness that had surged during He Yu¡¯s fight with her returned, sending an audible rush of chatter through the gathered crowd.


    Then, she simply squeezed as she stared dead into his eyes. She kept her hands in a vice around Deng Qi¡¯s throat as he thrashed in a vain attempt to break free until finally, he puffed into mist. As she returned to the stands with the silence of the crowd hanging over the arena, she looked just as furious as she had when she¡¯d taken the stage.


    He Yu didn¡¯t have any time to reflect on what he¡¯d just witnessed, as he was the next contestant called to the stage. Any concerns he might have felt about the future matches¡ªand his own prospects against Sha Xiang¡ªvanished in the face of the excited buzz that now coursed through him. This was it. The most important round of the tournament.


    He just barely managed to stop himself before activating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight on his way to the arena floor. For the first time in the tournament, he¡¯d be facing someone who might actually be able to put up a fight. He couldn¡¯t deny that a part of him was a bit jealous of the matches some of his friends had fought so far. Tan Xiaoling especially.


    Given the strength of her opponents, and her insistence on offering a chance for them to surrender before absolutely crushing them all, the first rounds had been little more than an opportunity for her to show off. As expected, everyone watching had been suitably impressed.


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    His opponent, a rich commoner by the look of him, named Long Junjie, took his place across the stage from He Yu. Like many of the disciples in the outer sect, his weapon of choice was a jian. He held the double-edged straight sword with good form so far as He Yu could tell, but not with the easy confidence that he¡¯d become accustomed to when facing Li Heng. Then the gong sounded, and they both released their spirits.


    Through his training with Old Guo and the addition of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, He Yu¡¯s presence had truly begun to take shape. His spirit had formed into the leading edge of a thunderstorm. Dark clouds churned in the high gusting winds that so often whipped the mountain tops of the Shrouded Peaks. As the clouds grew near, the distant flickers of lightning spoke that the full fury of the storm was yet to come. Rumbles of thunder, barely yet a whisper, echoed that sentiment. This was only the beginning, and the wisdom he¡¯d gained in his cultivation of the Peerless Judgment had said as much.


    As he focused on the opponent before him, he shoved aside the look of uncertainty he saw on Long Junjie¡¯s face. He ignored the way his opponent squared his shoulders, and reset his stance. The Peerless Judgment told him all he needed to know¡ªhe was stronger and his opponent knew it. A stage of advancement was a large advantage, but not an insurmountable one.


    He Yu had more than a simple stage advancement over his opponent, however. His presence was more fully formed, indicating that his breakthrough to Body Refining had been of significantly higher quality. He had powerful arts and was now possessed of two treasures fit for an immortal of the Fourth Realm rather than the Third.


    He Yu blasted forward, carried on wings of wind. The robes he¡¯d received from Yongnian whipped around him. Wind and heaven wreathed the blade of his guandao. The ease at which his techniques came now was almost enough to make him laugh from sheer excitement. The speed at which he advanced and swung his massive weapon was that of a howling gale. As he exchanged techniques with Long Junjie, He Yu realized for the first time that he was becoming more than the wind. With that insight, this time he did laugh, and it was a sound of pure exhilarated joy.


    His guandao smashed into Long Junjie¡¯s guard, knocking the flimsy sword away. How could a mere one-handed blade stand up to the might of the very same weapon wielded by the God of War himself? The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering turned away all of Long Junjie¡¯s techniques with ease, and the attacks that he couldn¡¯t weather, he simply avoided. Again He Yu marveled. When had he gotten so fast? Where had that weak child, unfit to even study under a Foundation stage ¡°master¡± like Dong Wei gone to?


    A broad sweep of his blade passed through a puff of white mist. He¡¯d done it¡ªhe had secured his place in the inner sect. Although he¡¯d doubted himself, Zhang Lifen had assured him he would. He looked to where the core disciples sat. Zhang Lifen shot him a smile. Nobody else seemed to be paying too much attention. He supposed that was fine.


    The real prize wasn¡¯t the inner sect, after all. It was his ranking. All that mattered now was that he placed as high as he could in the tournament ahead. As he walked back to rejoin his friends and accept their congratulations, he reminded himself that the inner sect had never truly been his goal. It was simply another step.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Yan Shirong said as He Yu took his seat. ¡°That ought to give the others some pause about facing you in later rounds.¡±


    He Yu accepted the praise but felt a bit embarrassed by it. Although it had all only been in his head, he felt like he¡¯d been gloating just now. Nobody else had seemed to notice, so he contented himself with that as the remainder of the matches continued.


    Cui Bao, Yan Shirong, and Li Heng all won their matches against Third Realm opponents and secured their spots in the inner sect. The only fight He Yu paid any attention to was Li Heng¡¯s. He¡¯d been matched against Ma Peng, the noble who¡¯d fought He Yu twice now, and lost each time. He Yu almost felt bad for him at this point.


    Li Heng had at least been polite, but the fight had still been fairly one-sided. At least Ma Peng had advanced to Body Refining since challenging He Yu upon his return to the sect. He could spend the next year cultivating, and probably make it into the inner sect with the next tournament.


    Of course that meant the last match of the tournament came down to none other than Tan Xiaoling and Xiao Jun. As the two of them descended to the arena, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the match-up. Had this been what Zhang Lifen had been referring to when she spoke of making concessions to get what she wanted? If so, which one was it?


    Princess Tan and Xiao Jun were the most advanced disciples in the tournament. The idea that one of them wouldn¡¯t be advancing to the inner sect went against everything he¡¯d been told about how the tournament was structured. While Tan Xiaoling had always been strong for her stage, she¡¯d only recently advanced to late Body Refining. Xiao Jun had been at the same stage for a year now. While he didn¡¯t know her that well, Chen Fei was good friends with the princess. How would she fare, if her closest friend didn''t join her in the inner sect?


    As the two faced off against each other, He Yu turned his attention to the stage. All his questions would be answered soon enough, after all.

 2.40 Tan Xiaoling Repays a Debt

    When Leader Zhou Shanyuan called the name of her opponent, Tan Xiaoling¡¯s blood roared in her veins. Xiao Jun. In the fourth round¡ªthe round that determined eligibility for the inner sect. Zhang Lifen had made good on her promise. Maybe the arrogant woman wasn¡¯t so bad after all.


    The smug expression on Xiao Jun¡¯s face was like a spring festival gift. She couldn¡¯t help but smirk when she saw it. Her father would have admonished her for such a display¡ªit was inappropriate for her station. She didn¡¯t care. Tan Zihao wasn¡¯t here. She was¡ªand she was going to repay the humiliation Xiao Jun had made her suffer ten thousand times over. Her father at least would have approved of that.


    ¡°It seems your path to the inner sect ends here, Jade Princess,¡± Xiao Jun said, arrogant as ever. ¡°Shame. I¡¯d looked forward to seeing you languish in the lower ranks of the inner sect while my own star climbed ever higher.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? You think you can beat me? It took your interference to keep me from killing your three lackeys back when I was still a Foundation stage. I don¡¯t think you appreciate just who you¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dealing with a spoiled princess who doesn¡¯t seem to realize she¡¯s a long way from home.¡± Shadows rose up around Xiao Jun as he spoke, his meteor hammer falling into his hands.


    The gong sounded, and Tan Xiaoling activated her sandstorm. Ten thousand shards of razor-edged metal kicked up around her in a howling cyclone, borne amid wind and sand. The technique had become easier to maintain with each stage of advancement and every increase of her mastery over the technique. Now it cost her practically nothing.


    Xiao Jun vanished from sight, obscured by the razors and grit, but she no longer needed her sight. The storm itself told her where he was, and the motions he made. Just as it blinded her opponents, the technique made it trivial for her to track them within its effect.


    Her opponent swung his meteor hammer in a tight circle before launching it at where she stood. She intentionally hadn¡¯t moved¡ªshe needed him to strike at her and try to disrupt her technique as she¡¯d been certain he would. She needed to test him.


    The meteor hammer shot out from the wall of the sandstorm and into the tiny pocket of clear space around her. She crossed her paired dao before her, and the hammer¡¯s metal weight crashed into them. She could feel the wave of qi that pulsed out from the weapon at the moment of impact. Her technique remained, and she allowed herself a satisfied grin.


    She¡¯d been right. The hammer needed to hit her in order to disrupt her techniques. She still suspected that he could disrupt any techniques that she bound to the sabers themselves, as he had with Li Heng¡¯s sword techniques, but that mattered little here. Her two arts, the Breath of the White Desert and the Golden Tiger Cultivation Law would remain active so long as he couldn¡¯t land a solid hit.


    Tan Xiaoling circled her prey with the silent grace of a stalking cat. Through the not-sight granted by her storm, she sensed his hesitation. Xiao Jun still spun his hammer around him in a pattern that created an impressive defense. It would not be enough. She rushed forward, the pocket of calm following her as she moved. The instant the edge of her little bubble reached Xiao Jun, he turned.


    The meteor hammer swung towards her. Tan Xiaoling twisted underneath it, pushing qi into her leg meridians. Her paired dao flashed. Their pommels were wrought in the likeness of roaring tigers, and Tan Xiaoling struck like one now. Xiao Jun was a late Third Realm, however, and he¡¯d been at that stage for some time.


    Some defensive technique of his activated, and shadows surged up around him. It felt like she was cutting through a thick syrup as the shadows robbed her attack of its momentum. Xiao Jun himself danced back to the edge of the clear space around them before launching an assault of his own.


    The iron ball at the end of its chain shot straight towards her. Half a dozen spikes forged from shadow qi formed around it, adding their spiritual weight to the attack. Tan Xiaoling deflected and then faded back. Once again, Xiao Jun was engulfed by her sandstorm. The first exchange had been a draw, with neither of them landing a solid hit. She had taken his measure though.


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    The first time she¡¯d clashed with him, all those months ago, he had been so far above her. It had shamed her to be at his mercy then. When he¡¯d attacked at the waterfall, the only reason she and her friends had walked away was because he had allowed it. When his followers had ambushed her, it was his arrogance and laziness that had allowed her to hold on until Chen Fei had fetched help.


    Now? She allowed herself a flicker of a smile. Half a year ago Xiao Jun would have crushed her. But for all his bluster and smugness, he had barely managed to defend himself in that last exchange.


    Xiao Jun¡¯s meteor hammer came hurtling out of the storm. She¡¯d felt it coming the moment he released it into a wide sweep¡ªclearly swinging blindly in an attempt to score a hit and disrupt her technique. Tan Xiaoling sent one of her dao back into her storage treasure. She caught the iron weight on her remaining saber, deflecting it into her waiting hand. The instant she touched it, Xiao Jun¡¯s qi pulsed, and all her techniques were banished.


    The perpetually overcast sky of the Shrouded Peaks came back into view as her sandstorm died. Tan Xiaoling sent her second dao away and grabbed onto the chain. Xiao Jun pulled on his weapon. Tan Xiaoling activated the Golden Tiger Cultivation Law and pulled back.


    The strength of a tiger surged through her, and Xiao Jun stumbled forward. She¡¯d left him with a cursed choice¡ªeither lose his weapon or be pulled to her like a hooked fish. It seemed as though he¡¯d chosen the latter.


    She yanked again, just as he¡¯d regained his balance. Xiao Jun stumbled a second time, and now he was close enough. She released her hold on the chain and leaped forward. Her paired dao appeared in her hands once more. This time, she also layered her killing intent into her blades.


    It wasn¡¯t as refined as using it in conjunction with a technique, but she wanted to save that trick. Regardless, she¡¯d been fighting¡ªand killing¡ªfor just over half a decade now. Merely an instant in the lifespan of an immortal, but longer than anyone she¡¯d encountered at the sect so far. One¡¯s killing intent grew sharper and more potent the more blood one spilled. She¡¯d already killed well over a hundred of her father¡¯s enemies.


    Xiao Jun looked up as she reached the apex of her leap, and fear filled his eyes. She let go of her restraint and gave him a wicked grin. He was nothing more than prey. She slammed down on top of him, and her paired dao rent his flesh like claws. Blood sprayed from twin wounds, and her sandstorm howled back into being around her.


    Her opponent let out a pained cry and sunk into shadow, vanishing from the bubble of calm she retained around her. She extended her qi sense into the whirling sands, searching and ready to pounce once again. The sound of metal scraping against stone caused her to look down. The meteor hammer¡¯s chain had grown taut, and the iron head was slowly pulling back into the storm. She looked up and focused her awareness, following the chain. She couldn¡¯t sense him, so she let the storm drop once again.


    At the far side of the arena, she saw him. Xiao Jun huddled at the base of one of the formation pillars that stood at each of the four corners of the arena stage. He was cloaked in shadowy qi, but the aspect of his spirit was almost that of the formation inscribed into the pillar.


    ¡°Clever trick,¡± she said, just loud enough for his Third Realm senses to hear.


    He looked up, then rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m not finished yet,¡± he said.


    Tan Xiaoling pointed one of her sabers at him. ¡°Nor am I.¡±


    Xiao Jun¡¯s meteor hammer flew towards her once again, brimming with qi and trailed by yet more of his shadow spikes. Wind, sand, and razor-sharp shards swirled around Tan Xiaoling¡¯s saber. She knocked the incoming attack into the ground, cracking the flagstones beneath her feet with the impact. She slammed one foot down on the chain, trapping his weapon. Then, she released one of her paired dao and raised a hand to the heavens.


    A spear of black qi formed above her head, limned by the fiery corona of a solar eclipse. As she formed the second technique of her family¡¯s Breath of the White Desert art¡ªthe Mark of the Dark Sun¡ªshe also poured her killing intent into it. The tip of the spear took on a knife-edge glint as it drank in her killing intent. Fire and metal-aspected qi washed over the arena. As she finished forming the technique, she dropped her hand and pointed at Xiao Jun¡¯s heart.


    Xiao Jun had spoken true, and still had some measure of fight left in him. He grimaced as he poured the last remnants of his guttering qi into the shadows that billowed around him. A black spike, a shadowy mirror of her own technique, shot forward. Xiao Jun¡¯s spear of shadow struck a spear of flame¡ªand shattered.


    The Mark of the Dark Sun tore through Xiao Jun¡¯s technique. Shadow qi puffed to nothing. The blazing black spear of metal and flame hurtled towards him unimpeded.


    Her technique flew true. Xiao Jun puffed to mist, and her technique slammed into the formation pillar at the edge of the arena. The stone cracked, and the formation flickered for a moment, dimming in power, but it held. It was a testament to her own power and the strength of her technique that she could even affect a formation scripted by the sect¡¯s experts. She held her head high and smiled to herself as she turned to face the pavilion with the sect elders and the core disciples.


    As she saluted the elders and her seniors before returning to her seat, she caught Zhang Lifen¡¯s eye. Her senior had made good on her promise, that was certain. And she¡¯d done so in the most satisfying way imaginable. Tan Xiaoling supposed she could listen to what Senior Sister Zhang had to say. She owed the woman at least that much.

 2.41 - Inner Sect Tournament: Quarterfinals

    He Yu could hardly believe his eyes. There was no way Tan Xiaoling was merely Body Refining, late stage or not. She¡¯d been pitted against a cultivator who had been at the late stage for a year longer than she had. And she¡¯d crushed him.


    Li Heng let out a heavy breath next to him. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her go all out before,¡± he admitted. ¡°That was¡­frightening.¡±


    ¡°If heaven is merciful, I won¡¯t ever have to face her down,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°She¡¯s a monster.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help but agree. Off to one side, he caught sight of Sha Xiang. For some reason, she appeared practically giddy. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever seen her so excited about anything before, or so gleeful. She grinned as though she¡¯d been handed the greatest gift ever, but He Yu couldn¡¯t fathom why. Next to her, Cui Bao laughed, just as exuberant as she was. From where she was seated among the outer sect spectators, Qiao Xia looked even more subdued than when she¡¯d lost to Chen Fei, the uncertainty and fear apparent in her posture.


    Whatever the internal dynamics of their group were, they¡¯d likely just shifted in Sha Xiang¡¯s favor. That much was obvious, but it still didn¡¯t explain why she seemed so happy. He Yu decided not to think on it too much. Whatever was going on there didn¡¯t concern him, of that much he could be certain. He needed to focus on the important things in front of him, which meant the tournament.


    The next day when they met at the arena, the stands were packed. This was the real show, and even the inner sect disciples were in attendance. The higher-ranked inner disciples were of course interested in who the potential rising stars of the sect would be. No doubt news of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s performance the day prior had spread among them, and they were interested in seeing her talent for themselves.


    Those disciples of more middling ranks would be curious to see the disciples who would likely be challenging them for position in the coming year. They perhaps had the most interest in the coming fights, as getting to see the eight finalists would give them valuable insights into those they would likely exchange techniques with soon.


    Then the lowest-ranked disciples would want to see who they might lose out to. Anyone who made it to the final or semifinal rounds could easily unseat many of them. They too would want to see the fights, if only to gauge whether or not it would be worth trying to wrestle their ranking back from the usurpers.


    Sect Leader Zhou Shanyuan presided over these last rounds with the same detached authority he had in the previous ones. He did, however, reiterate the terms of the contest, and emphasize just how important a good showing was. A new piece of information that He Yu hadn¡¯t previously been aware of was announced¡ªaccess to cultivation resources within the inner sect was dependent upon rank. If he needed any more motivation to place well, that was it.


    The first match called was between Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng. He Yu shot a sympathetic look to the noble, who gave him a resigned shrug in return. A part of He Yu recoiled at the unfairness of it, but he could at least take solace in the fact that his housemate had made it into the inner sect. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t be leaving the first friend he¡¯d made at the Shrouded Peaks Sect behind.


    As the two took the stage, He Yu was a bit surprised to see Tan Xiaoling¡¯s expression¡ªshe clearly didn¡¯t like this either. He Yu looked to Zhang Lifen, remembering what she¡¯d said about concessions she¡¯d given, and couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Was this one of them?


    As she saluted Li Heng across the arena, Tan Xiaoling said, ¡°I won¡¯t shame you by asking you to surrender.¡±


    Even to He Yu, the implication was clear. She was giving him an out, but doing so in a way that would allow him to keep as much face as possible. She knew she would win, and that was why she¡¯d offered every opponent so far¡ªexcept Xiao Jun¡ªa chance to surrender. Li Heng¡¯s answer was, of course, unsurprising.


    ¡°I thank you for giving me face, Princess Tan,¡± Li Heng said in that stiffly formal way of his when he¡¯d slipped back into his role as the scion of a margravial house. It was clear that he had no intention of taking her offer.


    ¡°Just so,¡± Tan Xiaoling said as she inclined her head in his direction.


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    The gong sounded, and it was clear neither was going to hold back. Li Heng flashed across the arena with the White Hare Dance, closing the distance before Tan Xiaoling could fully form her sandstorm. If his aggression had taken her off guard, she didn¡¯t show it. She adjusted easily enough and met his attack with her sabers. The two of them were briefly occluded by her sandstorm, although the silver flashes of Li Heng¡¯s family art did shine through.


    Li Heng had admitted easily enough that he¡¯d never once managed to beat Tan Xiaoling in their regular sparring sessions, noting both her strength and her skill with her paired dao. He Yu couldn¡¯t see any reason why that would change now, given that Tan Xiaoling had advanced a whole stage above him, and had only yesterday crushed Xiao Jun who was at her own level.


    He honestly felt bad for Li Heng, to have made it to the quarterfinals only to get knocked out now. On an impulse or an instinct¡ªhe couldn¡¯t be certain which¡ªHe Yu looked to where Zhang Lifen was seated with the other core disciples. The apologetic smile she returned confirmed his earlier suspicions and told him all he needed to know.


    The fight, at least, went on a touch longer than Tan Xiaoling¡¯s previous match with Xiao Jun had. That was likely due to how much time Li Heng had spent fighting her in practice, at least giving him a good sense of her capabilities. Despite that, it was still over quickly, with Tan Xiaoling returning to her seat with a sour expression, despite her victory.


    The next match was Yan Shirong versus Cui Bao. This, too, gave He Yu a sinking feeling that Yan Shirong clearly shared. While Yan Shirong had broken through to the Third Realm shortly after their return, he¡¯d still not managed to achieve middle Body Refining. Cui Bao had reached the middle stage just before the tournament, much like Sha Xiang had.


    More importantly, Cui Bao was an aggressive fighter who relied on applying constant pressure to his opponents. It was a style that Yan Shirong was poorly suited to deal with given both the nature of his qi and the character of his arts.


    The fight went more or less as He Yu had thought it would. Cui Bao immediately went on the attack, using his movement art to get close to Yan Shirong, and never letting the comital scion open the distance back up. To his credit, Yan Shirong performed better than He Yu expected he would, using his shadow tendrils to good effect despite the close quarters. It wasn¡¯t enough though, and in the end, Yan Shirong faded to mist as one of Cui Bao¡¯s fire-edged hatchets passed through the space his head had previously occupied.


    Next up was He Yu. His opponent was a disciple named Da Ning. The name rang somewhat familiar, but he couldn¡¯t exactly place where from. Not until the noble spoke, at least.


    ¡°Peasant,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s truly a shame that Sect Brother Li lost to that foreigner, Princess Tan. I had hoped to reclaim my honor against him and repay the humiliation he¡¯d dealt me at the end of the grace. I suppose I¡¯ll just have to be satisfied with beating his dog of a manservant.¡±


    It still took a moment for He Yu to place the soft-looking noble in front of him. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, finally remembering. ¡°You were the one he beat after I had to leave. Did he really embarrass you that badly? I guess he did.¡±


    Da Ning¡¯s face reddened. ¡°I¡¯ll reclaim my honor from your peasant hide,¡± he said, practically spitting.


    He Yu shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try,¡± he said. Da Ning was still low Body Refining. He Yu himself had been steadily increasing his cultivation base and felt as though he was growing close to being able to attempt a breakthrough into the late stage. That would have to wait until after the tournament¡ªespecially since he¡¯d be able to avail himself of the more potent medicines available to inner sect disciples¡ªbut it gave him a good sense of the difference in their cultivation.


    With the sound of the gong, He Yu burst into motion. He had little interest in drawing this out¡ªhis sights were set far higher than whatever fight Da Ning could possibly put up. Carried on the winds of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, He Yu used his guandao like a spear. Da Ning tried, and failed, to muster a defense, and was only saved by activating his own movement technique.


    Even that wasn¡¯t enough. Between the control granted him by his advancement, the formations in his robe, and his further training with Fang Yingjie prior to the tournament, He Yu twisted as he hurtled past his opponent. The bladed head of his guandao swung around, clashing against Da Ning¡¯s jian. He Yu activated the Bracing Wind, further unbalancing his opponent. From there it was a simple matter to bring the Crashing Wind down upon Da Ning¡¯s helpless form.


    When Da Ning vanished, fading to mist beneath He Yu¡¯s guandao, He Yu blinked. The match was over. He¡¯d won, and easily, too. He then felt the weight of so many gathered higher realm cultivators¡¯ attention on him. He turned to the pavilion and offered a salute to the sect leader and elders, keenly aware of just how closely the gathered inner sect disciples were now watching him.


    He wondered then if he hadn¡¯t made a mistake by crushing Da Ning so quickly¡ªa part of him worried that he¡¯d just painted a target on his back, recalling what Zhang Lifen had told him about her reputation among the inner sect just before the tournament.


    It was only once He Yu had taken his seat, and Leader Zhou began to call out the final match of the day that he realized what facing Da Ning in this round meant.


    Worry pierced his heart as Sha Xiang and Chen Fei took their places across from one another.

 2.42 - Quarterfinals Pt. 2

    As the two girls went through the motions before the match began, He Yu looked to Zhang Lifen. Her features were unreadable. Was this another of her concessions? Rather than obsess, he turned his attention back to the arena.


    ¡°S¡¯pose I should thank you,¡± Sha Xiang said. ¡°Always knew Qiao Xia was weak. Now I don¡¯t have to put up with her until next year.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so mean to people, Sect Sister Sha,¡± Chen Fei said. It was something anyone who knew her well would have expected her to say, but He Yu could detect the uncertainty in her tone and posture.


    It was a bit jarring, to see them like that, He Yu thought. Chen Fei was easily twice Sha Xiang¡¯s size, standing more than a full head taller than her. Where Sha Xiang was all lean muscle and quick, snappy movements, Chen Fei was bulk and power. He Yu knew better than to underestimate Sha Xiang though¡ªshe could hit nearly as hard as anything he¡¯d taken from Chen Fei and had a cruelty to her that the larger girl simply couldn¡¯t match.


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± Sha Xiang began, ¡°I¡¯ll give you the same out that desert rat did with all her matches. Surrender. It¡¯ll be easier for us both that way.¡±


    Chen Fei frowned, seeming to find her fire. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you simply walk into the next round,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you hate everyone so much. But a lady of the Way should conduct herself better.¡±


    Sha Xiang laughed. ¡°You sound like that dumb-ass He Yu with his talk of legends and heroes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him like that,¡± Chen Fei snapped. That had clearly gotten under her skin. She looked like she was about to say something more, and He Yu desperately wanted to hear what it was¡ªhe¡¯d never expected that she¡¯d come to his defense like that. But the gong sounded, and the match began before she could.


    The arena exploded into a storm of qi. Earth, metal, mountain, and fire all battled one another, combining and overcoming as the initial exchange of techniques sent released cracks as they clashed. Immediately He Yu could tell this would be different than the fights that had come before¡ªboth girls seemed to be on fairly even footing for the time being, and the aspects they cultivated made both of them incredibly durable.


    He Yu would probably have to give Chen Fei the edge in sheer endurance, given her cultivation of three aspects that all enhanced strength and endurance, but Sha Xiang wouldn¡¯t be far behind. Then there was the matter of that technique she¡¯d used during her duel with He Yu, something she hadn¡¯t yet repeated during the tournament.


    Sha Xiang advanced, launching a fist at Chen Fei that dripped gobs of molten rock. A circle of formation characters bloomed into being, intercepting the punch. The characters flared brilliant silver under the strain, but they held, temporarily stopping Sha Xiang¡¯s momentum.


    Chen Fei lashed out with a swift kick aimed at Sha Xiang¡¯s midsection. The very air around her foot seemed to warp under the weight of the qi she¡¯d poured into her leg meridian. Sha Xiang, taking the kick on her forearm. The impact sounded like a boulder cracking and sent a wave of qi blasting out. The formation pillars at the four corners of the arena briefly flared as the arena¡¯s barrier absorbed the shockwave.


    He Yu gaped at the amount of power released from that single clash. That had been the first time the entire formation had activated.


    ¡°Little Sister Chen is far stronger than she gives herself credit for,¡± Tan Xiaoling said from next to him.


    ¡°Xiang isn¡¯t a pushover either,¡± Cui Bao said with a laugh.


    The three of them were alone in the competitors¡¯ area, now that most of the contestants had been eliminated. He Yu desperately hoped that after this fight he¡¯d be sharing it with Chen Fei.


    The two girls went back and forth for some time, each launching attacks that contained explosive amounts of power. Neither of them managed to crack the other¡¯s defenses. Sha Xiang¡¯s earth-infused skin was more than capable of weathering Chen Fei¡¯s powerful kicks and explosive punches. She was more than fast enough to solidly block Chen Fei¡¯s attacks, and whatever body enforcement technique she used did the rest.


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    Chen Fei had her family art to fall back on¡ªusing formation barriers that acted as instant shields to absorb Sha Xiang¡¯s relentless barrage of punches. As far as He Yu could tell, she hadn¡¯t yet taken a single hit. That seemed like good news, as she also had her expanded mastery of the White Mountain Body Art.


    As the fight dragged on, He Yu became increasingly convinced that Chen Fei would be able to outlast Sha Xiang. From what he¡¯d been able to gather using the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, they both had vast reserves of qi, but the formation barriers Chen Fei formed with her family art were essentially free. It took only a trickle of qi to activate a formation, so by his measure, Chen Fei came out ahead in any exchange where she defended.


    Then, Sha Xiang got a hold of her.


    It happened so fast that He Yu almost missed it. Sha Xiang feinted a quick punch aimed at Chen Fei¡¯s jaw. When she brought up her formation barrier, Sha Xiang had already adjusted. The real attack came in from the opposite side¡ªa strike to the ribs. Chen Fei was wholly unprepared for it, and although she took it well, she was still unbalanced for a moment. It was all Sha Xiang needed.


    Her hand closed around Chen Fei¡¯s throat, while the other slammed into her gut. Instinctively Chen Fei latched onto Sha Xiang¡¯s forearm in an attempt to wrench it away. Sha Xiang landed several more body shots on Chen Fei, but the larger girl seemed to take them well enough. Still, Sha Xiang kept a death grip on Chen Fei¡¯s throat. He Yu was afraid that she¡¯d run out of air soon, but the fight shifted again.


    Chen Fei¡¯s spirit surged. An explosion of mountain qi filled the arena. It was a testament to Sha Xiang¡¯s strength that she managed to maintain her grip in the face of such an overwhelming blast. Had it been better directed, it probably would have knocked her off as it had clearly been intended to. Still, it bought Chen Fei a momentary reprieve, and she activated another technique.


    Metal-aspected qi gathered around Chen Fei, forming a suit of heavy armor that was halfway a physical presence. She let go of Sha Xiang¡¯s arm and pulled back a fist. Finally, that caused Sha Xiang to release her grip. As she raised her arms to block the incoming strike, earth qi formed a protective shell around Sha Xiang¡¯s arms.


    Earth and metal qi crashed against one another and a second massive shockwave shook the arena, causing the formation barrier to flicker once more. The impact blasted Sha Xiang back, and even caused the stones beneath where they¡¯d stood to crack.


    Next to He Yu, Tan Xiaoling¡¯s normally confident demeanor had given way to visible worry. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long she can maintain that technique,¡± she said. She clearly hadn¡¯t meant to say it out loud.


    Chen Fei advanced on Sha Xiang, and He Yu immediately saw what Tan Xiaoling had meant. Already her armor seemed less real than it had a moment ago, and the spiritual weight of the technique had noticeably diminished. If he were to venture a guess, it was likely an advanced technique from the White Mountain Body Art that she had only just begun to cultivate¡ªsuch that it was usable, but only for a short time. Still, it was impressive, and it would become more powerful as she advanced.


    As Chen Fei¡¯s armor rapidly faded and the metal qi she¡¯d put into it dispersed, Sha Xiang appeared to have recovered. ¡°Neat trick,¡± she said, ¡°but not enough. Not even close.¡±


    The faint coppery scent that He Yu had noticed during Sha Xiang¡¯s last fight returned. Now, it was distinct enough that it practically matched the sulfurous scent of her magmatic blend of earth and fire. She leaped at Chen Fei, fists blazing with molten power.


    Another formation barrier appeared, and Sha Xiang slammed a fist into it, this time attacking it directly. The cracks formed in the barrier as the characters flared, but it held. Chen Fei ducked underneath her barrier once again and unleashed a savage series of blows.


    Her fist slammed into Sha Xiang¡¯s ribs, followed by a knee, another punch, and then a kick. It was a burst of speed He Yu knew full well that Chen Fei was capable of from sparring with her, but it was still always surprising to see given her bulk. Sha Xiang managed to weather the barrage and then retaliated in kind.


    The two exchanged explosive attacks with one another until Sha Xiang managed to once again get another grip on Chen Fei. This time, she caught her by the wrist. Sha Xiang pulled, sending Chen Fei stumbling forward toward her. Caught off balance, she wasn¡¯t able to get one of her formation barriers up when Sha Xiang lashed out with her free hand.


    The blow struck home, crashing into Chen Fei¡¯s face with a sickening crunch. Sha Xiang released her grip on Chen Fei¡¯s wrist, grabbed her by the hair, and slammed her into the arena floor. Stone cracked beneath her, and she struggled to push herself up, but to no avail.


    From there, Sha Xiang was relentless. With each consecutive blow, she seemed to only grow more furious, slamming punch after punch into the back of Chen Fei¡¯s head. It took a disturbingly long amount of time before, at last, Chen Fei puffed into mist and Sha Xiang¡¯s fist shattered the flagstones beneath her.


    Sha Xiang pushed herself to her feet. With the fight over, it was now apparent just how badly battered she was. She took two steps toward the contestants¡¯ seating before stumbling. She took a moment to steady herself and then left the arena. He Yu couldn¡¯t say for sure, but he¡¯d bet his last spirit stone that she was headed to the medicine hall herself.

 2.43 - Inner Sect Tournament: Semifinals

    When the remaining four contestants assembled the following day, Leader Zhou called them onto the arena floor. Sha Xiang, thanks to the availability of the inner sect¡¯s healers, appeared to have fully recovered from her fight the previous day. Both she and Cui Bao looked eager and ready to fight. A tiny part of He Yu hoped they would have to face each other. That would have been poetic justice.


    The rest of him wanted nothing more than to face Sha Xiang now. The four of them were arranged in a row, and from where she stood on the other side of Tan Xiaoling, he could practically feel her gloating. She was going to hold the fact that she¡¯d beaten Chen Fei over him, and he knew it.


    ¡°The four of you have demonstrated talent beyond even those also qualified for the inner sect,¡± Leader Zhou began. ¡°With rank comes responsibility. Both to your juniors and to the sect. Fight well, and bring honor to yourselves and the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    It took considerable effort for He Yu to keep his features schooled at Leader Zhou¡¯s mention of talent. Given what he¡¯d seen, and what both Princess Tan and Li Heng had said in the first days, that the four of them stood here now was more from design than their own ability.


    Sure, Tan Xiaoling clearly would have gotten here on her own, but what about Xiao Jun? If he hadn¡¯t fought her before qualifying for the inner sect, He Yu had no doubt that Xiao Jun would be standing here. What about Zhang Lifen¡¯s concessions? By now, He Yu was certain that Li Heng facing off against Tan Xiaoling in the last round had been part of that.


    The same was probably true about Chen Fei¡ªin her matches against both Qiao Xia and Sha Xiang. How much of the tournament results were truly up to the abilities of the disciples? The longer it had gone on, the less he thought talent mattered.


    His suspicions were confirmed, so far as he was concerned, when Leader Zhou announced the day¡¯s first match. The other two bowed, and returned to their seats, leaving him alone in the arena with Sha Xiang. Well, he¡¯d been hoping for this, hadn¡¯t he? It was time to make good.


    Across from him, Sha Xiang hopped from one foot to the other. She¡¯d always been small, much like himself, and her advancement to Body Refining hadn¡¯t changed that. It had given her a lean and well-muscled physique, and it had smoothed out some of her rougher features.


    Her arms, left bare by the sleeveless uniform she insisted on wearing, were toned and strong without being bulky. He Yu knew from their last fight and from watching her in previous rounds that she was far stronger than she looked, as were most cultivators. More importantly, she was fast.


    But so was he.


    Between his new robe, his increased proficiency with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, and now his cultivation of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, He Yu was faster than ever. Stronger, too. Perhaps most importantly, they were both fresh and at the same advancement. Although Zhang Lifen had told him he¡¯d done well, the fact that he¡¯d not managed to beat her last time had stung, and he¡¯d never forgotten that. He¡¯d been preoccupied in the time since, but now?


    ¡°Gonna beat you down like I did your girlfriend,¡± Sha Xiang said.


    He Yu said nothing. She was trying to get under his skin, and he knew it. He wasn¡¯t going to let her.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll just make sure you beg me to stop before I finish you off then,¡± she said.


    He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re cruel,¡± he said at length. ¡°And a coward, I think.¡±


    The fury that crossed her face then was the sweetest thing he¡¯d ever seen. Before she had a chance to respond, the gong sounded and the match began.


    Neither of them hesitated. In an instant, the arena surged with the qi as their presences clashed. Sha Xiang¡¯s volcanic blend of earth and fire poured out from her, carrying with it choking fumes, waves of heat, and the scent of blood. He Yu met her as the leading edge of a summer storm¡ªblack clouds heavy with rain, and the distant rumble of thunder sounding in the distance.


    She blasted across the arena towards him, using the same attack she had during the tournament at Shulin. This time, however, He Yu could see the shape of it. It was almost like time had been slowed down. It was merely a result of his cultivation¡ªshe was easily ten times faster than she had been then, but with advancement, his perception had increased to far beyond that of the mortal he¡¯d been then.


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    He Yu stepped into her attack, sweeping his guandao forward and up. She twisted away and countered with another punch aimed at his weapon. He activated the Bracing Wind, knocking her back. Slamming her fists together, she activated her body enforcement and her skin took on a rough look like hardened stone. Molten earth bled from her fists.


    ¡°First you,¡± she snarled, ¡°then the desert rat.¡±


    Earth qi coalesced into a mass of stone about a foot across. For an instant, it floated there in front of Sha Xiang¡ªbefore she punched it. The stone shattered, exploding into a shower of sharp, jagged shards that sprayed toward He Yu.


    He poured wind qi into his legs¡ªactivating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight¡ªand into his guandao. The Bracing Wind rushed outward from him, but he still took a few minor nicks from the shards. He activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. Heaven qi surged through his meridians and crackled along the length of his guandao. His skin took on the faint shine of his body art, and tiny flickers of heaven qi danced along his arms.


    The blade flashed, and Sha Xiang reacted just an instant too late. The attack scored a line of red that ran from her ribs to her waist. Although she¡¯d managed to move enough that she¡¯d avoided the worst of it, it was a solid hit that would leave her weakened for the rest of the fight.


    With the fluid, sweeping motions Fang Yingjie drilled into him, He Yu transitioned into a follow-up. He brought the blade back around, this time coming in from above. The downward strike roared with the Crashing Wind, and this time Sha Xiang was too close to avoid it.


    So she did the only thing she could, and attacked. An earth-infused fist slammed into his ribs. His new body technique was probably the only reason she didn¡¯t shatter every single one of them on the side she hit. The qi from her attack blasted him away from her, and he had to use the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight to catch himself. She was on him in an instant¡ªdelivering a rain of blows that took all the speed he could muster to defend against.


    As her fists crashed into his guandao¡¯s haft again and again, the only thing he could think of was Chen Fei lying on the ground and helpless under a similar barrage. As much as he had wanted to finally and truly humble Sha Xiang for himself, in that moment it seemed almost more pressing that he do it for Chen Fei.


    Whatever he felt for her¡ªsomething he still hadn¡¯t managed to sort out yet¡ªand whether or not she returned it, was irrelevant. He hadn¡¯t given her that mid-grade spirit stone out of any attempt to win her over. His motives had been more straightforward than that. He simply didn¡¯t want anyone in his small circle of friends or companions or whatever they were left behind.


    Two visions had come to him time and again during his meditations¡ªhimself standing alone on a mountain peak, and the same but with companions. Those companions had been distant, but they¡¯d been there, which was more than he¡¯d had back home. He knew which he preferred.


    The swirling mass of wind and heaven qi in his dantian pulsed, then cycled just that little bit faster. He stood upon the steps leading to the Heavenly Palace. He wasn¡¯t yet very far up, only a handful of steps on a path that stretched to the heavens themselves. But he was no longer at their foot. Behind him stood Sha Xiang, shrouded in darkness and standing in a rust-red field.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be alone sooner than you think,¡± He Yu said. He swept out with his guandao, the blade trailing crackling sparks of heaven qi behind it.


    ¡°Good,¡± she spat. ¡°Anyone who can¡¯t keep up with me deserves to be left behind.¡±


    Sha Xiang¡¯s fists surged with earth and fire qi, dripping motes of flame that burned the flagstones beneath her. Something in the feeling of her spirit stirred¡ªthe same wrongness he¡¯d felt when she used that Four Demon Fists technique during their last fight, but stronger.


    Stronger, and¡ªnot less wrong, but somehow more integrated. It fit her better than it had previously. Whatever it was, it had changed. He couldn¡¯t say how for sure, and the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment gave him no real insight.


    ¡°Then why are you holding back?¡± he demanded, advancing with a series of vertical sweeps, driving her back toward the edge of the arena.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it to beat you,¡± she snapped, clearly growing more angry.


    ¡°No?¡± he asked. ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you beaten me without it?¡± He didn¡¯t know what ¡°it¡± was, but clearly, it had something to do with that sense of wrongness about her.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, growing calm like she had the last time they¡¯d fought. ¡°I¡¯d wanted to save this for the final round, but I guess if it¡¯ll shut that fucking mouth of yours, I¡¯ll use it now.¡±


    A gathering of qi rippled down her arms, adding bulk and muscle and power. The dark, foreign qi also coursed along her body and overlaid itself on her legs as well. She seemed to grow fractionally larger and gained that same sense of danger as before. Like towards the end of her fight with Chen Fei, the scent of blood became mixed into the volcanic aspect of her spirit.


    ¡°I hope you remember this technique, He Yu. I can use it now. You haven¡¯t been the only one to trip over gifts from the heavens this past winter,¡± she said.


    He did remember it. The wrong-feeling qi churned and coursed through her spirit. He could, for the briefest instant, see another spiritual presence laid over Sha Xiang¡¯s as she activated the Four Demon Fists.

 2.44 - Semifinals Pt. 2

    Sha Xiang took a step forward. She crossed a distance of more than ten feet in an instant, slamming a burning stone fist into the center of He Yu¡¯s chest. A blast of qi accompanied the blow, and the next thing he knew he was sailing back, struggling to take even the shallowest of panicked panting gulps of air.


    She¡¯d gotten faster and shockingly stronger. Zhang Lifen had said that Sha Xiang had damaged her cultivation the last time she¡¯d used this technique. There was no way that could be true if she was still this strong¡ªbecause if it were true, He Yu didn¡¯t want to think about what that punch would have done to him otherwise.


    At least he¡¯d gotten stronger, too. His robe and guandao, the months spent training under Old Guo, the fortune he¡¯d spent on cultivation resources since his return¡ªall of it added up. He caught himself with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and touched down on the far side of the arena. Already Sha Xiang was hurtling towards him, one arm pulled back and ready to launch another of her devastating punches.


    He cycled qi to his lungs and his breathing steadied. It was an uncomfortable sensation, feeling his bones knit themselves back onto his sternum. It was also a massive expenditure of qi. He didn¡¯t have much other choice. There was no way he¡¯d have been able to put up any kind of fight otherwise.


    He just needed to trust that all his training and medicines had done their job, and given him enough of a cultivation base to outlast Sha Xiang¡ªbecause nobody would be stepping in to end the fight this time. The elders had all seen what she¡¯d just done and probably knew exactly what her newfound power was. If they hadn¡¯t stopped it already, they simply weren¡¯t going to. He Yu was on his own.


    Heaven and wind qi coursed through He Yu¡¯s meridians, empowering the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. He blasted across the arena with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, guandao raised, and met her in a crash of qi. Their presences slammed into one another. Clouds burst and released a deafening crack of thunder that rolled across the burning earth below. Lightning flashed deep within the darkened clouds, while something massive and wrong moved within the banks of steam that hissed away from the molten glowing rock. The earth belched fire, and molten stones erupted from steaming vents.


    When the two of them broke off from their exchange, a cracked and broken crater marked the center of the arena, its center blackened and smoking. He Yu ached all over. His arms were sore and his hands were still a bit numb from taking so many blows on the haft of his guandao. His left eye was beginning to swell shut, and he tasted blood in his mouth. At least nothing was broken this time.


    On the far side of the scarred flagstones left by their clash, Sha Xiang didn¡¯t look much better. Her uniform had several more dark stains spreading across it and was covered in black scorch marks. Yet more blood dripped from her left arm, which dangled at her side. Her chest heaved with each breath, and she blinked sweat, dirt, and yet more blood away from her eyes. As she flexed and straightened herself once more, He Yu was a bit disappointed to see that she still had use of both arms. The injury would still slow her down, though.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna¡ª¡± her words were half speech, half-animal growl.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t about to let her finish. His guandao slammed down on her with a blast of wind and with lightning sparking all around them. Although she managed to bring her arms up into a block, sending a wave of earth and fire qi out with the impact, the blow still caused her to stagger back. He Yu¡¯s follow-up strike was aimed directly at her neck. He was dangerously low on qi and needed to end this.


    Sha Xiang grabbed the haft of his guandao in both hands. She wrenched it aside, attempting to throw him to the ground. Although she did cause him to stumble, He Yu both kept his feet and a grip on the weapon. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering may have been focused more on speed than anything else, but along with his Third Realm body, it still gave him strength enough.


    With another nearly animal snarl, Sha Xiang spat a gob of blood at He Yu¡¯s face. Then she slammed her forehead into his nose. His vision burst into color and pain, and as he reeled back she used her grip on his weapon to shove him away. Something hard and hot hit him just below the ribs. Even before the air had fully left his lungs, another blow crashed into the side of his head. Then he was on the ground, his fingertips just brushing against the metal haft of his weapon. He blinked to clear his vision and froze at what he saw.


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    Sha Xiang stood over him, bloody and nearly broken herself. The wrongful presence that had joined her qi upon activating the Four Demon Fists was more intense now. He Yu could practically hear it¡ªhowling laughter at the edge of hearing, thirsting for violence and the suffering of those it deemed lesser.


    The shadow laid over her had been joined by a second pair of arms. They were still insubstantial, and not powerful enough to yet be of any use, but he could still clearly make them out with his spiritual sense. It was almost as if the sheer act of fighting was giving her increased mastery of her technique without needing to meditate on the insights. If she truly was growing stronger as the fight progressed, that was a huge problem.


    Then, she pounced. Her hands were extended like claws, and the qi of her technique had formed black spikes at the ends of her fingers. He Yu poured everything he had left into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. Heaven qi danced across his skin as he moved. Sha Xiang slammed into the ground where he¡¯d been an instant before, shattering the stones beneath her. Before she could attack again, He Yu called the winds.


    The Crashing Wind curled around his blade, carrying tiny flashes of heavenly sparks. His dantian ached and felt empty. His meridians strained as he tried to push what little trickle of qi he had left into his attack. Sha Xiang reached up, aiming for the haft just behind the incoming blade. He Yu shifted the attack, flowing into a quick form of the Bracing Wind. His meridians screamed in protest.


    The reinforced metal cap struck her in the side of the head, and He Yu looped the blade back around. From somewhere he somehow managed to find enough qi to activate one last formation of the Crashing Wind. Sha Xiang puffed to mist as his blade bit into her neck.


    He Yu¡¯s chest heaved and he had to brace himself on his weapon to keep from toppling over. He¡¯d done it. He had fought her at full strength on even footing, and he¡¯d won. Surely this would be the end of it. She could leave him and his friends alone, and they could go their separate ways cultivating in peace. It was a pleasant thought. As he turned to face the pavilion and deliver a salute to the elders, he stumbled. Then, he hit the ground. The world went dark as his qi finally sputtered out.


    When He Yu awoke, he was in the medicine hall. He¡¯d been here enough times to recognize it easily. He was alone, and he¡¯d no idea how long he¡¯d been out. He looked down at himself and then took a deep and steady breath. He was mostly healed¡ªthere were a few bruises that would fade with a night¡¯s worth of cultivation.


    He could feel the last bits of medicinal energy crackling through his meridians. Whatever the inner sect healer had given him, it had been of a far higher quality than anything he¡¯d ever had before. He groaned and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Outside in the hall, he heard a brief exchange of whispers.


    A moment later, a soft but confident knock came at the door. ¡°Sect Brother He,¡± came the voice¡ªTan Xiaoling.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he said, scrambling to figure out what she could possibly want.


    She was alone. He¡¯d hoped that maybe she¡¯d come with Chen Fei. She stood at the door, regarding him with that sharp, appraising look of hers, before giving a brief nod.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re well,¡± she said.


    ¡°Same,¡± he answered, still not used to how fast he¡¯d recovered. ¡°Pardon, but why are you here.¡±


    ¡°I won my match against Sect Brother Cui easily enough,¡± she said. Somehow, that didn¡¯t surprise him in the least. ¡°We will be facing one another in the finals tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not why you¡¯re here,¡± he said. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment had indicated as much, and he had his suspicions about why she¡¯d come. He let her say it herself, though.


    ¡°Once the match has begun and I have struck a decent blow, you may surrender without losing face. I won¡¯t be so crass as to shame you and ask your surrender in the arena, but I wanted you to know that the option remains.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t know quite what to feel about that. On the one hand, she clearly respected him enough to¡ªin her mind, at least¡ªallow him the pretense of standing as her equal. At the same time, it was more than a bit insulting that she thought he needed such an out. That he was so weak that he wasn¡¯t worth even fighting.


    ¡°Why,¡± he demanded. It had come out with a good measure more heat than he¡¯d intended, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to care.


    Tan Xiaoling considered him for a moment. She remained still. Poised. The picture of propriety and a lady of the Way. At length, when she did speak, she did so slowly as though she were carefully considering her words. ¡°I do not want to hurt you. More so, I do not want to hurt Chen Fei.¡±


    He Yu blinked. That hadn¡¯t been at all what he¡¯d expected.


    ¡°She cares about you,¡± Tan Xiaoling continued before He Yu could say anything. ¡°She was¡ªvery upset today. After your fight. She is my friend,¡± the princess said. Her voice was a bit strained, as if this were something she had difficulty giving voice to. At least to him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her upset. I don¡¯t want to cause her any undue distress.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to throw the match.¡±


    Again, Tan Xiaoling was quiet for some time. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, yet earnest. ¡°I am royalty of the Jade Kingdom. I am the only child of Tan Zihao. When I fight, I do not hold back.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, princess, I don¡¯t either.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling nodded. ¡°Just so,¡± she said. ¡°Rest well, then, and consider what I¡¯ve said. For Chen Fei¡¯s sake, if not your own.¡±


    With that, she turned and left. For a long time, He Yu sat on the edge of the medicine hall bed, unsure of exactly how to feel.

 2.45 - Final Round

    When they took the stage on the final day of the tournament, the only acknowledgment of their conversation that Tan Xiaoling gave was a brief nod. She had to know that he wouldn¡¯t concede the match. When she saluted him, the only words she had were, ¡°It will be an honor to exchange pointers, Sect Brother He.¡± While Tan Xiaoling¡¯s features were hard, he could hear the sincerity in her words.


    ¡°Likewise, Princess Tan.¡± It was the least he could do, to show her proper respect.


    Although He Yu had felt Tan Xiaoling¡¯s presence through the formation barrier in the previous matches, facing down the full power of her spirit was a different thing altogether. Before the crash of the gong had faded away, the arena was consumed by howling winds bearing thousands of razor-sharp shards of metal and sand.


    Li Heng had told him what being in Tan Xiaoling¡¯s sandstorm was like, but it did nothing to prepare him for the experience. Dozens of tiny cuts opened on his skin every second, and his body naturally began its healing process, bleeding a fraction of his qi reserves to do so.


    Regardless of any other factors of strength, technique, cultivation base¡ªanything¡ªthat alone put the match on a countdown. She could simply hide and wait for him to run out of qi if she wanted.


    Or at the very least wait until he was too weak to fight back properly.


    Li Heng had said he always had the option of blocking his own body¡¯s healing, however. That would conserve the qi, but then the sandstorm would tear him to shreds. He could only imagine what a technique like this would do to someone still in at the Foundation stage. They¡¯d be helpless in the time it would take to draw only a few breaths.


    Of course, that was just the effect of her technique. The weight of her presence was similarly overbearing. The sensations He Yu had felt back when he¡¯d first encountered her spirit were still there, just amplified and made more complete. Tan Xiaoling was like a desert¡ªsun-scorched dunes and shimmering heat. Her spirit sapped the strength of all who entered, and her sandstorm stripped flesh away from bone. Hanging over it all was the sharp edge of her killing intent, like a knife pressed to He Yu¡¯s throat.


    Heat from fire, sharpness from metal, and wind to carry the storm¡ªthat was the shape of Tan Xiaoling''s cultivation base. Somewhere in those aspects lay He Yu¡¯s path to victory. Tan Xiaoling used wind in much the same way He Yu used heaven. While wind may be the driving force behind her technique, it wasn¡¯t the core of it. Her cultivation base was primarily metal in its aspect.


    He Yu activated the Bracing Wind. The sandstorm blasted away from him, and for an instant, he was in a pocket of clear air. He wouldn¡¯t be able to keep this up long though¡ªthe techniques of the Five Crescent Winds weren¡¯t made to be sustained. The storm was thick all around him and impossible to see through. All he knew was that somewhere close by, Tan Xiaoling stalked him. He cast out his perception, aided by the Peerless Judgment.


    He Yu saw nothing. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was dry. The Peerless Judgment had never failed him before, and he¡¯d come to rely on it as a result. Now he was as functionally blind as anyone else.


    A spike of danger caused him to turn. Tan Xiaoling burst from the storm just as the Bracing Wind collapsed back in on itself. She carried a bubble of calm with her¡ªan oasis at the center of her desert. Amid the dense foliage of that oasis stalked a tiger.


    Flames licked the edges of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s paired dao sabers, and as she emerged, the sense of danger that followed her everywhere became a nearly physical weight pressing down on He Yu. It was only thanks to the speed granted by the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering that he managed to bring his guandao up in time.


    Li Heng had always said Tan Xiaoling was strong. He Yu had assumed he meant in spirit more than anything else. Her presence had already been well-formed while she was still at the peak of Foundation, after all. He Yu had likewise used Sha Xiang as his measure of physical strength, especially after being on the receiving end of her fists. Strong almost seemed to be an insult when applied to Tan Xiaoling, given how woefully inadequate it was as a descriptor.


    The paired dao came down onto the metal haft of He Yu¡¯s guandao with a force like a collapsing mountain. The attack drove him to the ground and pushed him to one knee. It was all he could do to pour qi into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, just so that his defense didn¡¯t completely collapse under the weight of her blow. The shock from the impact made his arms go numb, and the explosion of qi had left a spider¡¯s web of cracks in the stones beneath him.


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    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s foot slammed into him, sending him sailing across the arena. He Yu crashed into the formation barrier at the boundary before he could right himself with his movement technique. Before he¡¯d even hit the ground, Tan Xiaoling was on him again. Her sabers flashed, this time heavy with killing intent.


    He Yu pushed all the qi he could through his meridians, activating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight in an uncontrolled burst of wind qi. He had no thought other than to get away from this monster bearing down on him.


    Once more he was engulfed by the mass of wind and sand. Although he had to bleed yet more qi to heal the constant barrage of tiny razor shards, at least he was away from Tan Xiaoling for the moment. He knew he had only an instant before she was on him again. Li Heng had mentioned that her sight didn¡¯t seem to be impaired by the storm, and there was some truth to that. She¡¯d found him easily enough, after all. But she also carried a pocket of calm with her.


    That familiar sense of danger spiked again, and an instant later Tan Xiaoling emerged from the storm. Rather than defend, He Yu ran.


    He shot off into the storm again¡ªhe needed a moment, an instant, just to think. There had to be something.


    Tan Xiaoling followed. It didn¡¯t seem to matter that he could use the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and its control of wind qi to somewhat protect himself from the sand. It wasn¡¯t as effective as the Bracing Wind had been, but it was more sustainable so long as he kept moving.


    Even with his own little pocket of clear air, Tan Xiaoling seemed to be able to track him just as well as if he left himself exposed. He supposed that he could always just keep running, but he had no doubt that he¡¯d run out of qi long before she did. Besides, he wasn¡¯t that much faster than she was. He could be certain that she¡¯d adjust quickly enough and catch him anyway.


    When she burst from the sand the next time, and very nearly took off his head, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t get another chance. Running would only delay the inevitable. This time he kept moving, burning more qi than he would have if he¡¯d just stayed in the storm, but at least this way he wouldn¡¯t be caught out so easily. As he darted around within the sandstorm, using wind qi to keep his surroundings as clear as he could, he chanced to look up.


    The sky above was clear.


    He Yu shot straight up. After only about twenty feet or so, he found himself above the storm. He had maybe a few seconds at best before the law of earth overpowered his technique and he fell back into the storm, but with his cultivation of the Peerless Judgment that was more than enough time to at least gather his thoughts. Below, the sandstorm truly filled the arena¡ªall except one spot. Tan Xiaoling stood at the center of a pocket of calm, only about ten feet across. She stood motionless. Poised and ready to attack or defend, but motionless. As though she didn¡¯t know where he was.


    Surely she had to have seen him?


    He activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. When the answer came, it seemed so obvious.


    She couldn¡¯t see through the storm after all. She could clearly track her enemies within the storm, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a technique, but she couldn¡¯t see them. He Yu recalled that Fang Yingjie had spoken of being able to sense the movement of winds during their training sessions. Tan Xiaoling must be using something similar. After all, it was her qi that created the storm. Her qi created the shards that relentlessly dug into her foes within it. She likely had some mental map of where everything was within it¡ªbut if her target wasn¡¯t actually in the storm, she would lose track of them.


    Why she hadn¡¯t sensed him leave the storm, he couldn¡¯t say. But it was clear she hadn¡¯t. It was also clear he wouldn¡¯t get a second chance.


    Just as the pull of the earth took hold once again, He Yu activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Using the momentum of his fall, he angled himself at the clear spot with Tan Xiaoling at the center.


    Around the end of his guandao, held forward like a spear, he gathered the Rushing Wind. The strength and speed of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering were evident in the crackling sparks of heaven along the length of his weapon, and trailing behind his descent. He poured qi into his meridians and his techniques.


    Tan Xiaoling looked up and met his gaze. There was nothing in her eyes of what He Yu had come to expect when fighting the likes of Sha Xiang, a cruel and sadistic fighter who delighted in making her opponents suffer. Even King Hao, until the end, had seemed to delight in the struggle. Li Heng had always displayed an easy confidence when they sparred.


    Tan Xiaoling was simply ambivalent. No cruelty, no malice¡ªjust a cold sort of certainty. This was just another fight to her, and fighting was what she did. When He Yu saw that something within him shuddered. Not in fear, but something beyond emotion. Something he didn¡¯t have time to examine because he was already upon her.


    She raised her paired dao, crossing them to meet his attack. He Yu slammed into her with an explosion of wind and heaven. It was like colliding into the side of a mountain at full speed. She didn¡¯t even flinch.


    As she returned her sabers to their ready positions, her sandstorm died around her. She didn¡¯t attack. Instead, she let him recover from crashing into her, and the shock of his technique meeting an unmovable object. As he fell into his own stance, heaven qi coursing through his meridians, she nodded to him.


    Tan Xiaoling inclined her head and asked, ¡°Shall we finish this, Sect Brother He?¡±

 2.46 - Final Round Pt. 2

    He Yu held his guandao at the ready. His only response was to nod in return. Words failed him. How was he supposed to beat someone like this? Not even when he¡¯d been training with Old Guo had he encountered such overwhelming strength. The old cultivator had limited his advancement to the late Third Realm, so He Yu had never come close to matching him, but even that hadn¡¯t felt as horrifically one-sided as this.


    When she came at him again, she did so with a certainty that went beyond mere confidence. The twinned dao sabers sent fiery sparks into the air as they clashed against his guandao. With each exchange, she pushed him further back. Closer to the edge of the arena, and closer to the edge of defeat. But He Yu couldn¡¯t allow himself to become occupied with that¡ªthere was something else that had become more pressing. It was there, contained somewhere in the way she fought. Not her movements. Not her techniques. Something deeper. Something beyond.


    As her sabers flashed against He Yu¡¯s increasingly shaky defense, his desperation only increased. The more desperate he became, the harder he tried to keep himself from making a mistake, the less it seemed to matter. Like all his efforts meant nothing.


    Tan Xiaoling launched another flurry of strikes at him. As they battered his rapidly failing defenses, some small distant part of He Yu¡¯s mind could only marvel at just how casual she was. How effortlessly she was beating him into the ground. Sure, she may have a stage advancement on him, but they were in the same realm still. She should at least have to try.


    That¡¯s when it finally hit him. She wasn¡¯t trying. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment shuddered once again, and for an instant he found himself standing at the base of a stair reaching to heaven. Dozens of tiny moments from the past year flooded into him. He recalled the way Zhang Lifen moved as though she flowed, and the world flowed with her. The way Fang Yingjie had moved like the wind during their lessons together. The way Old Guo stood against any and all attacks from the three disciples like a tree that had stood in that very same way for a thousand years or more.


    Each of them had their feet planted firmly on the Way. He Yu let go¡ªstopped trying. If Tan Xiaoling was so overpowering because rather than trying, she simply fought¡ªthen he would do the same.


    Her paired dao flashed out yet again, this time with a slight delay between them. The first knocked the guandao out of He Yu¡¯s hands, and the second scored a searing red line across his ribs.


    Some distance away, the guandao clattered to the flagstones. He Yu did everything he could to push aside the pain, and the utter embarrassment. That had been stupid. Who fought without trying? At least his techniques gave him the necessary speed to recover his weapon before she punished him too much. He did take a couple of nicks on the way, and his robes gained a few scorch marks, but he managed to rearm himself all the same.


    He hadn¡¯t been entirely wrong though. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace had reacted to his insight. There had to be something there. If only he could grasp what, it could be the key to matching her. She had come to him the night before, and spoken something of herself¡ªshe was a princess of the Jade Kingdom, and the daughter of Tan Zihao. She didn¡¯t hold back. Was that the key?


    If it was, then who was he?


    Again, Tan Xiaoling crashed into him, sabers sparking and glinting with knife-edge danger. He Yu tried to push the panic and desperation from his mind.


    He Yu was a small boy, a weak boy. The son of a blacksmith whose head was filled with stories of old, of legends of heroes and villains alike. He imagined himself the former. He had taken it upon himself to begin cultivating, but it was only after his father, He Gang, had helped him awaken that his cultivation had amounted to anything. Despite that, Shulin¡¯s resident expert had refused to teach him.


    Still, he tried.


    Then, Zhang Lifen had come. She had put him before an impossible challenge¡ªa tournament where he was the weakest of all. Yet he still fought. He endured a humiliating beating at Sha Xiang¡¯s hands, but Zhang Lifen had known he would lose. That had been the point, after all.


    He had passed her test the moment he stepped onto the stage.


    Over the past year, he¡¯d risen to face odds that ought to have broken him. Coming to Tan Xiaoling¡¯s aid against four cultivators who were all individually a match for him. Going after a bandit king despite being a realm below. Training his presence before any other sane cultivator would try such a thing. And all for what?


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    Because he wanted to be a hero of legend. What, then, was the measure of a hero?


    He Yu thought back to the stories. To the legends. To all the times the heroes faced down impossible odds and certain death. Not infrequently the legends ended with a last stand, where the heroes sacrificed themselves to save those they protected.


    Against a foe beyond their means, they stood regardless.


    That was the measure of a hero.


    The gates of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace opened. He Yu¡¯s dantian pulsed, as a tiny ephemeral spark took root within his spirit. He Yu wished he could examine this change¡ªthe insights would likely propel him well into the late Body Refining stage, he was sure. Instead, he turned his attention outward. Tan Xiaoling had stopped her assault and stood just out of his weapon¡¯s reach.


    ¡°Congratulations, Sect Brother He.¡± Although her lips had quirked upwards in that half smirk of hers, her words were sincere.


    ¡°What, happened?¡± he asked. He couldn¡¯t help himself¡ªshe obviously knew.


    ¡°Ask your mentor when this is over,¡± was all she said.


    With a blast of dry heat and sharp death, Tan Xiaoling was upon him again. This time, he met her blow-for-blow. He wasn¡¯t any stronger. Nor was he any faster. He was just more himself.


    It was hard to understand. His movements were almost automatic, but somehow not. He was still in control, but it was like he no longer needed to think about what he needed or wanted to do. Like he moved with some deeper aspect of his own nature.


    Tan Xiaoling came at him in a cyclone of deadly flashing steel. He Yu deflected her first strike and spun away from the second. With a brief activation of his movement technique, he was behind her. Tiny sparks crackled in the wind of his techniques. Wind howled, and He Yu struck.


    Just as she twisted away and spun to face him once more, he could see the red stain spreading along the back of her robe. It was almost as satisfying as the brief moment that he caught her expression. Shock flickered across her features. It was gone in an instant, but he¡¯d seen it.


    True to her nature, Tan Xiaoling said nothing. She did not taunt him. Did not admonish. She made no display of anger, or fear, or anything else. She simply attacked.


    The fight had taken on a different character now. She summoned her sandstorm once again, but this time she did not use it to stalk him. The pocket of clear space around her was all but gone. They fought within the howling mass of wind and sand and razor metal. Their blades clashed, sending cracking explosions of heaven and fire rolling over the arena. Each time they struck, their qi would blast the storm away, only for it to collapse back in¡ªjust in time for another exchange to disrupt it again.


    They both wrestled the winds, vying for control. He Yu tried to maintain a space around them, while Tan Xiaoling sought to collapse it. He would dash away or around her, only for her to pull him back in. As they fought, each of them accrued more and more tiny injuries. He Yu couldn¡¯t think of any other time¡ªexcept when she¡¯d faced down three cultivators of her own realm, and one with a full realm advantage, all at once¡ªwhen he¡¯d even seen Tan Xiaoling endure so much as a scratch.


    Now? She was bloody, and breathing heavily. The only problem was that he was in much worse shape. The boost he¡¯d gotten from the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace was all but gone now, and his qi reserves were almost fully depleted.


    While He Yu flagged, each of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s blows carried more of her killing intent than the last. He had tried to imbue his attacks with the same, but that had been a disaster. Whatever strange state of calm flow he¡¯d entered had faltered, and he found himself on the back foot almost instantly. He¡¯d taken a deep wound from that one, and it had been slowing him down ever since.


    Tan Xiaoling leveled one of her sabers at him. Above her, a spear formed of black qi. It blazed with a fiery corona and gleamed with killing intent. It was the same technique that she¡¯d used against Xiao Jun, but it wasn¡¯t as stable as it had been then. Still, the amount of power that it exuded was far more than He Yu knew he could handle.


    She released her technique. It streaked towards him, and he raised his guandao to meet it. He poured every drop of qi he had left into his weapon. Into his body art. Into every single technique he could think of, all in a desperate attempt to stop Tan Xiaoling¡¯s spear of unerring death aimed at his heart.


    He Yu thrust his guandao forward. Metal, heaven, and fire all blasted away in an explosion of wind. Flagstones cracked. Metal screamed. He Yu¡¯s guandao shattered.


    Tan Xiaoling simply stared, her expression asking a single silent question.


    ¡°A hero doesn¡¯t give up,¡± was all He Yu said. It was all he could manage to say.


    He stooped and picked up the largest piece of his weapon he could find. It was little more than a jagged spike of shattered metal. He settled into the best approximation of Li Heng¡¯s sword stance he could manage. His dantian ached¡ªit was nearly empty and he was on the verge of collapse. His meridians screamed in protest as he sent the bare trickle of qi he could manage through them, activating the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering once again. With his make-shift weapon in hand, he rushed the Jade Princess.


    Her first strike opened He Yu¡¯s arm from elbow to wrist. He dropped his spike. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s second strike nearly took off his arm. She kicked him in the leg, sending him staggering. As her saber slid into his gut, and pain exploded in every part of his being, she looked him in the eyes. As He Yu¡¯s vision faded to a brilliant white, he saw that her expression was simply one of relief.

 2.47 - Promotions and Beyond

    He Yu awoke in the medicine hall for the second time in as many days. As he opened his eyes, he was greeted by an unexpected sight. Chen Fei sat next to the bed, worry plain on her features. In one corner, Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng spoke softly to one another. Yan Shirong sat near the door, reading.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake,¡± Chen Fei said, her voice filled with relief.


    Tan Xiaoling moved to the side of the bed and bowed far lower than was strictly appropriate over a salute. ¡°Sect Brother He,¡± she said. ¡°It was an honor to exchange techniques with you.¡±


    Yan Shirong scoffed. ¡°The both of you were showing off by the end there,¡± he said, but there was no malice or envy in it. If He Yu were to venture a guess, there was more than a little bit of awe.


    ¡°True enough,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°It¡¯s a shame about the guandao, though.


    He Yu ignored them both, simply staring at Tan Xiaoling in disbelief. He did the best he could to return the gesture, from his position in the medicine hall bed. ¡°It was an honor, Princess.¡±


    He desperately wanted to ask her about what had happened during the fight¡ªabout the insight he¡¯d gained. The sense of whatever had taken root in his spirit during the fight remained, but it lay dormant. Tan Xiaoling had told him to ask Zhang Lifen about it. He could do that. He could wait. He already had more questions for Zhang Lifen than he could count, and now that the tournament was over and he was a member of the inner sect, he wasn¡¯t about to let her keep dodging them.


    ¡°Sect Sister Tan will suffice,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°We¡¯re peers now, after all. You¡¯re only two ranks behind me in the inner sect.¡±


    ¡°Wait, they¡¯ve announced the rankings already? How long has it been?¡± From what He Yu could remember, the rankings would have been announced the day after the tournament concluded.


    ¡°They postponed the ceremony,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°After three days, and with you still out, they announced the rankings. You¡¯ve been asleep for five days in all.¡±


    Five days. That explained why Chen Fei had been so worried. He Yu turned to her. She was still sitting next to his bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to upset you but I just couldn¡¯t give up. I had to see what I could do. I¡¯d made it that far, and what if I¡¯d won?¡± It all came out in a rush. As he spoke, Chen Fei looked down and away. He Yu clamped his mouth shut, suddenly feeling terribly self-conscious himself.


    Fortunately, Li Heng inserted himself. ¡°We can talk about the tournament itself later. Don¡¯t you want to know how all the rankings shook out?¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t have agreed to that any faster. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s performance had earned her a rank of six hundred twelve, and his own a rank of six hundred fourteen. Sha Xiang and Cui Bao were ranked six hundred twenty and twenty-one respectively. He Yu was surprised to learn that among those eliminated in the quarterfinals, Chen Fei had been ranked the highest at six hundred twenty-eight. Li Heng had earned the six-hundred-thirtieth position.


    He Yu learned the difference between them was mostly due to their match-ups¡ªChen Fei had performed better against her opponent than Li Heng had, but Li Heng had placed higher than Yan Shirong and Da Ning because he¡¯d been defeated by the tournament champion. Da Ning was ranked six hundred thirty-three, and Yan Shirong six hundred thirty-five.


    ¡°I feel a bit bad for Qiao Xia,¡± Chen Fei said after Li Heng had finished relaying the rankings.


    ¡°Why?¡± He Yu asked. Of all people to feel bad for her, he¡¯d have expected Chen Fei to be the last.


    ¡°Her friends are in the inner sect now. It will be at least another year before she can see them again.¡±


    ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll miss them all that much,¡± Li Heng said dryly.


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    Before they could continue with their discussion of rankings and who was¡ªand wasn¡¯t¡ªnow a part of the inner sect, the doors of the room slid open. Zhang Lifen entered and looked over the assembled disciples.


    ¡°Congratulations all of you,¡± she said with a smile. One of her rare genuine ones. ¡°You all performed admirably, and within expectations.¡±


    As the chorus of thanks, accompanied by salutes rippled through the room, He Yu added one more question to the pile. What exactly did she mean by expectations?


    ¡°While I¡¯m sure you all would like nothing more than to celebrate your success, I need a moment with my disciple,¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯ll release him to you soon enough.¡±


    The four inner sect disciples filtered out, with Chen Fei casting one final look and a smile to He Yu over her shoulder before she left. He was a bit too caught out to smile back.


    ¡°Good,¡± Zhang Lifen said with a clap once they were alone. ¡°Now, get up. I¡¯ll show you to your new home. You don¡¯t strictly need me to escort you, as the key has a formation you¡¯re already familiar with, but it will give us a chance to speak.¡±


    ¡°Get up? Aren¡¯t I still injured? And what key?¡± He wasn¡¯t going to complain though. Despite the hard turn, it seemed that he might finally get some answers from her.


    ¡°Key''s the jade badge on the table. Just like the one for your old house. As for your injuries, take this.¡± Zhang Lifen flicked her wrist and a pill box appeared before He Yu. He snatched it from the air and cracked it open. Immediately the medicinal scent filled the room, and He Yu could feel the qi practically gushing from the pill.


    He popped the pill in his mouth and bit down. Qi flooded his meridians. The remaining traces of his injuries rapidly faded, but there was still more qi¡ªquickly threatening to break from his control.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t kill you,¡± Zhang Lifen said, with a less than comforting grin. ¡°You¡¯ll have to cultivate as we walk in order to keep it from producing a backlash.¡±


    That practically went without saying. He Yu snatched up the badge sitting on the table next to the bed and followed Zhang Lifen out of the medicine hall. With the insights of the Peerless Judgment that came as he tried to control the raging qi within, he saw her pill for what it was¡ªmore a ploy to keep him quiet than anything else.


    ¡°Get used to that, by the way. It¡¯s a Grade IV Qi Alignment pill. Normally we give them out once a month to inner sect disciples who have reached Golden Core. Thanks to Old Guo, your presence is developed enough that you can make use of them now. Although, I should warn you that you won¡¯t be getting one once a month. Every other month at most. More than that, and it likely would kill you.¡±


    That was¡ªalarming, if He Yu were truthful. After a moment, he managed to wrestle the energies of the pill down enough that he felt he could speak. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I shouldn¡¯t be stuffing myself with elixirs?¡±


    ¡°I did, but the further you advance, the more important elixirs will become. Besides, things have changed. Don¡¯t ask,¡± she said, flicking one of her sleeves. ¡°I¡¯ll explain in the coming days, I promise. For now, it¡¯s important we sort a few things out before I start answering any questions.¡±


    He Yu nodded silently. Thankfully he was growing accustomed to the pill, and while he still needed to concentrate on cycling his cultivation base, it no longer threatened to break free of his control. With his whole concentration no longer occupied, he realized for the first time that his surroundings were unfamiliar.


    He was still in the Shrouded Peaks, with the ever-present clouds and mist obscuring the sky. But he was also on a different, higher mountain. The misty gray blanket was noticeably denser here, and the whole feel of everything was more charged. Natural qi was even more abundant than it had been on the outer sect mountain.


    What few disciples he caught sight of in the rolling cloud banks were all older than what he was used to seeing. Still young-looking, in that way immortals were, but with a sense of age beyond their appearance. Each one moved with an unnatural grace or power or smoothness. They exuded the sort of confidence that could only be achieved through hardship and strife, but could never be faked. They were, each in their own way, like Zhang Lifen. He shot a glance in her direction and saw her looking at him intently.


    ¡°Welcome to the inner sect, Junior Brother He.¡±


    The words stirred something within him. This¡ªthis wasn¡¯t supposed to be his life. He was the son of a blacksmith. A boy with a weak spirit merely playing at cultivation. Too inept or talentless to be worth teaching, even in the eyes of a mere Second Realm charlatan. He Yu blinked away tears as he bowed to Zhang Lifen.


    She motioned for him to follow, and then led him to a house that was nearly as large as Dong Wei¡¯s school had been back in Shulin. ¡°Before I let you go get settled in to your new home, there¡¯s one last thing to take care of if you truly want to be my student. I must warn you though, your life will be far harder than it would have been otherwise. But I can promise you one thing¡ªI will help you become everything you¡¯ve dreamed of and more.¡±


    He Yu kowtowed before Zhang Lifen and said, ¡°Senior Sister, this Junior humbly requests apprenticeship.¡±


    ¡°This Senior accepts Junior Brother as her apprentice,¡± Zhang Lifen said airily. Then, she flashed a warm, genuine grin. ¡°Now get up, go inside, and rest. I¡¯ll be by in a few days to make sure you regret ever going out to look for those herbs in the forest.¡±

 Epilogue - The Price of Failure

    Once again, Sha Xiang found herself standing before Kong Huizhong with her head bowed. They were well outside the sect territory this time, and as soon as the emissary of the Sunset Court had arrived, Sha Xiang knew why. The anger of the Nascent Soul cultivator was a physical presence. Hot and heavy, it weighed on the gathered servants of the Court¡ªfor that was what they all were, Sha Xiang admitted to herself. Whether they liked it or not.


    Cui Bao didn¡¯t seem to mind. He was like her that way; willing to do what he needed in exchange for power. Qiao Xia and Xiao Jun, on the other hand¡­


    Sha Xiang glanced to where Xiao Jun had thrown himself to the ground at Kong Huizhong¡¯s feet, prostrating himself before the stronger man. She fought back a sneer. As much contempt as she had for Xiao Jun, she also knew that his groveling was the proper response to the emissary¡¯s anger. He¡¯d been warned, after all, and now he reaped the fruits of his failure.


    ¡°With all you have been given, still you fail, Xiao Jun,¡± Kong Huizhong said. He¡¯d been at this for some time now, berating Xiao Jun, and listing his extensive inadequacies.


    Sha Xiang had learned quite a bit over the past half hour or so. She¡¯d learned that Xiao Jun had always been a disappointment. That he¡¯d always been a sniveling coward, used to pushing around those weaker than himself. Hungry for power, but too afraid to take it. That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t used the demon core himself. That¡¯s why he¡¯d given it to her.


    The core shifted as she thought of it. It had grown since the last meeting with Kong Huizhong, the pills he¡¯d given her feeding its power. Its awareness. The howling laughter was sounding more and more like speech. The vague impressions of whispers had become more distinct. During the tournament at the sect, she had almost thought that she could understand it as she would someone of genuine intelligence.


    She wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to feel about that.


    Granted, it had given her more strength than she had ever before managed to gather for herself. It had allowed her to defeat nearly all comers in the tournament¡ªeven the barbarian girl. It hadn¡¯t let her defeat He Yu though.


    Thinking about that embarrassment filled her with a rage that wasn¡¯t wholly hers. The demon core itself howled for his death. Screamed for her to tear his head from his shoulders. Sha Xiang suppressed a shudder at the thought.


    Yes¡ªshe hated He Yu. Although she couldn¡¯t exactly remember why anymore, she knew it was true. A feeling that had been hers for longer than she¡¯d had the demon core. If she were honest, she did want to kill him. But in a way that was more fitting of her status¡ªless barbaric. She was an inner disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect now. A true lady of the Way.


    Shouldn¡¯t she act like one?


    She almost thought she could feel the demon core laughing at her.


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    ¡°This one begs forgiveness,¡± Xiao Jun said, face pressed to the dirt. They were gathered at the bottom of a rocky depression somewhere north of the sect territory and hidden in the foothills of the northern reaches of the Shrouded Peaks. The sides of the depression were gentle enough to simply walk up and only rose about a dozen feet over their head, but they still felt claustrophobic under the weight of Kong Huizhong¡¯s presence.


    ¡°I did not bid you speak. You have been given opportunity enough to prove yourself. I have no more use for you.¡± The emissary turned to Sha Xiang then and saluted her. ¡°Lady Sha,¡± he said.


    ¡°You will take this failure¡¯s place. Serve the Court well, and we will repair the damage you have so far inflicted upon yourself with the demon core. Hopefully, such a boon will motivate you such that you will not disappoint.¡±


    Sha Xiang returned the salute, not daring to speak. Not daring to refuse. Although both she and Cui Bao had lost their semifinal bouts in the tournament, they¡¯d made it into the inner sect. That had been the only requirement placed upon them. That she could still gain such a precious reward¡ªfixing the twisting of her meridians that had only grown worse since her tournament bout with He Yu¡ªwas far more than she ever could have hoped for.


    Off to the side, Qiao Xia shrank in on herself, somehow becoming even smaller than she normally was. Like Xiao Jun, she had failed to gain entrance into the inner sect. Good riddance, so far as Sha Xiang was concerned.


    ¡°You and Sir Bao will lead our efforts in the inner sect,¡± Kong Huizhong continued. ¡°Do what you will with those you have grudges against, but remember your duties. Your first priority is to increase your rank. With rank comes prestige, and with prestige comes respect. That will make your second duty all the easier. Increase the reach of the Court. Be cautious in whom you approach, however. We are not yet ready to reveal ourselves in full. Gather strength, and build support. But do so discreetly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Kong,¡± Sha Xiang said.


    ¡°However, know what price failure brings.¡± The emissary turned back to Xiao Jun. ¡°Stand,¡± he ordered.


    The disgraced cultivator did as he was told, but his features were stricken and his jaw tight. With a single, swift motion, Kong Huizhong struck Xiao Jun just below the navel.


    Xiao Jun screamed. A burst of uncontrolled shadow qi surged out from him. For an instant, Sha Xiang almost thought it was some sort of technique, but she quickly realized the truth.


    It was his cultivation base. With her spiritual sight, she could see the damage even before the surge of Xiao Jun¡¯s qi faded. His meridians were cracked and his dantian shattered. He was a spiritual cripple. In her eyes, it was a fate worse than death. Condemned to a short life of helplessness, always knowing that once he had been strong.


    As Xiao Jun huddled on the ground, clutching his midsection, Sha Xiang glanced a Qiao Xia once again. Her eyes were locked on their former benefactor. She was terrified, and with good reason.


    ¡°Lady Qiao,¡± Kong Huizhong said.


    Qiao Xia threw herself to the ground in kowtow, but at least had the presence of mind to keep her mouth shut.


    ¡°Xiao Jun has failed me three times now. You have only failed me once. You will take over his position in the outer sect, and coordinate our efforts with new disciples over the next year. You will then carry them to the inner sect. I trust that you will succeed where your predecessor did not.¡±


    ¡°The honored emissary is most merciful,¡± Qiao Xia said into the dirt, sounding for all the world as though she were ready to begin sobbing in relief. ¡°This one will not fail.¡±


    ¡°See that you don¡¯t,¡± Kong Huizhong said.


    The demon core laughed, a high-pitched howling sound. It was far too good for her, Sha Xiang thought. But Qiao Xia wasn¡¯t her problem anymore. She¡¯d left that coward and weakling behind, and she already had ideas of who she could tempt within the inner sect.


    As far as Sha Xiang was concerned, her star had only begun to rise.

 Prologue - Simulacrum

    First Elder Cai Weizhe cast his awareness to the far-flung corners of the Dragon Empire, and into his projections. The Thousand Hands of the Emperor technique was his own contribution to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace and had become a vital tool over the centuries in monitoring the world outside the sect.


    In the imperial palace, the child emperor had managed to reach late Qi Gathering with the aid of potent pills and elixirs. Cai Weizhe had sent messages¡ªand had been ignored. To propel the child through the lower realms this quickly was a mistake. There were other members closely related enough to the main imperial line that they could have found a suitable regent. Or even a replacement. Without a strong hand to rule the Dragon Empire, the more ambitious clans would soon begin to stir. Those loyal retainers still left in the capital wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain the ruse for long.


    The foolishness of the imperial court was the least of Elder Cai¡¯s concerns, however. While the retainers in the capital scrambled to hide the death of the last emperor, none of them bothered to answer the most important question. How?


    How it had happened was clear, known only to a select few. The emperor had been poisoned. That was a closely guarded secret¡ªmore closely guarded even than the fact the empire was now ruled by a child of twelve.


    The real question was how had it been allowed to happen. How had it been permitted for someone so close to the emperor to slip him poison? Killing a Ninth Realm immortal was no trivial task. To do so surreptitiously? Nearly impossible.


    Cai Weizhe had been the only one to conduct a real investigation into the matter. The poisoning had occurred over a span of years, making the act even more difficult to hide. But it had remained hidden nonetheless. The poison itself had been designed to slowly build up in the emperor¡¯s dantian and meridians, then remain there, inert, until it reached a critical dose. Then, it activated. Overnight the emperor¡¯s cultivation base deteriorated and he was dead a day later.


    Such a creation could only be the work of a master alchemist. Even so, it was beyond the capabilities of all the masters that Elder Cai knew of. While identifying the poison¡¯s maker was beyond him, it had been a trivial thing to find the culprit. One of the court attendants had disappeared the day after the emperor died. Through his projection, Cai Weizhe had found him inside a week, lying dead in a gutter in one of the capital¡¯s outlying slums.


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    While there was nothing to point toward any one person or group with certainty, Cai Weizhe certainly had his suspicions. He sent his awareness far to the west, into his oldest projection. The projection that he¡¯d specifically created the Thousand Hands of the Emperor to maintain.


    Nestled in a secluded valley, in the farthest reaches of the Shrouded Peaks, lay the Dawn Palace. The single greatest formation work of Cai Weizhe¡¯s life. Protected by distance, geography, and obscurity, it lay forgotten and unseen by all except Cai Weizhe himself, and Sect Leader Zhou Shanyuan.


    Creating and maintaining the formation had cost Cai Weizhe his future advancement. He¡¯d been stuck at the late Eighth Realm¡ªDivine Soul Apotheosis¡ªfor nearly a thousand years now. It had been worth the price.


    Through his projection, Cai Weizhe paced around the outer script of the formation array, inspecting the characters. They were all intact. The opaque golden dome that covered nearly the entire valley floor held as well. No breaches, no cracks, no signs of weakness. For all appearances, the formation remained wholly intact.


    The land around the Dawn Palace was rugged, and filled with sixth and seventh grade spirits and divine beasts. It was far too dangerous for mortals to settle, and most cultivators couldn¡¯t survive here either. Only the most powerful of immortals would be capable of finding this place, and thanks to the efforts of Cai Weizhe and those of his generation who yet survived, they had no reason to.


    Shaking his head, Cai Weizhe returned to his body. The Dawn Palace was intact, yet only she could be behind the assassination of the Dragon Emperor. Cai Weizhe had long since given up trying to fully root out the remnants of her followers, the self-styled Sunset Court. Those who had survived their ¡°empress¡¯s¡± suppression and imprisonment had vanished soon after. Occasionally some would be found and killed, but they always returned like cockroaches.


    A mere half dozen of those immortals who had set out to defy the Sunset Empress had survived the effort. With the death of the Dragon Emperor¡ªone of the empire¡¯s few Ninth Realm cultivators¡ªCai Weizhe was the last. He was the only one left who had stood against the greatest threat the empire had ever known¡ªJin Xifeng, the Sunset Empress.


    By all appearances, she was still sealed. Still forgotten. The Shrouded Peaks Sect still guarded her prison but her court had been moving in the wider world. More concerning, she¡¯d been forming pacts. That bandit, King Hao, couldn¡¯t have been the only one. It was the only explanation for what had happened to the emperor.


    For the first time in a thousand years, Elder Cai felt fear.

 3.1 - Welcome to the Inner Sect

    The first few days He Yu spent in the inner sect were spent in convalescence and cultivation. His wounds had all healed thanks to the Qi Alignment pill Zhang Lifen had given him, but he still needed rest.


    On the third day, he received a surprise visit from Li Heng and Princess Tan.


    ¡°Welcome to the inner sect,¡± Li Heng said as they stepped into He Yu¡¯s courtyard.


    His courtyard. It wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d gotten used to yet, having not only a whole house to himself but also one this large. Granted, it had only been three days, but the idea of it was more than he¡¯d been prepared for.


    ¡°Great,¡± he said. ¡°I mean thanks. I should make you two tea, right?¡±


    Tan Xiaoling arched an eyebrow and gave him that half-smirk of hers. ¡°If you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll learn soon enough,¡± Li Heng said with a soft laugh. ¡°But yes, I¡¯ll take some.¡±


    As He Yu busied himself with the duties of being a good host, he cursed himself for being so awkward. Still, he¡¯d have thought that with the better sense of those around him¡ªand the greater self-assurance¡ªthat came with his cultivation he would have gotten a bit better at this. At least his friends didn¡¯t seem to mind his relative lack of social graces.


    They passed the time with polite conversation, mostly centering around plans for the next few months. The three of them were all of a similar mind about what they needed or wanted. To reach the peak of the Third Realm and begin the preparations for forming their Golden Core. From what He Yu had been able to gather, the breakthrough from the Third to the Fourth Realm was one of the most difficult. It was also the most important.


    The difficulty in forming a Golden Core lay primarily with the fact that each cultivator had to do so in a way that was more or less unique to them. While there were certain general principles one could follow, it was the specifics that differed. Often one wouldn¡¯t discover precisely what was necessary until the breakthrough had begun. This often led to the cultivator being unprepared, thus forming a Golden Core of a lower quality. This was one reason that most cultivators could spend decades at the peak of Body Refining, with many never advancing past it.


    The importance of the Fourth Realm breakthrough was tied to the varying quality of the Golden Core a cultivator formed. An immortal who had gained a firm understanding of themselves and their Way was more likely to discern the methods they needed to form a higher quality Golden Core. The higher the quality of one¡¯s breakthrough, the easier time one would have in future advancements. By contrast, a low-quality Golden Core might block a cultivator from breaking through to higher realms altogether.


    This wasn¡¯t to say that advancement past Golden Core was easy. Quite the opposite. From what He Yu had gathered, the first three realms were the easy part¡ªand they were very nearly behind him.


    As Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling were making to leave, the Jade Princess turned to He Yu and gave him a salute.


    ¡°There¡¯s one last thing before I go,¡± she said. From her storage treasure, she produced a guandao.


    It was his guandao¡ªthe one that he¡¯d bought prior to the tournament, and that she¡¯d destroyed with that massive spear of fiery black qi she used.


    For a moment, He Yu was speechless. ¡°How?¡± was all he managed to ask. He couldn¡¯t have said why, but he¡¯d grown rather attached to the weapon in the short time he¡¯d owned it. It may have something to do with the fact that it was the first real weapon he¡¯d ever owned. It would have stayed relevant well into the Fourth Realm, and could have become a genuine treasure had he wanted to invest enough wealth into it. While he hadn¡¯t been able to think too much about its loss at the time, during his convalescence the weapon¡¯s destruction had begun to weigh on him.


    Tan Xiaoling held the reforged weapon out to him. ¡°I collected the pieces after the fight. I also took the liberty of commissioning some enhancements for it. Should we exchange techniques again in the future, I think you¡¯ll find it more than adequate for the task.¡±


    He Yu saluted and bowed more than was truly necessary once he¡¯d sent the weapon to his storage treasure. ¡°You have my sincerest thanks, Sect Sister.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°It was an honor to face you in the tournament, and it was the least I could do to show my respect.¡±


    With that, the two of them left He Yu to himself. He spent a good portion of the afternoon practicing with his reforged guandao before retiring for the night.


    The next morning, He Yu awoke to a messenger construct carved in the likeness of a heron perched on the headboard of his bed. It held a slip of paper in its beak, and he had a good idea of who it was from. It would be just like Zhang Lifen to call for him the one night a week he typically slept now.


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    He plucked the slip from the construct and read the simple calligraphy within. As he¡¯d suspected, it was a short note from Zhang Lifen instructing him to meet her at a training area on the inner sect mountain. He couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself at the message¡ªhe was finally, after nearly a year, going to get some real training from his mentor.


    Upon stepping inside the formation barrier that surrounded the training area, he found Zhang Lifen seated in meditation at the far end. The training area itself was similar to the ones on the outer sect mountain. Large standing stones carved with formation characters rimmed the perimeter, and the area itself was paved with flagstones reinforced with another formation script. Once inside the barrier, it was immediately apparent that this script work was of considerably greater power than those of the outer sect.


    Zhang Lifen opened her eyes at his approach and rose in a single smooth motion. ¡°Hit me,¡± she said.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± He Yu asked. He¡¯d expected some sort of preamble. An explanation of what they were supposed to do. Or maybe that she would ask him what sort of training he wanted. This simple command caught him off guard.


    ¡°You¡¯re slow,¡± she said. Her voice was clipped, but not overly harsh. All traces of the playful affect she normally wore were gone.


    Once it was apparent that she wasn¡¯t going to elaborate further, he asked, ¡°Should I use a weapon?¡±


    ¡°If you think you can strike me without it, you¡¯re more than welcome to try.¡±


    He Yu shrugged and produced his guandao from his storage treasure. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was supposed to use any techniques or not. She hadn¡¯t told him to, but neither had she forbade it. The expectant look she gave him made him think better of asking.


    Drawing the weapon back, he opted to save the techniques for when he really needed them. It couldn¡¯t be that hard to simply land a blow. Zhang Lifen hadn¡¯t even adopted a proper combat stance.


    He swung, and missed.


    The blade sailed within a hair¡¯s breadth of her. He Yu couldn¡¯t have said when she moved¡ªonly that a strike that ought to have solidly connected simply didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Given what I observed during the tournament, I thought it prudent to begin here,¡± she said, launching into a lecture on her plans for his immediate future. ¡°I had to consult with Master Cai to develop a suitable regimen, as I am unfamiliar with your principle art. I have since learned that the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace consists of three foundational techniques; the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, a combined cultivation and perception art; the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, a wind-aspected movement technique; and the Spring Rain Mirror, a water aspected defensive technique. Why have you not begun cultivating the Spring Rain Mirror?¡±


    As she spoke, He Yu continued with his attempts to strike her. She avoided each of them as effortlessly as she seemed to do everything else. After the first couple of attempts, he activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. While it didn¡¯t help him comply with her demand, it did allow him to perceive the moment in which she moved to avoid his strikes. It was so subtle and fluid, that he didn¡¯t think anyone below her level of advancement would be able to catch it without the aid of a technique similar to his own.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to learn the technique,¡± He Yu said. His guandao slammed into the flagstones and rebounded back after another failed overhand attack. Already his frustration was beginning to get the better of him.


    ¡°Why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said as he launched into a series of looping sweeps.


    Zhang Lifen drifted between each strike as effortlessly as water tumbling down the side of a hill. ¡°What are the principal lessons of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment?¡±


    It was difficult to focus on all the insights he¡¯d gained over the past year. Especially while he tried to land a blow on someone who may as well not even be there. As he thought, he began to cycle his qi in accordance with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. Not in the simple way like when he activated it as a perception technique, but in the deeper manner that he used it while cultivating.


    He saw first his desire, the thing that had started him on his path in the first place. To be a hero of legend felt like such a simple, foolish thing. Shouldn¡¯t he have some grander purpose? A part of him recoiled. No, he realized. A purpose such as his was more a means than an end. The first pebble that shifted to cause an avalanche, the first gathering clouds on the horizon heralding a summer storm.


    Another flurry of strikes flashed towards Zhang Lifen. She avoided each of them easily, but had gone silent and now regarded him with a heavy intensity. Wind had begun to curl along the length of He Yu¡¯s blade.


    He recalled the bodies that King Hao and his bandits had left to rot in the sun. The face of the young bandit, barely as old as He Yu, frozen in terror as he saw death falling upon him.


    He recalled not knowing what it meant to be just¡ªwhat it meant to be a hero. He recalled a certain insight in that regard. To discern justice he first had to develop the judgment of an emperor.


    As he tried to sort through the insights he¡¯d gleaned, the lack of answers only caused his frustration to grow. His strikes became more haphazard. Less refined. The wind curling around his guandao grew turbulent.


    For months now he¡¯d been cultivating the art, but he was no closer to developing that judgment. His frustration broke like a flood breaching a dam. If only he could know. If only he could catch a glimpse of what that meant, he was certain things would become clear.


    ¡°So close,¡± Zhang Lifen said, avoiding his attacks yet again. ¡°At least you now know where to look. The path to the Fourth Realm is difficult, and you will walk it largely on your own. I will give you what guidance I can on the way, but the burden is yours alone.¡±


    He Yu¡¯s shoulders slumped and he let his arms go limp. His guandao vanished back into his storage treasure. ¡°This one apologizes, Master Zhang.¡±


    Zhang Lifen arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°What have I told you about that? Besides, there¡¯s nothing to apologize for. You did far better than I¡¯d expected you would, both in your attempts to strike me and the appraisal of your insights.¡±


    ¡°But I failed in them both,¡± he said, still feeling rather sullen.


    ¡°Was not the first lesson I taught that defeat and failure aren¡¯t the same? You only fail if you give up. I¡¯d thought that after your fight with Tan Xiaoling, you¡¯d have realized as much.¡±


    The memory of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s words returned to him then, and he looked up at Zhang Lifen.


    Before he could speak, she smiled. ¡°I¡¯d wondered when you¡¯d get around to asking about that.¡±

 3.2 - Wayborn Seed

    ¡°Come,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°There are more pleasant places to talk than a training arena.¡±


    He Yu was more than happy to fall in behind her as they left the training area together. As they made their way through the inner sect common areas, he noticed a good number of disciples shooting less-than-friendly looks their way. He recalled what Zhang Lifen had said about her reputation within the inner sect, and Fang Yingjie¡¯s reluctance to speak on it.


    The sum of the reactions didn¡¯t bode well for him. While he¡¯d been left well enough alone during his time in convalescence, he had no doubt that wouldn¡¯t last much longer. He also thought back to those first few duels he fought in the outer sect. How easily he¡¯d beaten his opponents, and he¡¯d used the spoils from those fights to enhance his own cultivation.


    Would he find himself similarly preyed upon? He¡¯d amassed a fair amount of wealth over the past months, at least in comparison to what he¡¯d started with. The idea that someone could simply challenge him and potentially rob him afterward didn¡¯t sit well.


    The stories had all described cultivators as noble heroes, but his time at the sect had steadily chipped away at that notion. He couldn¡¯t really refuse such challenges either, at least not without a tremendous loss of face. He¡¯d be marked a coward, and all that would accomplish would be to bring yet more challenges his way.


    Then there was the fact that he could win. Taking spoils from other sect disciples¡ªeven disciples who¡¯d challenged him first¡ªstill didn¡¯t sit quite right with him. The spoils he¡¯d gained from King Hao¡¯s camp were different. Those had been stolen from innocents the bandits had murdered in cold blood. It would have been a waste to leave it all behind.


    When Zhang Lifen finally led them to a small garden in a secluded corner of the sect, He Yu pushed thoughts of duels and spoils from his mind. After months of elusiveness on Zhang Lifen¡¯s part, he finally had a chance to ask her the questions that had been piling up. It was obvious where she expected him to start, and it was as good a place as any. Given that she was setting out a formation inscribed tea set, it looked as if she planned to spend some time here.


    ¡°What happened during my match with Princess Tan?¡± he asked. ¡°Something¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªplaced itself within my spirit.¡±


    ¡°Tell me of your thoughts just prior,¡± Zhang Lifen said, setting out the tea set with well-practiced grace. With a pulse of her qi, she filled the pot with water. He Yu couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she knew his answer already.


    Regardless, he returned to the memories and described them to her. The feeling that Tan Xiaoling had tapped into something greater than herself, given the effortless way she fought. The loss of his weapon when he tried to copy her. The way the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace reflected his attempt back to him, and how he¡¯d realized there was something in what she¡¯d said to him the night before¡ªthat she didn¡¯t hold back.


    He Yu described the cascade of insights that came as he tried to stand his ground against an overwhelming foe. The memories of awakening, of stepping into the ring during the tournament in Shulin. And all the times since when he¡¯d stood against odds he ought not have.


    As he finished, Zhang Lifen placed a cup in front of him. ¡°The Wayborn Seed is the first real connection a cultivator forms with their Way. As you cultivate, you first come to understand your own path to the Eternal Dao; its shape, the meandering track it takes through the world. Your actions influence this path, and the path influences you in turn. It is a cycle that feeds into itself, over and over, again and again. Your desire to be a hero formed the first steps of your path. As you acted according to that desire and defined what it meant, you grew ever closer to the fullness of your Way.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what it means,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± Zhang Lifen asked. There was a pointedness to her words that gave him pause. ¡°What did you tell Princess Tan when you were armed with nothing but a piece of metal from a shattered weapon?¡±


    ¡°But that can¡¯t be it,¡± He Yu said. ¡°There¡¯s more to being a hero than simply not giving up.¡±


    ¡°You have to start somewhere, don¡¯t you?¡±


    He Yu fell silent. There was no denying the truth and wisdom in her words. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, turned upon himself, showed him as much. So did the spark of insight he¡¯d gained during the tournament¡ªhis Wayborn Seed.


    ¡°Does every cultivator form a Wayborn Seed?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°Most who do only form one after they reach the Fourth Realm. Master Cai says that a deeper understanding of the Eternal Dao, and by extension one¡¯s Way, are necessary for reaching the higher realms of cultivation. I don¡¯t know of any Fifth Realm cultivators who haven¡¯t.¡±


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    He Yu had formed his before reaching Golden Core. ¡°What about forming one while still in the Third Realm?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Rare, but not unheard of,¡± Zhang Lifen said after taking a sip of her tea. ¡°Princess Tan had already formed hers before she joined the sect.¡±


    ¡°Is that why she was always so much stronger than the rest of us?¡± He Yu asked.


    It took Zhang Lifen a moment longer to answer. She tapped a finger to her lips as she thought, before finally speaking again. ¡°It¡¯s part of it, yes. Tan Xiaoling is not someone to measure yourself by, however. Not only is she a once-in-a-generation talent, but she also comes from circumstances that forced her to push herself beyond what would normally be expected. It¡¯s best to focus on yourself, especially now that you¡¯re approaching the bottleneck to the Fourth Realm.¡±


    He Yu fell silent as she spoke, considering. Although he knew that Tan Xiaoling was far beyond him still¡ªthe tournament was evidence enough of that¡ªsomething in his intuition told him Zhang Lifen was correct in her advice. There was more to that strength than just the head start Tan Xiaoling had come to the sect with.


    Zhang Lifen let the silence hang for a moment, before speaking again. ¡°Perhaps this might be a bit closer to what you were looking for. Reflect upon your advancements so far. When you advanced to Foundation or Body Refining, what happened to your qi? How did it change?¡±


    ¡°It became more potent. More dense,¡± he answered immediately. Then he added, ¡°But I didn¡¯t didn¡¯t feel any change like I did during the tournament.¡±


    Zhang Lifen nodded at the explanation. ¡°Think of it like this. An artist may create something of passing beauty with low-quality paint. Higher quality paint may give better colors or may be easier to work with, but it won¡¯t improve the artist¡¯s skill. A true master of the brush can create a thing of beauty even with poor-quality paint and worn-out tools. And they will do so more easily than a novice attempting to produce their best work.


    ¡°The Wayborn Seed similarly affects us. The more closely we follow our Way, the more closely we come to resemble the master painter. The seed resonates with our aspects and our presence, thus easing the flow of qi and our ability to use techniques. Do you recall the first truth I ever shared with you about cultivation?¡±


    Despite searching his memory for several minutes, He Yu could only draw a blank. He was tempted to tell her that she¡¯d told him very little thus far. Aside from telling him how far behind he was, she¡¯d really only admonished him for taking a shortcut when he¡¯d advanced to the Second Realm.


    ¡°As you ascend the realms of cultivation, your spirit exerts an ever greater influence on both yourself and the world around you. The closer you align with your Way, the more easily you¡¯re able to do so, regardless of your advancement. This is how the Wayborn Seed makes you stronger.¡±


    ¡°It all seems a bit fuzzy,¡± He Yu mused.


    ¡°Of course it does,¡± Zhang Lifen said, giving him an approving smile. ¡°Why do you think we spend dozens of mortal lifetimes attempting to comprehend the barest fraction of the Eternal Dao? If it were easy, or straightforward, everyone would be an immortal, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    He Yu hummed his agreement but said nothing. A part of him was focused on the breeze moving through the trees planted at the edges of the garden. The distant scent of rain from the clouds that had gathered around the higher summits of the Shrouded Peaks. The low rumble of far-off thunder that he was certain only he could hear.


    ¡°You should focus on breaking through to late Body Refining before all else,¡± Zhang Lifen said, pulling He Yu from his reverie. He hadn¡¯t noticed, but she¡¯d put the tea set away at some point.


    He caught her meaning immediately. Whatever contemplations he needed to form his Golden Core could wait. At least for the time being. It would be best if he reached the peak of the Third Realm quickly. After all, he¡¯d already seen to tremendous benefit that cultivating at the peak could bring.


    ¡°I do have one last question,¡± he said. The truth was, he had far more, but this was the only one he thought Zhang Lifen would be likely to answer at this point.


    She inclined her head, indicating he should ask.


    ¡°Killing intent,¡± he said. ¡°I felt it in Tan Xiaoling¡¯s techniques. King Hao and Old Guo both used it as well. I had always thought it was just that¡ªintent. But it seemed something more than that.¡±


    ¡°A far simpler concept than the Eternal Dao,¡± Zhang Lifen said with a smile. ¡°Far more immediately useful in a fight for one¡¯s life as well.¡±


    She rose and motioned for him to follow. They made their way back in the direction of He Yu¡¯s new home as evening fell over the inner sect.


    ¡°Killing intent is just that,¡± Zhang Lifen began. ¡°The intent to kill. Intent is powerful. Much can be accomplished without it, but we can accomplish more with it. In a fight, the intent to kill one¡¯s foe flows into our actions. Into our techniques. A cultivator who has shed enough blood can use that.¡±


    He Yu thought back to the razor-edged sharpness that clung to Tan Xiaoling. He didn¡¯t know how much of that was a result of her killing intent, or how much was from her connection to her Way. He knew that she¡¯d probably spilled more blood than any other disciple of their advancement. King Hao¡¯s released killing intent had been similar as well.


    ¡°What about you?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°I would not be so crass as to demonstrate here,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°It would be a bit much for even most of the Fourth Realm disciples to bear.¡±


    ¡°Is that all it can do though? Just make people uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Did you not notice when Tan Xiaoling used it in her techniques? Could you not feel the weight of her desire to destroy when she shattered your own weapon to pieces?¡±


    He had noticed. But that didn¡¯t answer his question. Of course, Zhang Lifen picked up on his dissatisfaction and spoke unprompted.


    ¡°Think on how you form a technique. Think on how you shape it, how it comes into being through your manipulation of qi. Then think on how you would imbue the technique with your own intent to kill. To destroy. To take, irrevocably, the life of another.¡±


    He did as he¡¯d been instructed, and his stomach turned. An uncomfortable memory of a frightened young bandit surfaced.


    ¡°It is more difficult a thing than you realize, no?¡± Zhang Lifen asked.


    He Yu could only nod.


    ¡°We shall continue your training tomorrow. Meet me on the field at first light,¡± she said. ¡°Until then, contemplate on the things we¡¯ve spoken of. Training is only as good as the insights we gain from it, after all.¡±

 3.3 - Training Continues

    He Yu¡¯s guandao passed through emptiness. Again. Winds curled, and heaven flashed. He launched another series of attacks but to no avail. His teacher simply slipped out of the way, avoiding his strikes as if they weren¡¯t even enough to qualify as an inconvenience. As Zhang Lifen effortlessly shifted from his attacks, she lectured.


    Whether it was more frustrating that he wasn¡¯t any closer to landing a blow, or that he had to also pay attention to Zhang Lifen¡¯s lessons, He Yu couldn¡¯t quite make up his mind. Eventually, he settled on deciding they were both equally infuriating.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been taking all the wrong lessons,¡± Zhang Lifen said, cutting into an explanation about how to further develop his presence. ¡°Again.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡± he asked. It made him sound petulant. He was so frustrated, that at this point he was beyond caring.


    ¡°Do you not have a movement technique? Do you not have a body enforcement art? Why are you only using the Five Crescent Winds?¡± Zhang Lifen asked, stepping away from another one of his blows. ¡°If you only train at half-strength, what is it that you¡¯re actually training?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow,¡± he admitted. Relaxing his stance, he let his weapon fall to his side, held one-handed in a loose grip.


    He realized his mistake when he was about halfway across the training area, tumbling across the stones with his guandao clattering a few dozen feet away. Zhang Lifen took a single step and was standing above him. Her presence was released, but she kept her qi restrained to that of a peak Third Realm. Despite that, she crashed over him, the black currents of her spirit pulling him ever down. He had to release his own spirit before he was able to stand.


    ¡°You learn to fight at half-strength,¡± she said.


    He Yu picked up his weapon and turned to face Zhang Lifen. His frustration had turned to anger. The more rational voice that sat in the back of his mind, often telling him when he was making a mistake, did so now. He was far beyond listening to it.


    The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering sent heaven qi coursing through his meridians, hardening his skin as tiny flashes of lightning jumped across his skin. The Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight carried him the dozen or so feet to where Zhang Lifen stood, and the Five Crescent Winds howled around his blade.


    She flowed away from his attack, and then she was inside his guard. He twisted, using the speed and maneuverability granted by his body art and his movement technique to escape. He should have known it would be pointless.


    Zhang Lifen grabbed him by the arm and redirected the momentum of his attempted escape. She pivoted and tossed him to the ground like a sack of rice.


    ¡°Better,¡± she said, ¡°but you¡¯re letting your temper get the better of you. At least you¡¯re making use of your other techniques now.¡±


    ¡°What is the actual point of all this?¡± He Yu demanded. Again, he knew he was letting his frustration get the better of him. There was no way he could hit her. She was a full two realms above him, and even with her qi suppressed, she had decades¡¯ worth of experience that he lacked. His time training with Fang Yingjie had taught him just how much experience mattered.


    Zhang Lifen folded her hands within her sleeves as she pulled her spirit back. ¡°Did I tell you to stop trying to hit me?¡±


    Silently, He Yu cursed the day he met her, but he started swinging once again anyway.


    ¡°Why was it that you pushed yourself to reach Foundation in such a short amount of time? Why did you subject yourself to a winter of training under that old immortal in the forest? Why did you not take Tan Xiaoling¡¯s offer of surrender?¡±


    He knew roughly what she was getting at. Ever since the beginning, he¡¯d been rushing to catch up, gathering strength so that he could overcome some enemy, an adversary that was beyond him. And he¡¯d done it.


    But now? He¡¯d fought Sha Xiang to a standstill after the grace had ended and then beaten her in the tournament. Training with Old Guo had been to stand against King Hao and avenge those who had suffered at his hands. He held no enmity towards Tan Xiaoling, despite the fact that he truly wanted to become strong enough to stand against her.


    It was all he could do to keep swinging as the realization broke over him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hollow thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhang Lifen asked. ¡°Power for its own sake.¡±


    ¡°But my Way,¡± he said, allowing his guard to drop once again.


    This time, Zhang Lifen didn¡¯t punish him for it. Instead, she gestured to a fallen log at the edge of the training area, just outside the formation barrier. He Yu sent his weapon to his storage treasure and dropped his techniques as he followed her.


    ¡°You say you want to be a hero. But have you ever truly asked yourself why? You say that it is your path to develop the judgment of an emperor, but what will you then use that judgment for?¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Over the past few days, they had taken to speaking often of these things. Zhang Lifen had asked about his meditations, his insights, and the various motivations that drove him. One thing he¡¯d quickly learned was that she seemed to know far more about him than he would have guessed. The questioning had bothered him at first, but he quickly realized that she had a purpose to all of it.


    To make him reflect, and to make him clarify his understanding of himself. It was, she said, critical for him to achieve this should he wish to reach the higher realms of cultivation.


    They sat down on the fallen log together. Zhang Lifen folded her hands in her sleeves and watched him silently, giving him space to think before he answered. He Yu rubbed the tension out of the muscles in his legs while he thought about her questions for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few days.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t simply wanting to be something more, enough?¡± he asked. He knew the answer already¡ªif it had been enough, that would have been the end of it. He asked regardless, though. Their talks that followed these sorts of questions helped. While Zhang Lifen never provided any direct answers, she did help him clarify his own thoughts.


    This time, she said something unexpected.


    ¡°I asked the same question of Master Cai once,¡± she said. ¡°I had told him that I wanted to be free. He asked me why.¡±


    He Yu perked up. This was the first time she had ever said anything about herself, or her past.


    ¡°I was a few years older than you were. My Way had become uncertain, and I was struggling to learn what insights I needed to break into the Fourth Realm. I spent all my contribution points on a series of lessons with Master Cai. This was before he¡¯d taken me on as his disciple. It was the first time I¡¯d ever met him, really. I had thought that the sect¡¯s First Elder would have some grand wisdom to share. Some auspicious utterance that would send me into a breakthrough trance simply upon hearing it. All he did was ask me questions.¡±


    Zhang Lifen gave a soft laugh. ¡°I was such a foolish girl back then,¡± she said. ¡°I was angry. I thought he¡¯d wasted my time. Tricked me, as I¡¯d heard some elders do occasionally.¡±


    ¡°But you were wrong,¡± He Yu said. He wasn¡¯t sure which was more surprising, that Zhang Lifen had once been a ¡°foolish girl,¡± or that she¡¯d ever had any trouble with her cultivation at all. She was, by all accounts, a once-in-a-generation talent.


    ¡°I was brought to the sect at fifteen. As a mortal I was the youngest of three children, and the only daughter. My family was wealthy, at least by mortal standards, so it was all but a guarantee that I would have been married to a rich husband. My life would have been comfortable, at least. Had I not joined the sect. I hated it, though. I always thought it unfair that I would be nothing more than my husband¡¯s subordinate.


    ¡°Once admitted to the sect, I thought it was all I had ever wanted¡ªthe freedom to follow my own course, define my own Way. Master Cai showed me that was¡ªnot wrong. Incomplete.¡± Zhang Lifen fell silent then, staring off into the mists of the inner sect mountain in reminiscence.


    After a few moments, He Yu asked, ¡°Incomplete how?¡±


    ¡°Eventually, Master Cai taught me that my desire to be free was rooted in a deeper question. What did I believe about myself¡ªand what question formed from that belief¡ªwhose answer was ¡®I want to be free¡¯?¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡± he asked.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s demeanor shifted back to the one he¡¯d grown used to since meeting her. ¡°Oh, if I told you that, I worry that it might impact your own path toward insight. I wouldn¡¯t want to harm your advancement, after all.¡±


    He scowled at her, but he didn¡¯t truly mean it. She had given him a valuable lead to follow, even if he wasn¡¯t entirely sure where it would lead him. What did he believe about himself? Given the way Zhang Lifen had spoken about her experience with Elder Cai, He Yu didn¡¯t think it would be an easy thing to answer.


    ¡°Before you get too caught up in chasing self-realization,¡± Zhang Lifen said, her tone once more turning serious in a way it seldom did, ¡°there¡¯s one last thing we need to speak of.¡±


    ¡°Are you done training me?¡± He Yu asked. It had been a week since he¡¯d begun training again. He couldn¡¯t say as though he felt like he¡¯d improved all that much, or that he was much closer to reaching late Body Refining. The idea that she would vanish once again and leave him on his own bothered him. He¡¯d thought they would be done with that once he entered the inner sect.


    ¡°I must attend to both my own cultivation and my duties to the sect,¡± she said. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure your friends miss you. Then there¡¯s still the matter of Sha Xiang.¡±


    He Yu frowned. ¡°I beat her in the tournament. Do you think she still holds a grudge after that?¡±


    ¡°Most certainly,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°But any enmity she holds for you is secondary at this point.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°You recall when you learned of your art, the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace? You asked then about the Dawn Palace.¡±


    He Yu nodded but said nothing. Zhang Lifen had shut him down every time he¡¯d brought it up. He wasn¡¯t about to risk speaking and ruining the chance to get some answers from her.


    ¡°I will not speak overmuch of the Dawn Palace itself. The less you know of it, the better.¡±


    ¡°Alright, what does this have to do with Sha Xiang, though?¡±


    ¡°She was recruited by an organization called the Sunset Court, a group of cultivators loyal to the Sunset Empress. Xiao Jun was their leader within the sect, until recently. He has disappeared since the tournament, and Sha Xiang has been making overtures with other low-ranked members of the inner sect.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean this Sunset Court is here, within the sect?¡± he asked. ¡°And who is this Sunset Empress? What does this have to do with my art?¡± The torrent of other questions he had was difficult to hold back. This was the first time Zhang Lifen had brought this up on her own, and the first time she¡¯d said anything beyond simply closing the line of questioning.


    ¡°They operate throughout the Dragon Empire. They are difficult to find, and for every one of them we eliminate, three more appear elsewhere. As to who the Sunset Empress was, just know that she was powerful and dangerous. The Dawn Palace contains her.¡±


    ¡°What about the sect?¡±


    ¡°The elders know of the Court¡¯s efforts to infiltrate the sect. It was allowed as a means to observe them and to hopefully discover more about their activities. The Court is dangerous,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°They are also powerful. Most importantly, they view the sort of behavior that Sha Xiang has displayed worthy of praise and reward. While she is gathering her strength, you must do the same.¡±


    He Yu recalled the words Zhang Lifen had spoken all those months ago¡ªthat great powers were beginning to stir, and that Elder Cai was afraid ¡°she¡± would wake up. He Yu didn¡¯t need to ask who ¡°she¡± was anymore.

 3.4 - A Challenger Comes

    Zhang Lifen released He Yu from his training shortly after their talk of the Sunset Court. He Yu made directly for Li Heng¡¯s new home.


    The Li scion had mentioned his family¡¯s extensive historical records several times previously. Although He Yu had spent some time searching the sect archives for information on this Sunset Empress, he¡¯d never found anything. Perhaps the Li family archives would yield better results.


    As He Yu made his way through the paths and gardens of the inner sect, he kept his head up and his eyes forward. The attention of the other inner disciples was noticeably different, now that he wasn¡¯t in Zhang Lifen¡¯s company. As much as he was eager to test himself and potentially increase his rank, he had more important things to do right now. He only relaxed once he arrived at Li Heng¡¯s home and was admitted inside.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Li Heng asked as he set about to opening jars of wine for the both of them.


    Much like He Yu, the noble had benefited greatly from time spent developing his presence with Old Guo. Even now, his movements seemed like they weren¡¯t entirely there, as if they were tiny approximations of his movement technique.


    Unlike He Yu, Li Heng had gained a physical marker of his advancement to the Third Realm. Twin streaks of silver ran the length of his hair, beginning at either of his temples. Li Heng had fully accepted the change now, as he wore a robe adorned with embroidery of an identical color.


    ¡°Remember how you mentioned your family archives to me?¡± He Yu asked, taking a seat and then leaning against one of the pillars in Li Heng¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Would you be able to make a request from them? Regarding the Sunset Empress?¡±


    Li Heng joined He Yu and handed him his wine. ¡°I¡¯d have to send a message via construct, and it would take some time to get a response, but I don¡¯t see why not. I believe that only the imperial archives in the capital and the Ministry of Information have more extensive records than my father. So I¡¯m certain that we¡¯ll at least have something. Why now though?¡±


    He Yu filled his friend in on what Zhang Lifen had told him. He also recounted the conversation they¡¯d had after he¡¯d fought Sha Xiang and forced her to use the Four Demon Fists. Li Heng remained silent throughout, listening attentively and nodding along.


    ¡°Well, that certainly explains a thing or two,¡± he said once He Yu had finished. ¡° At the very least we know where all the advancement resources they¡¯d been using had come from. Xiao Jun never seemed like he was the type to afford so many elixirs, let alone simply give them out.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Lifen said we needed to gather our strength. Sha Xiang will be doing the same. Now that she¡¯s part of the inner sect, she¡¯ll try and expand the court¡¯s influence.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t the elders simply put a stop to it? It seems dangerous to simply allow something like that to make inroads to the sect.¡±


    He Yu shrugged. ¡°The only thing I managed to gather from what Zhang Lifen told me was the Court itself is difficult to root out. By allowing them to insert members within the sect itself, it makes them easier to track or something.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like the sort of idea the Ministry of Information would come up with,¡± Li Heng remarked. ¡°Anyway, how is your training going?¡±


    He Yu was thankful for the change in subject and for a chance to vent his frustrations a bit. He¡¯d spent nearly a week training with Zhang Lifen, and he didn¡¯t feel any closer to landing the strike she claimed would represent success in the exercise she was forcing him to practice. He didn¡¯t feel any faster, nor did he feel as though his proficiency with the guandao had increased in any substantial way.


    Li Heng listened patiently while they drank and He Yu vented. The wine was good, and spiritually fortified so that it would actually affect immortals. By the time he¡¯d finished complaining, He Yu felt better for the chance to unwind a bit and unload some of his pent-up frustrations.


    ¡°Still,¡± Li Heng mused after a lengthy silence, ¡°what she told you about belief was important.¡±


    ¡°I thought so, too.¡±


    ¡°And the Wayborn Seed, too.¡± A flicker of several different emotions played across his features as he said that.


    It was so fast that He Yu wouldn¡¯t have noticed if he¡¯d not only known Li Heng for the better part of a year. He still couldn¡¯t determine what the display meant, however.


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I weren¡¯t envious,¡± Li Heng said eventually. ¡°Forming a Wayborn Seed is an important step for advancing to higher realms. Doing so as early as you have bodes well for your future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll form one before too long,¡± He Yu said. He meant it too. Li Heng had always been head and shoulders above him in his eyes. It was strange to think that, in truth, they¡¯d been on more or less equal footing since training with Old Guo. And that now it seemed He Yu had surpassed him. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he felt about that as he recalled those early visions of standing solitary on a mountaintop.


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    Li Heng smiled at him, but it seemed forced. ¡°Well, nothing helps one advance better than a good fight or three. Want to go stir up some trouble?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come along,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯ll let you keep the duels to yourself.¡± He still wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable simply beating people up and stealing their things. It felt far too close to banditry for his taste.


    ¡°Have it your way,¡± Li Heng said, shaking his head as he stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I, for one, want to test out these inner sect disciples before I start issuing formal challenges for rank. I¡¯ve got a lot of catching up to do if I want to keep company with the likes of you and Princess Tan.¡±


    Given how many inner sect disciples there were, He Yu didn¡¯t think a difference of sixteen ranks was all that much, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He could tell that Li Heng¡¯s pride was already stung by the difference, so there was no need to risk making it worse.


    They had just reached the central square of the inner sect¡¯s lowest peak when an unfamiliar disciple planted himself in their path. He had the arrogant expression of someone who was used to always getting their way and the telltale expensive clothes of a noble. Dressed in green and blue robes, he looked a bit silly in He Yu¡¯s eyes. Being a full head taller, the other disciple sneered imperiously down at He Yu as he shifted to prevent He Yu from going around him.


    ¡°I find you lacking, Sect Brother He,¡± the noble said. His voice was just as arrogant as his expression.


    He Yu sighed, afraid that he knew where this was going. ¡°If you¡¯ll pardon me Sect Brother, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know your name. Sect Brother Li and I are about business of our own, so if you would kindly move out of our way, we¡¯ll be along.¡±


    ¡°I am Mo Zhiqiang,¡± the newcomer announced. ¡°My rank is six hundred ten. Close enough to yours that it might be instructive for you to receive my techniques.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that,¡± Li Heng said, stepping up beside He Yu.


    ¡°I have no business with you, six hundred thirty,¡± Mo Zhiqiang sniffed.


    It didn¡¯t take the judgment of an emperor to see what was happening here. As several disciples trickled over to watch, He Yu knew he needed to put a stop to this right now. With his victory over Sha Xiang in the outer sect tournament, he¡¯d thought that he had bought himself some reprieve for this sort of thing.


    He didn¡¯t know if this challenge had anything to do with Zhang Lifen¡¯s reputation in the inner sect or not, but he did know one thing¡ªhe needed to make an example of this Mo Zhiqiang here and now. He was an inner sect disciple now. He was firmly in the Third Realm, he¡¯d spent the past winter developing his presence, and he¡¯d already formed a Wayborn Seed.


    Although Mo Zhiqiang was in at late Body Refining, He Yu had managed to press Tan Xiaoling during the tournament. She had also been in the late stage of the Third Realm. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment didn¡¯t give him any indication that Mo Zhiqiang would be as tough as she was.


    Most importantly, perhaps, this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d faced down an opponent with a stage advancement on him. In fact, he was more or less used to it at this point. If he¡¯d ever once had the notion he¡¯d be given any fair fights, that notion was dead and buried by now.


    ¡°It would be an honor to exchange techniques, Sect Brother,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°At least you¡¯re not a coward,¡± Mo Zhiqiang said as he adopted a combat stance. An ornate spear with a vermilion tassel fell into Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s hands as he unleashed his presence. Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s spirit gave the impression of wind and rain.


    He Yu blinked, then double-checked his initial impression with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. Observing Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s spirit with the technique gave him a bit more information. It told him that Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s presence was still far less developed than his own. He wasn¡¯t sure what that meant exactly. He kicked himself for not asking Zhang Lifen more about a cultivator¡¯s presence during their training sessions.


    As his own weapon fell into his hands, He Yu¡¯s spirit broke over the square. He could almost hear the distant rumble of thunder from gathering clouds. Winds tugged at the hem of his robes, as both the cultivators¡¯ unleashed spirits impressed themselves on the world. A slight tingle prickled at He Yu¡¯s arms as his heaven-aligned qi added itself to the mix of wind and water.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s earlier lesson from that day returned to him then. If you train at half-strength, you learn to fight at half-strength. While this certainly wasn¡¯t training, He Yu knew well enough how she would tell him to handle something like this. And for once, he didn¡¯t need her to teach him the obvious lesson here. He was already in agreement, if for his own reasons.


    He¡¯d been pushed around enough. How would any of his heroes respond to something like this? How would any of his friends respond? How would his master respond? He barely needed to ask.


    The stories were record enough. The heroes would rise to meet the challenge. Although they would always win¡ªstories being stories, as he was coming to learn¡ªthe important part was that they wouldn¡¯t back down. He Yu¡¯s Wayborn Seed thrummed with agreement as his resolve aligned with his Way, much as it had back during the tournament.


    Likewise, he knew exactly how Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng would answer such a challenge. Li Heng had sought to fight for him, likely for his own reasons more connected to pride than anything else. He Yu could tell well enough that Li Heng wasn¡¯t satisfied with his placement in the tournament. And Tan Xiaoling? Well, she¡¯d told He Yu exactly how she would respond. In the year since meeting her, He Yu had never seen her hold back. Even when she was facing down four cultivators at once in a cowardly ambush, she had managed to stand and hold her own.


    Finally, there was Zhang Lifen. He Yu recalled how she had simply obliterated whatever sort of abomination King Hao had become. While he couldn¡¯t say if she had fought at full strength then, she certainly hadn¡¯t given any quarter to a foe far beneath her. Then she had faced down whatever that second presence had been¡ªthe one she¡¯d told He Yu and the others to run from.


    He Yu had spent far too long holding back. Far too long underestimating himself because he had been weak. But he wasn¡¯t weak anymore, and he¡¯d proved it to himself during the tournament. Certainty settled over him as he pointed his guandao at Mo Zhiqiang and activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t going to allow another Sha Xiang to arise and make his life miserable.

 3.5 - Duels, Talents, Techniques

    He Yu exploded into motion. Wind and heaven howled along his weapon, and surged over his body. With the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, he surged across the space separating him from Mo Zhiqiang. Forming the Rushing Wind, he fell upon his opponent.


    To Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s credit, he not only stood firm but also advanced on He Yu. The tip of the spear blurred with some wind-aspected art, and He Yu could feel a dampness like he was walking through clouds. Their weapons met with a metallic clash, and He Yu quickly gained the upper hand.


    With an upward sweep trailing wind and heaven, He Yu knocked Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s spear away. With a burst of speed fueled by the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering that sent flashes of heaven flickering across his robes, he reversed his grip and slammed the metal cap of his guandao into Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s chest. As his opponent stumbled back, He Yu frowned.


    ¡°I had expected more from the way you talked,¡± he said. A murmur passed through the assortment of gathered inner sect disciples, accompanied by more than a few stifled chuckles.


    ¡°You¡¯re using some trick,¡± Mo Zhiqiang said, still somehow managing to sound haughty. ¡°Senior Sister Zhang must have given you some talisman, or perhaps an elixir that allows you to fight beyond your ability.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªwhat?¡± He was having a hard time processing what he¡¯d just heard. ¡°You don¡¯t know Master Zhang at all, do you?¡±


    ¡°I know her reputation is that of a cheat who doesn¡¯t deserve her spot as a core disciple.¡±


    Water qi rushed towards Mo Zhiqiang, drawn from the surrounding mists of the Shrouded Peaks. He advanced in a way that was almost familiar to He Yu after weeks of trying¡ªand failing¡ªto land a hit on Zhang Lifen.


    A flash of insight from the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment allowed him to gauge Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s attack, and He Yu stepped in with another heavy strike from his guandao. Mo Zhiqiang shifted, and without even realizing what he¡¯d done, He Yu redirected his attack to match.


    A bloody gash appeared across Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s robe, and He Yu could smell the edges of the wound seared by the traces of lightning in his technique. Mo Zhiqiang stumbled back, an expression of affronted shock spreading across his features. Out of the corner of his eye, He Yu noticed several of the gathered disciples begin to break away from the crowd and trail off. Apparently, they weren¡¯t getting the spectacle they¡¯d expected.


    He Yu followed up with another strike. This time, Mo Zhiqiang raised his spear across his body to defend himself. He Yu poured qi into his body enforcement art and smashed through his opponent¡¯s defense. The spear clattered to the ground several feet away. He slammed the shaft of his guandao into Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s face. Cartilage crunched, and blood gushed from the noble¡¯s nose as he staggered backward, then fell.


    ¡°I yield,¡± Mo Zhiqiang said, his voice muffled by the hand he was using to try and stanch the bleeding from his broken nose.


    Li Heng appeared by He Yu¡¯s side. ¡°Take his spear, it¡¯s easily worth more than anything else he¡¯s likely to have on him.¡±


    He Yu looked over at the spear. It was a nice weapon¡ªwell made, etched with reinforcing formations, and decorated with expertly crafted ornamentation. He wasn¡¯t certain though. The idea of simply taking it didn¡¯t sit well with him. It never had. Because Mo Zhiqiang had started the fight completely unprovoked, he could justify taking some spirit stones and maybe an elixir or two from him, but the idea of taking what was obviously a very expensive weapon felt almost like it was going too far.


    Mo Zhiqiang spat out a mouthful of blood onto the flagstones. ¡°Bandit. I¡¯ll make you regret humiliating me like this. I swear it upon my family¡¯s honor.¡±


    ¡°What? You were the one who started this,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Did you just expect me to lay down and let you beat me?¡±


    Although Mo Zhiqiang said nothing in response, the glare he returned was answer enough.


    ¡°Empty your storage treasure,¡± He Yu said as he picked up Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s spear and sent it to his own storage treasure along with his guandao.


    ¡°If you take him for all he¡¯s worth, he¡¯ll be too busy recovering from the loss to bother you again any time soon,¡± Li Heng said.


    Although he still didn¡¯t like it, He Yu had to admit that he saw the point. Maybe if he made the defeat sufficiently painful, Mo Zhiqiang would leave him alone after this.


    In the end, he took several dozen spirit stones, including a handful of mid-grade ones. He also took a couple of elixirs that he couldn¡¯t immediately identify, and a number of restorative medicines. There were a few other miscellaneous odds and ends in the storage treasure as well, but they were mostly the sort of mundane creature comforts that he¡¯d seen Zhang Lifen pull out from time to time.


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    He let Mo Zhiqiang keep them.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget this,¡± Mo Zhiqiang called after He Yu as he turned to leave.


    He Yu paused and turned halfway to where the other disciple still glared up at him. ¡°That was sort of the point,¡± he said. ¡°You started this, and I ended it. As far as I¡¯m concerned we¡¯re done. Hopefully, you¡¯ll leave me in peace now that you¡¯ve realized your mistake.¡±


    Once they¡¯d made it to the other side of the plaza, Li Heng said, ¡°Better than before, but it could use some work.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± He hadn¡¯t meant to snap at Li Heng, but he was still annoyed by Mo Zhiqiang first starting a fight, and then acting as though He Yu was the one in the wrong when he had the audacity to win.


    ¡°Make an example of him. Did you see all those people watching? I wouldn¡¯t say you¡¯re an easy target after that display, but you certainly didn¡¯t do anything to make yourself look like a hard one.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®that display?¡¯ I beat him, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°But we both know you¡¯re capable of far more than that. Where was the sort of show you put on against Princess Tan?¡±


    ¡°I mean, if he¡¯d warranted anything like that,¡± He Yu said, letting the rest of his thoughts on the matter remain unspoken. He didn¡¯t like it, but his gut told him Li Heng wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°Well, if I were a neutral observer, I¡¯d have come away from that knowing that you have an over-developed presence for your advancement. That speaks to strongly aspected qi of high potency and density. That means you¡¯re clearly someone of respectable talent, at least. That¡¯s good and will keep some of the disciples who are less confident in their own ability away. You didn¡¯t give any indication that you¡¯d formed a Wayborn Seed though, which could be good or bad. At least you¡¯ve got it in your back pocket should someone with any actual ability challenge you.¡±


    ¡°Respectable talent?¡± He Yu asked. That seemed like it was going a bit too far.


    Li Heng stopped and then turned to face him fully. After a moment, he shook his head. ¡°You truly haven¡¯t realized it. From barely awakened to middle Body Refining in under a year? Remember that I told you I started cultivating at fifteen? I¡¯m a year older than you, and I was only middle Foundation when I joined the sect.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you said you stayed at the peak of Qi Gathering for some time, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I did, but only about a year. And it was the same little excursion into the wilds that pushed both of us to late Foundation, I¡¯ll remind you.¡±


    ¡°I mean, fair,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I still don¡¯t think I¡¯d call myself talented or anything.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that out of everyone Princess Tan fought in the tournament, you were the only one who lasted more than a few minutes against her? Not to mention that you actually gave her a hard time. If you¡¯d been at late Body Refining, I¡¯d have given you even odds on actually beating her.¡±


    Now it was He Yu¡¯s turn to search Li Heng¡¯s features. Eventually, he realized that Li Heng had meant it. ¡°No way,¡± he said and began down the path once again. ¡°She¡¯s far too strong. I¡¯m just amazed I put up as much of a fight as I did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my point,¡± Li Heng said, falling in beside him once more. ¡°The fact that you stood your ground speaks volumes about you.¡±


    Now that he thought about it like that, He Yu saw his point. The conversation turned towards Li Heng¡¯s potential targets, something that He Yu was grateful for. The main purpose for these first few duels was mostly just to test the waters. He wanted to get a feel for the relative strength of the inner sect disciples before issuing any formal challenges for rank.


    Although Zhang Lifen had told him that rank was important in the inner sect, He Yu wasn¡¯t particularly set on climbing just yet. His main concern for the immediate future was breaking into late Body Refining and then reaching the peak. The most important thing that he¡¯d manage to gather about the path to forming his Golden Core was that he needed to align himself with his Way more fully.


    Specifically, he needed to do that by searching the beliefs that drove him. Based on what Zhang Lifen had told him earlier that day, he had an answer but was wanting of a question. He needed to turn the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment towards that task.


    Although he¡¯d had some initial difficulty, he¡¯d since learned that it was indeed a potent cultivation technique. It both provided him with insights and helped him understand the fullness of their meaning. If there was anything that would aid his way forward, it would be relying on the art that had come to form the foundation of his Way.


    At length, Li Heng found someone he thought was a good target. He Yu didn¡¯t know the other disciple¡¯s rank, but that hardly mattered. As the duel progressed, it quickly became clear that Li Heng outmatched his opponent and was more interested in putting on a show than scoring an easy victory. As other inner sect disciples trickled in to watch, He Yu took a seat well away from the crowd.


    Under the boughs of a red mountain pine, He Yu pulled out the jade slip containing the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace from his storage treasure. With a trickle of qi, he activated the manual and sought the knowledge of the Spring Rain Mirror.


    Zhang Lifen had chastised him for not practicing it. She had told him it was foundational to the art, much like the Peerless Judgment and the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. She had also mentioned that she had specifically consulted Elder Cai about his training. If she insisted he begin cultivating the Spring Rain Mirror on the advice of Elder Cai, he¡¯d be a fool not to listen.


    If only he could make sense of the technique. So far, it was the most difficult and complicated technique that the art had to offer. It didn¡¯t help that it was a water aspected technique. Water was the least developed aspect of his presence. Although Elder Cai had said He Yu had a natural affinity for it, he hadn¡¯t ever really thought to seek out arts or techniques in those early days that made use of the aspect. It had lagged behind as a consequence. Now it was wildly out of balance with the other aspects that made up his presence.


    Well, he¡¯d managed to cultivate the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, hadn¡¯t he? That had been tremendously difficult when he¡¯d first started. So had the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, especially those first embarrassing attempts that had sent him crashing into pillars and people both. Really, this was just more of the same when it came to the techniques of the Heavenly Palace art.


    There was nothing to do but grit his teeth and push through the difficulty.

 3.6 - Gathering Strength

    Since the tournament, Sha Xiang had stalked the inner sect. For once, the demon core seemed to agree with her about a course other than unbridled violence. It knew, just as she did, that they were small fish in a very large pond. Or rather, easy prey. The core did not like being prey.


    For the time being, at least, it was content to remain beneath notice. To gather knowledge of the inner sect¡¯s lower ranks, and to take this time to gather strength.


    Sha Xiang had spent much of her time these past few weeks cultivating, and she could feel the pressure in her dantian building. She was almost ready to attempt breaking through into late Body Refining. She could also feel the demon core growing, as it wrapped her dantian even more tightly. As it twisted her meridians. As it crept into her qi and manifested ever more clearly in her presence.


    It had begun whispering to her during her meditations. Soft and soothing. Telling her how strong she was, and how she deserved more than what she had. Urging her to take. It grew along with her, and as it grew she could feel its desire.


    It wanted. What it wanted didn¡¯t seem to matter, really. Power, wealth, status. It was an undirected avarice that extended beyond the mere physical. Followers, acclaim, authority. It wanted to be adored. It wanted to command. To be obeyed. The demon core¡¯s thoughts bled into her own. It sometimes became difficult to tell where the core¡¯s desires ended and hers began.


    One thought that was truly hers though, was a morsel of information she remembered from her first days in the sect, in Elder Wen¡¯s cultivation lessons. As one climbs ever higher through the realms of cultivation, one must come to better know their self. Perhaps late Body Refining could stave off some of the worst mixing of thought and desire, perhaps not. She was certain, however, that reaching Golden Core would provide the clarity that seemed to elude her of late.


    The demon core whispered what sounded like encouragement at that. So she must be on the right track.


    ¡°Xiang,¡± came the sharp sound of her name from beside her.


    She pulled her thoughts back to the present and graced Cui Bao with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, if a bit curtly. He¡¯d been displaying more open worry for her since the tournament. It was touching, she supposed, but far from necessary. They were sitting beneath a tree across from one of the inner sect homes, waiting for its occupant to return for the evening.


    Da Ning hadn¡¯t been anyone Sha Xiang had paid much attention to while in the outer sect. But then he¡¯d been the only disciple unaffiliated with either her or He Yu to make it far enough in the tournament to qualify for a position in the inner sect. There seemed to be some bad blood between Da Ning and He Yu, but that was secondary, and more of a bonus than anything else.


    Most importantly, Da Ning was a noble, and an unaffiliated one. So far as she could tell, he had no allies within the inner sect. He had no enemies either. He¡¯d been keeping his head down much like she had but didn¡¯t yet seem to be making much progress, either in his cultivation or his reputation.


    The thing she needed most right now was an in with the rest of the inner sect, especially the nobility. They seemed to run things around here, much like in the broader world, and Sha Xiang couldn¡¯t go around starting fights with them if she wanted to gather allies. And after she saw what happened to Xiao Jun, she wasn¡¯t interested in coming off as a failure in Kong Huizhong¡¯s eyes.


    She¡¯d discussed the matter with Bao, who had a surprisingly good head for these sorts of things. Turned out that being a street thug wasn¡¯t all that different from navigating the politics of the imperial administration. Know who was strong, who was weak, and who had something to gain. Give what you could to get what you want. Well, she certainly had a lot to give¡ªand the best part? She wasn¡¯t going to be the one to pay.


    The demon core cackled its agreement. It liked the fact that she would gain a follower without having to give up anything of her own. It certainly would have preferred if she had simply dominated Da Ning through sheer force, but it at least understood the need for diplomacy in some situations.


    ¡°Here he comes,¡± Cui Bao said, standing and stepping fully into the path.


    Sha Xiang joined him.


    Da Ning slowed his pace when he saw them, his posture growing tense. He removed his sword hand from his sleeve but didn¡¯t summon a weapon. He was wary and ready to fight but didn¡¯t look eager to be the one to start it. It seemed that he¡¯d caught wind of the reputation Sha Xiang had built for herself in the outer sect.


    ¡°Sect Brother Da,¡± Sha Xiang said as she pressed a fist into her palm in salute. ¡°I wish to speak with you.¡±


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    His eyes narrowed. ¡°Forgive me if I am hesitant to trust the two brutes that have shown up on my doorstep,¡± he said, still sounding wary.


    At her side, Cui Bao tensed at the insult. Sha Xiang couldn¡¯t have agreed more, but she motioned for him to step back anyway.


    ¡°I can assure you we have no wish for violence. I have a proposition for you, one that would be of benefit to us both. You have my word that should you refuse, we will leave you in peace and you will never hear us speak of this evening again. Any future conflict would only be within the bounds of formal competition for rank within the inner sect.¡±


    The words felt like lies as they tumbled from her lips, but that was mostly due to the demon core¡¯s desires. She meant what she said. Kong Huizhong had given her a quick lesson on how to speak to nobles without making herself appear obsequious or meek, and as Da Ning visibly relaxed, it seemed those lessons had been put to good use.


    ¡°Let us speak then,¡± he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Despite his desire to hear her out, it seemed the conversation was to take place here on the path, surrounded by the growing dusk.


    ¡°You lost to He Yu in the outer sect tournament. I know that you also have some history with that friend of his, Li Heng. I lost to He Yu in the tournament as well, and I have history with both of them as well.¡±


    ¡°Settle your grudges on your own, Sect Sister Sha. Do you think I have forgotten how you conducted yourself in the outer sect? You are little better than a bandit as far as I can tell.¡±


    Sha Xiang grit her teeth and said nothing in response. The demon core¡¯s anger flared at the insult, mixing with her own and fueling it. She¡¯d figured that looting advancement resources from the weaker disciples would come back to bite her in the ass, but not with a pompous sort like Da Ning.


    Fortunately, Cui Bao jumped in on her behalf. ¡°We never took from you, and you can hardly blame us. We had none of the advantages of someone of your birth. We had to take what resources we could.¡±


    Da Ning glanced between the two of them for a moment before speaking again. ¡°So what is it you want then? To offer me a chance for revenge?¡± His tone said exactly what he thought of that proposition.


    ¡°He Yu, Li Heng, and Tan Xiaoling. I want to see all of them brought low. And I want to do it with allies at my back.¡± The demon core hissed. It did not want allies. It wanted subjects. ¡°I¡¯m going to run the inner sect,¡± she added at the last. That at least satiated the core for a moment.


    ¡°I watched the final round between Sect Brother He and the Jade Princess. I am not so arrogant to think that I can face either of them with my present strength.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to.¡± Sha Xiang withdrew a pill box from her storage treasure.


    Cautiously, Da Ning reached for it. When he cracked the lid, a rich medicinal scent filled the air. Da Ning snapped the box closed, glancing around to see if they were being watched.


    ¡°What trickery is this?¡± he demanded.


    It was a Grade III Red Soul Refining pill. Taking it at any point during the Body Refining stage would dramatically boost one¡¯s cultivation base, and reify the presence of their spirit. They were rare and expensive. Kong Huizhong had given her five of them. He¡¯d warned that both she and Cui Bao should only take one apiece for themselves, otherwise they risked a severe backlash. The remaining three were for tempting others to their side, just as Sha Xiang had been tempted by Xiao Jun¡¯s offer of an elixir.


    ¡°Take it,¡± she said. The demon core let her know of its displeasure, but then fell silent. It knew the pill was buying something greater. It knew the pill was an investment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll not be indebted to the likes of you,¡± Da Ning said, holding the pill out for her to take back.


    ¡°Consider it a token of good faith,¡± Sha Xiang said. It galled her to do so. ¡°Side with us, and there¡¯s more to come.¡±


    The pill box vanished into Da Ning¡¯s storage treasure. ¡°Let us continue this inside,¡± he said. ¡°I shall prepare tea.¡±


    Sha Xiang allowed herself to relax a bit, releasing some tension she¡¯d been holding without realizing it. It was a step, and one in the right direction. And all it had taken was one incredibly valuable pill.


    ¡°Of course. It would be rude to refuse your hospitality,¡± she said.


    They followed Da Ning inside his home. It was a bit smaller than the one she shared with Cui Bao, but no less finely appointed. Say one thing about the inner sect, they took care of the disciples. She wasn¡¯t certain if the creature comforts she¡¯d been afforded as the six hundred-twentieth-ranked disciple would make her soft or hamper her cultivation, but she certainly wasn¡¯t going to complain about them.


    Once the formality of tea had been dispensed with, talk of alliance resumed. Da Ning turned out to be more shrewd than he¡¯d first appeared, seeking to discover the source of Sha Xiang¡¯s wealth. At first, he did so subtly, but as she avoided giving him a straight answer, his questions became more directed.


    Finally, he simply asked, ¡°How is it that you can afford such things? I was not idle in my time in the outer sect, and I looked into the backgrounds of those who were distinguishing themselves by their cultivation.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t so bull-headed as to reveal the Court this early, but it was pretty clear that she couldn¡¯t get away with avoiding some sort of answer any longer. At length, she said, ¡°I have a benefactor.¡±


    ¡°Not Xiao Jun, certainly,¡± Da Ning said. ¡°He failed to enter the inner sect.¡±


    Sha Xiang exchanged a glance with Cui Bao. The noble hadn¡¯t mentioned that Xiao Jun had vanished from the outer sect shortly after the tournament. Hopefully, that meant he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Not Xiao Jun,¡± she said evenly. ¡°Now that I have entered the inner sect, I¡¯ve caught the eye of someone greater.¡±


    ¡°Sect Sister Sha truly has good fortune,¡± Da Ning said.


    ¡°And I share that fortune with those who make common cause with me. That pill should easily allow you to reach late Body Refining. As I said, there is more to come. All I need from you is to help me make inroads with the other members of the inner sect. Once we¡¯ve gathered enough strength, we can bring those who have wronged us to our knees.¡±


    Da Ning produced several jars of wine from his storage treasure. ¡°I think we will have a long and fruitful relationship, Sha Xiang.¡±


    The demon core howled with glee, and it was all Sha Xiang could do to keep from joining in.

 3.7 - Another Duel?

    With a tired sigh, He Yu sent his guandao back to his storage treasure. The other disciple knelt before him, head bowed. He was bloody, battered, and bruised, but his posture¡ªeven kneeling¡ªshowed that he still had some pride. Pride that would no doubt cause more trouble for He Yu if the past few weeks had been any indication.


    ¡°Empty your storage treasure,¡± He Yu said. The words sounded tired to his own ears, and they¡¯d become rote at this point. He was sick of saying them by now.


    The disciple¡ªHe Yu had already forgotten his name and sect rank¡ªglared up at him, but did as he¡¯d been ordered. He Yu quickly picked through the lucre and took a few choice items. Mostly some expensive-looking elixirs, and a couple of mid-grade spirit stones.


    ¡°You left him with quite a bit,¡± Yan Shirong said with a sniff as he looked over the leftovers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough room in my storage treasure for more,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°You could always simply buy a bigger one. I¡¯ve no doubt you could afford it.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t going to argue with that. In the weeks since his duel with Mo Zhiqiang, he¡¯d been on the receiving end of a challenge nearly every day. He¡¯d won them all. While he¡¯d been gracious in victory at first, he quickly learned that had been a mistake.


    It had gained him a reputation as someone other disciples could duel without too much risk should they lose. At least that¡¯s what he¡¯d assumed when the challenges only increased after his first few victories. So he¡¯d started taking his defeated foes for all they were worth in hopes it would deter future attacks.


    With the sudden influx of medicines, elixirs, and spirit stones, he¡¯d been able to use his resources far more freely than he was accustomed to while cultivating. When he wasn¡¯t dueling, he¡¯d been taking on jobs for the inner sect whenever he could, since Zhang Lifen was still away. He¡¯d accumulated a decent bank of contribution points. Altogether this had allowed him to book time in one of the inner sect¡¯s cultivation chambers. There he¡¯d broken through into late Body Refining.


    With the aid of looted mid-grade stones and expensive elixirs, it had been a high-quality breakthrough. Something He Yu had come to be tremendously thankful for in the days and weeks since. It hadn¡¯t added any potency to his presence, but it had further refined the changes that had come with his Third Realm advancement.


    The Body Refining stage was true to its name. Although he¡¯d long since been anything close to ¡°weak,¡± the strength that had come along with this advancement had probably been the most welcome aspect of it. He¡¯d first truly felt it for himself back during the tournament, but it had truly come into its own during the past few weeks of dueling. He could easily shrug off attacks that would instantly kill a mortal. He could crush stones with his bare hands, and stray strikes with his guandao left cracks and gashes in the paved grounds of the inner sect despite the protective formations.


    His physique had also improved as well. He hadn¡¯t put on the bulk that cultivators like Ren Huang and Fang Yingjie had, but his muscles had become noticeably more defined. His casual movements contained a power and precision to them that he certainly wasn¡¯t going to complain about. The continued cultivation of his wind-aspected movement art had also given him a greater sense of grace and coordination; a welcome change as he¡¯d always been a bit clumsy before.


    While he lacked any explicit visible markers of his advancement like Zhang Lifen¡¯s startling blue eyes, or the twin silver streaks in Li Heng¡¯s hair, his appearance had changed in its own way. His features no longer bore the youthfulness they had up until now, giving him a welcome maturity that he¡¯d long wished for.


    The one thing that had affected his presence was his cultivation of the Spring Rain Mirror. Such as it was. The technique was monstrously difficult, and it had taken him nearly two weeks simply to be able to form it. In battle, it had been practically useless.


    The Spring Rain Mirror itself was a disk of water-aligned qi, roughly the size of He Yu¡¯s palm. He¡¯d practiced a bit with Li Heng and discovered it could withstand a single attack before dissipating. If no attack struck it, the technique only lasted for a few seconds before it vanished on its own.


    Although the Spring Rain Mirror would stay wherever he created it, he could move it if he needed to. The problem with this was twofold. First, because of how short a time the technique lasted, the window he had to move it in wasn¡¯t very large. Second, the actual act of moving the Spring Rain Mirror was tremendously difficult and required nearly all of He Yu¡¯s concentration.


    The only apparent upside to the technique was that it required very little qi to use. A small consolation, all things considered. He Yu rarely manifested the technique correctly and seldom gained the benefit of its properties. Regardless, Zhang Lifen had called it foundational to his art, so he cultivated it despite his misgivings.


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    Since beginning to cultivate the Spring Rain Mirror, his presence had taken on a more balanced mix of wind, heaven, and water qi. Most of that mix had come from the addition of water to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, just like when He Yu had learned his heaven-aspected body technique, the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering.


    The feeling of his presence had become ever more like a darkening storm. It reminded him of the high days of summer around Shulin, when the clouds would gather on the horizon seemingly from nowhere, and the air would grow thick and heavy. When the scent of rain would come moments before the first drops fell, the clouds would flash, and the rumble of thunder rolled over the town. Those summer days of thunder and rain had always been his favorites. Days spent inside, listening to the gentle patter on the forge roof. That his presence would follow seemed fitting.


    He Yu and Yan Shirong began to make their way towards the inner sect market. A bigger storage treasure was a good idea, now that he had given it some more thought. He should also stock up on qi restoration pills and medicines. If only to get rid of some spirit stones and clear up some space. He Yu shook his head and chuckled to himself. Barely a year had passed, and already he was spending money simply because he needed to get rid of it. Those first days at the sect where he felt every stone a precious resource seemed far away in the past now.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Yan Shirong asked.


    ¡°Nothing. Just thinking about what a difference a year makes.¡±


    Yan Shirong gave a nod in agreement. The comital scion had changed too, it seemed. While he was still nakedly avaricious, he¡¯d stopped asking for payment upfront whenever He Yu asked him to join in on the jobs they took together. He Yu had also come to realize over the past weeks that Yan Shirong¡¯s general stand-offishness was more an act than anything else. Whether that was due to the Peerless Judgment helping him get a read on people, or simply a consequence of spending more time with the other cultivator, he couldn¡¯t have said.


    Of course, Yan Shirong hadn¡¯t stood still during his time in the inner sect either. While he hadn¡¯t yet advanced to late Body Refining, he was clearly on his way. Although he rarely dueled, still insisting his arts weren¡¯t suited to direct combat, He Yu had sparred with him a few times. His presence manifested as an umbral cloak that billowed out from him. Being inside it made He Yu feel as though he was being watched from a hundred hidden angles, by a hundred unseen eyes. Within the effects of Yan Shirong¡¯s spirit, the world seemed muted as an unnatural silence weighed down on it.


    Despite his continued insistence that he wasn¡¯t much of a fighter, Yan Shirong¡¯s arts seemed to have progressed as well. The shadowy tendrils he used had rapidly grown in number, and he could now use them to both attack and maneuver with. This made him a tough opponent to pin down, as he could use even the tiniest spot of shadow to haul himself out of harm¡¯s way. Then, from his seemingly endless supply of throwing daggers, he could pepper his opponents with attacks from more than a dozen angles at once.


    It was during these sparring sessions that He Yu had first seen the real point of Zhang Lifen¡¯s training. Compared to trying to hit someone like her, Yan Shirong may as well have stood still. That wasn¡¯t to say Yan Shirong didn¡¯t benefit from sparring with He Yu. After a few rounds, the comital scion seemed to have adjusted well enough. He Yu supposed that any benefits he could pass on from his own training were well worth it.


    ¡°Any word from your family?¡± He Yu asked as they strolled down the path to the inner sect market. All around them, mists curled through the manicured trees and gardens, under bridges spanning softly tumbling streams, and around the moon gates that separated portions of the inner sect grounds.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Yan Shirong said with a shake of his head.


    He Yu had asked him to find whatever information he could about the Sunset Empress and the Dawn Palace from the Ministry of Information. Although Yan Shirong had been establishing himself as an information broker here in the inner sect, he¡¯d been more than happy to send a request to his family. No doubt he was just as curious about the whole thing as He Yu was, especially after their experiences during their time away from the sect the previous winter. Hopefully, they would get some answers soon.


    They chatted about more immediate concerns as they walked. Yan Shirong wanted to take on more jobs away from the sect, mostly as a way to harvest cores from awakened beasts. He Yu was happy to oblige him, especially since he wanted more time in the inner sect cultivation chambers. While they hadn¡¯t yet agreed as to what sorts of jobs they ought to seek out, they were at least of the same mind¡ªanything that would help them advance was welcome.


    Just as they reached the entrance to the inner sect market, a disciple He Yu didn¡¯t recognize stepped forward and announced himself.


    ¡°Sect Brother He, I wish to exchange techniques,¡± he said, lifting his chin.


    He Yu¡¯s eyes narrowed as he sized up his opponent. This one seemed to have only just reached the middle Third Realm given what he could feel of the challenger¡¯s spirit.


    Turning to Yan Shirong, he said, ¡°Does this strike you as odd, at all?¡±


    ¡°Given the reputation you¡¯ve been building as a duelist and the showing you gave at the tournament? Quite.¡±


    ¡°Do not ignore me, Sect Brother,¡± the challenger said.


    ¡°You realize I have a full stage¡¯s advancement on you, right?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Will you accept my challenge, or shall I name you a coward?¡±


    ¡°Shall I name you an idiot?¡± He Yu snapped, letting his temper get the better of him. He was getting a bit sick of this, really. Even if it was fantastic training. He¡¯d fought against disciples with every imaginable weapon, and who fought with every imaginable style. He¡¯d gotten the chance to use the Peerless Judgment to observe arts and techniques he hadn¡¯t even dreamed of.


    He just wished he could go a day without fighting at least one duel.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He Yu said. ¡°That was uncalled for.¡±


    The other disciple simply glared at him and repeated his challenge.


    ¡°Alright,¡± He Yu replied as his guandao fell into his hands. ¡°Have it your way.¡±

 3.8 - Response

    As yet another defeated challenger emptied out their storage treasure at He Yu¡¯s feet, he couldn¡¯t help but think this was getting more than a bit ridiculous. At this point, he¡¯d lost track of how many people had challenged him over the past weeks. He¡¯d won them all.


    He Yu scooped the pile of spirit stones and medicines into his new, larger storage treasure. He very pointedly ignored Chen Fei¡¯s scowl.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you leave him with at least a little?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I tried that at first,¡± he said. ¡°It just made things worse. I¡¯m hoping now that if I take everything, they¡¯ll leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°A wiser course of action, in my view,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. She¡¯d been lounging against a tree for the very short duel, observing with that half-smirk of hers. The fact that He Yu was constantly being subjected to duels was something she found endlessly amusing. Once she¡¯d gotten wind of his troubles, she¡¯d begun seeking him out when he was in the inner sect common areas.


    The fact that usually meant Chen Fei came along wasn¡¯t something he was going to complain about. At first, she¡¯d been worried that he was turning into some sort of a bully, having heard that he¡¯d been dueling multiple times every day. Once he explained what had been happening, she¡¯d eased up on him.


    He Yu glanced around, checking to make sure there weren¡¯t any other challengers lining up to inconvenience him, and caught sight of one of Yan Shirong¡¯s constructs. The puppet¡ªa wooden figurine fashioned in the likeness of a bird, bound together and animated with shadows¡ªflitted through the trees towards him. The construct alighted on his shoulder, and Yan Shirong¡¯s voice whispered in his ear.


    He relayed the message to the others. ¡°Li Heng has received word from his family archivist.¡±


    He¡¯d since told everything he knew about the Sunset Empress and the Court to both Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling. Of the two of them, Tan Xiaoling was by far the more interested. As the heir presumptive to the Jade Kingdom, any such threats were something she claimed she needed to stay informed of. He Yu thought there might be more to it than that.


    She¡¯d made good on her promise to repay the insult she¡¯d suffered at Xiao Jun¡¯s hands, true. The revelation that he¡¯d had a backer caused the Jade Princess¡¯s eyes to light up in anticipation when He Yu had told her about it. The promise of ever stronger foes, especially ones who could easily fund the advancement of three disciples, had whetted her appetite for battle.


    ¡°Shall we be on our way, then?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked.


    He Yu was more than happy to have her along.


    The three of them soon arrived at Li Heng¡¯s home. Yan Shirong was already there, and the four of them settled in to the main room while Li Heng prepared tea. Soon enough, the social niceties had finished, and they got down to business.


    ¡°So, what news?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Good and bad, both,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°The response from my family archivist was not encouraging. He wrote that such records should not be sought, and refused to elaborate whether or not my family had any. In fact, he implored me to forget everything I knew about both the Sunset Empress and the Dawn Palace.¡±


    He Yu frowned. That suggested that the Li family¡¯s archivist had at least some knowledge of the matter. ¡°Did he say anything about the court?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°I thought it best to leave out what we knew of them, given what Senior Sister Zhang has said.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the good news then?¡± He Yu asked. He wasn¡¯t sure if he agreed with Li Heng¡¯s omission of Court from his request, but there was little he could do about that now.


    ¡°My own investigation into the matter has yielded results,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    He Yu leaned forward and indicated that Yan Shirong should share what he¡¯d found. While he didn¡¯t know how extensive a library Li Heng¡¯s family kept, he had learned somewhat of the Ministry of Information during his time at the sect. The Ministry was both an organization for the public good, spreading knowledge to the citizens of the Dragon Empire, and what was basically the empire¡¯s secret police.


    The Ministry¡¯s more public role was simply to provide information. If anyone needed clarification on the particulars of a law, bureaucratic procedure, or simply the name of a certain official, the Ministry of Information provided it. Anything that was a matter of public record, no matter how obscure or trivial, was tracked by the Ministry and could be requested by any citizen of the Dragon Empire.


    Additionally, the Ministry of Information was the chief means by which new laws or imperial proclamations were disseminated throughout the sprawling territory of the empire. In times of war, the Ministry would call the levy, and rally the sects and noble clans to the empire¡¯s defense. It served a critical function in making sure the lines of communication across the Dragon Empire remained open.


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    Less public was the Ministry¡¯s role as the Dragon Emperor¡¯s eyes and ears across the land. The Ministry gathered information as well as spread it. They monitored any potential threats, both within and without, and ensured all the relevant loyal officials and noble clans stayed well informed. He Yu had hoped that this aspect of the Ministry would mean that Yan Shirong¡¯s request would provide something useful for them.


    He was not disappointed.


    ¡°I did have to engage in a bit of back-and-forth with my father about this,¡± Yan Shirong admitted. ¡°He was chiefly concerned about how I came to know of the Sunset Court in the first place and refused to tell me anything until I had answered him to his satisfaction.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling frowned when she heard that. ¡°Not to impugn upon the honorable Count Yan¡¯s service to the empire, but was that wise?¡±


    ¡°I can assure you that any communication between my father and myself will remain so,¡± Yan Shirong said with only a slightly offended sniff.


    That seemed to satisfy Tan Xiaoling, who said nothing further on the matter.


    When nobody else raised any concerns, Yan Shirong continued. ¡°The Ministry of Information is indeed aware of the Court, but the Shrouded Peaks Sect is the primary organization tasked with monitoring the Court¡¯s activities, not the Ministry.¡±


    He would have thought that an organization such as the Ministry of Information would be far better suited to such a task, given its reach alone. Never mind the fact that all the highly placed cultivators within the Ministry would have arts suited to intelligence gathering, similar to those of the Yan family.


    ¡°Did he say why?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°He did not,¡± Yan Shirong admitted. ¡°I asked, mind you. He told me that should I truly wish to know, I would be best served by increasing my rank and standing within the sect itself. Several other times during our correspondence he seemed to imply that core disciples of the sect know far more of these matters than anyone other than the sect elders. Even the most highly placed members of the Ministry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m mistaken here, but my family works closely with the Ministry. Most of our archives come from requests put in with them. While my father is the one responsible for holding the Western Passage, we rely on the Ministry¡¯s support to send us scouts and dispatches. Given how closely we work with the Ministry, I can¡¯t imagine why a task so firmly within their expertise would be left almost entirely to a single sect in one of the furthest corners of the empire.¡±


    ¡°Is it really so odd?¡± He Yu asked, looking to Yan Shirong for confirmation. He wasn¡¯t nearly as informed on the inner workings of the empire as either of them, so he had no way of knowing for sure.


    Yan Shirong nodded. ¡°The sects are all given certain areas of responsibility beyond simply administering the lands they control. However, with the exception of the Shrouded Peaks Sect, they all work closely with the Ministry of Information. The Shrouded Peaks Sect is notoriously secretive and reclusive in that regard.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something, I suppose,¡± He Yu muttered, staring down into his now-empty teacup. It seemed for all the world that they¡¯d reached another dead end.


    ¡°I did receive one more piece of advice,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°The mountains to the west, contain a number of valleys my father suggested I visit and perform some form of divination in should I wish to learn more. The only problem is, they all lay beyond the areas normally permitted even to inner disciples.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s not any help,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°On the contrary,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Occasionally the sect does issue jobs for inner sect disciples that send them to the western edge of sect territory. The mountains are dangerous, however. Third and Fourth Realm spirits and awakened beasts are common. The further west one goes, the more powerful spirits and beasts become. It would be advisable that should we try to access these lands, we all go. The more of us are present, the lesser the risk.¡±


    Chen Fei, who had been quiet up until that point, spoke up. ¡°My village has stories of the mountains far to the southwest. They¡¯re said to be haunted, populated by evil spirits that can possess travelers and rob them of their minds. People who get lost in the region become little more than puppets to some greater power.¡±


    ¡°That almost sounds like what happened to King Hao,¡± He Yu said.


    An unsettled quiet fell over the group as they each lost themselves in thought.


    Yan Shirong was the one to break the silence. ¡°Well. We have a lead,¡± he said.


    He Yu looked around the table. Everyone else looked back at him. His first instinct was to question it, but then again, who else would they look to?


    The whole question had come from his art, the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. It was his research into the art that had revealed the existence of the Dawn Palace in the first place. Sha Xiang, who had come to the sect along with him, had been the one to bring all of them to the attention of Xiao Jun, a supposed agent of the Sunset Court. It had been He Yu¡¯s mentor who had sent him¡ªalong with Li Heng and Yan Shirong¡ªinto the wilds to hunt King Hao. He Yu was convinced at this point that King Hao had some connection to the Sunset Empress and the Court.


    All things considered, if it weren¡¯t for him, none of his friends would even know the first thing about¡ªwhatever this was.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go,¡± he announced. ¡°I¡¯ll find a job, and I¡¯ll take it. I won¡¯t ask anyone else to put themselves in danger for this, but you¡¯re all welcome to come.¡±


    Li Heng arched an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot if you think I¡¯m letting you do this alone,¡± he said.


    Before anyone else could speak, Chen Fei spoke up. ¡°You¡¯ll need someone skilled at formations.¡± There was a near-imperceptible quaver to her words, but her expression was firm.


    He Yu felt the tension drain from his posture. He hadn¡¯t wanted to admit it, but he¡¯d been deathly afraid that if he¡¯d gone alone, he would never come back.


    ¡°I¡¯m never one to pass up the opportunity for a good fight,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, then she shot He Yu her half-smirk. ¡°Besides, if I let you leave the sect without me again, you might be able to beat me next we exchange pointers. Can¡¯t let that happen. I¡¯m in.¡±


    Yan Shirong sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll need someone who can perform the divination. I¡¯ll expect at least an equal share of whatever we find while we¡¯re out there.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said. ¡°Now the only thing we need to do is find an appropriate job.¡±

 3.9 - Investigation

    A soft rain fell over Lenghu city. Zhang Lifen twirled her parasol as raindrops pattered against the waxed paper. It was good fortune that the weather had favored her so. Since manifesting her Nascent Soul, it had become nearly impossible to suppress her qi enough that she could pass unnoticed. The rain would mask some of that, while also keeping most mortals off the streets despite being the middle of the day.


    A particularly observant mortal might notice how her steps seemed to leave no ripples in the shallow puddles that dotted Lenghu¡¯s paved streets. How the rain seemed to leave her gown dry. How she moved with an apparent fluid slowness that couldn¡¯t possibly be mistaken for natural anymore. It was a given that anyone who¡¯d been awakened would mark her with only a casual glance.


    That was fine. She had no pressing reason to hide herself. It was simply the courteous thing to do, to restrain one¡¯s spirit when among mortals.


    For the better part of the morning, she¡¯d been going in and out of flophouses, tea rooms, and restaurants¡ªanywhere she could think of where people were likely to gather. That her search had turned up nothing had surprised her. How had nobody noticed a Third Realm cultivator recently come to the city?


    Then, she spoke to the owner of a small noodle shop. He had seen someone matching Xiao Jun¡¯s description a day prior but had insisted that the man in question was a mortal. With his shadow-aspected qi, Xiao Jun would have nearly as easy a time hiding himself as she did, but the man should have noticed something. She had expected Xiao Jun to enter Lenghu and immediately begin throwing his weight around. Instead, he seemed to be keeping himself beneath notice.


    She thanked the noodle shop owner and gave him a sack of coins for his trouble. Probably more money than he¡¯d see in ten years running his shop, but a pittance to her. He could tell stories to his children about the immortal who graced him with good fortune in exchange for revealing that someone new had come to town. For revealing that someone had begun associating with a gang that ran one of the slums near the city wall.


    As Zhang Lifen neared the area she¡¯d been directed to, she noted that ¡°slum¡± was almost too generous. Shantytown? Ruin? Trash-heap? The buildings here looked half-rotted, and the eyes and cheeks of those few mortals she saw were sunken and hollow. This was the sort of area that, had she been a mortal woman, she wouldn¡¯t have dreamed of setting foot in. At least not without a company of guards.


    Her fine clothes, her visible expensive jewelry, her aristocratic bearing¡ªit would have marked her as an easy target for violence in a place like this. Dogs like these could sense danger though, and most either avoided her gaze or shuffled away at her passing.


    She rounded a corner and caught sight of several young men wearing the yellow sashes around their waists that the noodle shop owner had told her to look out for. They loitered beneath a partially collapsed overhang, gambling. When she drew near, they looked up, their expressions equal parts wary and appraising.


    ¡°Xiao Jun,¡± she said. ¡°Bring him to me.¡±


    The ruffian closest to her pulled out a large knife and made a show of cleaning his fingernails. ¡°Don¡¯t know who that is, and don¡¯t like taking orders from someone who doesn¡¯t know where they are.¡±


    ¡°He is here,¡± came a tired yet familiar voice from deeper within the dilapidated building. ¡°Why have you come, Zhang Lifen? To mock me?¡±


    When Xiao Jun stepped out to present himself, Zhang Lifen arched her brows at what she saw. He was dressed in the same ragged clothes as his associates, complete with a yellow sash around his waist. His hair was worn in a bun, rather than the looser more flowing style from when he was back at the sect. He looked awful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t gotta answer to the likes of someone all high and mighty like her, boss,¡± another of the ruffians said.


    Zhang Lifen idly wondered why he was associating with dregs like these. She appraised Xiao Jun with her spiritual sight and immediately learned why. His dantian had been severely damaged, along with his meridians. He was, for all purposes, a spiritual cripple.


    He had reached Body Refining before the damage had been done, however, so he¡¯d be stronger and more durable than most mortals. He¡¯d also spent years training to fight, so he¡¯d likely be more skilled than any of them, too. That would explain how he managed to establish himself so quickly, even without a cultivation base.


    ¡°Leave her,¡± Xiao Jun snapped. A few wisps of qi leaked from his damaged dantian as he cycled a pitiful amount to his limbs in the approximation of a rudimentary body enforcement technique.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°It seems you aren¡¯t fully crippled after all. Whoever did this to you gave you the chance to perhaps one day restore your cultivation. How kind of them.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t talk to the boss like that,¡± the ruffian with the knife said, taking a step forward.


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    Zhang Lifen snapped her parasol closed. It wasn¡¯t a proper weapon, and the formation script it contained was really only meant to make it better at holding up to heavy rain. But it could handle more than enough of her qi to deal with a few mortals. She thrust the parasol like a sword and struck the one holding the knife. The wooden cap at the end of the parasol smashed into his wrist. He screamed and dropped the knife as a dozen tiny bones shattered.


    A second had already started moving towards her with a makeshift club. Before the knife from the first one hit the ground, Zhang Lifen had already tossed the second across the street. By now the remaining ruffians had realized what was happening and froze, casting uncertain glances at Xiao Jun.


    ¡°The rest of you except Xiao Jun may leave unharmed,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°I only have business with him.¡±


    ¡°And just like that, I have nothing once again,¡± Xiao Jun sighed as his former allies abandoned him.


    ¡°Perhaps you should have thought of that before selling yourself to the Sunset Court,¡± Zhang Lifen said. She stepped under the overhang before banishing her parasol and folding her sleeves within her gown.


    ¡°So you did know,¡± he said, sitting on a rickety stool left by the now-fled ruffians. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be certain, but I had my suspicions.¡±


    ¡°How could you think we didn¡¯t?¡± she asked. ¡°Or are you truly that ignorant?¡±


    ¡°I was given assurances.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s the latter,¡± Zhang Lifen said.


    She found herself at a crossroads. How much could she get out of him without revealing anything too dangerous? How much more could she get if she did? Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to simply let Xiao Jun walk away from this encounter. There were, however, ways to coax secrets from the dead, and the Court would have no qualms about using them.


    Then again, she¡¯d already revealed that she was aware of the court to that emissary, Kong Huizhong. She never told him her name, though. It probably didn¡¯t matter. If he tore anything from Xiao Jun¡¯s spirit, he¡¯d recognize her and piece things together quickly enough on his own.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± Xiao Jun muttered. His features still retained a shadow of his pride, but it was clear that he was all but broken. Zhang Lifen would have felt a sliver of pity for him if he¡¯d not brought this upon himself.


    ¡°Truly? They never told you why they needed someone inside the sect?¡±


    ¡°We have people in all the sects. And all throughout the empire. Don¡¯t expect me to believe you don¡¯t know that already.¡±


    ¡°Your ignorance knows no bounds, Xiao Jun. The Shrouded Peaks Sect exists to protect the Dawn Palace. It was founded after the empress was suppressed and sealed.¡± Zhang Lifen paused for a moment and watched the emotions play across Xiao Jun¡¯s face. Disbelief, anger, then finally, understanding. She spoke again before he could. ¡°Tell me what you know. You served the Court for some time, after all.¡±


    Xiao Jun¡¯s mouth slammed shut, and he looked away. The muscle in his jaw tightened, and so did his fist in his lap. At length, he did softly speak, ¡°There¡¯s no point. I¡¯ll be dead before even a mortal¡¯s lifespan, and that¡¯s if I¡¯m lucky. If I tell you anything, the Court will know. They always know. Then they¡¯ll find me. I should just kill myself now and be done with it. That would be better than what they would do to me.¡±


    ¡°Do you truly believe the sect couldn¡¯t protect you from the likes of Kong Huizhong?¡± It was a gamble, using his name. But given how close he¡¯d been to the sect territory, Zhang Lifen was all but certain he had been Xiao Jun¡¯s contact with the Court.


    Xiao Jun¡¯s head whipped around. ¡°You¡¯re the disciple who fought him!¡±


    ¡°He mentioned me?¡± she asked, allowing herself a small grin. ¡°I¡¯m touched that he took notice.¡±


    ¡°If I can tell him¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°You¡¯re clearly in the state you¡¯re in as a punishment of some sort. Would they really repair your dantian? Consider an alternative. The sect could repair the damage to your cultivation base just as easily. We could also protect you. I could even advocate for bringing you into the inner sect in exchange for helping us.¡±


    He eyed her warily. It was clear he didn¡¯t trust her, and she didn¡¯t blame him. She was lying through her teeth, after all.


    ¡°What would I need to do?¡± he asked, voice flat and still mistrusting.


    She gave him her most brilliant and kind smile. ¡°Just answer a few questions, is all. Provide some information.¡±


    ¡°Take me to the sect and I¡¯ll tell you anything you want,¡± he said, standing.


    ¡°I need to make sure you¡¯re trustworthy first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll swear an oath. Any oath you want me to.¡±


    Her smile turned genuine. He was desperate, and she couldn¡¯t blame him. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. You¡¯ve no cultivation base to speak of, anyway, so an oath would be largely meaningless.¡± She paused as if considering. Then she said, ¡°How about this? Answer a question for me. Truthfully. I already know the answer, so it¡¯ll be easy to tell if you¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± he said.


    ¡°Besides those still remaining at the sect, how many members of the Court operate in the southwest?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Full members? Emissary Kong and the Bandit King Hao Niu,¡± he said immediately. ¡°The emissary is fully pacted, but I don¡¯t know if Hao Niu is or not. There are two others, but I don¡¯t know their names.¡±


    Xiao Jun must truly be out of favor if he didn¡¯t know that King Hao was dead. She had hoped that he would have more for her than that¡ªshe had already experienced Kong Huizhong¡¯s power for herself and was thus aware that he¡¯d fully yoked himself to the empress. It seemed as though Xiao Jun may be of less use than she¡¯d first thought.


    ¡°I see. And Sha Xiang?¡± she asked. The technique she¡¯d used, both in her first duel with He Yu and then again during the tournament¡ªwell, there were other explanations. But given her association with Xiao Jun and the Court, those explanations weren¡¯t likely.


    ¡°She has a core, but it hasn¡¯t fully bonded with her yet. At least not as far as I can tell.¡±


    At least there was one piece of good news. ¡°Thank you, Xiao Jun. You¡¯ve been most helpful.¡± As she spoke, she raised a finger and pointed it at him, letting her smile drop. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I am sorry it¡¯s come to this.¡±


    A bead of qi formed at the end of her finger, and realization broke across Xiao Jun¡¯s face. There would be little that he could tell her at this point that she didn¡¯t already know. Her work was done. The Heart Piercing Black Rain was meant to be used with a weapon. It could be used without one, but it was just less effective. Despite that, it was still more than enough to deal with a mortal.


    Zhang Lifen opened her parasol and stepped out from under the overhang. The trip had been more or less a waste. No matter, she¡¯d manage to spin it into a victory somehow.

 3.10 - Assignment

    In the days that followed the meeting at Li Heng¡¯s home, He Yu threw himself into cultivation. If they were going to venture into the dangerous wild, he wanted to pack as much qi into his cultivation base as he could before they left. He may not reach the Fourth Realm in such a short time, or even reach the peak of the Third, but every bit would help.


    He made sure not to lose himself too much, however, emerging at least once a day to check whether Yan Shirong had sent a construct. After a week in semi-seclusion, he found a wooden bird bound by shadow perched on the edge of his courtyard roof.


    By posting a hidden construct to watch the sect assignment hall, Yan Shirong had learned of a job that would serve their purposes. There were two downsides to it, however. First, they had a strict time limit, which Yan Shirong said was common for these sorts of jobs. They would only be allowed to spend at most two weeks in the wilds before they would need to return.


    The second downside seemed to be designed to ensure compliance with this order. They had to notify Elder Cai of their intent to accept the job, and to pass beyond the area normally permitted them. This, too, was common for these sorts of jobs according to Yan Shirong.


    Via the construct, He Yu asked Yan Shirong to gather them all at his home so they could discuss. He had no doubt that Elder Cai would immediately see what they were up to and forbid it, but he wanted to find out what the others thought regardless.


    Once they¡¯d all gathered around his courtyard, He Yu asked for opinions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what the harm is,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°If Elder Cai forbids us from this particular job, we¡¯ll just wait until there¡¯s a job that doesn¡¯t require his approval. Yan Shirong said they exist. If one comes up, we take it. If the elders disapprove, they¡¯ll stop us.¡±


    He Yu hadn¡¯t looked at it that way, but he immediately saw Tan Xiaoling¡¯s point. There was no way they¡¯d be able to do anything that the elders didn¡¯t want them to be doing. It probably wouldn¡¯t even require an elder¡¯s intervention, now that he thought about it. A single core disciple would be more than enough to rein in any wayward Third Realms poking their noses where they didn¡¯t belong.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain defying the elders is such a good idea,¡± Chen Fei said.


    Immediately, Yan Shirong spoke up. ¡°I agree with Sect Sister Chen. As much as I would like to learn more about all this Sunset Court business, I¡¯m not so eager that I¡¯m willing to cross the sect elders.¡±


    ¡°It seems to me that your father gave his tacit endorsement for our errand,¡± Li Heng said to Yan Shirong.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Minister Yan instructed him to perform a divination once within the far wilds. Clearly, he¡¯s curious as well. I¡¯ve no doubt that should Yan Shirong come to any trouble, his father would intervene on his behalf.¡±


    ¡°You realize my father is a mere count, and only of the Fifth Realm, correct?¡± Yan Shirong asked. ¡°Minister or not, I¡¯m not willing to wager anything on his ability to influence the sect elders to any real degree on my behalf. We are not a particularly powerful family.¡±


    ¡°I find it easier to ask for forgiveness than permission,¡± Tan Xiaoling said.


    ¡°Easy for someone like you to say,¡± Yan Shirong scoffed. ¡°Between your status and your father¡¯s cultivation and rank, I¡¯ve no doubt that you can typically do whatever you want without much consequence.¡±


    ¡°I mislike your implication, Sect Brother Yan,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, a cold spike of danger settling over them all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he meant anything by it,¡± Chen Fei said, glancing between the two of them.


    For the moment, He Yu was content to sit back and let them talk. Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng were both intent on taking the job and pressing forward. Yan Shirong and Chen Fei advocated caution. It was clear that He Yu would be the tiebreaker, and both sides had good points.


    After a time, he made his decision. It wasn¡¯t anything any of them said, but rather his one and only previous meeting with Elder Cai. He Yu had been given the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. It was the very same art that Elder Cai had used to seal the Dawn Palace formation. While He Yu wasn¡¯t anything close to an expert on formation work, he¡¯d never heard of specific arts being key to formations before. Whatever the connection was between the Sunset Empress, the Dawn Palace, Elder Cai, and the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace, that thread eventually connected to He Yu as well.


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    Elder Cai may have given He Yu the Heavenly Palace art for Zhang Lifen¡¯s benefit¡ªplacing his finger on the scales, as he¡¯d said¡ªbut He Yu couldn¡¯t believe for an instant that the choice of art had been anything but deliberate.


    ¡°I think we should take the job,¡± he said. ¡°If Elder Cai forbids us for whatever reason, we¡¯ll figure something else out. But I don¡¯t think he will.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think so? Why not?¡± Yan Shirong asked.


    ¡°Tan Xiaoling said it herself. If we were doing anything the elders didn¡¯t want us to, do you think we¡¯d truly be able to hide it? To that end, do you truly think the elders aren¡¯t aware of the messages we¡¯ve been sending?¡±


    Nobody had any objections to that, and it seemed the matter was settled. They decided to proceed as though they would be allowed to venture forth. The others returned home to make any final preparations, while He Yu made his way to the inner sect Commission Hall to accept the job. Once he¡¯d registered them, he turned his sights to the highest of the inner sect peaks.


    Shrouded even more thickly than the rest of the sect, the peaks where the sect elders had their homes were considerably higher than the rest of the sect grounds. The way up wasn¡¯t anything a mortal would have been able to climb. In fact, it could hardly be called a path or a road at all. It was a series of terraces, connected only by mist and empty air. He Yu had to proceed by leaping from one to another, frequently activating his movement technique to clear the distance.


    As he climbed higher, carried by the winds from one manicured garden terrace to another, the qi grew even richer and denser than the grounds of the inner sect proper. Water qi suffused the area, borne by the ever-present clouds and banks of mist that clung to the jagged, near vertical mountain slopes. The lush greenery that clung to the various outcrops, natural or not, radiated the vibrant qi of wood and life. The peaks themselves thrummed with the pulse of mountain and earth. Winds buffeted the slopes, and although there was no storm he could feel, the tingle of heaven ran through it all.


    It took him nearly half the day, but He Yu eventually found himself at the foot of a grand stair that led to a veritable palace. The outer walls of Elder Cai¡¯s home were painted with cinnabar and inlaid with jade. A pair of stone lions, carved with formation characters and practically gushing power, perched at the base of the stair. They were powerful defensive constructs that would come to life in the event anyone was foolish enough to attack a sect elder in the seat of his power.


    He ascended the steps and approached the double doors set into the outer wall. These too were carved with formations. Qi surged through and emanated from the entire edifice. Simply being in its presence was almost overwhelming and more than a little intimidating.


    Before him, the doors swung soundlessly open. Beyond stood Elder Cai.


    The elder¡¯s spirit was restrained; at least as much as it could be. Eighth Realm¡ªDivine Soul Apotheosis. The fraction of Elder Cai¡¯s presence that seeped through pressed down on He Yu with the weight of a mountain.


    An alabaster tower stretched to the heavens. Celestial radiance blinded and burned all who looked upon it. Faces were carved into the tower, pointed to each of the four cardinal directions. Each face was set above the characters naming that direction¡¯s guardian beast. Four sets of eyes were closed, as if sleeping, but deep within He Yu¡¯s spirit he knew that should they awake and open, only destruction would follow their terrible gaze. Heaven qi sparked above, and occasionally crackled down the length of the tower in brilliant, flickering arcs.


    He Yu needed to flex his own spirit, cycle his qi, and fully release his presence in order to remain standing before the merest shadow of a sect elder¡¯s power. A part of him feared he was being rude, but what else could he do? He was merely a Third Realm, standing before a cultivator a full five realms above him. He feared that if he didn¡¯t cycle his qi, he would surely be killed.


    The feeling of Elder Cai¡¯s spirit receded, and with it, the impressions of his presence. He Yu looked up and saw the reason. Elder Cai held out a jade coin at the end of a silk ribbon, inscribed with yet more formation characters. His face was serious, but not unkind. His eyes flickered with distant flashes of heaven¡¯s light.


    ¡°Hold on to this while you are here. It will allow you more comfort than you are currently able to provide for yourself.¡±


    He Yu saluted and took the offered talisman. ¡°This one thanks the Honored Elder,¡± he said. Then, he tensed up, recalling the rap of knuckles on the top of his head.


    He thought he heard the ghost of a sigh before Elder Cai spoke. ¡°Out with it. Although, I know well enough what it is you want, boy.¡±


    ¡°My friends and I seek to take a job from the inner sect. To do so, we must report to you,¡± He Yu said, straitening.


    Elder Cai eyed him, saying nothing. The silence stretched out between them, from one heartbeat to the next. Finally, the elder spoke.


    ¡°You seek dangerous knowledge, Disciple He.¡± It was all he needed to say to confirm everything He Yu feared to be true.


    Again, He Yu saluted and bowed. He was moments away from throwing himself to the ground in full kowtow. The only thing stopping him was the feeling that would only make things worse.


    ¡°This one apologizes for his insolence,¡± he said. ¡°He was only following the instructions on the job notice.¡±


    ¡°You have had run-ins with agents of the Court,¡± Elder Cai said. When he spoke again, he sounded almost tired. ¡°Thanks almost in full to my foolish disciple¡¯s meddling. The Eternal Dao moves as it moves.¡±


    Then, the full weight of Elder Cai¡¯s attention pressed down upon him. The gates of heaven opened, and He Yu found himself standing in the presence of an emperor. He immediately recognized the technique¡ªthe Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve had some small success in cultivating the art I gave you. Perhaps you¡¯ll be worth something someday after all,¡± Elder Cai said. ¡°Go on. Ask permission for your ill-advised little endeavor.¡±


    ¡°May we proceed with the sect job? To venture out into the wilds, beyond the western edge of the sect?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so difficult, now was it? Before I grant you license to do as you wish, we need to speak. Follow me.¡± With that, Elder Cai turned and walked deeper into his home. He Yu did the only thing he could, and followed.

 3.11 - Resolve and Departure

    Elder Cai ushered He Yu into the interior courtyard of his palatial home. A central garden dominated the space and was clearly maintained by a master gardener. He Yu was mildly surprised when Elder Cai knelt down and began tending to the plants himself.


    While the talisman He Yu held protected him from the elder¡¯s overwhelming presence, it did not mute his sense for qi. Elder Cai cared for his garden with wholly mortal techniques, using none of his cultivation base. Of course, being a cultivator meant that even without qi he could coax plants to life with far more skill than even the most accomplished mortal gardeners. As He Yu watched his martial grandfather tend to his garden, Elder Cai spoke.


    ¡°When Zhang Lifen sent you out from the sect last winter, I had hoped it would teach her a lesson. Instead, you and your friends were met with great fortune.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t need it spelled out for him. Elder Cai had expected they would fall at King Hao¡¯s hands. It felt a bit unfair to be thought of so callously by the elder, but He Yu didn¡¯t dare speak up.


    ¡°Through your fortune,¡± Elder Cai continued, ¡°you encountered something you ought not have. It was unclear, even to me, at the time how fully King Hao had given himself over to the Sunset Empress. The combination of my disciple¡¯s meddling and your good fortune has caused the Sunset Court to reveal itself, perhaps sooner than they would have liked. I suppose I should be grateful for that turn, at least.¡±


    Elder Cai fell silent, hands working at the task he¡¯d set himself to. He Yu stood by quietly, watching. The garden was truly magnificent. Its beauty and tranquility helped put his mind at ease after hearing the elder¡¯s words. It was something he became even more grateful for when Elder Cai spoke next.


    ¡°The art I gave you will bind you ever closer to this the further you cultivate it. As you ascend the realms of cultivation and the Heavenly Palace opens its gates to you, you will be drawn into ever greater conflict with the Sunset Empress and her agents. You are not ready for this.


    ¡°Leave my home. Go to the manual pavilion and select another art. Never speak of the empress or her court again. Forget all that you have seen and all that you have heard. Your little rivalry with Disciple Sha will run its course, with one of you eventually claiming ultimate victory. That will be the end of your involvement.


    ¡°Otherwise, ask my blessing one last time. I will give it. You will venture into the wilds and Disciple Yan will perform his divination. You and all your friends will uncover secrets best left to rest.¡±


    Elder Cai turned and stood, fixing He Yu in place with the weight of his attention. ¡°Make your choice.¡±


    The command left no doubt in He Yu. There would be no opportunity to think. No opportunity to consult his friends. Not only was he making this choice for himself, but for them as well.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. He wanted to say as much. To protest. To argue. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment opened to him. Much of what he¡¯d already done, and much of what he¡¯d still be asked to do, could hardly be called fair. Such was his lot, should he continue along his Way.


    In developing the discernment befitting an emperor, he would be asked to make such choices. To forge his legend he would be asked to choose, time and again. How many lives did the Dragon Emperor hold in his hands, after all? If a hero went to one region rather than another, how many benefited or suffered by that choice? He thought of his friends. What would they say? They didn¡¯t know what he was dragging them into.


    ¡°We have accepted the assignment, Honored Elder. We will see it to completion,¡± He Yu said. The gates of the Heavenly Palace closed. The only insight he gained was one of acceptance. He supposed right or wrong wasn¡¯t the question, but rather action or inaction.


    Elder Cai¡¯s attention still pressed upon him. ¡°I see,¡± was all he said.


    A radiant pillar descended from heaven. He Yu¡¯s vision went white. When the light faded and his vision returned he found himself standing at the foot of the elders¡¯ mountain. The talisman Elder Cai had given him was gone, replaced by a simple bronze badge. The badge bore an inscription, granting permission to pass beyond the boundary allowed to the inner disciples.


    They had the job.


    First, He Yu sought out Yan Shirong. Soon after, messages had been sent via Yan Shirong¡¯s constructs and they were all gathered at the comital scion¡¯s home. He Yu then relayed his meeting with Elder Cai to the rest.


    ¡°So I take it that by going on this mission, we¡¯ll be pulled in to whatever is going on with the Sunset Court as well,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I gather. Although I don¡¯t know if it will be to the same degree that I will,¡± He Yu answered.


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    ¡°Irrelevant,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°If this organization is as far-reaching as Elder Cai would have us believe, it would be irresponsible for me not to investigate further. Regardless of my circumstances, I am still royalty of the Jade Kingdom, and I have a duty to my father.¡±


    Although He Yu couldn¡¯t say what Tan Xiaoling¡¯s circumstances were exactly, he wasn¡¯t going to refuse her help, that was certain.


    ¡°I¡¯m of a similar mind,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°The Li family serves the Dragon Empire, and the Sunset Court works against the emperor¡¯s interests. My obligations are clear.¡±


    Yan Shirong grimaced as he spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I find myself in a similar situation. My father expects me to keep him abreast of what we find, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have told me to go.¡±


    He Yu looked to Chen Fei. She was like him in the fact that she came from a common background and had no political obligations she needed to see to. Unlike him, she had no inherent connection to this. While he¡¯d chosen his path, he still didn¡¯t feel right choosing for her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let all of you go alone,¡± she said at length, her voice smaller than usual, but her expression firm. ¡°I already said that you¡¯ll need someone better at formations than all of you are.¡±


    That settled things. Since they¡¯d already accepted the job and gotten Elder Cai¡¯s assent, all that remained was to figure out the logistics.


    They spent the remainder of the afternoon gathering supplies and making whatever purchases they needed from the inner sect market. Although the medicines and qi restoration pills available here were a bit more expensive than those available to the outer sect, they were far more potent. Between He Yu¡¯s increased stipend as an inner disciple and the resources he¡¯d been taking from his opponents, for the first time since coming to the sect he didn¡¯t feel the pinch when purchasing supplies.


    If there was one regret he had about leaving now, it was only that he¡¯d not had more time to cultivate the Spring Rain Mirror. Despite the technique¡¯s difficulty, he could see its strength. A defensive art that powerful would be a tremendous help going into a dangerous region infested with spirits and beasts alike. At least he had his companions to count on.


    On his way back from the inner sect market, he ran into Li Heng. He was walking along the path from the market to the living area, wearing a pensive expression.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± He Yu asked as he approached.


    Li Heng looked up, then shook his head. ¡°I wonder what my father would do, or my grandfather, if either of them were in my position.¡±


    The question was clearly rhetorical. He Yu knew full well what Li Renshu, the Seventh Realm founder of the Li family would do. He¡¯d done enough reading into Li Heng¡¯s ancestor since coming to the sect. Li Renshu would go into the wilds, and face whatever was there. He Yu was fairly certain that his friend¡¯s father, Li Bao, would do the same.


    ¡°You said yourself that you¡¯ll be coming,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    That answer gave him pause. There was more to it than what Li Heng had given voice to, but he wasn¡¯t certain he ought to press. Of the two of them, Li Heng had always been the better when it came to that sort of thing.


    Instead, he simply said, ¡°If you want to talk, I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    Something fell away from Li Heng, then. His shoulders slumped, and his face fell. ¡°Did I ever tell you about my training with Old Guo when he took me away from you and Yan Shirong?¡± he asked.


    It hadn¡¯t been what He Yu had expected, but he took it in stride. ¡°I don¡¯t think you did, no.¡±


    ¡°He said I was unfit to carry my grandfather¡¯s sword.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true,¡± He Yu said immediately.


    ¡°No,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°It is true. He also said I was soft. Hadn¡¯t ever been truly pushed.¡±


    ¡°What about King Hao?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°What about during the tournament? You beat everyone except the champion.¡±


    ¡°I placed behind you.¡±


    He Yu fell silent, unsure of what to say.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t fair,¡± Li Heng said after a time. ¡°You¡¯ve come a long way, and you earned your spot.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it alone,¡± he said. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t befriended me. If you hadn¡¯t stepped in and helped me in those first days. If you hadn¡¯t pushed me into those first duels. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s done more for me than you have.¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s expression indicated he didn¡¯t fully believe He Yu, but he at least seemed to perk up a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t think you give yourself enough credit.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I would have been fine without your help,¡± He Yu said. ¡°But that¡¯s not the road we walked. How we got to where we are now is all that matters.¡±


    ¡°And if I continue to fall further behind?¡± Li Heng asked.


    He Yu stopped in the path and looked to his friend. He was still middle Body Refining like Yan Shirong and Chen Fei were. He was closer to the boundary of the late stage than either of them. The only reason He Yu had broken through already was due to the absurd amount of resources being thrown at him by all the challenges he¡¯d been dealing with. He didn¡¯t think that would satisfy Li Heng, though.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll pull you up along with me,¡± He Yu answered. ¡°Before the tournament, I gave Chen Fei one of my mid-grade spirit stones. She tried to refuse it, but I told her I didn¡¯t want to leave anyone behind. I¡¯ll tell you the same thing now.¡±


    The visions that he¡¯d seen during his earliest days at the sect returned then. Standing alone on a windswept mountaintop. No friends, allies, or enemies in sight. He Yu shuddered as the sense of loneliness left a hollow pit in his stomach.


    Li Heng stopped in the path and He Yu did likewise a moment later, turning to face him. He Yu reached out and clasped Li Heng¡¯s forearm in a firm grip.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a dangerous wild full of secrets waiting for us outside the sect. Whatever we find, I want you with me when we face it.¡±


    Li Heng gave him a curt nod. ¡°Alright, little brother,¡± he said, a bit of his familiar humor slipping into a small grin. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When He Yu and Li Heng arrived at the gate leading to the western portion of the sect lands, the rest were already waiting. Past the wall separating the inner sect from the wilds, He Yu could see the pillar-like mountains of the Shrouded Peaks rising to the heavens. Clouds and mist wended between peaks and slopes, dotted with splashes of green where flora could find purchase on the otherwise jagged gray facades. Among those peaks lay valleys. Valleys that, according to Count Yan, would provide some sort of answer for them.

 3.12 - Mo Zhiqiang

    In the weeks since his duel with that upstart, Mo Zhiqiang had spent nearly half of his accumulated wealth on sending other disciples after him. At least half the wealth the craven bandit hadn¡¯t stolen from him. He Yu. The mere thought of the name caused heat to rush up his neck. Mo Zhiqiang clenched his fist, crushing the jar of wine in his hand. At least it had been empty.


    Late Body Refining. He¡¯d been a full stage ahead of that peasant when he issued his challenge. Not only had He Yu beaten him¡ªand in front of several other inner disciples¡ªbut he¡¯d since advanced to the late Third Realm himself. Mo Zhiqiang may have his pride, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. If he couldn¡¯t before, there was no way he¡¯d be able to beat He Yu now.


    That thought infuriated him. What was the point of wealth, status, and cultivation, if he could simply be humbled by some bandit commoner? He could have spit blood at the thought. Instead, he pulled another jar of wine from his storage treasure.


    It was late afternoon, and the sun had just disappeared behind the westernmost slopes of the Shrouded Peaks. As the light faded, Mo Zhiqiang didn¡¯t bother to send qi into the formation script that would light the lanterns in his courtyard. As a Third Realm immortal, he could see well enough by only the light spilling out from inside his home. The dark suited his mood better anyway. He was drunk, and intended to stew on his losses.


    A crash came from the front of his home. The sound of heavy wooden gates slamming against stone as they crashed open. Footsteps.


    Mo Zhiqiang stood. A brief pulse of qi banished the effects of the wine. His spear¡ªa pale imitation of the one that had been stolen¡ªfell into his hands. Three figures emerged into his courtyard. Their spirits remained muted and they carried no weapons, but Mo Zhiqiang knew well enough how little that meant.


    Two men and a woman. A mismatched trio, so far as Mo Zhiqiang was concerned. One of the men¡ªthe only one worth notice in his estimation¡ªwas clearly of status. He wore well-made clothes and had his hair properly held back with a crown hairpin that allowed it to cascade freely down his back. Even his posture demonstrated refinement as he folded his hands within the sleeves of his outer robe.


    The second man was little more than a ruffian. He wasn¡¯t entirely dressed like one, but any disciple of the inner sect could at least afford some decent clothes. No, it was the way he swaggered when he walked, the way his grin made him look disrespectful and smug. The way he leaned against an unlit stone lantern. He¡¯d been a thug before coming to the sect and remained a thug still. It seemed you could take the rat out of the city.


    Finally his eyes fell upon the woman. She was small and all sharp angles. Granted she was of at least middling beauty, being a cultivator, but nothing to write a poem about. Her clothes were rather boyish, though. They left her arms bare, and he could see her firm muscles. That made her even more distasteful in his eyes. A woman should make an effort to appear soft. Even if she was a cultivator and could punch a hole through an ordinary stone wall.


    Oddly enough, it seemed the female disciple was the leader of the three, rather than the man of status. At least judging by the way they¡¯d arranged themselves. She stood closest to Mo Zhiqiang, with the two men on either side and slightly behind. Crossing her arms and leaning her head slightly to the side, she looked down her nose at him despite being more than a full head shorter. Everything about her posture and expression radiated arrogance.


    ¡°This him?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, Lady Sha,¡± said the better-dressed of her companions in a tone that sounded a touch more deferential than seemed appropriate to Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Tell me what you want, and be gone,¡± Mo Zhiqiang sniffed. ¡°You¡¯ve invaded my home and ruined my evening. I ought to teach the three of you a lesson.¡±


    The third man pushed off the lantern he¡¯d been leaning against. A pair of hatchets fell into his hands. ¡°Shut your mouth. All you nobles are soft. We¡¯re here to talk, but we can make things difficult for you whenever we want.¡±


    The woman, Lady Sha, held up a hand to silence her companion. It confirmed Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s suspicion that she was in charge, but she was certainly no lady in his eyes, regardless of whether she walked the Way. She carried herself little better than the thug behind her, and she hadn¡¯t asked for a meeting as would have been proper. The name did sound familiar, though.


    ¡°Bao is right,¡± she said, still looking as though she were ready for a fight despite claims to the contrary. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna waste time bullshitting around. You¡¯re the one who keeps sending people after He Yu. Knock it off.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Mo Zhiqiang said, adopting a slightly less relaxed stance. He still kept his qi restrained, but he was now convinced that it would come to violence. ¡°How much did he pay you? I can match whatever he¡¯s offering. Beat it, even. Go after him instead, and I¡¯ll make it worth your while.¡±


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    ¡°You fucking idiot,¡± the Sha woman sneered, dispelling any questions of whether or not she was truly a lady. She stepped forward, uncrossing her arms and balling her hands into fists. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your money. I want you to stop throwing advancement resources at him. I¡¯ll make you stop if I have to.¡±


    A portion of her qi flared out then. She didn¡¯t fully release her spirit, but it was enough for Mo Zhiqiang to get a sense of her presence. She was molten earth, sulfurous smoke, and dark, angry flame. A danger lurked in her spirit¡ªnot killing intent. Something else. Something that made him shudder involuntarily.


    He remembered her, then. Sha Xiang. She had lost to He Yu in the tournament. She had also advanced since then, as far as he could tell, and was now late Body Refining.


    ¡°Lady Sha,¡± said the only of her companions that had any manners. ¡°If I may, this is precisely the sort of situation for which you enlisted my aid.¡±


    Sha Xiang turned to look at her companion. She remained silent for a moment, but then she relaxed. ¡°Knock yourself out.¡±


    Stepping forward, her companion gave Mo Zhiqiang a salute and a polite bow. ¡°Sect Brother Mo, I am Da Ning, second son of Count Da Chao. As Lady Sha has indicated, we have come to ask that you cease your ill-advised campaign against Sect Brother He. I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯re aware that your efforts in this have been futile thus far. Cease providing him with advancement resources. Should you fail to comply, we will be forced to use violence.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least one of you knows how to conduct themselves,¡± Mo Zhiqiang said. He relaxed then and sent his spear back to his storage treasure. It had been a bluff anyway. As confident as he may have been in his cultivation, there was no way he¡¯d be able to take on all three of them at once. Even if he could, the fight would destroy his home, and he had absolutely zero interest in that happening.


    As the tension drained from the air in his garden, Mo Zhiqiang regarded the three of them. That Bao fellow¡ªCui family he recalled, whoever they were¡ªstill looked ready for a fight, but Sha Xiang had visibly relaxed. She¡¯d taken up a posture similar to the thug, leaning against a pillar rather than a lamp. Neither of them showed even half the respect expected of guests in someone¡¯s home.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Mo Zhiqiang asked, crossing his arms. He directed his question at Da Ning, the only one of the three who was anything close to reasonable. ¡°He humiliated me. I will have my pride back, one way or another. If I have to throw the entire inner sect at him to get it, I will do so.¡±


    Like the Da, the Mo family was of comital status. However, the Mo family was incredibly wealthy. Wealthier than some of the lesser ducal clans, even. He could simply ask for any amount of spirit stones he wanted, and within a couple of weeks, he would have them. Add that to his habit of taking easy but well-paying jobs for the sect, he had more than enough wealth to get what he wanted. Eventually.


    ¡°Told you talking was pointless,¡± Cui Bao said. ¡°Let¡¯s just beat him down, wreck his stuff, and take whatever has any value. If he keeps sending people after He Yu, we can just do it again.¡±


    ¡°I believe you were interested in making inroads with other members of the inner sect, were you not, Lady Sha? This is a clear opportunity to do so,¡± Da Ning said.


    Sha Xiang looked between her two companions. Then, she looked as though she were listening to something far off. She shook her head, then muttered something under her breath. Mo Zhiqiang frowned. What an odd woman.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give him one chance to listen. Then we go with Bao¡¯s idea.¡±


    ¡°If you think¡ª¡± Mo Zhiqiang began, but Da Ning cut him off.


    ¡°I suggest you take the opportunity to hear us out, Sect Brother Mo. And to consider yourself fortunate that you¡¯ve even been given such an opportunity to begin with.¡±


    Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s frown deepened. He did not care for the way he was being spoken to. Da Ning may have been of equal social standing, but Mo Zhiqiang was still over twenty ranks higher within the inner sect. The only reason he was entertaining any of this was due to the hanging threat of violence and the fact he was outnumbered.


    ¡°Speak, then,¡± he said.


    Da Ning gave another salute. ¡°We are looking to forge alliances with like-minded individuals,¡± he began. ¡°For our own reasons, all three of us have grudges with He Yu or his companions. The concentration of talent around him is, to put it bluntly, troubling. Even if they don¡¯t expand their numbers, they will quickly form a powerful group within the inner sect.¡±


    ¡°Who exactly are his companions?¡± Mo Zhiqiang asked. He knew of the Li scion, of course. But the way Da Ning spoke made it sound like He Yu had other allies besides.


    ¡°The most notable of his allies are Li Heng of the Western Passage and Princess Tan Xiaoling of the Jade Kingdom. Yan Shirong is the son of a minor comital house, but his family is well-placed within the Ministry of Information. I don¡¯t think I need to elaborate on why that might become a problem in the future. Finally, there is the common girl Chen Fei. She comes from the outskirts of the empire and is practically a barbarian. Despite this, she has managed to roughly keep pace with the rest, and is good friends with Princess Tan.¡±


    Mo Zhiqiang recalled the inner sect tournament. Princess Tan was a monster, of that much he was certain. He¡¯d seen her fight against He Yu. It had been spectacular, and as expected the commoner had lost. That loss had been much of the reason that he had thought He Yu would be an easy fight. Now that he thought about it though, He Yu had stood against her better than anyone else in the tournament. Including the Li scion.


    The rest? They¡¯d all failed to make an impression on him. He did understand what Da Ning meant about the Ministry of Information, however. The barbarian girl? Some talent with formations, as far as he recalled. Nobody to concern himself with.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re giving them too much credit,¡± Mo Zhiqiang said.


    ¡°Then breaking them would be easy, no?¡± Da Ning countered. ¡°But you¡¯ve failed to do so on your own. Whatever trash you¡¯ve sent so far has only enriched your enemy. Hardly a sound strategy.¡±


    ¡°What do you propose instead, then?¡± Mo Zhiqiang asked. Although, he had a fairly good idea of where this was going.


    Sha Xiang spoke up then. ¡°Join us. Stop throwing away spirit stones. We can help you get the strength you need.¡±


    Mo Zhiqiang didn¡¯t need to think the offer over. Get revenge for his humiliation, and keep his wealth? He liked the sound of that.

 3.13 - The Western Wilds

    It took He Yu and the others a little more than a day to reach the edge of the sect¡¯s territory that inner disciples were normally permitted to explore. They traveled quickly, using their Third Realm speed and stamina to good effect. Despite the far denser vegetation, rougher terrain, and lack of a road, He Yu guessed that they covered a distance that would have taken them a week or more had they all been mortal.


    On the way, He Yu occasionally sensed awakened beasts and even a spirit once or twice, but nothing ventured close to the group. The five of them made little effort to hide their passing, allowing their presences to expand beyond what would be considered polite within the sect proper. Even a beast or spirit of the late Third Realm would have no chance against the five of them, and the denizens of the land would all be advanced enough to know it.


    When darkness began to fall over the wilderness that first late afternoon, Chen Fei called a halt. She¡¯d found a spot that would make a good camp. It was sheltered from any wind and free of any evidence of stronger beasts. She set about clearing the area and making a cooking fire with practiced ease, and He Yu recalled her saying she¡¯d lived most of her life away from the comforts the rest of them had grown to take for granted. With the camp bounded and protected by a formation script Chen Fei created with her family art, the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols, they settled in for a meal.


    ¡°Did your father tell you anything more of what we might expect?¡± Li Heng asked, passing a jar of wine to Yan Shirong once they¡¯d finished eating.


    ¡°He did not. Only that once we arrived in the valleys he mentioned, that I should perform some divination. He did mention I¡¯d know the valleys in question,¡± he answered. ¡°Before you ask, he did not elaborate on how.¡±


    ¡°What about these supposedly haunted valleys?¡± He Yu asked, looking to Chen Fei.


    She looked troubled as she answered. ¡°I can¡¯t say anything too specific. Just what I told you before. People don¡¯t tend to travel too far from my village. The stories that we have about these valleys mostly come from other villages. There¡¯s quite a few on the western slopes of the mountains, just outside the empire, you know.¡±


    ¡°Before anyone asks,¡± Tan Xialong said after a moment, ¡°I can¡¯t provide much else, either. The Jade Mountains stretch far enough south that they likely meet the western reaches of the Shrouded Peaks. All I can say is that the deeper into the wilds, and the further south one goes, the more dangerous it becomes.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something. The Jade Mountains rose from the vast and inhospitable White Desert, with most settlements of the kingdom that took its name from them hugging the foothills between the two regions. The mountains themselves were notoriously dangerous and were often credited as the reason for the Jade Kingdom¡¯s ability to reliably produce powerful cultivators despite its low population.


    He Yu had always known the world outside Shulin was big. The stories had all made it out to be so. He¡¯d first been amazed by the time it had taken him to travel from the southern forest to the Shrouded Peaks. During his first year at the sect, he¡¯d gotten a much better idea of just how large the Dragon Empire was. Now, he was beginning to realize that the larger world encompassed even more territory beyond that.


    From what he¡¯d been able to piece together with all the descriptions, these haunted valleys they were looking for could be tucked away in an area larger than the whole of the territory given over to the Shrouded Peaks Sect. At least, according to Yan Shirong, they wouldn¡¯t miss it once they¡¯d found one. Hopefully, two weeks would be enough time.


    They set out the next morning with the rising sun at their backs. By midday, they reached a boundary stone and as they crossed to the far side the token He Yu had received from Elder Cai briefly pulsed. They¡¯d passed beyond the sect''s borders and were now in the proper wilds. The mists He Yu and the others had grown used to in and around the sect were proper clouds here. The slopes and peaks above disappeared in a blanket of gray. As they moved through some of the higher passes and into the clouds, it became impossible to see more than a dozen or so feet in front of them.


    The flora grew dense and took on an ancient character. The undergrowth gave way to ferns, fallen logs thick with moss, damp stones covered in lichen. Everything was damp, from the rocks to the bark of the trees to the track they followed. Gnarled roots twisted along the ground and seemed to grab at their ankles as they passed.


    Below them, earth qi pulsed through the ground like a heartbeat. Wood and life were the dominant aspects by far, practically gushing from the dense forest canopy and the ground cover alike. Mountain clung to the nearby slopes, most strongly in the exposed rock facades, and the ever-present damp allowed for a good amount of water as well. It was a powerful, vibrant land, given wholly over to the flow of natural qi. It was easy to see why such a place would be dangerous.


    Beasts were far more present here than they had been back within the lands more properly administered by the sect. He Yu could track them moving about with his qi sense. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment allowed him to more accurately pinpoint them, but they seldom came within sight. Most were of the late Second Realm, but the further west they pushed, the more Third Realm beasts came to investigate.


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    When they settled in for the evening, Chen Fei advised they find somewhere relatively unexposed. After some searching, they managed to find a rocky overhang that miraculously had mostly dry earth underneath it. As soon as they chose the spot, Chen Fei set up a formation barrier with her art.


    ¡°Something isn¡¯t quite right,¡± she said as she finished her work. ¡°They¡¯re too close. Awakened beasts of their level should be able to sense our qi. They know how strong we are, but instead of frightening them off, it seems to be attracting them.¡±


    ¡°I noticed the same,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. She was seated under the overhang with her back to stone and her eyes fixed on the vegetation outside Chen Fei¡¯s barrier formation.


    Several smaller beasts¡ªall of the late Second Realm¡ªhad gathered outside the shimmering characters. He Yu was thankful that Chen Fei¡¯s art didn¡¯t rely on physical characters. He wasn¡¯t sure the formation would last the night otherwise.


    At least she could maintain it while she cultivated. By now, all of them were past the point where they needed to sleep with any regularity. A few hours every several days, or a full night once a week, was enough to keep them going. If need be, they could rely on meditation and cycling their cultivation base to go for longer, but that became more taxing the longer they went. At least it would be easy enough to arrange shifts so that everyone could get rest if necessary.


    By morning, more than two dozen beasts of different kinds had gathered around the edges of the formation. A troop of monkeys with red fur, each carrying crude makeshift weapons milled about on the rocks to one side of their encampment. On the opposite side, a pack of wild dogs with ice crystals in the place of teeth and claws and rime coating their ears sat on their haunches. Beyond, a boar with a golden stripe along its back snuffled around in the undergrowth. Still more beasts lurked beyond, remaining out of sight.


    Li Heng stepped up beside He Yu to join him looking out over the assembled beasts. ¡°They should be fighting one another. The monkeys, the dogs. That boar shouldn¡¯t be tolerating any of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d been thinking the same thing,¡± He Yu said.


    He¡¯d always known that monkeys were particularly intelligent, even among awakened beasts. But the way they all simply sat there, observing the camp was disconcerting. He didn¡¯t allow himself to think overlong about the pack of dogs doing the same thing only a few yards away. Li Heng was right. The gathered beasts, at least the ones he could see, ought to be at each others¡¯ throats.


    ¡°There¡¯s a golden tiger in the brush beyond,¡± Tan Xiaoling said as she joined He Yu and Li Heng. ¡°I¡¯d recognize its qi anywhere.¡±


    She¡¯d shared the name of her primary cultivation and body enforcement art¡ªthe Golden Tiger Cultivation Law¡ªwith the rest of them since the tournament. It was the primary reason she was so physically powerful, even by the standards of the Body Refining stage. The spirit beast it was named for, the golden tiger, was similarly powerful for its advancement. Golden tigers were aggressive, vicious fighters, known for being particularly unrelenting. It was a fitting beast to inspire an art for someone like Tan Xiaoling to cultivate.


    ¡°There¡¯s five of us,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We should be able to handle all that, right?¡±


    ¡°The tiger is late third realm and the boar is middle stage.¡± Tan Xiaoling pointed to the largest of the rime-covered dogs. ¡°That¡¯s the pack leader. Low Third Realm. All the rest are Second Realm. Same with the troop of monkeys.¡±


    ¡°They might not attack,¡± Chen Fei said, joining the rest along with Yan Shirong. ¡°They haven¡¯t attacked the barrier. They haven¡¯t even tried to step over it as far as I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Even so,¡± Yan Shirong said, ¡°that they¡¯re all just sitting there watching us is unsettling.¡±


    ¡°What if we sent one of your constructs out to see what they did?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be able to pass the barrier,¡± Yan Shirong answered.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t stay here and wait for them to leave,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We¡¯ve got two weeks, and I don¡¯t want to spend them huddling under a rock.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling nodded. ¡°Nor do I.¡±


    ¡°Proof if anyone needed it to see how far you¡¯ve come, little brother,¡± Li Heng said with a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to drop the barrier in a moment,¡± Chen Fei said.


    They all readied themselves for the possible fight.


    The barrier fell, and nothing happened.


    The monkeys and dogs stayed where they were, watching. The boar hardly noticed either. If anything, that seemed to make the atmosphere of the whole thing even more unsettling. The five cultivators looked at one another in silence.


    ¡°This is too weird,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°No point in standing still. Let¡¯s get moving,¡± Tan Xiaoling said.


    The moment she took a step forward, one of the monkeys shrieked and the whole gathering erupted into utter chaos. Half the monkeys rushed the cultivators, and the rest attacked the dogs. From just inside the denser undergrowth, the boar looked up, grunted once, and charged.


    A volley of daggers cut silver streaks through the morning light as Yan Shirong responded to the monkeys attacking Tan Xiaoling. She hardly needed the help, as she killed them as quickly as the rime-dogs tore apart the three that had attacked their pack. The boar charged into the dogs, barreling straight through them and into a gleaming barrier that Chen Fei manifested.


    Two of the dogs tore into the boar¡¯s haunches, leaving frozen wounds with their bites. Li Heng and He Yu each dispatched a smaller dog, while Yan Shirong bound their leader in shadow. As Tan Xiaoling moved to finish it off, a deafening roar rolled over them all like thunder.


    From within the forest, emerged the golden tiger. It was as tall as He Yu at the shoulder, and its head was as large across as his outstretched arms. Its fur was colored like a regular tiger¡¯s if a bit more yellow than he¡¯d expected. Its eyes, however, were clearly where it had gotten its name from. They were like two pools of molten gold, with slitted pupils that gleamed with intelligence.


    As the tiger padded forward, the rest of the beasts scattered.

 3.14 - Golden Tiger Cultivation Law

    The tiger let out another near-deafening roar. Its haunches tensed. It pounced. The beast covered a distance of more than fifty feet in an instant. He Yu couldn¡¯t tell if it was just shock, or some technique in the roar, but he found himself rooted to the spot, staring dumbly up at an awakened beast. Staring at the razor-sharp claws extended from paws larger than his head.


    Chen Fei stepped into the beast¡¯s path, her hands rapidly working incantation gestures. A formation barrier appeared in the tiger¡¯s path. The beast slammed into Chen Fei¡¯s formation, and the air circumscribed by her gleaming silver characters spiderwebbed with cracks. The tiger swiped a paw, striking the barrier. The formation shattered.


    A blast of mountain-aligned qi surged out from the broken formation. Chen Fei staggered back, and the tiger roared once again. This time He Yu thought he could make out words¡ªcarried indistinctly and more like impressions than true speech.


    Intruders. Interlopers. Trespassers.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s sandstorm rose around her, thankfully contained to the smaller area than she¡¯d used back when He Yu had first met her. She rushed the tiger and received an almost dismissive swipe from its paw for her trouble.


    As she twisted to avoid the strike, Li Heng appeared between Tan Xiaoling and the tiger with a flash of moonlight. He caught the attack on his jian, the Winter Moon Reflection flaring to life down its length. Unlike their previous foray into the lands outside the sect, Li Heng had no trouble receiving the beast¡¯s attack. He returned the strike in kind, a brilliant river of silver light gushing from his sword.


    The two nobles had the right of it. There was no way out of this without a fight. He Yu cycled heaven qi to his arm and leg meridians, activating the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment opened to him, confirming what he already knew. Now was not the time for hesitation.


    He blasted forward, gathering wind qi around the blade of his guandao. Yan Shirong emerged from the shadows of his Umbral Shroud, suspended by his Umbral Puppetmaster technique. He unleashed a dozen throwing daggers and followed up with a second volley from his seemingly endless supply.


    Chen Fei recovered quickly from the tiger¡¯s initial attack and activated the White Mountain Body Art. Mountain and earth qi clung to her, and a ring of gleaming formation script encircled her ankles and wrists. She joined the assault with a flying kick.


    As He Yu reached the beast and brought his weapon down, it twisted away in an attempt to dodge. After only his short time training with Zhang Lifen, it seemed laughably slow to He Yu¡¯s senses. His blade scored a bloody line across the tiger¡¯s flank. The beast let out another roar in response.


    He Yu¡¯s limbs locked up. The tiger¡¯s qi washed over him along with the sound. This time he was certain the tiger imbued some technique into its roar. The beast readied itself, tensing for another pounce.


    As it had in times past, the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed him insight into the attack half a heartbeat before the tiger leaped. Since the first time it gave him such a glimpse into an opponent¡¯s movements, he¡¯d advanced the art considerably. Now, he also saw his companions¡ªand what he saw wasn¡¯t good.


    Just like He Yu, they all remained caught in the grip of the golden tiger¡¯s roar. Frozen and rooted to the spot. While all of them had landed attacks of one sort or another, He Yu was the one fixed in its gleaming golden eyes. He would have to contend with the coming pounce on his own, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to dash away with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight as he was accustomed to¡ªeven with the aid of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and his robe. He had only one option.


    The Spring Rain Mirror.


    He may not be particularly good at using it just yet, but if there was one thing he could use it for, it was this. Once the tiger jumped it wouldn¡¯t be able to change its path, so He Yu wouldn¡¯t need to move the mirror. The technique was only good for a single attack, but all he needed was to stop the pounce. Based on the last time it roared, he should be able to move again before any follow-up. This was essentially the only sort of situation where He Yu had any chance of successfully using the Spring Rain Mirror in an actual fight. The only question was whether or not he could get it up in time.


    That¡¯s where the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment came in.


    Since he¡¯d begun cultivating the technique, he¡¯d been getting these flashes of insight into his opponent more frequently during battle. This went beyond simple instinct, or the ingrained reaction to near unnoticeable tells he¡¯d gained from sparring. It also combined with his tendency to narrow down his normally scattered focus to a single point. An intense concentration on the moment before him.


    The pieces fell into place, and it suddenly seemed so obvious. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment was the first technique of the art. It laid the groundwork for everything that came after and was meant to work in conjunction with the other techniques. The Spring Rain Mirror was difficult to form, difficult to move, yes¡ªbut with the insight from the Peerless Judgment? He had the perfect tool to allow him to place the mirror just where he needed it. That didn¡¯t change the fact that forming it was a challenge. But what were a handful of seconds to a cultivator? Already his ability to take in his surroundings, process information, and come up with a plan had far surpassed what any mortal was capable of.


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    The tiger¡¯s haunches bunched, and He Yu cycled his qi. The tiger¡¯s body uncoiled, stretching out as it left the ground, its maw opening to reveal fangs as large as daggers. Claws rippling with golden qi extended from its paws. The massive beast traced a deadly and graceful arc through the air.


    A disk of blue shimmered into being. It was still small, only the width of He Yu¡¯s palm. He had placed it at the furthest extent he could manage, about arm¡¯s length. Before the tiger¡¯s pounce, the Spring Rain Mirror looked pathetically small.


    The tiger twisted in mid-air. Another lesson from Zhang Lifen¡¯s training fell into place. The way she moved. The way she flowed around and away from his strikes. The way she would sometimes reach out, and with just the barest touch of a finger, redirect his weapon.


    Just then, the tiger¡¯s qi loosened as the effects of the roar faded. He Yu could move again. Most importantly, he knew how to move. Not only move himself, but also the mirror.


    He¡¯d been thinking about the mirror wrong this whole time. Whenever he tried to use it, he simply assumed it was meant to absorb an attack. In much the same way Li Heng¡¯s Winter Moon Reflection worked. That had been the wrong way to think about it. Similar names aside, the Spring Rain Mirror was a water-aspected technique.


    He should have had the requisite understanding from the beginning, really. Hadn¡¯t Fang Yingjie told him to become like the wind when using the Five Crescent Winds? Why should a technique like the Spring Rain Mirror be any different? He needed to use the technique like water. Like Zhang Lifen. The tiger twisted, and the Spring Rain Mirror followed. He Yu flowed away, carried by the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Cultivator, mirror, and tiger¡ªthey all moved together, flowing like a stream.


    The tiger landed hard on its shoulder. The Spring Rain Mirror, having done its job in redirecting the tiger¡¯s pounce, winked away. He Yu found himself buoyed by flowing air currents, floating above his fallen foe. The tiger was already regaining its feet, but He Yu had the wind.


    A burst of wind qi knocked the beast back down as he formed the Bracing Wind. He slammed down on the tiger, forming the Crashing Wind as he fell upon it. A spurt of blood erupted from where he¡¯d struck. The tiger roared again, but this time in pain and with no technique.


    ¡°Now! It¡¯s fallen!¡± he shouted.


    Before he¡¯d finished, the others were already upon it. The tiger still had some fight left, but momentum was against it. They quickly finished the beast off. Once the tiger lay dead at their feet, Tan Xiaoling opened her storage treasure and dumped a pile of spirit stones on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the tiger¡¯s core,¡± she said. ¡°The stones will cover your share of its value.¡±


    Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes lit up, and he moved toward the pile. He Yu grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a sharp look.


    ¡°It¡¯s only fair if she takes the whole core,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°A beast like this doesn¡¯t come along every day.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the last beast we¡¯ll have to slay,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We¡¯ll just count the core against Tan Xiaoling¡¯s share of resources from future battles.¡±


    Li Heng stepped forward and lent his weight to He Yu. ¡°I agree. There will be plenty of spoils to go around if what we encountered this morning was any indication. I¡¯m sure there will be plenty of resources each of us will want to keep for ourselves. No need to start bargaining for shares when we don¡¯t even know what the sum is.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling had already cut the beast open and fished out its core. In He Yu¡¯s spiritual perception, it was far stronger than the Third Realm serpent¡¯s core had been. The tiger must have been close to advancing to the Fourth Realm, given the density of qi emanating from it.


    As she worked on the beast, she spoke. ¡°We should harvest the rest of the tiger as well. The core may be potent for my cultivation on its own, the rest of the parts will make for powerful medicines and elixirs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a proper refiner myself, but I do know somewhat of the craft,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Princess Tan is correct. Even with the core going to her, the tiger represents a tremendous bounty of resources.¡±


    ¡°Then why were you so upset about the stones?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Wealth,¡± he answered, as if it were self-explanatory. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you how to harvest the best parts.¡±


    As they set themselves to the task, Chen Fei knelt next to He Yu as they worked.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t right,¡± she said as she worked at the beast¡¯s hide with a skinning knife.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like fighting,¡± He Yu began, ¡°but we didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    She shook her head at his words. ¡°Beasts aren¡¯t the same as people, but that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Falling silent for a moment, she seemed to be concentrating on skinning the tiger. He Yu was about to ask about what was truly bothering her, but she spoke up first.


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have attacked us. The beasts, I mean. Even the tiger. Something that advanced should have known we were too strong for it. If they were so aggressive, why didn¡¯t they attack my barrier formation while we slept? You saw what happened when I blocked its first pounce. It knew that it had weakened the barrier, and then it attacked again before I could reinforce it.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it knew how to defeat your barrier?¡± He Yu asked.


    Chen Fei nodded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯ve seen it a few times with more advanced beasts that ventured close to my village. Then what about the beginning? As soon as Tan Xiaoling moved, they also started attacking each other. It was only because of the tiger that we didn¡¯t have to fight everything. And the monkeys and dogs ran from it, but not us? Something isn¡¯t right. This isn¡¯t how beasts behave.¡±


    He Yu fell silent. Chen Fei was right, and he had no answers for her. Hopefully, Yan Shirong would be able to provide something with his divination once they found one of these haunted valleys.

 3.15 - From All Sides

    Over the next several days their steps were dogged by more beasts as they pressed ever further west. At first, it was much like it had been the first day. The beasts stayed close, but out of sight, as they pushed their way through the mountains, passes, and valleys. Each morning when they broke camp they would find that beasts had gathered outside the formation during the night, and then a fight would ensue.


    On the third day, the beasts started attacking them as they traveled. At some unseen or unheard signal, all the beasts in the vicinity would suddenly turn frenzied, and attack anything nearby. The beasts were just as likely to attack each other as they were He Yu and his companions, but noticeably they never attacked their own kind.


    Although He Yu could sense spirits occasionally moving around, they rarely drew close and never attacked. Much like the beasts, however, the deeper the five of them pushed into the wilds, the more spirits they sensed, and the closer the spirits ventured to a party far too large and far too powerful.


    After a week of constant attacks, they were following a stream along the floor of a valley and had just finished yet another skirmish. The stream¡¯s path ran along the floor of a valley, dense with the undergrowth and ancient trees they¡¯d been pushing through for the past few days. Above, they could see a pass that led into more rugged and mountainous terrain. Once they¡¯d stowed their spoils, He Yu headed off along the stream they¡¯d been following.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Li Heng asked, his tone far more clipped and sharp than He Yu had ever heard him use. At least when speaking directly to him. Li Heng sounded like the other nobles did when issuing challenges back in the sect. Arrogant, formal, and condescending.


    ¡°Following the stream,¡± he said over his shoulder, not thinking too much of the shift in tone. They were all starting to run a bit ragged after being harried for the entire duration of their trip, and nerves had been getting progressively more frayed as the days passed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid idea. We need to get up into the passes.¡±


    ¡°According to both Yan Shirong¡¯s father and Chen Fei¡¯s stories we¡¯re looking for valleys,¡± He Yu said, finally stopping and turning to face Li Heng.


    Li Heng stood next to the stream, arms folded over his chest. His posture wasn¡¯t exactly aggressive, but neither was it particularly friendly. Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling stood off to one side, sharing a glance between themselves. Yan Shirong looked as though he¡¯d have rather been left out of it entirely.


    The surrounding wood had remained dense, and the further west they went, the more potent to area¡¯s natural qi. The mix of wood and earth from the surrounding forest and valley loam was the most abundant by far. Mountain radiated from the surrounding peaks, and water from the clouds. As the forest around them grew deeper and somehow even more primeval and ancient, He Yu had begun to sense traces of shadow qi from gloomy patches under particularly thick sections of canopy. From their recent battle, the stench of blood filled the air.


    ¡°The passes provide a better vantage point. We¡¯ll get above the tree line, and we¡¯ll be able to actually see where we¡¯re going. Perhaps there¡¯s another valley on the other side. We won¡¯t know if we don¡¯t look.¡±


    Although Li Heng had a point, He Yu dug in his heels. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be looking for a valley. We¡¯re in a valley. I don¡¯t see what the problem is.¡±


    ¡°What if we just performed a divination here?¡± Chen Fei asked. ¡°Once Yan Shirong has finished, we can decide our next steps.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish,¡± Li Heng snapped. ¡°Yan Shirong said we¡¯d know the proper place when we found it, and he hasn¡¯t said anything yet.¡±


    He Yu frowned at Li Heng¡¯s response. While he could understand Li Heng¡¯s disagreement with his plan, at least somewhat, he couldn¡¯t see any reason that he¡¯d lash out at Chen Fei like that.


    ¡°You should watch your manners, Sect Brother Li,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°Such behavior is unfitting of your station.¡± A cold sharpness settled over the group as Tan Xiaoling spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start getting my things ready to perform the divination,¡± Yan Shirong said, stepping away from the argument.


    He Yu didn¡¯t blame him and wished that he could do the same, but somehow this felt like something he had to resolve himself.


    ¡°Chen Fei¡¯s idea is a good one, I think,¡± he said after a moment of increasingly awkward silence between the four of them. ¡°I think we¡¯re all maybe a little agitated from the fight¡ª¡±


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    ¡°See, there it is,¡± Li Heng scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t see why we should follow your orders, Yu. Not especially when we have people with actual rank present.¡±


    For a moment, He Yu could only stare. Li Heng may as well have slapped him. Follow his orders? Since when was he in a position to order anyone around?


    ¡°We¡¯re just following the plan we all agreed on before we left,¡± He Yu said, trying to keep the growing feeling of betrayal out of his voice. All of this felt strange and unfair. He¡¯d thought that Li Heng was a friend, what with the way he called him ¡°little brother¡± all the time, and the talks they¡¯d shared over tea or wine over their first year at the sect together.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to follow anyone¡¯s orders, we certainly aren¡¯t following yours,¡± Tan Xiaoling shot back to Li Heng. ¡°I agree with Sect Brother He. For the moment, at least, he¡¯s acting far more the proper leader than you are.¡±


    ¡°Leader?¡± He Yu asked, suddenly feeling very much put on the spot. Tan Xiaoling stepped up next to him and stared imperiously at Li Heng. What was this leader nonsense?


    As far as he was concerned, they were all equals. At least between one another. Tan Xiaoling had insisted they treat her like any other disciple since the very beginning. Except for that first day, Li Heng had always treated He Yu with an informal familiarity. Although Yan Shirong had some rank, he never really pushed it on others, preferring to stay somewhat on the sidelines.


    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Chen Fei asked. A crease appeared between her brows as she stepped up next to Tan Xiaoling. ¡°You¡¯ve never been this rude before. Stop it.¡±


    He Yu swallowed the growing lump in his throat. Whatever was happening right now, he couldn¡¯t deny how it looked. It looked like the others were rallying around him against Li Heng. There was no way it would help matters, but he didn¡¯t know how he was supposed to handle this. If he was a leader, shouldn¡¯t he do something?


    Yes, he should. He should do something. Tan Xiaoling and Chen Fei were clearly deferring to him in this. It was only right that he make the choice, then. The choice was his to make. He wanted to make it. He wanted to lead.


    The instant he acknowledged that desire, it crashed over him. An empty longing rose unbidden within him. All these people, were his. They had gathered around him. Not Li Heng. They looked to him. For guidance. For companionship. It was his right to say where they went, and how they proceeded. Whatever they¡¯d agreed on before be damned¡ªand he would damn them all before anyone took what was his. He was on the path of an emperor, after all. Clarity blossomed in his mind at the thought. An emperor. He activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, intent on gazing over his domain. Instead, he recoiled at what he saw.


    He saw himself. Small and weak and wanting. Selfish and avaricious, he coveted things that he was better off without. He coveted subjects in those he¡¯d come to care for as friends. He felt revulsion. At his actions, at his attitude, at himself. At the foreign influence he¡¯d allowed to take hold of his spirit. The faint smoky black wisps that had curled around them all¡ªand most thickly around Li Heng.


    ¡°Chen Fei, barrier!¡± he shouted.


    A circle of formation characters flared to life around them. He Yu pushed aside the discomfort at the fact she hadn¡¯t hesitated at his command. She had to have realized that something odd was going on and acted because she agreed with him, not simply because he had told her to.


    With the formation activated, a shimmering dome appeared over them all. Whatever had gripped them recoiled. At the edge of his spiritual perception, He Yu sensed a faint distant rage.


    More concerned with the immediate situation, he checked them over with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. Whatever had risen to grip them was fully gone. Gone, but not forgotten.


    Li Heng looked aghast. Then ashamed. ¡°That was inappropriate of me,¡± he said, offering a salute to He Yu. ¡°You¡¯re right, we were only following the plan we¡¯d already agreed on.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was your fault.¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s features twisted into a grimace at that, but he said nothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Fei asked. At first, He Yu thought she was talking about the sudden change in Li Heng¡¯s demeanor, but then he realized she was looking at the barrier.


    The barrier was visible. When they stopped each night, He Yu had only been able to see the formation characters encircling their camp. Come to think of it, the only time he could see any of Chen Fei¡¯s barriers was when they were under some sort of stress, like an attack. Even then, they¡¯d usually only flash momentarily. Looking out beyond the barrier, He Yu saw the reason.


    A black fog, unnaturally thick and low to the ground had rolled out of the forest. It gathered around the edges of the formation. Closest to the forest floor, where the fog was thickest, the barrier glowed the brightest. Worse, the fog seemed to be climbing the barrier the longer they waited, piling against it and flowing against the law of the earth.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve found one of these haunted valleys,¡± He Yu said, looking to Yan Shirong.


    Yan Shirong had already produced his tools. A handful of coins, a turtle shell, and a Bagua diagram. With a nervous glance outside the barrier, he said, ¡°I¡¯m ready if we¡¯re still willing to do this, but I would much rather we turn around and leave.¡±


    Although Yan Shirong had spoken directly to him, He Yu looked to the others. Each one gave him a nod in turn. They¡¯d agreed to this, so they would see this through.


    He Yu took a deep breath and turned back to Yan Shirong. ¡°It¡¯s your call,¡± he said. ¡°The rest of us are in agreement, but if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe, we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Without another word, Yan Shirong tossed his coins and placed one of them onto the lowest trigram. It seemed he was in agreement, despite his misgivings. A second toss completed the hexagram, then Yan Shirong tossed the coins a final time. As he worked, the fog climbed ever higher up the sides of Chen Fei¡¯s barrier.


    Just as Yan Shirong placed the final coin, the barrier shattered. Black fog rolled in, and Yan Shirong screamed.

 3.16 - Will of the Empress

    The fog rolled over them, grasping like a living thing. Yan Shirong continued to scream. He had covered his face with his hands as he rolled on the ground, his qi raging out from him in uncontrolled contortions of his spirit. All around him, the fog had taken on an appearance like grasping hands, though they remained poorly defined.


    He Yu¡¯s guandao fell into his hands, its weight serving at the very least a comfort. To either side, Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng had summoned their weapons as well. How one could fight something as ephemeral as fog he couldn¡¯t have said, but seeing that his companions were ready to do so gave him comfort.


    Rushing to Yan Shirong¡¯s side, Chen Fei activated another formation. This time she manifested the seal directly on Yan Shirong, placing characters at key acupressure points along his meridians. The fog recoiled, and he stopped screaming.


    ¡°We need to run,¡± he gasped, pushing himself up on his elbow with what seemed to be more effort than it should have taken.


    ¡°Mine.¡±


    The single word reverberated through the forest, accompanied by a profound overwhelming sense of want. It sent a chill down He Yu¡¯s spine. It was the same word, the same voice, that had spoken just after they¡¯d slain King Hao.


    Unlike before, it sounded as though it had come from somewhere close by. All around, but concentrated to the west. The others had heard it too, judging by the way they all looked at one another.


    Yan Shirong had regained his feet by now. He gripped He Yu by the shoulders and spun him around. He Yu stared into eyes filled with terror.


    ¡°We need to run.¡±


    A cacophony of shrieks and roars and howls rose from the forest around them as all hell broke loose. A rush of frenzied animals burst from the forest around them and attacked. Tan Xiaoling was the first to act, her sandstorm whipping up around her as she cut through a deer with red crystal horns. The moving carpet of rodents and insects at her feet was simply obliterated by the storm of sand and metal.


    Another group of those same monkeys from the first night erupted from the undergrowth, howling like a barbarian warband. Chen Fei and Li Heng were closest, and they both responded with their techniques. Chen Fei¡¯s barriers protected her from stray attacks while she lashed out with metal-hard kicks and punches. Li Heng flowed between defense and attack like a shimmering silver river, blinking from place to place with his movement technique.


    As what He Yu could only describe as an undulating mass of legs and chitin and segmented eyes skittered from the undergrowth towards him, he blasted it away with the Bracing Wind, buying Yan Shirong and himself a much-needed moment.


    ¡°What is going on? What did you see?¡± he demanded.


    Yan Shirong still wasn¡¯t quite himself, but at least he wasn¡¯t panicking anymore. ¡°I saw her. I don¡¯t know, she was here, but not. She¡¯s both close and far. It¡¯s¡ª¡± he cut himself off and shook his head. ¡°We are in her domain. If we stay, we¡¯ll become exactly what Chen Fei warned us about. Whatever broke her hold over us, she¡¯s angry.¡±


    He Yu grimaced. He didn¡¯t need to know who ¡°she¡± was. Recalling the times he¡¯d had brushes with anything connected to the Sunset Empress¡ªthe vision of a red setting sun, King Hao¡¯s plea to be taken, and the all-consuming sense of want. If this was what this Sunset Empress was capable of while sealed by the formation of an Eighth Realm elder, he couldn¡¯t image what she could do should she ever break free.


    ¡°East,¡± he shouted. ¡°Back the way we came!¡± At this point, he didn¡¯t care if this could be construed as giving orders. Somebody needed to take charge. To ensure they all made it back to the sect.


    If there were any objections, nobody voiced them. The group moved as one, fighting as they retreated back the way they¡¯d come. After a few moments, there came a lull in the attack, and as one the group fled. Li Heng and Yan Shirong had the easiest time of it, their movement techniques well-suited to short bursts of speed through the dense trees. Li Heng flashed from one patch of clear ground to another, while Yan Shirong pulled himself through the branches with his tendrils shadow.


    The Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight was all but useless in the forest. There wasn¡¯t enough room to maneuver, and if He Yu used it he risked crashing into one of the many obstacles that clustered close around him. He could at least rely on the speed and dexterity afforded by the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. While he¡¯d rather not have to run, at least his Third Realm body was more than up to the task.


    Much like He Yu, Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling had to rely on their raw physical speed and stamina. As far as He Yu could tell, neither of them had a dedicated movement technique¡ªat least not one that was of any use presently. Tan Xiaoling fared better in this respect, given her Golden Tiger Cultivation Law. She had always been strong, and that strength apparently came with speed and stamina beyond that typical of even a Body Refining cultivator.


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    Chen Fei was having the most difficult time. While she was faster than any mortal could ever hope to be, she was slow by the standards of immortals. Not only did she not have a proper movement technique, but she also cultivated aspects of earth, metal, and mountain. Her cultivation gave her levels of endurance beyond even what Tan Xiaoling was capable of and allowed her to hit with the force of a collapsing mountain, but it left her lacking in areas of mobility.


    As they ran, she consistently lagged behind, and they had to drop back to ensure they didn¡¯t leave her. However, the one benefit she seemed to have over them all was that she was the least hampered by the many obstacles the forest offered. Thickets, nurse logs, even some smaller still-standing trees¡ªshe simply barreled through all of it.


    The five of them quickly got away from the site of the initial attack, and the pace slowed. They had been starting to get a bit strung out, with Li Heng and Yan Shirong pulling ahead while Chen Fei fell behind. He Yu called for them to group up again, and ease up on the breakneck pace, lest they get separated, despite the sounds of unrelenting pursuit.


    ¡°Why are they following?¡± He Yu asked as they set off again, casting a look back the way they¡¯d come. Despite their efforts, he could see shapes of animals, and what appeared to be even a few spirits moving towards them through the path they¡¯d broken through the undergrowth.


    ¡°Something has to be driving them,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Even the most persistent beast should have given up by now.¡±


    He Yu glanced at Yan Shirong, and a moment of understanding passed between them. That something driving them could only be the Sunset Empress. Without another word, the group resumed their flight east.


    A massive boar crashed out of a thicket a short way ahead of them. It was only thanks to their reflexes as Third Realm cultivators that they were all able to scatter in time to avoid its charge. It slammed into a tree and staggered. An instant later, Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng were both upon it, weapons in hand.


    Before He Yu could shout for them to leave it and run, yet more beasts erupted from all around. A pack of the dogs from before, several dozen spiders far larger than something with that many legs or eyes had any right to be, and even several spirits¡ªmostly wood and life aspected. The ensuing melee was soon joined by the still-following horde of beasts from before. Unlike the previous attacks, these foes seemed intent only on fighting the cultivators.


    The spirits and beasts all ranged from the First to the Third Realm. While those advanced to the Third Realm were by far the rarest, there were more than enough of them to be a real threat. Add to that the seemingly endless number of less advanced foes, and it was clear to see that this was a battle of attrition the cultivators were bound to lose.


    He Yu slammed his guandao down on a spider, sending bits of the creature spattering across the ground and against the trees. The blast of wind that accompanied his attack disintegrated some nearby First Realm beasts, but that didn¡¯t stop half a dozen birds scratching and pecking at him when his back was turned. The Bracing Wind dealt with that assault, but he¡¯d still taken several small, individually insignificant wounds first. Qi flowed through his meridians and began healing them. He was all too aware that eventually, his reserves would fail.


    In the brief moment of respite he¡¯d bought with the Bracing Wind, he popped a qi restoring pill into his mouth and bit down. As medicinal energies flowed through him, both aiding in healing his wounds and restoring some portion of the qi he¡¯d spent, he turned to the rest of his group.


    Tan Xiaoling seemed to be faring the best. Her sandstorm provided an effective defense against the sorts of attacks He Yu had just suffered. She set herself against the strongest foes she could find, fighting either individually or to aid the others. While observing her, He Yu did notice one glaring weakness¡ªshe couldn¡¯t get too close to her companions without dropping the sandstorm, and often found herself isolated as a result. Of course that was fine for now. She was more than strong enough to take on the beasts that were coming their way, but as her qi dwindled, the sandstorm would become more and more of a liability.


    Yan Shirong acquitted himself well, too. His mobility, and the ability of his techniques to easily deal with multiple foes at once meant that he could stay a bit back from where the fighting was the thickest, and prevent anything from catching him unawares. Li Heng and Chen Fei, on the other hand, had already both taken several minor wounds, each of them faring far worse than He Yu.


    Both of them were the most suited to single combat, with Chen Fei having a slight edge against multiple foes given her ability to create barriers wherever she needed them. Li Heng, on the other hand, had to rely solely on his jian and his mobility for defense. He Yu watched as the noble flashed away from an attacker, only to appear within easy reach of a spirit that looked like a mass of living vines. A mass of creeper tendrils reached out and tangled up Li Heng¡¯s limbs almost the instant he¡¯d appeared.


    He Yu was on the spirit in an instant, freeing his friend with an activation of the Shearing Wind that crackled with heavenly sparks. The noble turned and gave a brief nod, his features showing clear relief as he popped a restorative pill of his own into his mouth. At least whatever had given rise to his harsh words earlier was forgotten for the time being, even if He Yu was certain it was something they¡¯d have to deal with eventually.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We¡¯ll get overwhelmed.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± Li Heng said. He Yu could hear the fatigue in his voice. They¡¯d been at this for nearly half the day, judging by the fading light of the late afternoon.


    As they moved to support the others an ear-shattering roar arose from the edge of the melee. He Yu¡¯s spiritual awareness screamed danger at him, even as dozens of First Realm beasts simply disintegrated. Powerful fire and earth qi momentarily eclipsed all other aspects as a massive ape, easily three times the size of a full-grown man erupted from the dense undergrowth.


    Activating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment confirmed He Yu¡¯s fears. It was fully in the Fourth Realm.

 3.17 - Relentless

    A fist nearly as big as he was rushed towards He Yu. Despite the risks, he activated both the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. He managed to get out of the way in time but slammed into a nearby tree thanks to his frantic use of techniques.


    The ape picked up a log and used it like a club to swing it. Li Heng appeared before him in a flash of moonlight, catching the log on his jian. He Yu had to close his eyes to avoid the blinding light as a torrent of silver erupted from Li Heng¡¯s blade.


    With another thunderous roar, the ape charged Li Heng and He Yu. A silver formation barrier appeared before it, barely managing to stop its advance as the air shimmered with faint spiderwebbed cracks where the barrier had taken the impact. The barrier vanished, and the beast continued its assault. Then, a sharp cold blade pressed down on the world.


    Across the ruined clearing created by the fight, Tan Xiaoling stood with one hand raised to the heavens. She¡¯d formed the black spear that she¡¯d used during the tournament. The technique blazed with fire and metal qi, gleaming with her killing intent and warping the air around it with its spiritual weight. She dropped her hand, releasing the technique.


    The ape turned and answered with a technique of its own.


    It opened its mouth to reveal fangs the size of swords and let out another roar. This time, the roar was accompanied by a stream of fire qi twice as thick¡ªand many times more potent¡ªthan Tan Xiaoling¡¯s spear.


    The two techniques met in an explosion of power, and Tan Xiaoling¡¯s spear was obliterated.


    From where the ape¡¯s arrival had bought her an instant of reprieve, Chen Fei¡¯s hands worked an incantation gesture. A barrier shield flashed into the fire beam¡¯s path. In an instant it failed, but an instant was enough. Tan Xiaoling dashed away before the barrier fell, her sandstorm kicking up a trail of debris in her wake. As the ape¡¯s technique faded, it looked like it would take a moment to recover, giving them the perfect opening.


    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance!¡± He Yu shouted. ¡°Attack all at once!¡±


    He Yu activated his techniques. A rumbling storm swirled out from him as wind churned around his blade, and tiny flickers of heaven¡¯s lighting crawled over his skin and weapon. With the speed and strength of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering bolstering him, he blasted forward on the winds of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight.


    From above the creature, Yan Shirong summoned more of his shadow tendrils than He Yu had ever seen him use before. The shadows rose from the ground and erupted from the surrounding forest¡ªor what remained of it. They coiled around the ape¡¯s limbs, binding it in place. All around Yan Shirong, shadow surged as his presence expanded. With it came the distinct sensation of being watched by dozens of pairs of eyes. From within the shadows, He Yu caught glimpses of at least twenty throwing daggers, all from Yan Shirong¡¯s bottomless supply.


    Opposite He Yu, Li Heng appeared in a flash of moonlight. He drew back his jian. His spirit replaced the patch of forest ruined by their battle with a snow-covered field. Countless stars pinpricked the black sky above, and a brilliant full moon bathed the land in silver light. Li Heng¡¯s blade faded from sight, but He Yu could still sense the power Li Heng poured into the building technique.


    Tan Xiaoling stood off to one side and formed the beginnings of a second black spear. In addition to the sharp knife-edge shine of her killing intent, her spirit had become a desert. A relentless sun beat down on dunes of white sands. In her free hand, she held one of her dao sabers, the tiger worked into its pommel roaring its fury to the heavens.


    Chen Fei had layered herself with her armor of metal-aspected qi, her presence a mountain that towered above the battle. Jagged peaks pierced the clouds, and the roots of her spirit reached deep into the earth. With an explosion of power, she leaped at the ape. She cocked back a fist that thrummed with her heavy mountain qi.


    All of them struck at once.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s spear cut a scar across the ruined clearing, trailing metal and fire in its wake. Volley after volley of silver darts flew from Yan Shirong¡¯s shadows. Li Heng¡¯s jian winked out of sight, leaving three jagged black rents upon the world. Chen Fei crashed into the ape. Her fist slammed into the side of its head with the force of an avalanche in an explosion of earth and mountain. He Yu¡¯s guandao cut a screaming gale through the air, sparking crackles of heaven trailing in its wake.


    The combined assault hardly left a mark.


    The ape merely flinched from Chen Fei¡¯s punch, by far the most powerful He Yu had ever seen her throw. Li Heng¡¯s attack left three trails of frost upon its fur, and even moments later the frost had begun to melt. Yan Shirong¡¯s daggers appeared to have been wholly ineffective, and He Yu hadn¡¯t even managed to penetrate the ape¡¯s fur. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s attack had been the most effective, but even that was barely a scratch on the massive beast.


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    It was exactly what He Yu had been afraid of. He¡¯d always known that the gap between each realm was wider than those before. A peak Qi Gathering cultivator could stand against a low Foundation for a time¡ªhe knew, he¡¯d done it himself. A trio of outer sect disciples at the peak Foundation could defeat a bandit of the Body Refining stage. Provided said bandit had a poorly formed cultivation base. It seemed that was the limit, however.


    Together, they represented five of the eight best among the outer sect disciples of their year. They barely inconvenienced an awakened beast of the Fourth Realm. Calling the difference in power a mere ¡°gap¡± seemed to be a drastic understatement. Regardless of how to properly think about the difference in strength, in that moment, He Yu knew one thing with absolute certainty.


    ¡°We need to flee,¡± he said.


    There was no disagreement. They¡¯d all seen the same thing he had. They¡¯d been running and fighting for a better part of the day already, and all of them had poured an extraordinary amount of their remaining qi into their attacks. If they stayed and fought, they¡¯d only wear themselves down. Eventually, they¡¯d mistime a dodge. Or fumble a block. One of Chen Fei¡¯s barriers would fail. He Yu had no doubt that even a single blow from the ape would be enough to seriously injure any one of them, if not outright kill.


    They put the setting sun to their backs and ran. Within the trees once again, He Yu popped a medicinal pill into his mouth and bit down. Qi flooded his meridians, restoring a good portion of what he¡¯d spent over the day. All around them, the others did the same.


    ¡°It¡¯s free,¡± Yan Shirong said from somewhere close by. He hadn¡¯t needed to. The sound of the ape barreling through the forest in its pursuit steadily gained on them.


    As they ran, even with a Fourth Realm beast following, the beasts and spirits of the First through Third Realms joined the pursuit. They were beset from all sides and frequently had to lash out with strikes or techniques to avoid getting bogged down. Packs of those red-furred monkeys set ambushes for them, bursting from dense foliage to rain attacks upon the group with their crude weapons.


    He Yu and Tan Xiaoling were best suited for dealing with those, both using their techniques with wider-ranging effects to buy enough time for the rest to keep moving. Other creatures Yan Shirong was more suited to deal with, tying them down with his shadows. If the pursuing ape drew too close, Chen Fei could create a barrier in its path that bought them a precious few seconds to gain some distance again. After the first ambush, Li Heng took an outrider role, flashing back to the rest of the group to shout warnings of danger ahead.


    Still, the beasts came. As the sun set and darkness fell on the wild valleys, pursuit remained unrelenting. Worse still, it increased. Just as darkness fell, an awakened panther, black as midnight with fangs of starlight pounced into their midst from a rocky outcrop above. It was the second Fourth Realm beast to join the hunt. Chen Fei managed to seal it behind a barrier, but as the beast slammed itself into the shield, it was clear the formation wouldn¡¯t last long.


    So they continued to run, and as they ran, faint laughter followed. It had started around nightfall, and He Yu knew deep within his spirit that the laughter was from the same source as that voice. The same source of all of this madness.


    Throughout the night more beasts and spirits joined in. Glowing globes of ghostly light followed in their wake. While having the dim light to see by made their crashing through the undergrowth marginally easier, it also acted as a beacon for anything nearby. Spirits of living shadow lunged at them from the darkness. Spiders and serpents dropped on them from above. At some point during the night, He Yu couldn¡¯t have said when, a Fourth Realm boar charged at them from the darkness.


    None of them gave voice to the thought that had been scratching at the back of He Yu¡¯s head all day. This was not natural. What sort of a beast pursued something for the insane distances they¡¯d been running for? Beasts that would be natural enemies of one another seemed to be working in tandem. Spirits that had no business revealing themselves in these conditions were attacking with no regard to their nature. The further they went, the more beasts and spirits joined.


    Sometime before dawn, He Yu took a third medicinal pill. Vaguely he wondered how many more he could safely take before risking a backlash. What would happen if there was one? He didn¡¯t want to dwell on it. The obvious answer was that it would kill him. If not the backlash itself, then his inability to fight or run would end him. As sunrise filled the valley with light, he got a good look at his companions for the first time since the previous day.


    They all looked as exhausted as he felt. They¡¯d run through the night, engaging in a fighting retreat. They¡¯d been using techniques as sparingly as possible, but they were pushing up against their limits. Worse, throughout the night, the number of Fourth Realm beasts that had joined in the pursuit was now up to over a dozen. They could run until they dropped from exhaustion, or they could find somewhere to make a final stand.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep going,¡± He Yu half-gasped.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. Through the fatigue on her features, He Yu could see her distaste at having to admit it.


    Li Heng flashed into their midst. ¡°There¡¯s a spot up ahead that¡¯s somewhat defensible. If we¡¯re going to stand and fight, the least we can do is be smart about it.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± He Yu said.


    Nobody objected. They all could tell the truth as well as he could. They were spent, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to run for much longer.


    The spot Li Heng mentioned was a wooded hollow that filled a crag in the mountains above. It wasn¡¯t the best spot, but it would limit the directions they could be attacked from to some degree. Once they had their backs to the mountain, Chen Fei placed a formation barrier around them.


    The five cultivators turned to make their stand.

 3.18 - Stand and Fight

    The wave of beasts slammed into the barrier. Tan Xiaoling and Yan Shirong both used their ranged techniques to thin the initial assault. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s spear took aim at the larger and stronger Third Realm beasts, while Yan Shirong sandblasted away the weaker foes with his spray of black thorns.


    He Yu, Li Heng, and Chen Fei stood just inside the barrier, manning it like the wall of a fortress. He Yu had the most advantageous position because of his weapon¡¯s reach, but Chen Fei and Li Heng were both able to step across the formation, deliver a blow or two, and then retreat to safety. At least at first.


    It only took a minute or so for the Fourth Realm beasts to join in on the assault. As soon as they came into sight, Chen Fei fell back to pour all the qi she could muster into reinforcing the main formation, while also franticly making incantation gestures to add additional barriers where needed.


    In a significant display of skill, she would form smaller barriers to blunt the initial attack and let them shatter once they¡¯d done their job. The blows and techniques of the Fourth Realm beasts would then slam into the main array, significantly weakened. The other four cultivators would then lash out with attacks of their own in the opening provided.


    Despite their efforts, the futility was clear. No matter how many lesser beasts or spirits they put down, there were always more. The stronger beasts continued to beat on the barriers while shrugging off any attempts at retaliation from the cultivators inside.


    He Yu glanced around him. Tan Xiaoling had stepped up to take Chen Fei¡¯s place at the barrier. Her paired dao flashed as she cut down dozens of lesser beasts, and struck at the Fourth Realms where and when she could. Li Heng had shifted back into a more defensive style, taking whatever attacks he could to fuel the silver light of his Lunar Mirror Sword Art. From behind, Yan Shirong continued to rain techniques upon the horde.


    They were all rapidly flagging. He Yu could see it etched into each of their faces. Feel it in the sputtering qi of their presences. The moonlit field, the stalwart mountain, the cloak of darkness, and the bleached desert sands¡ªthey all faded. He Yu¡¯s own presence wasn¡¯t in any better shape. His qi reserves were lower than he¡¯d ever felt them before, and the promise of a coming storm had become a mere memory of the same.


    This wasn¡¯t how he¡¯d imagined dying¡ªfalling to a horde of beasts, deep in the wilderness where he¡¯d never be found. Never remembered. At least he¡¯d do so on his feet, and with friends. Judging by the others¡¯ posture, they felt the same way. He Yu poured everything he had left into his techniques, activating them all for one final push.


    The Fourth Realm ape slammed both its fists into the barrier. This time, Chen Fei couldn¡¯t muster smaller ones to blunt the impact, and the protective shield she¡¯d been maintaining cracked. Behind He Yu, she slumped to the ground, her presence flickering on the edge of going out completely. She¡¯d spent herself fully, and he guessed the barrier could only take one more blow.


    Tan Xiaoling stepped forward, and her paired dao glanced off the ape¡¯s hide. When it swung at her in retaliation, she didn¡¯t manage to completely dodge, and the blow clipped her shoulder. She lost her grip on one of her weapons as she tumbled across the stony ground back toward where Chen Fei struggled to stand.


    Li Heng was the next to take serious wounds. He¡¯d gotten too far outside the barrier as he tried to fend off a pack of rime dogs. A golden tiger of the early Fourth Realm had gotten behind him and pounced. Now he struggled to stand as the beast¡¯s claws dug into his back. He had one arm shoved in the tiger¡¯s mouth¡ªthe only thing keeping the tiger from biting into his neck.


    He Yu fought his way to his friend and managed to get the tiger off his back with support from Yan Shirong. He dragged Li Heng back inside the barrier. Yan Shirong did his best to provide cover by distracting the Fourth Realm beasts as best he could, but he was in as bad shape as the rest of them. Li Heng fell as soon as He Yu stopped supporting him, bleeding from a dozen wounds.


    Outside the barrier, a boar the size of a house lowered its head in preparation for a charge. He Yu readied his guandao. Looking at his companions, only Yan Shirong and himself were in fighting shape still.


    As he prepared to go down fighting, a meteor slammed into the middle of the horde.


    Hundreds of beasts were simply obliterated, turned to ash on the blackened, scorched ground. The blast wave of fire qi that accompanied the impact was what finally caused Chen Fei¡¯s barrier to shatter. Fires erupted all around. Trees burned to ash in an instant and even some of the smaller rocks cracked from the heat.


    At the center of impact stood Ren Huang. He wore only a pair of belted trousers and leather boots, and flames licked at his torso¡¯s bare skin. As the ape turned to face the new threat, two female disciples appeared in the sky above the group riding on a peacock feather.


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    One of the disciples leaped off the feather and landed lightly in the center of the group. She had brilliant green hair and wore a gown of matching silk. The disciple that remained above¡ªthe most powerful of the three at low Sixth Realm¡ªgazed down over the fight, her hands folded within the sleeves of her brilliant white gown.


    The ape leaped at Ren Huang, bringing one massive fist down in a mighty blow. Ren Huang met it in kind. Two fists slammed into one another in an explosion of power and the ape shrieked in pain. Ren Huang grabbed its head and slammed the ape into the ground. A column of flame erupted into the sky, and when it cleared the ape was simply gone, leaving only ember and ash.


    The green-haired core disciple sat down in the midst of their group, a ruan appearing in her arms. As she struck the first note, vital wood qi bloomed out from her, expanding to cover all five of them. As his wounds began to knit themselves back together, He Yu could feel the potent protective properties of her technique.


    ¡°Be still,¡± she said. ¡°I am Su Meifeng, fifth-ranked core disciple. I will protect you while you rest and recuperate. Stay within my technique while Brother Ren Huang and Sister Yi Xiurong do battle.¡±


    As Su Meifeng¡¯s presence expanded and her technique poured revitalizing qi into them, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel the similarity in her spirit to that of Elder Wen, the cultivation instructor back from when He Yu had first joined the Shrouded Peaks Sect.


    She was a deep forest, ancient and full of mysteries. Unlike Old Guo, she carried a sense of serenity, growth, and protection with her. He Yu felt as though he could lay down for a nap, and not have to sleep for a hundred years once he awoke, so powerfully life-giving was Su Meifeng¡¯s spirit.


    Outside the protective shell of Senior Sister Su¡¯s technique, Ren Huang had fully released his own presence. He was a massive black wolf, as tall at the shoulder as a full-grown man. Flames sprang up from his every step, and heat rolled off him in waves. All he touched turned to ash. Whatever survived the inferno, he turned his blazing, hungry eyes toward it. Senior Brother Ren had clearly been holding back before, on that first day of formal training. A wolf-tooth club of scorched, blackened iron appeared in his hands.


    Yi Xiurong stared imperiously down from atop her peacock feather. When she revealed her spirit, she became a brilliant star, bathing the world in her radiance. Her light was painful to look at, but even turning away gave no escape. She revealed all, and she burned away impurity. Nine golden discs appeared over her head, each one blazing with empyrean power.


    Even from within the protective barrier of Su Meifeng¡¯s technique, He Yu could feel the crushing power of the two core disciples. Ren Huang swung his spiked club, and a wave of flame consumed everything before it below the Fourth Realm. Yi Xiurong lifted her chin, and nine beams of radiant light simply erased nine Fourth Realm beasts.


    He Yu was as grateful for the reprieve as he was for the rescue. Leaning against a nearby rock face, he closed his eyes and simply let Su Meifeng¡¯s technique do its work. As his wounds closed, a dozen little aches and pains that he¡¯d collected over the past day vanished.


    Li Heng, who¡¯d gotten the worst of it, by far, sat down next to him. They remained like that in silence as their physical wounds healed. He Yu didn¡¯t need the judgment of an emperor to know that whatever had prompted Li Heng to speak to him as he had was something they¡¯d have to deal with eventually. Not now though.


    He couldn¡¯t deny that whatever influence he¡¯d fallen under had worked on some part of him that was true. Whether or not he¡¯d even realized it, he wanted that authority. Why else had he stepped so easily into making decisions on behalf of the others?


    Which meant that whatever resentment Li Heng had voiced was also real. Hopefully not as strong as it had sounded then, but real nonetheless. It would have to wait, though. Neither of them was in any state for a serious talk about their friendship after what they¡¯d just been through. He Yu would simply take the gesture of Li Heng coming to join him for what it was.


    He Yu turned his attention to the two core disciples outside. With only a few techniques, the battle had turned. The two of them effortlessly destroyed the horde that had harried He Yu and his friends for days. Even the Fourth Realm beasts were nothing before the two of them.


    Once the main group of beasts and spirits had been dealt with¡ªa process that took only a minute or two¡ªYi Xiurong¡¯s peacock feather descended into the group. As she stepped to the ground and sent her treasure back to storage, He Yu and the others pressed their fists into their palms in salute.


    ¡°Sect Brother Ren will venture forth and deal with what remains of the Empress¡¯s forces,¡± Yi Xiurong said, clearly speaking only to Su Meifeng. ¡°Once you¡¯ve finished caring for our juniors, I will require your assistance in repairing the damage they¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Su Meifeng said with a kind smile. ¡°Their wounds are trivial. I will be finished shortly.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t particularly care for what Yi Xiurong had said about damage. Hadn¡¯t Elder Cai given them his blessing? As his wounds closed and the ache in his dantian subsided, He Yu found the core disciple regarding him with an intense gaze. Even with her spirit restrained, she still felt bright.


    ¡°I see Sect Sister Zhang chose well,¡± Yi Xiurong said, turning to He Yu and the others with an appraising eye. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected a group of Third Realm disciples to last as long as you all did. I am not worthy to question Elder Cai¡¯s judgment, but I will say that I don¡¯t know why you were allowed to venture out here in the first place. What you did was foolish, as I¡¯m sure you all know.¡±


    The five of them remained silent as Yi Xiurong admonished them. He Yu didn¡¯t exactly think they deserved it, but he wasn¡¯t about to make a fuss. Instead, he was focused on her praise, faint as it was. As the last of their wounds closed up, Yi Xiurong tilted her head as though listening to something far away.


    ¡°Elder Cai will see you now,¡± was all she said as the world turned white.

 3.19 - Debriefing

    When the light faded, He Yu found himself standing in Elder Cai¡¯s courtyard once again. At the far end of the courtyard stood the elder himself. The alabaster tower rose to a tempestuous sky above, flickering with heaven¡¯s light. The air around them felt charged as though it were ready to snap.


    The five disciples saluted the elder by pressing fist to palm. They each had to flex their spirits to remain standing, and it was clear that no charm would be forthcoming. While Elder Cai¡¯s expression gave no indication that he was angry, He Yu could immediately tell this meeting was far more serious than the last had been.


    From the opposite end of the courtyard, the elder spoke. Although he did not raise his voice, they all could hear him as clearly as if he stood only a few feet away.


    ¡°Disciple Yan, tell us what you saw.¡±


    Yan Shirong swallowed and glanced to He Yu. Again, He Yu had a moment¡¯s pause when he realized that he¡¯d been deferred to once more. At least Yan Shirong didn¡¯t wait for an answer. A quick glance was all, and then he did as he¡¯d been commanded.


    ¡°This disciple performed a reading of the trigrams, as the Honored Elder is surely aware,¡± Yan Shirong began. ¡°The things that were revealed were difficult to make sense of.¡±


    ¡°Describe them.¡±


    ¡°A golden dome covered a valley. The land around the dome withered, but those that inhabited it lived. All within the land kowtowed to the dome and pledged their service. The sun touched the horizon and the land turned red. The dome cracked, and then¡ª¡± he stopped then and took a deep breath. ¡°Then I was assaulted. Like a thousand needles tearing into my spirit. Picking me apart and putting me back together, only to do it again and again.¡±


    The pressure of Elder Cai¡¯s spirit doubled. Above them, the gates of the Heavenly Palace opened, bathing the courtyard in celestial radiance. They all fell to their knees under the weight of the Elder¡¯s Spirit. It lasted for a moment that stretched to an eternity. When the presence retreated and He Yu could breathe again he didn¡¯t dare stand. Neither did any of the others.


    ¡°Just to be certain, Disciple Yan,¡± the elder said. ¡°Did you accept any offers? Did you make any pledges?¡±


    ¡°This disciple cannot say with certainty. He has no memories of doing any such thing.¡±


    ¡°Stand,¡± Elder Cai said, his demeanor softening. ¡°I will require an oath of you all. Normally this would come much later. Typically the things we are about to speak of are reserved for core disciples and only the most talented and capable disciples of the inner sect. That the five of you have come to learn of such things so early is unusual, but I am not one to waste an opportunity.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling sat up at that. ¡°Forgiveness, Elder,¡± she said. ¡°But this disciple must first observe her filial obligations. I cannot hold to any oath that would conflict with my duties to my father and the Jade Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°You all will swear that what we speak of here today will never leave the sect,¡± Elder Cai said, ignoring Tan Xiaoling¡¯s words and eying each of them in turn. ¡°Should you refuse to swear, you will be confined to the inner sect mountain until such a time as you do.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t need to be told twice. ¡°I swear, on my position as an inner disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡± Ever since learning of all this Dawn Palace nonsense, he¡¯d hungered to know more. This had the makings of a legend, he was certain. If an oath of silence was all he needed to finally get some answers, he was more than happy to comply.


    The other disciples swore in turn. Tan Xiaoling was the last, but she eventually swore as well.


    Satisfied, Elder Cai spoke. ¡°The Dawn Palace is a formation script, designed with the aid of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. I created it a thousand years past to seal away a powerful cultivator who called herself the Sunset Empress. Following her suppression, the Shrouded Peaks Sect was created to safeguard the formation array, and to ensure she remains in her prison.


    ¡°Although she remains sealed, her influence has steadily expanded. The organization known as the Sunset Court was originally comprised of her closest followers¡ªthose who gave themselves over to her power willingly. The Court has been working tirelessly to expand their ranks, and eventually free their Empress. Although they have failed their ultimate objective thus far, the Dawn Palace grows weaker with each passing year. Eventually, I will no longer be able to maintain it.¡±


    ¡°Pardon, Elder, please forgive this one¡¯s impudence but can¡¯t you simply create a new array?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    Elder Cai suddenly looked very old and very tired. ¡°Creating the original formation array took a great deal of power. Fighting the Sunset Empress and weakening her enough that she was vulnerable to its effects took the coordinated efforts of more than two dozen cultivators¡ªall of the Seventh and Eighth Realms. Only six, including myself, survived the battle. Of those six survivors, I am the last to yet live. I¡¯m sure you can understand, given that the five of you have experienced only the barest sliver of what she is capable of.¡±


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    A shudder passed through He Yu at that. What sort of a monster could stand against more than twenty immortals, all of the Divine Body Attainment stage or above? Not only stand against them but nearly win?


    ¡°It has taken too much of me in the passing centuries to ensure the Dawn Palace holds. I have given not only of my cultivation base, but also of my lifespan to do so. My advancement is halted. I will never reach the Ninth Realm. When she breaks free, I will not be capable of sealing her again.¡±


    ¡°So why us?¡± He Yu asked. Given the looks on the others¡¯ faces, it was a question they all had.


    ¡°Do you think there is anything on this mountain that passes without the elders¡¯ notice, Disciple He? The five of you would have continued to search for answers. Rather than waste your potential, I consulted with the others. We decided to use the opportunity we¡¯d been presented with. You will need to reach Golden Core to be of any real use. So that should be your focus for now.¡±


    ¡°What happens then?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Once you all have attained the Fourth Realm, I will send you hunting. Sha Xiang has caused the Court to reveal their hand. Once we¡¯ve rooted out enough of them to make a difference, we will purge them from the sect and the empire as a whole. Any blow we can strike to weaken the empress¡¯s influence now will benefit us greatly later.¡±


    ¡°Why not simply strike now?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked. ¡°If you know that Sha Xiang is an agent of this Court, why not have her lead you to the rest?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how the Court operates,¡± Elder Cai said. ¡°We have been trying to eliminate them for a thousand years. We root out one group, and another always emerges. Sect Leader Zhou Shanyuan and I have allowed them to infiltrate the sect so that we can better observe them, and hopefully learn more than we have been able to thus far. This plan relies on them thinking we remain ignorant, however. That is why we don¡¯t move against them just yet.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°We just need to form our Golden Cores? All of us?¡±


    ¡°Look to your connection to the Eternal Dao,¡± Elder Cai said. As expected of an elder, he¡¯d caught He Yu¡¯s meaning. ¡°Disciple He and Disciple Tan have already formed their Wayborn Seeds. Follow your Way. Seek the truth behind it, and discover the reason you walk it.¡±


    Elder Cai looked at the other three in turn. ¡°The rest of you, seek the ideal you hold to. That which drives your cultivation. Draw from that to form your own Wayborn Seeds. Doing so now will ease your paths forward. It will allow you to harmonize with your Dao sooner, and give you a tremendous advantage in your advancement.¡±


    The white light swallowed them once again, and they found themselves at the base of the elders¡¯ mountain when it cleared. They all exchanged looks, their expressions a mix of eagerness and trepidation. Their agreement was obvious and unspoken. As they went their separate ways to rest and recuperate, the atmosphere between them was subdued.


    They had just learned that they had been drawn into a conflict older than any of them. He Yu thought back to his conversation with Zhang Lifen on the mountain¡¯s edge overlooking the mists following his duel with Sha Xiang.


    How much of this was by coincidence, and how much was by design? Elder Cai and Zhang Lifen had both mentioned they weren¡¯t ones to waste opportunities. But Elder Cai had also explicitly said that giving him the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace was him ¡°placing a finger on the scales.¡± Surely, too, it was no accident that Zhang Lifen had chosen both him and Sha Xiang for the sect.


    Well, if that was the way things were, that was just how they were. What could he do in the face of plans laid by those so much more powerful and ancient than himself, but follow his Way? It had gotten him this far, after all.


    Besides, wasn¡¯t this exactly the sort of thing he¡¯d always wanted? What better way to become a hero who had stories told about them for centuries to come than fighting an evil cultivator from over a thousand years ago? A part of him admitted that he didn¡¯t strictly know the Sunset Empress was evil, but given everything he¡¯d seen and heard of her, he couldn¡¯t imagine how she would not be.


    As He Yu made his way along the path back to his home, a familiar presence fell in beside him. He turned and saluted his mentor, thankful that she no longer saw fit to simply intrude on his living space.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve been productive while I¡¯ve been gone,¡± Zhang Lifen said with her familiar playful smile. There was, however, something about her demeanor that indicated this was a more serious visit than typical.


    ¡°I have,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Your instruction was useful, both in the intervening duels I¡¯ve had to fight, and during my time in the wilds.¡± He had a feeling she already knew what he¡¯d been up to, so he didn¡¯t bother to elaborate.


    ¡°That was the point, believe it or not,¡± she said. ¡°We need to speak. I¡¯m sure you have many questions, and now that you¡¯ve met with Master Cai, I have much more liberty to answer them than before.¡±


    He did have questions. When they arrived at his home, he produced a jar of wine for them both. After the past few days, he needed something stronger than tea. They sat on the steps leading from the main room of his home to the courtyard. The light faded as the day waned, and He Yu thought it was a fitting time to discuss someone called the Sunset Empress.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± he asked, not really sure where to begin with the more pressing business. Or whether he was quite ready to hear more yet.


    ¡°I had to take care of some things,¡± she said. There was a somberness to her voice that he hadn¡¯t expected. Unprompted, she added, ¡°Xiao Jun is dead.¡±


    That hit He Yu harder than he expected. He certainly had no love for the man who¡¯d fueled Sha Xiang¡¯s advancement, allowing her to keep pace with him and ultimately enter the inner sect. Xiao Jun had attacked him and his friends unprovoked, simply to take their measure. He Yu hadn¡¯t paid much attention to whatever Xiao Jun may have been up to once he¡¯d joined the inner sect. There had been rumors that Xiao Jun had disappeared, but He Yu hadn¡¯t given it much thought otherwise.


    ¡°Did you?¡± he asked.


    Zhang Lifen nodded. ¡°I got what I needed from him, but in doing so I revealed that we know more about the Court than they might realize. There was too much risk in letting him live.¡±


    He Yu fell silent for a moment but then nodded. This was the world he was a part of now, and he needed to accept that.

 3.20 - The Sunset Empress

    He Yu swallowed down the last of his wine. Looking up from the jar, he asked the question he¡¯d wanted an answer to for a long time now.


    ¡°Who is she? The Sunset Empress?¡±


    Zhang Lifen put down her half-finished wine on the step next to her. ¡°Her name is Jin Xifeng. From what I¡¯m told, she was an unrivaled talent from a ducal family in the north of the empire. When she was finally sealed within the Dawn Palace array, she was at the peak of the Eighth Realm. Upon breaking into the late stage of Divine Soul Apotheosis, she went to the imperial city and demanded to be crowned empress. She was laughed at, and the Dragon Emperor ordered her execution. She laid waste to the capital in the ensuing battle, nearly killing the emperor.¡±


    ¡°How advanced was the emperor?¡± He Yu asked. He was vaguely aware that the current Dragon Emperor was of the low Ninth Realm, and had been for some hundreds of years.


    ¡°The emperor was of the middle Eighth Realm in those days.¡±


    ¡°Is there truly such a gap between the middle and late stages of the Eighth Realm?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, but bear in mind, that the emperor was in the very seat of his power. He was surrounded by his retainers, all of whom were powerful cultivators in their own right loyal to him. Most were of the Seventh Realm, but not all. Master Cai, for example, was present. He had already reached the late stage of Divine Soul Apotheosis. In all, several dozen cultivators stood against her, and several of them had reached the same level as her.¡±


    He Yu frowned. ¡°So how could she stand against all of them at once?¡±


    ¡°I should start things at the beginning, perhaps,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°Jin Xifeng was an ambitious and covetous woman. She was consumed by this and by her desire for always more. As I said, she was an unrivaled talent. She developed techniques that aligned with her want. Techniques that were designed to propel her to heights that even the greatest masters of her day could not achieve.


    ¡°In this, she succeeded. One of her techniques allowed her to enter a bargain of sorts with her followers. She would share a sliver of her own power with them, allowing them to gain strength far beyond their advancement. In return, they would give a larger portion of themselves to her.¡±


    The recollection of King Hao¡¯s strange transformation returned to him. The image of a bloody sunset, and the overwhelming sense of want. The transformation he underwent after calling to the Empress¡ªto Jin Xifeng. He shuddered at the memory.


    ¡°Before making her demands, Jin Xifeng had collected thousands of followers across the empire. While she did battle in the capital, they all rose up as one and attacked. Within hours, she brought the whole of the Dragon Empire to its knees. Over the course of her rebellion, she killed almost an entire generation of experts.¡±


    He Yu could see now why the Sunset Court was considered such a threat. ¡°How did they know?¡± he asked, but he had a feeling he already knew at least a portion of the answer.


    ¡°Giving oneself to her is not some poetic turn of phrase. They become hers, in body, mind, and spirit. The weaker cultivators who make pacts with her are sucked dry of all their qi. They add whatever advancement they had to her own, and the remaining husks are empty shells that she controls like puppets.


    ¡°Those who aren¡¯t killed outright become fanatically devoted to her. Obeying whatever command she gives without question, but retaining their minds and sense of self. As they were already the strongest of her servants, they made up the most dangerous of her followers. The presence you felt when I sent you and your friends away from King Hao¡¯s camp was one such servant.¡±


    ¡°So the western wilds, then?¡± he asked.


    Zhang Lifen nodded. ¡°Elder Cai used the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to ascertain the time, place, and method where it would be possible to seal Jin Xifeng. Once they had lured her to the appointed place at the appointed time, it still took great effort to weaken her enough that the Dawn Palace array would be certain to capture her.


    ¡°Although the Dawn Palace sealed her physical form, and the greater part of her spirit, she can still project her presence¡ªand thus her influence¡ªto the lands surrounding it. She has been exerting her influence on the spirits and beasts in the lands around the formation itself for a thousand years now. Those of her court that survived the purge following her imprisonment have been slowly gathering strength, and bringing more under her sway.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly a question he wanted the answer to, but He Yu asked anyway. ¡°What happens if she breaks free?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Zhang Lifen shrugged. ¡°We die. If the array lasts another few hundred years, maybe we¡¯ll have enough experts to face her again.¡±


    The idea that an executioner¡¯s blade in the form of a powerful cultivator hung over them all wasn¡¯t one that He Yu particularly liked. Especially now that he¡¯d learned the prison she was in seemed to be crumbling.


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    ¡°What¡¯s next, then?¡± he asked. ¡°Elder Cai said I need to reach Golden Core to be of any real use.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you should focus on then. I see that you¡¯ve already managed to reach late Body Refining. Aim for the peak, and seek the insights into your Way that will allow you to form your Golden Core. For now, that is your most important task.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t about to argue with that instruction. On a purely intellectual level, he knew that he was still comparatively weak to the other cultivators of the inner sect. Not to mention the core disciples or the elders themselves.


    It was hard to remember that at times, however. The only disciples who had bothered to duel him were those around his own rank. It would be a loss of prestige and reputation to push around those who were too much weaker than you, so the Fourth Realm disciples largely ignored the squabbling of the inner sect¡¯s lower ranks.


    With his advancement to Body Refining, he had far surpassed the capabilities of even the mightiest of mortals. His lifespan was now stretching well past a hundred years, perhaps even closing in on two hundred. He was immune to mortal sickness. He couldn¡¯t even be truly hurt by attacks of even the First Realm now. He was now stronger than even his wildest dreams had allowed back when he¡¯d been playing at cultivation in the forest around Shulin.


    But his experience in the wilds had shown him how far he¡¯d left to go in a way that mattered. A Fourth Realm awakened beast had been too much for five Body Refining cultivators to handle. Then he¡¯d seen the sect¡¯s core disciples in their full power. He¡¯d also stood before an elder of the Eighth Realm. The mountain he¡¯d set out to climb upon entering the sect stretched far above him still.


    Zhang Lifen bid him farewell and left him to his thoughts and his cultivation. He would seek her out for further instruction once he reached the peak of Body Refining. As he retired to his cultivation chamber with a mid-grade stone, he was grateful for the opportunity to sift through the events of his journey into the wilds, and his talks with both Elder Cai and Zhang Lifen.


    Such meditations would surely provide insights into his situation, and his best hopes for a path forward. Not to mention the opportunity to truly restore himself after the grueling ordeal of the past days. As he closed his eyes and settled in to cultivate, his world turned red.


    He Yu found himself standing on a battlefield. Behind him the steps of the Heavenly Palace rose, stretching to the clouds at his back. A single black thread ran from the stair toward the west, where a red sun hung just above the horizon. It was a connection across time, bound by something beyond his comprehension.


    In the distance, he could just barely make out the figure of a woman. She stood among a sea of corpses, all in various stages of decay. He Yu walked forward. As he drew near, he could see that she had her back to him as she looked to the setting sun. Countless black and red filaments radiated out from her, binding to her the corpses at her feet, and unseen servants beyond.


    When he¡¯d drawn alongside her, the woman turned. She looked young, perhaps only twenty years old, but that meant little in the world of immortals. Her eyes carried the weight of centuries. And more. There was a hunger in them. An insatiable desire to possess.


    She was beautiful. Everything about her called to him. The carmine of her lips, her phoenix eyes, her jade-like skin. His heart ached at the very sight of her, standing alone in a field of death. He wanted to go to her and wrap his arms around her. Give himself over to¡ª


    The gates of the Heavenly Palace slammed shut. The vision shattered like glass. He Yu found himself standing atop a flying treasure, high above a mountain valley. A formation array crackled with power on the valley floor below, and all around him immortals died.


    The woman from the vision stood at the center of the carnage. Her presence was muted, but from what He Yu could feel it was the same battlefield he¡¯d just stood upon. The black and red threads lashed around her, taking hold of less advanced cultivators. Some of those she took hold of would turn on their companions, fighting on her behalf. Others would fall to the ground as their qi became hers. Despite dozens standing against her, this woman¡ªthe Sunset Empress, Jin Xifeng¡ªwas winning.


    The combined presence of dozens of Seventh and Eighth Realm cultivators crashed against hers and lost. The bloody sunset inexorably expanded its red light, and the threads radiating out from the Sunset Empress wrapped themselves ever more tightly around the world. Above her floated a dozen flying swords. She directed them with lazy gestures, controlling them as effortlessly as one drew breath.


    Far below, the valley floor shone with golden light. A crackling bolt of heaven¡¯s radiance shot skyward and expanded to embrace the battle. Jin Xifeng¡¯s presence pushed back against it, and He Yu saw her perfect features twist into a mask of hatred and rage. She shot forward, her flying swords flashing in a whirlwind of death that trailed in her wake. She cut down five cultivators just with her passing.


    ¡°Cai Weizhe!¡± she shouted as she closed the distance, her swords pointing at He Yu. ¡°Dog of the empire! I¡¯ll flay you alive!¡±


    An alabaster pillar carved with four faces filled He Yu¡¯s spiritual sight. On the face that looked to the west, one pair of eyes opened. Celestial radiance blazed forth, and the qi of heaven overwhelmed Jin Xifeng¡¯s presence for an instant. In that instant, the Dawn Palace completed its activation.


    The valley below was encased in a golden dome. The warring presences were gone, replaced by a distant feeling of endless, muted, fury. The bodies of thirty or so cultivators lay on the valley below. Of all those who had stood against Jin Xifeng, six remained. He Yu felt the fatigue seep in from Elder Cai¡¯s memory of Jin Xifeng¡¯s suppression.


    He Yu opened his eyes in his cultivation chamber. The vision he¡¯d received from the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless judgment had been the clearest, and most frightening, yet. Its ability to show him the truth of things had done just that¡ªit had shown him the ultimate truth behind everything he¡¯d learned that day about Jin Xifeng.


    Although he was certainly unworthy to question his seniors, let alone the sect elders, he couldn¡¯t understand why they allowed Jin Xifeng¡¯s followers to infiltrate the sect. Elder Cai claimed that it was to better track them. But there had to be a better way.


    He Yu calmed himself and turned himself back to his meditations. There was only one thing for him to do. One path forward. The first step was Golden Core.

 3.21 - Winter

    A light dusting of snow fell over the summit where Li Heng worked through his forms for the ten thousandth time. He¡¯d been at it for the better part of a month, now. Days were spent practicing his sword forms, and nights were spent in cultivation. He¡¯d gone through a pile of spirit stones, and half as many elixirs.


    Still he stood at the threshold of late Body Refining. Still he was no closer to forming a Wayborn Seed. As he turned over the thoughts of his failure, of his falling behind, of his inadequacies, his frustration only grew. Eventually, it became too much.


    With a shout, he tossed his jian¡ªhis grandfather¡¯s sword¡ªto the snow.


    Chest heaving and breath puffing out to mist, Li Heng stared at the blade and felt shame. He was better than this, in so many ways.


    It was his first real bottleneck, but that wasn¡¯t what bothered him. He¡¯d failed when they were out in the wilds. He¡¯d been a burden. He¡¯d fallen behind, and he¡¯d forced He Yu to put himself in danger to aid him. That was the real crux of things, and he knew it.


    The commoner who¡¯d come to the sect with no cultivation and no clue had surpassed him. He¡¯d even taken second place in the tournament, placing higher in the initial rankings in the inner sect. He¡¯d beaten him to late Body Refining. He¡¯d formed a Wayborn Seed without even realizing what it was¡ªand unlike Li Heng, he¡¯d pushed Princess Tan to actually try during their tournament bout.


    Envy was too kind a word for too ugly an emotion.


    To the west the sun had just touched the mountaintops¡ªboth a signal that it was nearly time to begin his cultivation and a reminder of his most recent failures. He stooped to pick up his jian, and again he felt shame. He should know better than to let his emotions get the better of him like this. He was better. At least that¡¯s what he told himself.


    After a simple meal, he settled in to cultivate under the stars and the rising moon. He closed his eyes, steadied his breathing, and formed the representation of taiji in his mind. He tried to follow Elder Cai¡¯s instruction and seek the ideal that drove his cultivation. Again he didn¡¯t have such a simple path as He Yu.


    He could say what he wanted about his friend, but Li Heng couldn¡¯t deny that He Yu¡¯s foolishness about being a hero had served him well. It was an ideal that he¡¯d clung to so firmly that his time at the sect hadn¡¯t disabused him of it. His experiences with the realities of the world of immortals¡ªlike when he¡¯d first seen the violence inflicted by King Hao¡ªhad only strengthened his commitment to that ideal. After their fight with the bandit king, He Yu had obviously been shaken, but he¡¯d found his way through that.


    So Li Heng asked himself, what was his driving ideal? Duty? That had been the first thing he¡¯d tried. It had been the first thing that failed. Foolishly he tried to follow He Yu¡¯s Way shortly after. It hadn¡¯t been much of a surprise when that didn¡¯t work either. Li Heng had never believed himself a hero. He was too pragmatic for that. For that reason, he¡¯d rejected Yan Shirong¡¯s more avaricious approach as well. There needed to be a balance, after all.


    That was the crux of his frustration, though. That there needed to be a balance was something he knew deep in his spirit. His training with Old Guo had shown him as much. That insight had allowed him to access the Lunar Mirror Sword Art¡¯s third technique, the Darkmoon Strife. A balance was necessary because it allowed one to be flexible¡ªto adapt to situations as necessary.


    A spark of something greater settled in his spirit. A subtle shift occurred with his breathing, his cycling of qi in his meridians. It was nearly enough to shock him out of his cultivation. That was it? Simply acknowledging that he needed to be flexible in his approach to things?


    Upon reflection, he had been rigid. He¡¯d clung to ideals of what ought to be for so long¡ªideals of a noble¡¯s place, of his place. That role had never suited him. It had never fit. It had always felt too restrictive in ways he couldn¡¯t quite describe. For some reason, it had never occurred to him that he could simply shrug those ideas off.


    Li Heng focused on the slow rotation of the taiji and advanced to late Body Refining.


    * * *


    A flame-wreathed fist slammed into Chen Fei¡¯s barrier, shattering it into a thousand pieces. As she sent qi into the characters for another formation with her Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols Art, Ren Huang held up a hand to stop her. She allowed her shoulders to slump, and she looked at a spot on the ground in front of her, bracing for some litany of her failure.


    ¡°Come and sit,¡± he said, his voice the low rumble she¡¯d grown accustomed to since she¡¯d begun her training with him.


    She had purchased several training sessions since returning from the wilds, and this was the last she would be able to afford for some time. Although Ren Huang¡¯s instruction on the finer points of formation work had allowed her to considerably strengthen her barriers, she was no closer to discovering the ideal Elder Cai had told her to seek. At least she¡¯d managed to break into late Body Refining. Chen Fei sat on the ground near where Ren Huang leaned back against a tree and instinctively began to cycle the rich qi of the inner sect mountain.


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    ¡°The problem isn¡¯t with your formation work,¡± he said at length. ¡°But you already know that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    It was something she¡¯d been avoiding talking about. Not just with Ren Huang, but with Tan Xiaoling as well. She¡¯d been avoiding thinking about it too much, too. If she was unable to form a Wayborn Seed, she could at least focus on what she was already capable of.


    Rather than speak, she simply nodded. The silence dragged on, and she could feel the weight of Ren Huang¡¯s attention. Finally, he spoke again.


    ¡°Why formations?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m good at,¡± she answered automatically.


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken the White Mountain Body Art further than anyone else in the Third Realm has ever managed,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re well on your way to mastery there. So I¡¯ll ask again, why formations?¡±


    That gave her pause. He was right, after all. The White Mountain Body Art had served her well, and she had advanced it considerably. Her natural affinities of earth, metal, and mountain were the same ones the art cultivated. She had effectively mastered the art¡¯s first technique, the Eternal Mountain Root the previous winter while she was still at Foundation. The art¡¯s second technique, the Iron Fortress Redoubt, had come almost as easily. With her quick grasp of the first two techniques, she had been able to glimpse the art¡¯s third technique¡ªthe Titan Panoply¡ªand then actually use it, if only for a brief time.


    So why the formations, then? Why was that her focus?


    ¡°I want to be able to help,¡± she said.


    ¡°Again, you could help just as easily with your proficiency in the White Mountain Body Art.¡±


    She chewed on her bottom lip, thinking. The problem with the White Mountain Body Art was that it only worked on her. Sure, she could put herself between her friends and any danger, but she could only be in one place at a time. With her barriers, she could protect multiple people at once. Or the same person from multiple attacks. Or any combination of the two.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the people I care about getting hurt,¡± she said.


    It wasn¡¯t as though the words were any sort of shocking revelation. They weren¡¯t anything that she hadn¡¯t thought to herself a hundred times over. But it was a sentiment she¡¯d never given voice to. Maybe she¡¯d thought her friends would think her foolish. They were all immortals, after all. Perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. Not to mention that the lives they¡¯d all chosen thrust them into danger. Getting hurt was part of the bargain.


    Speaking something, no matter how true, had a way of making it real. A certainty settled over her. There wasn¡¯t anything silly in wanting to protect people. In wanting to keep those she cared about safe. It was simply a part of who she was.


    As she marveled at the sense of rightness that accompanied her acknowledgment of a truth she¡¯d just assumed she accepted, she was vaguely aware of Ren Huang¡¯s retreating footfalls.


    * * *


    Winter dragged on, and Sha Xiang found herself spending more and more time managing petulant nobles. Between Da Ning and Mo Zhiqiang, they had managed to gather another half dozen or so to their cause. These newest followers¡ªno, subjects, the core reminded her¡ªwere all kept ignorant of the Sunset Court. Other than herself and Bao, only Da Ning knew where their flow of resources came from.


    To his credit, Da Ning had been suitably impressed when he was finally brought before Emissary Kong Huizhong. After the meeting, he hadn¡¯t stopped blathering about Emissary Kong¡¯s power the whole way back to the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Fifth Realm. Such a presence. Such nobility. It had made Sha Xiang want to tear out his tongue, if only to get him to shut up until he could track down a pill to regrow it.


    The meeting had done its job, though. It had cemented Da Ning¡¯s service to the Sunset Court¡ªto her¡ªand had given her Emissary Kong¡¯s approval for moving forward. It had been strange to see the way the demon core acted around Kong Huizhong, though.


    Normally it would constantly whisper to her. Either telling her how much better she was than those around her, or urging her to show her strength, and remind the others of who was on top. Put them in their place. But with the emissary? It bowed¡ªand not in the craven way that it had shrunk back and hid when Xiao Jun had been the one looming over her.


    It recognized something within Kong Huizhong. It regarded the emissary as being like itself, and to Sha Xiang¡¯s surprise, it regarded the emissary as its superior. Not simply in power, although Kong Huizhong was certainly strong enough to crush anyone in the Shrouded Peaks Sect aside from the elders and a few of the core disciples. No, it was a matter of status. Which was odd, because the demon core didn¡¯t regard anyone else as having higher status than itself, regardless of relative strength.


    Sha Xiang returned from her thoughts and regarded the scene before her. Mo Zhiqiang stood victorious over his opponent and was presently demanding they open their storage treasure. Given his rank in the inner sect, and his advancement when she¡¯d first brought him into her circle, she¡¯d thought the noble would have been more of a fighter. She¡¯d been wrong.


    It had taken her some work to whip the soft and lazy noble into shape. She¡¯d beaten him within an inch of his life many times during training, then beaten him within half an inch when he whined about it. But the training had paid off. Now he could back up all his talk. Which had dramatically increased his value to her.


    Although he¡¯d only begrudgingly parted with his wealth at first, once she¡¯d shown him what disobedience brought, he¡¯d been more than happy to fund the expansion of their group. Which meant that she could now hoard most of the resources Emissary Kong gave them for herself.


    Since she¡¯d been gracing Mo Zhiqiang with her personal attention, he¡¯d begun to see it as an investment on his part. Over the course of a single season, she¡¯d brought him more strength than he¡¯d managed to gain for himself during his entire time in the inner sect.


    Yes, the core assured her, things were going better than either of them could have hoped. Soon, they would have it all.

 3.22 - The Path Forward

    With the coming of spring, He Yu emerged from seclusion. He¡¯d reached the peak of Body Refining sometime around the new year and now stood with one foot in the Fourth Realm. Instinctively, he knew that he wasn¡¯t yet ready to form his Golden Core, but being as close as he was, he had glimpsed some of what his advancement would bring.


    The second and third pillars of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering loomed above him, with their foundations rooted in the Fourth Realm. It was strange, he thought, that a body enforcement art didn¡¯t have a pillar that corresponded with Body Refining, but the promise of advancing his understanding overshadowed that.


    Also in the Fourth Realm, lay the next stage of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. Although the exact nature of what that stage would bring remained obscured, it was that very obfuscation that hinted at what the art contained.


    His sight of the art¡¯s next stage was shrouded in a churning mass of clouds, black and heavy with rain, and flickering with heaven¡¯s judgment. The heaven aspect of He Yu¡¯s presence had been steadily increasing as he¡¯d advanced through the Third Realm. Mostly it had come from the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. At least at first.


    The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment had steadily gained more of a heaven aspect to it, and now the mix of heaven and wind was about equal. However, he¡¯d come to realize during his seclusion that was a bit of a problem.


    His cultivation of the Heavenly Palace¡¯s third stage technique¡ªthe Spring Rain Mirror¡ªstill lagged behind his other techniques. That was now his most pressing concern. The only real clue he now had to his true path forward lay in the knowledge that he needed to bring the water aspect of the Peerless Judgment in line with the others. The way to do that was to advance his command of the Spring Rain Mirror.


    Of course, he could try and learn another water-aspected technique. He certainly had enough contribution points to afford a purchase from the manual pavilion. Doing so would be a temporary measure, at best. The Spring Rain Mirror was part of his principle art, and Zhang Lifen had already chastised him once for not using it. When he¡¯d managed to successfully use the Spring Rain Mirror in battle, he¡¯d seen for himself how useful it would be. Any further delay in advancing his understanding of the technique would only hold him back, and learning a different one in its stead would simply be delaying the inevitable.


    Aside from contemplating his techniques, He Yu had several insights he¡¯d collected during his time in the wilds to sift through. The one that seemed most pressing was the utter helplessness he¡¯d felt. It hadn¡¯t been anything he¡¯d been able to focus on during the fight itself¡ªhe¡¯d been too busy just trying to survive. Nor had he been able to recognize it once the core disciples came to rescue them. He¡¯d simply been too exhausted by that point.


    But the feeling had been there. Lurking beneath everything¡ªthe thrill of the fight, the rush of danger, the rising panic. Once out of danger, that sense of helplessness had been acute. It reminded him of his first days at the sect. It reminded him of lying helpless before those stronger than himself. It reminded him of wanting to give up.


    He hated it.


    Although he hadn¡¯t realized it at the time, his first duel with Sha Xiang had changed something in him. Looking back on his behavior now, he realized just how immature he¡¯d been. He realized the lessons Zhang Lifen had been trying to teach him. She said she¡¯d expected him to lose. Now, he wasn¡¯t so sure he believed that anymore. Regardless of what he was supposed to have taken from that duel, he¡¯d learned he could stand and fight. Then he¡¯d kept fighting. And when he faced Sha Xiang a second time, he won.


    Then he faced Tan Xiaoling. Even when she offered him a way out that would let him save face, he stood and fought. He fought and he pushed her harder than anyone else in the tournament. If he hadn¡¯t learned it before, it was then that he¡¯d truly known the boy that had come to the Shrouded Peaks Sect was gone¡ªreplaced by an immortal.


    His experience out in the wilds had shaken that confidence. The five of them were all but helpless in the face of a simple beast. A Fourth Realm beast, sure, but a beast just the same. By his understanding, they should have been able to do something against it. All of them had well-formed cultivation bases and were clearly talented. But all they could do was run.


    Then there had been the presence¡ªthe overwhelming want. The desire to possess. That had been the influence of something far greater than any of them were prepared for. The Sunset Empress, Jin Xifeng.


    He Yu recalled the vision granted him by the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. The technique¡¯s ability to show him the truth of things had certainly expanded far beyond what he¡¯d first thought it capable of. But the knowledge it granted chilled him. He¡¯d seen what Jin Xifeng had been capable of at the height of her power, and he¡¯d experienced the tiniest sliver of that power for himself. The idea that she could break free at all terrified him.


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    For that, there was only one solution.


    He needed to become stronger. The first step towards that was reaching Golden Core, but he couldn¡¯t let his sights linger there. He Yu had to connect to his Way¡ªhis personal connection to the Eternal Dao. What was a foe like the Sunset Empress, if not a challenge worthy of legend? Not only did he need to become strong enough to match her, he needed to surpass her. He needed to ascend the realms of cultivation¡ªreach the Ninth Realm.


    The first thing He Yu did when he emerged from seclusion was seek out Li Heng. While he¡¯d been cultivating to the peak of Body Refining, he¡¯d been vaguely aware of the passing of time. That it was spring seemed only fitting, given that he now needed to cultivate his Spring Rain Mirror. If there was anyone who could help him do that, it would be Li Heng.


    Li Heng had changed after his time with Old Guo and his advancement to Body Refining. He¡¯d become more aggressive, but he still tended to rely on his defensive techniques. Since He Yu had no real defenses yet to speak of, he figured the two of them could help one another with their respective deficiency.


    When he found Li Heng, He Yu was happy to see the further refinement of his spirit. He¡¯d reached late Body Refining as well. Although he wasn¡¯t quite at the peak yet, He Yu was glad they were at least at the same stage now. Whatever had been eating at Li Heng that caused him to act out in the wilds was surely due to him being a stage behind He Yu¡¯s advancement. Hopefully, things would be easier now they were on more equal footing.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said as Li Heng ushered him into the courtyard of his home.


    ¡°My thanks,¡± the noble replied. ¡°Congratulations yourself. You¡¯ll be in the Fourth Realm in no time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. I need to work on the Spring Rain Mirror before I advance. It¡¯s lagging too far behind, and I need it to balance my aspects before I break through.¡±


    ¡°I see your time in seclusion brought you wisdom, then,¡± Li Heng said with a friendly laugh.


    He Yu nodded. ¡°I was thinking you might be able to help me advance my defensive technique.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking, but I¡¯ve got one better,¡± he said. ¡°Sha Xiang has been busy over the winter, and is now ranked six hundred fifteen.¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± He Yu said, having a feeling of where this was going. ¡°I put all that to rest during the tournament. I beat her, and she¡¯s left me alone since then. I¡¯m not about to give her another reason to make things difficult for me.¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s posture was all He Yu needed to know that he didn¡¯t agree with the sentiment, but he let Li Heng make his case anyway.


    ¡°If you truly think that, you¡¯re even more clueless than I¡¯d thought,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°She¡¯ll see you beating her at the tournament as another humiliation. We both know she isn¡¯t the type to let that go.¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t made anything of it yet,¡± He Yu said, digging in his heels.


    ¡°Because you beat her. She may be arrogant, headstrong, and prideful, but she¡¯s not stupid. She knows where things stand between you two for now. You¡¯re stronger, and she¡¯ll recognize that even if she hates it.¡±


    ¡°Right, so¡ª¡±


    Li Heng held up a hand. ¡°I told you she¡¯s been busy. She broke through to late Body Refining over the winter. She and her little crew have been dueling anyone they can. If she passes you in rank, it won¡¯t be long until she gets it in her head that you¡¯ll be an easy match again.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s still ranked lower than me, then fighting her isn¡¯t going to do me any good in that respect.¡±


    ¡°Which brings me to my second point,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°You haven¡¯t moved in the rankings at all. Granted, you¡¯ve spent the winter cultivating, but that just means now is the perfect time to present some challenges.¡±


    Li Heng was right. Despite all his training and chasing after the secrets of a thousand-year-old menace, He Yu had been neglecting his place within the sect. Now that he was at the peak of Body Refining¡ªand in need of perfecting a defensive technique¡ªit was the perfect time for him to do something about that.


    ¡°Alright,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I take it you already have someone in mind?¡±


    ¡°I half expected you to make excuses about how it seemed like you were bullying people,¡± Li Heng said with only a slightly mocking tone.


    He Yu shrugged. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve gotten used to it,¡± he said, thinking about all the challengers he¡¯d faced shortly after entering the inner sect, and how showing them kindness and restraint hadn¡¯t done him any real favors. ¡°More importantly, we¡¯ve got a long way to go. The enemies we¡¯ll be facing as we move forward have a pretty serious head start.¡±


    Li Heng gave him a knowing look but didn¡¯t ask for any elaboration. For that, He Yu was grateful. They had both been in the wilds. They had both gotten a taste of what the Sunset Empress could do. They both knew what lay ahead. He Yu wasn¡¯t quite yet ready to speak of his vision of Jin Xifeng¡¯s suppression, so he was glad that Li Heng didn¡¯t need the point belabored.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this you said about Sha Xiang¡¯s crew?¡± he asked, bringing the conversation back around to their more immediate concerns.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s gathered quite the little group around her. Mostly nobles.¡±


    He Yu¡¯s eyebrows rose at that. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know you better I¡¯d say this was some sort of an elaborate joke.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s true. I asked Yan Shirong to do some digging for me, and he found out the first person she pulled into her orbit was that Da Ning character. Not sure if you remember him, but he¡¯s the son of a minor comital clan. Apparently, he¡¯s been her liaison with the other minor nobility of the sect.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so we¡¯re going after him?¡±


    Li Heng shook his head. ¡°No. He¡¯s still beneath the both of us as well. I¡¯m going to be staying out of things with Sha Xiang for the time being. Especially if she¡¯s affiliated with this Sunset Court or whatever. The more it looks like a continuation of the grudge from your time in the outer sect, the better. She¡¯ll believe that.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have someone in mind, then?¡±


    Li Heng gave him a vicious grin. ¡°Remember Mo Zhiqiang?¡± he asked.

 3.23 - Payback

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± He Yu said. As Li Heng told him what Yan Shirong had discovered, the heat rose in his neck along with his anger.


    Mo Zhiqiang. He Yu had barely even thought about him since that first duel. Apparently, he¡¯d been behind the endless parade of petty challenges that He Yu had faced last autumn. According to Yan Shirong¡¯s investigation, Mo Zhiqiang had been paying people to challenge He Yu in hopes that someone would defeat him.


    Around the time they¡¯d left for the wilds, Mo Zhiqiang had fallen in with Sha Xiang. Between Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s wealth and Da Ning¡¯s efforts at diplomacy, Sha Xiang had managed to collect a small group of nobles beneath her.


    Li Heng wanted He Yu to challenge Mo Zhiqiang for his rank. It was a good idea. A jump in four ranks, from six hundred fourteen to six hundred ten, didn¡¯t sound like all that much, but it was a start. More importantly, increasing his rank would lead to increased rewards from the sect.


    He would need to jump to at least five hundred ninety-nine before he saw any increases. Li Heng assured him that these early steps were important. Until he drew closer to disciples in the five hundreds, they could refuse his challenges without losing face. He would probably need to be at least ranked six hundred-five before he could consider issuing such a challenge and be taken seriously.


    Fortunately, He Yu was close enough in rank to Mo Zhiqiang that the noble couldn¡¯t easily refuse without looking weak. The fact that He Yu had already beaten him in an informal challenge meant that refusal would come with additional penalties¡ªperhaps even including He Yu taking his rank without fighting for it. Then there was also the question of Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s pride. All things considered, Li Heng believed that Mo Zhiqiang would accept any challenge He Yu issued, and He Yu was inclined to agree.


    This had the added benefit of striking two blows at Sha Xiang and her followers without directly antagonizing Sha Xiang herself.


    First, they would be making one of her followers look weak, and by extension, that would make Sha Xiang look weak. What Zhang Lifen had told He Yu about attacking the disciples of someone stronger held just as true for someone like Sha Xiang as it did for He Yu¡¯s mentor. Defeating Mo Zhiqiang would show that Sha Xiang had chosen her followers poorly, and would thus damage her reputation. It mattered little that He Yu could currently defeat Sha Xiang as far as anyone else was concerned.


    Second, and perhaps more importantly, defeating Mo Zhiqiang would allow He Yu to deprive him¡ªand by extension, Sha Xiang¡ªof the resources they¡¯d been using to expand their influence. Of course, Yan Shirong had pointed out that the Mo clan was incredibly wealthy, so it would be a minor setback at most, but any setback was better than none.


    Finally, there were the practical benefits to He Yu himself. The Spring Rain Mirror wasn¡¯t going to master itself, and as much as he enjoyed his time training with Li Heng, a sparring match wasn¡¯t as good as the real thing. Using the Spring Rain Mirror in a real duel would be the quickest way to sort out how to use the art properly. Especially if what He Yu had come to realize over winter held true.


    From the beginning, he¡¯d always gained key insights into his Way during the knife-edge danger of a fight. Whether it was that first duel with Sha Xiang, looking into the eyes of a young man his own age just before he killed for the first time, or forming his Wayborn Seed in the tournament duel with Tan Xiaoling¡ªHe Yu¡¯s understanding of his path forward had always come at moments of danger and decision. Even his first true insight into the Spring Rain Mirror had come during the fight with the golden tiger in the wilds.


    With his mind made up, He Yu headed towards the inner sect commission hall. Like the empire and heaven itself, the sect was built on the back of bureaucracy. For his challenge to be recognized, he first needed to file an official request with the sect. It was a tedious requirement as far as he was concerned, but it did mean that once the challenge was issued, Mo Zhiqiang couldn¡¯t simply ignore him.


    Exiting the commission hall, He Yu turned to Li Heng. ¡°Alright, where do we find him?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s usually preening in front of Sha Xiang¡¯s other lackeys somewhere in the central areas, so he should be close by.¡±


    After a few pointed inquiries, another inner disciple directed them to where Mo Zhiqiang was holding court. They found him lounging beneath a cypress tree surrounded by several other disciples. A quick activation of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment told He Yu they were all in various stages of the late Third Realm, but none had reached the peak.


    That fact alone struck He Yu as a little bit odd. All of them had been disciples of the inner sect for at least a year longer than he had. Yet none had managed to achieve the peak of Body Refining in that time. It was almost as if they¡¯d simply been content to lounge around as they were now and enjoy the rewards of the inner sect. He supposed that was fair, since they wouldn¡¯t face expulsion for doing so, but didn¡¯t they want more?


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    As He Yu and Li Heng drew near, Mo Zhiqiang looked up and scowled. ¡°What do you two want?¡± he asked, his voice just as arrogant as it had been when he¡¯d first tried to push He Yu around.


    ¡°I come to issue a challenge, Sect Brother Mo,¡± He Yu said while clasping a fist in salute. ¡°I demand a duel for rank. Name the time and place.¡±


    Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s face turned red. ¡°You dare challenge me? Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been idle since our last fight. I accept.¡±


    That was a surprise. He Yu had expected the noble to try and squirm out, or protest, or something. It seemed Mo Zhiqiang had some pride and fire in him after all.


    They quickly settled on the details, and He Yu took his leave with Li Heng.


    ¡°That was easy,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t well refuse,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Especially not in front of the others.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I just expected he¡¯d be less arrogant?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been busy. Fighting lots of duels for loot from what I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    They parted ways for the afternoon, with Li Heng leaving to go tell the others about the coming duel, and He Yu returning home to prepare. He removed his old, smaller storage treasure from its hiding place in his home. While it couldn¡¯t hold nearly as much as the one he currently kept with him, it was still useful for keeping the sorts of things he didn¡¯t need to remain on his person. He withdrew one of his mid-grade spirit stones, still a fairly precious resource, and an elixir that was mainly water-aspected.


    Although Zhang Lifen had cautioned him against taking shortcuts for his advancement, he saw no harm in stuffing himself with resources now that he was at the peak. He didn¡¯t see himself breaking through to Golden Core any time soon, so didn¡¯t it make sense to expand his cultivation base as much as he could? Besides, she¡¯d told him it was fine to use elixirs to aid in the breakthrough itself, too. He didn¡¯t see much difference, and the stories always talked about how critical medicines were for advancement, anyway.


    He Yu took his elixir and settled in to cultivate with his spirit stone cradled in his hands. He emerged several days later, took a meal that would have been enough for a small mortal family, and snatched a few hours of sleep. When he awoke, he headed to the agreed-upon location of his duel.


    Upon his arrival at the training field where the duel was to take place, he found a crowd of about three dozen inner sect disciples gathered. Duels for rank were something of a spectacle, it seemed. He was unsurprised to find his friends among the crowd. Li Heng and Yan Shirong seemed to be arguing over something¡ªlikely some sort of bet, if he knew Yan Shirong at all¡ªand Chen Fei chatted excitedly with Tan Xiaoling.


    Opposite his friends, Mo Zhiqiang stood with Sha Xiang, Cui Bao, and Da Ning. Sha Xiang looked decidedly unhappy, with her arms crossed over her chest, and glaring at Mo Zhiqiang. He Yu was just happy she was glaring at someone other than him for once. It occurred then to him that it was a bit odd that she was the one in charge of their group. He didn¡¯t know what Cui Bao or Da Ning were ranked, but she was one beneath him. Which meant she was beneath Mo Zhiqiang. He pushed the thought aside. It wasn¡¯t his problem who bowed to her or not, just so long as it wasn¡¯t him.


    Standing in the center of the arena was the green-haired core disciple that had been among the three to rescue He Yu out in the wilds. Su Meifeng, the fifth-ranked core disciple if he recalled, wore an understated gown of green and gold, decorated with accents of black silk. She radiated a restrained serenity as she inclined her head at He Yu¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Junior Brother He,¡± she said. ¡°I am glad to see that you¡¯ve recovered from the hardship you suffered in service to the sect. That such an experience has served only to motivate you is encouraging to see.¡±


    He Yu saluted and bowed. ¡°Senior Sister is most kind,¡± he said.


    From across the dueling arena, Sha Xiang finally shot him one of her glares. She at least had the presence of mind to keep her mouth shut with the core disciple present.


    ¡°If we¡¯re ready?¡± Su Meifeng asked, looking to both He Yu and Mo Zhiqiang in turn.


    ¡°I have been ready since that coward of a bandit offered his challenge,¡± Mo Zhiqiang boasted. ¡°Only his defeat or surrender will satisfy me.¡±


    Su Meifeng arched an eyebrow at Mo Zhiqiang but said nothing. He Yu rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t there an elder here?¡± Sha Xiang demanded. ¡°I thought duels for rank would matter enough for one of them to oversee it personally.¡±


    ¡°I will be sufficient for today¡¯s duel,¡± Su Meifeng said, her voice remaining just as serene and unbothered as ever. ¡°Duels of such low-ranking disciples are hardly important enough for an elder¡¯s attention. Perhaps when you manage to form your Golden Core, you will be worth notice, Junior Sister Sha.¡±


    He Yu held back his smile as a soft chuckle rippled through the gathered disciples. Sha Xiang¡¯s scowl deepened, but even she had gained enough sense not to talk back to someone like Su Meifeng.


    ¡°Junior Brother He, since this is your first duel for rank, I will explain the rules,¡± Su Meifeng said. ¡°You are expected to fight with honor and conduct yourselves as inner disciples of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Regardless of any enmity that may exist between the two of you, remember that you are both sect brothers.


    ¡°You may use any and all techniques or treasures you have at your disposal. Refrain from inflicting grievous injuries upon one another. Killing your opponent will result in your immediate expulsion from the sect, and you will be marked as an outlaw. Despite these restrictions, you are both expected to fight with your full capabilities.¡±


    Su Meifeng looked between the two of them for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. ¡°As the ranking member of the sect, I will serve as the judge of this duel. I will decide when it is won and by whom. My judgment is final and is not to be disputed. Are the combatants ready?¡±


    ¡°There will be no need for any judgment,¡± Mo Zhiqiang said, manifesting his spear from his storage treasure. ¡°I will crush this dog quickly enough.¡±


    ¡°You got your spear back,¡± He Yu said, his own weapon falling into his hands. ¡°I¡¯d felt a bit bad about taking it, but I¡¯m glad to see you were able to buy it back after I sold it.¡±


    Su Meifeng stepped back from the arena. ¡°You may begin.¡±

 3.24 - Ranked Duel

    From across the dueling arena, Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s presence expanded. It had become far more well-defined since their last fight, taking on the impression of a waterfall plunging down the side of a mist-enshrouded cliff. A spray of water rose from the pool below, and a light breeze carried the scent of spring.


    The head of Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s spear blurred with the same wind-aspected technique he¡¯d used in their first duel. Not only was the technique formed with more control, but Mo Zhiqiang himself was far more confident in his stance. It seemed he¡¯d been busy.


    He Yu released his own spirit in answer. The winds tugged at the hem of his outer robe, gentle at first then rising in their intensity. The air became electric, tiny sparks of heaven flickering along the length of his guandao. As his spirit expanded, it carried the sensation of a late afternoon thunderstorm ready to break open the sky. That sensation held merely the promise of what was to come¡ªand this duel was a step towards seeing that promise fulfilled.


    Both cultivators surged forward, carried by their movement techniques. During that first exchange, He Yu was able to take his opponent¡¯s measure in the clashing of steel. Mo Zhiqiang had certainly improved. He fought more seriously now, and with greater skill. In a way, He Yu was actually grateful for it. He wanted to be pushed, even in a fight that he was expecting to win. Sure, he¡¯d picked Mo Zhiqiang to make a statement, but that was secondary to his advancement.


    Despite Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s accomplishments over the winter, he still hadn¡¯t reached the peak of Body Refining. His presence wasn¡¯t as refined as He Yu¡¯s, and it was evident in that first exchange that he hadn¡¯t formed a Wayborn Seed. Of course that didn¡¯t mean He Yu was going to go easy on him. Zhang Lifen had told him to fight with all his power, even in practice and in duels. More importantly, would a hero truly be so arrogant and disrespectful as to hold back against an opponent of the same realm? Not in He Yu¡¯s eyes.


    The rightness and ease brought by his Wayborn Seed settled over him as the thought flickered through his mind like nascent lighting. A flash of insight from the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment confirmed a truth he¡¯d been shown several times now¡ªthere was no guide for his path other than himself. The questions he¡¯d been preoccupied with over the past year and a half at the sect were questions for him to answer. If he believed that the measure of a hero was to show respect by fighting with all his strength, then that¡¯s what he would do.


    He Yu attacked in a series of sweeps and thrusts, the churning currents of the Five Crescent Winds trailing flickers of lightning behind his guandao. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering gave him strength and speed alike, and his assault put Mo Zhiqiang on the back foot with his first flurry of strikes.


    The vermilion tassel at the end of Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s spear swirled. The noble advanced in a series of thrusts, making good use of his weapon¡¯s reach. His attacks were fluid and elegant, and each one carried an echo of wind along with it. The spear¡¯s head blurred and multiplied, and He Yu found himself fending off what seemed like a dozen strikes at once as the echoes of each attack built upon one another.


    He Yu activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment and touched his Way. The strange cultivation technique¡¯s ability to show him the truth of things did its job¡ªhe could grasp the shape of Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s strikes before even his instincts honed by both Ren Huang and Old Guo¡¯s training could react. The months of meditation on that exquisite moment of using the Spring Rain Mirror in the wilds crystallized into understanding with the help of his Way.


    The Spring Rain Mirror flashed into being, but only for an instant. That instant was all it needed. Despite being obscured by Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s technique, the spear struck the disc of water-aspected qi. With an almost imperceptible adjustment, the Spring Rain Mirror shifted, and the spear shifted with it. The wind-aspected echoes of Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s attacks followed.


    For an instant the spear was out of position, leaving Mo Zhiqiang open. He Yu adjusted his grip on his guandao and stepped inside his opponent¡¯s guard. With a sweeping, upward strike that churned and sparked, he scored the first real hit of the duel.


    Red blossomed in a line across Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s robe. Rather than retreat and regroup as He Yu had expected, Mo Zhiqiang attacked. His spear flashed as he pulled it close and slashed at He Yu with the spearhead¡¯s sharpened edge. He Yu activated the Spring Rain Mirror, along with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, darting back and away from Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s counter.


    He saw his mistake an instant too late¡ªhe¡¯d placed himself right into Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s ideal range.


    Mo Zhiqiang held his weapon in a high grip and advanced with a series of exquisitely executed thrusts, his form displaying a significant increase in mastery since their first fight. He moved with both power and grace, and with each subsequent attack Mo Zhiqiang blurred. He gathered his technique around him, an obscuring mist rather similar to the one that had initially hidden his spearhead. A thrust pierced through He Yu¡¯s defense, and a sharp lance of pain blossomed in his arm where Mo Zhiqiang landed a hit.


    ¡°What have you been doing all winter, Sect Brother He?¡± Mo Zhiqiang asked with disdain. ¡°Certainly not training. You¡¯ve hardly improved since our last fight.¡±


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    He Yu wasn¡¯t about to allow the noble to taunt him. The Spring Rain Mirror flashed along with his guandao as he beat back Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s thrusts. Advancing in his turn, He Yu called the Sweeping Wind. He cycled heaven qi according to the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, using the speed and power of the art to match Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s technique.


    Then, Mo Zhiqiang vanished. It was only by virtue of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment that He Yu was able to avoid the follow-up. But not completely. The spearhead dug into the meat of He Yu¡¯s thigh. It had been aimed such that it would have disemboweled him¡ªclearly an illegal strike. He Yu shot a glance toward Su Meifeng. She merely inclined her head, indicating that the duel was still on. It seemed that she would not step in and put a stop to a killing blow. Rather she would allow it, then deliver whatever consequences were appropriate after.


    He Yu cycled qi to his wounded leg. Even with his cultivator¡¯s body, he wouldn¡¯t be able to heal before the end of the fight without medicine. He could at least ease the pain and still make use of the limb, although it would place a strain on his reserves. At least he¡¯d learned something valuable¡ªMo Zhiqiang was willing to go much further than He Yu had anticipated.


    ¡°Is this what you have to resort to?¡± He Yu demanded. ¡°Seeking a killing blow despite the fact this is a duel among sect siblings?¡±


    ¡°I will reclaim my pride one way or another, peasant.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re getting at?¡± He Yu demanded. ¡°Do you know what it is to take another¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°The world of immortals is stalked by death, you should know that by now,¡± Mo Zhiqiang spat.


    He Yu did know that. While he didn¡¯t think that Mo Zhiqiang had ever taken another¡¯s life, He Yu had. Along with Li Heng and Yan Shirong, he¡¯d slaughtered more than sixty bandits¡ªall of them as helpless as children before the three disciples.


    Leveling his blade at Mo Zhiqiang, He Yu thought back to that encounter. He recalled the weight of it¡ªthe feel of his guandao digging into flesh. The scent of blood and bile. The pained moans and cries of the dying. The scent of charred flesh and the sight of burned corpses in the villages he¡¯d passed. He let that weight settle over him and recalled the lessons of his hunt for King Hao.


    Mo Zhiqiang was right. Death stalked the world of immortals.


    He Yu was going to show him what that meant.


    ¡°You speak of pride, yet you conduct yourself no better than a bandit,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Allow me to instruct you on the weight of a life.¡±


    Killing intent settled over the two cultivators, cold and sharp. While not as refined as Tan Xiaoling¡¯s, it was more than Mo Zhiqiang had manifested when he¡¯d launched his attack. The noble¡¯s features told He Yu everything he needed to know¡ªMo Zhiqiang really was the soft, pampered layabout that he seemed.


    The Shearing Wind formed around He Yu¡¯s blade. The additional weight of his killing intent gave the technique a sharper edge compared to its previous feel. He Yu blasted forward with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Lightning snapped all around him as he activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. As he activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he dimly saw that he was letting his anger get the better of him. He could deal with that later. For now, he only needed one thing from the technique¡ªinsight into Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s next move.


    His blade fell, and Mo Zhiqiang twisted away. The noble activated a movement technique. It was water-aspected and familiar in its shape. While not identical to Zhang Lifen¡¯s, it was similar enough. He Yu adjusted, shifting to the side with the nimble movements afforded him by the combination of his own movement technique and his body art.


    Mo Zhiqiang stepped right into the path of He Yu¡¯s attack. A spray of blood erupted from the wound he scored across the noble¡¯s chest. The shift in Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s qi indicated he was desperately cycling everything he could to the wound, even as he shifted into a counterattack of his own. Despite his anger, He Yu was glad his opponent still had some fight left in him.


    The tassel at the end of Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s spear blurred along with its gleaming point as the noble activated his attack technique. Wisps of wind qi rushed towards He Yu. The Spring Rain Mirror flashed into the space between them, and Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s attack slid off it, leaving him open once more. He Yu called the Bracing Wind and blasted Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s technique away with his own command of wind-aspected qi.


    Once more He Yu¡¯s blade fell. Wind and heaven qi trailed in its wake and the weight of He Yu¡¯s killing intent pressed down on the world. In his desperation, Mo Zhiqiang thrust his spear once more rather than try and defend. It was aimed at the center of He Yu¡¯s chest.


    Water qi bloomed as the Spring Rain Mirror formed. The spear hit the barrier. The Spring Rain Mirror cracked, then shattered. The combined weight of it all was too much. Between keeping the Five Crescent Winds, the Peerless Judgment, and the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering active all at once¡ªnot to mention the qi he was spending to keep his wounds in check¡ªit was all too much for him to maintain at once and keep up the monstrously difficult defensive technique.


    The spear¡¯s tip dug into He Yu¡¯s flesh. He grabbed himself with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and darted back. The maneuver managed to save him from the worst of it, but he¡¯d still taken another hit. He was in better condition than Mo Zhiqiang, though.


    From where he¡¯d managed to half-catch himself from falling, Mo Zhiqiang looked up at He Yu. The noble looked awful, blood soaking his robe, and each breath a struggle. His features were a mask of defiance, but He Yu could tell it was forced. His posture spoke the truth of his fear.


    He Yu readied another attack and rushed forward. Wind and heaven churned around him in a tempest of qi laced with killing intent. Mo Zhiqiang raised his spear in an attempt to block He Yu¡¯s strike. The two weapons met and Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s spear snapped where it took He Yu¡¯s attack. The follow-through scored another bloody line on the noble, this time across his temple.


    Mo Zhiqiang staggered, then fell. Even before he¡¯d hit the ground, He Yu had readied another strike.


    ¡°Stop,¡± came a quiet and calm voice from the side of the arena. Soft as her command was, Su Meifeng¡¯s words cut through the rush of blood in He Yu¡¯s ears.


    He turned and gave the core disciple a bow.


    ¡°He Yu wins,¡± she said. ¡°I will log the results of the duel with the commission hall. Disciple He has attained rank six hundred ten by defeating Disciple Mo.¡±

 3.25 - Outside Context

    ¡°The fuck you have!¡± Sha Xiang shouted. Earth and fire qi rolled out from her expanding presence. The scent of sulfur hung over the arena. ¡°He¡¯s still got fight left in him.¡±


    ¡°My judgment is final,¡± Su Meifeng said. ¡°Any conflicts you choose to resolve aren¡¯t sect business and have no bearing on your rank. It should go without saying that it isn¡¯t my concern either.¡± Her message was clear. With the official duel over, she wouldn¡¯t be interfering in whatever eruption of violence followed.


    A sun-blasted desert and a frozen snow-covered field joined Sha Xiang¡¯s presence the instant Su Meifeng finished speaking. Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng stepped up next to He Yu as he popped a restorative pill into his mouth and bit down.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not yet repaid you for your cowardice back when we were in the outer sect,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, the sharp blade of her killing intent joining the weight of her presence. ¡°I would be more than happy to do so now.¡±


    He Yu shuddered. No matter how angry or self-righteous he¡¯d felt during his duel with Mo Zhiqiang, he knew his own killing intent paled in comparison to Tan Xiaoling¡¯s.


    ¡°I never had the opportunity to test myself against you, Sect Sister Sha,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Shall we make a duel out of it? I wouldn¡¯t mind putting my rank on the line.¡±


    ¡°You may register your requests with the commission hall,¡± Su Meifeng said with a flick of her sleeve. ¡°Whatever transpires here isn¡¯t worth my time or attention.¡± The core disciple activated a movement technique and was gone.


    Cui Bao and Da Ning joined Sha Xiang, while Chen Fei and Yan Shirong joined He Yu.


    With the battle lines drawn, Sha Xiang¡¯s side was at a clear disadvantage. All three had reached late Body Refining but none were at the peak. Of those clustered around He Yu, only Yan Shirong hadn¡¯t yet broken into the late stage of the Third Realm. Unsurprisingly, Tan Xiaoling had reached peak Body Refining over the winter as well. Even if she hadn¡¯t, He Yu would have put his last spirit stone on her against any one of Sha Xiang¡¯s followers every time.


    Then there was He Yu himself. He¡¯d no doubt that Sha Xiang would make every effort to involve him in whatever fight broke out. He¡¯d spent quite a bit of himself during the duel, but he was still peak Body Refining and he still had some fight left. Unlike Mo Zhiqiang.


    As the medicine He Yu had taken did its work, Da Ning leaned towards Sha Xiang and murmured something in her ear. Her face twisted and she looked like she was about to strike him, but then her posture released its tension. The two of them exchanged a few more hushed words, and then she turned and locked eyes with He Yu.


    ¡°I¡¯ll abide by Senior Sister Su¡¯s ruling. For now.¡± She turned on her heel and stalked off. Cui Bao and Da Ning followed, leaving Mo Zhiqiang to pick himself up and hobble after them once it became clear nobody was coming to his aid.


    With the possible brawl diffused for the time being, the other disciples who¡¯d stuck around after the duel filtered away in ones and twos. He Yu was almost sorry to see her go. He¡¯d thought that he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with this nonsense with her now that they¡¯d joined the inner sect. But he supposed that bullies and tyrants never changed. The fact that He Yu had managed to surpass her must be a thorn stuck in a slowly festering wound.


    ¡°The duel was supposed to put her in her place,¡± He Yu said, not fully intending to do so aloud.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it did,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°In more ways than you might think,¡± Tan Xiaoling added.


    ¡°She can¡¯t be happy at having to back down after trying to start a fight,¡± He Yu mused. He should have expected that she¡¯d try something like that.


    ¡°It was the smart thing to do,¡± Yan Shirong said, inspecting an invisible speck of dirt on his robes. ¡°She would have looked worse if she¡¯d followed through. There was no way that they could have won. At least by leaving, they managed to save a shred of face.¡±


    ¡°Seems that Da Ning has lent some restraint to their dynamic,¡± Li Heng said.


    Tan Xiaoling nodded her agreement. ¡°That makes him dangerous.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He Yu asked. As far as he was concerned, Sha Xiang restraining herself would only benefit her potential targets.


    ¡°She¡¯s like a blind, raging bull,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°It was only a matter of time before she offended someone who was both strong enough, and cared enough, to make things difficult for her. Especially now that she¡¯s in the inner sect. Before, she and her coterie were strong enough to act with impunity. Now?¡± She shook her head.


    When put that way, it did make sense. As he watched her retreating figure slowly blend in with the mountain mists, He Yu simply added another reason to advance to the pile.


    ¡°Be wary of ambushes,¡± Yan Shirong said, interrupting He Yu¡¯s thoughts.


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    ¡°Is she really so spiteful?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    ¡°I agree with Yan Shirong,¡± Li Heng answered. ¡°Da Ning strikes me as the tactical sort. He¡¯ll likely advise her to bide her time and move when any of her enemies are at their weakest. I¡¯ve no doubt half the reason he joined up with her was to get back at me.¡±


    It took He Yu a moment to remember. ¡°That¡¯s right, you took him for all he was worth shortly after the grace period ended.¡±


    ¡°And then you humiliated him in the tournament. He¡¯s got plenty of reason to dislike us.¡±


    He Yu sighed. It seemed that collecting enemies and grudges wasn¡¯t quite as glamorous as he¡¯d hoped it would be. ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°since we¡¯re all here, who wants to go hunting? I know I need the resources.¡±


    * * *


    Wang Xiaobo stroked his chin as he thought. He watched the Third Realms scrabbling in the dirt for scraps of prestige. None of them had broken out of the six hundreds yet, but a few were close. That Sha girl, and whatever little stowaway she had riding on her spirit weren¡¯t worth his notice. She was brash and hot-headed. Strong, certainly, but saddled with too many heart demons. She would offend the wrong people before too long and take care of herself.


    That boy who followed her around like a puppy, Cui Bao, had potential. Too bad it would remain unrealized so long as he spent most of his time staring at her ass. The two nobles she¡¯d pulled into her orbit were nobody special either. Da Ning was an obsequious coward, and Mo Zhiqiang, well, he was the same as he¡¯d always been since failing upward into the low ranks of the inner sect.


    He almost hadn¡¯t believed the rumors when he heard that Zhang Lifen had taken a disciple. When that turned out to be true, Wang Xiaobo had taken notice. Now that he¡¯d not only seen He Yu fight, but also gotten a look at those who clustered around him, he saw tremendous potential.


    Princess Tan was everything he¡¯d come to expect of a cultivator from the Jade Kingdom. Ruthless, unyielding, and most importantly¡ªtremendously strong for her advancement. Someone like her would do well in the sect, and she would have become a problem regardless of who she¡¯d aligned herself with. Now that she was firmly under Zhang Lifen¡¯s sway, she was all the more dangerous.


    The two nobles, Li Heng and Yan Shirong, were a mixed bag. The Yan was typical of his kind. Lazy, unambitious, but deceptively sharp-edged. So long as he stayed in his place as an accessory to those with real power, he could be more or less ignored. His family arts might be annoying, as was true with any clan so closely tied to the Ministry of Information, but Yan Shirong himself would never be a threat on his own.


    The Li, on the other hand, was an interesting problem. Clearly, General Li Bao had sent his only son south to collect allies. The situation of the Li was well-known among the imperial nobility. They were a new clan with few members and fewer allies, but they occupied a prestigious assignment regardless. They were vulnerable and would have been easy prey if not for their patriarch. But should enough clans rally against them, not even Li Renshu could keep them safe forever.


    That their only scion had fallen in with a Tan, a Yan, and two commoners spoke volumes of his judgment and political acumen¡ªor lack thereof. The Yan were fickle allies at best, and relatively weak. Their position in the Ministry would further demand they remain mostly neutral should a conflict break out in the west. The Tan, well they were subjects of the Dragon Empire. While the princess herself may come to the aid of her allies, her father, Tan Zihao, wouldn¡¯t. Nor would he send anything more useful than well-wishes.


    A nascent alliance between the Tan and the Li might be something worth worrying about for the other nobles of the west. In a hundred years or so. For now? Wang Xiaobo couldn¡¯t care less. Whatever squabbles over the provincial backwaters that the nobles of the west concerned themselves with, they were nothing in the grand scheme of things. More than a hundred thousand li lay between the Western Passage and the Wang¡¯s ducal seat in the east. Wang Xiaobo wouldn¡¯t even be here if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had several older, more important siblings. And the fact that the Shrouded Peaks Sect was one of the most prestigious sects in the empire despite its location.


    The common girl, half barbarian by the look of her, wasn¡¯t anything special. At least not as far as Wang Xiaobo could tell. Which made it all the more odd that Senior Brother Ren seemed to have taken notice of her. Talk was she had a particular talent with formations, which was likely the root of Ren Huang¡¯s interest. Heaven knew the sect could always use more formation experts¡ªthey were far too valuable not to nurture whenever they turned up.


    No, what interested Wang Xiaobo most was Zhang Lifen¡¯s disciple. At first glance, he didn¡¯t seem like all that much. A small peasant boy well out of his depth. He¡¯d made it to the inner sect, though. While not unheard of for someone of low birth to make it that far in their first year, it was worth notice. His choice of primary combat art was an obvious one given his weapon. His other arts, those were interesting.


    That water-aspected defensive art, and his heaven-aspected body enforcement art¡ªneither were like anything Wang Xiaobo had ever seen. Then there was his killing intent. Not as refined as anyone who¡¯d been in the Fourth Realm as long as Wang Xiaobo had, to be certain. But more refined than he would have expected for a Third Realm fresh in from the outer sect. Then there was the fact that he seemed to have formed a Wayborn Seed already, if the duel Wang Xiaobo had just witnessed was anything to go by.


    This He Yu kid had the makings of a monster, that was a guarantee. The mix of individuals around him ran the gamut from concerning to irrelevant. As a Fourth Realm, Wang Xiaobo couldn¡¯t move against any of them yet. At least not without losing a tremendous amount of face. But he could watch.


    Hopping down from the tree branch he¡¯d been lounging on, he turned to his sworn brother, Xin Lu. ¡°What do you think of them?¡± he asked.


    Xin Lu was a study in contrasts compared to Wang Xiaobo. Bulky and fierce in his countenance versus Wang Xiaobo¡¯s more refined and delicate features. He was, despite his mien, in possession of a sharp intelligence. Nearly equal to Wang Xiaobo himself.


    ¡°Yet another nexus of power within the inner sect,¡± Xin Lu said. ¡°Senior Sister Zhang has chosen well, I think.¡±


    ¡°It will be a grievous blow we strike her, then,¡± Wang Xiaobo said, clapping his brother on the shoulder. ¡°Come, let us drink to the opportunity heaven has provided. Soon we shall have some measure of satisfaction.¡±

 3.26 - Gazing Upon the Peak

    Spring brought with it the scent of flowers and rain. The manicured gardens and immaculate paths of the inner sect mountain came alive with color, and the challenges of the past year faded as if washed away with the changing seasons.


    Through it all He Yu trained. Although his stipend from the sect had increased with his promotion to inner disciple, it wasn¡¯t nearly enough. He spent most of his time completing jobs for the inner sect. Many of them had him visiting the outer sect mountain. More frequently than he cared to admit, he had to deal with an incursion of the mantis-like cave beasts he and the others had released during their misadventure before the tournament.


    Otherwise, he performed jobs of a similar nature. Nothing that took him too far away from the sect itself¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to be gone for too long. To that end, he took assignments that paid well and could be completed quickly. Unlike his early days in the outer sect, he spent his contribution points freely.


    He booked time in the sect¡¯s cultivation chambers. He bought pills and elixirs. He paid for tutoring with Fang Yingjie at least once a week. He spent his evenings in the sect archives, reading profound scriptures and contemplations of great sages. He meditated on his Wayborn Seed and his connection to the Eternal Dao.


    During this time, Zhang Lifen came and went. She was even more busy than he was, owing to her responsibilities as a core disciple. But whenever she returned to the sect proper, she made time for him. Her training mostly consisted of him trying to hit her while she lectured him on the finer points of cultivation and imparted some of her own insights into the Eternal Dao. Between her lectures and his time in the archives, he felt he was growing closer to something important¡ªbut exactly what he couldn¡¯t yet say.


    The frustrations he¡¯d felt with her in the beginning had since all but vanished. Her training, including her lectures, was barely something he could handle, even now. He¡¯d since realized that the true value of her attention wouldn¡¯t show itself until he advanced. Despite never even coming close to landing a blow on her, he was improving. Against anyone at his own level of advancement, there were precious few who could easily avoid his strikes now.


    His sparring sessions with Li Heng continued. Yan Shirong joined in more frequently than not these days, having advanced to late Body Refining himself. Both of them had their own unique fighting styles, and they tested his abilities in different ways. Yan Shirong in particular was of great help in improving the Spring Rain Mirror.


    The shadowy cultivator¡¯s ability to attack from surprising and unexpected angles forced He Yu to rely on the guidance provided by the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. As Yan Shirong¡¯s mastery over his own techniques increased, He Yu found him harder to deal with. It was the perfect training opportunity.


    Occasionally Tan Xiaoling would join them. On those days He Yu was reminded of just what a monster the Jade Princess really was. In single combat, she was more than a match for any of them. Even without her sandstorm¡ªthe Breath of the White Desert¡ªshe was a fierce fighter. He Yu had come to welcome the training opportunity she provided. Especially now that both of them were at the peak of the Third Realm.


    With the sheer relentless tempo of her attacks, she pushed He Yu¡¯s control of the Spring Rain Mirror to its absolute limits. At first, he could only deflect one in every five of her blows, at most, but that number increased the more often he faced off against her. He still found himself having to fall back on his weapon or his speed for defense more often than not, but by the end of the season, he found his ability to deal with her had improved dramatically.


    The one who helped him with the technique the most, however, was Chen Fei. When He Yu had first asked her to accompany him to the sect market, it had been purely out of an interest to spend more time with her. Like him, she¡¯d been busy with assignments, training, and cultivation, so he¡¯d been seeing less of her than he wanted. Their trips to the market had started to become more regular, and he¡¯d slowly started to become more comfortable around her. It was only by chance that he mentioned his frustration at how long it was taking him to master the Spring Rain Mirror.


    It had seemed painfully obvious once she¡¯d pointed it out to him, but the technique worked similarly to the barriers she created with her family art, the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols. From there she shared the insights she¡¯d gained from forming her Wayborn Seed¡ªinsights that seemed almost tailor-made to effectively use the Spring Rain Mirror¡ªalong with her knowledge of formations.


    Chen Fei proved to be a patient and effective teacher. Her enthusiasm, especially when talking about formations, was infectious and something that provided no small measure of comfort to He Yu. There had always been this itch at the back of his mind. Like he was the only one who cared as deeply about the things that interested him. Most other disciples were pretty open about their reasons for cultivation¡ªpower, status, the expectations of their families. He Yu was different though. He followed his Way simply for its own sake.


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    Concerning formations, Chen Fei was much the same. She was fascinated by them, and their endless utility and complexity. While He Yu didn¡¯t share her excitement, he recognized in her something that he understood well and appreciated it all the same. It certainly didn¡¯t hurt that her enthusiasm was tied to something that helped with his current difficulties.


    As spring gave way to summer, He Yu was sitting with Chen Fei and Yan Shirong in one of the inner sect¡¯s many gardens when the distant rumble of thunder rolled over the mountain. He Yu looked up to where the edge of an approaching storm had gathered, clouds flashing with the light of heaven.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    He Yu nodded. ¡°Just thinking. About home, oddly enough.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been back since joining the sect, have you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve barely even thought about it. It was just the thunder. We¡¯d always get these thunderstorms during summer. It was my favorite time of year because I could sit inside my father¡¯s forge and watch the rain. I just miss that, I guess.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if Shulin is all that far,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°You could probably make it there in a couple of weeks at most. And that¡¯s if you took your time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be away from the sect for that long. I feel like I¡¯m so close to being able to form my Golden Core. This will be my twentieth summer. How many cultivators can say they reached the Fourth Realm this young?¡±


    ¡°It would be impressive,¡± Yan Shirong allowed. ¡°Your own mentor was twenty-two if I recall.¡±


    ¡°Tan Xiaoling is twenty and she hasn¡¯t formed hers yet,¡± Chen Fei said, gazing off at the storm and toying with a fallen twig. ¡°It would be a fitting start to an immortal¡¯s legend,¡± she added with a bright smile.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help but flush a bit at that. While the both of them knew full well his obsession with stories and legends, they¡¯d both teased him in their own turn about it. Chen Fei had always been more good-natured about it than Yan Shirong, but lately, they both seemed to have started taking the idea a bit more seriously.


    ¡°Sister Chen isn¡¯t wrong,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Do it and you¡¯ll become the sect¡¯s new rising star. Maybe they¡¯ll even give you Senior Sister Zhang¡¯s spot as a core disciple.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s already reached middle Nascent Soul. Then there¡¯s the whole rank thing. From what I¡¯ve heard, she was an aggressive duelist before she entered the inner sect. I haven¡¯t even managed to pass rank six hundred yet.¡±


    Although he¡¯d fought a couple of ranked duels since defeating Mo Zhiqiang, he¡¯d been focused mostly on cultivation and sect assignments. Now that the steady flow of resources from Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s hired lackeys had dried up, he found that keeping himself stocked with pills and elixirs was tougher than he¡¯d have liked. He¡¯d peaked at rank six-hundred-three, and decided that he¡¯d likely wait until reaching the Fourth Realm before trying to go much higher.


    ¡°You should go home if you have the chance,¡± Chen Fei said. She¡¯d been quiet for some time, lost in thought. ¡°Like Yan Shirong said, it isn¡¯t far. I¡¯m sure your father would like to see you at least.¡±


    He Yu wanted to object. There was something in her tone, though, that made him stop. Instead, he asked, ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Um, my home is far,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe one of these days. I do miss my family, but, you know.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡± he asked.


    Chen Fei looked down and Yan Shirong jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.


    ¡°I guess,¡± he added quickly, more amazed that Yan Shirong had picked up on her discomfort for once. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get the chance eventually.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± she said with an awkward laugh.


    They fell into talking about more pleasant topics after that. He Yu hardly paid attention, instead focusing on the gathering clouds and the rumble of distant thunder. By the time they parted ways, the storm had worn itself out, but it still dominated He Yu¡¯s thoughts.


    He¡¯d spent all spring refining the Spring Rain Mirror. By now his aspects were mostly balanced, with water lagging only a little bit behind wind and heaven. His presence had continued to reify, becoming more and more like the storms he¡¯d enjoyed back in Shulin. The impressions of clouds crackling with lightning had become familiar, as had the tug of wind when he released his spirit. The rain, before merely a hint¡ªa scent carried on the wind¡ªwas now a promise.


    The clouds that made up the bulk of his presence had steadily darkened. Lightning still flickered within, but now it seemed more alive than it had. Occasionally scattered rains would fall, like when he¡¯d fought Sha Xiang in the tournament, but they were nothing compared to the coming deluge. He knew what was in store. He could feel it as certain as he could feel his growing connection to his Wayborn Seed. All he needed to make it real was one last push.


    As he returned home, he made his decision. From his old storage treasure, tucked away in an unused room in his home, He Yu fetched several potent elixirs he¡¯d managed to get his hands on over the past six months. One for each of his three aspects, wind, heaven, and water. He also brought one of his dwindling stock of mid-grade spirit stones with him when he closed himself in his cultivation chamber. No point in doing things halfway.


    After taking his elixirs, He Yu turned his thoughts inward as he cradled the mid-grade stone in his hands. He focused on the feeling of subtly growing pressure in his dantian. Although he knew that he could probably wait and increase his cultivation base even further, he felt ready. He felt like it was his time. There would be plenty of opportunity to delay when he reached the peak of the Fourth Realm.


    The lower realms were nothing. He realized now that Li Heng had been right¡ªit was a greater benefit to advance through them quickly. Reach Golden Core then slow down.


    He focused on the swirling mass of qi in his dantian. With the potent energies of the elixirs flowing through his meridians, boosted by the extra qi from his mid-grade stone, He Yu compressed the pool of qi sitting still and serene at the center of his spirit.


    His dantian pulsed. His world turned white, and he only knew pain.

 3.27 - Ambush

    The time had finally come. Sha Xiang had waited long enough. Suffered embarrassment enough. She had finally cultivated to the peak of Body Refining. She had struggled against the Four Demon Fists and made it hers. The cracks in her meridians didn¡¯t matter. Emissary Kong had told her that once she advanced to Golden Core, she would be strong enough for the medicines that would repair them.


    The demon core, now able to form full thoughts, urged her on. Go for the eyes, it said. The shadow-walker is the key. Ambush, surprise.


    It was right. She didn¡¯t like it. She wanted to go after He Yu first, but the core was right. If they attacked anyone but Yan Shirong first, he would get the word out to the others. And besides, He Yu hadn¡¯t been seen for more than a week now. He would turn up sooner or later, and all the better if they dealt with his friends first.


    Flanked by Cui Bao and Da Ning, Sha Xiang waited outside Yan Shirong¡¯s home. They didn¡¯t bother hiding; it would have been pointless to try and conceal themselves. Their best bet was to hit him quickly and overwhelm his ability to respond.


    ¡°There he is,¡± Da Ning said, jerking his chin down the path.


    Yan Shirong hadn¡¯t noticed them yet, but he would in mere moments.


    ¡°Now,¡± Sha Xiang said, a satisfied grin splitting her lips.


    All three of them unleashed their spirits.


    Da Ning had increased his cultivation significantly since Sha Xiang had reached out to him. Mostly with the aid of her resources. Now that he was late Body Refining and had benefited from the Court¡¯s gifts, the metal aspect of his presence finally amounted to something. His spirit was that of a gleaming, razor-sharp blade. Not quite the feeling of intense danger that came with a cultivator¡¯s killing intent, but it was enough to mark him as a foe to be wary of.


    By contrast, Cui Bao had forged his presence into something worthy of serving her. The flames cascaded off him were suitably hungry. They wanted to consume everything they touched nearly as much as the demon core wanted to possess. Cui Bao himself had become more and more like his namesake. He reminded her of a massive leopard with razor claws and glowing embers for eyes. Such a powerful and dangerous beast suited him well.


    Of course, they both paled in comparison to her. As the heat of her spirit rolled over the paths and gardens of the sect, she reveled in her power. In her strength. The earth cracked, releasing great clouds of sulfurous steam and gouts of flame. The stone that encased her fists blackened, then melted, dripping liquid hot rock. She was unstoppable. A force of earth and fire too formidable for these dogs of the sect to overcome. The demon core howled with glee.


    The release of their spirits was the agreed-upon signal. Two of the nobles that Mo Zhiqiang had brought over to their side stood from where they¡¯d been sitting a short distance off the path. They unleashed their spirits, both far weaker than Sha Xiang and her two companions, but strong enough for their purpose. They attacked Yan Shirong from behind at the same moment he noticed Sha Xiang and the others.


    Yan Shirong, too, had improved since the tournament. He reacted quickly, his presence surging out from him. Sha Xiang could have spit blood at the feeling of it. It was too solid, too developed for a weakling like him. Shadows rose from everywhere, even spots fully in the light. A hundred pairs of eyes opened at once, their combined attention weighing down on them all. There would be no hiding from Yan Shirong. No concealing their intent. Sha Xiang smiled. It was a good thing they had no need of skulking.


    Sha Xiang and her subjects rushed down the path as the two lesser nobles attacked.


    ¡°Cowards!¡± Yan Shirong shouted. ¡°Bandits! Resorting to such tactics shows you all for the miscreants you are.¡±


    Even so, he answered them in kind. Sha Xiang had always known he had more to him than he let on, and now that he was faced with five opponents at once, he had no option other than to use everything he had.


    Dozens of silver points appeared at the end of shadowy tendrils that had risen around Yan Shirong. More tendrils had already wrapped around the two nobles¡¯ weapons and limbs. The following barrage of throwing daggers hit home, and blood flowed.


    Yan Shirong seemed to become one with the shadows that surged around him. He stepped through shadow and emerged behind one of Sha Xiang¡¯s lackeys. A spray of black thorns tore open the disciple¡¯s robes and turned his back into something that resembled ground meat. With his free hand, Yan Shirong produced a bird made of bone and bound together with shadows. He tossed the construct into the sky.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the construct get away,¡± Sha Xiang snarled. If there was one area where she was lacking, it was that she had no real way to attack at range. Fortunately, the three were almost on top of Yan Shirong, and Da Ning was more than capable of dealing with the construct.


    Silver flashed at her side as Da Ning activated his technique. Six blades of metal qi, shining like steel in the sun, shot towards the construct. Bones shattered and shadow dispersed to nothing. Yan Shirong grimaced, but still launched an attack at the second of Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s nobles. That he could take the two of them down said more about Mo Zhiqiang than it did Yan Shirong, so far as Sha Xiang was concerned.


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    It had only been the space of several heartbeats, but Sha Xiang and the others had reached their prey. Sha Xiang activated her techniques. The strength of the Eternal Mountain Root surged through her. The Earth Sundering Fist Art layered over her hands and arms, adding earth and fire qi to her already enhanced punches. Finally came her activation of the Four Demon Fists.


    The first set of arms matched her own. The impression of bulky, heavily muscled limbs with thorns bursting through skin was more real than it ever had been. An accompanying impression added bulk and power to her legs, giving her strength and speed alike.


    The second pair of arms was now almost to the point where she could attack with them as if they were her own. The strain in her meridians at using the technique had faded to a minor irritant. She was only a hair¡¯s breadth away from mastery.


    With a roar, she leaped at Yan Shirong. Earth and fire qi warped the air around her fists as she drew back her arm. Shadows surged from nothing all around her, twining around her limbs. A spray of thorns pelted her, followed by another barrage of throwing knives. Her cultivation of the White Mountain Body Art made her tough as stone, and as strong, too. Just for good measure, she activated the Iron Fortress Redoubt and then poured her earthen qi into the technique.


    She tore through the shadows. She shrugged off Yan Shirong¡¯s attacks. The demon core howled in exultant delight. She was unstoppable.


    Yan Shirong vanished. Sha Xiang¡¯s fist cracked against stone, leaving her in the center of a shallow crater half a dozen feet across.


    Then, the world turned black.


    ¡°Miscreants.¡± Yan Shirong¡¯s voice seemed to come from all around her. ¡°Cowards. I¡¯ll make you all suffer.¡±


    She heard the venom in those words and suppressed a shudder. As she shrugged off whatever technique he¡¯d used, she shook her head and blinked. Her eyes narrowed when the world remained black. She cast out her spiritual perception.


    The eyes in the darkness opened. They surrounded her, and all of them fixed their discerning sight on her alone. Then, a cold, sharp blade settled over her. Pressed itself into her neck.


    She knew that feeling. She¡¯d felt it when facing down Tan Xiaoling. She¡¯d felt it coming from He Yu when he¡¯d fought Mo Zhiqiang.


    ¡°How could someone like you have even a shred of killing intent?¡± She demanded. Her voice sounded a half-feral growl to her own ears.


    A thousand thorns of shadow qi pelted her, digging into her reinforced flesh. More shadow wrapped around her limbs, choking the flow of qi through her already damaged meridians. A volley of throwing knives buried themselves into her flesh, even as she struggled to push qi to her limbs and reinforce her body technique. Despite her body enforcement, she could already feel the poison seeping into her. With a roar, she flexed her spirit and tore free.


    The shadows faded, and Yan Shirong was well out of reach. Dozens of feet away and above, he was held aloft by more of those damned shadows. His arms were folded within the sleeves of his robes, and he stared down at his opponents with imperious disdain.


    ¡°Cowards,¡± he spat. Another dozen shadowy limbs rose from behind him, each tipped with a gleaming point of steel.


    ¡°Where the fuck do you get all those knives?¡± Sha Xiang shouted.


    Yan Shirong¡¯s only answer was to flick his sleeve. His knives traced gleaming lines through the afternoon light. Sha Xiang brought her arms up and winced at yet more poison-tipped blades embedded themselves into her flesh. To either side of her, Da Ning and Cui Bao rushed forward, making good use of Yan Shirong¡¯s focus on her.


    Cui Bao¡¯s hatchets traced arcs of flame around him as he attacked in a spinning flurry of embers. His principal art, the Seven Blazing Calamities, was a powerful close-combat art. His body enforcement technique made him fast enough to close in on even a slippery opponent like Yan Shirong. After a brief exchange, Cui Bao opened a bloody gash on Yan Shirong¡¯s shoulder.


    The shadow cultivator flitted away from Cui Bao, only to place himself squarely within reach of Da Ning. The noble¡¯s jian gleamed and multiplied. Six blades lanced out, catching Yan Shirong in the side. He retaliated, tossing another volley of his throwing knives as he faded back, but Sha Xiang was already there, waiting for him.


    She didn¡¯t have a movement technique of her own, instead relying on the speed and power granted by her body enforcement. Back when she¡¯d been a mere Foundation, she¡¯d worried it wouldn¡¯t be enough, but she¡¯d since learned how foolish that worry had been.


    Yan Shirong tried to twist away from her, cloaking himself in an expanding umbra and retreating with the help of his shadow tendrils, but she grabbed him by the neck. She grinned as she saw the fear spread across his features. They both knew that now she¡¯d gotten a hold of him, it was all but over.


    With a laugh, she slammed Yan Shirong into the ground. It was a move she¡¯d become particularly fond of since cultivating the Four Demon Fists. There was no technique involved, other than her body enforcement. It was simple, effective, and brutal. She laughed as she lifted Yan Shirong into the air, preparing to slam him into the ground once more. The faintest flicker of moonlight was all the warning she had.


    Pain exploded as three frozen blades tore into both her body and spirit. She dropped Yan Shirong and lashed out at her attacker from sheer instinct. She realized her mistake just an instant too late.


    Her fist slammed into Li Heng¡¯s jian, and the blade gleamed with silver light. Unlike the times she¡¯d fought him in the past, he retaliated in an instant. She was able to get one arm up in time, but she still took a deep cut for her trouble.


    ¡°So you show your true colors,¡± Li Heng said, leveling his blade at her. ¡°Bandits and cowards all.¡±


    ¡°Should have figured he¡¯d get one of his constructs off,¡± she said, settling into a more defensive stance. She cursed herself for allowing Yan Shirong to get his shadows up. That must have been when he got the second message out. She also cursed Li Heng¡¯s arrival. Whatever poison Yan Shirong had tipped his daggers with, it was making her qi feel sluggish, making it harder to use techniques. She needed to take some medicine, but there was no way Li Heng would give her the opportunity.


    ¡°Go find Princess Tan,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°I¡¯ll hold these three off.¡±


    Yan Shirong flew into the sky without another word, carried on shadowy limbs.


    ¡°Bao, go after him. Don¡¯t let him get help, but don¡¯t try and take on the desert rat by yourself. Get Mo Zhiqiang if you have to.¡±


    Cui Bao rushed after Yan Shirong. Da Ning stepped up beside her, his blade at the ready.


    ¡°Alright, pretty boy,¡± Sha Xiang said, curling her hands into fists. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

 3.28 - Scion of the Li

    Li Heng stood before Sha Xiang and Da Ning, jian at the ready. His body enforcement technique, Raiment of the Frozen Soul, caused hoarfrost to spread outward from where he stood, creeping across the ground. As much as he wanted to go after Cui Bao and give Yan Shirong the proper opportunity to escape, it was more important he held these two villains back.


    With the adoption of his Wayborn Seed, his presence had expanded and become ever more the symbol of night and winter. A full moon shone down over a snowy field. Ice clung to rocks and trees. There was no wind. No sound. No life. All within his domain was silent, still, and cold.


    Da Ning¡¯s spirit was hardly worth mentioning in comparison to his. Sharpness and gleaming metal. That was all¡ªand it became brittle and easily shattered as it froze over. He was nothing.


    Sha Xiang was different. All fire and stone, plumes of toxic smoke, and an all-too-familiar feeling of want. She fared better than Da Ning did, but her presence still had to claw for influence as frost crept across the sundered landscape of her spirit.


    ¡°I¡¯d issue a challenge to fight me honorably, but I have no confidence you¡¯d accept, Sect Sister Sha,¡± he said, peering at her down the length of his jian.


    ¡°Shut up and fight,¡± Sha Xiang said. ¡°You want a duel? Register one with the commission office when you¡¯re out of the medicine hall.¡±


    With that she surged forward, drawing back an earth and fire-infused fist. In the same moment, Da Ning moved to flank him and then shifted into his own attack. Moving with his Way, flowing between the two extremes of caution and aggression, it all seemed too easy.


    Sha Xiang reached him first, if only by a fraction of a second. Her fist glanced off his blade, and Li Heng twisted with the momentum, catching Da Ning¡¯s attack an instant later. He flashed behind Da Ning with the White Hare Dance, and his blade faded to mist. The Darkmoon Strife tore open three black scars upon the world, and blood sprayed from Da Ning¡¯s back.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what that was,¡± Sha Xiang said as she readied another attack.


    ¡°Count yourself lucky that I showed mercy,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°That was your first mistake.¡±


    She moved with a speed that exploded up from the ground, through her legs, and into her fist. Heat radiated from her, and a sense of profound heaviness accompanied her spirit. Her fist crashed into his jian, and the sword¡¯s weight increased a hundredfold. Panic spiked as Li Heng recalled his time away from the sect last winter. When his techniques had all but failed him, and he¡¯d been unable to keep up with He Yu¡ªsomeone who should have had trouble keeping up with him.


    Li Heng spun away from the blow and released the Winter Moon Reflection. A river of silver qi streamed off the blade. The panic faded, replaced by relief as his technique worked as it was intended. His Way was balance. He settled into his stance, a well-practiced position honed over thousands of hours of training and diligence.


    A fist slammed into the side of his head. Stars exploded in his vision and the world spun. It was only his instincts, honed by practice, that allowed him to flash away in time to avoid the next blow. He shook his head clear and resumed a guard position. Just in time, too.


    Sha Xiang rocketed towards him. In the exchange that followed, she pressed him like nobody had before. Except perhaps Princess Tan. With each blow she landed she became more frenzied. Almost feral.


    Although he¡¯d seen her Four Demon Fists, he¡¯d never been on the receiving end of it. He had been a bystander when she¡¯d first used it against He Yu, and he had never faced her in the tournament. It was all he could do to deflect her barrage of strikes. Each blow was stronger than the last, and he was having trouble deflecting them.


    It injured his pride that much more. As he used the White Hare Dance to create some space between Sha Xiang and himself, he had to admit that she was at least his equal. He had been surpassed by another commoner. Fractionally, his shoulders slumped as shame took root in his heart.


    In a burst of sulfurous steam and oppressive heat, Sha Xiang was on him again. He brought his jian up in time, but instead of a controlled deflection, this attack sent him sprawling back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°Too much for you to handle?¡±


    Li Heng shuddered at the sound of her voice. It was distorted, almost as if there were two of her speaking now. Not to mention how she sounded practically animal, the words coming out in half growls.


    ¡°Whatever it is you¡¯ve given yourself over to, you¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± he said. ¡°Whatever power you think you wield, it¡¯s going to destroy you.¡±


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    Sha Xiang laughed. It was frenzied, only half sane, and full of malice. ¡°Not before I destroy you, He Yu, and all the rest.¡±


    Again she attacked. Again he raised his sword.


    Pain¡ªwhite hot and sharp as steel blossomed in his side. He¡¯d forgotten about Da Ning, thinking him out of the fight.


    He barely managed to deflect Sha Xiang¡¯s attack. Moonlight flashed over snow as he activated the White Hare Dance. Blood stained his robes, making them cling to the wound and his skin. From where he¡¯d appeared on the roof of a nearby building, he looked down at Sha Xiang and Da Ning. The other noble¡¯s jian was red with blood. His blood. Despite the wound in his side, his brows drew together. Angry mostly at himself for being so careless. He should have known that Da Ning would have used the opportunity to take a restorative pill.


    ¡°Cowards,¡± he called down at them, trying to inject bravado he didn¡¯t feel into his words. ¡°You can¡¯t face me individually, so you must rely on your numbers.¡±


    Sha Xiang laughed again. ¡°Seems pretty clear to me that I can take you myself. I¡¯d challenge you if you weren¡¯t still ranked six hundred thirty.¡±


    That had stung more than he cared to admit. ¡°Afraid you¡¯d lose?¡± he asked. It was stupid, but it was the best he could come up with.


    ¡°Come down here and find out.¡±


    His eyes narrowed. Obvious bait if he¡¯d ever seen any. There was no way either of them actually needed him to come down. He¡¯d appeared here simply to give himself enough space to catch his breath. Sha Xiang could just jump if she didn¡¯t have a movement technique, and he¡¯d no doubt the same held true for Da Ning.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who started this by attacking Sect Brother Yan. I¡¯m under no obligation to continue should I choose not to.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. Her legs flexed as she made ready to jump. It had been easier than he¡¯d expected.


    The moment she leaped, Li Heng activated the White Hare Dance. He appeared in the air behind her. His blade, invisible to all but him, passed through her as though she weren¡¯t there. Then the three black scars of the Darkmoon Strife opened her flesh, and he flashed away.


    Sha Xiang fell, roaring all the way down.


    Li Heng appeared before Da Ning. The other noble looked considerably less confident now that he was facing Li Heng down alone, but he still put on a brave face.


    ¡°Even if you manage to prevail today, I will reclaim my pride,¡± Da Ning sneered. ¡°From both you and He Yu.¡±


    ¡°I had nearly forgotten who you even were,¡± Li Heng returned. ¡°If you¡¯d let the minor slights of the outer sect stay where they belonged, I wouldn¡¯t have to show you your place a second time.¡±


    ¡°More words,¡± Da Ning spat. ¡°When Lady Sha¡ª¡±


    Li Heng attacked. He wasn¡¯t so foolish as to let Da Ning distract him. Sha Xiang wasn¡¯t out of the fight. His last attack would only buy him a moment and he needed to use it well. Da Ning was the weakest of them all by far, and dealing with him quickly was the only chance Li Heng had. Even then he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to prevail on his own. As much as he hated to say it, he needed help. Hopefully, Yan Shirong had gotten away, and help would arrive shortly.


    Immediately Da Ning was on the back foot. While they were both in the late Third Realm, only one of them had formed a Wayborn Seed, and only one of them had suffered the training of a hidden master for an entire season¡ªand it wasn¡¯t Da Ning. For a moment Da Ning was at least able to defend, but Li Heng would overcome him with another two to three attacks at most.


    Molten stone slammed into Li Heng¡¯s back, just above his kidneys. He stumbled forward, the normally smooth flow of qi through his leg meridians going wild before, thankfully, returning to normal. His legs still felt numb, but he could stand. The damage was severe, easily enough to have crippled a mortal. He could still walk thanks wholly to his advancement, but this fight was effectively over, and he knew it.


    He turned in an attempt to bring up his jian. All that he managed was to give Sha Xiang an open shot at his throat. Her hand closed around his neck, and then she squeezed. Da Ning¡¯s jian sliced across Li Heng¡¯s sword arm and his ancestral jian clattered to the ground. Blood pattered onto the path next to it. Li Heng sagged as the lack of air began to take its toll.


    ¡°Arrogant prick,¡± Sha Xiang sneered. ¡°Now who¡¯s getting put in their place?¡±


    She drew back a fist but paused with the arrival of a third spirit. It was an angry flame, full of violence and malice. For the briefest moment, Li Heng dared to hope¡ªbut then Cui Bao stepped into view.


    ¡°He got away,¡± Cui Bao said.


    Sha Xiang released her grip and turned to Cui Bao. ¡°Did he get out another message?¡±


    Li Heng sagged to the ground, fingers scrabbling for his sword. Blackness began to creep in at the edge of his vision.


    ¡°Beats me. Best to get this over with quick.¡±


    ¡°How could you let him get away? I told you not to let him out of your sight.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you try keeping up with him. Don¡¯t worry though. I ran into one of Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s little friends on the way back. He should be on his way.¡±


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t lost after all. Princess Tan could at least fight them off if she arrived. Give him time to take a pill. His hands closed over the hilt of his weapon.


    ¡°The fuck you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Sha Xiang¡¯s voice was sharp. She stomped on his wrist, and he felt a dozen bones shatter.


    ¡°We should disperse,¡± Da Ning said. ¡°If Sect Brother Mo arrives in time, the four of us might be able to hold off Princess Tan so long as she¡¯s alone. If Yan Shirong got word out to her, it would be prudent to assume he also got word out to the others.¡±


    Silence stretched out for much longer than Li Heng would have expected. Why wasn¡¯t Sha Xiang immediately berating his idea as cowardice? She had never displayed anything close to what he¡¯d call discretion¡ªexcept in the face of overwhelming strength.


    ¡°Right,¡± she said at length. ¡°We stick to the plan. Take ¡®em one at a time. Which means we deal with this one before we go.¡±


    Li Heng tried to summon what strength he had left and roll over so he could make a grab for his sword with his off-hand. Sha Xiang grabbed him by the robe and hauled him to his feet. Da Ning stooped down and picked up the Li family sword, sending it to his storage treasure with a self-satisfied smile.


    Sha Xiang looked into Li Heng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Get ready, asshole,¡± she said. ¡°This is going to hurt.¡±

 3.29 - Failure and Disaster

    He Yu rolled over onto his back. How long his qi had raged out of control, he couldn¡¯t have said. What he could say was that every part of his body and spirit hurt. His dantian ached and felt emptier than it ever had before. His meridians ached and felt like he¡¯d been cycling acid through them. His muscles ached worse than that first marathon around the mountain in Ren Huang¡¯s physical training class. His eyes felt like someone had driven shards of glass into them.


    Worst of all, he was still Third Realm.


    He couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªhe¡¯d failed. Sure, it was something he¡¯d always known could happen. The stories were filled with cultivators who¡¯d failed to break through into higher realms. Usually because they would do so later, at a more suitably dramatic time. But he didn¡¯t think that would ever happen to him.


    He¡¯d achieved his first breakthrough in less than a week after joining the sect. His rise had been meteoric by all accounts. Even his mentor¡ªthe sect¡¯s peerless rising star¡ªhad seemed impressed with his progress, at least on occasion.


    He wasn¡¯t supposed to fail.


    He also hadn¡¯t expected failure to be so painful. With a groan, he rolled back over onto his stomach and pushed himself up to his hands and knees. It took far more effort than it had any right to. After struggling to his feet, he popped a restorative pill into his mouth and bit down. The medicinal qi flooded into him, lessening the empty ache in his dantian, if only by a bit.


    When he emerged from his cultivation chamber, it was a relief to see that it was still spring. At least he¡¯d not been struggling to control his cultivation base for a season or more. Unless¡ªno, he buried the thought. There was no way he¡¯d been in there a whole year. He¡¯d be famished, given that he was still Body Refining and needed to eat enough each week to feed a small village.


    A faint pulse of shadow qi caught his attention. Sitting on a low wall in the center of his courtyard was one of Yan Shirong¡¯s messenger constructs. It was shaped like a bird, crafted of bone, and bound together with shadow. It sat motionless, facing the cultivation chamber. The construct¡¯s qi was very nearly spent, and He Yu felt an uncomfortable pit form in his stomach. While he didn¡¯t know how long the construct could last on its own, he assumed Yan Shirong would make them fairly efficient. Which meant it had been there for some time. Waiting.


    He approached the bird of bone and shadow. Once he¡¯d gotten about arm¡¯s length from it, the construct shifted. Its head turned, the empty eye sockets regarding him with an uncanny feeling of awareness. Another faint pulse of qi and images floated into his awareness.


    Ambush. Five of them. Two were dispatched. The others¡ªSha Xiang, Cui Bao, Da Ning. Stand and fight, get help. Too much.


    The images were garbled, confused. As soon as the message¡ªor what was left of it¡ªfinished, the construct collapsed. The shadow faded in the afternoon light, and the bones fell to the ground before crumbling to dust. He Yu had seen enough to get the gist of it, however. The uncomfortable pit became an ember as the disjointed scene played itself out. Sha Xiang had attacked his friends.


    Despite having done so only moments ago, He Yu took another restorative pill. It was a low enough grade that he shouldn¡¯t suffer any backlash from it. Even if he did, he¡¯d take that risk. With what little qi he¡¯d managed to restore since practically draining himself, he activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and leaped over the wall to his home.


    A moment later he reached the path leading up to Yan Shirong¡¯s home. Given the images¡ªsuch that they were¡ªfrom the construct, this was where the fight had taken place. He paused and took a moment to examine the surroundings, and worry welled up to join his anger. There was no trace that a fight had taken place here at all. The sect would repair damage to the grounds caused by outbreaks of violence within a day or so, which meant that the attack had taken place at least that long ago.


    He Yu walked up the path toward Yan Shirong¡¯s home and activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. As he¡¯d expected, several constructs were placed in the area. They were relatively well hidden, and in noticeably better condition than the one that had been waiting in his courtyard. He gave a brief flex of his spirit, just to let Yan Shirong know he was coming, and approached his friend¡¯s home.


    Drawing close to the perimeter wall, Yan Shirong¡¯s voice came from a nearby construct, sounding hollow and distant. ¡°Don¡¯t come closer. I need to deactivate the security formation.¡±


    A brief surge of qi filled the air as the previously invisible dome over Yan Shirong¡¯s home winked out. It was an impressive script, and potent, too. If He Yu were to guess, it was most likely Chen Fei¡¯s work. Otherwise, Yan Shirong would have had to pay a hefty sum to have it constructed, and He Yu knew well enough how loathe Yan Shirong was to part with his spirit stones.


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    Once inside, he had a brief look around. If the violence had extended to Yan Shirong¡¯s home, any damage had been repaired already. That could mean either it had happened some time ago, or that the damage wasn¡¯t too bad. He Yu hoped it was the latter.


    ¡°About time you show yourself,¡± Yan Shirong said. He Yu couldn¡¯t help but notice the bitterness in his voice.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. At first glance, Yan Shirong appeared fine. No visible injuries, but he was wearing a new robe. It was noticeably more expensive-looking than the sorts of clothes he¡¯d worn before, and a glimpse with the Peerless Judgment confirmed that it had powerful defensive formations woven into it.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you finally got my message. We were attacked.¡±


    ¡°I gathered,¡± He Yu said, making no effort to hide his own displeasure. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d gone into seclusion with the intent of his friends getting ambushed.


    Yan Shirong sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before sitting on the low wall ringing a decorative pond. ¡°I¡¯ve been on edge ever since, is all. Sha Xiang and her lackeys attacked me. It was pretty clear why they started with me. I managed to get a message to Li Heng before they tied me down. Once he showed up, I managed to escape.¡±


    ¡°You left him to fight them all by himself?¡± He Yu demanded.


    ¡°You know how he is,¡± Yan Shirong shot back. ¡°He told me to go find everyone else. Rally the troops as it were, while he held back the tide. Or whatever self-righteous duty nonsense motivates him to be such an idiot sometimes.¡±


    The pit in He Yu¡¯s stomach returned as Yan Shirong spoke. ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Li Heng is still in the medicine hall,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but the attack happened almost a month ago.¡±


    He Yu had no words. How could he have been out for a month? He wrestled with his thoughts, trying to push all the questions flooding into his head aside. There was only one thing that mattered right now. ¡°Is he going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Eventually,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Sha Xiang beat him within an inch of his life. He was in pretty awful shape when they found him.¡±


    ¡°They?¡± He Yu frowned at the way Yan Shirong phrased it. ¡°You didn¡¯t get back to him yourself?¡±


    ¡°When he told me to go fetch everyone else, Cui Bao followed me. He¡¯s a lot faster than I¡¯d thought. Chased me halfway off the mountain before I lost him. I did manage to get constructs off to you, Tan Xiaoling, and Chen Fei, though.¡±


    ¡°So what happened? If you all were able to rally, how did Li Heng get hurt so badly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Yan Shirong said, looking away. ¡°By the time we all made it back, the fight was over. They were all gone, including Li Heng. It wasn¡¯t until hours later that Chen Fei learned someone had found him and had him taken to the medicine hall. Tan Xiaoling went on the warpath, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happy to know.¡±


    ¡°She dealt with them, then?¡±


    Yan Shirong gave a rueful laugh. ¡°They were gone when she arrived at their home. She did wreck the place, though. But it seems they expected retaliation and went into hiding. The second attack happened several days later.¡±


    He didn¡¯t dare ask. Yan Shirong elaborated anyway.


    ¡°They hit Chen Fei first. Got her pretty badly, but she¡¯s considerably sturdier than Li Heng. She recovered within a week, I think. They came after me, next. I was ready and had contingencies in place. When Tan Xiaoling arrived, it was the two of us against Sha Xiang, Cui Bao, Da Ning, and Mo Zhiqiang.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Did you manage to fend them off?¡±


    Yan Shirong shook his head. ¡°Things were pretty even, actually. Princess Tan is¡ªI guess you know what she¡¯s like.¡±


    He did. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Well, four on two at equal advancement isn¡¯t a fight even she can handle. Not forever, at least. Things had started turning against us in a bad way when one of the core disciples showed up. Apparently, the collateral damage from the fight had surpassed what the sect deemed acceptable and they decided to put a stop to it.


    ¡°Sha Xiang was furious, of course. I¡¯ll tell you, that girl had absolutely no restraint. Could have sworn she¡¯d attack the core disciple right there, and he was a middle Fifth Realm. Tan Xiaoling was angry too, but at least she knows how to conduct herself.


    ¡°Anyway, when Chen Fei got out of the medicine hall, she set up the formation script around my home. Tan Xiaoling has been posted outside Li Heng¡¯s room since the fight with Sha Xiang.¡±


    ¡°I need to go see him,¡± He Yu said, turning to the door.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Yan Shirong said. His tone caused He Yu to turn back. Concern was etched onto his features.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make them pay for this,¡± he said. ¡°All of them.¡±


    Yan Shirong sighed and waved his hand. ¡°Go, then. Just make sure to talk to Princess Tan about this first.¡±


    Carried by the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, He Yu blasted towards the medicine hall. Although he itched to go fight Sha Xiang right that instant, he needed to check on Li Heng first. He owed his friend at least that much. It would also let him check in with Tan Xiaoling. He thought it odd that Yan Shirong would mention that specifically, but He Yu had come to know him well enough that there was a reason for it.


    When he arrived at the medicine hall, he strode inside. The disciple in charge directed him to where Li Heng was recovering, and as Yan Shirong had said, Princess Tan stood outside the door. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was one of vigilance and vengeance. As he approached she held out a hand for him to stop. When he didn¡¯t, she stepped forward and placed that same hand on his chest.


    For a moment they simply locked eyes with one another. The anger He Yu felt was reflected in her gaze, but there was something else in her eyes, too. Sorrow? Shame? He couldn¡¯t be certain, and at the moment he didn¡¯t particularly care.


    ¡°Let me pass,¡± he said.


    ¡°He needs his rest.¡± Tan Xiaoling¡¯s voice was firm. She was about the same size as he was, which was to say not particularly large. About average for a woman, actually, but she was strong. Stronger than he was, he had to admit. If he were to try and force his way past, she was one of the few people still in Body Refining who could actually stop him.


    He Yu relented, then sighed. ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± he said.

 3.30 - A Promise

    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s account of the attack was much the same as Yan Shirong¡¯s, although she was able to fill in some details that Yan Shirong hadn¡¯t. Sha Xiang and her goons had attacked, staging ambushes and aiming to pick them off one by one. The plan had mostly worked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, by the way,¡± Tan Xiaoling said once she¡¯d finished recounting her memory of the attacks. ¡°It was difficult not to, but whether they attacked while you were in seclusion by coincidence or design, I¡¯m sure had you known, you would have helped.¡±


    ¡°Of course I would have. But the only thing that matters now is that I pay them back. I¡¯m going after her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that you could beat her right now,¡± Tan Xiaoling said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as weak as I was in the outer sect,¡± he countered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I could beat her right now.¡±


    That made him stop and look to her. They were seated on a bench in the medicine hall, outside the room where Li Heng was recovering. A still-healing wound began on her neck and disappeared into her gown. It was halfway a cut, halfway a burn. Not Sha Xiang¡¯s doing, but that she¡¯d taken an injury like that told him just how hard she¡¯d been pushed.


    The scent of herbs, medicines, and potent restorative draughts filled the hall. Now that they¡¯d both fallen silent, the only sound was the disciples who staffed the medicine hall quietly and efficiently going about their duties. It was difficult to admit, but given what Yan Shirong and Tan Xiaoling had told him, He Yu would have likely been in just as bad shape as Li Heng¡ªor worse¡ªhad he not been secluded when the attacks happened.


    ¡°Has she truly advanced that much?¡± he asked at length.


    For a moment, Tan Xiaoling was silent. When she spoke, her words were measured. ¡°She has reached peak Body Refining, but it¡¯s not a matter of advancement, I think. In battle, there¡¯s a certain advantage in aggression, and Sha Xiang fights like a woman possessed. That technique or art of hers, the Four Demon Fists, has grown in power considerably. Her other arts are well suited to her. Whatever guidance she had in selecting them, it¡¯s served her well.


    ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, she¡¯s a competent fighter, if a bit reckless. I was able to determine that as a fight wears on, she gains in strength and ferocity. Which means she needs to be dealt with quickly. Seeing as she¡¯s typically accompanied by either Cui Bao or Da Ning, often both at once, a quick fight is easier said than done.¡±


    ¡°I could simply issue a challenge,¡± He Yu said. The ember of outrage still rested within his belly, but Yan Shirong¡¯s insistence that he speak with Tan Xiaoling before taking action had done its job and forced him to think about things practically, rather than rushing in headlong.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t likely accept. You¡¯re ranked higher than she is, still. She hasn¡¯t issued any formal challenges for rank, so she¡¯s still in position six hundred fifteen.¡±


    Which meant she could refuse any challenge he issued without losing face. Should he simply attack her without first issuing a challenge, any and all of her allies would then be free to come to her aid. Despite his anger, he still had enough of a head to realize he couldn¡¯t deal with all of them at once.


    ¡°What do I do then?¡± he asked, mostly to himself.


    ¡°I fully expect you to take revenge,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°As much as I want to repay her for what she¡¯s done, I recognize that this is simply another exchange in whatever bad blood the two of you brought to the sect. You have your pride, and I¡¯ll allow you to have your satisfaction. Just know, that if you leave her to her devices long enough, I¡¯ll take that to mean that you either won¡¯t or can¡¯t repay this debt. Then, I¡¯ll take matters into my own hands.¡±


    He Yu stood and gave her a salute over a bow. ¡°I thank you for taking my pride into account,¡± he said. She had to be as angry about what had happened as he was, but she¡¯d at least had time to cool off. Allowing him the chance to settle things on his own wasn¡¯t something he imagined she would afford many others. He wasn¡¯t going to waste the opportunity.


    As he turned to leave, he had one last thing to say to Tan Xiaoling. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t need saying, but thank you for watching over Li Heng. Give him my regards, and apologies, when he¡¯s recovered.¡±


    As he left the medicine hall, he tamped down the last remnants of his anger. Tan Xiaoling was right. He couldn¡¯t do anything about this right now, so there was only one thing he could do. He needed to advance.


    Of course, he¡¯d tried that. If the threat of an ancient cultivator breaking out from her prison and laying waste to everything he knew hadn¡¯t been enough, it was likely that this wouldn¡¯t be either. Which meant he needed something more. Power wasn¡¯t the issue, he was certain of that. The aspects of his cultivation base were as balanced as they¡¯d ever been. He didn¡¯t consider himself to have mastered the Spring Rain Mirror yet, but it was now something he could use regularly.


    He needed guidance.


    When he arrived at Zhang Lifen¡¯s home, it seemed she was expecting him. The door to the outer courtyard swung open, and when he stepped inside, she already had tea set out for them.


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    ¡°Sit,¡± she said. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a good thing you stopped by the medicine hall first. Had you gone off all burning with a desire for vengeance, I may have been forced to step in.¡±


    Something about her attitude reignited a whole host of feelings he¡¯d thought buried. ¡°This is your fault,¡± he snapped before he could stop himself.


    She arched an eyebrow. ¡°Bold move, starting with accusations,¡± she said. Setting down her teacup, she looked him in the eye. ¡°You aren¡¯t completely wrong, however.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he demanded. ¡°I mean the tournament. In Shulin.¡±


    ¡°Why? To push you, of course. I saw what lay between the two of you. I don¡¯t know what the history was, but I knew the moment she beat you that she would be a driving force. I had hoped that the two of you would eventually bury that, and come to work together,¡± she shrugged then. ¡°But you didn¡¯t. It doesn¡¯t matter. We have more important things to talk about now, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Like what? The first real friend I¡¯ve ever had is in the medicine hall because of her. Because I wasn¡¯t there for him when he needed me. Because I wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep her away.¡±


    ¡°That is what we need to talk about, isn¡¯t it? The fact that you failed to break through, I mean.¡±


    He Yu sighed, deflating. He sat down and took the tea Zhang Lifen poured for him. ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± he said.


    ¡°Just because I¡¯m not constantly hovering over your shoulder doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not paying attention. First, answer a question. Why did you seek to break through in the first place? What made you think you were ready?¡±


    ¡°It was the wilds,¡± he said. ¡°And my conversation with Elder Cai after. Once I¡¯d learned about the Sunset Court, I didn¡¯t want to simply stand by. I want to do something. I can¡¯t be a hero if I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°This is precisely why I tried to keep you ignorant,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°But Elder Cai has other plans, it seems.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    She pinned him with an unusually intense look then, her normally cerulean eyes darkening to near-black. ¡°There¡¯s something you aren¡¯t telling me. Something that drove you to seek a breakthrough now.¡±


    He Yu told her of the visions. He told her of seeing the battle where Elder Cai sealed Jin Xifeng within the Dawn Palace formation. Then, he worked backward. He told her of all the times he could think of since beginning to cultivate the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace that he¡¯d had some sort of insight or premonition related to the Sunset Empress.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s frown deepened as he spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything about what you¡¯ve seen. Particularly the why of it. Why have you been granted sight of events a thousand years past? Events far beyond your ability to deal with? Maybe Elder Cai could answer, but I suspect that if he could, he wouldn¡¯t. The best I can say is this¡ªfor now, you were correct to focus on advancement.¡±


    ¡°If I was ready, then why did I fail?¡±


    ¡°Whatever gave you the idea that you get to advance simply because you think you¡¯re ready?¡± she asked. The question carried the sense of a deeper meaning.


    He thought about it for a moment but kept drawing blanks. ¡°All my previous advancements happened that way,¡± he said.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you Golden Core was different? Regardless, it was bound to happen eventually. Better now than later, if you ask me.¡±


    He remained silent, but his question hung between them regardless.


    ¡°I also told you the easy part was over,¡± she said. ¡°Every cultivator fails to break through at some point. Usually, they fail many times. The reasons are many. They attempt a breakthrough before they achieve the appropriate insights into their Way. They go about the breakthrough in the wrong manner. They simply haven¡¯t raised their cultivation base to sustain the qi necessary for the new stage. Whatever your reason, it¡¯s good that you experienced this now. You¡¯ve been going far more quickly than I ever thought you would. That means you¡¯re not facing obstacles other cultivators are forced to confront.¡±


    ¡°How am I going quickly?¡± he asked, but immediately realized how stupid that sounded. He had advanced quickly. He¡¯d surpassed everyone who joined the sect with him except Tan Xiaoling¡ªand he was more or less even with her now.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even twenty years old yet. Even I wasn¡¯t attempting core formation at your age. My position was more akin to Tan Xiaoling¡¯s than it was yours. If you weren¡¯t already aware, I advanced to Body Refining at seventeen. The same age you entered the sect. It took me another five years to break through to Golden Core. And I cannot stress this enough, I did it in an astonishing amount of time. Most cultivators never pass beyond the Third Realm and those who do usually take decades. The fact that you¡¯re in a position to even consider attempting this breakthrough at your age is, frankly, insane.¡±


    He Yu blinked, and then simply sat there for a moment in stunned silence. Not only was this the closest thing he¡¯d ever received akin to real praise from her, but he¡¯d never actually stopped to consider his rate of advancement thus far. When she put it that way, he supposed it really was rather astonishing how quickly he¡¯d managed to come this far.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s next, then? How did you do it?¡±


    She arched an eyebrow. ¡°Have you been listening to anything I¡¯ve told you when we train? Each cultivator does it differently. It depends on their arts, on their Way, on their own need. How I formed my core will be of no use to you.¡±


    ¡°So basically what you¡¯re saying is that you can''t help me.¡± His shoulders slumped as he stared into the bottom of his now-empty teacup.


    ¡°Not in the slightest. My experience and insights are more valuable than you realize,¡± she said. ¡°The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Hidden Palace was already an ancient art when Elder Cai inherited it. Your arts influence the balance and composition of your cultivation base¡ªthe aspects your qi takes on. This influences, and is influenced by, your own nature.


    ¡°Your nature influences and is influenced by your Way, in turn. The arts you cultivate, your Way, your own ideas about it all¡ªthey¡¯re all connected and those connections matter. The fact that your principle art stretches back to the earliest cultivators will likely have a profound effect on what you need to do to advance. Such primordial arts often come with steep requirements. Should you manage to fulfill them, you¡¯ll be handsomely rewarded.¡±


    ¡°Should I ask Elder Cai, then? If he cultivates it, surely he can help me.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± she said with a sympathetic grin. ¡°Trust me on this, I¡¯ve known him for over thirty years now. Asking him for advice will be tremendously useful, but not in the way you¡¯re hoping.¡±


    ¡°What should I do then?¡± He needed to advance. The events that had passed while he was dealing with his failure only made that desire more immediate than it already had been.


    ¡°You should come with me,¡± she said. ¡°The thing you need most right now is a field trip. Consider it a training opportunity.¡±


    As her grin turned wicked, He Yu couldn¡¯t decide if he ought to feel excitement, or dread.

 3.31 - A Training Opportunity

    As it turned out, the correct answer was ¡°a bit of both.¡±


    Although He Yu had hoped she would accept another job on his behalf, she simply told him to keep up as she set off in a seemingly random direction. Her pace was little more than a quick jog for someone of her advancement, and she didn¡¯t use any movement techniques that He Yu could sense. It was still all he could do to keep up with her.


    His qi reserves still hadn¡¯t recovered from his failed breakthrough, so he had to fall back on the technique that had gotten him through those first few weeks at the sect. As he drew in qi from his surroundings and cycled it, he was once again thankful for the treasure of a robe he¡¯d received from Yongnian.


    It allowed him to use the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, if sparingly, while mostly relying on cultivating while trying to keep pace with his mentor. Zhang Lifen seemed to have just as good a sense of his limits as Ren Huang had. Unlike the fiery core disciple, she seemed more interested in making sure he reached the very edge of his capabilities and then making him stay there. Ren Huang had always called a halt when his students were about to break. Zhang Lifen would give him no such reprieve.


    For two days she kept him at the edge of collapse. He drew in as much qi as he could from his surroundings, and by the time she finally called a halt, he was surprised to find that he¡¯d come out more or less even by the end of it. Still, he was exhausted physically, and she was at least merciful enough to tell him to cultivate through the night.


    The next morning the real training began, as she put it.


    She had led them to an area within the sect lands that was fairly desolate compared to what He Yu had become accustomed to over the past two years. Low rolling hills stretched past the horizon to the east, while the verdant slopes of the Shrouded Peaks rose to disappear into the clouds behind them. Boulders of all sizes littered the area, and scraggy, sparse vegetation covered the ground. Earth qi was abundant here, and not much else.


    Zhang Lifen pointed to a small hollow between two hills. ¡°There. The spirits of this area are earth-aspected. Suitably poor matches for your cultivation base and current suite of techniques. Happy hunting.¡±


    Producing his guandao from within his storage treasure, He Yu activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and blasted towards the hollow where a group of four Third Realm earth spirits of the early stage had gathered. The spirits looked like a collection of animated rocks arranged in a vaguely humanoid shape. Stone scraped against stone as they moved, and as one, the faceless gray rocks that served as heads turned to He Yu as he approached.


    Upon reaching the group of earth spirits, He Yu activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and called forth the Five Crescent Winds. He winced as his guandao struck sparks against the earth spirit¡¯s stone body. A treasure of this quality would survive such abuse easily enough, but it still pained him.


    The spirit reacted predictably. It drew back its arm¡ªjust a collection of several stones that resembled a limb¡ªand struck. He Yu took the blow on the metal shaft of his guandao. A second stone spirit reached out to him and blasted a spray of jagged shards of stone at him. It was a predictable attack, and after his months of practice, He Yu didn¡¯t even need the insight of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. He activated the Spring Rain Mirror and turned his attention to the foe in melee distance.


    The failure of his defensive technique was more felt than anything else. The Spring Rain Mirror cracked, then shattered, spraying diffuse water qi at him. The technique¡¯s failure was followed by the larger part of the stone spirit¡¯s attack. Only by virtue of his speed and the defensive enchantments of his robe was he able to avoid the worst of it.


    ¡°Have you forgotten your lessons?¡± Zhang Lifen asked as she alighted on top of a nearby boulder. ¡°Earth conquers water. I already told you these spirits were a poor match for you.¡±


    He Yu cursed her under his breath as she stood there and gazed down at him. Her hands were folded in her sleeves, and despite her presence staying firmly restrained, the hem of her gown gently drifted around her ankles. One of the spirits turned and directed its projectile attack at her, but she simply slipped out of the way. After several more attempts, with similar results, the spirits all returned their attention to He Yu.


    As he fought, he thought back to his lessons. Wood conquered earth, but he had no wood-aspected techniques. Wind and heaven didn¡¯t have a place in the five phases, but Elder Wen had stressed that didn¡¯t matter. Mountain qi didn¡¯t have a place either, but it was a combination of earth and metal. Li Heng¡¯s lunar qi and Yan Shirong¡¯s shadow qi were both odd, in that they didn¡¯t directly relate to any of the five elements. As Elder Wen had stressed, there were as many aspects of qi as there were concepts under heaven.


    He supposed that he¡¯d seen lightning split trees, so would that make it metal? It also cracked stone if it struck there, but surely it wasn¡¯t wood. Heaven was in its own category, capable of overcoming both wood and earth, it seemed. But then again, so could wind. He didn¡¯t have any purely heaven-aspected offensive techniques, however. The Five Crescent Winds had come to contain some heaven aspect, especially when he used the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. But that wouldn¡¯t be enough.


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    The lesson he was supposed to take eluded him. He tried several different approaches, all with varying success. Using the Bracing Wind was enough to usually knock the stone spirits off balance for a time. A follow-up strike with the metal cap on the bottom of his weapon could crack them, but that didn¡¯t appear to do much real harm. He could sever their ¡°limbs,¡± but they would simply reattach themselves a moment later.


    ¡°Sometimes you think too much,¡± Zhang Lifen said as she dropped down from her boulder to land next to him. Her hand closed into a fist, and she punched one of the spirits in the center of its body. The stone split apart, shattering into several pieces to reveal a glowing core that radiated earth qi.


    ¡°Interactions between different aspects are all fine and good,¡± she said, ¡°but sometimes what you need is simple, brute force.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re two full realms above me!¡± he cried as she returned to her perch, leaving him to deal with the remaining three stone spirits. All of whom were now apparently enraged. They fell upon him as one, and it took almost everything he had just to keep things even between him and the three angry spirits.


    ¡°True, but that doesn¡¯t change the underlying principle,¡± she said. ¡°Consider what you have at your disposal. You have a heaven-aspected body art and a technique for your weapon that is designed to support other arts while integrating with any given cultivator¡¯s qi. Or have you forgotten?


    ¡°You also have two hands, and two feet last I checked. A melee fighter like Sha Xiang certainly knows what to do once she¡¯s inside your guard. Can you say the same?¡±


    He had forgotten, but he¡¯d be damned if he admitted as much. Zhang Lifen¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem to match up, though. Did she expect him to punch the rocks to death, or did she expect him to improve his techniques? Maybe she expected him to do both. Maybe telling him he thought too much meant that he was supposed to use his Wayborn Seed.


    He cursed her again, this time drawing a muttered, ¡°That was rude,¡± from her.


    One of the stone spirits got inside his weapon¡¯s reach, and he figured he might as well give what she said a try. He made a fist and flooded it with heaven qi while maintaining the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. The normally dull shine that his skin took on when he cycled the body art brightened, and the nascent sparks of heaven that crawled over his body all rushed to his closed fist. Lightning arced across his knuckles. He could sense the power of heaven gathering¡ªfeel the power of the storm.


    He struck the center of the spirit, just the same as Zhang Lifen had. Thunder cracked as he released the heaven qi held in his fist. Although he didn¡¯t obliterate the spirit as Zhang Lifen had, black-edged cracks spiderwebbed across its body, radiating outward from where he¡¯d struck it. The spirits responded with three perfectly timed barrages of jagged shards of stone.


    ¡°What you just did is functionally no different than training your presence during your time with Old Guo. A body enforcement can be so much more than a simple increase in strength, speed, or durability. Cycling the enforcement technique¡ªand by extension the qi it cultivates¡ªinto a strike like you just did allows you to add those aspects to otherwise mundane attacks. Of course, since you¡¯re at the Body Refining stage, you can punch with a force that would obliterate a mortal. Had you punched this boulder I¡¯m standing on, for example, you likely would have turned it to dust with that attack.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I never told you how I trained with Old Guo,¡± He Yu said, launching himself away from another barrage of attacks from the spirits.


    ¡°No, but he did. I visited him before joining you boys at King Hao¡¯s camp. Despite how impressed he was with your progress, he was very demanding in terms of recompense. I¡¯m still recouping the cost of his assistance, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I could help,¡± He Yu said as he gathered his qi into another heaven-infused punch.


    Zhang Lifen waved him off. ¡°At your current advancement, it would take you decades to cover even a fraction of what he wanted. Think nothing of it. Elder Cai insisted I pay the old hermit mostly as punishment for sending the three of you out there by yourselves, anyway. So it would be against the spirit of things if I accepted your help.¡±


    He Yu let the matter drop. Not that he had much choice, as several more stone spirits had heard the commotion and joined the fight. As he fought, he focused mostly on defending with the guandao and attacking with heaven infusions of his punches. During those first few months at the sect, he had spent hours each day drilling in hand-to-hand forms under Ren Huang¡¯s watchful eye. Although he¡¯d largely stopped once picking up his guandao, he now realized that training had purposes beyond simply strengthening his body.


    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a way to apply Old Guo¡¯s lessons to your guandao art,¡± Zhang Lifen mused as he struggled against the now five stone spirits.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something sooner?¡± he shouted, using the Sky Dragon¡¯s flight to dash back from a coordinated assault.


    ¡°I had hoped you would put it together on your own. I did specifically mention that the Five Crescent Winds is capable of integrating your other aspects.¡±


    It took some doing, under duress as he was, but He Yu soon managed to push more of his heaven-aspected qi into the Five Crescent Winds. Previously, when he¡¯d cycled large amounts of heaven qi using the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, the winds churning around his blade had sparked with the additional aspect. Now, lightning danced along the weapon¡¯s length.


    He found it most effective to infuse blunt strikes with his heaven qi, as the blade still seemed to do little to the stone spirits. Much like with his fist, each infusion of heaven into the techniques of the Five Crescent Winds came easier than the last. After a bit longer, he¡¯d managed to whittle the stone spirits back down to two.


    ¡°Excellent work,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°I¡¯ll go gather more friends for you to train with.¡± With that, she leaped from her boulder to the top of a nearby hill and then vanished over the crest.

 3.32 - Insights and Awakening

    Zhang Lifen¡¯s training lasted until nightfall. Just as the sun dipped behind the mountains to the west, she produced her bow of qilin horn and black wood from her storage treasure. The weapon¡¯s spiritual weight imposed itself upon the area, followed a moment later by Zhang Lifen¡¯s own spiritual presence.


    The stone spirits¡¯ attacks ceased, as the dozen or so that He Yu was contending with all turned towards the Fifth Realm cultivator. As Zhang Lifen¡¯s crushing ocean of power washed over the hollow, she drew back her bowstring. An arrow formed of qi coalesced as she drew her bow, and the instant she reached full draw, the technique finished forming. She released, and the arrow leaped forward.


    It split, then split again, and again. In the space of less than a single breath, a hundred arrows rained upon the hollow where He Yu had spent his day locked in combat. The spirits were obliterated to the last. Of those that hadn¡¯t advanced past the low Third Realm, not even their cores remained. Earth qi dispersed into the world, and Zhang Lifen landed next to He Yu with hardly a sound.


    ¡°That should keep things relatively calm for the rest of tonight,¡± she said. ¡°Come. There¡¯s a good place for us to make a camp for the evening. You¡¯ll be able to cultivate and restore yourself."


    Wordlessly, He Yu did as he¡¯d been bid. After two full days of travel, followed by another of fighting, he was exhausted. His meridians ached. His dantian felt like a black, empty pit of nothing. He wanted to lay down and sleep for a week¡ªwhich was an odd sensation, all things considered. Physical fatigue was something that he hadn¡¯t truly felt in almost a year. It has almost become unfamiliar.


    Zhang Lifen led them to a clustering of boulders near the base of another one of this area¡¯s low, rolling hills. The boulders formed almost an alcove on the hill¡¯s lee, making them a perfect spot to comfortably rest. It seemed that they weren¡¯t the first to have this idea, as there was evidence that this spot had been used as a camp previously. A ring of stones from earlier camp fires sat in the center of the sheltered area, and loose pebbles and stones had been cleared out.


    With his back to the largest of the three stones that served as their shelter for the night, He Yu closed his eyes intending to cultivate. He opened them an instant later when he felt a mix of water, wind, and heaven qi with his spiritual perception. Three pill boxes sat before him, each of them open to display their contents.


    ¡°These will help you restore your qi. They¡¯re fairly low-grade, so you don¡¯t need to worry about backlashes. Take them, restore yourself, and we¡¯ll begin again in the morning.¡± As she spoke, Zhang Lifen produced her tea set from her storage treasure and lit a fire.


    Still too tired to feel like speaking, He Yu did as he¡¯d been told. The pills were exactly what Zhang Lifen had said they were. They would have been a tremendous boon if he¡¯d still been Foundation, but now they merely served as restoratives. Effective restoratives, to be sure, but they wouldn¡¯t be giving him any real boost. Still, they were welcome.


    His eyes closed and the medicines cycling through his meridians, He Yu allowed himself to take a moment, and simply relish in the fact that he wasn¡¯t exerting himself. The emptiness in his dantian filled, and the ache in his meridians faded. His spirit now restored, his body started to follow. As he fell into the comfortable and familiar breathing pattern of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, his fatigue melted away and he lost himself in cultivation.


    He Yu found himself upon a mountain once again. Higher up than he¡¯d yet been, there was still a long way to the peak. Although he was alone this time, it wasn¡¯t the same as that past vision. There was no sense of existential loneliness, loss, and longing as he¡¯d felt back then. This wasn¡¯t the same¡ªhe wasn¡¯t being asked to choose as he had then. Rather, he was seeing the path he¡¯d already chosen.


    The mountain stretched above, its peak shrouded by dark and violent clouds. Black and heavy with rain, they flashed with the fury of heaven deep within. Thunder rolled over the mountain, and the earth trembled beneath him. What truly lay before and above him was the storm.


    Wind whipped at his robes and tore his hair loose from the warrior¡¯s bun he typically wore it in. Rain lashed against his skin, soaking him to the bone. His robes and hair hung off him. The roar of heaven rumbled and cracked and the world turned black, punctuated by brilliant flashes from deeper within.


    A refuge. What he needed was some form of shelter. Like the cluster of rocks in the lee of a hill where his physical body was. But there was none to be had. He was exposed on the face of the mountain, with no shelter in reach. The storm raged around him and threatened to tear him from the peak, to cast him onto the jagged rocks that lined the valley below.


    The storm was beyond him, and it would ever remain so¡ªuncontained, unconquered. It cared not for the world below, nor for one insignificant cultivator on the slopes of a mountain, striving to reach the peak. It would lift him as it lifted trees, and dash him against the earth. It was a force he could not stand against, and he doubted that he would ever truly be able to.


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    It was morning when he opened his eyes. Zhang Lifen faced the east, seated upon a chair with ink and brush in hand. A painting, half completed, depicted the landscape in a way that was both accurate and beautiful despite the subject¡¯s relatively desolate character. A fresh pot of tea sat nearby, next to the fire.


    After some time, he asked, ¡°How does one stand against a storm?¡±


    Without turning, she asked, ¡°Why must you stand against it?¡±


    Because it felt right? He said as much. After further prompting, he recounted the insights of the night¡¯s meditation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what you¡¯re supposed to gain from your Way,¡± she began. ¡°I think you realize that by now. Rather than asking for edification, you seek perhaps a gentler sort of guidance.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± he answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was supposed to take from it.¡±


    ¡°Remember what I said. There are cycles upon cycles. Truths that shape us and we shape in turn. As you walk your Way, you define it as it defines you. Your experiences and insights and memories have brought you to the point where you now find yourself. I think you were correct in your interpretation that you found yourself on a path of your making.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much help,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± she allowed. ¡°Remember also what I said about the art you cultivate. A primordial art that will likely ask much of you. That said, I can assure you that you have all the necessary pieces. The next steps depend more on how you place them together, and what insights you draw from them.¡±


    ¡°What if I can¡¯t?¡± he asked. ¡°What if I can¡¯t even figure out what the pieces are, let alone draw insights from their relationships.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason most cultivators never advance past Body Refining.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d wanted to hear. Not by any stretch.


    The silence dragged on, and it began to truly weigh on him. Zhang Lifen turned from her painting and gave him a sympathetic smile over her shoulder. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re barely twenty years old yet. You¡¯ve been at the peak of Body Refining for what, half a year? If that? Even those who do manage to form their Golden Core often spend decades at the peak of the Third Realm. Your rise has been swift, but there¡¯s no harm in taking your time. Especially when you¡¯ve taken so little so far.¡±


    ¡°I need to get stronger,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    There was more to her question than it would have seemed. At least to a mortal, or even one who hadn¡¯t spent time around Zhang Lifen. While she seemed at times capricious, the shifts in her demeanor were a consequence of her cultivation, He Yu had come to realize. Like the waters she cultivated, there was hidden depth to her. Depth she now revealed with the intensity of the look she gave him and the sharp thrust of that single word.


    ¡°To be a hero,¡± he said. It was an automatic response. One he¡¯d said to himself time enough.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± she asked. There was a note of¡ªnot disappointment, but something close, in the question.


    No. His stomach turned and his heart clenched. He thought about Li Heng, lying in the medicine hall. About Yan Shirong¡¯s more-than-usual paranoia. About the still-healing wound on Tan Xiaoling¡¯s neck. About the years of mundane bullying that had become so much more since arriving at the sect.


    It was so petty, though. He said as much, the words sounding hollow to his ears as he forced them from his lips.


    ¡°A journey of ten thousand steps begins with one.¡±


    He looked down at his hands, clenched in his lap where he sat. ¡°But a hero¡ª¡±


    A paintbrush hit him in the forehead. He snapped up to where Zhang Lifen had now fully turned around. Her expression was odd, a mix of a smirk and a scowl.


    ¡°What use is a hero that doesn¡¯t fight villains?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sha Xiang isn¡¯t a villain,¡± he said. He was about to say more, but he stopped.


    Zhang Lifen arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°Finally remembered, have you? About time.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that simple,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Could he truly simply say that Sha Xiang was a villain, that that was enough? Could his desire to avenge the attacks on his friends be enough to count as a first step on the ten thousand necessary to become a hero? The more he sought reasons why it couldn¡¯t, the fewer he found, discarding each in turn. He defined his Way, and his Way in turn defined him. Hadn¡¯t he already learned¡ªback during the inner sect tournament¡ªthat a part of his Way was defining what it meant to be a hero? Defining what it meant for him to be just?


    His shoulders slumped. He felt like an idiot. Just as she¡¯d said, the pieces had been in front of him all along.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± Zhang Lifen said. She stood and sent all her comforts back to her storage treasure with a flick of her sleeve. ¡°That¡¯s no attitude to have. You have a big day ahead of you, and I need you to be on your toes for it. You can sort through everything you¡¯ve just figured out and reach enlightenment on your own time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®a big day?¡¯¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. Follow me.¡±


    Despite his misgivings, he did as he¡¯d been told. Zhang Lifen had helped him far more than he wanted to admit, after all. She certainly hadn¡¯t led him astray. In all likelihood, she simply had another day of fighting hordes of stone spirits in store for him. So he fell in behind her, if reluctantly.


    For the better part of an hour, they walked through the rocky hills. They kept a sedate pace, at least by the standards of immortals. She spoke of inconsequential things on the way, mostly about tea or the painting she¡¯d been working on while he cultivated through the night. It wasn¡¯t boring, just not anything he was particularly interested in. He Yu suspected that she was trying to distract him from his thoughts, so he welcomed it just the same.


    When they arrived at their destination, they stood at the rim of a small hollow between the hills that looked suspiciously like a caldera. A collection of large boulders rested in the center, alone.


    Zhang Lifen pointed at the boulders, and a bead of water qi formed at her fingertip. A thin beam lanced out and struck the ground inches away from the boulders¡ªwhich immediately came to life.


    The stone spirit was in the early Fourth Realm from what He Yu could tell. As Zhang Lifen had kept her spirit firmly restrained, it had no idea that its rest had been disturbed by an immortal a full realm above it. As it rushed towards them, the sound of rumbling and grinding stone rolling over the valley, Zhang Lifen shot him a wicked smile.


    ¡°Try not to die,¡± she said.

 3.33 - Facing the Mountain

    With every breath he could spare, He Yu cursed Zhang Lifen¡¯s name. She vanished before the stone spirit covered half the distance to the edge of the caldera, leaving him to face the thing alone. Unlike the spirits from the previous day, this one carried a fire aspect to it, making its presence suspiciously similar to Sha Xiang¡¯s, if significantly less defined.


    He Yu stared up at the approaching mass of stone. The spirit towered over him, rising to a height of nearly fifteen feet. Its shape was more defined and human-like than the Third Realm spirits from the day before. The patterns of weathering etched into the lump of stone serving as its head almost resembled a face. Lines like wrinkles, and divots like eyes. It had an appearance akin to that of an old man. On either side of the spirit¡¯s body, the collection of stones and boulders served as its arms, with contours that brought to mind muscles. The cracks and grooves along its ¡°hands¡± resembled closed fists.


    The spirit moved swiftly. Stone scraped against stone with a rumbling grinding as it loped towards him with deceptively smooth movements. It drew back an arm and brought its fist down. The earth cracked and split where He Yu had stood only a breath ago, gouts of flame erupting from the new cracks in the floor of the caldera.


    ¡°You might want to watch out for that one,¡± Zhang Lifen called from the rim of the crater. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a technique, by the way. Just so you know.¡±


    He Yu cursed again, even as he poured heaven qi into his meridians. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering surged through his body, hardening him, and granting strength and agility. Lightning coursed over his skin and danced along the length of his guandao. Golden and blue and white light flashed from nascent sparks of heaven¡¯s wrath. It was hard to believe that this was still only the art¡¯s first stage.


    Even without the art, he was far stronger than even the mightiest of mortals. With it? He might even survive a hit or two from the Fourth Realm spirit currently trying to kill him. Not that he was going to test that. He also had the benefit of speed, granted by not only his body enforcement but also his wind aspected movement technique. Then, there was the boost to both that he received from the robe he¡¯d been gifted by Yongnian.


    Activating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, he darted around behind the spirit. It turned, but it was too slow. He Yu aimed a piercing strike at the joints serving as the spirit¡¯s knee. Heaven and wind swirled around his guandao in a miniature tempest; a cyclone of aspects forged into his spirit.


    Stone and thunder cracked, and the spirit stumbled. A club-like fist of solid rock swung at He Yu with blinding speed. He darted back. The attack passed a hair¡¯s breadth from his face. Anything this large had no right to be this fast.


    He Yu fell back, creating distance so he could figure out his next angle of attack. As brief as that exchange had been, he¡¯d taken something of the spirit¡¯s measure. It was fast, yes, but it was also large. That size was the key. There was only so much of itself that it could cover at once, and if He Yu could be quick enough, he could slip in and out of those openings. He might whittle it down, given enough time. Provided he didn¡¯t get hit.


    The spirit reached out its fist. He Yu readied himself for the spray of jagged earthen shards¡ªit was the same way the spirits yesterday had readied their techniques.


    The boulder that served as the spirit¡¯s fist detached from its arm, and hurtled towards He Yu. He poured everything he had into the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, and darted to the side. The attack had caught him off guard, and he¡¯d very nearly paid for it.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t have all that much experience with spirits, but you should have seen something like that coming,¡± Zhang Lifen called from her perch. She¡¯d produced one of the cushioned chairs from her storage treasure and had resumed working on her painting. ¡°A spirit¡¯s techniques evolve with its advancement.¡±


    For just a moment he wished the stone spirit would notice her, direct an attack her way. He knew that would never happen, though. Zhang Lifen¡¯s water-aspected cultivation meant that she could fairly easily keep her spirit quiet enough that she¡¯d be difficult to notice under normal circumstances. With He Yu needing to release his own presence in order to use every technique at his disposal, there was no way that it could detect her so long as she kept her spirit restrained.


    As he darted around, looking for an opening, He Yu wished he had access to some sort of ranged technique. Of his friends, he was the only one besides Chen Fei that didn¡¯t have some sort of attack he could use from a distance, and even she had her formation barriers to cover her while she closed the gap.


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    The boulder that the spirit had launched at him trembled for a moment, then dislodged itself from the ground and flew back to the spirit. Then, the mass of ambulatory rocks took aim at him again.


    After dodging another flying mass of stone, He Yu called out to Zhang Lifen. ¡°What is the point of this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s the point of anything I have you do?¡±


    It was a momentary distraction, but one that cost him dearly. Or, at least, it should have.


    He frowned, trying to figure out what the point of her question¡ªnot to mention her cavalier attitude¡ªactually was. It was too late to move out of the way of the mass of stone blasting towards him by the time he noticed it, and he knew it. All he could do was pour everything he could muster into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and hope to endure.


    But the blow never struck home. Zhang Lifen appeared in front of him. Her spirit surged out, and just like when she¡¯d shattered King Hao¡¯s massive bronze mace, she turned the boulder meant for He Yu to dust with a single punch followed by a pulse of qi.


    ¡°In all seriousness,¡± she said, ¡°the point is most certainly not to get yourself killed. By not running away, you¡¯re sort of already halfway there. Ask yourself¡ªwhat would a hero do?¡± Then she vanished. Her spirit retreating like the tide as she returned to her painting and once more became functionally invisible to the stone spirit she¡¯d set upon him.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to see that she was right. The answer was one he¡¯d told himself time and again. A hero would stand and fight. A legend would stand and fight. That was the point of all this. He wasn¡¯t meant to win. He was meant to stand against a foe when he knew he couldn¡¯t. Just like when he¡¯d faced down Sha Xiang in the arena back in Shulin. Then again, in those first days after the truce, when he¡¯d come to Tan Xiaoling¡¯s aid. And again when he¡¯d faced down King Hao, standing shoulder to shoulder with Li Heng and Yan Shirong. And so on.


    A legend wasn¡¯t forged in a day. It was forged like a chain¡ªone link at a time. Each coming together into a greater whole. One choice, one step, each following the one before it. It wasn¡¯t about this battle. Or the next, or even the one before. It was about how they all linked together, how they created something more than any of them alone ever could.


    He Yu¡¯s concentration faded into something less forced but no less focused. The stone spirit launched another punch at him, and he darted away. He¡¯d seen the shape of it, the angle of attack and the speed of the blow without even meaning to. The Peerless Judgment showed him the spirit¡¯s movements and his own responses. His nascent connection to his Way formed through his Wayborn Seed helped guide him, too. It was that connection that had allowed him to activate his perception technique without hardly realizing it.


    The day wore on and He Yu clashed with the spirit. With the pressure of needing to win removed, he found the struggle to be oddly enjoyable. What sort of person spent a day fighting a spirit a full realm above them? He may not be a legend yet, but this was just as much a step on that path as anything else he¡¯d done.


    As the fight itself settled into something of a meditation, He Yu reflected on his connection to his Way. It didn¡¯t take him long to figure out that this had been the whole point of taking him out here. A part of why he¡¯d failed in his breakthrough was that he hadn¡¯t managed to form a strong enough connection to his Way yet. At least that was one insight he gathered.


    Another was that his method had been wrong, but he couldn¡¯t say exactly how. What Zhang Lifen had told him previously about arts like the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Hidden Palace was another piece, but that remained occluded from him. He could live with that. For now, at least. The deepening connection to his Way told him that when the time was right, he would know.


    Until then, he just needed to work on the practical training that Zhang Lifen had placed before him. Twice now, he had seen her reinforce a punch with nothing but a pulse of her own qi. Not a technique in the strictest of senses, but close enough. He¡¯d known for a while that she was an archer, but he¡¯d never given much thought to the fact that even someone like her would need to engage in close combat from time to time.


    He practiced infusing heaven qi into a series of punches and kicks. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering was of particular help in this. The art itself gave him the necessary pattern for flooding his arm and leg meridians with heaven qi. This already made his hand-to-hand blows stronger than they would have been without such an art. From there, it was trivial to take things half a step further and push that qi into a proper attack. He felt as though there was something here, too. Something beyond what he could currently comprehend. Something that would reveal itself only after advancement.


    Additionally, he had forgotten that the Five Crescent Winds was particularly suited for this sort of infusion. Rather than being embarrassed about it, he chose to take advantage of the opportunity by using more heaven qi along with the art¡¯s techniques. As he spent more time locked in combat with the stone spirit, he came to more firmly understand that this was another step closer to Golden Core as well¡ªthe integration of his various arts into a more cohesive whole.


    All of it together formed a path. As that path coalesced before him over the course of the day, his muttered curses died. The point of this¡ªas he should have realized from the beginning¡ªwas to help him grasp what he needed to form his Golden Core. That alone should have made him giddy, and when he first arrived at the Shrouded Peaks Sect, it would have.


    Now? It was just another step. He would reach the heights of cultivation. He would forge his legend. But first? He would put Sha Xiang¡¯s pointless grudge to rest for good.

 3.34 - Return and Regret

    Over the next several weeks, He Yu trained against rock spirits in the hills. On some days Zhang Lifen would round up a pack of Second and Third Realm spirits, each group larger than the one before. She would bring more his way just as fast as he could destroy them, claiming she didn¡¯t want him to feel lonely.


    On other days, she would make him fight a Fourth Realm spirit. Just as she had with the first one, she would step in and take care of the spirit herself as the sun dipped towards the horizon. She would also keep the area clear of any lesser spirits that wandered in, claiming that it wouldn¡¯t be fair otherwise.


    Any resentment that He Yu may have felt towards her faded. Each night, when they returned to their makeshift camp, Zhang Lifen would provide him with a set of elixirs. They weren¡¯t anything spectacular¡ªthe same sort he would have bought when he was among the top disciples of the outer sect. However, they did a good job of restoring the qi he¡¯d spent during the day and ensured his nightly cultivation was productive.


    Zhang Lifen also spent most nights lecturing him. She spoke at length about integrating his Wayborn Seed, his arts, and how it all related to the Eternal Dao. After that second day, He Yu¡¯s meditations had focused on Zhang Lifen¡¯s lectures.


    He didn¡¯t feel any closer to knowing for certain what it meant to be a hero. What it meant to be just. How to forge a legend. He had realized one important thing, however. It was the very process of answering these questions and more that would form the bulk of his Way, at least for the time being. In seeking those answers, in contemplating what they meant to him, he would gain the insight to progress. To advance.


    While his cultivation base wasn¡¯t increasing, at least not by any substantial amount, he was making significant strides in other areas. His arts now fit together better than they had previously. It was a tough thing for him to put into words. It was the subtleties of qi flowing through his meridians that made the difference. The ease at which he now infused strikes with heaven qi, whether it be punches and kicks or the wind aspected techniques of the Five Crescent Winds.


    His movement technique, the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, came more easily than ever. When combined with the battle sense from the Peerless Judgment, he was faster and more precise than he¡¯d ever been. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering made him agile, durable, and strong. Activating both the movement technique and the body enforcement at once allowed for bursts of speed that would have been unthinkable even when he was at the peak of Foundation. Activating both techniques along with the Peerless Judgment? He was practically untouchable.


    Even the Spring Rain Mirror was progressing further and faster than he would have thought possible. After that first day, He Yu had avoided using it, since the earth-aspected spirits could so easily overcome the water aspected defensive technique. Several days later, Zhang Lifen had admonished him for it. The whole point, she had said, was to pit the technique against aspects it was ill-suited to.


    While the Spring Rain Mirror would never be as effective at deflecting an earth-based attack as it would a fire based one, he could still use it for that purpose. As she pointed out, her water aspected techniques were perfectly capable of obliterating the earth spirits. When He Yu countered that was only because she was Fifth Realm, she simply told him that was her whole point.


    From then on, He Yu also trained with the Spring Rain Mirror. It only took a couple of days before his mastery over the technique had progressed to a point that let him deal with the earth spirits¡¯ techniques. The more powerful of the Third Realm spirits could overcome the Mirror, but it would hold long enough to negate their attacks as well. Anything below that level quickly became trivial for him to defend against, despite the disadvantage in aspects.


    As useful as the daily training was, his nightly discussions with Zhang Lifen and his own meditations were perhaps more enlightening. Her habit of asking probing questions, challenging his assumptions, and presenting simple truths in a new light brought him ever closer to understanding his own nature and the nature of his Way. He shouldn¡¯t have been surprised¡ªshe had been a prodigy of the sect long before he¡¯d met her. Under her instruction, he was coming to understand why.


    Once she had given him something to think on for the evening, she left him to his cultivation. With the medicines and elixirs she provided crackling in his dantian and through his meridians, he contemplated the lessons he¡¯d learned that day. Both the insights he gained through the relentless training she put him through, and the discussion on the Dao after¡ªeach piece fit ever closer with all the others, coming to form a greater picture that until now he¡¯d not even begun to grasp.


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    On the horizons of his meditations, he saw the storm. The world was ringed by thick black clouds. Unlike before, where there was only the suggestion of rain, now the skies opened. Water fell in torrential sheets. Within the depths of those clouds, lightning still flashed and thunder still rolled across the land. But now great arcs of heaven¡¯s wrath reached to the ground. Brilliance lit the sky and struck the earth. And with it all came the howling gale.


    Rather than dread the coming of such a severe power of nature, He Yu wanted nothing more than to reach for it. He thought back to all those times back in Shulin when he would sit in his father¡¯s forge and listen to the patter of rain on the roof, and watch as the world turned wet and gray. There was a peace and a in for those moments. A time of serenity. He¡¯d always liked those days of deep summer when the storms rolled across the land. The herald of thunder had always been a promise then. It was a promise now.


    Summer. As the season approached, a feeling of anticipation settled over him. Zhang Lifen had said that primordial arts such as his asked a high price. That in order to advance, he would need to chart a path more difficult than the simple way forward that perhaps his peers would enjoy. He would walk whatever path was necessary. He would step into whatever storm the world had for him. Of that, he was certain.


    After just over a month in the hills, Zhang Lifen told him it was time to return.


    ¡°Already?¡± he asked. ¡°I had thought we would stay longer.¡± He thought back to his time training with Old Guo. The sheer benefit of an entire season, rather than a single cycle of the moon.


    ¡°Despite appearances, I do not have infinite elixirs to feed you,¡± she said. ¡°Besides, our time away from the sect has served its purpose by now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± He Yu had almost forgotten her habit of concealing her true motives from him.


    ¡°Well, most obviously, I wanted you to have the chance to develop your cultivation base in peace for a time,¡± she began. ¡°Your failure to form your Golden Core was something I wanted to address as well. I should think you have a better idea of the way forward there.¡±


    He did, and said as much as they set off back towards the west, the Shrouded Peaks, and the sect proper.


    ¡°Just as importantly, I wanted to give you the chance to cool off a bit. You were quite upset after finding out what happened during your attempt at advancement, and I didn¡¯t want you doing anything stupid. I didn¡¯t want Sha Xiang to press things while she thought she may have an advantage.¡±


    ¡°Should have known,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Li Heng should be out of the medicine hall by now, and your other friends ought to have regrouped. More importantly, that you¡¯ve vanished for a month will have convinced her you feel weak and unable to stand up to her. Although I¡¯m far from certain, I suspect her current state of mind will lead her to count that as a victory. Which will give you time to get things in order.¡±


    He Yu sighed. Although he hated to admit it, she was right. No doubt he needed to sort things out with Li Heng. Also, he still desperately wanted to show Sha Xiang once and for all that it was a mistake to pursue whatever her stupid rivalry was. He¡¯d realized during his time out here that there was really only one way to do that. Overwhelming strength.


    When they arrived back at the sect, Zhang Lifen bid him farewell and He Yu made his way to Li Heng¡¯s home. As Zhang Lifen had predicted, Li Heng had been out of the medicine hall for some time. Nearly as long as He Yu had been away. Which perhaps accounted for the aloof distance He Yu now felt.


    ¡°I see,¡± Li Heng said, once He Yu had finished telling him where he¡¯d been for the past month.


    He Yu set down his teacup and turned over the uncomfortable pit in his stomach. Li Heng had remained distant the whole time they¡¯d been talking, wearing his noble¡¯s mask and giving short, clipped answers or comments. It was clear he was upset about something, and He Yu had a pretty good idea of what, but he didn¡¯t know how to broach the subject. Or if he was even ready.


    ¡°Look,¡± he began, ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was going to make any sort of move like that.¡±


    ¡°I already told you not to worry about that,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°I put myself in danger, and I paid for it. Such is the life of immortals, no?¡±


    He Yu frowned. He¡¯d come to know Li Heng well enough to tell when he was being disingenuous. Although he believed what he¡¯d just said, there was more to it. It was what he wasn¡¯t saying that bothered He Yu. He also knew Li Heng well enough to realize that he wouldn¡¯t get anywhere by pushing him. At least not right now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make her pay for this,¡± he said.


    Given the way Li Heng¡¯s mouth tightened around the corners, that had been the wrong thing to say. ¡°See that you do,¡± he said. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to return to training.¡±


    The abruptness of the dismissal was enough to make his head spin. Rather than go straight home, He Yu spent some time wandering around the inner sect mountain. He sifted through all the times things had gotten a bit tense between him and Li Heng over the past two years, searching for any indication of what could be bothering him.


    There didn¡¯t really seem to be a theme. To He Yu¡¯s memory, it seemed more or less random. He¡¯d always just thought the noble was a bit touchy. The more he thought about it, the more lost and despondent he felt. At least until then, he¡¯d assumed they were good friends. Especially with Li Heng taking to calling him ¡°little brother¡± all the time. And in front of the other nobles. Had that just been an act?


    He shook his head. It couldn¡¯t have been. He¡¯d seemed sincere all those times. Li Heng had even gone out of his way to stand up for him back when He Yu couldn¡¯t stand up for himself. Was that it? That He Yu hadn¡¯t been there when Li Heng had needed him? All those questions and more tumbled through his thoughts as he finally, under the setting sun, made his way back home for the first time in over a month.

 3.35 - Reflections

    Chen Fei knelt next to the corpse of a beast that was easily half again as large as she was. The bear-skin mantle she¡¯d taken to wearing hung from a nearby tree branch along with her outer coat. On the one hand, it made it hard not to look at her, as from the waist up she only wore her moxiong. On the other, she was up to her elbows in blood.


    It was finally the squelching sound from the beast¡¯s innards that won out and caused He Yu to look away. Harvesting cores was one thing. He could just cut it out from the beast and that was that. But whenever Chen Fei hunted, she processed the entire carcass. At least she would first drag it to a stream or similar, so she could wash up after.


    She had laid out the hide a short distance away and was currently separating the various parts that¡ªaccording to her¡ªcould be used by refiners in creating various pills and elixirs. Apparently, hunting was her primary source of income these days. Although it didn¡¯t generate contribution points, selling a Third Realm beast could fetch a mountain of spirit stones. The cores alone could sometimes even fetch a few mid-grade stones, depending on their aspects.


    ¡°You should just talk to him,¡± she said, pulling out another unidentifiable organ.


    He Yu stared off across the mists that blanketed the Shrouded Peaks. If it were that easy, he wouldn¡¯t be here talking to her about this. He¡¯d worried over it for days and had come no closer to figuring out the problem on his own. When she¡¯d stopped by, she could immediately tell something was off, and invited him on the hunting trip.


    For the first several hours, she was simply content to let him stew. She didn¡¯t push the issue and didn¡¯t pry. For that, he was grateful. Eventually, though, it had grown to gnaw at him and he couldn¡¯t stay quiet about it any longer. As he dumped all his worries on her, she simply listened as she worked, pulling apart the dead spirit beast that lay on the ground before her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say,¡± he muttered after a while, still gazing out over the landscape.


    ¡°I suppose simply asking him is out of the question.¡±


    This finally caused him to look back in her direction. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was mocking him or not. She seemed absorbed in her work still, so he assumed it was the latter.


    ¡°What would I ask? I¡¯m not good at this sort of thing. I didn¡¯t really have any friends back home.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned that before,¡± Chen Fei said.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve stopped by his home several times since I¡¯ve gotten back, and he¡¯s always busy. Or at least he says so. Anyway, what about you and Tan Xiaoling?¡± he asked. ¡°Has something like this ever come up between you?¡±


    Chen Fei hummed and then fell silent. After a few more moments, she answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think the situation is the same there. I don¡¯t know how much I should share, but I think she¡¯s just happy to have a friend. She seemed really lonely when I first met her.¡±


    That didn¡¯t exactly help. Li Heng had seemed perfectly outgoing. He had mentioned that his only real companionship at home was from his father¡¯s retainers, but he¡¯d always struck He Yu as the type who could at least make acquaintances easily enough. Tan Xiaoling always came across as at least a little stand-offish. Whether that was due to her cultivation, or status, or just something else about her personality, he couldn¡¯t say. If this entire ordeal had taught him anything, it was that he was still pretty garbage at dealing with people.


    ¡°Then again,¡± Chen Fei added, ¡°I don¡¯t think she has to worry about me surpassing her, either.¡±


    He Yu sat up, turning back towards her. ¡°Wait, do you think that might be what¡¯s bothering him?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it might.¡±


    With a huff, He Yu fell back against the tree he¡¯d been sitting against. If that¡¯s what was bothering him, it was hardly fair. Li Heng had come to the sect with every single advantage that He Yu lacked. It was hardly his fault that he¡¯d reached peak Body Refining before Li Heng had.


    ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned about those noble types since coming to the sect, it¡¯s that they have their pride,¡± she said. She wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Basically, all of He Yu¡¯s problems so far had come down to someone¡¯s injured pride. From Sha Xiang to Da Ning to, now apparently, Li Heng. He thought back to when Tan Xiaoling had come to him before the final round of the tournament and offered him a way out. A way out that would allow him to keep his pride.


    It was a bit silly if he were honest. What use was pride, in the end? As far as he could tell, it just made people foolish. Made them throw themselves at opponents they had no business challenging and seeded grudges that just wasted everyone¡¯s time. Maybe if all those nobles worried less about their injured pride, they could actually get some cultivation done.


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    ¡°Is that why he tried to take on Sha Xiang and Da Ning by himself?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me.¡±


    He thought back to all the times Li Heng would talk about his duty. It was his duty as a noble to protect those weaker than him. To stand up for the laws of the Dragon Emperor. To be just. Did that mean throwing yourself into a hopeless fight just to prove something? He Yu didn¡¯t think so. What good were you if you broke yourself against someone beyond your capabilities?


    Not as if he were one to talk, though. Especially not after what he¡¯d just been up to out in the hills with Zhang Lifen. Or after standing in the arena with a shard of his shattered weapon facing down Tan Xiaoling. Or stepping onto the stage back in Shulin.


    He Yu thumped his head against the tree trunk. ¡°Idiot,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s not very nice,¡± Chen Fei said.


    He Yu cracked open one eye and saw her frowning at him. ¡°Couldn¡¯t tell you who I was talking about exactly,¡± he said.


    ¡°Still think you should try and talk to him,¡± she said, returning to her work.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t he just be happy for me? I mean, he had to get me out of trouble so many times back when I was still First Realm. You¡¯d think he¡¯d be happy that I can stand on my own now.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he needs to feel like someone needs him?¡±


    ¡°Does he?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can tell you that even Tan Xiaoling has some notions about what¡¯s expected of her that I don¡¯t really get, if I¡¯m honest. Hers are a bit more violent than that, but I think it¡¯s the same idea. Seems to me like all these nobles have a lot of pressure on them. They¡¯ve got families that expect them to act in a certain way, and if they can¡¯t live up to that, they¡¯re basically failures. Sounds like a lot more trouble than it¡¯s worth, if you ask me. I mean, both of us have done well enough for ourselves without all that, right?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be it,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m wrong, since I don¡¯t know Tan Xiaoling nearly as well as you do, but she doesn¡¯t seem like that. I mean, do you really think that if she didn¡¯t have her status weighing down on her, she wouldn¡¯t be the same sort of monster she is now?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Like, sure, without the resources, she wouldn¡¯t be as far along, but I think you¡¯re right. She¡¯s driven in a way that''s closer to you, I think.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not driven,¡± he said. After a few minutes of silence, he looked over at her again. She was staring with her mouth half open and a bloody lump of viscera in her hands.


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean that,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You were the weakest disciple by far back when we joined the sect. And by the end of the first week, you¡¯d already advanced a stage.¡±


    ¡°Anyone could have done that,¡± he said. ¡°Especially given where I¡¯d come from. The Southern Forest is practically devoid of natural qi. Probably the whole reason Dong Wei couldn¡¯t even make it past Foundation.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± she said, dropping the bloody lump in her hands with a splat. ¡°What about reaching Foundation? You did it in half the time you had to. And then what about Body Refining?¡±


    ¡°I was half a step into Body Refining when I came back because of Old Guo. I told you that.¡±


    ¡°Do you seriously think a Sixth Realm cultivator would have wasted his time on you if he didn¡¯t think you had something worth nurturing?¡±


    ¡°I think Old Guo expected payment from the sect, which, according to Zhang Lifen, he got.¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯re at the peak of Body Refining, and half a step into the Fourth Realm from what I can tell. Before you¡¯re even twenty.¡±


    Finally, he had nothing left to say about that. Since returning from his time away with Zhang Lifen, there had been a noticeable shift in the way the other inner sect disciples treated him. Although he hadn¡¯t been issuing any challenges and was still ranked six hundred third among the inner sect disciples, he hadn¡¯t failed to notice the distance the other disciples had been giving him. Nor had he failed to notice respectful salutes, or the envious whispers, as he passed by.


    Nor could he really deny that he felt half a step into the Fourth Realm. It was hard to pin down in words, but as the season turned from spring to summer, he turned more often to the peaks to the north. There was an anticipation deep in his spirit, similar to the feeling he got when he saw thunderheads gathering on the horizon back home. There was also a pressure in his dantian similar to what he¡¯d felt before advancing to Body Refining, but different in its intensity.


    Never mind that he¡¯d been practically stuffing himself with elixirs since his return. His cultivation base had become more potent than ever, and his presence had likewise increased. Meditating on the insights he¡¯d gained from his fights in the hills and from Zhang Lifen¡¯s discussions had deepened his connection to his Wayborn Seed, and thus his greater Way. He may not be any closer to really knowing what it meant to actually be a hero, but he was moving towards it, regardless.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Chen Fei said, pulling him out of his thoughts. ¡°Just try and talk to him. Whatever¡¯s bothering him, I¡¯m sure it has something to do with the fact that he actually values your friendship. Whatever silly notions of pride are getting in his way, are secondary. You said so yourself that he stuck up for you when nobody else did. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s nothing, you know?¡±


    He Yu mulled over what she¡¯d said, and couldn¡¯t really find any reason to disagree. She left him to his silence while she finished packing away the last bits of her kill. Then she went to the stream and finally washed up. The brook turned red, and He Yu shook his head in disbelief. She still didn¡¯t like the idea of fighting other disciples, which was why she spent so much time out in the sect¡¯s territory hunting beasts. But somehow, being covered in blood didn¡¯t bother her.


    When she finished up, she donned her outer coat and bearskin mantle. As they made their way back to the sect, He Yu was at least grateful that she didn¡¯t seem to resent him for advancing as quickly as he did. And that she was so much better at the interpersonal stuff than he was. At least that way he had someone to talk to about all this.

 3.36 - Heart to Heart

    For the next couple of days, He Yu did everything he could to avoid admitting that Chen Fei had been right. Eventually, it got to be too much, and he made his way to Li Heng¡¯s home. He knew his friend¡¯s routine well enough, and made sure he stopped by in the morning, after Li Heng had spent the night cultivating under the light of the moon. That way, he¡¯d be sure to catch him when he wasn¡¯t too busy.


    It took longer than he would have liked, but eventually Li Heng answered He Yu¡¯s knocks. After a somewhat curt exchange, he allowed He Yu to come inside. Once they¡¯d passed into the courtyard with its manicured garden displaying all of what late spring offered in the Shrouded Peaks, Li Heng turned and crossed his arms.


    ¡°So. What is it?¡± he asked.


    It was curt. It was abrupt. It was also too much.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s with you? You¡¯re acting like I¡¯ve somehow wronged you.¡±


    ¡°Am I? Perhaps I¡¯m just focused on other things at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Focused on what?¡± he demanded. ¡°You barely said more than two words to me since I¡¯ve returned, and you won¡¯t see me when I come by. Even I can tell there¡¯s something going on.¡±


    ¡°I need to train,¡± Li Heng said. There was a finality to it, like there had been the last time He Yu had visited.


    Before Li Heng could kick him out, He Yu asked, ¡°But why? Train for what? Like, sure, we need to reach Golden Core. But that¡¯s no different than it was before, right?¡±


    ¡°No different,¡± Li Heng said. A bit of the earlier hardness had left his words. ¡°Easy for you to say, I suppose.¡±


    That caught He Yu off guard. After a moment of trying to collect his thoughts, and failing to come up with what seemed like an adequate response, he asked, ¡°Is that what this is about?¡±


    Something seemed to break within Li Heng then. His shoulders slumped, and he leaned against a pillar. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this,¡± he said.


    ¡°Supposed to be like what?¡± He Yu asked, sitting down a few feet away from Li Heng.


    Li Heng turned towards He Yu, and he seemed to be searching for something. After a moment, he slid down the pillar to join He Yu on the ground. ¡°I was supposed to be the genius.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t respond. On the one hand, he didn¡¯t really know what to say. On the other hand, it was pretty clear that Li Heng simply needed the space. Whatever was eating at him, he needed to get it out on his own terms.


    After a few moments¡¯ silence, Li Heng continued. ¡°My grandfather is Li Renshu. My father is General Li Bao. We¡¯re a young family, but both my father and my grandfather were exceptional talents of their generation. I have been learning cultivation theory from the time I was seven years old. When I began cultivating, I had the best teachers my family could find, and my father¡¯s personal attention whenever he could spare the time. I had access to the best resources. I came to the Shrouded Peaks Sect with the expectation that I would, at least, live up to the tiniest fraction of what my father and grandfather were capable of.¡±


    The Li patriarch, Li Renshu, was a legend in his own right. He ascended to the Seventh Realm¡ªDivine Body Attainment¡ªand earned his appointment as the Marquis of the Western Passage. It was an important and influential position because of its strategic importance to the Dragon Empire, and thus highly coveted. The current outer head of the Li family, General Li Bao, was himself at the early Soul Refining stage¡ªthe Sixth Realm.


    To say that the Li were young, small, and vulnerable was a bit of an understatement. The only reason they could maintain their position in the face of their rivals was the combined power of Li Bao and Li Renshu. Even among the ducal clans, Seventh Realm cultivators were rare, and a hidden patriarch was a potent deterrent.


    ¡°Okay,¡± He Yu began. It was fairly obvious that he would need to proceed carefully, but he didn¡¯t think Li Heng was being fair to himself. ¡°You realize that among the outer disciples, you were one of the strongest by a pretty big measure, right? And you haven¡¯t been slacking or anything. You¡¯re only twenty, and closing in on the peak of Body Refining. And you¡¯ve formed a Wayborn Seed.¡±


    ¡°Not strong enough,¡± he said. Li Heng thumped the back of his head against the pillar and stared up at the perpetually gray sky.


    ¡°Compared to who? I¡¯m sure you could have beaten Sha Xiang if it were just the two of you fighting.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly true, and He Yu knew it. Tan Xiaoling had expressed doubt about her own ability to face down Sha Xiang. And then Zhang Lifen had basically spirited He Yu away from the sect so that Sha Xiang wouldn¡¯t target him.


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    Li Heng gave a low, bitter laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not. But I was talking about you.¡±


    For that, He Yu had no response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know it,¡± Li Heng said as the silence stretched between them. ¡°You surpassed me before we even reached the inner sect. Now it seems Sha Xiang has as well. I could have lived with staying in Tan Xiaoling¡¯s shadow, at least if I had kept ahead of everyone else.¡±


    While He Yu certainly knew better than most what it was like to stare up at your supposed peers and find nothing but strength, he also knew that Li Heng was selling himself short.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t weak,¡± he said.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still not strong enough.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°What about when I first arrived at the sect? That was weak. If it hadn¡¯t been for you, I likely would have never reached Foundation in time to keep my place here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that you¡¯d have had any difficulty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that you¡¯ve forgotten who protected me in those first days.¡±


    Li Heng looked away. ¡°A noble¡¯s duty¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about a noble¡¯s duty,¡± He Yu practically shouted, leaning forward. ¡°I want my friend back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a friend,¡± Li Heng muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he said. ¡°You looked out for me when I had nothing to offer. You helped me find my feet in the sect, and that matters to me. I don¡¯t care if you think you¡¯re a rotten friend, because you¡¯ve been a good one from where I¡¯m standing.¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter so much?¡±


    He Yu joined Li Heng in staring up at the sky then. After another moment, he answered.


    ¡°Early on, like, when I¡¯d just arrived at the sect, I had an insight while cultivating. I saw myself standing atop a mountain. I had reached the peak of cultivation, but I was alone. No friends, no enemies, just me. I had been more or less alone for my whole life until I came here. I didn¡¯t want that. Since meeting you and all the others, all the insights I¡¯ve had about my advancement included all of you. Sometimes you¡¯re distant, and other times you¡¯re close. But you¡¯re there, and that¡¯s what¡¯s important to me.¡±


    ¡°Da Ning has my sword,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll get it back.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. He¡¯s ranked below me, so he won¡¯t lose much face if he doesn¡¯t accept a challenge. If I attack outright, that¡¯s just an invitation to Sha Xiang and the rest to join in.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get it back.¡±


    Li Heng looked as though he¡¯d swallowed something bitter. ¡°If I can¡¯t get it back on my own, do I truly deserve it?¡±


    ¡°Let it drive you,¡± He Yu said. He sounded almost like he was pleading. ¡°Look, even I can tell there¡¯s more than what you¡¯ve told me. Whatever is really eating at you, I believe that you¡¯ll figure it out. If it¡¯s just that you haven¡¯t reached Golden Core at twenty, well, that¡¯s stupid. Not even Zhang Lifen did that. Princess Tan is a year older than you, and she hasn¡¯t done it either. We¡¯re immortals, so we¡¯ve got plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I can achieve the Fourth Realm,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°I know you can,¡± He Yu shot back. ¡°And if you can¡¯t do it on your own, I¡¯ll drag you kicking and screaming into it if I have to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that certain you¡¯ll do it?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going all the way, and I¡¯m taking you with me. You know I gave Chen Fei a mid-grade stone before the tournament, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh? You trying to tell me something?¡± Li Heng asked, a bit of his usual humor finally creeping into his words.


    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t want to leave her behind in the outer sect. That¡¯s all I¡¯m trying to say. You, Chen Fei, Yan Shirong, even Tan Xiaoling. I¡¯m not leaving any of you behind. If the biggest thing eating at you is your sword, then I¡¯ll get it back. Got it, elder brother?¡±


    Li Heng turned serious again then. ¡°I appreciate it, but you have to know you can¡¯t take them all on.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not now,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re that close, are you?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, but I think that¡¯s why Zhang Lifen brought me back to the sect after only a month of training.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Li Heng said, his tone careful, ¡°I was pretty mad when you failed your breakthrough. When I was lying in the medicine hall, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking that if you¡¯d done it, Sha Xiang wouldn¡¯t have even tried.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± he said. ¡°But that¡¯s not important now. What¡¯s important is that I end things with her once and for all.¡±


    ¡°A bit of a reversal, that one,¡± Li Heng said with a laugh that was only a little bitter. ¡°To think that you¡¯d be the one looking out for me.¡±


    ¡°First off, I already told you it¡¯s the least I can do. Besides, don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve got my own score to settle with her. If paying her back for attacking my friends is part of the package, I¡¯m more than happy to take it.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s your plan, then? Advance to Golden Core and take them all on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been good at plans,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s as good a plan as any,¡± Li Heng replied.


    With the humor returning to Li Heng¡¯s demeanor, He Yu finally felt himself relax. He¡¯d learned enough about other people in his time at the sect and through his cultivation to know that there was more eating at him. That could wait, though. The most pressing issue, and the one that held the most immediate threat to their friendship, seemed to have been resolved. Whatever else Li Heng was dealing with, they were all things the noble had to come to terms with himself.


    Upon leaving, He Yu fixed his eyes to the north. Ever since returning to the sect, the feeling of pressure in his dantian had grown. He¡¯d since been drawn to the peaks just north of the inner sect mountain. The peaks where, with the coming of summer, black clouds heavy with rain and flashing with heaven¡¯s fury gathered.


    He¡¯d meant what he said to Li Heng¡ªthat he¡¯d advance to the Fourth Realm and finally put to rest the rivalry between him and Sha Xiang. If it meant that he¡¯d have to take on all three of her followers too, then he¡¯d do it. Especially if it meant repaying her for the cowardly attack on his friends.

 3.37 - Moonlight

    Li Heng sat with his back to the mountain. The mists of the Shrouded Peaks stretched out below him, with other slopes rising like solitary titans, keeping watch over the sect lands. Above, the last full moon of spring cast cold light over the vista. He¡¯d initially come up here thinking to cultivate. The potent lunar qi that came with each full moon was a boon to his advancement. Heaven knew he needed it. Instead, he¡¯d lost himself in more mundane contemplation.


    He sat with one arm propped up on his leg, absently twisting a piece of mountain grass between his fingers, and reflected on the unfairness of his life. While Li Heng had fully intended to stay angry with He Yu, his earnestness and stubbornness had made that plan an impossibility. It was, most likely, for the better.


    Envy was an ugly emotion, unbecoming of a noble. Li Heng grimaced at the thought. After all this time, he still defaulted back to that way of thinking. About what he ought to do or feel. What was expected of him. Those expectations placed upon him for as long as he could remember, and that he¡¯d so far failed to meet at every turn.


    Worse still, as he confronted that failure and tried to come to grips with it and what it meant, there was He Yu. A mere commoner who embodied everything that Li Heng was supposed to be. He Yu was gracious¡ªmagnanimous, even¡ªin victory. Humble in defeat. Polite, if a bit awkward, and thoroughly committed to doing what was right, even if he didn¡¯t know exactly what the right thing was.


    Most of all, he was driven.


    That wasn¡¯t to say that Li Heng wasn¡¯t driven. Compared to most disciples in the outer sect, Li Heng had been one of the few who had pushed himself to any degree before the beginning of formal instruction. Compared to most disciples in the outer sect, Li Heng had seemed like a peerless talent. Compared to most disciples in the outer sect, Li Heng had been the embodiment of everything a cultivator was expected to be.


    He had spent the month since his arrival practicing his sword forms, cultivating the potent qi of the Shrouded Peaks, and generally behaving as he imagined his father would expect him to. When he was assigned a commoner as a housemate, he¡¯d initially been rather offended. Especially when that commoner had barely awakened to the First Realm. That he¡¯d been barely eighteen was, frankly, insulting. Li Heng had achieved the middle First Realm less than a month after he¡¯d awakened.


    Then, He Yu had surprised him. He¡¯d spent the entire first night in cultivation. When he broke through into the middle Qi Gathering stage by the end of the first week, Li Heng had realized that he¡¯d been correct in trying to cultivate a relationship after that first evening. He¡¯d thought that maybe he could train up a retainer. A competent and dedicated ally, indebted to him for the kindness, aid, and eventual resources the Li Heng showered on him. What an idiot he¡¯d been.


    His first clue should have been that He Yu had been recruited by Zhang Lifen. At first, all he¡¯d known of He Yu¡¯s now-master was that she was a core disciple of the sect. Granted, she was the youngest, and the lowest ranked among them, but she was a core disciple just the same. That alone should have been enough. For a core disciple to notice someone of the First Realm and sponsor their entry into the sect, that someone would clearly have considerable potential.


    It was only later that Li Heng learned the truth about He Yu¡¯s mentor. That she was the sect¡¯s rising star, and the personal disciple of the sect¡¯s First Elder, Cai Weizhe. Given a position as a core disciple while only in the Fourth Realm. They hadn¡¯t even made her challenge anyone for it. A seat had opened up, and they simply promoted her. Despite being given her current position, Li Heng had no doubt that she was deserving. She¡¯d been the top-ranked inner disciple and had remained undefeated in tournaments and duels alike during her time in the inner sect. Anyone recruited by someone like her had to be a peerless talent.


    As far as Li Heng could tell, He Yu was exactly that. He¡¯d reached Foundation in record time, at least by Li Heng¡¯s standards. Although he¡¯d always known that He Yu could be downright obsessive about his cultivation¡ªhe had lived with him, after all¡ªit wasn¡¯t until their time with Old Guo that Li Heng had truly started to appreciate his dedication. Rather than give up¡ªlike he had¡ªwhen the old monster had had them chop those damn trees, He Yu had figured out a way to do it.


    It wasn¡¯t simply that he¡¯d done as he¡¯d been told. It was that he adapted a rudimentary technique to it with barely a thought, let alone any real practice. He¡¯d taken a half-formed body enforcement, combined it with his guandao art, and then used it to empower a woodcutter¡¯s ax. And he¡¯d done it as easily as the carp swims. It was an adaptation that Li Heng never would have even thought to attempt, let alone accomplish, on his first try.


    And that was just the beginning.


    ¡°There you are,¡± came a familiar, and welcome voice. A dry tone ran through her words, along with an almost teasing humor. He could practically hear her half smirk.


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    He turned and gave Tan Xiaoling a warm smile. Even in the cold light of the full moon and up here on the slopes where the last chill of late winter still maintained its fingernail grip on the highest peaks, she radiated the heat of a sun-seared desert.


    ¡°I can leave you to whatever it is you¡¯re about, if you¡¯d like,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll simply expect proper compensation for the effort it took to track you down later.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± Li Heng said, turning back to gaze up at the firmament. ¡°I just needed to think. Company would be nice.¡±


    Without another word, Tan Xiaoling sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He slipped an arm around her and pushed away all the thoughts about how improper this was.


    He didn¡¯t need yet another inadequacy weighing on him. Not tonight.


    ¡°You¡¯re tense and your spirit is all tangled up,¡± she said absently. It was an invitation to talk, if he wanted it.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard being surpassed by a commoner,¡± he said after a moment. Easier to talk to her about this than it was He Yu. She was of similar, if higher, station to him. She would understand.


    ¡°Which commoner are you talking about, exactly?¡±


    He knew what she was getting at. Suffering defeat at Sha Xiang¡¯s hands had been humiliating, but it was something he¡¯d found he could live with. Her power was unnatural. Unearned. The speed she¡¯d advanced at, and surpassed him with, wasn¡¯t her own. She¡¯d gorged herself on resources given by a Third Realm cultivator when she was in the outer sect, and had likely been getting further advantages from the Sunset Court in the time since. She was different.


    ¡°Who do you think?¡± he asked.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s fingers entwined with his. ¡°I think that anyone who captured the attention of that woman would have done just as well for themselves,¡± she said.


    He knew well enough how Tan Xiaoling felt about Zhang Lifen. He couldn¡¯t say he blamed her¡ªhe had plenty of reasons of his own to resent her. Tan Xiaoling had told him of Zhang Lifen¡¯s offer before the tournament. He didn¡¯t blame her for accepting it; he would have done the same in her position. It still didn¡¯t mean he had to like being offered up as a concession. From the moment he stepped into the arena to face Tan Xiaoling, he knew that was what he¡¯d been.


    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± he said.


    Her warmth turned sharp. ¡°And what exactly is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°The weight of expectation is different for you than it is for me.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes,¡± she said. There was a knife-edge glint of danger in her words, but she didn¡¯t shift or pull away. It was an uncomfortable experience, to say the least. ¡°My father is so impressed with what I¡¯ve done for myself that he¡¯s seen fit to declare me his heir before the whole Jade Kingdom in my absence. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Li Heng thumped his head against the boulder at his back. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that you left of your own accord while I was sent. Sent carrying expectations.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend that I didn¡¯t hear that.¡±


    Li Heng sighed. He knew better¡ªthey¡¯d spoken about her situation time enough. She hadn¡¯t come to the Shrouded Peak Sect to gain support or allies for her claim to her father¡¯s kingdom, as he¡¯d initially thought. She¡¯d fled from her uncle¡ªa Fifth Realm cultivator who had made his intention to kill her openly apparent. It was, in her words, the way of the Jade Kingdom, and her father would not stand in his brother¡¯s way. Not even for the benefit of his only child.


    ¡°I meant no offense,¡± he said, hating how robotic his words sounded.


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t.¡±


    They sat in silence for some time after that. Tan Xiaoling curled up against him while Li Heng lost himself in thought once again.


    There was only one thing he could arrive at with any certainty. He Yu had meant what he said earlier that day. Which, in practical terms, meant that Li Heng would fall further behind. The real reason he¡¯d come up here was to figure out how he was going to deal with that. Deal with the fact that He Yu was not only ready to step into the Fourth Realm, but that he was going to do so sooner than Li Heng would have thought possible.


    ¡°You must keep your eyes firmly upon your own Way,¡± Tan Xiaoling murmured. ¡°Measuring yourself by the accomplishments of others is a certain way to cripple your advancement.¡±


    ¡°What do I measure myself against if not my peers?¡± he asked.


    She cracked open one eye and looked up at him. ¡°Yourself, of course,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is that what they teach you in the Jade Kingdom?¡±


    Tan Xiaoling gave a soft laugh. ¡°My father told me ¡®always strive to be better; better than you were yesterday and better than you will be tomorrow.¡¯ Excellence comes from self improvement. To measure yourself against those around you, is to tie your potential to theirs. Only by surpassing yourself can you reach for the heights you¡¯re capable of.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was told,¡± he muttered. He wished he had been told something like that. Maybe then he wouldn¡¯t feel as though he were being crushed by responsibility he felt wholly unprepared for.


    ¡°Color me shocked,¡± she said, slipping in to that now-familiar wry humor he¡¯d come to appreciate from her.


    ¡°What about when your peers surpass you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Think about it like this. Would you ever reach your potential if you only ever chased me? Ask yourself, how could you ever comprehend your own Way if you kept your eyes firmly fixed on mine?¡±


    Li Heng allowed silence to settle over them. She was right, of course, and he knew it. It didn¡¯t make it any easier to accept. Quite the opposite, in fact. As he felt himself fall further behind, it became that much more difficult to keep his eyes away from the advancement of others.


    ¡°Would you feel the same way if Chen Fei surpassed you?¡± he asked. He hated the bitterness that crept into his voice at the question.


    Tan Xiaoling laughed softly. ¡°If little sister Fei surpassed me, I would shower her with praise and host a celebration. She would deserve no less.¡±


    Li Heng sighed. Envy truly was an ugly emotion, and he would give anything to be unburdened with it.

 3.38 - An Offer

    It was early summer, and the mists of the Shrouded Peaks turned muggy and warm with the changing of the season. Still, it was little impediment to the immortals of the inner sect. He Yu cultivated. The time in his cultivation chamber was chiefly spent contemplating his Way¡ªwhat it meant to be a hero, what was the nature of justice, and whether he could discern those things for himself. As the pressure in his dantian built, He Yu found himself circling a few key insights and moving ever closer to answers that could satisfy him.


    To that end, he sought out Da Ning.


    He¡¯d needed to enlist Yan Shirong¡¯s aid to do so, as Da Ning was frequently in the company of Sha Xiang or Cui Bao. Most often, he was in the company of both. Although he knew that what he wanted to ask Da Ning had an infinitesimal chance of actually getting what he wanted, doing so with either of the others present would be absolutely impossible.


    Yan Shirong thought the plan a waste of time, but he¡¯d gone along with it readily enough. Using his constructs, he put together a complete enough picture of Da Ning¡¯s routine that He Yu knew exactly when he¡¯d be able to find him alone. He asked the same for Mo Zhiqiang after, but that had taken a bit more convincing. Eventually, He Yu had to pay Yan Shirong for his trouble, but he felt the cost was worth it.


    When He Yu found Da Ning, the other immortal was alone on a secluded terrace located on the slopes of one of the outlying mountains of the inner sect. He was a long way away from the inner sect proper, and thus aid. Should things go poorly, there was little chance that he¡¯d be able to call for help from his allies. He Yu knew full well how it would seem from Da Ning¡¯s perspective, but that could hardly be helped.


    ¡°Sect Brother Da,¡± He Yu said as he stepped from the trail onto the terrace. He gave the other cultivator a salute before he continued. ¡°I wish to speak with you.¡±


    Da Ning immediately released his spirit in preparation for a fight. Neither of them could be under any illusions about how such a confrontation would go¡ªHe Yu was the stronger party, and they both knew it.


    ¡°Bandit,¡± Da Ning said. ¡°Ambushing me while I¡¯m alone and away from my allies. You show yourself for the coward you are.¡±


    He Yu brushed the insult aside. He¡¯d spent enough time around the cultivators of the inner sect to know the accusation for what it was¡ªan attempt to appeal to his pride and avoid a fight Da Ning knew he couldn¡¯t win.


    ¡°I already told you, I¡¯m only here to talk.¡±


    ¡°What words of yours could I possibly want to hear?¡±


    In that moment it took a great deal more restraint than He Yu would have liked to push down his anger. There was nothing at all stopping him from simply attacking Da Ning and leaving with what he¡¯d come for. But those weren¡¯t the actions of the just. Those weren¡¯t the actions of a hero.


    ¡°Give me Li Heng¡¯s family sword so that I can return it to him,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Then distance yourself from Sha Xiang.¡±


    Da Ning scoffed. ¡°So, the coward Li won¡¯t even attempt to reclaim his precious sword. Instead, he sends a commoner.¡±


    ¡°I came of my own accord. Li Heng showed me kindness when I first came to the sect, and I owe him gratitude for that.¡±


    ¡°I will not return the sword. I claimed it as just spoils of victory and it is mine to keep.¡±


    He Yu kept his spirit restrained during the exchange, but that last boast nearly caused him to release his control. ¡°I heard Li Heng¡¯s account of the battle. He was defeated by Sha Xiang, not you. The only reason you have the sword is because she let you keep it. The only reason you have it now is because I¡¯m letting you keep it.¡±


    Da Ning glared across the terrace, but said nothing. They both knew full well what the balance was here¡ªHe Yu could simply take whatever he wanted from Da Ning, not just the sword. Although Da Ning¡¯s qi filled the area, it was weak and diffuse. It gleamed like a sharp blade in the sun, concealing hints of toxin within. His presence, typical of cultivators of the Third Realm, was only partially formed.


    He Yu knew that his own qi was far more refined. His presence became more like a storm every day. Still, he kept it restrained. It would do no good to seem like he was here to fight. Da Ning would receive his one last chance.


    ¡°Do whatever you like,¡± He Yu said. ¡°If you won¡¯t give me Li Heng¡¯s sword, then return it yourself.¡±


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    Da Ning raised his chin. ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I owe Sha Xiang a debt. She attacked my friends, and she injured Li Heng. In the coming weeks, I intend to repay that debt. To her, and to anyone who stands with her.¡±


    ¡°I doubt you¡¯re strong enough to defeat her as she is now, let alone all of us,¡± Da Ning said. ¡°This is just a ploy. A shallow attempt at weakening Lady Sha and her allies so that you don¡¯t have to fight us all. I see what you¡¯re about, Sect Brother.¡±


    ¡°We shall see,¡± He Yu turned to go, and said over his shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ve heard my offer, Sect Brother. All I ask is that you return Li Heng¡¯s sword and withdraw your support from Sha Xiang. Take the opportunity while you can.¡±


    Upon returning to the inner sect mountain, He Yu sought out Mo Zhiqiang. The noble was lounging in a garden surrounded by a number of female disciples. When He Yu stepped into the garden and gave Mo Zhiqiang a salute, their conversation fell silent and all eyes turned towards him.


    ¡°Sect Brother Mo,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I am here to speak.¡±


    Mo Zhiqiang leaped to his feet, manifesting his spear from his storage treasure. His presence bloomed outward, his water and wind-aspected qi filling the garden with the feeling of a rolling bank of mist.


    ¡°Coward! You seek to put your Junior Sisters in danger by ambushing me while I enjoy their company?¡±


    He Yu suppressed a sigh. ¡°I wish only to make an offer. I have no desire to fight you again.¡±


    Mo Zhiqiang snorted as he lowered the tip of his spear. ¡°Of course you don¡¯t. Tell me what it is you want then, and be gone.¡±


    ¡°Abandon your support for Sha Xiang. She cares nothing for you, and will throw you away once your usefulness has ended. You can live out the rest of your days in luxury here in the inner sect, lounging in gardens, drinking wine, and enjoying the company of whatever crowd of admirers you wish to collect.¡±


    ¡°As if I would dare insult Lady Sha like that. She has brought me much acclaim and aided my advancement. I owe her enough loyalty to repay at least that much. But I will humor you, and hear what offer you make to buy me away from her.¡±


    ¡°I know you value your pride, Sect Brother Mo. That is my offer to you. Abandon your support for her, and you can keep it.¡±


    Mo Zhiqiang and the disciples around him burst into laughter. He Yu remained silent.


    After a time, the noble asked, ¡°Is that all?¡± When He Yu didn¡¯t answer, he added, ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Sha Xiang attacked my friends. I owe her a debt, and I intend to put to rest the grudge between us. If that means I have to stand against her and all her allies, then so be it.¡±


    ¡°You speak of pride, but clearly don¡¯t understand it. Where would my pride be if I abandoned my ally when she needed me? Answer me that, Sect Brother.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard me, and that¡¯s enough.¡± He Yu saluted again. Before he left, he said, ¡°Consider what I¡¯ve said.¡±


    When he turned, he squared his shoulders to the laughter at his back and the murmurings of ¡°coward,¡± and worse. Once he¡¯d left the garden well behind, a shadow stepped into the path. Yan Shirong gave him an appraising look, then shook his head.


    ¡°I won¡¯t pretend to understand what you were trying to accomplish, but I will say you put on a good show.¡±


    Finally, He Yu allowed his shoulders to sag and let out a heavy breath. ¡°That was rougher than I thought it would be.¡±


    ¡°On what account? I told you to expect as much, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    He Yu indicated a branch in the path that would take them to the sect¡¯s common areas and the market. ¡°I want a drink,¡± he said. Before Yan Shirong could protest, he added, ¡°I¡¯m buying.¡±


    Yan Shirong fell in beside him. ¡°So tell me true. What was the point of all that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just something I needed to do,¡± he said.


    ¡°You realize they¡¯re going to run to Sha Xiang now, right?¡±


    He did. ¡°What they do now is irrelevant. It only matters that I gave them the chance.¡±


    ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d do to them what they did to us all. Pick them off one by one with overwhelming numbers. That would settle the score.¡±


    ¡°I contemplated what I needed to do for a long time before I arrived at my answer. It¡¯s more important that I follow my Way.¡±


    They walked in silence for some time. Eventually, Yan Shirong asked, ¡°What about Cui Bao? You didn¡¯t offer him a way out.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t take it. He enjoys inflicting cruelty nearly as much as Sha Xiang does.¡±


    ¡°But you knew that Mo Zhiqiang and Da Ning wouldn¡¯t take it, yet you gave them the chance regardless,¡± Yan Shirong pointed out.


    ¡°I did,¡± he admitted. ¡°Maybe I was wrong to offer them a chance to turn away. Maybe I was wrong to not include Cui Bao. Either way, I did what I felt I had to do. That was the step I needed to take.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound almost like a sage, you know,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    He Yu groaned. ¡°I certainly hope not. I¡¯d much prefer if things were more straightforward from now on.¡±


    They arrived at the wine shop, and He Yu purchased several jars for them both. They walked and drank for a time. Spring had since faded, and more frequently the afternoons brought with them a charge in the air and the distant rumble of thunder over the Shrouded Peaks. Storms were rare up here, but clouds still gathered to the north, dark and full.


    Yan Shirong was the one to break the silence again. ¡°How certain are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°About as certain as I can be,¡± He Yu answered, turning his gaze to the storm forming that afternoon. If it was like the ones he¡¯d been seeing so far, it wouldn¡¯t amount to anything quite yet. He hadn¡¯t yet figured out why they all dissipated before forming completely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before,¡± he admitted after some time.


    ¡°You tried once,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    ¡°And I failed.¡±


    Yan Shirong shrugged. ¡°What is failure but a stepping stone to success?¡±


    He Yu laughed. ¡°Now who¡¯s beginning to sound like a sage?¡±


    ¡°I should hope not,¡± Yan Shirong said with a laugh. Then he raised his wine in a toast. ¡°Here¡¯s to Sect Brother He, the first of our cohort to reach Golden Core.¡±


    It was premature, He Yu admitted to himself, but he raised his wine anyway. He looked to the north, and focused on the building storm of wind, water, and heaven within his dantian.

 3.39 - The Summer Storm

    It took almost another two weeks for a proper storm to form in the north. He Yu mostly stayed home and cultivated. He spent a fair amount of spirit stones and contribution points on elixirs and medicines during that time, cultivating as much of his aspects as he could manage.


    Sha Xiang, thankfully, left him alone for the duration. He couldn¡¯t have said why. If he were to guess, it probably had something to do with his absence immediately following her attack on his friends. Upon his return from the hills to the east of the sect, he¡¯d learned that she¡¯d been denouncing him as a coward in his absence, much like Zhang Lifen had predicted.


    By claiming that he was afraid of her, Sha Xiang had inadvertently created a bit of a problem for herself. If she attacked after denouncing him so, it would make her look bad. Even though He Yu was certain Mo Zhiqiang and Da Ning had told her he¡¯d approached them, it was up to him to make a move now¡ªand he wasn¡¯t going to until he was ready.


    During his meditations, He Yu poured over the insights of the past two years. How his experiences had shaped him, and how everything tied into his Way. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, turned critically upon himself, was of tremendous help here. Back when he¡¯d first begun cultivating the technique, the manual had described it as ¡°revealing the truth of things.¡± For He Yu, it had certainly done that.


    Although he¡¯d misinterpreted many of those early insights as being from the technique rather than his own beliefs, he¡¯d learned much from it. The Peerless Judgment turned inward had reified his own idea of what a hero was. He¡¯d always had a vague idea of what heroes were. They did spectacular things. They fought battles. They defeated villains. Those sorts of notions weren¡¯t enough for the basis of a cultivator¡¯s Way.


    The Peerless Judgment had helped him make the vague notions he¡¯d once held into specific principles. The cruelty and malice that Sha Xiang held made her a villain. Those were thus things that he, wanting to become a hero, needed to reject. Similarly, he rejected the wanton destruction that King Hao had inflicted upon the people of the sect¡¯s northern territory. Mortals were to be protected in their weakness, not exploited.


    However, King Hao taught him another, perhaps more important, lesson about the application of justice. He Yu recalled the young bandit looking up at him as he passed a sentence of death. The life of another was a heavy price¡ªbut how many innocents had that young bandit killed? How many had King Hao killed? If he was to become a hero and thus an instrument of justice, what must he do in the face of suffering and injustice?


    He Yu still hadn¡¯t arrived at an answer that fully satisfied him. Clearly, destroying King Hao¡¯s bandit clan had been the correct thing to do. Already they had killed countless mortals, and if left on their own would have killed countless more. But what about cases that weren¡¯t so clear-cut? Part of his path would be to develop the judgment he needed in order to decide those questions for himself.


    The most significant advancement of his Way had come during the tournament when he faced down Tan Xiaoling. Although it wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d stood against a foe stronger than himself, it was the only time he¡¯d done it with a shard of metal from his broken weapon. Despite what he¡¯d thought immediately after the tournament, that wasn¡¯t what had caused him to form his Wayborn Seed while he was still in the Third Realm.


    Instead, it was a culmination of similar moments that stretched all the way back to another tournament. When he stepped onto the stage in Shulin, despite knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to win the tournament, he¡¯d truly set his feet upon his Way. Then, on the tournament stage in the Shrouded Peaks Sect, facing down an opponent he knew with all his being that he couldn¡¯t beat¡ªand with a way out, the knowledge he could surrender without losing face hanging over him¡ªhe stood his ground. Although he¡¯d told Tan Xiaoling then that a hero never gave up, the truth for him at that moment had been something far more profound. He Yu wasn¡¯t someone who gave up. That was, he¡¯d determined in the year since, the foundational principle of his own Way.


    Just as he defined his own Way, over the past two years He Yu had similarly defined his own spirit.


    When he first came to the Shrouded Peaks Sect, he had no techniques. Only a rudimentary cultivation technique that didn¡¯t even have its own aspect. It was a wonder that he¡¯d managed to gather enough qi to even awaken. Looking back on those first days, it was little wonder that he¡¯d broken through to middle Qi Gathering so quickly. Shulin was practically a desert with the amount of qi in the area, while the Shrouded Peaks were like a land bursting with natural abundance.


    The first step he¡¯d taken upon refining his spirit had been cultivating the Five Crescent Winds. That¡ªalong with his principal art, the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace¡ªhad come at the suggestion of his martial grandfather, Elder Cai Weizhe. The Five Crescent Winds were chosen because they carried a wind aspect, one that was compatible with his natural affinities.


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    At first he¡¯d cultivated mostly wind-aspected qi, but as time wore on, he added heaven and water. First through the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, then through the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, and finally the Sky Dragon¡¯s flight. Since arriving at the late Body Refining stage, much of his efforts had been focused on bringing those three aspects into balance with one another¡ªand on refining his presence.


    In those early days of training his presence with Old Guo, it had just been wind tugging at his robes. Then came the charge in the air around him and the crackle of lightning as the heaven aspect increased. As water finally joined the other two, the clouds had formed, dark and heavy and fat with rain. With each step of further refinement, his presence further resembled a storm. Now, He Yu sat in his cultivation chamber with heaven, wind, and water surging through his meridians. He awaited a storm unlike any he¡¯d ever experienced before.


    On his return from his time in the eastern hills of the sect territory with Zhang Lifen, a certainty had taken root within his spirit. As he continued to cultivate, that certainty had only grown. Looking back, it was easy to see that Zhang Lifen had taken him out for training with this exact purpose in mind.


    Although she¡¯d claimed that she would be of little help to him when forging his Golden Core, he¡¯d since come to realize that there was little reason to trust her words. This made it difficult to trust her intent. Although she¡¯d never been completely honest with him, her guidance was one of the main reasons that he stood half a step into the Fourth Realm at twenty years old.


    The air in the sect was still as He Yu exited his cultivation chamber. The normally gray skies of the Shrouded Peaks were dark and purple; heavy with unfallen rain and charged with the fury of heaven. Zhang Lifen had told him that primordial arts such as his demanded a high price of their practitioners. He was beginning to understand truly what she¡¯d meant. As he walked through the sect grounds, the air seemed uncommonly heavy, as if the world itself was weighing him down.


    He Yu stepped onto the flagstones of one of the inner sect¡¯s many plazas, ringed by manicured trees and flowering bushes. Across the plaza lay the trail that would lead him further up the slopes and into the storm. Zhang Lifen stood before the formation gate that marked the start of the trail, waiting.


    Despite the stillness of the air, the hem of her gown drifted as though underwater, tugged by the unseen currents of her spirit. She was less restrained than usual, her presence acting almost as a buffer against the weight of the gathering storm.


    Zhang Lifen inclined her head as he approached. ¡°You¡¯re certain,¡± she said.


    ¡°I am,¡± he said.


    ¡°I trust you know what the price of failure is.¡±


    Although he wasn¡¯t completely sure, he nodded anyway. ¡°I do,¡± he said. He had a pretty good idea, after all.


    ¡°Just so,¡± she said. She turned, and then over her shoulder, added, ¡°I will await your return, He Yu.¡±


    And with that she was gone, leaving him alone in the plaza with only the black and heavy clouds above and the uncanny stillness in the surrounding air.


    He Yu set his feet upon the path and climbed. Before long, the sect proper fell away behind him. The wind picked up, and the rain began. As he climbed, the air grew heavier. The rain increased in tempo, slowly at first, but faster and faster the higher he climbed. First, the wind was little more than a breeze, tugging at his robes. Then it lashed at him, gusting and threatening to knock him off balance.


    The rain fell in sheets and stung at his skin. The trail turned to mud, and the stones of the mountain grew slippery. Each step he took grew more treacherous than the last. He had his techniques, but he dared not use them. Something about that felt wrong. Something felt as though he was supposed to make this climb in humility, scrabbling across rain-slick stones and stumbling in the mud.


    When he was about halfway to the peak, the first spirit appeared. It was similar to Yongnian in a way, formed of clouds and lightning. Vaguely human-shaped and roughly the size of a large child. The spirit was of the low Second Realm, and it stayed well out of reach. It was clear the spirit meant him no harm¡ªclear that it was attracted by the powerful confluence of qi.


    The higher he climbed, the more spirits joined the first. The storm increased its intensity as well, and by the time he reached the summit, there were dozens of them. They danced through the rain, sparking and crackling like motes of heaven brought to earth. Unhindered by the elements, they bobbed and swirled, drawing ever closer but never hostile. They were, he guessed, here to witness rather than impede.


    At the summit, the mountain he¡¯d climbed was unnaturally flat. A broad area free of vegetation or other debris. Something about it gave him a similar impression to the temple where he¡¯d met Yongnian. But rather than an enclosed space hidden deep within a mountain, this one was open to the sky. Open. Exposed.


    Upon taking his first step onto the summit itself, heaven opened. A great streak of lightning split the sky, charged the air, and scattered the gathered spirits. Deafening thunder, felt as much as heard, rolled across the Shrouded Peaks. All thoughts of the sect faded. All thoughts of his own safety followed. A second bolt of lightning struck the ground mere feet in front of him. A second peal of thunder shook the foundations of the world.


    He Yu looked to the sky and gazed upon the storm. The wind had risen to a gale. It howled around him, driving the frigid stinging rain in sheets. It lashed at his skin and soaked through his robes. The skies opened, and lightning streaked across the clouds. Thunder cracked with each flash of heaven¡¯s fury, and he felt the tremors in his bones.


    For the briefest moment, He Yu hesitated. Any uncertainty he¡¯d held about what this meant was now gone. He could turn back. He could reject this step. The inner sect would still accept him. Most cultivators never formed their Golden Core. Peak Body Refining was an achievement worth of envy.


    He could turn back.


    Instead, He Yu raised his hand to the sky and heaven opened.


    His tribulation began.

 3.40 - Tribulation

    Heaven¡¯s wrath descended. Lightning filled the sky. Great forks of gold and green and purple and blue arced across the heavens. They struck the ground. They branched between the blackened clouds above. They struck the lone cultivator standing upon the empty peak of a flat mountaintop. They tested his resolve.


    He Yu screamed. Pain coursed through his entire being¡ªbody and spirit alike. He felt like he was being torn apart, only to be pieced back together so it could all happen again. His meridians surged with more power than he could contain. Heaven¡¯s fury exploded all around him, and his qi raged at the furthest edge of his control.


    The rain that had soaked him through on the ascent burned away to steam. Beneath him, stone blackened with each successive strike. The wind continued to scream, and the storm remained unrelenting. All around him, lightning struck the mountaintop. Even those strikes that missed him sent another riot of qi coursing through his meridians. Within moments, he screamed his throat raw.


    Heaven¡¯s wrath was unrelenting. Lightning ripped through him. He dropped to his knees, but he kept his arm up, his hand open to the sky. The world fell away, and he found himself within the storm. Deep within the black clouds, whipped by wind and frigid rain, the tribulation continued and He Yu endured.


    His qi threatened to rage out of control, like it had during his failed attempt at his breakthrough. It was all he could do to maintain the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering¡ªthe only thing he could think of that would give him the strength and resilience necessary to survive. He used every spare ounce of his control to guide the raging qi of the storm into something that approximated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment.


    For what felt like days, perhaps weeks, he fought against the primordial qi of the storm. He wrestled with his own spirit as it rebelled against him¡ªraging through his meridians and sending ever greater torrents of power into his dantian.


    As the storm continued unabated, He Yu stood on the edge of a knife. He struggled with not only the fury of heaven, but his own cultivation base. Both tried their best to tear him apart. To test and punish all at once the audacity to defy the heavens as he had.


    Fractionally, agonizingly, his dantian began to compress. To collapse. The qi within the vast pool at the center of his spirit raged ever more fiercely against his desperate attempts to yoke it to his control. His meridians ached as more power than he could even comprehend coursed through them, at once carving his meridians open and refining them into something more resilient than they¡¯d been before.


    All the while, he endured the assault of memories, fragments of thoughts, insights he¡¯d gained or never fully comprehended, and more. Images, sounds, and feelings battered him, threatening the concentration that allowed him to maintain the fingernail grip on his own spirit.


    He was fifteen years old again, first awakening his spirit. He was in the arena facing down Tan Xiaoling with a shard of his broken weapon. He was in a clearing, beaten and bloody, standing against a creature that was half Sha Xiang and half something wrong. He was a lone cultivator on the peak of the world, raising a hand to the heavens in supplication and defiance at once¡ªsubmitting himself to the very thing he sought to make his own.


    The gates of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace opened, and a lone figure stepped out. The steps of the Heavenly Palace were infinite, yet He Yu saw the top as though he were standing an arm¡¯s length away. With the eyes of an immortal, he beheld the God of Thunder. His fierce countenance twisted into an expression of rage. In one hand he held a drum, in the other a hammer. Great wings sprouted from his back. He beat his drum, and the deafening roar of his divine fury shook all of heaven and earth.


    He Yu stood among the clouds. They were at once bright and dark¡ªa peaceful and tranquil day, and a raging storm that drowned the land. It was only through his cultivation of the Peerless Judgment that he could reconcile the two states and keep his thoughts ordered, even as they threatened to rebel against the contradiction.


    The land stretched beneath him, and within were countless evildoers. Cultivators who used their power to oppress¡ªwhether because they had given themselves over to corruption or vice, or because the demonic powers they¡¯d harnessed to advance demanded to be appeased with suffering. Bandits stalked the land, preying on those weaker than they¡ªtheir depravity made King Hao look good and just.


    Far to the west lay a golden dome¡ªa formation of such power that He Yu could barely look at it. The Dawn Palace. The prison of the Sunset Empress, Jin Xifeng. The surrounding land corrupted, her spirit too strong for even a formation as powerful as this to contain fully. The beasts and spirits within were hers. They nourished her in her imprisonment, whether they gave of themselves willingly or not.


    On the inner sect mountain stood Sha Xiang, gloating in her victory over his companions. She congratulated herself for the attack and the blow she¡¯d dealt. Even now, she made plans with her own coterie to expand her influence within the sect¡ªno doubt to the benefit of the Sunset Court and their imprisoned empress.


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    To be a hero was to stand against all this and more. To exemplify what it meant to be just, to walk a Way that demanded more of He Yu than he could give. To seek out those worthy of praise and punishment alike. To assist the one, and to defy the other.


    He Yu reached out a hand. Li Heng reciprocated. They clasped each other¡¯s forearms and gazed into each other¡¯s stern faces. They turned, drew their weapons, and stood against a tide of injustice.


    He drew his guandao, coursing with the power of heaven. Darkness covered the land, and evildoers reigned. As he swept the curved blade across the scene before him, sheets of lightning poured down from the sky.


    He Yu stood atop the clouds, a magnificent palace above and around him. He gazed down upon the world with the discernment of an emperor. He judged the worthy and unworthy alike, and meted out their appropriate reward.


    The heavens opened and for the briefest moment, he saw. Felt. Knew.


    The Eternal Dao.


    It was gone an instant later. A single glimpse was all he could take. It was too vast, too incomprehensible to bear. But he had his Way. The seed that had taken root hadn¡¯t yet sprouted, but he knew what he needed in order to nurture it. To cultivate the Way he¡¯d begun. The path that united his nature, his spirit, and his intent.


    It had always been his dream to be a hero¡ªa legend. That was exactly what he would do. It was what he¡¯d been doing. How he¡¯d arrived here, on this open mountaintop, enduring the fury of heaven. To follow his Way would take resolve. He knew the trials ahead would dwarf those he¡¯d faced already. But with as far as he¡¯d come, he could face them. If he failed? Then he would try again and keep trying until he broke, or until he succeeded.


    He Yu sat atop a lonely mountain peak and cultivated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. Before him, rose a single pillar¡ªthe first stage of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. It shimmered with golden energy, like the power of heaven condensed into physical form. As he turned his focus ever more inward, he pressed on his dantian.


    His qi rushed through his meridians, a turbulent mix of heaven, wind, and water. As it flowed back into his dantian, he felt that now-familiar pulse. He pushed back against the growing outward pressure. He directed his qi into his spiritual center, pushing more and more into his core with each breath. Slowly, his dantian compressed. As it grew smaller, it grew more dense, and the outward pressure increased. Each time it shrank, the pressure more than doubled. Each doubling, He Yu edged ever closer to losing control.


    Then it collapsed. It was near-instantaneous¡ªthe expanse of his cultivation base that he¡¯d been growing all this time compressed to a brilliant sphere no larger than his thumbnail. In the next instant, it exploded with power. Qi rushed through his entire being, somehow even more potent and closer to the edge of control than before. His dantian shone with the brilliance of ten thousand lanterns. An additional pair of pillars joined the first.


    His dantian completed its collapse, his qi condensing into a solid mass of power in its place. It was smaller than before and shone with soft golden light. The visions continued for some time. Eventually, they abated along with the storm. The qi raging within his newly forged Golden Core and through his meridians calmed, returning to the controlled and familiar flow he¡¯d cultivated over these past two years. When He Yu opened his eyes at last, he saw only clear blue sky above.


    Occasionally, a tremor would shoot through his body. An arm or a leg would spasm in memory of the trial he¡¯d just endured. His meridians felt hollowed out, like they¡¯d been carved open with a trowel. His dantian¡ªhis Golden Core¡ªwas empty. At least that was his first impression. On further inspection, he realized that his cultivation base had simply become far more dense. It was all still there, just compacted. Made more potent. He was empty only with respect to his newfound capacity.


    He lay on his back and stared upwards, simply happy to have survived. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. The visions in the storm had felt both instant and eternal. The only point of reference he had for such an advancement was the time it had taken him to fail. He¡¯d spent over a month stuck in his cultivation chamber, struggling against his own uncontrollable cultivation base.


    As he pushed himself into a seated position, he put his hand in something viscous and foul. All around him were the impurities of his breakthrough, more than he¡¯d ever exuded. Thankfully, the open air made the stench more bearable than usual. He¡¯d have to find a stream or a spring to wash himself in before returning to the sect.


    He Yu stood and flexed his spirit. Qi surged through his meridians. The surrounding air grew charged and heavy, and he could smell the distinctive scent of fresh-fallen rain. The sensation of tremors left over from having his body wracked by lightning translated to a sort of flicker as he moved. Casual motions seemed to almost jump from one position to the next. Despite being weighed down by the sludge of impurities, his robes still moved as though tugged by a wind that seemed to exist only in He Yu¡¯s vicinity.


    The sensation of his qi was at once more controlled and more primal. It felt like the storm he¡¯d endured had taken root inside him¡ªcontained within his newly formed core. His cultivation had become more potent and dense, and his new core could contain so much more. He Yu guessed it would take weeks, maybe more than a month, to cultivate up to his current capacity without the help of medicines. He desperately wanted to take a pill and get a head start.


    It didn¡¯t take long to find a pond fed by a natural spring. After washing himself off and changing into a new set of clothes he¡¯d brought along in his storage treasure, he finally took a restorative pill. It did little, but it was a start. He activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, and launched himself off the side of the mountain, half flying, half falling as he made his way back to the inner sect with his newly formed Golden Core.

 3.41 - A Word of Advice

    He Yu had made it nearly all the way back to the inner sect when he felt the familiar presence of Zhang Lifen¡¯s qi. He activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, extending his spiritual perception. She was much further away than he¡¯d have thought, but he recalled Yan Shirong¡¯s comment about like calling to like from when they¡¯d first met. The effects of his three aspects would be something that he¡¯d have to keep in mind as he cultivated ever higher.


    With a light thump, he landed in front of her and gave a salute. She stood as she typically did, with her hands folded before her in the sleeves of her gown. Her chin tilted ever so slightly upwards, and she gave him an appraising look.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve surpassed even my expectations. It¡¯s been a long journey from barely defeating an awakened squirrel outside of Shulin, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    He Yu nodded. It had, but there was clearly something else she was here for. Not even for an instant did he think that she¡¯d had any doubt that he would have succeeded. The month they¡¯d spent together in the eastern hills had been preparing him for this. Her nightly lectures had focused on seeking his connection with his Way. The daily combat had focused on manipulating heaven qi without the aid of a technique. Her repeated comments about primordial arts asking high prices.


    He recalled the incredibly brief exchange they¡¯d had before he set out. She had known where he was going, and she¡¯d sent him on his way with absolute confidence.


    As he stood across from her on the path, with the mists and mountains of the inner sect rising behind her, he saw Zhang Lifen in a different light. Maybe it was because her typical casual, almost flippant demeanor was gone. Replaced by something more serious and intense. She regarded him with a detached air, something more like the way he had always thought higher realm cultivators would act.


    ¡°I know why you sought to advance now, of all times,¡± she said. ¡°You should stay your hand. At least for the time being.¡±


    At least now, after two years, He Yu was no longer surprised at that. He didn¡¯t see any merit in her suggestion, though, and said as much. ¡°Why should I?¡± he asked. ¡°The whole reason I advanced was so that I could end things with Sha Xiang. Show she can¡¯t push me or my friends around and get Li Heng¡¯s sword back.¡±


    ¡°As you are now, Sha Xiang is nothing to you,¡± Zhang Lifen said.


    ¡°Then why shouldn¡¯t I take this opportunity?¡±


    ¡°Your feet point forward, but your eyes remain fixed behind you. You have perhaps a week¡ªtwo, at most¡ªbefore talk of your advancement reaches the rest of the inner sect. It would benefit you to use that time well.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You are freshly awakened into the Fourth Realm. As such, you¡¯ve only had the smallest taste of your newfound strength. No doubt your principal art has something for you. Spend at least the next few days in cultivation. Discover what your arts provide and familiarize yourself with them. You only get this one chance.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t speaking solely about Sha Xiang, he realized. ¡°One chance to what?¡±


    ¡°To make an example, of course,¡± she said.


    There was a ruthlessness to her tone that caught him off guard.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a new realm now. Sha Xiang and her companions have wronged you. You already know what to do,¡± she said. He Yu tried his best to ignore the coldness in her words. ¡°But have you forgotten what I told you when you entered the inner sect?¡±


    ¡°That others would come after me,¡± he said.


    Zhang Lifen nodded. ¡°Your quick rise within the Third Realm shielded you, in a sense. So too did your friends. You quickly outstripped those of the Third Realm who could threaten you, except those few you¡¯ve already been feuding with. But you¡¯ve left all that behind now.


    ¡°Your friends are meaningless, at least until they can advance. I am still bound by my status as a core disciple, though less than I was previously. You are alone now. When you make your move against Sha Xiang, it¡¯s best if you make an example of her. You ought also do it in a way that gives others pause.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t certain of how he felt about that. Would such actions truly align with his Way? At the very least, if he took her suggestion and spent the next few days cultivating, he might have a better answer for himself.


    ¡°Also, consider,¡± she added. ¡°The greater a blow you strike her now, she will be less able to retaliate later. Sha Xiang isn¡¯t the type to forget a defeat, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve realized by now. While she¡¯ll continue to carry a grudge regardless, the harder she falls now, the less likely she is to think herself capable of repaying that grudge later. She will wait until she is certain. You already have a massive head start, and this is possibly your best opportunity to make sure she never bothers your or your friends again.¡±


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    ¡°I take it you did something similar during your time as an inner sect disciple?¡± he asked.


    The corner of Zhang Lifen¡¯s lips quirked upwards. ¡°I fought anyone I thought I could beat,¡± she said. ¡°When I won, I crushed them. Make no mistake, He Yu. You¡¯ve entered a different sort of world, now. Cultivators of the Third Realm are strong, especially compared to mortals. Reaching Golden Core is but the first step to real strength.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been told something similar with each advancement,¡± he said.


    Zhang Lifen nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt. But this time it really is different.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t deny that there was a certain ring of truth to her words. Even now he could tell the difference in his qi¡¯s quality. The effect of his presence on the world around him¡ªits new and unfamiliar weight. It was also obvious that even this was a fraction of what he was now capable of.


    ¡°How long should I wait, then?¡± he asked.


    She shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. Like I said, you¡¯ve a week, maybe two, before word spreads on its own. I would suggest taking at least three or four days to familiarize yourself with your new strength. Cultivate any new techniques you have access to and give yourself another day or two to practice. Then strike. When you do, remember that you aren¡¯t just settling a grudge with a rival you¡¯ve left behind. You¡¯re making a statement to the disciples who are now your peers. Ensure they receive the proper message.¡±


    While she spoke, his uncertainty solidified into outright dislike. He could see her point, though. It had merit.


    ¡°I thank you for your advice,¡± he said, giving her another salute.


    ¡°Go,¡± she said, waving a hand. ¡°Think about what I¡¯ve said. I know it¡¯s not something that will sit well with you, but I offered it with your best interests in mind. It ultimately falls to you to decide what to do with it.¡±


    On Zhang Lifen¡¯s advice, He Yu returned home to cultivate. He withdrew his old storage treasure from its hiding spot and took out his cultivation manual for the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. Unrolling the slip, the characters rearranged themselves, forming the instructions to a new technique.


    Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade.


    He read the instructions for the technique, and then hurried to his cultivation chamber. Taking a seat, he cycled his qi in the patterns described by his manual. In his meditations, he returned to a vision from his breakthrough. Once again, he swept his guandao in a wide arc. Sheets of lightning poured down from the sky. This time, however, the sparks of heaven remained flickering along the length of his weapon, clinging to the metal. He executed a series of sweeps and thrusts. Heaven fell upon the earth.


    Then he focused on the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. Yongnian had told him it would reveal more of itself when he reached the Fourth Realm. It did so now.


    The additional two pillars he¡¯d seen during his tribulation were the next two stages of the body art. They would support and reinforce the first, granting him even greater strength, speed, and durability. Heaven flashed between the three pillars as he sat in their center. It would take some time to truly bring out the additional benefits of the art, but he wasn¡¯t in any hurry. Between his advancement and what he could already tell they provided, it would be enough for what he intended.


    It was that intent that he turned his mind to next. He spent some time¡ªhe wasn¡¯t sure how long¡ªturning over his conversation with Zhang Lifen. It didn¡¯t take much to see that she was right. Or to see the meaning of the things she hadn¡¯t said.


    He¡¯d entered a new world now. Not just an advancement in realm. When he¡¯d first met Zhang Lifen, she had been at a peak Golden Core. Half a step into the Fifth Realm, really. Already he could feel some fraction of that power coursing through his own meridians. The most obvious consequence was that he was now part of the backbone of the sect¡¯s strength. He would need to take on ever more dangerous assignments. He would need to face ever more powerful opponents.


    His fellow disciples among them. Now that he¡¯d entered the Fourth Realm, he would need to care more for his reputation. He wouldn¡¯t have the luxury of allowing rivalries to take root and grow. He needed to be as Zhang Lifen had during her time in the Fourth Realm¡ªruthless.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about that. As he cultivated, most of his thoughts tackled this very problem. He found no answers. It didn¡¯t come as much of a surprise, though. If there was one thing he¡¯d learned, it was that he would have to figure these things out on his own. His Way was as much about defining what exactly he meant by ¡°being a hero¡± as it was about actually being one.


    Looking back on the fancies he¡¯d held when first coming to the sect, it all seemed obvious now.


    But it was easy to see the steps one had already taken. It was those steps that still lay ahead that held the challenge.


    As He Yu advanced, he would have to face ever more troublesome questions. Make harder and harder choices. And, he realized, he would be wrong. Probably more often than he was right. That, too, was part of cultivating the judgment of an emperor. One such choice lay before him now.


    He Yu stood and exited his cultivation chamber.


    It was early morning. He had the sense that it had been more than a single day since he¡¯d come down from the mountain, but he wasn¡¯t particularly hungry. Hopefully, that meant he would need to eat less now. As he¡¯d advanced previously, his appetite had increased almost as fast as his strength had. He also knew that as cultivators advanced, they became increasingly able to sustain themselves with qi alone. If there was ever a time when the balance would shift, Golden Core seemed as good as any.


    His core was full, however. Brimming with qi, more potent and more dense than he¡¯d ever felt within himself. He felt as though he could fight for a hundred times longer than he had before. He felt like his techniques could break the sky. He felt like¡ªno; he knew¡ªthat his body could withstand the wrath of heaven.


    Zhang Lifen had been right to tell him to cultivate first. She¡¯d been right to tell him to study the new techniques he had available. Most importantly, she¡¯d been right to advise him to make an example.


    That was exactly what he intended to do.

 3.42 - Payback

    When He Yu found Sha Xiang, she was in one of the inner sect¡¯s many gardens. Cui Bao sat nearby drinking wine. Mo Zhiqiang and Da Ning were both present as well. Four sets of eyes turned towards him the moment he stepped from the path.


    As he cupped a fist in salute, a faint breeze tugged at the hem of his robe. It was the robe Yongnian had gifted him in the shrine of the Thunder God, fashioned of dark gray silk and patterned with gold thread depicting dragons and billowing clouds. He caught the scent of fresh-fallen rain, and couldn¡¯t imagine that Sha Xiang and the others wouldn¡¯t notice. Although he gave them a salute, he declined to bow over it. Instead, he fixed each of them with his gaze. Then he spoke.


    ¡°I see you neglected my warning,¡± he said, looking first to Da Ning, then to Mo Zhiqiang.


    ¡°The fuck is he talking about?¡± Sha Xiang asked, rising to her feet and flexing her spirit.


    The feeling of it very nearly caught him off guard. Only a week prior, she would have felt powerful. Now she only felt feeble. She hadn¡¯t fully released her grip on her presence yet, but what measure of earth and fire she let roll out from her gave He Yu enough of an idea of the gap that now lay between them.


    ¡°The coward that he is, He Yu asked us to abandon your cause, Lady Sha,¡± said Da Ning. It was half a sneer as he spoke, with no hint of the fear he¡¯d displayed when they¡¯d last spoken.


    He Yu moved. With barely a trickle of his own qi, he activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. As he crossed the distance between himself and Da Ning, he summoned his guandao. He held his weapon in one hand, blade extended. A thin line of blood ran down Da Ning¡¯s cheek where the edge had left a bright scarlet mark. The air around the weapon crackled and flickered.


    ¡°I will reclaim Li Heng¡¯s family sword. I owe him at least that much for all he¡¯s done for me.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve finally grown a pair,¡± Sha Xiang said with a laugh, making no effort to hide her glee at the prospect of a fight. If he¡¯d had any doubts left about his course of action, she dispelled them all then and there.


    Sha Xiang fully unleashed her presence then. It hadn¡¯t substantially changed since the tournament, evoking the feeling of flame and stone. The darkness that was part of her demonic technique had changed¡ªit was stronger, more present, and more refined.


    Taking his place at Sha Xiang¡¯s side, Cui Bao¡¯s spirit joined hers. Flames cascaded outward from him, licking at the flagstones. He gave off the impression of a leopard with burning red eyes.


    Mo Zhiqiang and Da Ning were both about the same in terms of their advancement and the refinement of their presences. As Da Ning drew Li Heng¡¯s jian, the feeling of gleaming metal radiated from him, but little else. He could only produce the impression of a blade, and no more. Mo Zhiqiang was slightly more developed, giving the impression of mist and early spring growth.


    They all felt so feeble.


    It came as a shock, the sudden realization that he was so much stronger than they were. Was this the reason so many immortals acted with such arrogance? He couldn¡¯t allow himself to focus on that, however. He had something he needed to accomplish here.


    He Yu flickered back to the far end of the garden. Holding his guandao in a relaxed one-handed grip, the blade a finger¡¯s breadth from the flagstones, he finally revealed his own presence.


    Thunder cracked as sparks of heaven qi danced along the length of his weapon and crawled up his arms. Winds churned around him, eddying down and around his weapon alongside the crackling lightning. The scent of fresh rain filled the garden. As He Yu¡¯s spirit broke over his four opponents, he saw with his own spiritual perception a storm. Rain extinguished Cui Bao¡¯s flames and drenched Sha Xiang¡¯s dripping molten stone. Lightning arced towards Da Ning¡¯s metallic spirit, splintering it and rendering the nascent blade of his presence worthless. Wind blew away Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s mists and clouds, leaving him exposed.


    Da Ning faltered, stumbling and nearly taking a knee before pushing enough of his own qi into an enforcement technique and remain standing. Mo Zhiqiang fared better. Sha Xiang and Cui Bao both withstood him the best, their presences being the most developed.


    ¡°Golden Core,¡± Da Ning gasped.


    ¡°Scared?¡± Sha Xiang shot at him over her shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s four of us. I may still be Body Refining, but I¡¯m stronger than anyone else at my stage.¡± Turning her attention back to He Yu, she said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to make this easy for you.¡±


    ¡°I expect no less,¡± He Yu said.


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    It was Cui Bao who moved first. Flame licked at his feet as he advanced. Sparks erupted from his twin hatchets. Through the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, He Yu saw the shape of his attack and the arc of his swing as if he were moving in slow motion.


    He Yu stepped forward. His fist slammed into the center of Cui Bao¡¯s chest. Heavenly qi burst out from the impact with an accompanying snap of thunder. An instant later Cui Bao crashed into one of the mountain¡¯s red pines on the far side of the garden. Wood split and splintered. The tree and Cui Bao both hit the ground.


    Wind tugged at the hem of He Yu¡¯s robe. Lightning crawled over him and arced to the ground. He pointed his guandao at Da Ning. In a flash, he was by the noble¡¯s side once again. His guandao scored a bloody gash across Da Ning¡¯s chest. The noble stumbled away.


    In the instant before he could follow up, Sha Xiang was on him. With a feral roar, she launched a barrage of strikes. Her arms and legs had become overlain with the black bulk of her Four Demon Fists, and the wrongness that had become so intertwined with her presence was greater than it ever had been. He Yu ducked back and away. For each of her strikes, he manifested the Spring Rain Mirror. Her blows only producing an explosion of steam as they crashed against his water-aspected defensive technique.


    When the blows subsided, He Yu called the wind. The Sweeping Wind now sparked with jagged fingers of heaven as the arc of his attack sped towards Sha Xiang. She brought up her arms in a block, the solid earth aspected qi of her body art encasing her. Stone shattered and blood sprayed. Her face twisted in rage, and her presence redoubled itself as she somehow poured more qi into her techniques.


    ¡°Coward!¡± Mo Zhiqiang yelled, advancing with his spear. ¡°Assaulting disciples of a lower realm!¡± Wind and water trailed in the wake of his attack, and obscuring mists covered the spear¡¯s head.


    He Yu swatted Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s attack aside, then levered him into the air with the blunt end of his guandao. ¡°No more a coward than all of you, ganging up on my friends when they were alone.¡±


    He followed Mo Zhiqiang using the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. When he was level with the noble, He Yu blasted him away with the Bracing Wind. The fury of heaven trailed Mo Zhiqiang as he crashed back to the ground.


    Sha Xiang leaped at him once again. The Four Demon Fists had now almost completely obscured her natural limbs, and the fire and earth qi that radiated from her had become even more infused with the wrong-feeling presence of the technique. She drew back a fist, earth qi coalescing around it as she activated her primary combat art, the Earth Sundering Fist.


    A boulder several feet across coalesced from Sha Xiang¡¯s earthen qi as she launched a punch. Her fist slammed into it and shattered in a spray of stone shards. The Spring Rain Mirror dealt with the majority of them, but not all. The remainder pelted against He Yu, bouncing ineffectively against his robes and skin. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, now with three pillars instead of one, gave him durability far beyond what such a technique could overcome.


    He Yu turned to Sha Xiang. His voice remained calm as he spoke. ¡°You only understand one thing¡ªstrength. If you won¡¯t listen to reason or appeals to whatever better nature you may once have had, then there¡¯s only one way left to deal with you. I had hoped we could resolve things peacefully between us, but you showed that was impossible. It is a lesson I won¡¯t soon forget.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Sha Xiang growled. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that bitch, Zhang Lifen¡ª¡±


    Like a bolt of heaven¡¯s fury, He Yu slammed into her. She didn¡¯t even have time to bring up her guard. The blade of his guandao bit deep into the meat between her neck and shoulder, and grasping fingers of lightning scored jagged burns up her neck and down her arm. She cried out in a mix of fury and pain, the black substance of her Four Demon Fists technique writhing under his assault.


    A rushing blast of burning air was the only warning He Yu had of Cui Bao¡¯s attack¡ªbut it was more than enough. Even as he turned, He Yu beat back the flurry of strikes with the Spring Rain Mirror. Flames wreathed Cui Bao¡¯s arms and legs. Much like the leopard He Yu had sensed earlier in his presence, Cui Bao¡¯s eyes had turned to a dull burning red.


    ¡°Now!¡± the fiery cultivator shouted.


    From either side, Mo Zhiqiang and Da Ning attacked at once, joined by Cui Bao from the front. It was the first time since the fight had broken out that He Yu felt like he even needed to try. A brief formation of the Bracing Wind broke the momentum of their advance. He Yu spun his guandao, beating back sword, spear, and hatchet with a series of looping sweeps. Anything that slipped by his weapon deflected off the Spring Rain Mirror. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment made sure not even the slightest flicker of movement escaped his notice.


    Cui Bao hooked his hatchets around the haft of He Yu¡¯s guandao and pulled. He Yu cycled a fraction more qi into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and pulled back. The other cultivator stumbled forward, off balance from the reversal of his own move. He Yu swept at his feet with the haft of his weapon, then kicked him away.


    At the moment he¡¯d committed his focus to Cui Bao, Mo Zhiqiang and Da Ning moved to flank him. A shift in the area¡¯s qi¡ªa rumbling of earth and a great belching of sulfur and flame¡ªindicated Sha Xiang had finally recovered. It had only been a few moments, but He Yu still would have expected her to be back in the fight a bit sooner. He was still getting used to this¡ªthis feeling of being in an entire realm above his opponents, rather than struggling against someone who was at least his equal.


    Despite all the advantages he held, He Yu still regarded Sha Xiang as the most dangerous. He turned to face her and a wave of horror washed over him. The unnatural bulk that came from her use of the Four Demon Fists now had a familiar red tinge¡ªsimilar to King Hao¡¯s arm after his resurrection. As she moved towards him, she seemed unsteady. As though she weren¡¯t wholly in control of herself.


    Most disturbingly, whatever she¡¯d given herself over to was accompanied by a now all-too-familiar sense of want. It was the same sense he¡¯d felt from King Hao. The same sense he¡¯d felt from the western wilds. The touch of the Sunset Empress.


    He had known that she had been treating with the Sunset Court all this time. That her power had come from them, not from her own efforts. He¡¯d never imagined she would go this far.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± he asked.

 3.43 - The Four Demon Fists

    The dull glow of red veins running along Sha Xiang¡¯s arms slowly pulsed as she spoke. ¡°I did what I had to.¡±


    The voice was hers, but different somehow. Crueler than it usually was, but He Yu realized that in some way this was who she¡¯d always been. Whatever the Four Demon Fists had done to her, it was as suited to her as He Yu¡¯s arts were to him.


    He¡¯d been a fool to attempt peace with her. A lesson learned on the path of an emperor.


    In the time of their brief exchange of words, Sha Xiang¡¯s followers had rallied. With the insight of the Peerless Judgment, He Yu could see the flow of qi in their meridians as the effects of the medicine they¡¯d consumed took hold. All four of them readied their weapons and activated their techniques. Then, they attacked as one.


    He Yu responded by activating his newest technique¡ªHeaven¡¯s Descending Blade.


    His guandao swept out before him, trailing lightning in its wake. A sheath of heavenly qi extended from the end of his weapon, easily doubling its length. Mo Zhiqiang was the first in its path¡ªthe first to feel lightning¡¯s bite. His left arm fell to the ground with a thump, blood gushing from where it had been severed just above the elbow.


    The noble joined his severed limb on the flagstones. He screamed as he clutched at his stump, trying desperately to stanch the flow of blood. The other three froze. Despite the aggression they¡¯d displayed towards others since coming to the sect, this was a step beyond.


    A cold sharpness hung over the garden, joining the scent of rain and the distant rumble of thunder. As He Yu¡¯s killing intent settled over the fight, he cycled qi to the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. With a single step, he crossed the space between himself and Da Ning, banishing his guandao back to his storage treasure.


    He Yu reached out and grabbed Li Heng¡¯s jian by the blade, wrenching it from Da Ning¡¯s grip. ¡°This never belonged to you,¡± he said.


    Then he punched Da Ning in the chest. The blow released a crack of thunder. Lightning forked away from the impact. He Yu had hardly been aware he¡¯d cycled qi into the blow. It was just instinct after his month of training in the hills with Zhang Lifen.


    Da Ning flew back dozens of feet. When he landed, he didn¡¯t rise. The flow of his qi indicated that he still lived, but he was badly injured. The impact had shattered most of his ribs. It would take more than a simple restorative pill to bring him back to fighting shape.


    With the weaker two of Sha Xiang¡¯s followers dealt with, He Yu turned back to her and Cui Bao. He sent Li Heng¡¯s jian into his storage treasure for safekeeping and recalled his guandao. As he cycled his qi into both the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he felt the same clarity he had when he¡¯d faced Tan Xiaoling during the tournament as his Wayborn Seed resonated with his actions.


    Heavenly qi crackled along the length of his guandao and up along both of his arms. His presence rolled outward in a bank of black clouds. They brought with them flame-quenching rain and columns of brilliant lighting. The air grew heavy and thick, in much the same way that it did back in Shulin when late afternoon thunderstorms rolled in from the east.


    ¡°Stand down and swear an oath,¡± He Yu said. He stood opposite Sha Xiang and Cui Bao, his guandao held in one hand. ¡°You can¡¯t win here, but I take no pleasure in beating those weaker than myself. Swear to leave me and my friends to our peace. We won¡¯t bother you, and you can attend to your injured.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Sha Xiang screamed. Her features were twisted and feral, just like her qi. With a pulse of earth and fire, she surged forward. Golden-brown earth qi tinged black with the shadow of the Four Demon Fists rippled along her arms.


    A formation of the Spring Rain Mirror flashed into place, deflecting the first blows of Sha Xiang¡¯s barrage. Cui Bao activated a movement technique and maneuvered himself to the opposite side of He Yu. With a burst of flame and a shower of embers, he attacked. He Yu darted back with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. The speed of his body art allowed him to easily avoid the Sha Xiang¡¯s attacks, and to get behind Cui Bao. A blast of the Bracing Wind knocked Cui Bao off balance, and a quick smash with the end-cap of the guandao sent him to the flagstones.


    He Yu backed off once more, holding himself about a dozen feet off the ground with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. He gazed imperiously down at the scene below. Mo Zhiqiang had crawled off to a corner and had curled up on himself, cradling what was left of his arm to his chest. Da Ning lay on his back, gasping shallow breaths and staring at the sky. Cui Bao lay limp where he¡¯d fallen.


    The garden itself was ruined. Black scorch marks from both lightning and flame marred the flagstones. Only a pit in the flagstones remained from where Sha Xiang had lifted the very earth for her earlier technique. Everywhere he looked, there was some evidence of damage, whether it be blood, ruined plants, or cracked stonework.


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    ¡°It¡¯s just you and me,¡± he said. He released his technique and dropped to the ground. It seemed prudent not to be literally talking down to her at the moment. ¡°Do you really think you can prevail alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been alone,¡± Sha Xiang growled. ¡°Every step of the way. Everything I have, I clawed from this world with my own hands¡ªwith my blood by my effort. This power is mine, and I won¡¯t let anyone take it from me. Not even you.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t need the Peerless Judgment to see all the things wrong with her words. She hadn¡¯t done anything on her own. Every step of the way she¡¯d had help. Whether it came from Xiao Jun, from whatever power that allowed her the use of the Four Demon Fists, or from the support of the coterie she¡¯d gathered around her, she had had help. Every step of the way.


    Just like he had.


    That was the difference between them. He Yu recognized that he¡¯d had help. That he¡¯d never truly stood on his own. It was true even now. The whole reason he¡¯d come to the garden wasn¡¯t because of anything Sha Xiang had done to him specifically. It was because of what she¡¯d done to his friends.


    The certainty of his intent settled over him, and he saw the liminal pathways traced by his actions and made manifest with the help of his Wayborn Seed. He took a step forward, cloaked in that certainty. He recalled the images he¡¯d seen in his meditations during those first days at the sect. Visions of himself standing alone atop a mountain. Visions of himself standing with others on the nearby peaks. He¡¯d known then which he preferred, and he knew now.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. His voice was surprisingly soft, even to him. Sad, almost. ¡°You haven¡¯t been alone. But soon, you will be.¡±


    They both moved at once.


    He Yu flashed with the fury of heaven. Lightning crawled along his guandao and up his arms. Wind churned in his wake and stirred the dust and detritus of the garden. His presence rolled over the fight like a summer storm, bearing thunder and rain on heavy black clouds. His qi moved freely through his meridians, guided by his intent and assisted by his resonance with his Way. For perhaps the first time since his final bout against Tan Xiaoling in the tournament, he acted with that same ease of purpose.


    Sha Xiang roiled with the heat of the molten earth. The gold-tinted earthen qi of her Earth Sundering Fist technique had been all but obscured by the demonic influence of the Four Demon Fists. Great gouts of steam rose from the land rent by her passing and exuded the same wrongness He Yu had felt from her all the times before. But now it was more intense. The only other aspect to her presence besides the earth and fire was the sense of want¡ªa sense that He Yu knew wasn¡¯t strictly coming from her.


    A storm broke over a scorched and burning land. He met her blow-for-blow, and with each exchange, the burning earth cooled that much more. She would lash out with a barrage of punches¡ªa flurry of blows that mere weeks ago He Yu would have been hard-pressed to defend against. Even so, each of her blows was a rising crescendo. More of the Sunset Empress¡¯s influence bled into each successive strike.


    Now? He simply summoned the Spring Rain Mirror. The technique flashed into the space between them, and Sha Xiang¡¯s fist would crack against it. He would banish the technique and in the same instant, then manifest it again to block her follow-up. It was almost effortless. Her movements seemed sluggish to his Fourth Realm senses, such that he probably could have defended just as easily without the aid of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment.


    It was a tempting prospect, but Zhang Lifen¡¯s lessons had remained with him. He wasn¡¯t about to get into the habit of giving anything less than his all. So he poured qi into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. He summoned Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade once again. He rushed forward on the wings of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, and he called forth the Five Crescent Winds.


    A golden disk appeared before Sha Xiang. He Yu slammed into it, and a sound like a gong cascaded over the garden. It redoubled upon itself a thousand times, and with it came the overwhelming presence of a Sixth Realm immortal.


    A single star shone in the sky above. Under its blinding radiance, all of He Yu¡¯s techniques crumbled. The golden disk faded, and he saw that Sha Xiang¡¯s techniques were likewise gone¡ªand without them she fell to her knees, bloody and broken. The newcomer¡¯s presence did not abate, however. It took nearly all of He Yu¡¯s strength, physical and spiritual, to remain standing.


    From the shining sky above them, First Disciple Yi Xiurong descended. She rode upon her peacock feather, just as she had when she¡¯d come to He Yu¡¯s rescue out in the wilds. Except here there was no protective barrier from another Core Disciple to shield him. He was fully at the mercy of her power. Had he not advanced to Golden Core, he would have been in no better state than Sha Xiang, he was certain.


    As she stepped off her feather, Yi Xiurong merely looked about, saying nothing. She kept her hands folded within her sleeves, and her features were cold and unreadable. After a moment, she finally withdrew her spirit and spoke.


    ¡°I will not permit a talent such as yourself to jeopardize his future by killing a fellow disciple. Not even one so detestable as Sha Xiang. You will stand down now, Junior Brother He. You have what you came for. Go. Return to Junior Brother Li his sword.¡±


    He Yu swallowed. Although he wanted to protest, to insist that it was his right to finish things once and for all, he dared not. All he could do was press a fist into his palm in salute. ¡°Of course, Senior Sister.¡±


    Turning to the path leading back to the inner sect proper, Yi Xiurong said, ¡°You may come out now, Sect Sister Zhang. This is all clearly your doing, so I trust you will now take the time to instruct your disciple.¡± As Zhang Lifen stepped from where she¡¯d obscured herself, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel that things were much more serious than he¡¯d first thought, given Yi Xiurong¡¯s tone.


    As he was about to leave, Sha Xiang grunted and pushed herself to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± she half-growled. Her qi trembled as the cycled the beginnings of the Four Demon Fists once again.


    Yi Xiurong crossed the space between them with barely a flicker of movement. Several quick strikes at Sha Xiang¡¯s acupressure points saw her collapse once more. ¡°You are quite finished, Sha Xiang.¡± First Disciple Yi turned to He Yu and Zhang Lifen once more. ¡°Go,¡± she commanded. ¡°I will deal with things here.¡±


    Leaning in to He Yu, Zhang Lifen whispered, ¡°You¡¯d best listen. She¡¯s very angry, after all.¡±

 3.44 - Golden Core

    Once He Yu and Zhang Lifen were a fair distance down the path back to the main areas of the inner sect, and well out of earshot of the Sixth Realm back at the garden, Zhang Lifen finally spoke.


    ¡°Excellent work,¡± she said. ¡°I think your display back there more than qualifies as setting an example.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you approve,¡± He Yu said, bracing himself for whatever was coming next. The unspoken ¡°but¡± hung over him like a sword, and he now knew her well enough that it was easy to see the blade was about to fall.


    ¡°You were, perhaps, a bit overzealous,¡± Zhang Lifen added. He Yu wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he felt about her smile as she said it. ¡°Da Ning and Cui Bao will recover well enough, I should think. Mo Zhiqiang is another matter completely.¡±


    ¡°Will it be a problem?¡± he asked as they walked among the pines lining the path. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the attack would have been that strong.¡±


    ¡°Golden Core is quite the advancement, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhang Lifen waved a dismissive hand before she continued. ¡°You might be penalized a few contribution points. Maybe you¡¯ll have to forfeit your stipend for a bit, or the payout for a few sect jobs. I wouldn¡¯t concern myself overmuch with it, were I you. These things happen, after all.¡±


    While he wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable with how flippant she was about the fact that he¡¯d maimed a fellow disciple, He Yu decided it was something he best meditate on later, when he was alone. As grateful as he was for Zhang Lifen¡¯s guidance thus far, it was becoming increasingly clear that their ideals diverged significantly in some areas.


    Instead, he asked a question that he felt he should have come to grips with earlier, but had been bothering him once again now that he¡¯d seen the difference between himself and Sha Xiang. ¡°Was it truly necessary?¡±


    Zhang Lifen turned to look at him as they walked side-by-side, both of them the picture of an immortal, hands folded within their sleeves. ¡°In truth, that¡¯s a question that you¡¯ll have to answer for yourself,¡± she began. ¡°However, I feel it was. I expect you¡¯ve since come to realize that things are quite different for you now, are they not?¡±


    It was easy to see what she referred to. Much had changed since his advancement. The most obvious were all the little outward signs. He¡¯d already packed on a fairly noticeable amount of muscle before his advancement, both because of the initial training under Ren Huang, and from the benefits of the Body Refining stage.


    Since advancing to Golden Core, he projected a sort of power that came from more than his physique alone. It was a qualitative change that was difficult to put his finger on, but one shared by all the Fourth Realm cultivators he¡¯d encountered thus far. Every movement contained more potential that those of a mortal¡ªthe promise of strength that was more that physical.


    The other change had come in his features. He had lost the boyish cast he previously had, and a certain refinement had replaced it. He looked almost like one of the nobles, somehow at once delicate and strong.


    The most startling change had come in his eyes. Although, thankfully, they hadn¡¯t changed in color like Zhang Lifen¡¯s, they seemed to hold a distant flickering light within. Like flashes of lightning on the far horizon. He supposed that was fitting, given the refinement of his presence. Combined with the changes the advancement had wrought to his spirit, he felt ever more the immortal than he had before.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Sha Xiang?¡± he asked. There had been something about the way Yi Xiurong had spoken to her, referring to her by name, rather than as a fellow sect member, despite their difference in rank. Although he didn¡¯t know First Disciple Yi all well, he didn¡¯t think she was the type to forgo that sort of formality.


    ¡°I imagine she will expel her from the sect,¡± Zhang Lifen said as if it were merely a trifle.


    ¡°Why? I was the one who attacked her. Or does this have something to do with how she¡¯s been conducting herself otherwise?¡± Although he immediately didn¡¯t understand why that would be the case, he was glad for it. It would be nice to have at least a bit of a reprieve where he could finally perhaps cultivate and advance in peace.


    ¡°It has more to do with her technique,¡± she replied. ¡°The demon core has grown too powerful for her to control properly. It was the only thing that allowed her to fight for as long as she did, as I¡¯m sure you noticed. It would have most likely consumed her eventually anyway, but she¡¯s pushed both it and herself far enough that she has come to the end of her Way, it seems.¡±


    ¡°Demon core?¡±


    Zhang Lifen grew serious again, stopping in the path and fully facing He Yu before she continued. ¡°It is a sliver of the Sunset Empress¡¯s power. I told you of Jin Xifeng¡¯s techniques, and the bargains she makes with her followers. The demon cores she bestows upon them are the greatest of those. They provide and consume the most. Should the recipient of one of her cores master the core in the process of bonding with it, they become what we call ¡®pacted.¡¯ The most powerful members of the Sunset Court have all received such cores.¡±


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    Although he had a pretty good idea of the answer, He Yu asked anyway. ¡°What happens to those who don¡¯t master the core?¡±


    ¡°First, they become mindless husks of their former self, driven by an insatiable need to consume. Eventually, they are themselves consumed. Their cultivation base then returns to the Sunset Empress.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s sealed within the Dawn Palace array.¡±


    ¡°She has to sustain herself somehow, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Zhang Lifen asked.


    Something about the explanation didn¡¯t quite add up, but He Yu couldn¡¯t place a finger on exactly what. He supposed the truth was likely beyond him. Honestly, this whole business with the empress and the court¡ªit was so far above what he was capable of. He thought back to that presence he¡¯d felt after the fight with King Hao. Although he couldn¡¯t have known as much, it only could have been one of those pacted members of the court, as far as he was concerned.


    The only solace he could give himself was the certainty that had settled over him upon reaching Golden Core¡ªhe wasn¡¯t anywhere close to the end of his Way. He would advance. Then the Fifth Realm, then beyond. If a being such as Jin Xifeng existed, there needed to be those capable of opposing her. He would make himself into one of those immortals.


    ¡°Such determination,¡± Zhang Lifen said as one of the inner sect plazas came into view at the end of the path. ¡°If I¡¯m not careful, you might even beat me to the Soul Refining stage.¡±


    ¡°I would never think to try and reach the Sixth Realm before you, Master Zhang,¡± he said.


    An unfamiliar laugh came from nearby. ¡°Junior Brother is too humble,¡± came a deep and refined voice laced with so much arrogance it made He Yu¡¯s skin crawl. Two cultivators, both firmly in the Fourth Realm, stepped into view.


    The one who¡¯d spoken looked exactly how He Yu would have expected given the tone. He wore his hair in much the same way Li Heng did¡ªheld back in a crown hairpin and left loose to cascade down his shoulders and back. His features were the sort of fine, almost delicate, mien that marked many of the nobles and higher realm cultivators. The corners of his lips quirked upward in a mocking grin as he eyed He Yu. He wore finely made robes of pale blue and white silk.


    The second, who had remained silent, was almost the exact opposite. His hair was similarly held back, but it was wild and untamed in appearance. He had an intense expression that would have come across as angry if not for his obviously relaxed posture. He dressed more like a warrior, forgoing the sort of robes common to inner disciples in favor of an outfit more reminiscent of a soldier¡¯s¡ªonly missing the armor to complete the look.


    Neither held weapons, and both kept their presences restrained. Despite that, Zhang Lifen stepped in front of He Yu. ¡°Wang Xiaobo,¡± she said to the one who¡¯d spoken. ¡°What makes you show your face?¡±


    He Yu did not like the obvious animosity in Zhang Lifen¡¯s words. The last thing he needed¡ªor wanted¡ªat the moment was another fight.


    ¡°I¡¯m simply checking up on my Junior,¡± Wang Xiaobo said. ¡°It would be rude of me not to, after all. He¡¯s given the rest of us lowly Fourth Realms quite the show today. I suppose you had a hand in that, didn¡¯t you, Senior Sister Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I did. Now, get out of our way. I¡¯ll not countenance an attack on my disciple this day. Don¡¯t make me resort to threats.¡± Although she kept her spirit fully withheld as she spoke, Zhang Lifen allowed some of her killing intent to descend over the four of them. It was easily double the intensity of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s¡ªeven restrained as it was.


    The one who¡¯d not spoken yet stepped forward to join Wang Xiaobo. ¡°My brother is true to his word. We are merely here to offer our congratulations to Junior Brother He.¡±


    ¡°Xin Lu, your words do you no merit. I should see no reason why the two of you would appear here together today other than to intimidate my disciple. Need I remind you that he is still ranked six hundred third among the inner disciples? Golden Core or no, it would be inappropriate of you to concern yourself with him.¡±


    ¡°You and I both know you don¡¯t believe that, Senior Sister,¡± Wang Xiaobo said. ¡°Junior Brother He will no doubt ascend quickly now that he is on equal footing with people who actually matter. I expect he won¡¯t stay at such a low rank for long.¡±


    ¡°Nor do I,¡± said Xin Lu.


    Wang Xiaobo pressed a fist into his palm. ¡°Welcome to the Fourth Realm,¡± he said. Xin Lu did likewise, and they both turned and left.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± He Yu asked, turning to Zhang Lifen. She still glared at the retreating backs of the two disciples.


    ¡°As you may recall, I told that I had made some enemies during my time as an inner disciple,¡± she said.


    He Yu did recall, and he¡¯d been desperately hoping during the entire exchange that Xin Lu and Wang Xiaobo weren¡¯t any of them.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°those two were particularly vexing to me. I did my fair share to put them in their places. It isn¡¯t surprising they¡¯ve held a grudge.¡±


    The elation He Yu had been feeling at finally being rid of Sha Xiang and all the problems she had caused for him and his friends evaporated. ¡°How strong are they?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Wang Xiaobo is ranked ninety-third, and Xin Lu is ranked ninety-ninth. They¡¯ve likely advanced to the late Fourth Realm by now.¡±


    He¡¯d been afraid the answer would be something like that.


    ¡°Your rank is far too low for them to move against you directly just yet, but they still have plenty of ways to make your life difficult. If you want to ensure continued access to resources, you ought to increase your sect rank quickly. Of course, doing so will bring more attention. With attention will come challengers. How you choose to proceed is up to you.¡±


    He Yu sighed. ¡°I suppose I should have expected as much,¡± he said.


    ¡°I did tell you things would be difficult once you reached the inner sect, didn¡¯t I?¡± Zhang Lifen gave him not entirely sympathetic smile. ¡°Go give Li Heng his sword, then meet me at our usual training field. We have a lot of work to do.¡±


    As he left Zhang Lifen behind, he cursed her under his breath. The last thing He Yu heard as he retreated was a quiet, amused laugh.

 Epilogue - More than a Setback

    The knock came about an hour after nightfall. Zhang Lifen waved a hand and the door to the outer wall of her garden opened. First Disciple Yi Xiurong stepped through.


    ¡°That was reckless,¡± Yi Xiurong said, her voice calm.


    ¡°Tea?¡± Zhang Lifen asked, placing one last detail on her painting before setting aside her brush. She had expected this visit sooner, and had begun work on her latest masterpiece while it had still been light out. For the past hour she¡¯d been working by lamplight.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a social visit.¡±


    ¡°Clearly,¡± Zhang Lifen said, finally turning her full attention to her guest. ¡°As you were saying?¡±


    ¡°The Sha girl is gone. I trust you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t strictly have to throw her out of the sect, you know,¡± Zhang Lifen pointed out.


    ¡°I did. She was about to lose control. The core would have awakened, and we¡¯d have been forced to put her down. She was always a liability, but until recently she¡¯d been deemed worth the risk.¡±


    ¡°We have Junior Brother Cui and Junior Sister Qiao, still, do we not?¡± She suspected this wasn¡¯t the case. Cui Bao would most likely leave the sect, along with Sha Xiang. He¡¯d been following her around like a lost puppy ever since they¡¯d met, and Zhang Lifen saw no reason that should change now.


    Qiao Xia would likely use this opportunity to break off her association with the Sunset Court. Sha Xiang had not been kind to her, and Qiao Xia no doubt wanted nothing further to do with the organization.


    ¡°We do not,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°Sha Xiang, shockingly enough, was the only thing holding them together.¡±


    ¡°Opportunists the lot of them, and worthless ones at that,¡± Zhang Lifen said airily. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find where the emissary has hidden himself. Once we do, we can find their pill refinery. From there, we should be able to root out their operations in the southwest. The Dawn Palace will remain safe, and we will have bought ourselves ample time to train up a new generation. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, we have quite a few talents to work with after all.¡±


    ¡°If only there was someone who might have cause to help our efforts,¡± Yi Xiurong said. Her voice was even stonier than before.


    ¡°I trust you¡¯re referring to Xiao Jun. I couldn¡¯t hardly have left any loose ends lying around.¡±


    ¡°This is exactly what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Yi Xiurong said, her anger finally breaking through her restraint. ¡°You don¡¯t think things through, and it ever falls to someone else to clean up whatever mess you leave.¡±


    That stung more than a little. She didn¡¯t let on, however. Instead, she asked, ¡°What ever should I do, then?¡±


    To her credit, Yi Xiurong quickly regained her composure. ¡°See to your disciple. Get him and his friends into shape. Peak Golden Core as soon as you can. They¡¯re your charge now.¡±


    Zhang Lifen frowned. ¡°This is effectively a demotion.¡± It was beneath her status to babysit a bunch of Third Realms. He Yu she could accept¡ªhe was her disciple and pet project, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you see it for what it is, then.¡± Yi Xiurong lifted her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve been with Leader Zhou and Elder Cai since this afternoon. They¡¯ve decided it¡¯s time to go on the offensive. I confiscated the pills Junior Brother Cui had. It shouldn¡¯t take long to discern their ingredients and thus narrow down the places where they were most likely created.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be coordinating with the Ministry of Information and taking the fight to the Sunset Court. For the time being, you will oversee the development of the inner sect¡¯s newest talents.¡±


    As First Disciple Yi turned and left, Zhang Lifen swallowed her pride and tamped down her anger. If she was in charge of He Yu and his friends, she would just have to do what she could. If the sect wanted fighting strength, that¡¯s exactly what she would give them.


    * * *


    Sha Xiang stumbled through darkness over uneven terrain. With each faltering step, the words of that bitch in white faded and the voice of the demon core grew. By now, she¡¯d long since resigned herself to the fact that she was losing control. The core raged. It demanded she go back to the sect and tear it down. Make them pay¡ªmake them see her strength.


    With each faltering step, it grew harder not to.


    She fought against her own qi. Fought for control of her own limbs. Her own fucking arms and legs barely listened to her command any more. She was the strong one. She was the master!


    The core howled with laughter. Can¡¯t resist, it said. Can¡¯t fight. You¡¯re weak, and it¡¯s time you give up control.


    Sha Xiang punched the closest thing to her. The crack of shattered stone accompanied the sensation of something hard crumbling beneath her fist. When had she stumbled? How had she gotten on her fucking knees?


    Because you¡¯re weak! Unworthy. Give up.


    She screamed, giving primal voice to her rage. The core joined in, and overhead the stars looked down from the black night sky, bearing silent witness to her struggle.


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    The black overlay of the Four Demon Fists formed of its own accord. Formed by the will of the demon core. It tried to make her stand, to get back on her feet. She threw herself to the ground, rolling onto her back. She activated the Earth Sundering Fist in the desperate hope that the technique would somehow make her too heavy for the core to command like a puppet.


    As she wrestled for control of her own body, her own qi¡ªshe wondered how it had come to this. How had He Yu surpassed her? He¡¯d always been so weak, and she¡¯d had all the benefits of the Court to fuel her advancement. She should have been the one to advance. She would have maintained control of the core if she had, she was sure of it. She would have put him in his place if things had gone the way they should have.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± came the deep, familiar voice of Kong Huizhong. It pierced through her near-mindless fury. ¡°I¡¯d thought you would have succumbed by now. Yet you still maintain some measure of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Just fucking kill me,¡± she managed to growl through clenched teeth and an aching jaw as she stared up at the emissary framed by the starry night sky above.


    ¡°And waste this opportunity? Hardly.¡±


    Something powerful and familiar reached out from the emissary. It touched the core, and instantly the core calmed.


    Sha Xiang¡¯s entire body spasmed, then went limp. She was lying on the ground, in the dirt, panting and covered in sweat. Her hair had mostly escaped her braid, and sweat had soaked through her clothes. She was exhausted, but she was back in control. For now.


    ¡°Stand,¡± ordered Kong Huizhong.


    She knew better than to disobey, despite her aching and exhausted state. Once she¡¯d regained her feet, she assessed her surroundings as she greeted Emissary Kong with a salute. It was no surprise that she hadn¡¯t the slightest clue where she was.


    ¡°I had thought Xiao Jun an utter fool to give you the core,¡± he said. The emissary fell silent as he looked her over. ¡°I had expected you to be consumed by it. To become a waste of a truly precious gift. How wrong I was.¡±


    Sha Xiang remained silent. She had not been bidden to speak, and knew well enough what happened to those who angered Kong Huizhong.


    ¡°You have failed in every single task that I¡¯ve given you since you took Xiao Jun¡¯s place at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Normally, you would be punished for such failure, but you have somehow succeeded in something far more important. You¡¯ve managed to very nearly master a demon core, despite your lack of any actual strength.¡±


    Sha Xiang swallowed down the lump in her throat.


    ¡°It would be foolishness to waste a resource such as you, given the circumstances. Were things different, I would bring out your potential myself. But the will of heaven moves us all. It is too dangerous for you to stay here, so close to the Shrouded Peaks.¡±


    Kong Huizhong held out a hand, and a pill box appeared in his palm. Sha Xiang took the medicine, although she wasn¡¯t certain if she should trust it.


    ¡°Should the core threaten to slip your control, take one of those pills. You¡¯ll have to be judicious with them, since there are only five and you¡¯ve a long journey ahead of you.¡±


    She nodded, stashing the box in her storage treasure. ¡°Where is this one to go, Honored Emissary?¡±


    ¡°Far to the north there is another like myself¡ªlike us. He will help you acquire the necessary strength to make full use of your gift. Go, he will find you when you draw near enough. Hopefully, when we meet again, it will be on more equal footing.¡±


    As Sha Xiang set her feet to the north, the first light of the false dawn appeared in the east. Somehow she¡¯d been given a second chance, and she wasn¡¯t going to waste it.


    * * *


    For the next several months, He Yu cultivated and trained. The increase to his stipend after reaching Golden Core would have struck him as extravagant back when he was still in the outer sect¡ªa mid-grade spirit stone each week.


    Now? It was barely enough to cover the cost of restoring himself after a hard day¡¯s training. Sure, the sect jobs available to him as a Fourth Realm were incredibly lucrative, but they were also just as dangerous.


    Worse, the competition for those jobs was also incredibly fierce. Disciples snatched up the jobs as soon as they were posted. Fights frequently broke out over who got to take them. Although the amount of duels he fought had dropped significantly, each one was now a hard-fought affair.


    It truly seemed that the days of easy wins were far behind him. As strong as he¡¯d felt on advancement, he quickly realized that he was a new Fourth Realm. Once again, he was the weakest of his peers. Of course, his refined presence and his Wayborn Seed helped, but far less than they had when he was still at Body Refining. The net result was that He Yu won about as often as he lost these days. It was a humbling experience, but one that he¡¯d come to realize was necessary.


    Still, he grew in strength. Another important realization was the truth to what he¡¯d been told several times now. The easy part was well and truly over. Each tiny increase of his cultivation base felt like it had to be clawed from a mountain of resources, each one larger than the last. And while each increase was worth a full stage of the First or Second realm, it amounted to barely a drop in the ocean that now filled his core.


    As difficult as each tiny new gain was, Zhang Lifen was there every step of the way, pushing him and demanding that he go even harder. She¡¯d begun inviting the others to their training sessions as well¡ªLi Heng, Chen Fei, Tan Xiaoling, and even Yan Shirong. When he¡¯d asked her why, she only said that she had her reasons.


    At least he was glad for the company. Tan Xiaoling, unsurprisingly, soon formed her own Golden Core and join him in the Fourth Realm. He Yu was glad to once again have a sparring partner that was on the same level as he was. Li Heng was pushing himself far harder than he should be, but at least his efforts had borne results. He¡¯d reached the peak of Body Refining and was half a step into the Fourth Realm. It was only a matter of time.


    Chen Fei and Yan Shirong were both fully in the late stage of Body Refining and well on their way to the peak as well. Ren Huang frequently joined the training sessions¡ªapparently at Zhang Lifen¡¯s request¡ªand with his help it would only be a matter of time until they all were standing on roughly equal footing once again.


    The best¡ªor worst, He Yu couldn¡¯t entirely be sure¡ªdevelopment came just as the first snows dusted the grounds of the sect.


    At long last, he did what Zhang Lifen had told him to so long ago. He landed a strike.


    As they were practicing, it felt like his guandao had slammed into a mountain. He blinked, and looked to where Zhang Lifen gripped his weapon by the collar, just where the blade met the haft. The edge itself rested against her shoulder, only a hair¡¯s breadth away from missing her completely.


    Her uncanny blue eyes swirled as she smiled. ¡°Excellent work,¡± she said. ¡°Now the real training can begin.¡±

 Prologue - The Dawn Palace

    A soft, golden glow bathed the entirety of her world. Beautiful, it would have been, under other circumstances. A beautiful prison was a prison still. It had taken just over a hundred years to probe the dome covering the valley. To find the tiny gaps, small enough for trickles of qi to slip through. To find spaces so small they may as well not be real.


    It had taken another hundred years to learn of the outside world. The mountain peaks and valleys, the rivers and lakes. The lands around this golden cage were rich with qi. Rich with power. All for the taking.


    Beasts fed and spirits grew. The world moved on and life thrived just outside. Just beyond reach.


    When the first beast submitted, the feeling of joy had been overwhelming. As the beast fed, it grew. As it grew, more of its cultivation trickled into the accursed golden dome. Eventually, a second beast recognized the true ruler of this world. It, too, submitted.


    Bit by bit, more beasts and spirits gave of themselves. The trickle of qi continued. Only a tiny amount could ever pass the barrier, so the going was slow. But one could fill an ocean drop by drop if one were patient enough. If there was one thing a prison could teach, it was patience.


    More qi trickled into the cage. Another hundred years passed. Time lost what little meaning it yet still held. Outside the golden dome, the land itself finally submitted. Qi flowed up from the earth, and the power drawn into the prison increased yet again.


    The steady outward march of influence, of rule, of possession continued. Day upon day. Year upon year. Ever onward, ever grasping for more. After three hundred years, Jin Xifeng could reach out from the Dawn Palace and bestow her gifts.


    The first creature was a winged serpent. A mere infant, having only advanced to the Fourth Realm. It was enough. She placed within it a seed from her own spirit. The seed and serpent grew together. The serpent devoured any spirit or beast it could find weaker than itself. Such creatures were rare in these qi-rich, untamed wilds. But they were enough. Enough to feed the sliver of Jin Xifeng¡¯s power that nestled around the serpent¡¯s core.


    Eventually, the seed devoured the serpent. Jin Xifeng hadn¡¯t expected it to last long, and it hadn¡¯t. But it had served its purpose. With its death, the serpent¡¯s cultivation base returned to her. It returned all at once, in a rush of sustenance more nourishing than she¡¯d had in over three hundred years. Enough that she could send out two more seeds. Claim two more subjects.


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    Over the next hundred years, she became a queen of beasts. The seeds she spread through the valleys and peaks sustained her. The gaunt and corpse-like appearance she¡¯d taken on in those first hundreds of years of her imprisonment filled out to her former beauty. She could cultivate once again. She studied her prison. She studied the Dawn Palace. Jin Xifeng learned, and she planned.


    Her spirit encroached upon the surrounding lands. Beasts and spirits and the very earth itself fell under her sway. She built upon the ashes of her defeat and imprisonment a new domain. Eventually, she could send her servants out into the wider world. Out of the valleys, out of the wilds.


    She remembered well where she had fallen. Where victory had been stolen from her grasp. Stolen by Cai Weizhe. She knew where she was, but something prevented that knowledge from leaving with her servants. Once they¡¯d passed beyond her domain, they could never return. Yet for a time her connection allowed her to see through their eyes. Hear through their ears. Their experiences were hers, and such she learned of the outside world.


    At the edge of the vast wilderness she¡¯d come to claim as her own, she found him. Cai Weizhe. An insignificant little sect had cropped up around him. It was the key. She knew it with all her being.


    As the surrounding creatures and lands gave more and more of themselves, it became easier to learn of the outside world. So much had come to pass, yet so much had remained. The empire persisted. As years had turned first into decades, then centuries¡ªthe Dragon Empire forgot. The fact had come as a surprise at first. Then she learned that the forgetting was by design.


    She saw the shape of Cai Weizhe¡¯s plan. She folded that knowledge into the plans of her own as she sent her subjects ever further afield.


    After five hundred years of imprisonment, a revelation. The Sunset Court endured! She then spent the next hundred years refining her technique. Changing it to suit her present situation, her current purpose. She sought one who was loyal to her, who had seen and recognized the storm eagle she¡¯d sent far to the north.


    She bestowed not a mere seed, but a core. The first demon core of her making. An independent sliver of her own spirit, given life and intelligence and a will of its own.


    It devoured him.


    The unnamed cultivator who had accepted her gift succumbed to it within days. It took her a decade to work out the problem. The core had grown too rapidly. It had fed upon its courier, and by the time it reached its intended recipient, it was too much.


    Jin Xifeng adapted. It had taken another half dozen attempts, but finally she found a host capable of mastering the sliver of power she bestowed upon them. Soon thereafter, the core revealed its true purpose. It reproduced.


    A second core formed. Through her pact, she instructed her subject.


    ¡°Upon those loyal and worthy, bestow my greatest of gifts. The Shrouded Peaks Sect is the key. Find me. Free me.¡±


    After a thousand years of imprisonment, Jin Xifeng placed a hand on the walls of the Dawn Palace. The formation barrier trembled beneath her touch. Her cage had grown brittle. Freedom was within her grasp.

 4.1 - Prelude to Dawn

    On a frozen lake high in the Shrouded Peaks, He Yu trained. Spires of ice formed pillars like a forest of blue glass. He Yu stood atop one such pillar near the lake¡¯s center, sweating despite the cold. Zhang Lifen stood upon the shore, her bow of qilin horn and black wood in hand. A gleaming arrow of qi coalesced as she drew back the string.


    Beneath him, the pillar of ice exploded into a thousand glittering shards. He was already twisting through the air in the grip of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, carried by the wind away from the destruction wrought by her technique.


    She¡¯d shared the name of her bow art with him after their ¡°real training¡± began¡ªthe Heart Piercing Black Rain. For all her flowing movements and outer calm, Zhang Lifen was an aggressive and ruthless fighter. When using her bow art, her presence was more like the raging of a rain-swollen river surging over the top of its banks than the placid, glassy expanse of her calmer moments.


    A shift in the lake¡¯s qi, and in He Yu¡¯s perception of his mentor¡¯s presence, was all the warning he had. His instincts kicked in and he wrenched himself away from the incoming barrage of arrows. She¡¯d somehow gotten above him. This most recent volley came from atop a nearby waterfall that had frozen to a cascade of ice in the deep winter cold.


    Although she kept her cultivation base restrained to that of a peak Golden Core¡ªthe same stage she¡¯d been when he¡¯d first met her¡ªZhang Lifen¡¯s spirit was as potent as ever. Her presence surged out, carrying with it countless tons of raging water.


    It was one thing to know, intellectually, that water could be a force for destruction. It was quite another thing to face down an immortal who embodied that aspect of the element. Her spirit churned and crashed, sweeping away all that stood in its path. A flash flood could wipe away a village, and a rain fattened river could drown a city. Both paled compared to Zhang Lifen unleashed.


    A brief formation of the Bracing Wind was enough to deflect the incoming barrage of arrows. Enough to give him time to gather himself and face whatever she would throw at him next. Zhang Lifen was shockingly like Princess Tan in the way she fought¡ªrelentless and aggressive. She gave him no time to think, no time to form a plan. He Yu supposed he ought to be grateful for it.


    If there was one thing he¡¯d learned in his time at the sect, it was that he sorely lacked in practical combat experience. Sure, he¡¯d come in second place when he¡¯d entered the inner sect. He¡¯d won a fair number of duels in his early days, too. He¡¯d also taken on three of the top-ranked Third Realm disciples at once and beaten them easily. But then the other Golden Cores had taken notice of him. Recently, he¡¯d been tasting defeat far more often than he cared to admit.


    A crashing river overflowed its banks a mere foot away from him. He twisted once more, but to no avail. Zhang Lifen¡¯s fist slammed into him with the force of a flood. Next thing He Yu knew, he was on the ground, picking himself up out of a snowdrift. Above him, standing atop one of the myriad pillars of ice, Zhang Lifen aimed her bow at his heart.


    He Yu braced himself using his guandao and held up a hand, acknowledging his defeat.


    An instant later, Zhang Lifen was next to him. ¡°Better,¡± she said, the cold demeanor of a ruthless warrior gone.


    Sending his guandao back to his storage treasure, He Yu sat down atop a nearby boulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t use the Spring Rain Mirror,¡± he said before biting down on a restorative pill. Revitalizing qi flooded his meridians, and he cycled it according to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment as he readied himself for their next round.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Zhang Lifen stood before him, hands folded in the sleeves of her gown and an appraising look on her face.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be any good. Water against water. There¡¯s no interaction that would benefit me.¡± His spirit twinged. That wasn¡¯t the whole reason. ¡°And I didn¡¯t think it would be any good. I still can¡¯t manifest it fast enough to counter your attacks.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to work on that, then.¡±


    Rather than sigh inwardly and lament his awful fortune as he would have just a year ago, He Yu simply nodded and made a small noise of affirmation. Since coming to the inner sect if there was one thing he¡¯d learned about Zhang Lifen, it was that her reputation was well-earned. Prodigy was almost an understatement.


    When she¡¯d taken him out to the rocky badlands in the far east of the sect¡¯s territory, she¡¯d given him the keys to the Fourth Realm. Their nightly discussions on his Way and her questions on what he believed, had guided him to answers for questions he hadn¡¯t yet thought to ask. The infuriating training where he simply tried to strike her with a single technique had served him well. Long before he¡¯d succeeded.


    Even now, he saw this training intended to shore up what she considered a deficiency of his. He couldn¡¯t deny that since the ¡°real training¡± had begun, he¡¯d slowly started winning more duels than the fairly even split that had marked his first steps in the Fourth Realm. His battle instincts were becoming sharper. He was coming to view offense and defense as two intimately related aspects rather than separate considerations. According to her, he was getting ¡°better.¡±


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    He¡¯d come a long way, all things considered. Still, he had a long way yet to go.


    He held firm to all those memories of facing down Sha Xiang when she seemed an insurmountable challenge. The memories of that overwhelming presence approaching when Zhang Lifen had told him to flee King Hao¡¯s camp. The vision granted of the Sunset Empress¡¯s suppression, and how effortlessly she¡¯d slain more than a dozen experts that were supposedly her equals.


    He had so far to go.


    If one counted the realms themselves, he was just about halfway to his goal. But the further he advanced, the more he realized how wrong it was to think in those terms. He was still at the foot of the mountain, so to speak. Zhang Lifen had once told him that each realm was a wider river than the last. From where he stood, each stage of Golden Core was worth an entire lower realm on its own. He was still firmly at the early stage of Golden Core. The easy part, it seemed, was well and truly over.


    Just before the sun dipped below the mountains to the west, Zhang Lifen called a halt to their training for the day. As they walked the path back to the sect proper, He Yu took his monthly Grade IV Qi Alignment pill. Since reaching Golden Core, the pill was much easier to handle, and he could carry on a conversation while he cycled it.


    ¡°The others will break through soon, I suspect,¡± Zhang Lifen said as they walked the snowy path that wound through the red pines blanketing the slopes of the Shrouded Peaks.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve been including them in training more frequently?¡± he asked. Li Heng had reached peak Body Refining shortly after He Yu had broken through. Both Yan Shirong and Chen Fei had done the same within the past few months. Unsurprisingly, Tan Xiaoling had already formed her Golden Core.


    ¡°In a sense,¡± Zhang Lifen said, taking a more serious tone. ¡°With Sha Xiang and Cui Bao gone from the sect, and the Sunset Court now all but absent, we have a limited opportunity to act on what little information we¡¯ve gained.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t mention the unspoken implications of her words. Sha Xiang had been expelled from the sect because of him. Well, it was her fault, really, for using that technique so recklessly. But He Yu couldn¡¯t deny that he was the one who¡¯d pushed her to it. Cui Bao had left shortly after, but that was hardly He Yu¡¯s responsibility. Of course, the fight had happened at Zhang Lifen¡¯s suggestion to begin with.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re Golden Core, you¡¯ll be expected to take on greater responsibilities within the sect,¡± Zhang Lifen began. ¡°Among them, you¡¯ll be part of our efforts to root out the Sunset Court from the sect lands. We¡¯ll be using whatever information we¡¯ve come across to strike as heavy a blow as possible. It¡¯s far from ideal, but that¡¯s what Master Cai has told me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be put in charge of a squad of Third Realm disciples, at least for missions that are deemed appropriate for the inner sect¡¯s rank-and-file. For more dangerous assignments, you¡¯ll likely be paired with Tan Xiaoling. Ideally, your other friends will reach the Fourth Realm soon, and all five of you can be used to your fullest potential. Of course, for truly dangerous missions, you¡¯ll be along as support for someone like myself if you¡¯re allowed to come at all.¡±


    He Yu chewed on the information for a few moments as they walked. The idea of being placed in charge of a group of lower realm disciples didn¡¯t sit quite right with him. A large part of that was the lingering memories of that cursed valley in the western wilds. That overwhelming sense of covetousness at the mere idea of leading, of having authority over others.


    The feeling had been due to Jin Xifeng¡¯s influence. They¡¯d been well within the lands she¡¯d claimed over her thousand years within the Dawn Palace. Still, its lingering memory made the prospect of leading others something he wasn¡¯t wholly comfortable with yet. So he shifted the subject.


    ¡°I guess that means I won¡¯t have much time for sect assignments.¡±


    ¡°Quite the contrary,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°You¡¯ll still need to fulfill all your other duties. Of course, you¡¯ll be compensated handsomely for the official assignments, and then there¡¯s all the loot you¡¯ll access. But even that won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    He¡¯d been afraid she¡¯d say something like that. Although he shouldn¡¯t have expected any differently, and he supposed it made sense enough. His expenses had skyrocketed since reaching Golden Core, and he barely had the funds to keep up. If only he wasn¡¯t having so much trouble actually completing jobs for the sect. He let that go. It wasn¡¯t something that he should trouble Zhang Lifen with. Whatever the explanation was, he didn¡¯t think it right to lean on her for all his troubles.


    ¡°So when will the assignments against the Sunset Court come down?¡± It had been half a year since Sha Xiang left the sect. He Yu couldn¡¯t imagine that they¡¯d wait much longer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be meeting with the elders in a few days. I suspect the major campaign against them will begin with spring.¡±


    That left at least another month or two. He Yu wasn¡¯t certain what sort of assignments they¡¯d be sending him on, but he knew they¡¯d be easier if he could shore up his cultivation base.


    ¡°I¡¯d better get to work,¡± he said.


    Zhang Lifen stopped in the path and fixed him with a serious look. ¡°The Court is a dangerous organization. Your experience with Sha Xiang, and Xiao Jun before her, isn¡¯t representative of what they¡¯re capable of.¡±


    In the fading light, her swirling cerulean eyes were oddly bright. A fitting contrast to the growing shadows and gloom. The bark of the surrounding trees was almost black, and the path would be all but invisible to a mortal¡¯s eyes. Even with his enhanced senses, He Yu couldn¡¯t see half as well as he would have liked. But he could make out the expression his mentor wore. It was lacking in all her usual expressions¡ªmockery, playful dismissal, flippant disregard.


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said, sounding almost regretful. ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t an indictment of his ability. Not in the least. He¡¯d felt the approach of the one of the Court¡¯s number. He¡¯d heard the rumors that circulated in the sect after Zhang Lifen¡¯s return. He¡¯d felt the touch of the Sunset Empress himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rise to whatever challenge I need to,¡± he said.


    Zhang Lifen silently regarded him for a moment more. ¡°See that you do,¡± she said.


    They walked the rest of the path in silence. It felt appropriate. He Yu couldn¡¯t have said exactly why, but somehow the idea that the sect¡¯s assault on the Court would coincide with the coming of spring should be a reason for hope. He hoped that Zhang Lifen was overreacting. He hoped his fears were simply born from facing down a massive unknown.


    Spring would come. They would smash the Court. Then he could go back to focusing on advancement. When the time finally came that the Empress broke out of her cage, he would be ready.

 4.2 - A Short Trip South

    Several days later, He Yu found a note from Zhang Lifen. It had arrived in the night while he¡¯d been cultivating, delivered by one of the carved heron statuettes she used to send messages. Unfurling the crisp roll of paper, he saw more or less what he¡¯d expected. She would be absent on sect business for at least the next week, postponing their further training.


    That didn¡¯t mean a reprieve, however. The routine he¡¯d developed since reaching Golden Core had him cycling between training sessions with Zhang Lifen, and then leaving him to his own devices when she was called away. Usually on sect business, or her own cultivation. When not working with Zhang Lifen directly, He Yu would cultivate, take on sect jobs, or train with his friends.


    Although he still frequently trained with Li Heng, he sought out Tan Xiaoling with increasing frequency. She had stepped fully into the Fourth Realm shortly after he had. As much as he enjoyed his time with Li Heng, he had to admit he didn¡¯t really get much out of their training together. While He Yu had no problem helping him, it was a bit of a pain that he had to keep his cultivation suppressed to late Body Refining.


    If the shift in their dynamic bothered Li Heng¡ªand He Yu was almost certain that it did¡ªhe hid it well. Li Heng was unfailingly polite, as always, and at least seemed to appreciate that He Yu was helping him. For his part, He Yu had meant it when he¡¯d told Li Heng that he¡¯d drag him up the realms with him if he had to. He wouldn¡¯t leave anyone behind, let alone his first real friend.


    So on that first day he sought the Li scion, intending to get some sparring in, and then maybe a trip to a nearby peak¡ªLi Heng was fond of cultivating there because of the year-round snow and ice. He soon learned that Li Heng had left the sect to take on a job several days prior, and wouldn''t return for at least another week.


    He Yu supposed he may as well do the same. His funds were running awfully low, after all. As fantastic for his advancement as training with Zhang Lifen was, it was also expensive. Because of how hard she pushed him, He Yu frequently took restorative pills during their training sessions. Then he needed to take another elixir when he returned home to cultivate each night. By morning, he¡¯d restored what he¡¯d spent the previous day, but during their intense bouts he barely increased his cultivation base.


    As a result, he was burning through his resources far faster than he gained them. Adding to his financial troubles, he was constantly subjected to duels. They were mostly informal affairs, to test his capabilities and establish the rough pecking order of the inner sect. Occasionally, someone challenged him formally for a ranked duel. In either case, he lost about as often as he won.


    He bounced around the high five hundreds, at least never dipping back into the six hundreds. Heaven had granted him some fortune there. If he fell into the six hundreds again, his stipend from the sect would decrease. With the stipend and the occasional resources from informal duels, he barely scraped by to fund his cultivation. Or more accurately, he ensured the drain on his resources was a mere trickle, rather than a steady stream. Which meant that eventually, he¡¯d go broke.


    After arriving at the inner sect¡¯s assignment hall, he spent a few moments looking over the assignments. There were a scant few of them, as competition for jobs among the Fourth Realm disciples was fierce even in the best of times. Of the three jobs appropriate for an early Fourth Realm disciple, there was really only one worth taking as far as he was concerned. The one that paid out the most.


    A village at the southern edge of the sect¡¯s administrative territory had reported a disturbing number of disappearances. A formation expert had examined their barrier stones and found them intact. The disciple concluded the cause was most likely an advanced spirit, or possibly demonic activity. The sect determined that an early-stage Golden Core would be appropriate. He Yu would investigate the cause of the disappearances and eliminate if possible, or deliver a report so that appropriate resources could be dispatched.


    The contribution points the job rewarded would go a long way to shoring up He Yu¡¯s funds. The trip to the south would be a welcome relief from the last of winter¡¯s grip in the Shrouded Peaks. It was, all things considered, the perfect job. He Yu accepted the assignment and left the hall. It didn¡¯t take him long to gather the supplies he¡¯d need, and he left the inner sect mountain early in the day.


    On his way down to Xu Xiang, the sect town nestled at the base of the mountains that housed the Shrouded Peaks Sect, he had to pass through the outer sect. It was always a strange experience. Although he kept his spirit restrained, he stood out like a beacon among the outer disciples. The most talented of them¡ªmostly early Body Refining, with the odd late stage disciple¡ªhad developed some measure of a presence. But they were all weak and diffuse compared to even the lowest-ranked among the inner sect.


    As he drew near, the outer disciples would stop whatever it was they were doing and salute, bowing deeply over a fist cupped in their palm. He Yu had quickly learned that returning the salutes meant it would take him the better part of half a day to make it through the outer sect. So he ended up doing what most of the other inner disciples did and ignored them. He supposed it probably made him seem aloof or arrogant, but he didn¡¯t want to waste his time if he didn¡¯t have to.


    He also tried not to let the whispers that trailed in his wake go to his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s Senior Brother He,¡± they said, once they thought him far enough away that he¡¯d no longer hear.


    ¡°Senior Brother He is the youngest Golden Core the Shrouded Peaks Sect has seen in nine generations.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother He very nearly beat Princess Tan of the Jade Kingdom in the sect tournament a year ago.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Senior Sister Zhang¡¯s disciple. They say he has even more talent than she does. He¡¯ll be a core disciple before the end of a sixty-year cycle.¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t so sure about that last bit. Him? A core disciple before he¡¯d reached his sixtieth year? Then again, Zhang Lifen supposedly received her rank as the sixth core disciple when she was only about thirty years old. But that meant he would have to surpass her. He couldn¡¯t really see that happening. Especially not before his first sixty-year cycle.


    Still, it made a self-congratulatory smile to crack his lips when he heard it. He¡¯s always wanted to be a legend, and what was the first step to becoming a legend, if not having a reputation? And one that apparently cast him as a once-in-a-generation talent. He¡¯d take it, that was certain.


    Once he¡¯d reached the path leading down to Xu Xiang and passed through the formation gate, he finally released his grip on his cultivation base. A storm rolled out from his core. Black clouds gathered over a vast land. Heavenly fury flickered and flashed deep within those clouds as the rain broke over the land below. Wind howled. Thunder rolled. The sky churned.


    The surrounding air grew heavy, and the mists on the path seemed to thicken and grow dark. Those chittering shadows that had caused him so much trouble on his first ascent now fled before him. His presence alone was enough to keep the path clear. Not that he would need it. A bunch of First Realm spirits that fed on fear were hardly a threat to him now.


    He Yu activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. The three pillars of his body art shone in his spiritual sight. Heaven qi crackled and arced between his Golden Core and the pillars as he cycled the art. His meridians surged with wind and heaven as he leaped into the sky, above the mists.


    He activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. The winds wrapped around him, and he shot off to the south, wind tugging at his robes and heaven sparking around him. Although his movement technique still wasn¡¯t advanced enough to grant him the true flight its name promised, it was closer than it had ever been. The ground rushed by beneath him. He fell, as the law of earth was relentless in its grip, but he was moving fast enough that he covered more than a week¡¯s journey by foot for a mortal. It had taken him moments.


    Another activation of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight caught him just before he slammed into the earth. He released the technique, and gently touched down. A group of soldiers escorting a palanquin looked at him warily as he landed. He had to commend their bravery¡ªhe hadn¡¯t bothered to hide himself, or suppress his cultivation as he landed. They were at the strongest late Foundation. If he had attacked them, he could have killed them all with a wave of his hand. He Yu cupped a fist and gave a shallow bow, and the soldiers relaxed. The passenger, a young mortal woman of maybe twenty years old, peered out from inside with a mixture of fear, awe, and respect.


    With another flex of his spirit and his legs, He Yu leaped into the sky. Once again, he caught himself with the wind, and blasted to the south, carrying the scent of lightning and rain along with him. For the rest of the day, he traveled in this manner. Between his massively expanded cultivation base, the advancement of his arts, and the not inconsiderable boost from the robes Yongnian had gifted him, he could use his movement technique more freely than he¡¯d ever been able to before.


    The terrain flew by beneath him. His presence rolled over the land as he half-flew ever southward. Spirits, beasts, and even the odd lower realm cultivator fled before his coming. A part of him felt a little bad about that. He wasn¡¯t trying to scare anyone, and he certainly wasn¡¯t a threat. At least not to anyone who wasn¡¯t deserving. He supposed that was simply something that came with the territory. Not everyone could be as subtle with their presence as Zhang Lifen, after all.


    It was late afternoon, approaching evening, when he reached his destination. A twinge of homesickness tugged at his heart as he took it in. The town was very much like Shulin, in that it hugged the edge of the great expanse of the southern forest. Unwalled, and relatively defenseless without its formation stones, it struck him just how vulnerable these mortal settlements were. This town wouldn¡¯t even have a self-proclaimed ¡°cultivation expert¡± like that charlatan Dong Wei.


    He Yu touched down well outside the town and pulled back his presence. These people were all mortals, after all. If he didn¡¯t restrain himself, he might kill the weaker among them without meaning to.


    Folding his hands within the sleeves of his robes, He Yu lifted his chin and projected the sort of air he thought expected of him. He was an inner disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect here on official business, after all. As he walked towards the village, he saw a gathering of mortals at the edge of the formation stones.


    The first thing that stood out to him was just how fragile they all looked. Like a strong breeze could knock them over. Not to mention the storm He Yu carried with his spirit. He made an extra effort to tamp down his presence, just in case. As he drew near, a wizened old man with snow white hair and a matching beard stepped forward.


    He Yu hadn¡¯t really known what to expect from his reception, but it certainly hadn¡¯t been the village elder throwing himself to the ground in kowtow.


    ¡°Lord Immortal,¡± the elder said, his voice firm despite his age. ¡°This one is called Dai Shoushan. This one is the elder of this humble village. All we ask is that you spare our lives despite the meager hospitality we offer.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to say. This was, after all, the first time he¡¯d really dealt with mortals after entering the sect. Other than the ones in Xu Xiang, of course. The inhabitants of the sect town were used to cultivators, though.


    He remained silent for a moment while he gathered his thoughts. No doubt his lack of response terrified the kowtowing old man before him, but he needed the space to think.


    ¡°I am He Yu, inner disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. I have come to this village in response to your troubles. Stand, so that we may speak.¡± That seemed like the right thing to say. At least, he hoped it was.


    Although he did so more slowly than He Yu would have preferred, Dai Shoushan stood as he¡¯d been bid. ¡°Lord He, this Dai Shoushan will offer prayers for our good fortune. The Shrouded Peaks Sect is most merciful to send one of your august personage to assist this humble, worthless village.¡±


    He Yu waved a hand, giving his best impression of someone like Zhang Lifen. ¡°Speak freely, Uncle Dai,¡± he said, opting to show respect. ¡°I am here to help your village, not to lord over you. Speak plainly so that I can best do so.¡±


    The last of the Dai Shoushan¡¯s apprehension drained away, and he did as he¡¯d been bid. At first he didn¡¯t tell He Yu anything he¡¯d not already learned from the job description. There had been a rash of disappearances in the village of late. It had started small, and there¡¯d been no reason to suspect anything was amiss. Chickens and pigs disappearing this close to the southern forest could be explained just as easily by one getting loose and wandering off as it could by an unawakened fox sneaking into the pen.


    However, the disappearances of livestock soon turned to people, and when the second villager went missing, they sent word to the sect. It was soon clear to He Yu that the initial investigation¡¯s conclusion that there were spirits at work was likely correct. He assured Dai Shoushan that he would begin his investigation in the morning, once he¡¯d a chance to restore himself after his journey. The village elder practically fell over himself trying to express his thanks.

 4.3 - He Yu Conducts an Investigation

    Dai Shoushan ushered He Yu into his home. A large building, at least by the standards of the village. He was fed and given what he suspected was Dai Shoushan¡¯s own room to spend the night.


    Accepting the meal with as much grace as he could, he ate. It caused him another small twinge of homesickness to sup on such simple fare. The meals he¡¯d been eating since joining the inner sect a year ago had been positively decadent compared to what he¡¯d eaten back home in Shulin. The meal Dai Shoushan served him reminded him of evenings eating simple meals with his father.


    Since advancing to Golden Core, he hardly needed to eat anything at all¡ªa stark contrast to the massive quantities of food he¡¯d inhaled during his time at Body Refining. Of course he still ate, it was just that each meal was now like an elixir unto itself.


    The dishes he bought were prepared by other members of the inner sect. Made with meat cut from spirit beasts and vegetables grown in the sect¡¯s gardens. Seasoned with medicinal herbs and qi-infused spices. They fortified his body beyond what he¡¯d forged himself into during his time in the Third Realm, and went a long way to restoring his qi reserves after a long day of training. Some of the higher quality meals were enough to cause a backlash in a First or Second Realm cultivator.


    After thanking Dai Shoushan for his hospitality, He Yu retired to his provided room. There was a bed, but he hardly needed the sleep. Instead, he sat on the floor and cultivated. The first thing that struck him was the utter lack of natural qi here. Relatively speaking.


    He¡¯d always sort of known that the southern forest was an area with a particular lack of potency in its natural qi. It was why Shulin had so few cultivators, and also why Dong Wei had only advanced to Foundation. Of course, it also explained why Shulin was relatively safe, too. Less potent qi meant awakened beasts and true spirits couldn¡¯t grow very powerful, and relatively simple formations were enough to keep them at bay. It also meant that if anything stronger wandered in from other nearby areas, the settlements in the Dragon Empire¡¯s south were particularly vulnerable.


    That was the most pressing thought on He Yu¡¯s mind as he begrudgingly opened his storage treasure. Anything that could cause real problems for a town with halfway decent formation stones would be stronger than what was normal for the area. He didn¡¯t want to take any unnecessary risks with mortal lives at stake, so he took one of his more potent elixirs. Although he had far more resources than when he¡¯d been an outer sect disciple, he still felt the sting of the expense, even as he felt the elixir course through his meridians.


    As He Yu cultivated, he turned the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to what he knew. The village hadn¡¯t suffered an attack. That was good. There had, however, been disappearances.


    Whatever was causing them could either disable or bypass the formation script the village relied on for its day-to-day protection. From what He Yu could discern based on what little information he had, the culprit was likely more advanced than was typical for the area, but the lack of an outright attack placed an upper limit on their strength. He would, of course, have to check the formation for himself in the morning.


    After accepting tea from Dai Shoushan shortly after sunrise, He Yu walked the village perimeter, examining the formation stones. While he wasn¡¯t even half the talent with formations that someone like Chen Fei was, he wasn¡¯t wholly ignorant, either. He knew enough to easily discern that the formation was intact and functional. So whatever the culprit, it was strong enough to bypass the formation without setting off any of its defensive measure, or breaking the script entirely. All that did was confirm what he already knew.


    When he reported these initial findings to Dai Shoushan, the elder did not take the news well.


    ¡°What ever could cause such a thing, Lord He?¡± the elder asked, trying¡ªand failing¡ªto keep the worry from his words.


    He Yu found himself at a loss for an answer. It wasn¡¯t a spirit, as such things were particularly susceptible to formation scripts. At least according to everything he knew. It was also unlikely to be a spirit beast, too. Any beast strong enough to bypass the formation wouldn¡¯t be able to do so without first activating it. More importantly, if it were the sort of beast to do so, it would have likely attacked the village, rather than simply absconding with some livestock before doing the same with the inhabitants.


    Bandits? He Yu didn¡¯t like that answer, but he didn¡¯t know if it was likely either. He was, admittedly, rather unexperienced with how bandits operated, after all. A formation barrier meant to protect against spirits or beasts wouldn¡¯t affect humans, of course. But if most bandits were anything like King Hao and his followers, there wouldn¡¯t be a village left to send for aid once they¡¯d selected their target.


    For a moment, He Yu considered how best to answer. He didn¡¯t want to lie and claim he had an answer, but neither did he want to worry Dai Shoushan further by admitting he didn¡¯t know.


    Eventually, he settled on simply saying, ¡°That¡¯s what I am here to find out, Uncle Dai.¡±


    That seemed to work. Dai Shoushan visibly relaxed, and He Yu asked the elder to point him in the direction from where the disappearances would have first come from, based on the missing livestock.


    ¡°Wait within the formation boundary,¡± He Yu said before heading into the forest that hugged the south of the village. ¡°I will return shortly.¡±


    Once out of sight of the village itself, He Yu took a moment to let himself feel the nostalgia. While not exactly like the forest around Shulin, this was closer than he¡¯d been ever since he¡¯d left.


    It was all the familiar mix of southern cork oak and laurel trees, forming a canopy thick enough for decent shade, but with enough light filtering through to be pleasant and easy to see. Familiar bird songs floated through the trees, and the ground cover was all the same kind that grew around Shulin. The air was cool, given the season, but noticeably more mild and comfortable than the Shrouded Peaks.


    A brief look around on the forest floor turned up no signs of what might have been causing the troubles for the village. Not that He Yu was much of a tracker, having spent most of his younger years inside because of his then-poor health. He did, however, have a fantastic perception technique at his disposal.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Looking at his surroundings with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he began to piece together the truth of things. He saw signs of passage, and recently. The most recent disappearance happened just several days prior to his arrival and marked the fifth villager to go missing. Someone had dragged another person deeper into the woods, judging by the faint scuffs in the rich silty soil. At least five sets of other tracks accompanied the scuffs.


    He Yu frowned. Whoever, or whatever, had taken the villager certainly weren¡¯t beasts. They looked human, but didn¡¯t appear to be wearing shoes? He couldn¡¯t be certain. As much information as the Peerless Judgment was giving him, he simply didn¡¯t have the expertise or experience to properly use it. The best he supposed he could do was follow the trail. That, at least, proved relatively easy.


    As he pushed deeper into the forest, he moved cautiously. So far as he could tell, he was the most powerful thing for miles around, but that was no reason he ought to be reckless. Soon, the pleasant scent of earth and trees gave way to something that made his stomach turn. Blood, decay, and something he¡¯d never truly forget from his time tracking King Hao¡ªthe scent of burnt human flesh.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to find the source.


    A small clearing was ringed by a makeshift wall, fashioned of woven tree-branches. The smell of violence and death hung heavy in the air, and overpowered what he should have smelled, given the still smoldering cook-fire and racks of cured meat. It took him a moment to realize it was human flesh, and he gagged.


    That was when he finally noticed the bodies. The clearing had been the site of a slaughter¡ªboth in the literal and figurative sense. At the opposite end, he saw the villagers, or at least what remained of them. They¡¯d been killed and butchered. At least he now knew where the flesh on the drying racks had come from.


    The rest of the bodies were strewn about the camp. None moved. Many had makeshift weapons laying on the cleared ground nearby. There was no sign of the attackers, and he had to assume that whatever had occurred here in the time since the abduction had been terribly one-sided. He approached the closest of the camp¡¯s former occupants to get a closer look.


    At first he thought them human. They looked human enough, after all. Drawing closer to the first one, he realized its gray, pallid complexion wasn¡¯t from rot setting in. He summoned his guandao from his storage treasure and used it to lever the body onto its back. The thing¡¯s face was twisted and animalistic, with fierce-looking features. It had once born horns atop its forehead, and he assumed fangs in its maw. The horns and teeth had both been cut, and were now mere stumps protruding from its gray flesh. He Yu checked the other bodies. Each of them was similar. Gray flesh, with shorn-off horns and cut-down teeth. Demons.


    That at least explained what had happened to the villagers. Since they were all dead, He Yu couldn¡¯t determine what their advancement would have been, but he¡¯d put them in at least the Third Realm. If they¡¯d been equivalent to Foundation, they likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to penetrate the village¡¯s formation barrier without activating or destroying it.


    He decided to take a closer look, since he couldn¡¯t figure out why a demon, let alone an entire group, would cut their horns and fangs. Kneeling down, he discovered its torso had been cut open, too. A brief check showed that its core had been removed, along with most of its internal organs. He suspected he wouldn¡¯t need to check the others, but he did anyway.


    They had all been stripped of anything that could have been of any conceivable use. Horns, fangs, organs and bones¡ªnot to mention their cores¡ªall cut out. Ripped, in some cases. Whoever had done this had been thorough, ensuring they left nothing of value behind. That suggested to He Yu it had most likely been a cultivator.


    Alchemists, artificers, refiners¡ªall could find some use for demon parts. Use, and value. Even a cultivator with no real specialization in creating pills or treasures could identify anything worth taking if they had a bit of knowledge. He Yu had certainly harvested beasts often enough himself.


    He poked around the camp for a bit, looking for signs of a fight, but found shockingly little. The sort of obvious destruction that came with fights between peer adversaries was wholly absent. No evidence of powerful techniques. No signs that the demons had put up much of a struggle, either. It had taken a bit of looking, but he managed to identify clear wounds on some of the corpses.


    His initial assessment that this had been a wholly one-sided affair seemed accurate. This wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d expected to find at all. Had the sect sent someone else? That wasn¡¯t something that typically happened, though. He¡¯d been the one to take the job, after all. But he couldn¡¯t figure out how else this would have happened. Whoever had done this had to have been at least his own level of advancement¡ªit was the only way they could have defeated the two dozen demons with so little evidence of a struggle, and without the use of more powerful techniques.


    With little other choice, he returned to the village.


    ¡°The issue is resolved. You won¡¯t be troubled further,¡± was all he said.


    ¡°And the missing villagers?¡± Dai Shoushan asked, his voice hopeful.


    ¡°They won¡¯t be returning.¡± As He Yu left, a chorus of grieving wails rose behind him.


    He had a lot to think about on his return trip. Would he have saved that last villager had he not stayed the night first? He didn¡¯t think so, but he wondered regardless. What about the demons themselves? Would he have arrived in time to learn who this mysterious cultivator was who¡¯d killed them and ripped out anything of value? Likely not. By appearances, the demons had been dead for about a day. They¡¯d likely been attacked the same day he¡¯d taken the job, and probably would have already been dead by the time he arrived at the village.


    It was strange that whoever had done this hadn¡¯t revealed themselves. If there was one thing he¡¯d learned about cultivators in his time at the sect, was that they were a proud and entitled bunch. Why hadn¡¯t they demanded at least some sort of acknowledgment, then? He tried not to think too much about what would have been different if the mysterious expert had shown up a day or two sooner. At the very least, there would have been one less grieving family left behind.


    Upon returning to the sect, he arrived at the assignment hall just before they closed down for the evening. Placing the notice for his job in front of the clerk, he announced that he¡¯d completed it.


    ¡°Cores?¡± the clerk asked.


    He Yu blinked, looked down at the job description, and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡±


    The clerk tapped the sheet with one finger. ¡°The job clearly states recompense depends on retrieved cores or other evidence from any defeated spirits or awakened beasts responsible. You can¡¯t expect me to believe you¡¯ve completed the job without evidence, can you?¡±


    ¡°The villagers were abducted by demons. The demons were dead when I arrived. Most likely killed by a wandering expert.¡±


    He Yu glared at the clerk, and the clerk glared back.


    ¡°A wandering expert finished your job for you,¡± he said flatly. ¡°If these demons are dead, where are their cores?¡±


    ¡°Whoever killed the demons took them. And before you ask, they also took everything else that might be of value.¡± Or serve as proof, he realized.


    The clerk sniffed. ¡°Well,¡± he said. ¡°I suppose I can mark it as complete. No contribution points, though.¡± He took the job posting, stamped it with a jade seal, and filed it away. Then, he added, ¡°Mind you, if we get word the village is still suffering, you¡¯ll be docked contribution points. Now come back when you actually have something to turn in.¡±


    With a wave, He Yu turned and left the assignment hall. At least he¡¯d gotten some exercise out of the trip.

 4.4 - Balance and Flexibility

    ¡°And that¡¯s it?¡± Li Heng asked. ¡°They just told you it was all for nothing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about it,¡± He Yu said, swatting away a thrust from Li Heng¡¯s jian. ¡°Even told me that if they got word it wasn¡¯t actually done, they¡¯d take contribution points.¡±


    The two of them fell silent as they exchanged thrusts, sweeps, and counters. Li Heng¡¯s jian shone with a silver light as he deflected a series of looping strikes. He¡¯d gotten better in the past few months with absorbing multiple attacks, and could now unleash truly devastating counters with his family art. Leveling his blade at He Yu, a river of silver lunar qi poured forth.


    He Yu held his guandao before him, arms outstretched and the shaft crossing the line of his body. He formed the Bracing Wind, and Li Heng¡¯s release of the Winter Moon Reflection broke against a burst of wind and heaven.


    Although he¡¯d gotten much better at using the Spring Rain Mirror over the winter and the course of his training with Zhang Lifen, it was a poor technique for dealing with this attack. The Winter Moon Reflection was a stream, rather than the single precise impact the Spring Rain Mirror excelled at dealing with.


    Sure, the initial burst of qi it could handle. But Li Heng had quickly figured out that the technique would crumble under a sustained assault and adjusted his strategy accordingly. It was valuable information as far as He Yu was concerned, and had forced him to adapt his other techniques to shore up his defensive arsenal.


    The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment sent him a flash of insight. He felt, as much as he saw, the glint of moonlight reflecting off a snow-covered field. By the time Li Heng had fully manifested behind him with the White Hare Dance, He Yu already had his guandao ready. He smashed the metal cap on the blunt end straight back behind him.


    Wind and heaven sparked and roared as he formed the Rushing Wind. The impact of the weapon¡¯s cap cracking against Li Heng¡¯s chest reverberated up through his arm. An involuntary exhale and a heavy thud, followed by a groan.


    ¡°Not fair,¡± Li Heng croaked.


    He Yu banished his guandao back to his storage treasure as he turned. He extended a hand to where his friend lay on the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting predictable with that,¡± he said. ¡°Even without my perception technique, I would have expected you to try and get behind me after you released the Winter Moon Reflection.¡±


    ¡°Good to know, I suppose,¡± Li Heng said as He Yu helped haul him to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m about spent,¡± he added, jerking his chin toward a bench that sat just outside the training area¡¯s formation barrier.


    The training arena itself was an absolute wreck. The flagstones were cracked, and in some places completely torn up. Their remains had been scattered across the training area by summoned wind, and the bare earth underneath was blackened or frozen in turn. Although He Yu had to keep his cultivation base restrained to the peak Third Realm if he wanted to be a worthwhile sparring partner with Li Heng, the both of them still had incredibly advanced presences.


    He Yu brought the storm, wind whipping at the training yard, and sparks of lightning cracking and scorching the stones beneath. Li Heng¡¯s achievement of peak Body Refining had likewise made the frozen expanse of his spirit far more potent than it had been at the tournament, or in the months after. Hoarfrost crept along the ground, radiating outward from him. Each time he used the White Hare Dance, he left a dusting of snow behind.


    Then there was the simpler destruction caused by two immortals and their weapons. Even with his cultivation suppressed, He Yu had still forged his body throughout the Third Realm. Even a casual blow from him could shatter stone and gouge great rents into the earth. A full-powered overhead strike¡ªeven when limited as he was, and without the additional power of a technique¡ªwould leave a crater more than six feet across when Li Heng inevitably flashed away from the attack. It was a good thing the contribution points they spent to reserve the training area covered the cost of any needed repairs when they were done.


    The pair sat down on the bench, situated just beyond the protection of the training area¡¯s formation. The cold mists of the Shrouded Peaks wended their way through the red pine so common here in the southwest mountains. It was late in the season, but the sect¡¯s ever-present mist meant that the chill still stubbornly clung to the slopes, despite the promise of spring.


    Li Heng produced a fairly high quality pill from his storage treasure and popped it into his mouth. For the first time in well over a year, He Yu felt a twinge of envy. Although the son of a marquis still had to perform sect jobs for points to fund his cultivation, he also had his family to rely on.


    On the other hand, He Yu was increasingly feeling the pinch as he climbed the realms. Even in the early Fourth Realm, he spent an amount of resources that would have taken him from early Qi Gathering straight to Foundation each week. Between that, and the ebb and flow of resources from his duels, an allowance from a noble family would have gone a long way.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t take you too much longer,¡± He Yu remarked, as they sat and recovered from their spar.


    Li Heng cracked an eye open from where he cycled his medicine. ¡°Easy for you to say. I feel like I¡¯ve been half a step into the Fourth Realm for longer than the entire time you spent at Body Refining.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been there that long, surely.¡± Although now that he thought about it, He Yu couldn¡¯t be certain. He¡¯d never had a particularly good sense for the passage of time, and he¡¯d found that as he advanced the days seemed at once longer, and to pass by more quickly. Time had become even more of a fuzzy concept as a result, and he could hardly be bothered to pay much attention to it anymore. He could hardly believe that the approach of spring, then summer, brought his twenty-first year with it.


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    ¡°Feels like it,¡± Li Heng grumbled.


    He Yu fixed him with an intent look. It had been getting increasingly difficult to tell when Li Heng was making jokes at his own expense, or when he was expressing genuine frustration and leaving a door open for further discussion. Deep down, He Yu knew that the talk they¡¯d had before he endured his tribulation was only the first step to mending the rift that had somehow grown between them.


    But a first step was better than standing still.


    ¡°Do you have any insight?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Just the taiji. It came to me when I formed my own Wayborn Seed.¡±


    He Yu practically jumped out of his skin. ¡°When did you form a seed? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? That¡¯s great! It means your path to the Fourth Realm is easier than ever.¡± The words rushed out like a river breaching a dam. It was true, too. Forming a Wayborn Seed was practically a requirement for reaching the Nascent Soul stage¡ªforming one while still at Body Refining meant that Golden Core was all but guaranteed.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Li Heng said with a soft laugh. ¡°The insight was one of flexibility and balance. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve really gotten from it. Which is why I¡¯m stuck, I think. I had thought for so long that I was defined by being a noble. Now? I¡¯m not so sure anymore.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± He Yu began. ¡°What does it mean to be flexible? Or balanced?¡±


    ¡°I should think it would be fairly self-evident.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not the point,¡± he said, dredging up the memories of those nights in the eastern badlands talking with Zhang Lifen. ¡°You have to figure out what things mean to you.¡±


    ¡°That sounds an awful lot like what Elder Cai said about finding what you believe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s related.¡± He recounted what Zhang Lifen had told him¡ªfar less eloquently than she had, of course. About how one¡¯s choices and one¡¯s nature and one¡¯s Way shaped each other. How the influence of the one influenced all, each in turn.


    Most importantly, he spoke about how one needed to define one¡¯s way. For him, what it meant to be a hero was a question that he would have to answer again and again. How once he¡¯d said that a hero was someone who fought villains, all he¡¯d needed to do was acknowledge that Sha Xiang was a villain, and that was enough to make her one. To fight her, then, was to be a hero.


    Li Heng hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin with a finger. ¡°So if my Way is of flexibility and balance, and I believe that it¡¯s my duty to be noble, the insight I need is in the intersection of those things?¡±


    ¡°I mean, that sounds right?¡± He Yu shrugged. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not saying I fully understand it either. When I started putting things together, it just sort of felt right. So I followed that feeling.¡±


    ¡°That last part sounds accurate,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You know what I mean.¡±


    He did. Everything he¡¯d come to understand about the Dao, and by extension his Way, was that it wasn¡¯t really something you could grab onto. Not literally, not figuratively. Those very first moments after forming his Wayborn Seed during the tournament had been sublime. He moved with the world, with fate, and in harmony with something greater. It had made things easy in a way that describing it as such didn¡¯t really capture. The Dao that can be named is not the true Dao, indeed.


    ¡°Or,¡± He Yu said, ¡°you could always seek tribulation.¡±


    ¡°Stand in a thunderstorm and let heaven rain its fury down upon me? I¡¯d rather not, if it¡¯s just the same.¡±


    He Yu had done some reading after forming his Golden Core. Tribulation was something that, according to the histories in the sect archives, was far more common in the older days than it was now. It aligned with what Zhang Lifen had told him about primordial arts like the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Hidden Palace. Ancient arts of its ilk would frequently subject those who cultivated them to tribulation at key stages of their development. It was something about how seeking immortality went against the will of heaven, and the tribulation was at once a test of one¡¯s capability and resolve, while also serving as a punishment for one¡¯s hubris.


    The details on these tribulations were sparse. The most He Yu could piece together was that such trials frequently aligned with their tribulant¡¯s cultivation. That would explain why He Yu had to endure the unleashed power of the storm. What would Li Heng¡¯s tribulation be like then? A mad flight through a blizzard atop an eternally enwintered peak? He supposed it was as likely as anything else.


    ¡°I can see you thinking,¡± Li Heng said, ¡°and I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering what kind of tribulation the Lunar Mirror Sword Art would demand,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really think that¡¯s what I¡¯ll have to do,¡± Li Heng said, standing up and stretching. ¡°Remember, I don¡¯t practice some ancient art from time immemorial. My grandfather created my family art. It¡¯s a relatively new style, all things considered.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but lunar? And winter? Those are fundamental concepts. Both are incredibly closely tied with Yin.¡±


    Li Heng stopped. He almost looked as though He Yu had slapped him. ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about exactly, but it was for me,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Remember, all I had to do was just declare that Sha Xiang was a villain. Things sort of took over from there.¡±


    ¡°One thing that¡¯s kept showing up as I cultivate is the taiji. I took it to mean that I needed balance. Flexibility, of course, it was one of the most obvious lesson that I¡¯d learned training with Old Guo. I thought that meant relying less on my defensive techniques, however. Mix in more of my offensive arts.¡±


    ¡°I think it was meant to go further,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Clearly. But how? My arts are all so heavily Yin aligned.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you provide the Yang? Maybe through your actions and intent, if you need something extra?¡±


    ¡°That just sort of brings me back to what Old Guo said.¡± Li Heng seemed a bit distant as he spoke, however. As though he were turning over precisely how he would do that in his head.


    ¡°Right. Like how I said with my own insights. It was more about figuring out how to fit together all the pieces I already had, rather than looking for something that I was missing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to meditate on this,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, let me know how it goes,¡± He Yu said, standing to join Li Heng.


    ¡°For the time being, at least, care to go another round? I think I¡¯ve still got some fight left in me. At the very least, it¡¯ll help with the whole balance thing in one sense.¡±


    As they took their places across from one another and settled into their ready stances, He Yu took a moment to regard his friend. Li Heng was relaxed and confident, his jian held before him in the picture of a noble swordsman. The twin streaks of moonlight silver that ran back from his temples only seemed to enhance that nobility. His clothes, his bearing, even the feeling of his presence as the dark, snowy field blanketed the training area radiated a tangible sense of refinement.


    Li Heng was, for all intents and purposes, noble. Of that much, He Yu was certain. He could talk all he wanted about how he needed to seek balance in favor of his ideas about what nobility meant. He was simply missing how he needed to connect all of that together. Of course, telling him as much wouldn¡¯t do any good. He¡¯d have to figure it out on his own, just as He Yu had.


    As the two of them broke off the initial clash of their renewed training, He Yu thought that Zhang Lifen¡¯s methods were starting to make a lot more sense.

 4.5 - The Elder Meeting

    Atop the highest of the central peaks of the Shrouded Peaks Sect sat the Elder¡¯s Grand Hall. The only way up was a staircase numbering ten thousand steps, and despite her advancement, protocol demanded that Zhang Lifen climb them. It stung at her pride. However, she knew where she stood, and she knew well that she wouldn¡¯t have received a summons if she weren¡¯t meant to take a lesson from this.


    And so she walked.


    The gate to the hall was as grand as any in the Imperial City. Or so she¡¯d heard. She¡¯d never actually been to the capital, but the gate here was certainly grand. Its wooden facade and roof tiles were painted a brilliant red. Elaborate carvings and gold leaf decorated the bronze-bound gates. Qi thrummed all throughout the structure, drawn up from the mountain and then along the single most intricate and powerful formation script in all the Shrouded Peaks Sect.


    The Elder¡¯s Grand Hall, like the sect itself, had stood for nearly a thousand years, watching over the wilds to the west, controlling the only true point of access to the Dawn Palace¡ªthe prison of the Sunset Empress. Within these walls, the visiting Dragon Emperor handed down the first assignment. It was within these walls that the Shrouded Peaks Sect planned and carried out its true purpose.


    As Zhang Lifen finally reached the top of the stair carved into the living stone of the elder¡¯s mountain, the wooden gates, easily three times as tall as she was, swung open. Within lay the first of several grand halls. Yet more formation scripts acted as wards and defenses within. Intricately carved pillars and bronze statues bearing the likeness of mighty warriors lined either side of the hall. Powerful constructs that would come to life and assist in the defense of the sect should they be activated. Each was roughly equal to a middle Sixth Realm cultivator. One hundred of them lined the hall.


    Beyond lay another set of doors, and beyond those another entry hall. This one was much shorter, and the only occupants were a pair of awakened Celestial Flame Lions. Sect leader Zhou Shanyuan himself raised both lions to the peak Seventh Realm, and they were both well over five hundred years old.


    They shifted at her approach, sensing the water aspect of her qi, but didn¡¯t bother to even look at her. Zhang Lifen bowed to each in turn, cupping her fist. Although they were each more intelligent than the most brilliant of mortal scholars, they didn¡¯t bother to speak to her. She was, after all, too far beneath them to be worthy of their notice, let alone speech. When she¡¯d completed her obeisance and they made no move to stop her, she continued through the next set of doors.


    These were even larger than the last, and they finally led to the Elder¡¯s Hall proper. At the far end waited Leader Zhou Shanyuan, First Elder Cai Weizhe, and First Disciple Yi Xiurong. If she¡¯d had any previous doubts that she was in for an earful, those doubts vanished as soon as Zhang Lifen lay eyes on who awaited her.


    Still, she kept her head high as she crossed the hall. She ignored the paintings of dragons and phoenixes that adorned the walls¡ªpowerful living techniques that would come to life at Leader Zhou¡¯s command. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on the trio of immortals before her. She may have been in trouble, but she still had her pride. She had, after all, acted wholly within her remit.


    When she reached the far end, she greeted each of them, bowing over a salute. ¡°Master Cai,¡± she began. ¡°Leader Zhou, Elder Sister Yi. This Lifen has answered the summons.¡±


    Zhou Shanyuan waved a hand. ¡°Be at ease, Disciple Zhang. There is much we must discuss.¡±


    She dipped her head in Leader Zhou¡¯s direction, relaxing fractionally. Whatever this was about, and whatever further punishments they saw fit to burden her with, it seemed that she wasn¡¯t in too much trouble.


    Sect leader Zhou Shanyuan was nearly eleven hundred years old, although one wouldn¡¯t guess by looking at him. He appeared to be a man in his late fifties, or perhaps early sixties. With broad shoulders and a powerful chest, his posture and bearing spoke of strength and vitality that even immortals would be envious of.


    He kept his beard to an immaculate point, and his hair was the color of new steel, falling down his back nearly to his waist. He held it back in the common fashion, with an elaborately worked crown hairpin, no doubt a treasure in its own right. His robes were of the finest make and shimmered with a faint silvery glow.


    Although the formation script of his chair, another treasure and masterwork of craftsmanship, kept his presence such that Zhang Lifen could barely sense it, she¡¯d experienced it time enough. He was a timeless mountain, reaching to heaven and into the very bones of the earth at once. He was power¡ªeternal and unyielding. He was stone and steel. He could strike with ten thousand times the power of a cataclysmic avalanche, and even that would be more of a casual swat coming from him.


    After all, he was the founder of the sect¡¯s cultivation traditions, and the creator of the White Mountain Body Art. He cultivated earth and metal aspects of the five phases, and combined them into the powerful and enduring mountain aspect. At the late Eighth Realm, only Master Cai surpassed him in power. It was only because Cai Weizhe¡¯s advancement had been crippled when creating the Dawn Palace that Zhou Shanyuan led the sect.


    To either side of him stood Master Cai Weizhe and First Disciple Yi Xiurong. Master Cai¡¯s presence was a familiar one¡ªand comforting, under the circumstances. The alabaster tower reached to heaven, each of its four faces corresponding to one of the guardian beasts. For all his power at the peak of Divine Soul Apotheosis, Master Cai¡¯s presence felt comparatively gentle, owing to his long cultivation of life qi, along with heaven and radiance.


    Then, of course, there was Yi Xiurong. She was much like Zhang Lifen, a peerless talent of her generation. She cultivated the unrelenting empyrean light of heaven. The very quintessence of purity, radiant qi was harsh, glaring, and uncompromising. Much like Yi Xiurong herself. She was beautiful, with skin like the finest white jade, but her features were cold and severe. An understated flower hairpin was the only thing holding back her hair, one of her few concessions to vanity.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Her presence was likewise harsh. A brilliant colorless star shone down from on high, bathing the world in stark, purifying light and flame. Nine golden orbs slowly circled her star, each one a miniature sun itself. At just over twice Zhang Lifen¡¯s age and at the early Sixth Realm, she was already a monster¡ªher power outstripped many of the experts among even the ducal clans of the empire.


    It was, much to Zhang Lifen¡¯s chagrin, Yi Xiurong who spoke next.


    ¡°Junior Sister Zhang,¡± the first-ranked core disciple began. ¡°You have made our objectives much more difficult than necessary.¡±


    Zhang Lifen lifted her chin as she did her best to return Yi Xiurong¡¯s imperious gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing that wasn¡¯t permitted.¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, no. But isn¡¯t that ever your excuse? You¡¯ve become rather the expert at bending the rules as far as you can manage without breaking them.¡± Yi Xiurong kept her features calm and her hands folded in her gown as she spoke, but her words were sharp as knives.


    ¡°I fail to see how providing sisterly advice to my disciple is in any way a breach of the sect¡¯s rules, in the letter or spirit,¡± Zhang Lifen said, affecting her best casual tone.


    ¡°That has more to do with consequences than rules and you know it,¡± Yi Xiurong snapped, her famous temper finally getting the better of her. Zhang Lifen schooled her expression, suppressing a smile. It was far too easy to needle Senior Sister Yi.


    Leader Zhou held up a hand for silence. ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± he said. ¡°Now we must concern ourselves with cleaning up the mess Disciple Zhang has caused.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly fair¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence,¡± Master Cai said. ¡°This is not the time.¡±


    That finally got through to her. Zhang Lifen gave her martial father a salute. ¡°Of course, Master Cai.¡±


    ¡°Cai Weizhe is correct,¡± said Zhou Shanyuan, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. ¡°You know full well the damage you¡¯ve caused. If you wish to explain yourself, do so to your shifu on your own time. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, we¡¯ve far less information that we¡¯d like and we must act swiftly. While we still can.¡±


    Yi Xiurong took over for Leader Zhou at some unspoken signal, stepping forward and a bit too far into Zhang Lifen¡¯s personal space. ¡°We were, at least, able to confiscate the advancement resources from Sha Xiang and Cui Bao before their departure. While you¡¯ve been occupied ensuring that we have the necessary fighting strength for the coming actions against the Sunset Court, we have discerned the nature of the ingredients and narrowed down locations from where they were sourced.¡±


    She resisted the urge to step back in the face of the more powerful woman¡¯s advance. It didn¡¯t matter that Yi Xiurong could crush her in a stand-up fight and they both knew it¡ªit was about keeping up appearances at this point.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you recall that the reason I¡¯ve been so occupied is as punishment rather than by any action of my own choosing,¡± Zhang Lifen pointed out.


    To her credit, Yi Xiurong ignored the barb and continued. ¡°Further, our geomancers found the location of a spirit stone mine while investigating the possible sources for the ingredients. It¡¯s well hidden and protected by obscuring formations. Given the extent to which those responsible have gone to hide it, and the evidence of¡­ questionable methods, we are confident this operation is associated with the Sunset Court.¡±


    ¡°See? Things worked out after all,¡± she said, flashing a brilliant smile at the first disciple.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize how close we were to tracking the emissary of the Court reliably,¡± Master Cai said. ¡°We¡¯ve never had such access to one of those cores. We know the pacts that their bearers form link them to Jin Xifeng. By observing Sha Xiang, we also learned they somehow link the bearers to each other. The plan was to use Sha Xiang to root out the court itself.¡±


    Zhang Lifen did her best not to deflate at that, as the enormity of what she¡¯d done finally sank in. Track the court? They¡¯d been searching for a method to do that for hundreds of years at this point. She¡¯d no idea that Sha Xiang¡¯s demon core had been the key to that.


    ¡°I am truly sorry,¡± she said. It was really all she could say.


    ¡°You can make it up to the sect by following your next assignment to the letter,¡± Yi Xiurong said, the corners of her lips quirking ever so slightly upward. Zhang Lifen supposed she could let Yi Xiurong enjoy the insignificant victory at least that much.


    ¡°Anything, elder sister,¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be tracking down Cui Bao. We have reason to believe he¡¯s still in contact with the emissary. At least, indirectly. He¡¯s been moving around quite a bit, staying on the northeastern edge of sect territory and just across the border, in the territory administered by the Mo clan.¡±


    ¡°The Mo clan?¡± Zhang Lifen raised an eyebrow at the name.


    ¡°Yes, the very same Mo clan that we¡¯ve been throwing mountains of spirit stones at after your disciple maimed one of their scions,¡± Yi Xiurong said.


    Zhang Lifen tilted her head in an unspoken question.


    It was Leader Zhou who answered. ¡°The Mo clan isn¡¯t affiliated with the court so far as we can tell. Mo Zhiqiang himself hadn¡¯t even been inducted. He was mostly Sha Xiang¡¯s lackey.¡±


    How a commoner girl from the southern forest had managed to position herself above one of the Mo was beyond Zhang Lifen, but she didn¡¯t question Zhou Shanyuan. Instead, she asked, ¡°What am I to do with Cui Bao, then?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Master Cai. ¡°Your task is to observe. Watch his movements and gather whatever information you can. We lost the best opportunity we¡¯ve ever had, so we¡¯re going to make the most of what we have left.¡±


    ¡°But the disciples,¡± she began.


    ¡°I will see to their development while Junior Sister Zhang is otherwise occupied,¡± Yi Xiurong said. For the second time in the meeting, the first disciple allowed herself to bask in her victory. Then she added, ¡°We¡¯ll be sending Disciple He and Disciple Tan after the spirit stone mine. Two early Fourth Realm disciples ought to have little trouble cleaning that up.¡±


    ¡°But the Mo¡ª¡±


    Leader Zhou cut her off. ¡°We¡¯re not throwing two of our most talented inner disciples upon a sacrificial altar. The Mo have been appeased for the time-being, and won¡¯t know that Disciple He is anywhere near their territory. If they¡¯re affiliated with the court and are aware of the mine¡¯s existence, seeking revenge for its destruction would admit as much. The sect would then be within its right to wage a full scale offensive against them.¡±


    That satisfied her, at least for now. ¡°When do I leave?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Master Cai answered.


    Zhang Lifen indicated her assent and turned to go. As the sounds of further discussion between the two elders and the first disciple faded behind her, her thoughts turned to He Yu. At least he would be in good hands with Yi Xiurong. She was the first-ranked core disciple for a reason, and whatever dislike lay between her and Zhang Lifen, Yi Xiurong kept the interests of the sect above all else.


    No, that wasn¡¯t what bothered her. What bothered her was how huge of a mistake she¡¯d made. Things had been going so well, at least by her estimation. She¡¯d thought that by teaching Sha Xiang a lesson, He Yu would grow ever closer to reaching for his absurdly untapped potential. At the very least, she¡¯d learned that her initial hunch about him had proved right. And if the sect leadership wanted to throw him against the court? Well, that just meant they saw it, too.


    Maybe they could salvage her mistake and spin it into the first real victory they¡¯d had against the court in centuries.

 4.6 - He Yu and Chen Fei

    The second note from Zhang Lifen in as many weeks had been a simple one. ¡°I¡¯ll be away for a bit longer than I anticipated. Make the most of the opportunity provided.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t certain what opportunity she could be referring to. Time to train on his own? As often as he found himself resenting whatever she¡¯d been putting him through, he couldn¡¯t deny that Zhang Lifen¡¯s training was effective. Time to take more jobs? Assuming he could even find a job at the assignment hall, the last three he¡¯d taken had gone much the same way as the village investigation. He¡¯d shown up to resolve whatever issue the sect needed resolved, only to find that he couldn¡¯t.


    Infestation of Third Realm spirit rats? Cleared by the time he arrived. Dispute between two baronial families in a nearby territory that needed a neutral party? Resolved, and the hatchet buried. Another spate of disappearances in the south? This time the missing villagers had returned the previous day, claiming they¡¯d awoken to find the bandits that had abducted them dead and their cages unlocked.


    Worse still, each time he returned to the sect, the assignment hall would come up with some reason why he wouldn¡¯t be paid. He Yu was feeling the pinch in a way that he hadn¡¯t worried about since his first days at the sect. Although part of him knew it would be fruitless, he accepted yet another job after reading Zhang Lifen¡¯s note. Maybe this one would be different.


    The job would have him leaving the sect and heading north. To the territory he¡¯d hunted King Hao down in. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t bandits. Even over a year later, King Hao¡¯s suppression at the hands of three sect disciples¡ªand the ensuing clash at his camp¡ªhad seen the region remain fairly calm. No, this was something that, in He Yu¡¯s estimation, was more appropriate for immortals to handle.


    A wealthy merchant had died some ten years prior. Although he¡¯d been a cultivator in life, he had no talent and was more dedicated to accumulating mortal wealth than his advancement. He¡¯d only managed to achieve peak Foundation before his dantian degraded and he died. Of course he¡¯d been well over a hundred years old, but he hadn¡¯t realized that the end of his life was rapidly approaching.


    The merchant had been a miserly sort, and was just as like to cheat his clients or sell them low-quality goods as he was to conduct fair business. He¡¯d made a lot of enemies. One such enemy was the local priest. So when he¡¯d been laid to rest in his extravagant tomb, the priest had cursed him in one last act of vengeance.


    The job didn¡¯t specify what had caused the priest to neglect his duties so, and he¡¯d left town shortly afterwards. The Foundation stage cultivator rose as a Foundation stage ghost and began terrorizing the nearby countryside. Soon the restless spirit had advanced to the Third Realm, and was verging on growing powerful enough to be equal to a Fourth Realm. As it advanced, it started venturing closer to settlements, sometimes even bypassed poorly maintained formation barriers in the smaller villages. This had caused the sect to take notice and decide to put the thing down for good.


    Doing so would require a disciple skilled at formations. He Yu both hoped this would mean he¡¯d actually be able to complete it. He also knew just the person to bring along, since he wasn¡¯t particularly skilled with formations, having no real patience for the tedious calligraphy work involved in creating and maintaining them.


    When he finally tracked Chen Fei down, she was up on one of the nearby mountains, sitting on a boulder in the center of a small lake. Formation characters floated around her, and earth qi coursed throughout the entire area, pushing the waters of the pond away from where she sat. Leaving her to her training, He Yu sat down and waited, occupying himself by staring at the clouds. He absently wondered if this sort of thing was why all the higher realm cultivators had hobbies. Like Zhang Lifen and the paintings she kept in her storage treasure.


    A soft thump from very close by brought him back into the moment.


    ¡°Want to take a trip with me for a sect job?¡± he asked as Chen Fei gave him a small wave.


    Her normally cheery disposition somehow brightened even further. ¡°Sure! Where are we going?¡±


    Chen Fei dressed as she typically did. All leather and fur. It was easy to see why many of the nobles in the outer sect had called her a barbarian, despite that she was clearly a citizen of the empire. While she may dress like one of the steppe clans, she had an imperial name, spoke the imperial tongue¡ªalbeit with a bit of an odd accent¡ªand she practiced the imperial system of cultivation. But living so close to the flat rolling expanse the nomad tribes called home had left its mark on her.


    Once she¡¯d joined the inner sect, she stopped wearing the uniform of the outer disciples, as was common practice among the higher-ranked cultivators. She¡¯d gone back to the sort of outfit he¡¯d first seen her in, but with the addition of a bear pelt draped over her shoulders. She¡¯d fortified the pelt with formations even before she entered the inner sect, and it was truly on its way to becoming a treasure in its own right.


    ¡°There¡¯s a ghost that¡¯s causing trouble up north. Late Third Realm, almost Fourth. Merchant died and the local priest cursed him before leaving.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not saying no, but do you really need my help?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll need a formation expert, but that¡¯s not why I thought to ask. I just thought it would be nice if you came,¡± He Yu answered, looking away at a particularly interesting tree on the far side of the lake. ¡°If you want, that is.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said, bumping his shoulder. ¡°I thought you¡¯d gotten too busy for me now that you¡¯ve advanced.¡±


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    It was true that he¡¯d gotten incredibly busy. Between Zhang Lifen snatching him away whenever she was at the sect, all the time he¡¯d spent over the past year pushing to reach Golden Core, and then finally having to focus on dealing with Sha Xiang, he¡¯d been afraid Chen Fei would think he was avoiding her. At least in the recent months Zhang Lifen had taken to training all of them frequently enough that they¡¯d not drifted completely apart.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there was just a lot going on.¡±


    ¡°When do we leave?¡± she asked as they headed back down the mountain. They kept a leisurely pace by He Yu¡¯s standards. Of all his friends, Chen Fei was the slowest, with only her body enforcement techniques to rely on. While she was capable of incredible bursts of speed, her real strength relied on her monstrous endurance. She could run for days on end if she had to, and He Yu wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she could go for weeks now that she was so close to forming her own Golden Core.


    He Yu glanced up at the sky, judging the position of the sun through the pine boughs that canopied the path. ¡°It¡¯s early enough that we could head out now. I don¡¯t need anything other than what I¡¯ve got in my storage treasure.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± she said. It wasn¡¯t a surprising answer. Chen Fei lived simply by cultivator standards and often disappeared for days or weeks at a time. Camping up in the higher parts of the Shrouded Peaks, she¡¯d once told him. She tended to carry most of her possessions with her.


    Although they were limited by Chen Fei¡¯s lower cultivation and relative lack of speed, they still reached the area in just over a week. It was one more little reminder of how far He Yu had come. At early Foundation, it had taken Li Heng, Yan Shirong, and him over a month to travel the same distance. While they had also been hunting for beast cores along the way, there still wasn¡¯t a chance they¡¯d have made the trip so quickly no matter how hard they pushed.


    At first, He Yu was a bit nervous about the trip, but for reasons wholly unrelated to their travel. Once they left the sect, he realized that he¡¯d be alone with Chen Fei for the duration of the job. He immediately imagined all the possible ways he could shove his foot in his mouth. Li Heng¡¯s advice from his earliest days at the sect came back, and he turned it into a mantra. He just needed to be himself.


    By the time they reached their destination, he came to realize he¡¯d been worried for nothing. Although he¡¯d always known that Chen Fei was cheerful and outgoing, he quickly learned that meant it was incredibly easy to follow Li Heng¡¯s advice around her. Almost as if the casual chatter that she filled their days with worked to calm all the worry he had about¡ªwell, he didn¡¯t really know what.


    They talked about anything and everything together. She told him more about her home on the western slopes of the north mountains that looked out across the vast steppe. He told her about all the legends and stories that had made him want to be a cultivator. It almost made him forget about why they¡¯d come north to begin with.


    When they finally reached the town, an older man dressed in an official¡¯s robes and cap greeted them. He looked to be in his late fifties and had a cultivation base of late Foundation. Although a dozen of the town guard flanked him¡ªeach of them early Foundation¡ªit was clear that they were there only for ceremony. It seemed that He Yu and Chen Fei were expected.


    ¡°Honored Disciples,¡± the official said, bowing over a cupped fist. ¡°This official is called Wu Jingguo. Your timely arrival is most welcome.¡±


    The town itself wasn¡¯t quite a city, but it was large enough to have a wall, a regular posting of cultivator guards, and an imperial minister assigned to it. After He Yu and Chen Fei introduced themselves, Wu Jingguo ushered them to his home. There, they took the opportunity to refresh themselves after their trip. Over tea, Wu Jingguo briefed them on the situation.


    The ghost had indeed advanced to Fourth Realm some weeks ago, as the job had warned it might. That seemed to worry Chen Fei, but He Yu focused on a different bit of information. Just over a week prior, all sightings of the ghost had stopped. Wu Jingguo pointed it out specifically because the ghost had become more active as it advanced, and this struck him as odd.


    ¡°Have there been any reports of other immortals in the area? Besides the locals, I mean,¡± He Yu said, trying his best not to grimace. ¡°Higher realm. At least Golden Core.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Disciple He, but none that I have heard of,¡± Wu Jingguo said. He must have noticed He Yu¡¯s expression, as a moment later he asked, ¡°Is there some problem?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Will you describe the location of the merchant¡¯s tomb to us? I¡¯m simply eager to be about our business.¡±


    Once they¡¯d left Wu Jingguo¡¯s home and passed through the town gates on their way to the merchant¡¯s resting place, Chen Fei asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He told her.


    ¡°Huh,¡± she said once he¡¯d finished. ¡°That is weird. But what makes you think it¡¯s all the same person, though?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the regularity of it, you know? The thing with the demons was just once. It could have been a passing rogue cultivator, sure, but it just keeps happening. And you know how Minister Wu said the ghost¡¯s activity stopped just over a week ago? That¡¯s when I accepted the job. It¡¯s always been like that. Whatever job I accept, it¡¯s like someone from the sect immediately goes and takes it for themselves. At this point, I¡¯m certain it¡¯s not a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°You should ask Yan Shirong for help. He¡¯s good at these sorts of things,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯d thought about that, but I don¡¯t want to bother him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t be bothered,¡± she said. ¡°Especially if you paid him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Can¡¯t really get too many spirit stones now that I can¡¯t actually finish jobs.¡±


    ¡°You can work something out. I¡¯ll loan you some if you want. I still owe you for that mid-grade stone from before the tournament, anyway.¡±


    He Yu was about to protest, saying that he never expected her to compensate him for that, but the merchant¡¯s tomb came into view. Or what was left of it. Rubble was strewn about a now-open pit. The remains of where the merchant¡¯s body once rested were likewise ruined. While there was no sign of the merchant¡¯s ghost, or who had destroyed it, He Yu didn¡¯t think for a moment that the spirit still remained in this world.


    The tomb was ruined, the surrounding area was similarly damaged, and there was no sign that any sort of pitched battle had taken place. Like all the previous times, someone had shown up shortly after He Yu took the job and simply destroyed the objective.


    ¡°I guess we can at least hunt cores on the way back,¡± Chen Fei suggested, giving him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Why would someone go to the effort of making sure that I can¡¯t complete jobs? What does it even accomplish?¡±


    The two of them returned to the town and informed Minister Wu that the ghost wouldn¡¯t be bothering them any longer. He thanked them profusely, and Chen Fei looked about as uncomfortable about it as He Yu felt. He didn¡¯t like taking credit for a job that someone else had done, even if it was only in terms of his local reputation, but it didn¡¯t seem right to bring the minister into whatever weird twist of inner sect politics He Yu had found himself caught up in. He could no longer deny that was exactly what this was.

 4.7 - First Disciple Yi

    Chen Fei¡¯s suggestion that they hunt cores on the way back turned out to be a good one. While most of the beasts they tracked down on the way back were Third Realm and their cores wouldn¡¯t sell for much at the inner sect market, it at least helped take He Yu¡¯s mind off his troubles. They even found a fair number of wind and water aspected cores. He Yu used them to help restore his cultivation base without having to take any of his more expensive and increasingly limited resources.


    Despite taking their time to hunt on the way back, they soon arrived at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. They sold off their cores at the inner sect market, then headed to the assignment hall. When He Yu walked in, the disciple at the counter gave him a look that told him exactly how things were going to go.


    ¡°We both know how this works by now,¡± the disciple said as he took the job posting and stamped it as complete.


    ¡°Both of us?¡± He Yu asked, glancing at Chen Fei.


    She frowned, but said nothing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t actually have any proof of completion, do you?¡±


    ¡°How would you know?¡± he asked, a fair bit more heat creeping into his voice than he cared to keep out of it.


    The disciple just shrugged. ¡°Like I said the last few times, if we get word it isn¡¯t complete, you¡¯ll be docked contribution points.¡±


    ¡°But we both know that won¡¯t happen,¡± He Yu said, keeping his voice even but firm. He¡¯d thought about what might be going on for the first couple of days on the return trip, and the assignment hall¡¯s attitude seemed to confirm his suspicions.


    ¡°We do, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be shocked to find out there aren¡¯t any rules against this,¡± He Yu said.


    The disciple sniffed. ¡°The only rules that are relevant here are the prohibition on fighting in and around the assignment hall. Now, if you don¡¯t have any further business, I have work to do.¡±


    Rather than make an issue out of it, He Yu stalked out of the hall.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Chen Fei asked as they headed back towards the housing areas.


    ¡°Somebody¡¯s doing this on purpose.¡±


    ¡°I bet I know who could help you figure it out,¡± she said.


    He Yu was seriously considering pursuing her suggestion. After that little exchange he was even more convinced that there was someone who¡ªfor some reason¡ªwas undermining his ability to finish sect jobs. Of course, Yan Shirong would expect payment, and He Yu was dangerously low on funds, even after selling the cores they¡¯d collected on the way back.


    Running through the list of people who might have some sort of grudge with him, the only two people he could come up with were Da Ning and Mo Zhiqiang. Of the two, Mo Zhiqiang was the only one who had the resources to potentially bribe the assignment hall disciple for the information regarding what jobs He Yu had taken. But Mo Zhiqiang wasn¡¯t anywhere near strong enough to snipe the jobs. Especially not since He Yu had taken his arm. Could he also be paying more advanced disciples to actually deal with the assignments? If he was, even a rich noble would run out of funds sooner rather than later.


    Maybe he should give the two of them a visit and ask if they knew anything? They¡¯d see it as intimidation, but they didn¡¯t really have the backing to stand up to him anymore. He Yu grimaced as the very thought made his Wayborn Seed shrink in discontent. No, that wasn¡¯t the sort of person he was, nor was it the sort of legend he wanted to forge.


    The approach of a late Fourth Realm disciple intruded into He Yu¡¯s thoughts. As the disciple drew near, he saluted both He Yu and Chen Fei, making it clear he¡¯d no hostile intent.


    Instead, he delivered a message. ¡°Junior Brother He, Junior Sister Chen. It is good to see you return. I have been sent to find you by First Disciple Yi. You are to meet with her immediately.¡±


    He Yu returned the salute, taking the opportunity to wrack his brain for any reason the sect¡¯s first disciple, Yi Xiurong, might want to speak with him. He¡¯d only met her once before, when she¡¯d appeared with Ren Huang and Su Meifeng when He Yu and his friends had been on their last legs in the western wilds. Even then, it was a stretch to say they¡¯d met. She had barely acknowledged their existence.


    ¡°Of course,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Where are we to meet?¡±


    When He Yu and Chen Fei arrived at the appointed place, the others had already gathered. They met at one of the inner sect¡¯s many training grounds, this one tucked into a terrace that looked like a giant blade had gouged out of the side of the very mountain itself. In all honesty, it probably had been. As they passed through the formation script, Chen Fei pointed out that it had been altered. Rather than reinforce the area to withstand cultivator¡¯s techniques, it would mask their presence and make it nearly impossible for anyone outside to discern what was being said within.


    Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng both appeared¡ªnot apprehensive, but certainly not comfortable either. The two of them would, of course, know the gravity of being called before the first disciple. All five of them were far too low in their rankings to be any of Yi Xiurong¡¯s concern. At least under normal circumstances. So it could only mean that these were not normal circumstances. Yan Shirong stood off to one side, trying to look small and casual both at once.


    Standing with her back to the mountain, Yi Xiurong looked just as radiant as He Yu remembered her. Although she kept her presence restrained, she was difficult to look at directly. The halo of brilliant light that shone from her felt like it would burn He Yu¡¯s eyes out if he lingered too long. If he remembered, she was at the Soul Refining stage, a full two realms higher than himself.


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    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived. Good,¡± Yi Xiurong said. Without waiting for any acknowledgment, or giving time for He Yu to ask any of the half-dozen questions on the tip of his tongue, she kept speaking. ¡°Under normal circumstances, disciples of your low rank and advancement wouldn¡¯t even suspect the things we¡¯re about to discuss. I trust you all know that nothing we say here leaves this area.


    ¡°First. Because of a certain core disciple¡¯s indiscretions, the sect has been forced to move against the Sunset Court before we¡¯re truly ready. Since you all have learned of the court¡¯s existence, and have experienced a taste of the empress¡¯s power for yourself, Sect Leader Zhou and Elder Cai see fit to make use of you. By using you where we¡¯re able, it will free up the time and attention of the core disciples to be used elsewhere.


    ¡°Second. As this is a matter of importance to not only the sect, but to the Dragon Empire as a whole, I will be overseeing your development for the duration of the court¡¯s suppression. I understand that perhaps you¡¯ve gotten used to certain allowances during your time under Sect Sister Zhang¡¯s attention. I am not Sect Sister Zhang.¡±


    There was a fair bit more to Yi Xiurong¡¯s tone than she was saying explicitly. Even He Yu didn¡¯t need the benefit of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to realize that some rift lay between Zhang Lifen and Yi Xiurong. He made a mental note to ask his mentor just exactly how unpopular she was when he¡¯d the chance.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Yi Xiurong continued, ¡°Disciple He and Disciple Tan will be dispatched first. While they are gone, I will grace Disciples Li, Yan, and Chen with my personal attention.¡±


    It was clear that she¡¯d finished speaking. Although she hadn¡¯t given any of them leave to speak, He Yu asked his question, regardless. ¡°Where¡¯s Zhang Lifen?¡± The shift from his own mentor taking a personal hand in both his and his friends¡¯ training seemed rather abrupt. He felt as though he were owed some explanation, at least.


    Yi Xiurong fixed him with what was perhaps the most intense and withering look he¡¯d ever received in his life. To say that he felt like he was having all the outer layers of his spirit and his flesh burned away would be only a small understatement.


    ¡°Sect Sister Zhang is currently on assignment. She will not return for some time, I think.¡±


    Any other questions He Yu may have had died under Yi Xiurong¡¯s gaze. For a moment, nobody spoke. Nobody moved. He Yu at least had no idea what exactly Yi Xiurong expected of him, and it seemed he wasn¡¯t alone. Eventually, it was Tan Xiaoling who spoke.


    ¡°A question, Senior Sister, if I may?¡± she asked.


    Yi Xiurong said nothing, but inclined her head ever so slightly, indicating her assent.


    ¡°What assignment are Sect Brother He and I to undertake?¡±


    ¡°We have discovered a possible location of spirit stone mine under the control of the Sunset Court. You and Disciple He are to travel there and investigate the site. Any agents of the court are to be dispatched. Any information regarding the court is to be recovered. Anything else that could be of use should likewise be recovered. Of particular interest is anything that might point us to the location of further agents or operations of the larger Sunset Court.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Senior Sister Yi,¡± He Yu said. ¡°But what do you mean by ¡®dispatched,¡¯ exactly?¡± He had a feeling he already knew the answer, but he had to ask, regardless. For his own sake.


    ¡°Exactly what it sounds like,¡± she said. ¡°Make no mistake. Now is not the time for mercy. The court must be ripped out of the west by the roots. After the loss of Sha Xiang, we must move to act quickly on what little information we have.¡±


    ¡°Sha Xiang?¡± Li Heng asked. ¡°What does she have to do with any of this?¡±


    ¡°The extent of our interest in her is far beyond what a disciple of you rank ought to concern himself with. Suffice to say that she was allowed to remain at the sect for a reason.¡± When nobody else voiced any other concerns, Yi Xiurong informed He Yu and Tan Xiaoling of the mine¡¯s location.


    ¡°As you¡¯ve only just returned from your last sect job, take tonight to cultivate and restore yourself,¡± Yi Xiurong said to He Yu. ¡°You and Disciple Tan will leave in the morning. He Yu is the ranking disciple, and will thus be responsible for the assignment.¡±


    It was a dismissal if he¡¯d ever heard one. After a brief discussion with Tan Xiaoling, they agreed to meet at the formation gate on the central inner sect mountain at first light. If Princess Tan had any objections to deferring to He Yu for the duration of the mission, she made no mention of them.


    Finally arriving back at his home for the first time in two weeks, He Yu went to where he¡¯d hidden his old storage treasure. Like many of the inner disciples, he didn¡¯t carry all his resources with him at all times, and the old, smaller spatial ring was a convenient way to stash resources he didn¡¯t need to carry with him. He took out a few elixirs that would boost his cultivation and allow him to restore himself fully in the short time he had. Thankfully, the steady trickle from the cores he¡¯d gathered on the way back meant he wasn¡¯t as depleted as he¡¯d otherwise have been.


    Once the elixirs were crackling through his meridians, He Yu took a position in his cultivation chamber and settled into the familiar pattern of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. There were a good number of things he needed to sort through before he left on this mission.


    The most pressing was the reaction he¡¯d gotten from his Wayborn Seed when he¡¯d been considering intimidating people into giving him information regarding his job troubles. As he examined the snap judgment he¡¯d made, he became more confident in it. That wasn¡¯t the sort of legend he wanted. It wasn¡¯t the image of a hero that he wanted to cultivate.


    Which led him to his next question. What sort of image did he want? It was something he¡¯d been circling around for some time. What it meant to be a hero. What justice meant, and how best to uphold it. He was no closer to the answers to those questions than when he¡¯d first asked. Sure, he¡¯d struck a couple of examples off the list. He knew in the examples of both Sha Xiang and King Hao what he didn¡¯t want to be. But how many times must he answer ¡°no¡± before he found his ¡°yes?¡±


    Then there was his concern about what Yi Xiurong had said. Dispatch. Her meaning was clear, and he¡¯d known that as soon as she¡¯d first spoken the word. Could he do it? Would doing so be an act of justice? She¡¯d said that now wasn¡¯t the time for mercy. Didn¡¯t justice and mercy go hand-in-hand?


    He examined his connection to his Wayborn Seed. He searched with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. He found no answers. Over the past year he¡¯d learned that what it meant to be a hero, what justice meant, and what the judgment of an emperor truly discerned were all things he¡¯d have to come to on his own. He would need to answers these questions for himself. It was something he¡¯d come back to time and again during his cultivation.


    It was time to stop seeking the answers. Time to begin defining them for himself. Nobody was going to do it for him. No sage would descend from heaven to expound on the meaning of justice. He would find it through his actions. Through a life that asked him to choose.


    As the sun rose, He Yu emerged from his cultivation chamber. He stashed some extra resources into his storage treasure, and headed off to meet Tan Xiaoling, and whatever choices he would have to make.

 4.8 - Against the Court

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Tan Xiaoling said once they¡¯d passed beyond the far edge of the sect town at the base of the mountain.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, exactly?¡± He Yu asked. Of course, he had some thoughts of his own on the subject. It wasn¡¯t so much that he¡¯d had to kill the agents of the court that bothered him. Rather, it was the part about not showing mercy.


    Then there was the fact that he was away from the sect and his home again. He and Tan Xiaoling would be gone for at least a month this time, given the distance they¡¯d be traveling, and it was starting to feel like he was spending more and more time away these days. He supposed that he¡¯d better get used to it, especially if tearing out the court ¡°by the root¡± was what his life was going to be for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°If the Sunset Court is as dangerous as we¡¯ve been led to believe, why send two low-ranked inner disciples who¡¯ve only just formed their cores?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You think they¡¯re lying to us about the threat the court poses?¡±


    Tan Xiaoling shook her head. ¡°Hardly. We both saw what happened in the western wilds. The way I see it, there¡¯s good reason that area¡¯s restricted. There¡¯s good reason they keep information restricted. If anything, I¡¯d say the court¡¯s more dangerous than they¡¯re admitting. To us, at least. If anything, they¡¯re throwing us to the tigers.¡±


    They lapsed into silence for a time as He Yu digested what she¡¯d said. The surrounding farmland passed by quickly, rice paddies racing by as they both used their full speed. Being at equal stages of advancement, neither of them had to hold back and slow down for the other. The ground flew by beneath them, and the Shrouded Peaks grew steadily smaller at their backs.


    After a time, He Yu said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re doing that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve more faith in that Yi Xiurong than I do, then,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. At least now a bit of her wry humor crept back into her voice. She still sounded dry and a bit creaky, as though she needed a drink after a long day of walking a dusty road.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like her, I take it,¡± he said.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± she laughed.


    ¡°Just a hunch.¡±


    ¡°Of the women that make up the core sect, she¡¯s now my least favorite after that meeting.¡±


    He Yu was well aware that Tan Xiaoling didn¡¯t particularly care for Zhang Lifen. It apparently had something to do with the deal she¡¯d made with the princess before the sect tournament. In exchange for staying her hand, Zhang Lifen had offered Tan Xiaoling the opportunity to take revenge on Xiao Jun for the humiliation she¡¯d suffered at his hands. That it would cost Li Heng his opportunity to place highly in the same tournament hadn¡¯t been mentioned.


    That Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng were romantically involved had turned into something of an open secret in the sect over the past year. It was difficult to hide such dalliances from immortals, and the nobility were wont to talk. He Yu still didn¡¯t understand the implications of the relationship fully, but he trusted that his friends knew what they were doing.


    ¡°What would be the point?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, if you¡¯re right, why would the sect just throw us away?¡±


    ¡°More trouble than we¡¯re worth? Maybe my uncle bribed them? Or the Mo clan?¡±


    ¡°What does the Mo clan or your uncle have to do with this?¡± He Yu knew full well why the Mo might want to see him end¡ªhe did maim one of their sons, after all. There was some disagreement in the Jade Kingdom between Tan Xiaoling and her uncle, but beyond that, he¡¯d largely stayed out of it.


    ¡°Well, first we¡¯re headed into territory controlled by the Mo. I thought you knew.¡±


    He Yu had not known. Pushing aside his newfound worry about that particular revelation, he asked, ¡°What about your uncle, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have thought you would have heard by now. Apparently, there¡¯s talk and my secret¡¯s out.¡±


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t really pay attention to all that,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Makes sense. Too busy cultivating and fighting duels.¡± She was poking at him, and he knew it. At least that meant he hadn¡¯t crossed any lines. ¡°Well, the short version is he wants to kill me.¡±


    He Yu looked over at her as they sped through a dense bamboo thicket. Just to see if she was making some sort of grim joke. Given the lack of her typical smirk, she was completely serious.


    ¡°It¡¯s how things work in the Jade Kingdom,¡± she said. ¡°The strong rule. I told you it¡¯s a harsh land. Unlike the empire, we can¡¯t afford weakness. Especially not in the royal family.¡±


    ¡°But your father,¡± He Yu began. King Tan Zihao was a legend in his own right. Fully in the Seventh Realm, and in good health all things considered. The only thing He Yu knew for certain was that he¡¯d not named a successor, despite Tan Xiaoling being his only child.


    ¡°My uncle, Tan Qingshen declared that a woman wasn¡¯t fit to rule the Jade Kingdom. In doing so, he¡¯s all but stated his intent to kill me. In keeping with my family¡¯s traditions, my father will stay out of it unless our conflict threatens the kingdom itself. My uncle is several hundred years younger than my father, so he¡¯s well within his right to challenge me, rather than my father. It was the whole reason I fled and came to the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll help you in any way I can,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your offer in the spirit you made it in. This is between my uncle and myself, however. Your help isn¡¯t necessary.¡±


    He Yu let the matter drop. Since their match in the tournament finals, he¡¯d realized that Tan Xiaoling had come to regard him with a fair amount of respect. More than she gave to most other disciples outside her immediate circle. That she hadn¡¯t threatened him, or worse, was sign enough of that.


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    Still, he meant what he¡¯d said. He didn¡¯t particularly care what she thought about his offer. She was someone that he considered a friend and an ally, and he¡¯d help her in whatever way that he could. And it had nothing to do with the fact that she was Chen Fei¡¯s best friend.


    After their mildly uncomfortable exchange about Tan Xiaoling¡¯s uncle, they passed the rest of the day in silence. They traveled all through the night, and the next day. Over the next two weeks, they kept up a pace that would have seemed impossible less than a year ago. They could go for days at a time, covering vast distances with their immortal endurance and speed. Both had formed their Golden Cores. They hardly needed to sleep or eat, either. A night¡¯s worth of cultivation was enough to keep them going for days.


    Over the weeks, the landscape changed as well. From the mountains that gave the Shrouded Peaks Sect its name, to the foothills and then farmland of flooded rice fields. Then finally, as they ventured further east, to the rocky and fairly desolate hills that Zhang Lifen had taken He Yu to train in. From there, they passed beyond the sect territory. The terrain grew ever more rugged. Stones turned to boulders, canyons to chasms. And as the land grew rough and inhospitable, so too did its denizens.


    Stone spirits were abundant. Most were equal to the Third Realm, but the occasional Fourth Realm spirit would appear. He Yu and Tan Xiaoling would avoid fights if they could, especially with the Fourth Realms. The closer they got to the target location, the more important it became that they hid their presences. They didn¡¯t want to give any more warning they were coming than they absolutely had to.


    Aside from spirits, there were lizards the size of a full-grown man that frequently basked on top of boulders. They even saw signs of a golden tiger, and Tan Xiaoling wanted to take a detour to hunt it. But duty soon won out, and they kept to the mission at hand.


    As they went deeper into what was now clearly the western reaches of the Mo clan¡¯s territory, signs of settlements became fewer and farther between. Even the tiny dirt tracks that could only barely be called roads were unwarded. For a mortal, traversing such lands would be akin to suicide. It seemed the Mo weren¡¯t particularly interested in allowing people to easily move around this portion of their lands.


    After a full two weeks of travel, they finally arrived at a large formation of stones that resembled pillars. The instructions Yi Xiurong had given them the morning they left had said to watch out for this landmark. According to both the work of the sect geomancers and the preliminary scouting of the area, the mine should be within half a day¡¯s travel. The geomancers had found clear evidence of mining, and the scouts had discovered multiple layers of concealing scripts. Despite this, the precise location of the mine remained unknown.


    Finding it was their first task.


    ¡°Does that technique of yours have anything to say?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked.


    He Yu shook his head. ¡°Not at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Could have used someone like Chen Fei,¡± she said. ¡°Or even Yan Shirong. Either of them would have been a huge help.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree,¡± He Yu said. ¡°But they didn¡¯t send either of them. We have to assume that a Third Realm would be a liability.¡±


    ¡°They could always hide. Sects frequently send groups of mixed advancement to handle tasks like this. Yet another reason I think they¡¯re trying to kill us both.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling had mentioned her suspicions about the job several times on their journey. Although He Yu remained mostly unconvinced, he was beginning to agree with her.


    ¡°Maybe Senior Sister Yi just has confidence in the capabilities of my perception art.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s silence told him exactly what she thought of that.


    After several hours of searching, they finally found a promising lead. A trail that was little more than a footpath wound through the dense shrub nestled between the hills. For such a desolate and remote area, the trail certainly looked as though it had seen recent and frequent use. An examination using the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, with its ability to show the truth of things, showed that both signs were correct.


    They followed the trail. Unlike when they¡¯d been traveling here, they both moved slowly and cautiously. They kept their spirits as restrained as they could. Even so, they were both Golden Core, and they weighed on the world around them. Tan Xiaoling had the easier time hiding herself; her spirit was conveniently similar to their surroundings. The only thing that gave her away was the unseasonable warmth that surrounded her.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t have stood out more. The surrounding area was parched and dry. The sky was clear, and the area¡¯s natural qi was mostly earth aspected. This was not a land that often saw rain. At least the constant murmur of the wind winding through the gullies and hills was in keeping with his spirit.


    Despite that, they still did what they could to hide their approach to what they hoped was the mine. Perhaps that was why Yi Xiurong saw fit to send two early Fourth Realm disciples. Certainly easier to hide a Fourth Realm spirit than a Fifth or beyond. A cultivator¡¯s qi weighed more heavily on the mortal world the higher they advanced their cultivation base, after all.


    At length, the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment gave He Yu his first real evidence they were in the right spot. A formation stone nestled among some shrubs clinging stubbornly to a rockfall. Without the aid of his hybrid cultivation and perception art, he¡¯d never have seen it. Although the stone itself was weathered, the script carved into it was well maintained. It had been here for some time, but it was also being kept in working condition.


    He Yu pointed to the stone, and Tan Xiaoling nodded. They crept forward to examine it. From what he could tell, there was no alarm script. It was meant to keep any qi emanating from inside the script from escaping, and thus potentially revealing the location of a potent source of the same. It also had minor defensive aspects, likely meant to keep out any curious spirits.


    Together, they crossed the boundary. When no alarm sounded, or no defenses activated, He Yu allowed himself to relax a bit. They advanced, staying as close to the hills and the dense shrub as they could. They skirted rocks and moved with ease and grace through tangled thickets that would have been impossible for mortals. Eventually, they found what they were looking for.


    The mine itself was little more than a hole dug into the side of a hill, braced with wooden beams. From what He Yu could see, it looked like it went steeply down into the earth just inside. Clustered around the entrance were half a dozen low, crudely made huts. Other than the potent qi coming from the mine itself, no doubt from the spirit stone veins within, there was no sign of any power of note.


    ¡°Is it abandoned?¡± He Yu asked in a whisper.


    ¡°No,¡± Tan Xiaoling replied in kind. ¡°The miners could be below?¡±


    ¡°We should investigate the huts first,¡± He Yu said.


    Tan Xiaoling nodded her agreement, and they crept forward. They had barely taken two steps when a presence revealed itself atop a nearby hill. They both stood to face the newcomer as one, weapons falling into their hands from their storage treasures.


    A man dressed in ragged robes stood atop a low hill. Behind him was a noticeably better constructed home than the huts around the mine entrance, that He Yu could have sworn hadn¡¯t been there a minute ago. The man wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face, resembling the visage of a demon. He held a farmer¡¯s sickle in one hand.


    Killing intent rolled out from him, sharp and dangerous, along with his presence. He was a pustulant disease¡ªpoison and decay made flesh. His touch was rot, and his sickle was a horrid, agonizing, and slow death. Worst of all, he was firmly at the middle stage of Golden Core.


    ¡°My mine! The sect dogs have come to my mine!¡± the overseer cried, his muffled voice harsh yet gleeful. ¡°The emissary will reward this one well for your putrid corpses.¡± The sickle gleamed. The overseer activated a movement technique and was upon them.

 4.9 - The Overseer

    He Yu and Tan Xiaoling both released their presences as the overseer slammed into their midst. As his initial strike cracked the earth where they¡¯d just stood, wind rushed out from them both.


    A sandstorm carrying a thousand thousand gleaming razor shards whipped up around Tan Xiaoling. A summer¡¯s gale surged out from He Yu, heavy with the promise of rain and crackling with the first fangs of heaven¡¯s fury. The cloud of toxic miasma the overseer carried with him buckled under the pressure from two Fourth Realm presences, but held.


    The overseer spun, his sickle flashing through the air. Some metal and poison-aspected technique gleamed along the edge of his blade. Shining and dripping. A cloud of toxins billowed out from the overseer as his qi surged, fueling his technique. Plants withered and died for dozens of yards around him. He Yu¡¯s lungs burned.


    He Yu called the Bracing Wind. It wasn¡¯t enough to stop the overseer¡¯s strike¡ªhis guandao did that. When the blade connected with the guandao¡¯s metal shaft, a blast of wind accompanied the shock reverberating up He Yu¡¯s arms. The wind carried the overseer¡¯s poison with it. A cloud of rot rolled out from where they stood.


    The overseer looked into He Yu¡¯s eyes, and held his gaze. ¡°Strong for a child and a dog of the sect. This will be a victory worthy of praise.¡±


    There was something about the way his eyes gleamed, the notes of glee in his words that were unsettling. He Yu always thought cultivators of the higher realms were supposed to be in control of themselves. This one bordered on manic.


    As the toxic cloud collapsed back in on them, a sharpness settled over the area. It was accompanied by a dry heat that beat down upon the land, cracking the earth as it parched the soil. Tan Xiaoling erupted from a cloud of razor sand and metal, her paired dao sabers flashing in the afternoon light.


    Her advancement to Golden Core had brought tremendous benefit. Black flames licked at edge of her sabers. The sharpness of her killing intent combined with her potent qi, pressing down on the world like a blade. As she fell upon the overseer, He Yu saw her as a golden tiger¡ªa powerful, predatory beast¡ªdescending upon its prey.


    Spinning to meet the attack, the overseer caught her sabers on his sickle. To her credit, she very nearly broke his guard right there. He half stumbled under the crushing weight of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s raw physical power. Her sandstorm surged out from her, more precise and controlled than it ever had been. It tore at what exposed skin it could find on her opponent. The wounds it opened healed quickly, but they seeped rotten, pustulant blood before they did.


    The overseer giggled. He wrenched his sickle away, opening Tan Xiaoling for a strike. His first two fingers gathered poison qi, and he struck an acupressure point. She stumbled back with gritted teeth and her face twisted in pain. A black and purple mark, like a rapidly expanding bruise crept up her neck from beneath her gown. As it spread, the metal aspect of her presence became heavy and dark as it toxified.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t going to waste the opportunity. Calling the Shearing Wind, he activated his newest technique¡ªHeaven¡¯s Descending Blade. It was the same technique that had taken Mo Zhiqiang¡¯s arm. He¡¯d been hesitant to use it in his duels, despite Zhang Lifen¡¯s insistence he use his full strength. Now? He saw little reason to hold back.


    A churning mass of wind wrapped around the guandao¡¯s curved blade. Lightning crackled along its length. He Yu¡¯s presence surged¡ªthe storm broke. Rain poured down in torrential sheets, wind whipping it to stinging cold. The black sky flashed brighter than day with each strike from heaven. Thunder pealed, the sound loud and forceful enough to shatter stone.


    Heaven¡¯s golden qi arced out from He Yu, like a hand extended in judgment. Blade and wind and lightning struck, biting into the overseer¡¯s exposed back. Blood and pus erupted from the wound. The overseer howled, a mixture of rage and glee. It was an unnerving sound if He Yu had ever heard one.


    The sickle flashed, and it was only through He Yu¡¯s months of training against Zhang Lifen¡¯s relentless assaults that he managed to defend. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment did its job. It showed him the shape of the attack, the arc it would trace through the empty air, slicing through wind and rain to open a wound in his neck, to infect him with the overseer¡¯s toxic qi.


    The Spring Rain Mirror expanded. Only the size of He Yu¡¯s palm. Only capable of a nudge against an attack like this. But a nudge was all it needed. Another benefit of training against Zhang Lifen. She cultivated water and in the countless hours training against her, He Yu had come to understand that aspect well.


    The Mirror deflected the attack, changing its course rather than stopping it. The technique blinked out, but the overseer was open. A blast of wind followed He Yu¡¯s strike. The metal cap struck home, and the overseer¡¯s ribs cracked beneath it. Heaven followed, crawling along the length of his weapon, and then out from where he¡¯d made contact.


    The overseer made a fist, and He Yu readied himself for a strike. It never came.


    Great gouts of greenish black smoke billowed out from the overseer. It was accompanied by an intense wave of killing intent. He Yu didn¡¯t need the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to know what that technique would do to him if he stayed where he was. Pouring qi into the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, he pulled himself into the air, away from the cloud of toxic fumes that rolled out from the overseer.


    Tan Xiaoling fell back as well, having mostly recovered from the initial attack. The skin on her neck still looked badly bruised, though. She landed atop the hill where the overseer had first appeared and reached up with one hand. The black spear she¡¯d used in the tournament formed above her¡ªthe Mark of the Dark Sun.


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    A spear of black metal hung in the air. A corona of fire flickered around it. The sharp gleam of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s killing intent shone on the point. She dropped her hand and sent death.


    The overseer activated a movement technique. He Yu noted that the overseer had opted to dodge, rather than block, Tan Xiaoling¡¯s technique. That was all the time he had to reflect.


    The Mark of the Dark Sun crashed into the earth where the overseer had just stood. Metal and flame erupted from the impact, leaving a crater several dozen feet across. Flames licked the edge of the crater, and even now He Yu could still sense the last, fading vestige of killing intent Tan Xiaoling had imbued into the technique. He didn¡¯t know if it would have been enough to finish the overseer off completely, but even with the full-stage advantage, the technique would have struck him a grievous blow.


    ¡°Such a gift heaven has given me!¡± the overseer shouted, his voice filled with a manic glee. ¡°I will rip out your cores and turn your blood into elixirs. I will take your cultivation and add it to my own!¡± He launched himself into another whirlwind of spinning poison and metal.


    With the reflexes of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, and the agility of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, He Yu darted around the overseer, striking with wind and heaven. Tan Xiaoling took a more direct approach, crashing into him with a furious assault from her paired dao. Her sandstorm churned around her, just as the winds cloaked He Yu.


    The overseer met them blow-for-blow.


    The fight dragged on. A poison cloud clung to the ground as it spread across the land, bringing with it a slow, creeping death. A tiger stalked an oasis, its movements hidden by the breath of the desert it lorded over. A storm broke and covered the sky, the wind and rain washing away the rot and decay below.


    Three Golden Cores clashed. Their presences warring with each other as their techniques tore flesh. Wounds putrefied. Flesh was burned by dark flames and heaven¡¯s touch alike. Wind and metal and rain clashed with billowing clouds of toxic smoke. The skies opened and lighting poured down from heaven. The desert drew life from all who dared set foot on the parched sands. Rot spread along the land.


    The dozens of wounds He Yu took burned. Their edges turned black and necrotic¡ªit took a tremendous amount of effort to cycle qi to halt the effects of the overseer¡¯s poison. It also hurt worse than anything he¡¯d ever experienced. When the overseer had managed to land his first strike, it had taken everything He Yu had not to drop his guandao and just scream.


    Tan Xiaoling hadn¡¯t fared much better in the exchange. Her more direct style meant that she¡¯d taken far more wounds than he had. It was a testament to her resilience that she¡¯d managed to keep fighting through it.


    The overseer himself hadn¡¯t come out unscathed, but by now it was clear that he¡¯d maintained the upper hand. He was skilled. He Yu had to give him that. The overseer managed the two of them well after the first exchange, making sure to keep himself from getting flanked, and doing whatever he could to close off lines of attack.


    It was a testament to He Yu and Tan Xiaoling both that they¡¯d done as well as they had so far. Early Fourth Realm they both may be, they were also strong for their advancement. Between the two of them, they had managed to keep the overseer from pressing any momentary advantages he may have gained. Still, it was fairly clear that if this continued, he would wear them down.


    ¡°We need a plan,¡± He Yu said, chest heaving with the exertion of fighting for what must have been several hours at this point.


    The surrounding land lay in ruin. The overseer¡¯s hut was intact, most likely due to formations, but the rest of the area? The hill opposite the hut was all but gone. The gully they¡¯d first clashed in was a blackened wasteland now. The overseer¡¯s toxin had wilted all the hardy scrub, which had then quickly decayed. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s flames and He Yu¡¯s lightning had done the rest. What had once been boulders nearly the size of a full-grown person were now little more than rubble.


    ¡°Unless you happen to have some tricks I haven¡¯t seen, I¡¯m not sure what you expect,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. Her voice was tight and laced with pain. Her gown was torn in more than a dozen different places, and stained with blood¡ªmost of it hers.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t in much better shape. ¡°None that you haven¡¯t seen,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll distract him for a moment. It¡¯ll give you an opening to take some medicine. Then you can do the same for me¡ª¡±


    He cut himself off as the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment grabbed his attention. He looked to the cluster of huts by the mine¡¯s entrance. Half hidden in the doorframe of one hut crouched an emaciated figure that was as much a corpse as a person. Malnourished, overworked, clearly exhausted and afraid¡ªa mortal. Someone who had absolutely no business being anywhere near a battle between Fourth Realm cultivators. How he hadn¡¯t collapsed under the sheer spiritual weight of three clashing presences was far beyond He Yu.


    He Yu stopped himself from thinking about it. There wasn¡¯t time. It could simple have been due to heaven¡¯s good fortune that they lived for all it mattered. What he had to do now was clear. ¡°There¡¯s mortals by the mine.¡±


    ¡°Fools,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°If they haven¡¯t escaped yet, they aren¡¯t our problem. We can¡¯t afford to hold back against this foe.¡±


    As she spoke there was something deeper to her words. He Yu remembered what she¡¯d said to him before the tournament.


    I do not hold back.


    He Yu responded in kind. His words were his, but more than his alone¡ªthey came from somewhere deeper. Somewhere more profound. A truth that he could only partially lay claim to¡ªat least for the time being. ¡°They are our responsibility.¡± Responsibility. Not problem. ¡°We¡¯re immortals. We have a duty to those weaker than ourselves. Ask yourself, what if they were your people? The people of the Jade Kingdom?¡±


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s eyes flashed. It was clear he¡¯d struck a nerve, but she didn¡¯t disagree. Instead, she said, ¡°Follow your Way, I¡¯ll follow mine.¡±


    It was as good as he was going to get, and he took it. ¡°Just don¡¯t go out of your way to harm them.¡± She nodded her assent. He Yu¡¯s meridians surged with heaven qi as he activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. ¡°Take your pill.¡±


    He blasted toward the overseer. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s presence surged behind him as the medicine did its work.


    ¡°You think a silly pill will help you?¡± the overseer asked. His sickle came up to meet He Yu¡¯s guandao.


    The Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight took hold, and He Yu twisted to one side. He positioned himself between the overseer and the mine entrance. Heaven qi crawled along his body and his weapon. Wind churned and tugged at his robes. Behind the overseer, Tan Xiaoling moved like a stalking tiger, her paired dao limned in black fire.


    He Yu had expected the overseer to maneuver as he usually did. Put his two opponents in front of him. Instead, he looked past He Yu. Looked to the mine entrance. To the huts. His eyes lit up.


    ¡°I see, I see,¡± he murmured. ¡°Then I shall strike what you cannot defend. Suffer in your futile helplessness.¡±


    The overseer vanished. He Yu spun. Flooding his meridians with qi, he put everything he had into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight both. He shot forward, the Rushing Wind wrapping his extended blade.


    Among the huts, the overseer had one of the mortals. A young man, about He Yu¡¯s own age.


    The overseer wrenched the mortal¡¯s head back and opened his throat.

 4.10 - A Heros Duty

    Anger, white and hot, consumed him. He Yu slammed into the overseer. The sickle trembled under his guandao and he locked eyes with the manic creature before him. The overseer simply laughed.


    ¡°Is the price of failure too high?¡± he asked with a manic giggle.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be the one paying it.¡± Again, his words came from a place he couldn¡¯t quite lay claim to. The gates of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Hidden Palace opened. His Wayborn Seed thrummed. He saw the visage of the God of Thunder. With his mallet, he beat his drum, his face a mask of fury. He sent forth punishment for the unjust.


    The flimsy huts blasted away from He Yu in an explosion of wind and heaven. His qi moved more easily than it ever had. He grabbed the overseer by the throat. Yes, he had failed. Failed to protect one mortal. But that only meant that paths once open to him had now closed. No longer was he a shield. With the death of an innocent, he became an executioner¡¯s blade.


    While an emperor must safeguard his subjects, he must also not hesitate to dispense justice when justice is demanded.


    The truth of it came not so much in words or impressions, but in something beyond both. The overseer slashed at He Yu with his sickle, opening wounds that oozed blood even as poison pumped into his veins. He Yu pivoted and threw the overseer with all his might¡ªright at Tan Xiaoling.


    ¡°Take shelter in the mine, all of you!¡± He Yu shouted. ¡°I can¡¯t protect you if you stay here!¡±


    That would have to be enough. He sensed the Wayborn Seed¡¯s acknowledgment of his choice. A part of him knew that deep insights lay here¡ªhe would have to cultivate when this was over if he wanted to sort through them all.


    Righting himself in mid-air, the overseer slammed into Tan Xiaoling with a flying kick. She endured. The strength of her Golden Tiger Cultivation Law allowed her to remain firm even before an opponent with a full stage advancement. The overseer landed in a crouch and lashed out with his sickle. Tan Xiaoling stomped down on his wrist. She scored two bloody lines across his back.


    He Yu landed behind him and brought down the fury of heaven. Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade fell upon the overseer along with a powerful overhand strike bearing the Crashing Wind. He Yu imbued the attack with the full weight of his killing intent. A column crackling with golden light split earth and sky alike. A shining razor sharpness pressed itself upon the world.


    Another toxic cloud billowed out from the overseer, forcing He Yu and Tan Xiaoling back. As their presences reasserted themselves and the wind whipped the cloud away, the overseer stood in a newly formed crater. A gaping wound ran down his chest. Blood and bone and exposed inner tissue pulsed as he wheezed.


    ¡°Sect dogs!¡± he spat. ¡°I will rip out your Wayborn Seed. I will shatter your Daoist Mind. I will rend you. I will consume you¡ª¡±


    Tan Xiaoling struck. Her presence flared. A golden tiger leaped on the overseer¡¯s back, its claws and teeth digging into his flesh. The merciless dark sun beat down, and the desert swallowed the overseer¡¯s poison¡ªfor what effect could such toxin have on a land already devoid of the living? The overseer stumbled forward, two more red scores opened on his back.


    With a feral hiss, the overseer righted himself. He held up a hand. ¡°Sacrifice,¡± he said as he pressed the edge of his sickle to his wrist.


    He Yu plunged his guandao into the overseer¡¯s chest. Lightning surged, a thousand splintered fingers of heaven crawling and grasping at the overseer. He tried to scream, but it was just an empty sucking sound. He dropped the sickle and reached for He Yu, poison qi surging as another cloud of disease expanded from him.


    It was only the enhanced perception of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment and the reflexes of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering that allowed He Yu to get out of the way in time. A second black spear, gleaming with killing intent and radiating black flame, slammed into the overseer from behind.


    The overseer reached forward with sickle and fist, a half-formed technique dripping poison qi from both. He Yu opened him up from navel to neck.


    Finally, the overseer pitched forward. He hit the ground and lay motionless. His presence rapidly faded, the poison miasma quickly dispersed by the combined pressure of both He Yu and Tan Xiaoling¡¯s winds.


    ¡°Could have used that earlier,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. Despite the half-smirk she often wore, there was an unmistakable note of relief in her words.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure what happened,¡± He Yu admitted. Then, something the overseer had said returned to him. ¡°What did he mean by Daoist Mind?¡±


    ¡°He must have been mistaken,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°The Daoist Mind is formed when a cultivator fully connects with their Way. As unusual as you and I both are for having formed Wayborn Seeds before reaching Golden Core, the idea that either of us would have a Daoist Mind is absurd. My father hasn¡¯t even managed to attain his, and he¡¯s in the Seventh Realm.


    ¡°Still,¡± she added, giving him an appraising eye. ¡°Something happened to you. Anyone with eyes could see that.¡± She hesitated then, something that He Yu wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to make of. Eventually she asked, ¡°May I ask what it was?¡±


    He was taken aback at first. It was oddly deferential, coming from her. She was a princess. She had always been the one he¡¯d regarded as the expert. But now she sounded almost unsure of herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, exactly,¡± he began. ¡°When I saw that mortal die, I just sort of knew. I needed to deliver justice. A life for a life.¡±


    She seemed to be searching for something in his features for a long time. Long enough that he was growing rather uncomfortable. When she finally spoke, her words were careful, measured. ¡°I would spend a long time examining whatever insights I gained, were I you. If Senior Sister Yi is sincere in her desire to guide our development, take this opportunity to seek her guidance on the matter. She has achieved Soul Refining, after all. She will have insights beyond even Zhang Lifen¡¯s expertise. No disrespect to your shifu, of course.¡±


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    He understood the thrust of her comments and nodded, indicating that no disrespect had been taken. Whatever had happened was beyond either of them at this point. As far as they¡¯d come, they had so much further yet to go.


    A quick check of the overseer¡¯s body turned up his storage treasure. They decided to wait until they were away from the mining camp to open it and examine its contents. As a middle stage Golden Core, he no doubt had a fair amount of wealth within, and it would take time to sort through it all. They would likely need to have much of it appraised. Tan Xiaoling also pointed out that, given his cultivation base, any elixirs he had would be unsuitable for them. Better to sell than risk poisoning themselves.


    The sickle, on the other hand, was a fairly high quality treasure despite its simple appearance. The handle was of rough wood, and the blade appeared nicked and worn on first appearance. However, it was carved with complicated formation characters, and radiated an undeniable power.


    ¡°It seems like it could gain its own spirit within a couple of decades,¡± Tan Xiaoling remarked.


    He Yu knew from the stories that powerful treasures could gain spirits, and essentially become ¡°alive,¡± so to speak. This was the first he¡¯d ever seen of such a thing up close.


    ¡°That would make it valuable, I would think.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling nodded. ¡°Just be grateful Sect Brother Yan isn¡¯t here to see it,¡± she said.


    There was nothing that seemed like evidence of the Sunset Court on the overseer¡¯s body. It could be inside his storage treasure. Or it could be elsewhere. That left the overseer¡¯s hut, and the mine itself. Tan Xiaoling turned to the hut, and He Yu the mine.


    When he didn¡¯t follow her as she took a step toward the hut, she glanced over her shoulder at him. ¡°See to your mortals,¡± she said.


    Something about the way she spoke rubbed him the wrong way. As if they were so far beneath her that their well-being wasn¡¯t even worth considering. Just like during the fight when she¡¯d said they weren¡¯t her responsibility.


    As far as He Yu was concerned, they were at least his.


    Heading into the mine, he had to duck his head under the bracing at the entrance. Once inside, it opened up enough that he could stand, but more because of the steep downward slope. It was still cramped, and if he weren¡¯t so short, he¡¯d have to stoop. For perhaps the first time in his entire life, he was glad that he wasn¡¯t any taller.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to find the miners. There were only about ten of them. They were all emaciated like the one the overseer had killed, with sunken cheeks and hollows around their eyes. To He Yu, they looked even more frail than most mortals did. They huddled against the far wall of the chamber he found them in, among piles of softly glowing spirit stones.


    As he approached, they threw themselves to the ground in kowtow, each of them trembling. None spoke.


    He Yu wrestled down his discomfort at the display. ¡°Stand,¡± he said. He tried his best to sound like he was in control. Strong. Like his presence could protect them. When they all leaped to their feet but kept their eyes on the dirt, he realized that he¡¯d missed the mark.


    ¡°You¡¯re free,¡± he said. That seemed like the right thing to say, but he still hated the hitch of hesitation that had crept into his voice. He was so far out of his depth.


    The miners glanced among one another, still not speaking.


    Despite his patience starting to wear thin and his frustration mounting, He Yu was careful to keep his words even and calm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. They were clearly terrified. That much was obvious. He didn¡¯t know how to mitigate that. It wasn¡¯t his fault that he had no idea how to deal with a situation like this.


    Eventually, one miner stepped forward and spoke. ¡°Where should we go?¡± he asked hesitantly. When there was no response forthcoming¡ªprobably the slap or the beating he¡¯d expected¡ªhe seemed to gain a bit of confidence. ¡°Where can we go? The lands here are filled with monsters. We¡¯d die before sundown. There¡¯s no food other than what gets delivered. If we stay here, there¡¯s no doubt they¡¯d just send someone else.¡± Then his face twisted, and his voice turned bitter. ¡°Just as likely, they¡¯d kill us all in retribution for the overseer¡¯s death.¡±


    He Yu wanted to kick himself. All of that should have been obvious. If people like Sha Xiang were the sort that the Sunset Court actively sought to fill their ranks, then he shouldn¡¯t be surprised that cultivators like her and the overseer would be the norm. And he¡¯d seen what the surrounding lands were like on the way here. The miner was right. Leaving them to fend for themselves was a death sentence in all but name.


    ¡°You¡¯ll come with me. I¡¯ll see you all safely to a settlement.¡± It was clear they didn¡¯t believe him, so he said, ¡°I am an inner disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. This land may not be under our administration, but we serve the Dragon Emperor. This mine is clearly in violation of imperial law. It is my duty as a servant of the empire to see you to safety.¡±


    That seemed to finally break through the last of their resistance. All the miners cupped their fists and practically fell over one another to thank him. Once again, his discomfort spiked. He was just some peasant boy. Well, a man now, he supposed. He was nearly twenty-one years old now. But still just a peasant. The son of a blacksmith from some backwater. Not some noble.


    ¡°He Yu!¡± Tan Xiaoling called from the entrance. ¡°Are you down there or have earth spirits devoured you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he called.


    Upon finally being able to place a name to their benefactor, a renewed chorus of thanks spilled forth from the miners. ¡°Lord He is most gracious, Lord He is most merciful.¡±


    He Yu hated it.


    A moment later, Tan Xiaoling appeared. Although He Yu was wearing the treasured robe he¡¯d received from Yongnian, it was immediately obvious which of them was of higher status. The miners again kowtowed to murmurs of ¡°Lady Immortal.¡± Tan Xiaoling simply gave them a dismissive wave, then proceeded to ignore them.


    Instead, she arched an eyebrow at the piles of spirit stones lying around the chamber they stood in. The ceiling was only about a foot or so higher than both their heads, but it was clearly a storage chamber. A tunnel went deeper into the mines, promising the source of the stones softly shining all around.


    ¡°This is quite the find,¡± Tan Xiaoling remarked.


    ¡°What should we do with it?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°What do you think? We take it.¡±


    ¡°Is that allowed?¡± he asked.


    Tan Xiaoling shook her head, a smirk crossing her lips. ¡°You¡¯re something of an idiot sometimes. Nobody said it wasn¡¯t, did they? If Senior Sister Yi gave even the slightest care to what we did with our spoils, you think she¡¯d have not said something? She cares only about¡ª¡± Tan Xiaoling cut herself off as she glanced at the miners. ¡°What we came for. The rest? We can do what we please.¡±


    He Yu nodded. Given how secretive the sect was regarding the Court, was probably best not to mention it unless they were certain anyone within earshot was already privy to the information.


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± he said. ¡°Did you find anything in the hut?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s quite a bit worth discussing in the hut,¡± she said. Whatever it was, it was clearly going to wait. She glanced between the miners and He Yu. ¡°If I were to venture a guess, we¡¯re taking them somewhere safe?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t simply leave them here.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she said. ¡°Well, let¡¯s put these stones away. I¡¯d rather not linger.¡±

 4.11 - Responsibility and Return

    With the bounty of the mine safely tucked away in their storage treasures, He Yu and Tan Xiaoling returned to the surface with the miners in tow. Tan Xiaoling said she was going to make one last sweep of the overseer¡¯s hut and the surrounding area just to be certain there wasn¡¯t anything she¡¯d missed. Among the remains of the hovels that had once housed the miners, He Yu spied a few meager provisions. Half-full sacks of rice, a couple of banged-up cooking pots, and a mix of other miscellaneous and mundane implements for mortal life.


    He instructed the miners to gather up whatever they could carry. As Golden Core immortals, he and Tan Xiaoling had little need for such provisions to survive. The food or drink they carried in their storage treasures were heavily fortified with qi, making it wholly unsuitable for mortal consumption. A mere sip from Tan Xiaoling¡¯s tea or He Yu¡¯s wine would cause a backlash so severe as to kill a mortal instantly. He Yu only hoped that the pitiful amount of food would be enough for them to make it to a settlement.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the miners to gather up what little there was. While he awaited Tan Xiaoling¡¯s return, he asked one of them about it. He was told that every couple of weeks, some cultivators would arrive with supplies. Usually between one and three of them. They only brought enough to last until they returned, most likely to ensure a more difficult escape. They would leave with whatever spirit stones had been mined since they¡¯d last come.


    He Yu did his best to ask a few more pointed questions, designed to tease out any information about the Court without giving anything away. It didn¡¯t take long before he realized its futility. The miner was a mortal, after all. Wholly ignorant of the world of cultivators, and the forces that moved within it. To him, the overseer and the cultivators who made the deliveries were much the same¡ªbeings of unfathomable power who held his life in the palm of their hand. He Yu supposed the miner wasn¡¯t too far off in that assumption.


    The only mention that He Yu thought even slightly worthy of note was that those responsible for the deliveries seemed uniformly deferential to the overseer. It wasn¡¯t surprising¡ªif the mine provided advancement resources to the Court, it seemed reasonable that whoever they put in charge of it would be someone of status. Of course there were no names, but at the end of the miner¡¯s description, something caught He Yu¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said. ¡°That last one, the one you said only started showing up within the past few months. Tell me more about him.¡±


    The miner did as he¡¯d been told, describing a lean and dangerous-looking cultivator. He tended to dress simply, more like a street thug than the typical well-appointed robes common among cultivators. He Yu tried to tease out as much as he could, asking about the cultivator¡¯s presence. The miner gave him a blank look at that, and He Yu mentally kicked himself. Of course a mortal wouldn¡¯t know what he was talking about.


    He shifted tack, asking about weapons. The cultivator carried none, but of course he wouldn¡¯t. He¡¯d have a storage treasure. Still, He Yu managed to tease out a few more useful details. Although without more information, he couldn¡¯t be certain. From the description, the newcomer sounded an awful lot like Cui Bao. His appearance at the spirit stone mine lined up with his departure from the sect well enough, at least.


    By the time Tan Xiaoling returned, the miners had all gathered what they could. With the two immortals in the lead, they turned their feet to the west. He Yu and Tan Xiaoling had held a quick discussion about how best to handle the mortals once they left. Although they weren¡¯t certain exactly how far inside the Mo clan¡¯s territory they were, or where exactly the border with the sect¡¯s territory lay, they quickly agreed it was best they head toward unambiguously friendly land.


    If they happened upon a settlement along their route, they¡¯d drop the miners off there. If it were a town of sufficient size, they¡¯d be able to contact the Ministry of Information and send word to the sect about the miners. That had been He Yu¡¯s suggestion, as he didn¡¯t want to simply leave them to their fates once they¡¯d reached safety.


    ¡°They¡¯re not your responsibility,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. Although she didn¡¯t disagree with his desire see the mortals to safety, it was clear she didn¡¯t understand, either.


    ¡°What sort of hero leaves those who can¡¯t defend themselves to their fates?¡± he asked in return.


    It was nearly a quarter of an hour before she spoke up again. ¡°I suppose you have your Way. It¡¯s not for me to understand, or follow.¡±


    ¡°A little charity wouldn¡¯t hurt, though. Besides, Li Heng always talks about how nobles have a duty to those weaker than themselves, too.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling shook her head, but said nothing.


    They continued walking through the scrub lands among the hills. The terrain here was rough going, at least for the mortals. Had the miners not been along, He Yu and Tan Xiaoling could have simply used movement techniques to pass through the dense thorny undergrowth that clung to the gullies running between the rugged, stone-strewn hills that rose to either side of the path they¡¯d chosen. Or they could have leaped from hilltop to hilltop. Were He Yu alone, he could have traveled in much the same way he had when he¡¯d gone to the southern forest, using his movement technique to soar over the difficult terrain.


    As it was, He Yu mostly served as a sort of trail breaker. His guandao turned out to be well-suited for the task, given its reach, and his command of wind qi ensured any stray shrubs or debris was sufficiently cleared. It made for easier going for the mortals, meaning that having a dozen emaciated miners in tow didn¡¯t slow them down any more than it absolutely had to.


    When the sun finally dipped towards the earth in the west, they sought out a suitable spot to stop for the night. Neither Tan Xiaoling nor He Yu had the sort of experience that Chen Fei had with finding a good camp, but several of the miners did, and they eventually found a spot that was relatively sheltered. As the miners set about to prepare simple meals for themselves, He Yu and Tan Xiaoling climbed a hill a short distance away. It was about time they went over what they¡¯d found in the overseer¡¯s hut.


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    The first thing Tan Xiaoling produced from her storage treasure was a rolled up bamboo scroll. ¡°It looks like a ledger of some sort,¡± she said as she unrolled on a nearby rock she¡¯d sliced the top off to serve as a table. ¡°I can¡¯t read it, though.¡±


    He Yu joined her and gave it a look. The characters were all standard, but their meaning was nonsense. Their arrangement certainly suggested that it could be a ledger of some sort, but that was about the most sense he could make of it.


    ¡°A code?¡± he asked.


    She nodded. ¡°Most likely. The Ministry of Information would be the best place to look if we wanted to break it. Although I suspect this is the sort of thing Senior Sister Yi would have expected us to recover.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not nothing,¡± He Yu said. It was a bit disappointing, but what had he expected? A detailed and clearly labeled map with a big circle marking the Sunset Court¡¯s main hideout? Of course not. They wouldn¡¯t be so hard to track down if that was how they conducted their business. ¡°What else did you find?¡± he asked.


    She pulled out a bundle of dried herbs next. ¡°I¡¯m no alchemist, but I know a thing or two about herbs. These are certainly potent, but I¡¯ve no idea what they actually are.¡±


    Potent was certainly one way to describe them. The concentrated medicinal qi He Yu sensed in them meant they would easily fetch incredible prices at the sect market, even if he couldn¡¯t identify them either.


    ¡°We should probably turn these in as well,¡± he said, if with some reluctance. ¡°If they¡¯re rare, their source might help us find other members of the Court.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking much the same thing. Especially given that they¡¯ve not been used, considering the last thing I found.¡± With that, she produced a pill furnace.


    It was rather small as far as pill furnaces went, with a complicated formation script covering its surface. Although he wasn¡¯t anything of an alchemist himself, he did have some passing experience with metals due to the time he¡¯d spent around his father¡¯s forge growing up. The furnace had been crafted from some unfamiliar metal.


    Despite the furnace¡¯s mysterious construction, it was clear to see why Tan Xiaoling had thought it significant to mention, along with the herbs.


    ¡°If he had such a furnace, he must have been an alchemist of sorts,¡± He Yu said. ¡°So why didn¡¯t he make any use of such high quality herbs?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the question, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked. ¡°I¡¯m no expert in these things, but I¡¯d guess the furnace alone is worth at least half a year¡¯s worth of our stipend from the sect.¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Yi will want to see this,¡± he said.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tan Xiaoling said as she swept their finds back into her storage treasure.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°All that¡¯s worth mentioning. There was quite a bit of loot inside the hut, but nothing anyone of modest means couldn¡¯t easily acquire just about anywhere. We can look over it when we have the chance to divide our spoils.¡±


    This was, perhaps, the first time that He Yu didn¡¯t feel too bad about taking resources from a defeated foe. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with the fact the overseer was dead, either. Back at the sect, the back and forth of duels and the consequential ebb and flow of resources had become somewhat routine, but he still felt at least a twinge of guilt when he took from another to restock what he¡¯d previously lost. That he needed the resources didn¡¯t change the fact that the person he was taking from needed them too. Nor did it change the fact that it always felt like robbery, even if it was expected.


    The overseer was different. He¡¯d been, in every sense of the word that He Yu could think of, a villain. One worthy of defeat at the hands of a hero. He¡¯s slaughtered an innocent in cold blood¡ªfor no reason other than an assumption that it would get under He Yu¡¯s skin. It had certainly done that, and more. Taking what they could from such a creature seemed only a fitting reward for defeating him. The bounty of heaven delivered for making the world that much safer, that much more just.


    ¡°Everything alright, there, Senior Brother?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked.


    He Yu blinked as broke out of his reverie. He searched her features for a moment, trying to figure out if she were teasing him or not. It was always hard to tell with her, given the way she almost constantly wore a half-smirk when she wasn¡¯t visibly angry or fighting. Then there was the way her tone always seemed to border on mocking.


    He couldn¡¯t manage to arrive at a solid conclusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s necessary,¡± he hedged.


    ¡°Senior Sister Yi did specifically mention that you¡¯re the one in charge here, number five-sixty-seven.¡±


    Now he was certain she was making fun. ¡°You¡¯re fewer than half a dozen ranks behind me,¡± he said. Tan Xiaoling had since reached five hundred seventy-one, and if his troubles with resources persisted would likely surpass him soon.


    ¡°Still behind you,¡± she said with a soft laugh, her familiar hard edges rounding out for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. Leadership suits you, though.¡±


    He Yu had to check again. This time, he was certain that she wasn¡¯t making fun. Her smirk was gone, and her tone was about as serious as it ever got when she wasn¡¯t trying to kill someone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you give yourself enough credit,¡± she said. ¡°You take to it well, and without complaint, whenever it¡¯s thrust upon you. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten how well you handled things in the west.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten a thing about that. ¡°I don¡¯t want subjects,¡± he said without entirely meaning to. The temptation of Jin Xifeng¡¯s power had stayed fresh in his mind ever since he¡¯d seen himself then, lording over all those around him. Nor had he forgotten the hollow emptiness of it all when he looked at it with the true judgment of an emperor.


    ¡°Leadership isn¡¯t about lording yourself over others,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how many of the nobles do things here in the empire, but I learned differently.¡±


    He Yu perked up a bit at that. ¡°When we were in the wilds,¡± he began. He wanted to explain what his misgivings were.


    Tan Xiaoling held up a silencing hand. ¡°I was there,¡± she said. ¡°I think we all felt and saw things we¡¯d rather not have. Not the least of us, Li Heng.¡±


    Something in He Yu¡¯s chest unclenched at that¡ªsomething he¡¯d not really even known had been there. On some level, he knew Li Heng deeply regretted the way he¡¯d behaved then, but hearing it from Tan Xiaoling¡ªgiven how close the two of them were¡ªwas a comfort he¡¯d not known that he needed. It was also a comfort that he hadn¡¯t been the only one tempted by the offers of the Sunset Empress.


    ¡°But,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, turning back to her earlier thread, ¡°perhaps I ought to explain what I mean about my home. I¡¯m sure you know the Jade Kingdom is a harsh land. Just how harsh I don¡¯t expect a citizen of the empire to truly grasp. Especially not one from the south.¡±


    He Yu tried not to let himself feel stung at the last part, but she was right. Aside from the areas around the Shrouded Peaks, the south of the empire had some of the most qi starved lands. A spirit or beast could only grow so strong here. Consequentially, the south was some of the safest territories outside the lands surrounding the imperial capital itself.


    ¡°The Jade Kingdom consists of exactly one city¡ªmy home. Otherwise, it¡¯s just tiny settlements protected by a handful of experts. The remaining land is wild and untamed. The White Desert and the Jade Mountains produce spirits and beasts far more advanced than what is common here. My family must be constantly vigilant. For the good of the kingdom, we protect our people. To be a member of the royal family is to be responsible for the lives of tens of thousands.¡±


    He Yu stared at the expanse of stars above, saying nothing.


    ¡°You took up that responsibility today, and you did so willingly,¡± she added before finally falling silent.


    He still said nothing. As her retreating footsteps faded, he looked to heaven and thought long about her words.

 4.12 - The Journey Back

    Traveling across an untamed land teeming with spirits and beasts with a dozen mortals in tow turned out to be more of a burden than He Yu had first imagined. It wasn¡¯t the fact alone that it took absolutely forever for them to make progress. The mortals had to walk, and the cultivators had to clear a path to ensure they could maintain a decent pace. They had to stop every night so the miners could eat and rest. And then they had to do it again the next day.


    Nor was it the near-constant attacks. Whether from Third or Fourth Realm beasts or the occasional spirit, He Yu and Tan Xiaoling would frequently have to fight. They needed to keep themselves restrained as much as they could while they did so, as not to inadvertently harm their charges. Such attacks shouldn¡¯t have happened in the first place, but again, the cultivators had to restrain themselves. As Golden Cores, the full weight of their presences would be too much for the mortals, so they kept them restrained. But by doing so, the mortals became targets, seemingly without protection.


    No, it wasn¡¯t either of those things that got to He Yu. It was the responsibility. The responsibility of having a dozen lives that were so fragile they may have well been shards of eggshell. Lives that were under constant threat from all sides, that an attempt to protect could just as easily snuff out. A careless technique could kill them all, and He Yu likely wouldn¡¯t even notice until the fight was over.


    If this was what being a leader¡ªa hero¡ªentailed, he wasn¡¯t so sure he wanted anything to do with it anymore.


    Well, that was a lie. He¡¯d spent a long time thinking about Tan Xiaoling¡¯s words that first night. In the few hours he had to cultivate, when it was Tan Xiaoling¡¯s turn to watch over the sleeping miners, he would examine what she¡¯d said, and how he felt.


    If there was anything that kept coming up, it was that this was as much a part of his Way as being a hero was. Forging a legend. Fighting villains. Embodying justice. How this fit with everything else in his maturing Way, he couldn¡¯t have said exactly. Add one more thorny question to the ever-growing pile of the same. He was going to have to sort those questions out¡ªlikely sooner rather than later¡ªif his cultivation progress was any indication.


    At least it could wait until he made it back to the sect. The last thing he needed was to fall into a weeks-long cultivation trance while he had a bunch of mortals to care for. Although a small part of him wished he could. It would certainly ease the newfound burden.


    Fortunately, after about a week¡¯s worth of travel, they came upon a settlement. Better still, it was large enough to have proper walls. As they approached, the cultivator guards at the gates challenged them. They were only Foundation, but they acted as though they were far more important than that. Given the settlement¡¯s size, they were likely some of the most advanced cultivators around. In no uncertain terms, they said the city was barred and the group would have to find respite elsewhere.


    ¡°Bring the magistrate to me,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. For the benefit of the mortals, she kept her presence restrained still, but the undeniable air of authority her words carried at least gave the guards pause.


    He Yu tried not to let his discomfort with the exchange show. He knew full well that if either he or Tan Xiaoling revealed their advancement, things would quickly turn in their favor. Still, he hadn¡¯t quite grown comfortable throwing his weight around like that. It seemed almost akin to bullying. He couldn¡¯t deny that it would make things easier, however.


    Tan Xiaoling took a step forward. ¡°Do not make me repeat myself,¡± she said. While there was none of the sharp danger that sometimes pressed down when she was angry, the threat was undeniable.


    The Foundation level guard reached out as if he meant to shove her back. She grabbed him by the wrist. He Yu doubted that either of the guards had tracked her movement.


    ¡°I did not give you leave to touch me.¡± The familiar cold sharpness weighed down on them as she spoke. Judging by the painful twist of the guard¡¯s features, she wasn¡¯t being gentle.


    He Yu stepped up before things could get worse¡ªwhich it seemed they were about to. ¡°We are disciples of the Shrouded Peaks Sect,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re looking for somewhere that can provide these mortals safety. If we could speak with the local magistrate, maybe we could work something out.¡± Hopefully, deferring to a higher authority would produce results.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the magistrate to appear¡ªand he brought with him a company of guards. When the gates swung open to reveal another two dozen Foundation level cultivators armored in lamellar and armed with spears, Tan Xiaoling merely scoffed.


    ¡°Either of us could scatter these children with a single technique should we want to,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I¡¯m trying to avoid,¡± He Yu muttered.


    Framed by the iron-bound gate, the magistrate stepped forward. He wore an official¡¯s cap and robes, and carried himself as though he were someone of far more consequence than He Yu thought he had any proper right to. Despite his age, mid-forties by the look, he was only middle Foundation at best.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± the magistrate demanded. ¡°I have reports of a couple of rogue cultivators trying to break down my city gates? Be gone, before I have you whipped like a pair of dogs.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t so much that He Yu had finally had enough¡ªhe had¡ªbut that he was more worried about what Tan Xiaoling would do in response to the magistrate¡¯s words. He fully released his presence.


    As the weight of his spirit crashed over those gathered, he tried not to take pleasure when the magistrate and all the guards threw themselves to the ground. Doing his best Zhang Lifen impression, he held his presence for a moment before finally pulling back. Tilting his chin up, He Yu said, ¡°Stand so that I may speak to you, and gauge your worth.¡±


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    The magistrate did as he¡¯d been bid. The guards were a bit slower to rise, but He Yu had little attention for them. As the magistrate began to babble out an apology, He Yu held up a silencing hand.


    ¡°We are inner disciples of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. We wish only to find somewhere safe for these mortals under our care. Then we will be on our way.¡±


    Some of the magistrate¡¯s earlier defiance returned then. ¡°We have no room. Nor is this city within the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s territory. Take them elsewhere.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling spoke up then, in a far more measured tone than she¡¯d used earlier. ¡°I take it this town has an office of the Ministry of Information? Bring whoever¡¯s in charge of the office here. If we can establish communication with the sect, I¡¯m sure we can work something out.¡±


    That, at least, seemed to be agreeable to the magistrate. Before long, a second official wearing black robes and a scholar¡¯s cap arrived. He was more than happy to send word back to the sect on their behalf. He activated a technique similar to the constructs Yan Shirong used. The Ministry official was early Golden Core. He Yu wondered briefly if it was common for Ministry officials to be higher advancement than the local magistrates. The response arrived soon after, and the Ministry official said that he¡¯d been given leave to negotiate recompense on behalf of the sect. A short back and forth later, and the miners were finally allowed into the city.


    Once they¡¯d gotten well out of earshot of the Foundation gate guards, He Yu asked, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he let them in?¡±


    ¡°A few more mouths to feed might not seem like much,¡± Tan Xiaoling said as the ground rushed by beneath their feet once more. ¡°But the miners were clearly on the verge of starving. It will take some time before they¡¯ll be able to contribute meaningfully to the city. Until then, they¡¯ll just be a drain. Turn to begging, or crime, most like. Easier to turn them away rather than deal with the problem.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    ¡°Look at it from the magistrate¡¯s perspective. The town doesn¡¯t need a bunch of strangers who can¡¯t work, and might only end up causing problems. The magistrate was likely doing what he thought was best for the people he was already responsible for.¡±


    He Yu lapsed into silence as he thought about her words. He couldn¡¯t deny that she had a point. Food wasn¡¯t infinite, and the miners weren¡¯t in any state to be productive contributors to the town. At least not at first. The magistrate would have likely seen his chief responsibility to those he¡¯d been appointed to serve, not a bunch of strangers fresh in from the wilds.


    But why did that not sit well with him? Surely the long-term benefits of accepting the miners would be greater. More mouths to feed now, but more hands later. Then there was the fact that they were people in need. Wasn¡¯t it the foundation of society to help one another? Back in Shulin, at least, the town¡¯s prosperity was because of the collective efforts of those who lived there. Shouldn¡¯t the same hold true for larger settlements?


    No simple answers, once again. He would have to add this to the ever-growing pile of things he needed to figure out. Truly, developing the judgment of an emperor was a far more complicated task than he¡¯d first thought. Still, if there was one simple truth after this, it was that he remained committed to doing the right thing.


    He felt as though he¡¯d managed that. He couldn¡¯t have left the miners to fend for themselves. They¡¯d be dead by now if he¡¯d done that. Whether pushing around someone weaker than himself¡ªeven if for the benefit of others¡ªhad been in keeping with his Way, he didn¡¯t know. But he could say with full confidence that he¡¯d found safety for those who were in need. That was something a hero would do. That was something that satisfied justice. He was certain.


    Letting that matter sit, He Yu allowed himself simply enjoy the feeling of moving at a decent pace once more. It had been late afternoon when all was said and done with the magistrate. Already the two of them had covered more ground before nightfall than they had during the entire week with the miners in tow. It was a stark contrast and serious reminder. A reminder of just how far above mortals he¡¯d become. How much stronger, faster, and more capable.


    It made his commitment to doing what was right even more important.


    After another couple of days, they were well and truly back in the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s territory. The roads they used were dotted by the familiar and well-maintained formation stones. Although spirit beasts were still abundant, they were far less dangerous here. The stronger or more aggressive ones would be regularly culled, and those that survived were smart enough to avoid settlements. Spirits were all but absent, especially around the roads. They even caught sight of a few travelers, likely mortals or lower realm cultivators, following the roads between settlements.


    They were still a good week out from the sect proper when they finally needed to rest. They stopped at a wayside inn maintained by the sect. They were afforded a small private room off to the side of the main space. A meal of spirit vegetables, qi-infused dumplings, and spiritually fortified tea was served. The attendants informed them that either private bedrooms or cultivation chambers were available for their use, whichever they found necessary.


    As they settled in to eat, Tan Xiaoling gave He Yu a look that told him he might not like what was coming next.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said, the familiar creak in her voice doing nothing to ease what was coming. ¡°I bet Chen Fei would love to sit down for a meal like this with you.¡±


    He Yu just about choked on his mouthful of food, then spit it out to avoid doing just that.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t shut up about that last job you went on with her for days after. You should at the very least ask her to come with you on assignments more often, if you can.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that she always seems so busy,¡± He Yu said, heat rising up his neck. In all honesty, he¡¯d just sort of pushed any thoughts of that to the side. Things had fallen into a comfortable familiarity with her, and he didn¡¯t want to risk damaging that.


    ¡°She is,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°And so are you. But then again, so are Li Heng and I. We find time for each other.¡± It was, as far as He Yu could tell, the first time Tan Xiaoling had ever acknowledged her relationship with Li Heng aloud.


    ¡°I thought she¡¯d lost interest.¡± He was offering up excuses, and he knew it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t imagine why she hasn¡¯t, but I¡¯ll not question her judgment.¡±


    He Yu finally lost the battle with his embarrassment and fixed his eyes on his food. ¡°I suppose I could ask her to train with me more,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Well, that would at least be a start,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°But I was thinking of something a bit less, I don¡¯t know, serious.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you figure that out,¡± she laughed. ¡°Li Heng and I have a running bet, by the way. Don¡¯t disappoint us.¡±


    He Yu¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°What kind of bet?¡± he demanded.


    With another laugh, Tan Xiaoling popped a dumpling into her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s between Heng and I.¡± She stood and gave him a wave as she made her way to the door. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to figure things out on the way back to the sect. See you in the morning.¡±


    As Tan Xiaoling departed, she took all the other things he¡¯d previously tried sorting through over the past week with her.

 4.13 - Return to the Sect

    After their stop at the wayside inn, it took He Yu and Tan Xiaoling another week to arrive back at the sect. From the time the tops of the mist-shrouded peaks came into view just over the horizon, until they finally arrived at Xu Xiang, then finally approaching the base of the outer sect mountain, He Yu felt a rising sense of anticipation.


    Most of it had to do with the fact they were bringing valuable information about the Sunset Court back to the sect. But he¡¯d be lying to himself if he didn¡¯t allow that a part of him was nervous about the possibility of following Tan Xiaoling¡¯s advice about Chen Fei. Maybe they could go on a hunting trip together? She liked hunting.


    Passing through the formation gate that marked the boundary of the inner sect, a disciple of the late Golden Core stage approached them. Much like the last time He Yu had returned, it was a simple, perfunctory message. First Disciple Yi required their presence. This time they were to meet her in a pavilion located on one of the higher inner sect peaks. One usually reserved for the disciples ranked three hundred and above.


    Nobody challenged them on their way to the meeting, but they did receive more than a few questioning looks. Both He Yu and Tan Xiaoling were in the high five hundreds. Disciples of their rank normally wouldn¡¯t have any business here. Still, nobody stopped them, and when they arrived at the designated location, He Yu was relieved to find that an obscuring formation ran along the pavilion¡¯s perimeter.


    Yi Xiurong awaited them just outside the pavilion, hands folded in the sleeves of her ivory gown. She was still an overwhelming figure, despite her restrained presence. Her face remained just as emotionless and cold as before, as if her features were carved from a block of white jade.


    ¡°Report,¡± she said once they¡¯d passed through the pavilion¡¯s formation script.


    He Yu and Tan Xiaoling took turns recounting the events of their trip, relaying what they¡¯d found. At the end of their report, Yi Xiurong motioned to a table and instructed them to show her the objects they¡¯d collected from the overseer¡¯s hut. Once the ledger, the herbs, and the pill furnace were on the table, Yi Xiurong spent a moment wordlessly examining them.


    ¡°Well done,¡± she said. That seemed to be the extent of any praise they might get. ¡°The ledger will take some time to decipher. Hopefully, it will provide some leads. The herbs will likely prove far more immediately useful. I¡¯ve never seen their like. After we¡¯ve identified their source, that should considerably narrow our search for the court¡¯s agents.¡±


    ¡°What about the furnace?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°The metal isn¡¯t like any I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Is it now?¡± Yi Xiurong¡¯s eyebrows rose fractionally. ¡°Explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m no expert,¡± he began, feeling a bit self conscious, ¡°but my father was a blacksmith. That metal, it¡¯s not anything I¡¯ve ever seen before.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Yi Xiurong said, scooping the objects into her storage treasure. ¡°I¡¯ll have to have someone with the appropriate expertise examine it, then. Is there anything else that ought to be called to my attention?¡±


    Both he and Tan Xiaoling answered in the negative. As the First Disciple turned to go, He Yu spoke up. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to ask, if I may?¡±


    Yi Xiurong inclined her head in assent.


    ¡°The overseer mentioned something about a ¡®Daoist Mind¡¯ during our fight with him. What did he mean?¡±


    The First Disciple spent far longer than He Yu was comfortable with simply staring at him intently. Finally, she said, ¡°Come seek me out once you¡¯ve finished dividing the spoils of your victory with Junior Sister Tan. We can speak more at length then.¡±


    He Yu and Tan Xiaoling both saluted Yi Xiurong as she left.


    ¡°Well, that was a stroke of fortune,¡± Tan Xiaoling said.


    ¡°I guess,¡± he said. As grateful as he was for the opportunity to comb through whatever insights a Sixth Realm cultivator could offer him, he wasn¡¯t strictly sure it was allowed. He wasn¡¯t really supposed to learn martial arts from someone other than his own Master, absent as she was. Then again, Zhang Lifen was absent, and they were all part of the same sect, weren¡¯t they? If there was a problem, he could always perform some sort of penance later, he supposed.


    ¡°Take the opportunity,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, as if she could read his thoughts. More likely, they were written all over his face. He¡¯d always been bad about that. ¡°Senior Sister Yi¡¯s guidance will prove invaluable. Senior Sister Zhang doesn¡¯t seem the type to begrudge you that sort of advantage.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain. One doesn¡¯t achieve what she has without taking every opportunity at hand.¡±


    That at least made him feel a little better.


    With that, they turned at long last to the spoils of their adventure. The first things they had to decide what to do with were the overseer¡¯s sickle and mask, the latter Tan Xiaoling had picked up while He Yu was dealing with the miners.


    ¡°The sickle is probably worth more if we simply sold it,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for either of us, really.¡± The formation script enhanced poison and metal qi. Although Tan Xiaoling cultivated some metal aspect¡ªand poison was a metal subtype¡ªshe claimed it was too far removed from her primarily fire-aspected arts. For He Yu, the weapon itself was all but useless.


    Not to mention the fact that it was apparently close to forming a spirit. Given what he¡¯d seen of the overseer, any spirit such an immortal¡¯s weapon formed wasn¡¯t anything He Yu was interested in. They agreed that Tan Xiaoling would put the weapon up for auction at the inner sect market, and they would split the proceeds.


    They decided similarly with the overseer¡¯s mask. It was a minor treasure at best, and poorly suited for either of them. It appeared to be scripted mostly to aid in the production of pills and elixirs. Unsurprising, given the collection of herbs and the pill furnace Tan Xiaoling had found in the overseer¡¯s hut. It seems the overseer was also interested in poisons not solely of his own techniques, given the specific nature of the script. It likely wouldn¡¯t be worth an auction, given its fairly narrow scope, but they agreed it would be easy enough to find a buyer among one of the sect¡¯s alchemists.


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    Next came the overseer¡¯s storage treasure. It was much like He Yu¡¯s¡ªa dull gray ring, absent any real decoration or visible formation script. Tan Xiaoling pricked her finger and allowed a drop of blood to fall on the ring. Once bonded, she opened it and a treasure trove of elixirs, spirit stones, talismans, and more spilled out.


    It took them the better part of the afternoon to sort through it all. The first order of business was the ring itself. They agreed the easiest way to deal with it was simply to give He Yu some spirit stones. He had no need of a third storage treasure, as the overseer¡¯s was about as big as the one he had currently. Tan Xiaoling said she was simply going to sell it anyway if He Yu didn¡¯t want it.


    Next, they divvied up the spirit stones. A simple affair, all things considered. There was a fair amount of mid-grade stones, and even a handful of high-grade stones. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s eyes had lit up when they fell out of the ring, and He Yu couldn¡¯t blame her. The low grade stones were more or less worthless to either of them as anything other than currency, and the high-grade stones would be a boon to them both.


    The talismans were a bit tougher to decipher. Much like He Yu, Tan Xiaoling didn¡¯t really have much experience with formations. Most of them were fairly basic barrier wards. Which made He Yu wonder why a Golden Core had them to begin with. The ones they couldn¡¯t identify, they agreed to have Chen Fei look at before they decided what to do with them.


    Most of the elixirs would have to be sold, as they were only a step away from being poisons. There were a few that would help with wind, likely to aid the cloud-like techniques the overseer had used. A couple were suitable for Tan Xiaoling, given that they were meant to boost cultivation of just metal qi, and she could combine them with other elixirs already in her possession. There were a solid number of meridian cleansing elixirs, however.


    ¡°Useful for us both,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, sliding a handful of them over to He Yu. ¡°The overseer likely had issues with poison build-up. A nasty side effect of cultivating that aspect. These would go a long way to helping him deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Neither of us has that issue though,¡± He Yu pointed out.


    ¡°Not from our cultivation, no. But toxins still accumulate in our bodies from medicines and elixirs. We can take these after cultivating to clear out the lingering effects of other medicines. Meaning we can take more, sooner.¡±


    He Yu immediately saw the benefit and stuffed the elixirs in his storage treasure. Too much medicine in too short a time could cause a backlash. Even at his advancement, one that was severe enough could kill him. Given how difficult it had become to achieve even incremental gains since advancing to the Fourth Realm, the ability to take more elixirs was a valuable one.


    The more general medicines they simply divided amongst themselves. They were the standard sort of qi-restoring pills that any cultivator kept a supply of. Of course, they were of fairly good quality, coming from a Fourth Realm opponent, and would have cost a decent amount of resources had He Yu needed to buy them.


    Last, they split the spirit stones from the mine. It was an even mix of low and mid-grade, but the sheer quantity made the exercise worth it. It was easily worth several months¡¯ worth of his stipend, and would go a long way to making up for the lack of funds coming in because of the difficulty he¡¯d been having with sect assignments.


    ¡°Quite the windfall, all together,¡± Tan Xiaoling said once they¡¯d finished putting their spoils away. ¡°I¡¯ll likely be in seclusion for some time, cycling the elixirs and the stones.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Well, thanks for coming with me. I don¡¯t think I could have done it without you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t give yourself enough credit. Even so, I think this time we both would have been over-matched had we been alone.¡±


    With the division of spoils finally handled, He Yu headed up the mountain to where he would find First Disciple Yi. Although he was still a bit apprehensive about asking for her insight, the more he thought on it, the more he agreed with Tan Xiaoling. Zhang Lifen wouldn¡¯t object to him taking such an opportunity. Besides, she was away from the sect, and Yi Xiurong had said she would be overseeing their development in the mean time.


    When he arrived at what he assumed was Yi Xiurong¡¯s home, he found her sitting in the central courtyard with her hands folded on her lap. She fixed him with that unnervingly stern look of hers. He half expected her to start listing out all his faults and inadequacies right there, before sending him away and telling him to never waste her time again. To say that she radiated an aura of ¡°disapproval¡± was almost an understatement.


    ¡°Tell me what happened preceding this overseer¡¯s mention of the Daoist Mind,¡± was all she said when she at last spoke.


    He Yu recounted the events, paying special attention to the overseer¡¯s targeting of the mortal, and his own reaction to it. With an expression that was somehow at once intent and impassive, Yi Xiurong listened. When he¡¯d finished, the First Disciple remained silent for a moment.


    ¡°The Daoist Mind, as you mentioned Junior Sister Tan explained, is the highest manifestation of a cultivator¡¯s connection to their Way. You have not formed one. Why the overseer mentioned such, I cannot say. Although you formed your Wayborn Seed far earlier than is normal, it is still immature. What most likely happened is that you realized some aspect of your Way during that fight. This caused you to resonate strongly with your Wayborn Seed. Unless this overseer was an utter fool, he should have recognized that for what it was. Perhaps he was attempting to form his own seed? And his lack of connection caused him to overestimate yours?


    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s not something to concern yourself overmuch for now. In terms of aligning yourself with your Way, you¡¯ve already met the requirement for breaking through to the Fifth Realm. From here, it¡¯s a simple matter of cultivating to the peak of Golden Core, then pushing through the bottleneck. You¡¯re much further ahead than many of your peers.¡±


    ¡°When do I need to form a Daoist Mind?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not for some time,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°And perhaps my words mislead you. You do not form your Daoist Mind. It manifests out of your connection with the Eternal Dao. It forms by clearly defining your Way¡ªyour own personal path to the Dao. Something that you have yet to do.¡±


    He Yu nodded. It seemed there was more to what she was saying. So he asked.


    ¡°How do you go from a Wayborn Seed to defining your own personal path?¡±


    Her answer came more swiftly and simply than he¡¯d expected. ¡°Simply continue doing what you¡¯re doing. Your decisions during that encounter clearly resonated with your path. You mentioned the outrage at the injustice, but also your insistence you had a duty to protect the mortals. Which was why you insisted on escorting them to safety, no? And also why your challenged the magistrate to ensure he¡¯d let the mortals stay in his town.¡±


    He supposed he shouldn¡¯t be surprised she knew about that, seeing as they¡¯d specifically sent word back to the sect via the Ministry of Information. ¡°Is that it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°For now, yes.¡± After a pause, she seemed to relax fractionally. ¡°I follow the Dao of Radiance. It is my Way to burn out the impurity of the world. Bring the light of order and justice. This is not a kind task, but neither is it a cruel one. It is simply necessary for the preservation of all that we have built. I spent a full sixty-year cycle discovering, defining, and refining my own Dao. I have yet to manifest my Daoist Mind but for every step I take, I take one step further along my Way.¡±


    He Yu bowed deeply over a salute. ¡°This one thanks Senior Sister Yi for her sage advice,¡± he said before he left.


    It would take countless hours to sort through what she¡¯d said. Years, perhaps. Decades, even. But she had given him valuable insights that all pointed towards something he¡¯d already been circling around for some time. It was now time to start answering the questions he¡¯d been asking. Time to start defining in no uncertain terms what a hero meant to him.

 4.14 - Success at Last?

    Summer was in full swing, and He Yu once more found himself on the outer sect mountain. He¡¯d long since stopped being picky about the jobs he accepted, taking anything he could get his hands on. The one bright spot in all his troubles so far had been the windfall he¡¯d gained from the assault on the Sunset Court¡¯s spirit stone mine. But those resources were as finite as any other and had now just about run their course.


    He walked along a once-familiar trail, and even now he could sense the qi radiating from the waterfall, the cave, and the very earth below. Rounding the last bend, the spot Tan Xiaoling had found what seemed like an eternity ago came into view, and with it a cluster of those insect-like spirit beasts they¡¯d encountered when exploring the cave.


    The others had been right about how the sect would deal with them. They were allowed to venture out into the mountain, and so long as they weren¡¯t too advanced, they served as potential resources for the outer disciples. The trio that He Yu now hunted had advanced further than the sect deemed appropriate¡ªall of them were equivalent to the peak Third Realm, and one looked like it was on the cusp of advancing to the Fourth.


    Maybe if there had just been one, the sect would have given this to outer disciples. Not so for three of them. When He Yu caught sight of the job¡ªlikely still available because many of the inner disciples considered janitorial work in the outer sect beneath them¡ªhe felt a pang of guilt. It was, partially at least, his fault these creatures ventured to the surface. So it was only right that he help deal with them.


    Calling forth his guandao, He Yu allowed his presence to billow out. He was closer to the middle stage of Golden Core than ever, mostly thanks to the pile of resources he and Tan Xiaoling had looted from the Court. Wind and heaven and water surged and swirled around him. The sky darkened, and thunder pealed in the distance. Rain fell. He Yu activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and called the Five Crescent Winds.


    As one, the cave creatures turned to him, their chitinous claws clacking a wordless threat. Although they were likely advanced enough¡ªand thus intelligent enough¡ªto know they stood no chance against him, he¡¯d found them to be incredibly aggressive. Especially as their numbers increased. Had there only been one, it likely would have retreated into the cave.


    Then again, had there only been one, the sect wouldn¡¯t have sent an inner disciple.


    He Yu rushed the creatures. He called forth the heavens and the winds. The first of them fell to a wide sweeping strike and an explosion of light and sound.


    Although not of the five phases, He Yu had learned from his time training in the wastelands with Zhang Lifen that heaven dealt fairly well with earth and mountain aspects. Now that he was fully comfortable with his advancement to Golden Core, creatures like these were nothing before him.


    As his understanding of both the Five Crescent Winds and the Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade deepened, he¡¯d begun to learn what Elder Cai had truly meant back in the outer sect manual pavilion. The Five Crescent Winds was an art that truly excelled when it could act as a support for other arts. When He Yu had finally reached Golden Core and begun to cultivate the principle combat technique of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Hidden Palace, the Five Crescent Winds had quickly come into its own.


    Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade was¡ªlike the rest of his techniques¡ªmonstrously difficult to cultivate, and just as hard to control. When he¡¯d first begun using it, he always felt like it was on the verge of rampaging away from him. The first real time he¡¯d used it, it more or less had. Mo Zhiqiang had lost an arm. At least the noble had finally gotten an elixir from his family that had allowed him to regrow it.


    Now? Now when He Yu called the wind and the storm, heaven¡¯s fury came with it. Lightning crashed down from the sky. It coursed along the length of his guandao. He could activate one of the four techniques of the Five Crescent Winds that he¡¯d mastered along with Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade, and the results were the most powerful technique He Yu had ever used.


    Combining the Crashing Wind with Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade, He Yu split the second of the cave beasts down the middle. A jagged spike of lightning reached down from heaven, striking at the same instant as his weapon. The Third Realm spirit beast fell into two halves, each half chitinous outer shell charred and melted.


    The final remaining beast charged at him, its claws raised for what would have been a death blow just a year ago. He Yu activated the Spring Rain Mirror twice in rapid succession. First one claw, then the second. In the space between heartbeats that the beast needed to recover, He Yu activated the Bracing Wind.


    What had once been simply a blast of wind, now also called a shell of lightning that burst out from him in a sphere. The beast fared about as well from this technique as its fellows had from He Yu¡¯s previous attacks. A follow-up strike ended things, and He Yu set about to harvesting their cores.


    The only thought going through his mind at his victory was relief at completing a sect job for the first time in almost half a year. The cores of the cave beasts wouldn¡¯t be worth much to him now, but they were better than nothing. Between what was left of his loot from the raid against the Court, his regular stipend from the sect, and this one job, he might even advance to the middle Fourth Realm someday.


    It was only when he¡¯d returned to the inner sect assignment hall that he realized how stupid that was. He turned in the job, got his payment, and left. Once outside, he sent a trickle of qi into the jade stamp that served as a record and repository for his sect contribution, and shook his head.


    Finally, he broke down and went to find Yan Shirong.


    Whoever had been sniping jobs from him had kept it up for well over half a year at this point. Sure, he¡¯d completed a few here or there, but they¡¯d all been like the one he¡¯d just finished. Poorly paying, and that was being generous. If it weren¡¯t for the resources he¡¯d gotten from the overseer, he likely would have broken down sooner.


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    He should be able to handle something like this on his own. But now he had to admit that he couldn¡¯t, and he really only had two options in front of him. One, he could keep trying to handle things himself and watch his advancement grind to a halt. Two, he could swallow his pride and ask someone for help. He supposed, upon reflection, that he should have realized months ago that he was heading this direction.


    He finally found Yan Shirong sitting in a shaded grove of peach trees. It was one of the many gardens on the terraces of the inner sect mountains, and this one was cut into the living rock itself. Yan Shirong had tucked himself into an alcove with a jar of wine next to him and a string bound book in his lap. A quick check with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment told He Yu it was a perfectly mundane script, so he ignored it.


    As he approached, Yan Shirong said, ¡°Welcome, Sect Brother He. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± He Yu said, taking a seat nearby and pulling his own jar of wine from his storage treasure. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy as well. And it¡¯s not like you¡¯re easy to find.¡±


    Yan Shirong closed his book and leaned back. ¡°Well, I take it this about that trouble you¡¯ve been having that Chen Fei told me about?¡±


    ¡°She talked to you?¡±


    ¡°Months ago,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°I told her I¡¯d be more than happy to help, but that you¡¯d have to ask me yourself. She said that you wouldn¡¯t. I told her that was your problem, rather than mine.¡±


    He Yu sighed. Was he really that predictable? She hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about Yan Shirong since they¡¯d gone on that failed job together, and he¡¯d gone hunting for cores with her more than a few times since. Although, when they were out together, neither of them seemed to be too keen on broaching topics than even bordered on serious.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Yan Shirong continued. ¡°As I said, I¡¯d be more than happy to help.¡±


    He Yu eyed him. Although he¡¯d not yet achieved the Fourth Realm, he¡¯d been steadily increasing his cultivation as a peak Third Realm. It seemed that he¡¯d not wasted the opportunity of Yi Xiurong¡¯s attention in Zhang Lifen¡¯s absence. Even now, the space around him seemed just a shade darker than it should have. The shadows of the alcove he sat in seemed to reach for him. They seemed to wrap themselves around him in a sort of embrace. His normal attire of black and plum colored robes seemed to reflect less light than silk of that quality should have. It was a testament to how developed his presence was becoming, even though he still remained in the Third Realm.


    ¡°And the cost?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Acute,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°As I understand you¡¯ve been having difficulty, I suppose I could offer a discount. We are on rather good terms, after all.¡±


    As frustrating as having to haggle with someone he considered a friend was, He Yu couldn¡¯t deny that there was something refreshing in dealing with Yan Shirong. There was the distinct lack of any sense of obligation towards him. The scales were always balanced, after all. Sure, He Yu personally found Yan Shirong¡¯s naked avarice a touch distasteful, but again, there was a refreshing sort of honesty in it.


    This was simply who Yan Shirong was, and he made no attempts to hide that. As much as the Yan family had a reputation for deceit owing to their work with the Ministry of Informations, He Yu always felt as though he could count on Yan Shirong to be rather upfront about his intentions. Unlike most of the cultivators He Yu interacted with outside his immediate circle.


    Even Zhang Lifen clearly had intentions and plans for He Yu that he wasn¡¯t at all privy to.


    When they eventually settled on the price of his assistance, it caught He Yu a bit by surprise.


    ¡°How did I advance to Golden Core?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, I told you what happened up on the mountain with the heavenly tribulation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°The knowledge. The insights. How did you know it was time? Especially after your failed attempt that left you¡ªwell, you know.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t need to be reminded. Much of the reason he¡¯d undertaken the tribulation in the first place was because of that failure, and what it had done to his friends.


    ¡°Have you attempted?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Yan Shirong said with a scoff. ¡°I¡¯m not as headstrong or foolish as you are. I¡¯d likely kill myself, or worse, cripple my future, should I attempt a breakthrough now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. You seem half a step into the Fourth Realm already.¡±


    ¡°I can assure you that is not the case. I am utterly convinced that I lack key insights, and I¡¯ve come to the realization that I¡¯ll likely not achieve them without assistance.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I could try and explain some things. I think a lot of what I went through is a consequence of my primary cultivation art.¡±


    Zhang Lifen had stressed that the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Hidden Palace was what she called a primordial art¡ªold even when Elder Cai had begun cultivating it in his youth more than a thousand years ago. Such arts, she¡¯d said, demanded much of their practitioners. While the Yan family arts had a long history, they were relatively young by comparison.


    Still, He Yu shared some of what Zhang Lifen had told him about the Dao. Looking back, he thought those insights had played a key role in achieving Golden Core at such a young age. Youngest to do so in generations, were the rumors to be believed. She had mentioned that forming a Wayborn Seed as early as he had would ease his future advancement, so if Yan Shirong was having trouble, that seemed like it was as good a place to start as any.


    After several hours¡¯ worth of back and forth, Yan Shirong said, ¡°Thank you. I think this will do.¡±


    ¡°Glad I could help,¡± He Yu said, desperately wanting to ask if Yan Shirong knew what his Way might entail. That wasn¡¯t something one simply asked, however. Much in the same way that speaking of arts and techniques was something typically only volunteered, and was often seen as a sign of trust.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re curious,¡± Yan Shirong said as he packed up his things. ¡°But the answer is no, I¡¯ve not had any heaven shattering insights from our discussion. I do have a few new threads to follow, however. Even should they not bear out, the elimination of possibility is still a step closer to an answer.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that makes sense,¡± He Yu admitted as they made their way back to the inner sect proper. ¡°I hate to ask, but do you have any idea how long things will take? Regarding our agreement, that is.¡±


    ¡°Patience, Lord He,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°These things will take time. Worry not, I shall keep you informed of any new developments as they come.¡±


    ¡°Lord He?¡± he asked with a chuckle.


    Yan Shirong eyed him for a moment in the lengthening shadows of the mountain path. ¡°Do you truly not know? You¡¯re Golden Core now. You can, should you so desire, found your own clan. Apply for a writ of title from the Dragon Emperor. You¡¯d be a baron.¡±


    He vaguely recalled Li Heng saying something about that when they were still in the outer sect. He¡¯d not given it any thought since. ¡°Huh,¡± was all he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Yan Shirong said, one eyebrow creeping up.


    ¡°I just assumed I¡¯d be sticking with the sect. Seems like being a lord is a distraction more than anything else.¡±


    Shaking his head, Yan Shirong muttered mostly to himself, ¡°He forsakes wealth and status, and has a mind only for cultivation.¡± Turning back to He Yu, he said, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯ve become such a monster already. Is there nothing you care for but advancement?¡±


    He Yu laughed as they started back down the path. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you I want to forge a legend. Can¡¯t really do that if I¡¯m stuck administering some backwater commandery, can I?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t suppose you can. Sect life it is, then?¡±


    ¡°For the time being, I think. At the very least, once this mess is sorted, it¡¯s the best path to advancement.¡±


    And he intended to advance¡ªas far as he could go.

 4.15 - The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

    For months Zhang Lifen had been wandering the mortal world, searching for a rogue cultivator who may as well have been a ghost. It would have been kind of Yi Xiurong to at least provide some clue as to where she ought to start her search, but she supposed that would defeat the purpose. This was as much about getting her out of the way as it was an attempt to correct her missteps.


    What else could it be, given that the First Disciple had taken it upon herself to oversee the development of He Yu and his friends in Zhang Lifen¡¯s absence? At least Yi Xiurong wouldn¡¯t do anything to undermine their development. She may even do the opposite. A fresh perspective could easily benefit at least one or two of He Yu¡¯s friends. No, the most ¡°damage¡± Yi Xiurong would attempt would be to impress upon them the importance of following the rules. Of acting within the proper bounds of a disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect.


    In other words, make them boring. Boring, just like Yi Xiurong.


    The thing that, upon reflection, grated on Zhang Lifen the most was that Yi Xiurong had been correct in sending her on this assignment. Given the nature of her cultivation, and her ability to suppress her presence beyond what was typical of other cultivators of her advancement, Zhang Lifen really was the best choice.


    Which was why she now found herself back in Lenghu city, stalking the streets and asking after yet another cultivator who¡¯d once been a member of her sect. This time, however, she had to take more care with her appearance. Rather than the typical gowns she wore back at the sect, she¡¯d opted for the more understated look of a commoner. She also wore a broad bamboo hat, mostly so she could use it to hide her face. Nobody who got a good look at her would mistake her for an actual peasant. Which was fair, she supposed. She¡¯d never spent even a few hours working under the sun, and her complexion showed it.


    Then there was her eyes. She knew they could and did change color, mostly a reflection of her mood, but she had no real control over it. Their normal unnatural shifting and swirling blue would mark her as a cultivator the instant anyone got a good look. At least the talisman she wore around her wrist was enough to suppress the gentle drift of her clothes and hair. She could, between the outfit and the talisman, pass as a mortal so long as nobody paid too much attention.


    Which was more than someone like Yi Xiurong could easily say for herself.


    It was late afternoon when she finally got her first lead. The owner of a teahouse she¡¯d spoken to managed to recall seeing someone who he thought matched Cui Bao¡¯s description. She¡¯d have been more skeptical of his memory¡ªassuming he expected some coins in his pocket for being helpful to the curious stranger and her requests¡ªif it hadn¡¯t been for one key thing. He¡¯d been asking after Xiao Jun.


    This, the owner of the teahouse, was certain of. A cultivator the owner swore matched Cui Bao¡¯s description had come into the city some weeks past, searching for someone. That someone could have only been Xiao Jun, based on the descriptions he¡¯d circulated. Zhang Lifen thanked the owner and headed to the city¡¯s main shrine.


    A quick check with the priests confirmed that nobody had come here looking for Xiao Jun. So that loose end was still tied off. Not that she thought Cui Bao could rip anything out of someone who had been dead for well over a year at this point¡ªbut he might deliver the news to someone who could. With that confirmed, it left her with one final task.


    Finding Cui Bao.


    A few pointed inquiries and broken bones later, she left the city just before they closed the gates for the evening. The trail was cold, sure, but it was more than she had to go on at the beginning of the day. She headed south, moving as quickly as she dared. Over the next few weeks, she pieced together incrementally more.


    Yes, he¡¯d come this way. No, he had two others with him. Yes, they¡¯d been here. No, they didn¡¯t cause trouble. Yes, they seemed interested in keeping their heads down. No, they didn¡¯t say they were going.


    ¡°Just two days ago,¡± the innkeeper said.


    Zhang Lifen feigned relief as she placed a handful of bronze coins on the counter. ¡°And which way did they go? It¡¯s crucial I reach my brother in time. Our father is sick, and he¡¯s desperately needed back at home.¡±


    It was just after nightfall when she caught up with them. By now they¡¯d traveled south for weeks, skirting the edge of the sect territory. She settled in a short distance away to watch and listen. They weren¡¯t making any effort to hide themselves¡ªthere was no need. They were deep in unsettled territory, and relatively far from any maintained roads. Spirits and beasts were thick here. There was little chance anyone would stumble across the three cultivators lead by a very much improved Cui Bao.


    He was just as she remembered him, arrogant and dangerous-looking. Clearly in charge, too. It seemed he¡¯d moved up in the ranks of the Court since his and Sha Xiang¡¯s departure from the sect. He was half a step into the Fourth Realm already¡ªsomething that would have been alarming if not for his association with the Court. They were fond of their false dragons, after all.


    No matter. They¡¯d push him to heights that he¡¯d never achieve on his own, and when his flame burned out, they¡¯d cast him aside.


    His companions were both firmly in the Third Realm and nothing worth mentioning. Likely subordinates of the Court, much like the gathering of sycophants and leeches Sha Xiang had been collecting before Yi Xiurong expelled her from the sect.


    The next day, Zhang Lifen confirmed her suspicions. The trio made their way to a nearby basin, much like the one she¡¯d used for He Yu¡¯s training, and then they waited. She had to take up a position quite a ways away in order to make sure she wasn¡¯t spotted, but her senses had sharpened to where that hardly mattered anymore.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Soon after, another trio of cultivators appeared. There was a brief exchange, mostly pleasantries, and an exchange of packages and letters. There was also the very specific mention of one Emissary Kong. Zhang Lifen allowed herself a smile at that. The Court¡¯s Emissary, Kong Huizhong, was still operating in the west, it seemed. Maybe she¡¯d get her chance to face him again soon.


    Cui Bao¡¯s new orders, it seemed, were to check up on a nearby spirit stone mine. It had gone silent recently, and they feared someone had discovered it. Zhang Lifen had a feeling she might already know why.


    It took another few days for them to arrive at the site. Judging by the rotting corpse of a lone cultivator, and the obvious signs of battle, the mine was a bit more than simply ¡°compromised.¡± As the three cultivators spread out and searched the area, Zhang Lifen moved into a position for a better look.


    Someone had smashed and scattered a small collection of huts. Black scorch marks scored the ground, forming starburst-like spots in the dirt. A single, flame-aspected technique had utterly obliterated a nearby hill. She recognized the evidence of He Yu¡¯s combat arts¡ªthe evidence of lightnings strikes was unmistakable. The hill was most likely Tan Xiaoling¡¯s doing then. As there were no real traces of the battle left other than the physical evidence, it must have taken place some weeks ago.


    ¡°You there,¡± came a voice from the bottom of the hill Zhang Lifen had taken up her watch on. ¡°Come down here and explain what you¡¯re doing out here.¡±


    She stiffened and cursed to herself under her breath. How had one of them gotten behind her? How had she not heard or sensed him? When she turned around and got a good look at the Third Realm standing in the gully running between the hills, she got her answer.


    A black mist spread across the ground around his feet, reaching up to about his knees. His presence, ill-defined as it was, gave the impression of a starless night, deep shadow, and silence. Shadow. Perhaps the only aspect better at hiding itself than her own water aspect was.


    Figuring she¡¯d best play along for the time being, she held up her hands to show she was unarmed. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me, my lord,¡± she said, doing her best to sound meek as she slowly descended the hill towards him. She wasn¡¯t so prideful that she was above playing a helpless mortal should she need to.


    ¡°Are you one of the miners? Tell me what happened here.¡±


    Miners? Were they using low realm cultivators? Mortals? She couldn¡¯t think of any other reason he¡¯d think her a miner. Were it her, she¡¯d have assumed anyone this far away from a settlement was a cultivator. Mortals wouldn¡¯t survive on their own out here.


    She scrambled for an answer. If she told him she was a miner, he¡¯d expect her to recount the battle. She could sling little lies with the best of them, but she was afraid he¡¯d want to take her to Cui Bao if she pretended to know anything of use. She couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. If she claimed she was just in the area for whatever reason, well, that wasn¡¯t suspicious at all, was it?


    ¡°Lift your head. Let me get a look at your face,¡± he said as she drew near.


    She grimaced, keeping the brim of her bamboo hat low. She¡¯d hoped she could get a bit closer before he wanted to ¡°get a look at her.¡±


    ¡°This one offers her apologies,¡± she said, trying to sound as obsequious as she could manage. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this was somewhere I shouldn¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t expect some woman to know any better, I suppose,¡± he said. ¡°But do as you¡¯ve been told. Show your face.¡±


    There was really nothing for it, and she¡¯d gotten close enough, anyway. Zhang Lifen inclined her head and met his gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re immortal?¡± he asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Unfortunately for you,¡± she said.


    With the barest flicker of movement, she crossed the distance between them in a step. Her hand closed around his throat, and she squeezed. Restrained and restricted as she was, she¡¯d still formed a Nascent Soul. She was still two full realms higher than he was, and she had the strength to match.


    The automatic reflex kicked in, and her prey reached up to grab her wrist. Despite his cultivation, he couldn¡¯t pry her grip from his neck. She continued forward, forcing him back and further away from the mining camp. The others would come looking for him eventually, and the further out they had to go, the better for her.


    Then his presence flared out. He¡¯d gotten over his initial shock and brought his panic under control. A ji halberd, cut down for one-handed use, fell into his grip. He swung at her, activating a technique that shrouded the ji¡¯s bladed spike in an umbra of shadow qi. It ripped through her clothes, mundane and unfortified as they were. The strike had meant to disembowel her.


    It didn¡¯t even leave a scratch.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky these aren¡¯t my good clothes,¡± she said as she pushed him back up against a boulder.


    He disappeared, turning to smoke in her grip.


    Zhang Lifen cursed and spun. She caught him by the wrist as his next strike came for her head. A twist, and he dropped his weapon. A shove, and he tumbled to the ground.


    A shout went up from the direction of the camp. Although she¡¯d been careful to ensure her presence had remained restrained, her opponent hadn¡¯t. He reached for his weapon. She kicked him in the face.


    Two presences flared. She guessed they¡¯d covered roughly half the distance between the mining camp and her position. One was certainly Cui Bao, given its familiar, well-defined impression of a flaming leopard eager for violence. The other was less defined, and a mix of earth and wood. She had mere moments before they found her.


    She glanced down at the shadow cultivator at her feet. He¡¯d seen her, and she knew that Cui Bao would recognize her from his description alone. Who else with shifting blue eyes would be out here, following him? She picked up his ji, and buried it in his skull.


    As she dashed for a clump of dense undergrowth, a shout came from above. ¡°Over here, I see someone!¡±


    She cursed a second time. Normally she avoided such language, but the situation more than called for it. As she backed further off, hoping to lead her pursuer away from the mine and Cui Bao, she wracked her memory. Had she ever used her bow around him? She discarded the thought. It didn¡¯t matter. Even if he didn¡¯t recognize it, simply taking it out of her storage treasure would be a beacon that pointed right at her. Then there was the fact she wouldn¡¯t actually be able to use it without releasing her presence. Cui Bao would no doubt recognize her then. As much as she loved the weapon, it was wholly unsuitable for anything that approached subtlety.


    The earth and wood cultivator erupted into the thicket she¡¯d hid within. His presence was a riot of vibrant life and growth. This time, she didn¡¯t hesitate.


    She was on him in an instant, tackling him to the ground. Again, she easily overpowered him without releasing her presence. Levering herself on top of him, she pinned his arms down with her legs. She clamped one hand over his mouth, a formation scripted knife appearing in the other. The edge parted the flesh of his throat like paper. Blood spurted from the wound, pulsing with the pump of his heart.


    The light left his eyes, and she faded further back into the undergrowth, mentally kicking herself as she did. Cui Bao was coming this way, his presence growing by the second. If she could keep hidden long enough, she might slip away. Get somewhere that she could settle in and watch¡ªwaiting until he finally let his guard down again.


    Then she could follow him, and perhaps learn something useful. Maybe, if she could manage that, she could salvage this absolute disaster she¡¯d created. Again.

 4.16 - Secrets and Shadows

    Yan Shirong looked over his notes for what felt like the thousandth time. Finally, he admitted to himself what he¡¯d been avoiding for the better part of a week now. He was at an impasse. Whoever was behind He Yu¡¯s trouble with the sect jobs, they were good at covering their tracks.


    Leaning back in his chair, Yan Shirong swallowed down the last of his wine. Lamplight flickered, casting a warm glow over the scrolls, loose scraps of paper, and the pieces of half-finished constructs that littered his desk. He drummed his fingers on the wood and went over the facts once more.


    It was clearly sabotage. Deliberate and targeted. That was the first lead he¡¯d chased down. It hadn¡¯t taken long to figure out that nobody else was having similar problems. One possibility crossed off, no matter how remote, was a step closer to the truth. A method he¡¯d learned from his father. Any possibilities that can be easily confirmed or denied ought to be investigated first. Narrow down the range as to better focus your efforts. From there, he¡¯d systematically crossed off one lead after the other.


    His next instinct told him it was Mo Zhiqiang. He certainly had both the motivation and the means to conduct such a campaign. He Yu had taken his arm, after all, and the Mo were fabulously wealthy. There was also precedent in place. Mo Zhiqiang had been the one funding all those duels that had more or less thrown half the inner sect¡¯s wealth at He Yu last year. Yan Shirong pushed aside his envy at that memory.


    It would have been nice if he¡¯d been able to gain even a portion of that, but who was he kidding? He wouldn¡¯t have won half those duels that He Yu had simply crushed. His own talents lay elsewhere, anyway.


    Although he hadn¡¯t thought Da Ning would be behind it either, Yan Shirong had followed up on that possibility, regardless. It was always best to be thorough, and it was good practice besides. Unsurprisingly, Da Ning had mostly concerned himself with rebuilding his reputation. His association with Sha Xiang had ended with her leaving the sect in disgrace, and Da Ning¡¯s standing had suffered as a result. Yan Shirong crossed him off the list, too.


    Cui Bao was likewise gone from the sect, so that wasn¡¯t it, either. In the end, he had nothing left. He had learned nothing new, nothing beyond what He Yu had told him. A few targeted inquiries, and he¡¯d confirmed that the clerk He Yu mentioned was feeding information to someone. Who? Who knew. Certainly not Yan Shirong.


    A quick glance outside told him it was time. He stood and extinguished his lantern with a gesture and a pulse of qi. He stepped out into the night.


    It was a new moon¡ªnot that it mattered for visibility, given the constant blanket of mist that covered the Shrouded Peaks. It mattered for him though, visibility or not. The flows of darkness and shadow were strongest on nights like this. He reached out with his presence, and the shadows rushed to answer his summons. His command.


    Darkness billowed up around him. He felt himself become less tangible, less substantial. He hadn¡¯t expected the Darkwalker Shroud to advance this rapidly, especially without a Wayborn Seed yet. Between the presence training, his renewed focus on his Way, and the rather intense training regimen Senior Sister Yi had subjected him to, he was advancing his family art¡ªthe Thousand Shadows Play¡ªfaster than anyone in recent memory.


    He activated the Umbral Puppetmaster, and tendrils of living shadow reached for him from the darkness. They lifted him into the air and carried him over the outer wall of his home. He passed through the paths and trees and gates of the inner sect, carried upon limbs of darkness. Only the faintest whisper of qi marked his passing.


    Touching down outside the inner sect assignment hall, he briefly checked for any observers. Finding none, he knelt next to the base of the building, at one of its corners. Tucked behind a low flowering bush, a formation stone hummed with a faint flow of qi. Yan Shirong disrupted the formation¡ªnot enough to break it, nor destroy it. If he wanted to ensure he remained undetected, he¡¯d have to restore it before he left.


    A few moments later, he was inside, softly closing the door behind him. His senses were already far sharper than any mortals, being at the peak of the Third Realm, but he could see better in the dark than other cultivators of his advancement. With a presence consisting entirely of shadow qi, the gloom may as well have been full daylight to him. It had taken some getting used to¡ªnavigating the colorless world of shadows that was open to him in these quiet moments of lightless night, but that was a small adjustment in the grand scheme of things.


    Yan Shirong made his way behind the main job counter. He didn¡¯t expect to find much here tonight. None of his other forays into the hall had turned anything up. But his constructs had been following the clerk He Yu had mentioned for weeks now, and he¡¯d not met with anyone outside his normal social routines.


    Shuffling through the stacks of papers and scrolls, he turned up nothing new. There was nothing that implicated any one culprit. Not even a hint nor a suggestion of such. He could feel the frustration mounting. To ward it off, he focused on method. On procedure. How would his father handle something like this? His brothers?


    Constructs, shadows, and informants¡ªall the tools the Ministry of Information had at its disposal. Yan Shirong had only a fraction of the full capabilities that his family arts promised. That the Ministry could bring to bear. He¡¯d just have to make do.


    Spending another quarter hour shuffling through records, checking missives, searching for anything, he turned up nothing. He left. Making sure to first reset the lock on the assignment hall behind him, and then restore the formation, he rose above the trees and walls and footpaths once more, and turned back towards his home.


    Then, one of the myriad threads of qi that connected him to his constructs trembled. He stopped, focusing his attention on the faint vibration that traveled along his Puppeteer¡¯s Legion technique. It wasn¡¯t yet advanced enough to get much more than vague impressions, but vague impressions were all he needed. He could follow up himself.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Someone new had called on the clerk. That it was late already was suspicious enough, but Yan Shirong had also learned the assignment hall clerk who¡¯d tipped his hand to He Yu was the predictable sort. He followed routines. Kept the same company. For weeks Yan Shirong had either observed him directly or done so via constructs. He¡¯d quickly learned the clerk¡¯s habits, and this was the first deviation.


    Cloaked in shadow, Yan Shirong sailed through the night, carried by tendrils of the same. He alighted atop the outer wall of the clerk¡¯s home. Under the boughs of a red pine, he wrapped himself in a partial activation of the Darkwalker Shroud and faded to near insubstantiality.


    The now-familiar figure of the clerk looked to be finishing up the normal sort of social niceties with a pair of cultivators that Yan Shirong didn¡¯t recognize. They were quite the unlikely pair, in his estimation.


    The first, and the one who was doing most of the talking, was quite obviously of noble status. Or at the very least, a man of means. He was well-dressed and kept up with the current fashions. His hair fell around his shoulder and down his back, held by an intricate crown hairpin. His clothing was of superior quality, and his features refined. Quite the handsome figure, all things considered.


    His companion looked half a bandit. His clothes reminded Yan Shirong more of a soldier than a proper cultivator. He even wore a soldier¡¯s cap rather than leave his hair free. His features were rough and fierce. But like his companion, he exuded the air of ease and confidence that only came with the advancement of one¡¯s cultivation.


    ¡°To business, then?¡± the clerk asked.


    The more refined of the guests motioned to his companion. The soldier-looking one tossed a pouch on the table before him. A couple of spirit stones tumbled out.


    ¡°Keep us informed,¡± the refined one said. ¡°There¡¯s your cut for this month.¡±


    ¡°How much longer do you think he¡¯ll last?¡± the clerk asked.


    The refined one shrugged. ¡°Does it matter? Or are you having second thoughts?¡±


    ¡°No, no second thoughts,¡± the clerk answered too-quickly. ¡°It¡¯s just, what if the more senior disciples find out? This isn¡¯t strictly against the rules, but it¡¯s against the spirit. You know how Senior Sister Yi is about these things.¡± The clerk made a show of spreading his hands.


    Interesting. The power imbalance here was obvious to anyone who had eyes. The clerk might benefit from this arrangement, but he wasn¡¯t an equal partner. He may not even be a willing one, now that Yan Shirong reflected on it further.


    Something in his spirit quivered the moment the thought crossed his mind. It was a passing sensation, but some deeper instinct told him it was important. But that was all. He¡¯d have to examine it later, as the conversation below continued with or without his attention focused on it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Senior Sister Yi. If it comes to it, my brother and I can smooth things over with her.¡±


    Brother? They didn¡¯t look like they were related. Sworn brothers, then?


    Another quiver. It was distracting. Mostly because Yan Shirong¡¯s instincts screamed at him that whatever was going on with his spirit was something he needed to pay attention to. But another part of him knew this conversation was the key to learning what was going on with He Yu.


    ¡°Just continue doing your job,¡± the soldier-looking one said. His voice matched his mien. Rough and uncultured. But there was a hint of something more that lurked in his tone.


    ¡°Should we require your opinion on things, we shall ask for it.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the clerk said, bowing over a salute. ¡°Sect Brother Wang, Sect Brother Xin. I look forward to a profitable future.¡±


    The meeting broke up, and Yan Shirong flitted away, moving from shadow to shadow. Wang and Xin. Not names he was familiar with, but that was an insignificant obstacle compared to the one he¡¯d just overcome. It was only a matter of time.


    As he made his way back to his home, he reviewed everything he¡¯d spoken to He Yu about since they¡¯d entered the inner sect together. These two didn¡¯t seem like they¡¯d be members of that Sunset Court organization. As far as he could tell, Sha Xiang was the one who¡¯d spearheaded that little incursion, and he¡¯d never seen those two in her company.


    No, they¡¯d clearly been in the inner sect for some time. They knew how it worked, and seemed to have more than a passing familiarity with Yi Xiurong, the sect¡¯s first disciple. That suggested they were fairly high-ranked and familiar with the pecking order.


    Then there was their advancement. They¡¯d kept their presences restrained during the meeting, but Yan Shirong had come to know the other inner disciples who remained in the Third Realm. Those two weren¡¯t among them. Fourth Realm, then¡ªprobably.


    As he touched down in his courtyard and headed back inside his home, one last little tidbit bubbled up from a half-recalled conversation. He Yu had mentioned that Zhang Lifen had collected a fair number of enemies before she¡¯d been promoted to core disciple. She¡¯d warned He Yu that some might carry their grudges over to him, as they were unable to strike at her directly. The pieces finally fell into place, and Yan Shirong smiled to himself.


    Those two were old rivals of Zhang Lifen¡¯s most like. They¡¯d paid off the clerk to keep them informed of He Yu¡¯s jobs so they could deprive him of resources. Their advancement was likely high enough, then, that they couldn¡¯t move against him directly, lest they lose face for bullying a junior. Which also explained how they could easily clean up the jobs before He Yu could even get to them, and with such overwhelming strength.


    Possessed of information, the most valuable of currencies, Yan Shirong made his way to his desk.


    Something in his spirit caused him to stop. Something snapped into place¡ªlike those quivers he¡¯d felt as he¡¯d been putting the pieces together through his observations. It had happened in that moment of idle thought, when he¡¯d been congratulating himself for sussing out the secrets behind He Yu¡¯s trouble.


    Another quiver, but this time, he focused on it. What was it? The mystery? No. The thrill of discovery? No, but not entirely wrong.


    He thought on what he¡¯d been doing. Gaining knowledge. Closer, but knowledge for its own sake had never motivated him. But he had been learning something. Unraveling a mystery.


    No, not a mystery.


    Something forbidden?


    Not quite.


    Something hidden. Something¡­ secret.


    He fell to the ground, assuming a cycling position. The insights flooded him. All the things he knew. All the things he kept from others.


    All his secrets.


    Not just his secrets. The secrets that ought to belong only to others, but that he¡¯d uncovered for himself. Like the meeting tonight. A secret meeting that concealed a conspiracy. Thing not meant for his ears, but that he¡¯d heard, regardless.


    Yan Shirong was not a mere puppet master, performing a shadow play for the amusement of others. He was the one who listened at closed doors. Who stood by unnoticed, and thus noticed things others missed. He¡¯d always thought that he would carve out his place in the sect as an information broker.


    But how does one become such a broker?


    By learning secrets, of course. Yan Shirong smiled to himself as, finally, a Wayborn Seed took root within his spirit. He was a knower of secrets. A collector of things other wanted hidden, forgotten, and unseen. It was who he¡¯d always been. It was why he¡¯d gone on that expedition to the western wilds, foolish as he¡¯d thought it then. Why he¡¯d performed that divination, despite knowing full well how dangerous it was. Why he¡¯d kept unraveling this question He Yu had set before him, despite not seeing any real personal gain in it.


    His Way had never been wealth. It hadn¡¯t been knowledge, at least not of the normal sort. It had ever been the things only whispered. Things sought by plumbing the forgotten depths of memory. Secret things that once obtained belonged to him and him alone.

 4.17 - A Final Lesson

    He Yu stepped through the formation gate that marked the edge of the training arena. Across the flagstone floor, Fang Yingjie stood as He Yu had always seen him, his arms crossed and face partially shrouded by his conical peasant¡¯s hat. It was a rare bright day on the inner sect mountain, where the sun had burned away a good portion of the blanket of gray mist that gave the peaks their name.


    Looking up at He Yu¡¯s approach, Fang Yingjie merely dipped his chin in acknowledgment. It had been some time since He Yu had thought to purchase lessons. He hadn¡¯t grown so prideful as to think he didn¡¯t need them¡ªhe¡¯d simply been preoccupied. Between the near-constant challenges he¡¯d dealt with in his first year after advancing to the inner sect, and then Zhang Lifen¡¯s training, and now his desperate scramble to complete jobs, finding the time had been ever more difficult.


    Then there was the question of payment. He¡¯d been feeling as though his sect contribution points had become increasingly scarce, even as the demands of advancement gave him always more to spend them on. If it hadn¡¯t been for the payout from the attack on the spirit stone mine, he¡¯d never have been able to afford this lesson along with everything else.


    As much as he¡¯d been feeling the pinch, He Yu felt he needed this. Sure, he¡¯d been accruing a wealth of direct experience defending and advancing his rank within the inner sect. He¡¯d also performed well against the mine overseer¡ªat least as far as he was concerned. But during his cultivation, he always came away with the feeling there was more. More that he could do.


    The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace had only a single combat technique that he¡¯d learned of. Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. During his tribulation, he¡¯d seen what it could do. At a single stroke of his weapon, sheets of lightning poured down from the sky. A blinding display of power and destruction. He knew he was a long way off from that sort of feat, but he still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he¡¯d not yet brought out the technique¡¯s full potential.


    When he¡¯d first begun cultivating the Five Crescent Winds, he¡¯d learned the art would unlock its true potential later, when it could support other arts. Now he finally had something to support. Zhang Lifen was of no help, still absent from the sect. He didn¡¯t quite feel comfortable about seeking help from Elder Cai, either. Even if he had the contribution points to access tutoring from an elder, Zhang Lifen had heavily implied that he wouldn¡¯t get the sort of help he wanted from Elder Cai, anyway.


    That left Fang Yingjie. Considered the sect¡¯s foremost expert with the guandao and having mastered the Five Crescent Winds, he was the most likely person able to help. Since joining the inner sect, He Yu had learned somewhat more of the bulky, taciturn inner disciple. He had a reputation as an aggressive fighter, something He Yu¡¯s own experience in training with him supported.


    Fang Yingjie wasn¡¯t particularly well-liked, but neither had he any significant rivals. He kept to himself and deliberately avoided getting involved in sect politics whenever he could help it. When he wasn¡¯t cultivating or training his martial forms, he spent most of his time practicing his calligraphy in secluded gardens.


    He Yu thought back to the advice Fang Yingjie had given him shortly before the tournament. To see to his own development, and not concern himself too much with the various alliances, feuds, and backbiting of others. After having spent nearly two years in the inner sect, he¡¯d come to see the wisdom of that advice.


    ¡°Senior Brother Fang,¡± He Yu said over a fist pressed to his palm in salute. ¡°Thank you for taking the time to provide instruction.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Fang Yingjie replied. ¡°You¡¯ve grown, Junior Brother He. I had hoped we would exchange techniques once you reached the inner sect.¡±


    This response came as no surprise. He Yu had since gotten used to the sort of training Zhang Lifen subjected him to. Although she kept her cultivation suppressed so that she didn¡¯t immediately overpower him, it was never a fair contest. He¡¯d expected Fang Yingjie would do much the same.


    A guandao fell into Fang Yingjie¡¯s hands as he adopted a strong, ready stance. ¡°It is in the relationship you¡¯ve forged with your weapon, the understanding you gained of your techniques, and the connection between your Way and your arts that you find the path forward. The wind rushes through valleys and around mountains. It pushes the clouds across the sky. How does the wind create the storm? How does it drive the rain? Should you wish to call the winds to your aid, you must understand these answers.¡±


    He Yu gave a brief nod, showing he understood. As he fell into a stance mirroring that of his tutor, the two Fourth Realm presences crashed over the arena.


    A colossus of earth towered above He Yu. Nearly twice his height, Fang Yinjie¡¯s presence was heavy and solid. A burst of plant-life exploded from each step he took, as he advanced¡ªfar faster than He Yu would have expected. Rather than a lumbering, awkward construction, the earthen giant of Fang Yingjie¡¯s spirit had a lightness to its movements. The plants that spread from his footsteps rapidly grew into groves of trees, their branches swaying in a wind that both accompanied and propelled his passing.


    The first strike came sooner than He Yu anticipated. The Crashing Wind came down on him¡ªa formation of the technique that carried a weight He Yu had never achieved. The Spring Rain Mirror shattered before it, and didn¡¯t even slow it down. It was only the incredible speed granted by the combination of his movement and body enforcement techniques that allowed him to avoid the attack.


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    Fang Yingjie¡¯s guandao bit into the ground. The inner disciple¡ªtwo stages above He Yu at the late Fourth Realm¡ªpivoted, and swept his blade upward. The move tore a chunk of earth as large across as He Yu¡¯s arms were wide from the arena floor.


    He Yu answered the technique with his own. Pouring qi into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, he thrust his guandao forward to meet the boulder. He activated the Rushing Wind. Violent currents of air churned along the length of his blade and the haft behind it. He activated Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. A jagged fork of lightning reached out for the incoming technique.


    Earth cracked and split. Stone shattered beneath the fury of heaven and the strength of steel. He Yu advanced, blasting forward on the nascent wings of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight.


    Fang Yingjie thumped the end of his guandao on the ground. A blast of wind expanded outward from him, carrying with it jagged shards of earth. He Yu activated the Spring Rain Mirror once again, but only blunted the initial impact of Fang Yingjie¡¯s formation of the Bracing Wind. He allowed the remaining stone shards to pelt him, enduring with help from the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering.


    Within reach of his tutor, He Yu called forth the Sweeping Wind and activated Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade once again. The first crackling arcs of heaven formed along the Sweeping Wind¡¯s leading edge. As the technique gathered, it became a blade formed of heaven¡¯s wrath, a jagged and brilliant arc of lightning trailed by a churning gale.


    The colossus stood firm against the storm. The two masses of wind battled one another, tearing up the trees around the colossus¡¯s feet as fast as they could sprout and grow. Flashes of heaven reached down to score black scars across the unfeeling stone. Rain pelted the earth and the living statue, driving a tempo like so many drums.


    A fist of earth reached to heaven. Reached to the heart of the storm. It closed around something hidden, something insubstantial that He Yu hadn¡¯t even known lurked withing the black mass of churning clouds.


    Fang Yingjie ripped the heart from the storm, and threw it to the ground. He Yu tumbled back, formation enforced flagstones cracked beneath him. He¡¯d over a dozen cuts and gouges across his body. His meridians ached, and his left eye was already beginning to swell shut. As he looked up to his tutor, he saw the damage he¡¯d inflicted.


    One arm hung at the late Fourth Realm tutor¡¯s side, intermittent drops of blood spattering against the ruined training floor beneath him. Fang Yingjie had fewer wounds than He Yu to be certain, but he was in bad shape. His spirit flickered from fatigue and strain even as he withdrew his presence. His conical hat lay on the flagstones a few yards away, split in two and blackened by lightning where it had been rent.


    Reaching out with his uninjured arm, Fang Yingjie helped He Yu up. ¡°You have improved immeasurably.¡±


    They made their way to a pair of stones under the shelter of the red pine boughs just outside the arena. Sitting, they each took medicine, their wounds stitching together as their meridians surged with revitalizing qi.


    ¡°Does it always require two separate activations of the techniques?¡± He Yu asked after a moment. That was the main thing he felt was holding him back. First, he needed to call the winds before he could Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade on top of it. He¡¯d have to cultivate and review the insights from the fight in order to be certain, but he didn¡¯t think that was what Fang Yingjie had been doing.


    ¡°As you increase your mastery of both the Five Crescent Winds and you cultivation art, the use of both will become simpler.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly what he¡¯d asked, but it was good enough for the moment. As he¡¯d increased his mastery of his other techniques, they¡¯d come more easily, and so had his ability to flow between them. The strain on his meridians had decreased, and so had the drain on his qi. It had been most noticeable on the techniques that were the most difficult.


    The Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight had sent him crashing into trees or the side of the mountain when he¡¯d first begun using it. Now? He could dart around a fight like a dragonfly hovering above a pond. The only one of his peers that had more maneuverability was Li Heng with his White Hare Dance.


    He Yu¡¯s cultivation of the Spring Rain Mirror had followed a similar path. At first, he¡¯d hardly been able to form it, let alone use it in a fight. Since he¡¯d come to better understand it¡ªand by extension the nature of its water aspect¡ªit had turned into a flexible and powerful defensive technique. It was still one of his most difficult techniques to form, but it had grown progressively easier the more he practiced with it. It only made sense that Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade would follow a similar path.


    As they recovered, Fang Yingjie spoke on the principles of that guandao and the Five Crescent Winds alike. He Yu listened and reflected. The winds could shift at a moment¡¯s notice. In a sense, He Yu had always been much the same. Back when he still cultivated in the areas around Shulin, that had mostly meant he¡¯d gotten distracted easily, chasing down fancies and fantasies. Ultimately, not getting very much done.


    Now that served as a sort of adaptability. Like when he¡¯d shifted his approach mid-fight against Tan Xiaoling in the tournament. Or when upon realizing that his mission to protect the mortals from his battle with the overseer had failed, he¡¯d shifted to delivering justice for a cold-blooded murder.


    It wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d first thought of when Fang Yingjie had first told him to become like the wind. But in a sense, that was exactly what he¡¯d done. Zhang Lifen had repeatedly stressed that his nature and his Way influenced one another in turn, in cycle, over and again.


    Looking back it, was easy to see how that had been the case. Whether that was simply the benefit of hindsight or his increased understanding of himself, he couldn¡¯t say. In the end, he supposed, it didn¡¯t actually matter which. The understanding remained just the same¡ªhow one acquired wisdom was irrelevant in the face of its acquisition.


    It was late afternoon when they finally finished their training for the day. Although Fang Yingjie kept his cultivation suppressed to a level just above He Yu¡¯s, the benefits of experience and a more clearly defined Way and presence were obvious. Still, throwing himself against a stronger opponent wasn¡¯t without merit.


    Fang Yingjie forced He Yu to use everything he had. It made it clear why Zhang Lifen had insisted he train at full strength¡ªafter merely an afternoon, He Yu felt as though he was on the brink of discovering new insights. When he parted ways with his tutor just as the sun dipped behind the mountains, he resolved to spend the night in cultivation. A plan that was interrupted when he caught sight of a bird construct crafted from bone and living shadow perched just inside the entrance to his home.


    The message Yan Shirong had given his construct was short, and to the point. ¡°I have learned the secrets you sought.¡±


    Instead of heading to his cultivation chamber like he¡¯d planned, He Yu set his feet on the path towards Yan Shirong¡¯s home.

 4.18 - A Confrontation

    When He Yu arrived at Yan Shirong¡¯s home, the change was immediately apparent. After their time training with Old Guo, the shadows had always seemed to cling more closely to Yan Shirong. An impression that had only increased as he progressed through Body Refining. Now those shadows seemed like if He Yu reached out for them, he could grab them like a handful of silk.


    Then there was the uncanny sensation he got whenever he looked at Yan Shirong, like he was being watched. Not as though Yan Shirong was watching¡ªthe comital scion seemed to barely be paying attention, in fact. No, like something unseen was lurking within the shadows that now clung to him. He Yu peered back with the judgment of an emperor. The truth of things was immediately apparent.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said as Yan Shirong finally turned his attention to He Yu.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take full credit for it,¡± Yan Shirong said, pressing a fist into his palm and giving He Yu a slight bow. ¡°The insights you left me with were invaluable in forming a Wayborn Seed. I didn¡¯t expect it to take this form, however.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect?¡± He Yu asked as he took the seat that Yan Shirong motioned to.


    Producing a jar of wine for each of them, Yan Shirong said, ¡°Something related to wealth.¡±


    ¡°Disappointed?¡±


    Yan Shirong shook his head. ¡°You still can¡¯t figure out when someone¡¯s making a joke, it seems.¡±


    Not bothering to mention how flat Yan Shirong¡¯s delivery of his supposed ¡°joke¡± had been, He Yu said, ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s only a matter of time until you join me in the Fourth Realm.¡±


    ¡°Given the trouble you¡¯ve found for yourself? I should hope not,¡± Yan Shirong scoffed. ¡°Besides, I may be close to the peak of the Third Realm, but don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t forgotten what happened to you the first time you tried to break through. No, I think I¡¯ll wait until I¡¯m good and ready. I¡¯m not too keen on spending a month or more wrestling my cultivation base should I fail forming a Golden Core on my first try.¡±


    That was fair, all things considered. While it hadn¡¯t seemed like it had taken a month, the experience of wrestling down the backlash from his failed breakthrough had been almost as bad as the tribulation that had allowed He Yu to succeed.


    ¡°Speaking of trouble,¡± He Yu ventured. That was the reason he¡¯d come, after all.


    Yan Shirong downed the last of his wine and eyed He Yu for a moment. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve found quite a bit,¡± he said at last.


    ¡°I¡¯d been afraid of that,¡± he grumbled as he settled in to listen. It seemed that by ridding himself of Sha Xiang and her senseless aggression towards him, he¡¯d only traded one enemy for another. Perhaps, if he were lucky, he could reason with this one.


    ¡°As you suspected,¡± Yan Shirong began, ¡°the clerk at the assignment hall is in the employ of your rival. Or rivals, rather.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more than one,¡± He Yu said, making sure he¡¯d heard right.


    Yan Shirong nodded. ¡°Two, to be exact. They¡¯re both fairly high-ranked, and at late Golden Core.¡±


    He Yu grimaced¡ªhe had a feeling he already knew who they were.


    ¡°Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu,¡± Yan Shirong said, confirming He Yu¡¯s suspicions. ¡°You know either of them?¡±


    ¡°Not well,¡± He Yu said. ¡°They have some grudge against Zhang Lifen from when she was an inner disciple.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯ve decided to take it out on you, it seems.¡±


    Zhang Lifen had warned him that this would be a possibility. That some inner disciples would target him as a roundabout way of scoring a victory against her. If he were honest, he didn¡¯t completely understand how it worked. Something about how making him look bad reflected poorly on her by extension. Should they humiliate him, it suggested that her choice in disciple had been a poor one.


    With a sigh that was equal parts resignation and frustration, He Yu stood. ¡°I suppose I¡¯d better go deal with this, then.¡±


    ¡°Deal with this?¡± Yan Shirong asked. ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? They¡¯re both late Golden Core. I know I didn¡¯t specify, but hold ranks in the nineties. Hundreds of ranks above you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to speak to them,¡± he said. He meant it, too. There had to be some way they could sort this out reasonably. They had to know that depriving him of resources wasn¡¯t going to smooth over whatever feathers Zhang Lifen had ruffled.


    ¡°And you¡¯re going to do so alone, I take it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my problem to deal with.¡±


    ¡°At least take Princess Tan with you. You can use her status to lend weight to your words, at the very least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not using anybody¡¯s anything,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I meant it when I said it¡¯s my problem. It wouldn¡¯t be right to drag anyone else into this.¡±


    For a moment Yan Shirong simply looked at him, his brows drawn ever so slightly together. ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Go,¡± he said, waving his hand. ¡°Do whatever it is you think you need to do.¡±


    As He Yu left, he couldn¡¯t help but feel there was more that Yan Shirong had meant to say. More he¡¯d left unspoken. That sense prickled at him, like Yan Shirong¡¯s silence was in some sense an accusation. It wasn¡¯t as though He Yu was being stubborn. He just didn¡¯t feel like it was right to get the others involved. He¡¯d meant it when he said this was his problem, not theirs.


    The next day He Yu set out to find Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu. It took a bit of time, and a few inquiries, but eventually he found them training together by a lake on one of the higher peaks. As he approached, either they ignored him or they didn¡¯t notice. He assumed it was the former.


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    Wang Xiaobo¡¯s presence was metal with a minor secondary aspect of water. There were also hints of mountain, as well. It was a mix commonly cultivated among the Shrouded Peaks Sect. The combined feeling of it all was that of a well-honed sword, cold and sharp. Not in the same way Tan Xiaoling was, with her ever-present and well-developed killing intent. No, the chill that Wang Xiaobo¡¯s presence carried was closer to that of Zhang Lifen¡¯s, like He Yu was standing amidst the spray at the base of a waterfall. The sharpness was simply that of a masterwork blade.


    Xin Lu was a firestorm that crackled with a strong secondary heaven aspect. That caught He Yu off guard. Besides himself and Elder Cai, this was the first disciple he¡¯d come across that cultivated a heaven aspect. He didn¡¯t know why it was uncommon, other than that perhaps there were relatively few sources of it in and around the Shrouded Peaks one could reliably access.


    Regardless, Xin Lu took the fury of heaven, and combined it with the intensity of the flames. His presence was more controlled than the other fire aspected cultivators He Yu had encountered, something he assumed came from adding heaven to the mix. Still, he gave off a powerful aura.


    The two of them together, even as far away as He Yu still was, were clearly more than he could handle. Maybe Yan Shirong had been right to suggest he come with backup. Then again, what could even Tan Xiaoling do against these two? One of them alone would have been too much. Both at once?


    As He Yu stepped into the view, the two cultivators at the edge of the lake paused, and turned the full weight of their attention to him. Wang Xiaobo¡¯s sharp chill clashed against Xin Lu¡¯s actinic heat. Both held weapons, and noticeably they refrained from returning them to their storage treasures, as would have been polite. He Yu had to flex his own spirit under their combined weight.


    Wang Xiaobo held a jian as he looked on while He Yu gave the both of them a salute. His stance wasn¡¯t exactly one that suggested he anticipated an attack, but neither was it wholly relaxed. It was one Li Heng frequently adopted, and one that could easily transition into defense or offense as needed.


    He dressed much in the same manner as Li Heng, too. He wore his hair in the same fashion, held back by an ornate crown hairpin, but otherwise allowed to fall freely down his back. The robes he wore were of much higher quality than perhaps anyone He Yu knew except Princess Tan. He recalled having learned that the primary branch of the Wang clan was of ducal rank. Wang Xiaobo came from that branch, although he had several older siblings. His features were like the other nobles as well¡ªrefined and delicate, but somehow also strong and severe.


    Xin Lu practically glared at He Yu. The double halberd he held was planted at his side. More prominently displayed than held at the ready. Its black head reflected no light, and the red tassel affixed to the haft was still despite the slight breeze. Like Wang Xiaobo, Xin Lu looked as though he could be ready to fight in an instant.


    Much rougher in appearance than Wang Xiaobo, Xin Lu dressed like a common soldier. His somewhat ragged clothes consisted of a simple pair of pants and a short outer robe. A soldier¡¯s cap covered his hair. His features lacked any of the refinement of nobility, suggesting instead that he was from a lower-ranked background.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come merely to speak, Senior Sect Brothers,¡± He Yu said. He wasn¡¯t going to beg, nor was he going to throw away his pride, but he saw no harm in at least being polite.


    ¡°Why should I waste words on one so far beneath me?¡± Wang Xiaobo asked. It was clearly rhetorical, but He Yu had to flex his jaw to hold back a reply, anyway. ¡°You¡¯re what, five hundred ninety-nine? Six hundred? Your mere presence borders on insult, Junior Brother.¡±


    If He Yu had needed any evidence that their first meeting after he¡¯d reached Golden Core had been little more than intimidation, this was it. He bit back another response. This wasn¡¯t going according to plan.


    ¡°We have no business with you,¡± said Xin Lu, his fierce eyebrows drawn together.


    He Yu drew himself to his full, if still rather unimpressive, height. ¡°I have business with you,¡± he said.


    ¡°He presumes too much,¡± Xin Lu said. ¡°Should we hear him?¡±


    Wang Xiaobo laughed. ¡°Fine, I suppose there¡¯s no harm in letting Zhang Lifen¡¯s little pet yip at us. I can always kick it off the mountain if needs be.¡±


    Blood and heat rose up He Yu¡¯s neck. He fought down the mix of anger and embarrassment that came at their treatment, unsure of how exactly to deal with this. Sha Xiang had always been so straightforward¡ªso aggressive. She¡¯d spit hate and vitriol at him since they joined the sect, and even before that¡ªwhen they¡¯d been children in Shulin¡ªshe¡¯d been merely cruel.


    This was different. They were openly mocking him. Their contempt made it plain how they saw him. Plain that he was beneath consideration. Worth no more than the briefest moment¡¯s acknowledgment.


    The worst part was, they were right.


    As he was now, he was wholly powerless before them. This wasn¡¯t like it had been with Sha Xiang. Back when the gaps between stages and realms could be easily overcome. It had taken both him and Tan Xiaoling to overcome a single cultivator that had only a single stage advancement. Tan Xiaoling was considered a once in a generation talent, and He Yu was rapidly making a similar reputation for himself. Even if he singled one of them out, this was not a fight he could win. Not yet.


    So he saluted again, bowed, and humbled himself. ¡°This one respectfully requests Senior Brothers show mercy. You¡¯ve made your point. You can hinder my advancement by making it all but impossible to gather resources. Although this one has little to offer, perhaps we could work out some arrangement, so that I might once more complete jobs for the sect that we all belong to.¡±


    Each peal of Wang Xiaobo¡¯s laugher was like a dagger stuck into what remained of He Yu¡¯s pride. ¡°Why should we bargain with you?¡± he asked, making a show of wiping away a tear that He Yu was certain wasn¡¯t actually there. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can offer us that we can¡¯t get for ourselves. Besides, not only is this little game tremendous fun, it¡¯s quite profitable. For us.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± He Yu said. Giving one last bow, he added, ¡°I suppose it was worth a try.¡± As he turned to leave, Wang Xiaobo¡¯s laughter was joined by Xin Lu¡¯s.


    Well, that was that. He¡¯d tried, and he¡¯d failed. In retrospect, he supposed that he should have known better. He¡¯d known deep down that things would go more or less like they had. But something had demanded to try, regardless. Maybe it was the strictures of his Way. Maybe it was his desire to avoid unnecessary conflict, especially with members of his own sect. Whatever it was, he¡¯d made an honest effort. Which was all that he¡¯d demanded of himself.


    While he couldn¡¯t do anything against those two now, that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t be able to in the future. He still had most of the better-quality elixirs left from the mine assault. He still had a decent amount of contribution points from the same, even if it was less than he¡¯d like. He still had some resources he could muster.


    In the early days of his life at the sect, Sha Xiang had seemed insurmountable. Not only had he surpassed her, he¡¯d surpassed all those she¡¯d gathered around herself. There was no reason he couldn¡¯t do the same here. Although he¡¯d expected things would go the way they had, he¡¯d wanted to at least try. Just like he had with Sha Xiang.


    That Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu had refused to settle things amicably, well, that wasn¡¯t his fault. He¡¯d done his part. He¡¯d done all that he required of himself. Now? He would just pursue the only option they¡¯d left him with.


    He¡¯d been hand-picked by the sect¡¯s rising star, after all. His martial grandfather was the sect¡¯s First Elder. He wasn¡¯t going to be cruel, like Sha Xiang had been. But neither was he going to allow them to push him around. He¡¯d only suffer what indignities he had to, while he had to.


    The next step was clear. Middle Golden Core had been growing ever closer for some time now. There was little point in putting it off any longer.

 4.19 - Hunting Trip

    Midsummer came and went. As it turned out, advancing through the Fourth Realm wasn¡¯t as simple as He Yu had first thought.


    After the meeting with Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu, He Yu had returned home and taken his elixirs. Or what was left of them. He¡¯d been certain as he entered his cultivation chamber that the potent mixture of heaven, wind, and water surging through his meridians would take him to the middle stage. He¡¯d been wrong.


    It wasn¡¯t as if the elixirs were of no benefit, though. They just weren¡¯t enough. Once they ran their course, he took a meridian cleansing elixir, and then consumed the few remaining scraps he¡¯d still left over from the mine assault. That wasn¡¯t enough, either. If there was one thing he¡¯d come to fully realize, it was that advancing through Golden Core was a monstrous task. The easy part was truly over, it seemed.


    Although he tried to complete a few more jobs for the sect during this time, he met nothing but failure. Before he¡¯d confronted his two saboteurs, he managed to complete a few scattered jobs for what amounted to scraps. Now? He got nothing. Apparently, having the audacity to ask them for a reprieve, even offering to pay them for such, had only made them step up their efforts.


    Rather than discourage him, as they obviously meant to, the difficulty only hardened his resolve. He threw himself into cultivation when he wasn¡¯t desperately trying to scrape together contribution points. Although he still hadn¡¯t advanced, his cultivation base still increased. If only incrementally.


    One other thing that bothered him was the fact that Zhang Lifen was still absent from the sect. It was odd, thinking about how much he¡¯d come to rely on her guidance since entering the inner sect. Although he¡¯d somewhat resented her during his first year on the mountain, he¡¯d since realized why she¡¯d left him more or less alone.


    Sect rules aside, there was little she could have done that he wasn¡¯t better off doing for himself. The habits he¡¯d formed back then had served him well. The foundation he¡¯d lain even before advancing to the stage of the same name had carried him far. Those habits he fell back on now, pushing himself to reach for even greater heights.


    Still, he missed their talks. Since entering the inner sect, she had truly stepped into her role of mentor and teacher¡ªguiding him to the insights he¡¯d needed. While he knew that bringing his current troubles to her wouldn¡¯t end with her sweeping in and solving them for him, he knew she would give him the one thing he needed most right now. Guidance.


    Of course, he still had access to Yi Xiurong. The First Disciple had assumed the role Zhang Lifen had taken before her departure. Two to three times a week she gathered He Yu and his friends for training sessions, pitting them against one another in drills and spars and contests. He Yu and Tan Xiaoling grew within the Fourth Realm, both of them increasing their cultivation base by inches. Chen Fei, Li Heng, and Yan Shirong were all now at the peak of Body Refining, and Yi Xiurong said she expected them all to break through before winter.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Yi Xiurong said, her voice clipped and severe. All five of the disciples saluted her as the sun dipped below the western peaks at her back. ¡°Continue your efforts.¡±


    The peacock feather she rode on materialized from within her storage treasure. She stepped on it, and was gone a moment later.


    It was always a bit of a relief when she left. Just being around her made He Yu feel as though every little movement he made was being judged, and that she would find him unworthy at any moment. He knew it was just the effects of her presence, but it was still unnerving.


    As He Yu turned to the path that would lead him back to his home, he saw Tan Xiaoling and Chen Fei off to one side of the training area speaking. He headed over.


    As he approached Tan Xiaoling left.


    Chen Fei shot a glance at the departing princess¡¯s back and then flashed a nervous smile at He Yu.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said as he drew near. ¡°Everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she said, with a bit too much enthusiasm. ¡°How about you? Are those other two guys still giving you trouble?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t get any jobs done, and now I¡¯m more or less out of resources. My weekly stipend is barely enough to cover training.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, not great, but I was going to ask you something that I thought might help, but you know if you weren¡¯t having problems then there wouldn¡¯t be much point, I guess.¡±


    It was clear she was a bit embarrassed. Not to mention nervous. It amazed him that he could pick up on that now. The whole interaction would have gone over his head back when he¡¯d first come to the sect.


    ¡°I get it,¡± he said. ¡°What did you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°Want to go hunting?¡± She blurted the question out, the words running together.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Sure, when should we go?¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± she said, tension He Yu hadn¡¯t recognized had even been there draining from her posture. ¡°I found some thunder fairies when I was out earlier this week. They¡¯re heaven aspected, and I know that¡¯s not a common aspect here.¡±


    An odd mix of disappointment and relief took root in He Yu¡¯s chest at that. On the one hand, harvesting the cores of heaven aspected spirits would go a long way to boosting his cultivation in the absence of more refined resources. But he¡¯d sort of been hoping for¡ªwhat, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    That the two of them had been circling around this unspoken crush for a long time now wasn¡¯t exactly a secret. He Yu was just more than a little amazed that she still had any interest in him at all, to be honest. Sure, they spent time together, but most of that was training. Or hunting. The occasional job. But the both of them always seemed to shy away from broaching the topic.


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    As he always did, he pushed aside all the awkward thoughts and simply got down to business. It was what he understood, and could handle. They quickly worked out when they¡¯d leave, how long they¡¯d be gone for, and all the other miscellaneous details of their hunting trip.


    Early the next morning, they headed off into the mountains that stretched off to the north of the sect. By midday they¡¯d reached the area where Chen Fei had seen the thunder fairies. Making their way through the rugged terrain was far easier than it had any right to be¡ªespecially given the jagged peaks and sheer drops between them.


    He Yu made liberal use of his movement technique, sailing across gaps and between outcrops with the winds tugging at his robes. To his surprise, Chen Fei didn¡¯t seem to be hindered by the terrain either.


    She would leap into the yawning gaps that stretched hundreds or thousands of feet below her with a burst of mountain qi as she activated the White Mountain Body Art. Just as the law of earth was about to reassert itself, she would create a platform with her family art, the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols. The formation script would flare to life, and then another explosion of mountain qi would mark her next jump. Bounding between platforms she created, she could maneuver across empty air almost as well as He Yu could.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty neat trick,¡± He Yu said, as he landed next to her after they crossed a particularly large gap.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said with a beaming grin. ¡°I came up with it myself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± he asked. He¡¯d known that she was well on her way to becoming an expert in formation work. Largely because of Ren Huang¡¯s earlier instruction, and now Yi Xiurong¡¯s. But this? This was on par with creating a new technique out of whole cloth.


    ¡°Yep,¡± she said as they continued their trek, this time heading down into a valley that sparked and flashed with heaven qi thousands of feet below. ¡°It actually wasn¡¯t all that hard. Senior Brother Ren says the key to formation work is creativity. Not every solution has a straightforward answer, and sometimes the best solutions are the ones that are as surprising as they are simple.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± he said. ¡°Once I¡¯ve got some more spirit stones, maybe I could have you take a look at my guandao. It¡¯s suitable for a Fourth Realm thanks to Princess Tan¡¯s upgrades, but it¡¯s still got a lot of potential.¡±


    She frowned a bit at that, but wasn¡¯t truly upset. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I don¡¯t need you to pay me for that sort of thing. Anyway, I¡¯m not anywhere near good enough to work on your weapon. Maybe after another twenty or thirty years of practice.¡±


    Chen Fei laughed as she said the last part. He Yu thought she was underselling herself, but he wasn¡¯t about to argue. They¡¯d nearly reached their destination, and with the rich churning of heaven qi below, the only thing he could think of was the bounty that awaited.


    The thunder fairies turned out to be a fantastic source of cores. Despite most of them being firmly equal to a Third Realm level of advancement, they were poor combatants. Sure, they could send out arcs of heaven qi, and had an annoying technique that could temporarily blind, but they offered little in the way of challenge. For the rest of the day, He Yu and Chen Fei swept through the valley together, trapping the fairies in formation barriers so they couldn¡¯t flit away.


    By the time night fell, they¡¯d collected a good amount of the crackling, heaven-infused cores. Chen Fei found them a nook in the mountain face that was out of the wind to serve as a spot to prepare a meal and cultivate before heading back to the sect in the morning. As He Yu put together a fire, starting it with a flash of his own heaven qi, Chen Fei pulled out spiritually fortified slabs of meat from her storage treasure.


    ¡°Have you gone back and visited your home yet?¡± she asked once they¡¯d finished their meal.


    ¡°No,¡± He Yu admitted. ¡°It¡¯s sort of slipped my mind.¡±


    She merely nodded rather than speak in response.


    After a moment, He Yu asked, ¡°What about you? Do you ever think about visiting home?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be going back,¡± she said. There was an obvious note of melancholy in her words. He Yu looked up from where he was packing away the remainders of their meal. She¡¯d leaned back against the stone of the mountain, her gaze fixed somewhere to the north. This felt like the sort of time he was supposed to say something. She wouldn¡¯t have mentioned that she wouldn¡¯t be going back if he weren¡¯t supposed to, right?


    ¡°Why not?¡± The words had come out before he had a chance to really think, as he fell back into the habit of simply blurting things out. He¡¯d thought that after reaching Golden Core and cultivating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment for so long that he¡¯d have stopped with that.


    She shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t see the point.¡±


    This time, at least, it was clear the correct response was to stay quiet. Leave the door open and let her continue the conversation in whatever way she saw fit. So that¡¯s what he did.


    After some time, she spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s stupid, I know. I don¡¯t really have any reason to be afraid of going back.¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not as if you¡¯re weak or anything,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Sure you haven¡¯t reached Golden Core yet, but peak Body Refining is about the furthest most can ever hope to go. You¡¯ve already formed a Wayborn Seed, so the Fourth Realm is basically a guarantee.¡±


    Giving him a small smile, she said, ¡°You¡¯re right. But it¡¯s not about strength. I never really fit in there. Everyone else is so,¡± she paused as though she were searching for the right words. ¡°Self-reliant. That¡¯s not me.¡±


    That caught him off-guard. ¡°It¡¯s not? You¡¯re the one who found this place.¡± He swept his arm before him. Not just their sheltered alcove, but also the valley they¡¯d spent the day hunting in. ¡°You guided us through the wilds last year, and most of your advancement resources have come from things you hunted. If anything, you¡¯re probably the most self-reliant person I¡¯ve met since joining the sect.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have made it up the mountain without your help. I wouldn¡¯t have lasted the first year without Xiaoling pushing me. I wouldn¡¯t have reached Body Refining without the mid-grade stone you gave me. I wouldn¡¯t have placed as highly in the tournament without Xiaoling convincing me to join it in the first place.¡± She ticked off her points on her fingers as she spoke. ¡°See what I mean?¡±


    ¡°So?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have lasted if it weren¡¯t for Li Heng. Or for you. Remember, it¡¯s because of your friendship with Tan Xiaoling that I could cultivate at the waterfall. And also sparring with you. That went a long way to toughen me up. None of us got to where we are completely on our own. But none of us got here solely because of others, either.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± she said. Although she still seemed a bit subdued, she didn¡¯t seem as melancholy as she did before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you, if you want,¡± he said. It was an impulse, and yet another time he spoke before thinking. He didn¡¯t regret it the instant he said it, though. ¡°If anyone thinks you¡¯re not self-reliant enough, or whatever, I¡¯ll just tell them how great you are until either they believe me or run away.¡±


    That did the trick. She laughed. Then she covered her mouth before giving him another smile. Then she did something unexpected. She scooted over next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m glad I met you, He Yu.¡±


    He fought down the brief panic that resulted from her closeness. What was he afraid of? He¡¯d faced literal death more times than he could count now. So he rested his head on hers.


    ¡°I am too,¡± he said as they stared into the remains of their cookfire together.

 4.20 - The March of Winter

    As he advanced through the Third Realm and continued to refine his presence, Li Heng came to like summer less and less. The retreat of the snows, of the ice, left him feeling like he lacked something. One significant upside was that was that travel became easier. More and more frequently, Li Heng ventured into the high reaches of the Shrouded Peaks. Especially when winter retreated from the sect. At least with the coming of autumn, the grip of ice and snow tightened on the peaks once again.


    He sat atop a rock on the highest peak he could find. The silver disc of the full moon shone down on him along with the silent canopy of stars. Under their soft light, the surrounding snow practically glowed. The world fell away in every direction, and Li Heng meditated upon the Dao.


    A representation of the taiji swirled in his mind¡¯s eye. The cycle of yin and yang, creating, feeding, and subsuming one after the other. The very essence of balance¡ªthe thing he sought above all else. Since forming his Wayborn Seed, Li Heng¡¯s Way had become at once more clear and less certain. He knew what he needed to do, just not how.


    His time at the Shrouded Peaks Sect had not been what he¡¯d expected. His father, Li Bao, had been clear in his expectations as always. Li Heng was to establish himself as a nexus of influence within the sect. He was to seek allies. Perhaps find a talented retainer. His father even granted him license to arrange a politically beneficial match for himself, should the opportunity arise.


    Instead, he¡¯d fallen in with an odd mix of cultivators¡ªnone of whom fulfilled any of the objectives he¡¯d meant to achieve. While there was no harm in building a relationship with Yan Shirong, the Yan weren¡¯t to be counted on as allies. They were a family considered fickle in the best of circumstances, and unreliable allies owing to their position in the Ministry demanding a certain level of outward neutrality. Useful to befriend, but not the supporters the Li so desperately needed.


    Chen Fei was more than a mere acquaintance, but he wasn¡¯t particularly close to her. He could see why both He Yu and Tan Xiaoling held such fondness for her in their own ways. To him, she held no use. She was a commoner who was halfway to being a barbarian, although a talented one. Sure, she¡¯d make a name for herself in the sect, but she was the sort of person his father would tell him not to waste his time with. There was nothing of political expedience there, and thus it represented a waste of his attention.


    With respect to Xiaoling¡ªhe pushed aside his thoughts of the princess. She was a problem. One that he¡¯d have to deal with eventually. Just not now.


    Finally he turned to He Yu. Of all those he¡¯d formed relationships with since coming to the Shrouded Peaks, He Yu was the only one who could have filled any of the objectives Li Heng¡¯s father had set out for him. He was a talented commoner who¡ªon their first meeting, no less¡ªhad displayed uncommon drive. He was unattached to any family or clan of note, and would have made an ideal retainer. Li Heng could have raised him up, then tied him down with obligations of vassalage.


    At least if He Yu hadn¡¯t surpassed him so quickly. That particular thorn was one that still stuck in Li Heng¡¯s pride, one that still allowed envy to seep into his thoughts and his spirit. It had been the driving thought that turned to obsession during their time in the wilds. That his behavior had come from the Sunset Empress¡¯s influence served as only a small comfort. He¡¯d been influenced, not controlled. If he¡¯d not genuinely felt the things he¡¯d said, he¡¯d never have said them.


    Which brought him around to the complicated reality of his relationship with He Yu. They were friends. The first real friend Li Heng had ever had. Sure, he¡¯d plenty of acquaintances back home. Most of them were lesser sons of minor officials or the occasional baron. People who didn¡¯t have other options, so they sought to hitch their fortunes to the vulnerable, yet ascendant, Li family in a fantastic gamble.


    He Yu was different. Wholly ignorant of the broader political landscape, the sect had thrown him into proximity with Li Heng more or less by chance¡ªat least; it looked that way. Li Heng couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe Zhang Lifen had a hand in that, but the truth wasn¡¯t worth speculating on. Their living arrangements had resulted in them training and ascending those early realms together.


    When He Yu had told Li Heng that he intended to drag him up the realms, Li Heng had no reason to doubt. He Yu was, if anything, sincere. Foolish? Yes. Blessedly ignorant? Of course. But that was just the larger part of his charm. Li Heng didn¡¯t have to be anyone around He Yu other than himself. He didn¡¯t have to wear the mantle of responsibility. He didn¡¯t have to silence the worry about the consequences like he did when he was with Xiaoling.


    He could simply be Li Heng.


    It wasn¡¯t just that he lagged behind that caused him envy. It was that He Yu was, for the time being, free of the obligations that Li Heng couldn¡¯t avoid. The commoner from the great Southern Forest could pursue his Way without interference from his station. Something that had clearly benefited him.


    If it had been that simple, perhaps Li Heng could have lived with himself. Perhaps he could have bowed to circumstances, and that would have been it. He Yu had a drive that Li Heng lacked. He also had talent. Drive alone didn¡¯t get you to where He Yu was. He¡¯d even surpassed Tan Xiaoling¡ªdaughter of the legendary Tan Zihao. He Yu¡¯s burning desire to become a living legend wasn¡¯t mere fantasy after all.


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    Why couldn¡¯t Li Heng have something like that? Why must he carry the burden of a future he hadn¡¯t asked for? Heaven¡¯s honest truth was simply no reason at all.


    Nothing held him back but himself. The burden of duty that he raged against in his heart was a prison of his own making. A cage constructed from his ideals. The expectations he¡¯d shackled himself with were his own.


    His thoughts turned once more to Princess Tan. Xiaoling, she¡¯d insisted he call her¡ªat least in private. It was a salacious entanglement they¡¯d gotten themselves into. Tan Zihao and Li Bao weren¡¯t exactly rivals, but the relationship was tense. If the Jade Kingdom was a loyal vassal of the empire, then why did the emperor place a fortified march on their shared border? That question was the crux of everything, and had been a sore spot between the Dragon Empire and the Jade Kingdom ever since the Western Passage had been established as its own holding.


    All complications spun out from there. As heir to the Western Passage, his relationship with the heiress-presumptive to the Jade Kingdom posed challenges and ambiguity. Would a union be seen as a move by the Tan to bring imperial territory under their control? Would it be seen as an attempt by the empire to exert greater authority over the Jade Kingdom? What would the other nobles think? Surely the axis of power that emerged between the most prestigious assignment in the West¡ªbelow that of the large ducal provinces, of course¡ªand the empire¡¯s most powerful vassal would upset the status quo.


    With the rumblings of discontent in the east and the north growing ever louder of late, the emergence of such a disruptive alignment would surely embolden the Li¡¯s enemies. If only to squash the nascent yet clearly ascendant family while it was still possible to do so.


    It would have been far better had he found a safer, more stable match. But wasn¡¯t that what had first drawn him to her? The sharpness that clung to her like a gown of fine silk. The knife-edge sense of danger that had soon given way to something far more complex than what he¡¯d first seen?


    Then again, how was that truly any different from anything else he¡¯d done with his time at the sect? Li Heng walked between extremes. Between the thrill of desire and burden of duty. Between the expectations of station and the companionship of a true friend. Between the mirror and the blade, the flat and the edge.


    All around him, the snow gleamed under the full moon. Amidst the black field above, the single silver disk dominated the countless pinprick stars. In the one, the other.


    Li Heng¡¯s dantian pulsed, then contracted. The vast expanse of lunar and icy qi collapsed. His presence exploded outward from him. Great spires of ice burst from the snowy field, but Li Heng remained still.


    For so long he¡¯d denied this one simple truth. It had gone against everything that he¡¯d believed about himself. Just because he believed something didn¡¯t make it true, however. Balance¡ªthat was his Way. To walk upon the knife¡¯s edge, to walk between the extremes, and find the reconciliation within.


    Why couldn¡¯t he take Tan Xiaoling as a lover? It had become clear that what lay between them was so much more than a dalliance. It had started as such, in those moments of a hitched breath when they sparred, of sidelong looks when they were among the others. Of secret meetings that began somewhat formally, then much less so. Damn the consequences. That was how she thought of it. Whenever he raised his concerns with her, she¡¯d simply shrugged and said it would work out. What was stopping him from looking at it the same way?


    More spires of ice burst from the snow. Hoarfrost crept out from where Li Heng sat, encasing the rock beneath him. Snowdrifts piled around him, and the night grew somehow more still and more silent than it had before. The cold deepened, sapping what little warmth remained.


    Why couldn¡¯t his friendship with He Yu be genuine and also bring benefit to his family? If he knew anything about He Yu at all, it was that should Li Heng need for anything; he had but to ask. He Yu would come and give any and all the aid that he could. And if He Yu¡¯s obsession with becoming a legend drove him to the heights of cultivation? What better ally could someone in Li Heng¡¯s position ask for?


    The surging pool of gathering power in Li Heng¡¯s dantian grew. As it expanded, threatening to rage out of his control, he pushed on it, condensing it, collapsing it. All around him, ice formed on the ground, the stone he sat upon. On him. The frozen spires grew, expanding outward and merging with one another. A dome of ice encased him, a glimmering surface that reflected both the dark and the light of the sky and the moon above.


    Why couldn¡¯t he look upon the backs of his lover and his friend and feel driven instead of inadequate? Would his father, Li Bao, sulk in the face of another¡¯s advancement? Would his grandfather, Li Renshu? No. They would move forward. They would advance like the inexorable march of the seasons. Of the winter that his family art took its name from.


    The dome of ice thickened and grew. It encased him, crushing him as he crushed his core. Dimly, Li Heng sensed that outside his dome¡ªhis crystal chrysalis¡ªa blizzard raged. A blizzard whipped up by the icy qi raging through his core and his meridians. He was in so many places at once. He was the full moon, gazing down upon a lone cultivator sitting atop a mountain. He was a wall of ice, crushing the very being that had brought it into existence. He was Li Heng, sitting in the center of a blizzard that he¡¯d called to a mountain in the middle of summer.


    He pushed again. His core collapsed. The now-solid sphere of ice he¡¯d encased himself in collapsed with it. It pierced through his flesh, his spirit. It joined his core as the brilliant golden sun in the center of his spirit shone forth. The moonlight cast its cold silver light on him. He became aware, and he gazed into himself.


    The heart of winter. The moon. His own reflection.


    The world around him shattered. An explosion of ice and snow and moonlight made solid broke the silence of the mountaintop night. Li Heng stood. He found himself in the center of a now-flattened expanse. Perfectly circular. One half swept clean, only the naked stone exposed to the sky. The other covered in snow. In each lay a seed of the other¡ªone lone boulder, unaffected by his advancement; one remaining spire of ice, still intact after he¡¯d shattered his limits.


    Li Heng flexed his spirit. The world became cold and dark. The only spot of light hung in the sky¡ªa round silver disk. An endless field of snow stretched out in all directions. Silent and still. At his back, the faint image of the taiji spun. Visible only to him, and rotating slowly with the pool of Fourth Realm qi at the center of his newly forged Golden Core.

 4.21 - He Yu and Li Heng Head North

    He Yu landed in Li Heng¡¯s courtyard with a heavy thump as the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight gave him back over to the law of earth. His friend looked up from where he sat with his ancestral jian laid across his lap, whetstone, oil, and rags close at hand. At the very least, Li Heng had the decency to look a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± He Yu shouted, his voice echoing off the courtyard walls and nearby mountains. He¡¯d made it a point to be as loud as possible. When the echoes died off, he added at a more reasonable volume, ¡°I told you it was only a matter of time.¡±


    Li Heng looked up from where he worked on his blade. ¡°I told her I¡¯d tell you myself, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that was days ago. Nearly a week? Tan Xiaoling gave you plenty of time to get around to it on your own, if you ask me.¡±


    Setting aside his blade, Li Heng accepted the jar of wine He Yu pulled out of his storage treasure. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, taking a long pull. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure I believe it myself, really.¡±


    ¡°So what was your plan, then? Hole up inside until you¡¯d convinced yourself that you actually made it to Golden Core? I mean, you¡¯d formed a Wayborn Seed already. Everyone more advanced than we are all say the same thing. If you form one before the Fourth Realm, it¡¯s practically a guaranteed advancement.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Li Heng said, letting a bit of his humor finally slip through in a grin. ¡°It¡¯s just felt like I¡¯ve been trying to break through for so long.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to remind you that you¡¯re less than a year older than I am? The fact we have three Golden Cores among us who haven¡¯t even reached their twenty-fifth year is just incredible.¡± He Yu could hardly believe it himself. Once Chen Fei and Yan Shirong formed their Golden Cores¡ªan inevitability now that both of them also had Wayborn Seeds¡ªthe five of them would be a legendary band.


    ¡°What should we call ourselves?¡± He Yu asked after a moment of losing himself in all the possibilities.


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°You know, like in the stories,¡± He Yu said as though it were self-evident. Surely, Li Heng had heard of at least some of them. ¡°The Five Eccentrics of the West?¡± he asked, testing out the first thing that came to his mind.


    That proved too much for Li Heng. He laughed so hard that he had to set down his wine unless he lost his grip and spilled it. ¡°That is such a stupid name,¡± he managed after a bit.


    ¡°Come up with a better one then,¡± He Yu shot back with an accompanying laugh of his own.


    They went back and forth like that for some time. He Yu kept insisting that they needed to come up with a name, and Li Heng vetoed everything He Yu suggested. There was a lightness to the interaction that He Yu had honestly missed for some time now. It reminded him of those first days after he¡¯d met Li Heng. Before the shadow of what had happened in the west had fallen over their relationship, and before Li Heng had become increasingly frustrated with himself for his inability to advance.


    At length, He Yu asked, ¡°Well, how are we going to celebrate?¡±


    Li Heng looked down at the half-dozen jars of wine they¡¯d drained between them. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯ve been doing?¡±


    ¡°This is just the warm-up. We need a proper celebration. Something that lets you really show off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it. You want to see what I can do.¡±


    ¡°Of course. What¡¯s the point in advancing if you can¡¯t show off?¡±


    ¡°Not arguing with that.¡± Li Heng stood, banishing his sword and other supplies back to his storage treasure. ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡±


    With a thoughtful hum, He Yu said, ¡°Nothing at the moment. I may have been having a bit of difficulty with jobs lately.¡±


    Li Heng arched an eyebrow. ¡°What sort of difficulty?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really that important.¡± He still felt a bit self-conscious about the whole thing. It reminded him of the early days in the sect, when he had to lean on the support of those stronger than himself just to find his feet, let alone advance his cultivation. Now he¡¯d gained more strength than he ever could have imagined back then, and he still had problems.


    ¡°Look,¡± Li Heng began. ¡°I know that I¡¯ve only just joined you in the Fourth Realm, but I wasn¡¯t what anybody would have called weak before.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said before Li Heng could go any further. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just¡ªI should be able to handle this myself, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And did you?¡±


    Of course he didn¡¯t, and Li Heng knew it. He Yu answered by letting his shoulders slump a bit.


    ¡°Let me help.¡±


    Tapping one finger against the side of his wine jar, He Yu looked away for a moment. He knew Li Heng was right. They were friends, and even if he advanced to the same level as Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu, there was only one of him. He could always try to reach Nascent Soul first, but that seemed impossibly distant. Especially with how slow his advancement had been since forming his Golden Core.


    So he told Li Heng about what had been going on. About how Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu had approached him after he beat Sha Xiang and her followers. How they¡¯d been vaguely threatening, and how Zhang Lifen had told him to watch out for them. Then He Yu recounted the jobs that he¡¯d taken, and how they¡¯d all been impossible to complete. How he¡¯d enlisted Yan Shirong in discovering who was behind it all.


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    Li Heng scowled when he mentioned Yan Shirong, but He Yu insisted that was different. He also pointed out that Chen Fei had been the one to tell Yan Shirong first, anyway. Graciously, Li Heng let it slide.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve got a couple of late Fourth Realm cultivators both ranked about one hundred giving you trouble,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Easy,¡± he added with a laugh.


    As He Yu had been recounting his problems, they¡¯d left Li Heng¡¯s home and now walked along the path to the inner sect common areas and the assignment hall.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it, I guess. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure how to deal with it. Other than to simply get strong enough to make it a non-issue.¡±


    ¡°Well, how about this in the meantime? I take jobs that call for more than one Fourth Realm disciple, and you can come along. That way, the assignment hall clerk won¡¯t be able to tell them you¡¯re involved until after the job¡¯s already done.¡±


    It was as good a plan as any, really. Better than anything He Yu had come up with on his own, that was certain. While Li Heng went into the assignment hall, He Yu stayed a fair distance away, just be sure. A short while later, Li Heng returned with a satisfied grin.


    ¡°It looks like Heaven has favored us,¡± he said. ¡°Bandits. Up north.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help but give a small laugh at that. ¡°Just like old times?¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like we¡¯ve been in the sect for a hundred years, talking like that. But yes, I thought it was an appropriate assignment. If only to mark how far we¡¯ve come.¡±


    They spent another half-hour gathering supplies before heading out. Nightfall was rapidly approaching, but they both agreed they¡¯d travel throughout. Now that they were both Golden Core, sleep meant little, and they wouldn¡¯t need to stop and cultivate for several days at least.


    Freely using their movement techniques, the ground flew by beneath them. He Yu soared across the fields and treetops, pulled along by the winds and the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Li Heng flashed across the ground, the White Hare Dance leaving patches of ice and frost to mark his passing.


    It took a little over a day to reach the area the assignment called for them to investigate. It was a fairly straightforward job¡ªfind a group of bandits that had been causing trouble in the area and deal with them. By now, He Yu knew exactly what that meant. At the moment, he didn¡¯t feel inclined to investigate the fact that he was perfectly comfortable with it. The memories of what he¡¯d seen the last time he¡¯d come this way bubbled to the surface, and the only emotion he felt was a cold desire for justice.


    They split up to better survey the area. Their quarry would have some sort of formation set up, if only to protect from beasts. Before long, a sharp whistle came from the direction that Li Heng had gone off in. When He Yu arrived, Li Heng merely pointed off to the northeast. A column of smoke rose from behind a cluster of low hills.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a campfire,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any villages or towns out this way, either. At least none that I know of.¡±


    Without any further discussion, they headed toward the smoke. They remained cautious as they approached, though. The amount of smoke suggested fires far beyond what they¡¯d expect from just a camp. Weapons fell into their awaiting hands, summoned from their storage treasures.


    They crested the lowest of the cluster of hills separating them from the smoke. In the small hollow below lay a camp, similar to the one King Hao had made¡ªor at least what remained of it. What had once been a cluster of makeshift huts was now little more than still-burning embers. Smoke choked the air. More than those huts could produce. Amidst the wreckage and the strewn-about bodies of bandits stood the reason for the carnage.


    Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu, relaxed and for all the world looking as though there were simply out for an afternoon walk, looked up to where He Yu and Li Heng stood atop their hill.


    ¡°For shame, Junior Brothers,¡± Wang Xiaobo said, each word dripping mockery. ¡°It was a clever idea to send Junior Brother Li to accept the job, but Xin Lu and I aren¡¯t so easily fooled.¡±


    Xin Lu inclined his head to Li Heng. ¡°Congratulations on finally reaching the Fourth Realm, Junior Brother Li.¡±


    ¡°So these are the two giving you trouble, I take it,¡± Li Heng said.


    He Yu simply nodded. He was too busy trying to figure out how they knew. While the clerk could have tipped them off, something in his intuition told him that wasn¡¯t the case. Previously, they¡¯d always done their damage and left before He Yu showed up. Even when he was alone, they¡¯d vanished well before he arrived. Now that Li Heng was Golden Core as well, he was probably even faster than He Yu was, especially over short distances.


    No, they¡¯d arrived late this time. It wasn¡¯t that He Yu and Li Heng were too fast. Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu hadn¡¯t realized they¡¯d needed to get here until it was almost too late.


    ¡°It looks like somebody¡¯s realized there¡¯s more to our appearance than it seems,¡± Wang Xiaobo said, his jian falling into his hand. ¡°It matters little if you figure out the truth or not. Either way, we¡¯re going to teach you a lesson for making our lives more difficult than they need to be. Now that we¡¯re not on sect grounds, we don¡¯t have to worry as much about appearances.¡±


    Wang Xiaobo¡¯s presence crashed over the area. Fully unleashed now, unlike when He Yu had first felt it several weeks prior. The strong metal aspect made him look almost like a statue, as his skin and hair seemed to gleam in the fading light. The sharpness of killing intent joined the sharpness inherent to the aspect of metal. He Yu¡¯s blood ran cold, and he had to force qi into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering in response.


    A sword hung over him, poised to strike. Its edges gleamed and held the keen promise of violence and death. This wasn¡¯t a foe to be taken lightly¡ªthe fact that he was late Fourth Realm was the least part of that. He Yu didn¡¯t know how old Wang Xiaobo was, but he could immediately tell that this was an opponent with years of experience the both he and Li Heng lacked.


    Then, Xin Lu¡¯s presence joined Wang Xiaobo. The fire and heaven cultivator loomed over He Yu. His double halberd took on a shimmering golden-red glow as it crackled with sparks and embers of heaven and fire alike. Heat rolled off him in waves, and arcs of lightning jumped between Xin Lu and the ground, leaving blackened spots on the earth. He was a figure of rage and violence. Although his presence was no less defined for it, he was the destructive elements of his aspects personified; no more, no less.


    Next to He Yu, the full moon shone down over a snowy field. The world around Li Heng went quiet as hoarfrost crept outward along the ground from him. Rime lined the hem and sleeves of his robe, and everything about him spoke of a silent stillness. Despite the inferno of Xin Lu only a few dozen feet away, the temperature around Li Heng plummeted. His steady, controlled breathing released puffs of steam every time he exhaled.


    He Yu supposed he was right. There was nothing for it. Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu weren¡¯t about to simply let them leave. He released his own presence. Winds picked up and swirled around him as a bank of dark clouds gathered at his back. Rain pattered against the ground, hissing as it landed on some of the closer embers. Lightning flashed among the clouds, accompanied by the encroaching drumbeat of thunder.


    A surge of qi burst out from Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu as they both activated movement techniques. A heartbeat later, the battle was joined.

 4.22 - To Stand and Fight

    Wang Xiaobo¡¯s jian slammed into the Spring Rain Mirror, crashing through it as if He Yu¡¯s defensive technique didn¡¯t exist. At least He Yu had the prescience of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, the agility of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, and the raw speed of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight.


    He yanked himself back on wings of wind, heaven qi crackling over his robe, along his skin, and down the length of his guandao. In an instant he was outside Wang Xiaobo¡¯s reach. In another instant, Wang Xiaobo had closed the gap again.


    A storm of metal, heavy with killing intent, rained down on He Yu. A thousand blades fell from every possible angle, each of them gleaming razor sharp. Heaven¡¯s fury answered, arcing from ground to sky to blade. Some blades shattered. Others were turned away by He Yu¡¯s desperate formations of the Spring Rain Mirror. More still missed him completely, as he used the full extent of his speed and agility to dodge what he could.


    The greatest number cut.


    They opened his flesh and spilled his blood. The most superficial of his wounds, he healed. Healing drained precious qi, but what else could he do? The moment Wang Xiaobo attacked, He Yu found himself on the back foot. Momentum was so critical in a fight, and Wang Xiaobo had it all.


    A short distance away, Li Heng fared little better. His ancestral jian gleamed with silver light as he beat back a series of powerful blows from Xin Lu¡¯s double halberd. Flames exploded from each impact, and thunder roared as heaven¡¯s light flashed. Li Heng appeared just out of Xin Lu¡¯s reach and released the light from his jian.


    A river of silver¡ªheavier than He Yu had ever felt from his friend and laden with killing intent¡ªsurged forward. Xin Lu met it with a one-handed thrust from his halberd. A vortex of flame warped the air around the weapon, and Li Heng¡¯s technique scattered into a spray of silver like a dusting of snow.


    Xin Lu leaped. Flames all but consuming him as he sailed across the distance separating him and Li Heng. Although Li Heng flashed away with the White Hare Dance once again, he got caught by the explosion of fire and lightning that followed. That single attack obliterated the portion of the hill they¡¯d been standing on. Before the debris had finished falling, Xin Lu blasted after Li Heng like a comet from the heavens.


    This was too much. Maybe if it had been He Yu and Li Heng against one of them, they might have been able to create an opportunity to escape. Perhaps they could have driven their opponent off, making the cost of victory greater than what they were willing to pay. Certainly not win¡ªit was only by heaven¡¯s fortune that things had worked out so well when He Yu and Tan Xiaoling had fought the mine overseer, a middle stage Golden Core. Against two late-stage Golden Cores at once? They had no chance.


    What other choice did they have, though? They couldn¡¯t run. If there had been a time for negotiation, that time had clearly passed. What else could they do but fight? If this was how his legend ended, then so be it. It would end with him on his feet, fighting until the last.


    The same rightness he¡¯d first felt during the tournament settled over him again. Yes, this was how he needed to move, to act. So what if it was overwhelming odds? So what if he saw no clear path to victory? A hero stood regardless, and a legend fought on. If he acted like he had back in those first days when he had cowered in fear of a foe stronger than himself, he would never become who he was meant to.


    His cultivation base surged through his meridians. With a formation of the Sweeping Wind, He Yu called on Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. He layered all of his killing intent into the technique, such as it was. He tapped what ease, what aid he could from his Wayborn Seed. The technique reached out, touched metal, and heaven fell upon the earth.


    The sky opened, and the storm spoke. It spoke of rage¡ªof the unfairness of using such greater strength to push around those who could do nothing but endure. It spoke of justice¡ªof the duty that the strong had to those of lesser advancement, to nurture and protect. It spoke of vengeance¡ªfor those wronged and oppressed.


    Metal screamed and shattered. The thousand shards once aimed at his heart turned away, obliterating the surrounding land. The winds howled; upon their wings, the fury of a storm. The deluge came, drowning the land. The storm broke and brought with it the wrath of heaven, a thunderous drum that brought punishment upon the unjust.


    He Yu looked into Wang Xiaobo¡¯s eyes and saw a glimmer of fear. ¡°I will make you claw every last drop of blood from my body before I fall, Wang Xiaobo. You may be stronger than I am. I¡¯m sure you will beat me, but I will not give you an easy victory.¡±


    Wang Xiaobo¡¯s features twisted into a snarl. ¡°I would expect no less of that bitch¡¯s disciple.¡±


    A renewed shriek of heaven and metal and water and wind marked a new exchange. Some distant tiny part of He Yu¡¯s mind not wholly focused on survival marveled at the fact he¡¯d lasted this long. He met Wang Xiaobo blow for blow, the clash of their weapons ringing out across the hills, the scent of lighting and steam and twisted, ruined metal hanging thick in the air.


    He Yu moved too late¡ªor perhaps in the wrong way. It didn¡¯t matter. A blade slid through the silk of his sleeve, opened his arm. He grimaced at the warm and wet flow of his blood. It would take more than he could spare to deal with a wound that deep, and he doubted Wang Xiaobo would be so kind as to allow him to take a restorative pill.


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    Less than a dozen feet away, Li Heng crashed to the ground. His presence caused the earth beneath him to freeze, and a blast of frigid air rushed out from the impact. Xin Lu rushed the fallen noble, his halberd held high, gathering another vortex of heaven and fire.


    He Yu moved without thinking. With qi surging in his meridians fueling both the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and the three pillars of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, he placed himself between Li Heng and Xin Lu. The Spring Rain Mirror flashed into place, and Xin Lu¡¯s halberd smashed through it. He¡¯d expected that¡ªalthough water overcame fire, Xin Lu was simply too far above him. But since he¡¯d expected it, he¡¯d also prepared for it.


    He caught Xin Lu¡¯s weapon with his own. He blasted the flames with a formation of the Bracing Wind. He used every ounce of his strength to turn the double halberd away. In the brief opening he created, with both the halberd and the guandao lodged in the dirt, He Yu lashed out with a kick sparking with heaven aimed at Xin Lu¡¯s midsection.


    The other cultivator grunted. The kick hadn¡¯t done much, but it had done exactly what it was supposed to. It had bought Li Heng a precious few heartbeats. With a burst of silver light and snow, Li Heng flashed behind Xin Lu. His jian vanished, the blade turning to little more than a few barely perceptible wisps of frozen mist.


    Five black scars opened on the world. The Darkmoon Strife had advanced along with its user, and these dark scars bit even deeper than they had before. A dusting of frost covered Li Heng¡¯s skin, glinting in the afternoon light. Tiny ice crystals dusted his robes. All around him hung the slow death of winter.


    For an instant, their eyes met. There passed between them an acknowledgment¡ªone that was devoid of pride or envy. Whatever else lay between them, they looked out for one another. For all the times Li Heng had come to his aid in those early days at the sect, He Yu would return that favor a thousand times and more.


    Xin Lu knocked He Yu back and spun on Li Heng. The five wounds on his back were dark with frostbite. Even his late Fourth Realm presence, with its heat and flame, had proved insufficient against the attack. He readied for a wide horizontal sweep with his halberd, gathering qi for a technique laden with killing intent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn your back on him!¡± came a shout from Wang Xiaobo.


    He Yu had already launched his own technique¡ªa combined assault with the Crashing Wind and Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. Opposite him, Li Heng barely matched Xin Lu¡¯s attacks. Although his dantian felt empty, and he had so little qi left to give, he would give it all for Li Heng, if that¡¯s what it took.


    When his overhand strike was still in mid swing, Wang Xiaobo slammed into him.


    The razor-cold steel of Wang Xiaobo¡¯s jian slid between He Yu¡¯s ribs, puncturing a lung. Pain exploded in his side. It seared through his nerves. He dropped to one knee, his guandao hitting the ground beside him with a clattering clang. A foot slammed into his face.


    From somewhere impossibly distant, Li Heng gave a wordless shout. Black crept in on the edges of He Yu¡¯s vision. He struggled to breathe as he desperately cycled qi to his injured lung. He groped around next to him for his guandao. A blade severed the tendons in his arm.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll get my satisfaction,¡± Wang Xiaobo said. Killing intent hung thick in the air.


    A muffled thud marked something heavy landing next to He Yu. It was Li Heng. Although he couldn¡¯t see well through the encroaching darkness and the pain, he didn¡¯t think Li Heng would be in much better shape than he was. He Yu tried once more to cycle his qi, to enforce his body, maybe even manage to get away with his movement technique.


    Wang Xiaobo kicked him in the ribs on his injured side. Bone shattered and shredded what was left of his lung. A gleaming blade pressed against his throat.


    ¡°Stop,¡± came the low, steady voice of Xin Lu.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Wang Xiaobo snapped. He hadn¡¯t removed the blade.


    ¡°If you kill him, how do you think the sect will respond? Killing a junior, and while he was on an assignment from the sect? They¡¯ll expel us and brand us outlaws. And what about Zhang Lifen? That would remove her fetters. She¡¯ll be expected to exact vengeance upon us for killing her disciple. Absent any protection from the sect, she will hunt us down. You know her as well as I, brother. Do you think for an instant she will let this stand?¡±


    ¡°I do know her,¡± Wang Xiaobo shot back. ¡°You expect me to believe she cares for one instant what happens to some baby Fourth Realm? Disciple or no?¡±


    ¡°Whether she cares what happens is irrelevant. She¡¯d be forced to act, if only to save face.¡±


    The blade was finally removed, but not before drawing a trickle of blood across his throat.


    ¡°What about the Li? We could kill him, and Zhang Lifen would have no cause to pursue us for it.¡±


    ¡°And the sect? Besides, you think Li Bao would stand by and allow the death of his son and heir to go unpunished? Do you think Li Renshu would remain in seclusion? Would you bet the life of your patriarch against the life of this whelp? The position of your clan?¡±


    Silence hung in the air as He Yu struggled to breathe. After an agonizing amount of time, Wang Xiaobo spoke again.


    ¡°Right as always, brother.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve sent our message,¡± Xin Lu said. ¡°They know where things stand. Let them recover or die as their strength permits. We can claim that we left them alive. Divinations will show the truth of it, and if they die after we leave, we can hardly be blamed. If they return? There¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t keep denying the both of them resources.¡±


    Wang Xiaobo laughed and spoke his agreement. Perhaps the worst part of it all was the way the two of them laughed and joked with one another as they left. They hadn¡¯t even bothered to claim tokens of victory. It was so abundantly clear¡ªnow that Wang Xiaobo¡¯s blood-lust had been mitigated, He Yu and Li Heng were simply beneath consideration. Beneath even looting for spoils. Beneath attention, beneath thought.


    He Yu didn¡¯t know how long he lay there, staring up at the darkening sky, struggling to breathe, and cycling what little qi he had left He Yu could do little more than listen for his friend. It took some time, but eventually, he heard Li Heng¡¯s faint breaths.


    Finally, he allowed his eyes to close. He was too drained at this point to move. Really, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to care anymore. Although he hadn¡¯t quite given as tough a fight to Wang Xiaobo as he would have liked¡ªhe hadn¡¯t backed down. If anything, the boy who¡¯d first come to the Shrouded Peaks Sect and spent months cowering in fear of a stronger foe was truly dead and buried.


    Li Heng was alive and, for the time being, so was he. That was good enough as far as He Yu was concerned. He didn¡¯t know for how long he lay there like that. Face to the sky, simply cycling what little he had left. At least a day, by his count. At least a day before a trio of familiar presences entered his spiritual perception.


    A shadow, a desert, and a mountain drew close. He Yu cracked open his eyes. Chen Fei knelt next to him. He didn¡¯t even bother when she pushed a restorative pill into his mouth. He simply bit down, and for the first time since the fight, felt a healthy surge of qi in his meridians.

 4.23 - Alignment of Fortune

    It didn¡¯t take long for the elixirs to do their work and allow both He Yu and Li Heng to stand on their own. Once they¡¯d recovered their weapons and brushed aside the remaining concerns of the others, He Yu turned to Chen Fei.


    ¡°How did you find us?¡± he asked. ¡°How did you even know we would need help?¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Yi told us. She was also the one who gave us the elixirs.¡±


    That would explain how he¡¯d been brought back from the edge with only a single elixir and barely an hour¡¯s worth of time for it to work. Although the wound in his side still pained him, and it would take more medicine and time for his ribs and lung to heal, he could head back to the sect at nearly full speed.


    The implications were a bit concerning, however. Yi Xiurong had not only known where Li Heng and He Yu were, but she¡¯d also known they would need healing. So she¡¯d also known they¡¯d been fighting, and were in awful shape, too. She¡¯d seen fit to send the others after them, but not to interfere. He supposed it shouldn¡¯t surprise him¡ªthe core disciple who¡¯d seen to his duel with Mo Zhiqiang had seen fit to allow for killing blows, despite her warning that killing one¡¯s opponent would earn a punishment. It seemed the core disciples wouldn¡¯t act on these sorts of things until after the fact.


    It made him recall the conversation between Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu before they¡¯d left. They seemed wholly unconcerned about what they¡¯d done. Only Xin Lu¡¯s mention that going further would be cause for retaliation stopped Wang Xiaobo. He Yu marked that well¡ªhe would do well to remember that when he finally settled things between himself and the two late Fourth Realms.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I want the answer,¡± Li Heng said, ¡°but I¡¯ll ask, anyway. What does she want us for?¡±


    He had a point. Yi Xiurong wouldn¡¯t have sent the others to fetch Li Heng and himself if she didn¡¯t have a reason to. And whatever it was, it clearly couldn¡¯t wait.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say,¡± answered Tan Xiaoling. Since she¡¯d arrived, she hadn¡¯t strayed more than a few finger-lengths from Li Heng¡¯s side.


    ¡°But she did say we needed to return with all haste,¡± Yan Shirong added. ¡°We left two days ago. No idea how long the two of you have been lying there, but we need to head back.¡±


    Neither He Yu nor Li Heng were going to protest. They¡¯d been sprawled out half dead for the past two days, at least, and both were eager to return. As the five of them headed out, Li Heng caught He Yu¡¯s attention. He gave He Yu a brief look and a nod¡ªit said all that needed to be said.


    It was thanks for the help, for taking the pressure off him when he was dealing with Xin Lu. It was a promise of the same. A promise that when the time came, he would stand by He Yu in confronting the two cultivators who¡¯d left them for dead. The return nod that He Yu gave him said all that Li Heng needed as well.


    When the five disciples arrived back at the sect, they made for Yi Xiurong¡¯s home without delay. Upon their arrival, Zhang Lifen was there, too. He Yu hadn¡¯t realized that she¡¯d returned.


    ¡°I take it the two of you are in decent enough health.¡± Yi Xiurong said. It wasn¡¯t really a question¡ªher inflection was that of a statement. It was the sort of severe frankness He Yu had honestly come to expect from her during Zhang Lifen¡¯s absence.


    ¡°We are,¡± Li Heng said, answering for them both.


    The First Disciple gave a curt nod. ¡°Good. After we finish here, both of you will report to the medicine hall. The sect will take care of any aid either of you still requires. The same goes for any equipment you have in need of repair.¡± She looked directly at He Yu¡¯s robe as she spoke. ¡°I require both of you in peak condition.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to share why we¡¯re all here?¡± Zhang Lifen asked. She sat in a nearby chair, adopting a very informal position and appearing as though she only half-cared why they¡¯d all gathered. Before her sat a single cup for tea. When Yi Xiurong turned to answer, the dislike between the two of them was practically a physical sensation in the air.


    ¡°With Sect Sister Zhang¡¯s return, we have gained valuable information regarding the Sunset Court,¡± Yi Xiurong said, very pointedly ignoring Zhang Lifen¡¯s comment. ¡°Also, we have finally managed to decipher the code in the ledger that Disciples He and Tan brought to us. We are now finally in a position to launch our offensive against the court.¡±


    The shift in mood was immediate. Tan Xiaoling shifted forward a bit. He Yu honestly wasn¡¯t surprised. She¡¯d been energized after their last outing, and clearly eager for more. Li Heng adopted that stoic mask he often wore when it came time to do anything he considered his duty. He seemed more comfortable with it than he had previously, however. Yan Shirong tried to appear casual, but his eyes lit up at the news. Surely he saw nothing but spirit stones and loot. Chen Fei had the most appropriate response, in He Yu¡¯s opinion. She looked concerned, but firm. The court was a dangerous enemy, and it would do them well to proceed with caution.


    ¡°As the only Fourth Realm disciples present, Disciples He, Tan, and Li will each be leading a strike team.¡±


    ¡°Pardon, Senior Sister, but what about the rest of the inner sect?¡± He Yu asked. He gave a bow and a salute when he caught Yi Xiurong¡¯s sharp gaze in response to his interruption.


    It was Zhang Lifen who answered, still acting as though this were a casual social visit. ¡°For reasons I¡¯m certain you¡¯re all aware, the five of you occupy a special place. You know of the empress and her court. Aside from the sect elders and the core disciples, only the most trusted and highly ranked inner disciples know as much as you all do.


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    ¡°This, of course, provides us with a unique opportunity. By using the Golden Core¡¯s among you, we can assemble teams to attack lower priority targets while the stronger disciples move against members of the court capable of putting up more of a fight than you all can deal with.¡±


    Before Zhang Lifen could go further, Yi Xiurong stepped between the five disciples and the lounging Fifth Realm cultivator. ¡°Do not think that your tasks are of lesser import. Every move we take against the court is critical in disrupting their hold on the west. The primary goal is to root them out of the surrounding territory as thoroughly as possible. With the information Sect Sister Zhang has brought us, and the decoded ledger, we have a real chance of achieving that for the first time.


    ¡°Second, our objective is to discern the whereabouts of the court¡¯s leader in this region. In their own ranking of authority, he holds the title of Emissary. His name is Kong Huizhong.¡±


    ¡°Make no mistake,¡± Zhang Lifen said, peeking around Yi Xiurong from where she sat. ¡°It will be difficult to track him. When I fought him, he was approaching the late Nascent Soul stage. He could easily have advanced since then. You should hope that you don¡¯t find him. If you do, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    Yi Xiurong shot another glare in Zhang Lifen¡¯s direction before continuing. ¡°Sect Sister Zhang is correct. Kong Huizhong is not someone to be taken lightly. Each team leader will be given a communication treasure. It is only to be used should you encounter the Emissary.¡±


    The First Disciple went on to describe Kong Huizhong. Most importantly, he cultivated fire and blood with a strong third aspect of metal, and his presence evoked a suit of armor, dripping molten metal and thick with a sheen of blood. At the merest hint of that combination of aspects at a level above their own, the team leaders were to activate the treasure. Core disciples would respond.


    From the way she spoke, He Yu got the impression that should the teams encounter this Kong Huizhong, they weren¡¯t expected to survive. Sure, Yi Xiurong had told them to run or hide or otherwise make themselves scarce, but the implication was clear. If any of them found the Emissary, their duty was to summon core disciples before he could fade into obscurity once more.


    Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling would each be leading a trio of Third Realm inner disciples. Their targets were a caravan and a storage depot, respectively. Zhang Lifen had been following Cui Bao around for the past months while he acted as a go-between for various holdouts of the court. Both these targets were locations she¡¯d found during that time.


    He Yu would move against an alchemy lab. Its location had been discovered from identifying the metal in the pill furnace they¡¯d found, and from decoding the contents of the overseer¡¯s ledger. The spirit stone mine had been sending a portion of its output there to be used in creating elixirs for the court. It was, apparently, one of the principal sources of the advancement elixirs the court used to entice new members. When Yi Xiurong assigned Chen Fei and Yan Shirong to He Yu¡¯s team, Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes lit up. They would be accompanied by a third disciple as well.


    ¡°Keep any mentions of the court to yourselves among those who are ignorant of it,¡± Yi Xiurong admonished. ¡°The sect moves against rogue cultivators often enough that anyone who¡¯s been in an inner disciple long enough won¡¯t question why we¡¯re sending out teams like this. You¡¯ll be meeting with your teams and departing at first light tomorrow.¡±


    Taking the dismissal for what it was, the five inner disciples made their way back to the inner sect. They¡¯d barely gotten a hundred feet down the path when the whisper of water qi caused He Yu to turn. Zhang Lifen motioned to a nearby garden with her chin, and He Yu joined her.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± she said. For a moment, He Yu searched the swirling cerulean of her eyes. She was sincere, that much was clear, given the seriousness of her tone. He just wanted to make sure she was talking about what he thought she was.


    ¡°What did you do to them?¡± he asked after a minute of silence that stretched for longer than he was comfortable with.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± she asked. When He Yu said that it did, she shrugged. ¡°I humiliated them. Repeatedly and often. In front of their peers. In front of their betters. Every time I beat either or both of them, I took them for all they were worth.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked. On some level, he¡¯d know that Zhang Lifen had a ruthless streak to her. Nobody got to where she was without one, after all.


    ¡°The Wang are a ducal clan. Their seat of power is far in the east in one of the core imperial territories. Wang Xiaobo himself has half a dozen or so older siblings, which is why he¡¯s all the way out here. Despite being fairly low in the pecking order of his family¡¯s main branch, he still has the self-importance of a powerful noble. He thought that because I was a commoner¡ªa merchant¡¯s daughter, no less¡ªthat he could push me around.¡±


    Arching an eyebrow, He Yu asked an unspoken question.


    Zhang Lifen shrugged. ¡°I proved him wrong.¡±


    ¡°And Xin Lu?¡±


    ¡°Son of a vassal clan to the Wang. They¡¯re sworn brothers, so by making an enemy of Wang Xiaobo, I made one of Xin Lu.¡±


    ¡°So this is all because some noble decided you¡¯d make an easy target.¡±


    ¡°More or less,¡± she said, a bit of her normal lightness returning to her tone. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve learned well enough what it means to let others think you weak.¡±


    He did. ¡°Will they come after me again?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Almost certainly,¡± she admitted. She stood opposite him in the garden, hands folded in the sleeves of her gown, its hem drifting in unseen currents. ¡°But after this move against the court, I think you¡¯ll be in a better position to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°You have more faith than I do.¡±


    She turned fully serious then. ¡°You don¡¯t give yourself enough credit. The fact you survived against the two of them is a marvel itself.¡±


    ¡°I had Li Heng with me,¡± he said, feeling a little self conscious.


    For a moment she simply looked at him, as though she were searching for something, her head tilted slightly to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t think you truly understand your position,¡± she said after a time. ¡°You are the youngest Golden Core in generations. Younger than even I was. Li Heng, too. The two of you are turning into absolute monsters before my very eyes. Sure, you lost. That much is obvious.¡± She motioned toward his torn robe and the still-healing injuries on his arm and torso. ¡°But you put up a fight. Neither of you should have lasted more than a few moments against those two.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gotten here without help,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t. Nor would you have gotten to where you are without monstrous drive and incomparable talent. You¡¯ve said yourself that you want to become a legend, didn¡¯t you? Well, that is exactly what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I still have a long way to go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± she said. ¡°And the next step on that journey begins tomorrow. Make use of Yi Xiurong¡¯s opening of the medicine hall for you. It¡¯s not every day you get the sort of treatment she¡¯s providing for free, you know.¡±


    He Yu saluted his master and made to leave.


    ¡°Oh, and one last thing,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°The court isn¡¯t worthy of your mercy.¡±


    Although he gave her an affirmative nod as she turned to go, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the hardness in her words.

 4.24 - Against the Court II

    He Yu¡¯s trip to the medicine hall was his shortest yet. The treatment that Yi Xiurong had arranged for him was some of the sect¡¯s finest. It took every last bit of his control to cycle the restorative elixirs and avoid a backlash, but it did its job. After only an hour, he was in peak condition again.


    The crafting disciples that took his weapon and robe were similarly advanced. All the necessary repairs and reinforcements were completed by the time he left the medicine hall, leaving him with the entire night to cultivate before leaving at dawn. He didn¡¯t think about how much this would have cost if he¡¯d had to pay for it himself. He simply accepted that it would have been too much.


    At first light, he gathered what meager supplies he had left after nearly a year of being starved of resources by Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu, and headed to the sect¡¯s main gate. By now he¡¯d gotten used to the murmurs that followed him when he passed through the outer sect, and had¡ªmuch to his chagrin¡ªsimply taken to ignoring the lower realm disciples. What else could he do, really? If he stopped and acknowledged them all, he¡¯d be here all day.


    Arriving at the meeting spot, he caught sight of Chen Fei and Yan Shirong easily enough. Chen Fei stood out in her leathers and fur, and Yan Shirong seemed to blend in to the background more than he ever had, with his plum and sable robes. The Third Realm disciple with them wasn¡¯t one He Yu recognized, and he didn¡¯t seem particularly impressed with either Chen Fei or Yan Shirong. He did, however, practically fall over himself when He Yu arrived.


    ¡°Senior Brother He,¡± the disciple said over a fist pressed into his palm. ¡°This one is called Zhu Feng. While I may only be at the peak of Body Refining, and a poor combatant, I am considered one of the most promising alchemists among the inner sect¡¯s Third Realm disciples. I was instructed to accompany you and provide my expertise for whatever purposes you require.¡±


    After returning the salute, He Yu said, ¡°I¡¯m glad to have you along. Call me He Yu. We¡¯ll be traveling together for some time, and all this ¡®Senior Brother¡¯ stuff isn¡¯t something I really need.¡±


    ¡°Looks like Zhang Lifen is rubbing off on you,¡± Yan Shirong said, detaching himself from an unnaturally deep pocket of shadows. ¡°Shall we be off? Senior Sister Yi gave me instructions to find the alchemy workshop, so I can serve as a guide.¡±


    He Yu gave Yan Shirong his assent, and they were off. As they made their way down the slopes of the outer sect mountain to the foothills and plains below, He Yu dropped back so he could speak to Chen Fei in relative privacy.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about the others,¡± he said, once they¡¯d fallen just far enough back that he was confident Zhu Feng wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him. Yan Shirong would eavesdrop, given what He Yu knew of his Wayborn Seed, but he was fine with that.


    She shot a slightly concerned glance in his direction. ¡°Worried how?¡±


    ¡°Zhu Feng doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s getting into. Yan Shirong, well you know how he is. Fixed on the potential wealth. You, at least, have enough sense to recognize that we¡¯re heading into probably the most dangerous situation we¡¯ve ever been in.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about how I¡¯ll react,¡± she began, a slight crease appearing between her brows.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, cutting her off. ¡°I saw how you reacted when Yi Xiurong told us we were making a big move against the court. You saw what Sha Xiang was like in the tournament. Aside from that, nobody except Tan Xiaoling and I have any real idea of what the members of the court are like. The overseer at the mines was a tough opponent. I¡¯ve felt this Kong Huizhong¡¯s presence myself.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± she said.


    ¡°Zhang Lifen pulled me aside after the meeting last night. She said the court isn¡¯t worthy of mercy.¡±


    ¡°What do you think we¡¯ll find?¡± Chen Fei asked, picking up on the implication.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m trying to say. I guess, just be careful.¡±


    ¡°You too, He Yu.¡±


    ¡°Just Yu,¡± he said. ¡°At least when it¡¯s us.¡±


    ¡°Just Fei. At least when it¡¯s us.¡± She gave him a smile at that. Somehow it made him feel a bit better about heading into whatever it was they were heading into.


    They moved as quickly as they could. Zhu Feng was the slowest among them. Not only was his movement technique a relatively poor one, but he also had the even lower endurance than Yan Shirong. His presence was barely formed, giving really only wisps of wind and metal. He did, however, come with a massive stock of pills and elixirs, most of his own making. Each was of incredibly high quality, especially given their creator was still of the Third Realm.


    As they traveled, He Yu did his best to step into his role as the group¡¯s leader. Neither Chen Fei nor Yan Shirong would begrudge him that¡ªboth of them cared little for authority for each their own reasons. Chen Fei, despite the confidence she¡¯d gained since joining the inner sect, simply didn¡¯t consider herself fit for the role. Yan Shirong preferred to stay in the background as it was a position more suitably aligned with his Way.


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    Zhu Feng, of course, wouldn¡¯t dare try and question He Yu¡¯s authority. He was still at late Body Refining, and He Yu was approaching middle Golden Core. The sect¡¯s First Disciple herself, the highest ranked member of the sect other than the elders, had placed He Yu in charge of the group. To defy He Yu¡¯s leadership would be to defy Yi Xiurong. Then there was the matter of inner sect rank. He Yu had scraped himself into the low five hundreds over the past year. He didn¡¯t know what Zhu Feng¡¯s rank was, but it couldn¡¯t be higher than six hundred.


    Doing his best to do the sort of thing he thought a leader was supposed to, he quickly set about to delegating various tasks. Yan Shirong acted as a sort of outrider, scouting ahead of their group with both his perception technique and his constructs. Chen Fei was their camp master, keeping an eye out for signs of beasts and suitable resting places. It was a task she that suited her well, given her vastly superior experience with wilderness living compared to the rest of them. Zhu Feng was their acting quartermaster. He Yu placed him in charge of their provisions, so they could make the best use of any beasts they encountered and felled on the way, or any particularly potent herbs they ran across.


    For this, Zhu Feng was suitably amazed. He Yu and Chen Fei were already in the habit of hunting when they were away from the sect, so every time they stopped¡ªmostly so Zhu Feng could cultivate¡ªHe Yu and Chen Fei roamed the surrounding area. They¡¯d bring back Third Realm beasts, with the occasional weaker Fourth Realm, should they happen across one. It was immediately clear that Zhu Feng rarely had access to such high quality ingredients with such regularity, but he took to them with suitable enthusiasm.


    It was strange, He Yu thought one night as Zhu Feng gushed over a potent Third Realm deer that He Yu and Chen Fei had returned with. Access to resources was so critical. So many little opportunities had allowed He Yu to advance as quickly as he had. The time traveling to hunt King Hao, then feasting on the fish Old Guo had caught. Cultivating in the forgotten temple to the Thunder God. Even the elixirs Zhang Lifen had given him when he¡¯d entered the inner sect.


    It made perfect sense why Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu, lacking the ability to attack him directly because of the difference in rank, had sought to deprive him of resources. Should they starve him sufficiently, they could ensure that he¡¯d remain at low Golden Core, possibly forever. At least they could make it difficult to advance.


    He was close¡ªhe could feel it in his dantian. His Golden Core. The pressure was growing, and it would only take a few more pushes to finally reach the middle stage. Should fortune favor him, whatever bounty he gained from this mission would push him into the next stage.


    For the next few weeks, they ventured mostly north. Had it not been for Zhu Feng slowing them down, they¡¯d have arrived sooner, but He Yu wasn¡¯t going to complain. Zhu Feng had earned his place just with his ability to make better use of the beasts they hunted on the trip. He also proved an excellent cook¡ªsomething none of the others were very skilled at, despite being of acceptable ability.


    As they finally drew near the alchemy workshop, He Yu gathered them together. The workshop itself nestled in a hollow at the base of a cliff. The surrounding area was thick with plant life, and dense with natural qi. Cedar and pine were thickest, shielding the workshop from view unless the viewer was atop one of the few small hills nearby, like He Yu and the others were. The limestone cliffs that rose above the workshop itself had spotty patches of green clinging to them wherever life could find purchase. A small plot sat next to the workshop, and patches of herbs grew within.


    The workshop itself was a small, single-story building. Its construction was sturdy for being this far away from any villages, and it looked roughly the size of the home that He Yu had shared with Li Heng in his first days at the sect. Not overly large, but spacious enough for one or two alchemists to do their work.


    Standing in front of the three others, he found himself momentarily at a loss for words as they looked at him expectantly. He wasn¡¯t going to deliver a speech, but he felt he needed to at least say something.


    ¡°Remember,¡± he began. ¡°We¡¯re here to gather information first. The workshop itself should be where we find the bulk of it. Should any fighting break out, avoid damaging the workshop until we¡¯ve at least gathered what we can from inside.


    ¡°Any loot from the workshop itself should be accounted for and pooled, so we can distribute it fairly. Once we¡¯ve taken everything of value, we burn it to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Senior¡ªer, He Yu. A question if I may,¡± Zhu Feng asked. ¡°What exactly is the nature of this workshop? All I know is that it belongs to a group of rogue cultivators.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about all there is,¡± He Yu answered before he gave himself too much time to debate the merits of lying. He was under firm instruction from Yi Xiurong to keep the information about the Sunset Court close to his chest, after all. ¡°They¡¯ve been operating outside the laws of the empire and without the permission of the sect. If Senior Sister Yi deems them worthy of destruction, it is not my place to question her.¡±


    He felt that was close enough to the truth. A lie of omission was still a lie in his eyes, but a far less serious one than a deliberate falsehood.


    Fortunately, the answer seemed to satisfy Zhu Feng, who simply gave a salute in response.


    ¡°Yan Shirong, you will keep a watch for any surprises and you¡¯ll also scout out the workshop itself before we move in. Chen Fei, you¡¯ll deal with any formations we find. You¡¯ll also be responsible for keeping Zhu Feng safe, as he¡¯s the least combat oriented of us all. Zhu Feng, you¡¯ll identify and take an inventory of any reagents, medicines, or elixirs we find. Keep your presences restrained. There¡¯s no purpose in alerting anyone who might be around if we don¡¯t have to.¡±


    They all saluted, and Yan Shirong sent in his construct. As he got that blank, faraway look that came over him when he was seeing through the eyes of his puppets, Chen Fei gave He Yu a pat on the shoulder and an encouraging smile.


    ¡°Was it that obvious?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. You did great,¡± she said.


    Before He Yu could respond, Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes snapped back to focus. ¡°Bastards,¡± he practically spat.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He Yu asked, pushing down the spike of worry at Yan Shirong¡¯s reaction. Zhang Lifen¡¯s comment that the court wasn¡¯t worth his mercy echoed in his ears.


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s there. At least not that I can find. It¡¯s better if you see for yourself.¡±


    He didn¡¯t like Yan Shirong¡¯s answer, but he was going to take him at his word. ¡°Yan Shirong, watch out for anyone approaching. The rest of you, keep behind me,¡± he said as he headed to the workshop.


    As they drew near, the first thing He Yu noticed was the smell. Blood, decay, and one more that he¡¯d sworn he would never forget¡ªburning flesh.


    He exchanged a glance with Chen Fei. Her features were set; it seemed she knew the smell, too. As they took another step forward, He Yu summoned his guandao, its weight lending him comfort as it fell into his hands.

 4.25 - Alchemy Workshop

    He Yu kicked open the door of the workshop. It splintered into a hundred pieces. Dust and splintered wood showered what little free space lay within. Before him was a sight that turned his stomach. Behind him, Chen Fei gasped and Zhu Feng retched.


    Bodies were piled against two of the workshop¡¯s inner walls. They lay in various stages of mutilation and decay. Some appeared to have been chopped up and butchered¡ªorgans, sinew, and bone pulled out and stacked against the third wall. Others had been flayed, skin stripped and peeled away to reveal red exposed muscle. Others still looked as though they¡¯d simply been left to decompose, or had been partially burned. All of it, for whatever purpose this place served.


    ¡°An alarm formation triggered,¡± Chen Fei said from behind him.


    It must have happened when he kicked open the door. Before the boiling blood that rose at the sight before him, He Yu found it difficult to care about an alarm.


    ¡°Let them come,¡± he said. He was being careless, he knew. ¡°Zhu Feng, get in there and try and figure out what¡¯s going on. Anything, notes, elixirs, strange treasures¡ªI don¡¯t care what it is. Figure out what they¡¯re doing here.¡±


    Zhu Feng swallowed, and gave He Yu a salute. The Third Realm alchemist looked as though he was about to be sick again, but he shuffled inside the workshop, regardless.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chen Fei asked, her voice a harsh whisper. ¡°There has to be someone coming.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just make sure that either we¡¯re gone before they arrive, or we can deal with them when they do.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s that Emissary Senior Sister Yi warned us about?¡±


    For the first time since Chen Fei told him about the alarm, it fully settled over him just how reckless he was being. He looked around and caught sight of a bird fashioned of bone and animated by shadow.


    Speaking directly to the construct, He Yu said, ¡°Chen Fei said an alarm was triggered when we entered the workshop. Keep an eye out and make sure you warn us of anyone who approaches.¡±


    After a moment, the bird¡¯s head bobbed in what He Yu assumed was an approximation of a nod.


    ¡°He Yu, this¡ªI have no idea what this thing is,¡± came Zhu Feng¡¯s voice from inside.


    When it became apparent that he¡¯d need to go in, He Yu finally entered the workshop fully. The stench inside was even worse than it was outside. The sick-sweet smell of burnt flesh and the overwhelming stench of rot mingled together. Blood and vital essence assaulted his spiritual senses. The very life force of those people had been harvested in here. Once more, rage threatened to boil out of control at the sight.


    Then he saw what Zhu Feng wanted to show him. Sitting atop a worn, blood stained table was a box carved with formation characters. The lid was open, and in the silk-lined interior sat something similar in appearance to the core of a spirit or a beast. Unlike spirits and beasts, it wasn¡¯t the smooth shiny sphere of condensed qi that held their cultivation base. It was dark and dull. It seemed to drink in the light rather than reflect it. From deep within, He Yu could sense a hunger¡ªa want.


    Although certain he knew what it was, he activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment.


    The demon core reacted instantly. Sinuous tendrils of twisting black and red reached for him. Then they recoiled as they touched upon the outer edge of his still tightly restrained presence. The feeling of want he¡¯d felt from the core¡ªa faint shadow of the overwhelming and endless desire to possess¡ªturned to rage. To rage, and to fear.


    The core screamed. Zhu Feng and Chen Fei both clapped their hands over their ears at the core¡¯s reaction. It wanted to fight and to flee both at once. Deep anger that had smoldered for a thousand years demanded it destroy this presence that it had mistaken for someone far older and far more powerful than He Yu.


    But the core knew it was powerless. Without a host, it could do nothing. It was at the mercy of this bearer of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. This steward of the one power that had defied the demon core¡¯s true master and had survived. The core hated He Yu¡ªand He Yu felt a discomforting mix of pity and contempt in return.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Zhu Feng stammered.


    He Yu slammed the lid of the formation box shut, blotting out the core¡¯s pitiful and enraged screams. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He banished the box into his storage treasure. If there was one thing in this place he was certain Yi Xiurong would want, it was the demon core. Before Zhu Feng could ask any further questions, he asked, ¡°What else have you found?¡±


    Not much, it turned out. Some elixirs, most were similar to those they¡¯d found on the overseer at the mine. Closer to poisons than medicine. Likely creations of the overseer himself, or someone like him. To one side of the table sat a pile of bamboo scrolls that, upon brief inspection, contained notes on the demon core. He Yu tucked these away in his storage treasure as well.


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    A chest containing dried herbs and some other miscellaneous raw material for alchemy nestled in a corner between the table and the wall. He Yu let Zhu Feng deal with that. Upon the table itself was also a full set-up for alchemical work. As Zhu Feng was breaking down the apparatus and packing it into his storage treasure, Yan Shirong burst through the door.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming. Fire aspect is the strongest.¡±


    He Yu exchanged a look with Chen Fei before reaching out as far as he could with the Peerless Judgment. Without releasing his presence, there was only so much he could do to examine the surroundings. When he failed to detect anyone coming, he asked, ¡°How strong?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get a good sense, as they¡¯re keeping themselves as unobtrusive as possible, but I¡¯d guess no higher than somewhere in the Fourth Realm. The only high-level cultivator that I¡¯ve met able to make themselves so unobtrusive is Senior Sister Zhang.¡±


    He Yu to relaxed, if only fractionally. Water was a particularly ¡°quiet¡± aspect, and those who cultivated it had an easier time masking their presence. Fire was the opposite. That he couldn¡¯t yet sense their approach was a small stroke of fortune.


    ¡°Others?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s at least five of them,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    That wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d wanted to hear. ¡°Keep watch and let us know when they get close. Chen Fei, outside with me. If a fight breaks out, keep Zhu Feng safe. Zhu Feng, pack up anything you can and let me know when you¡¯re done. If we can get out of here before a fight starts, all the better.¡±


    Zhu Feng responded by redoubling his efforts to break down the alchemy workshop. Yan Shirong faded to shadow, and Chen Fei fell in behind He Yu as they left the workshop. He pushed aside the slight twinge of discomfort at how easily he¡¯d stepped into authority. Although he¡¯d spent plenty of time thinking about that conversation with Tan Xiaoling on their way back from the mine, he also remembered their time in the wilds.


    That deep-seated desire to lead¡ªthat had gone unnoticed for so long¡ªhad been turned against him. It had made him vulnerable to the Sunset Empress¡¯s influence. That feeling of wanting subjects and adoration had been so strong, so real. He¡¯d not really spoken to anyone about it, and it had lingered in his spirit as a black spot¡ªa vulnerability that someone far stronger than he was could exploit.


    But Yi Xiurong had explicitly put him in charge. He was, after all, the highest ranked disciple present. And the most advanced. Zhu Feng had deferred to him as a matter of course. That was simply how authority worked in the sect. It didn¡¯t matter; he told himself. He could worry about it later. Regardless of how he felt about it, the others were clearly looking to him now, and he needed to step into that role, whether he liked it or not.


    One of Yan Shirong¡¯s constructs sat on the eaves of the workshop. ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± he said through the bird.


    He Yu summoned his guandao and cycled his cultivation base. His presence slipped out a bit as a result, but it seemed violence was unavoidable. Next to him, a circle of formation characters faintly glimmered around Chen Fei¡¯s wrists.


    When Cui Bao burst from the undergrowth with another four cultivators in tow, He Yu locked eyes with his former sect brother.


    ¡°Figures,¡± Cui Bao said, spitting on the ground between them. His twinned hatchets fell into his hands.


    ¡°What do you know about this place?¡± He Yu demanded. His anger at what he¡¯d seen inside the workshop hadn¡¯t yet faded, and it was clear the court had been doing something with those bodies. Zhang Lifen¡¯s words about mercy echoed in his memory.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Then Cui Bao barked a sharp laugh. ¡°Oh that? I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised you¡¯d get all twisted up about a bunch of mortals.¡±


    He Yu fully released his presence. The storm broke over the hollow the workshop was nestled in. Winds whipped at all their robes and howled as it rushed through the trees and the ruined door of the workshop. The air grew heavy and wet as He Yu¡¯s spirit pressed down on all those gathered. Lightning crawled along his guandao, held in one hand with the end planted in the ground.


    Cui Bao answered in kind. Flames licked at his hatchets, and his grin took on the appearance of a snarl. A leopard with crimson fur padded around the space between them, its eyes two burning embers, and flames licking its footsteps. Its teeth and claws gleamed with killing intent. As Yan Shirong had guessed, Cui Bao had taken his first steps into the Fourth Realm.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been standing still,¡± Cui Bao said, taking a step forward.


    Although his presence had grown stronger with his advancement, it still wasn¡¯t as well-defined as even Chen Fei¡¯s or Yan Shirong¡¯s. Which He Yu took to mean he¡¯d not yet formed a Wayborn Seed. A glimpse at Cui Bao¡¯s spirit with the Peerless Judgment showed him a cultivation base that was poorly established¡ªlikely propped up by elixirs, if his association with the Sunset Court was any indication.


    ¡°False dragon,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°True enough to take your head. I still owe you for what you did to me, and to Xiang.¡±


    The four cultivators with Cui Bao all released their own presences. They cultivated a mix of aspects, and their combined spirits were an ill-defined riot of sensations. Noticeably absent from any of them was the distinct sense of wrongness that He Yu had always felt from Sha Xiang. None of them had demon cores of their own. They were also all at late Body Refining.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Cui Bao,¡± he said to Chen Fei. ¡°Just stay out of our way. You should be able to deal with the rest.¡±


    He hoped she would pick up on his meaning. Although he¡¯d spent more time training with Yan Shirong than she had, over the past year, all of them had been training together under both Zhang Lifen and Yi Xiurong¡¯s direction. Yan Shirong would, as was his preference, strike from the shadows, making himself hard to pin down.


    He Yu knew just how durable Chen Fei was, and he also knew how capable a fighter Yan Shirong was despite his protests to the contrary. These four may be at the same stage as both Chen Fei and Yan Shirong, but He Yu would put every last spirit stone on his friends every single time. His only real concern was Zhu Feng, but Chen Fei knew what to do about him. He Yu would just have to trust in her abilities there.


    Out of them all, he was the only one capable of dealing with Cui Bao¡ªand he couldn¡¯t afford to let himself be distracted.


    ¡°I¡¯d been hoping you would say something like that,¡± Cui Bao said, hopping from one foot to another.


    He Yu activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. ¡°You overestimate yourself,¡± he said as lightning arced from his guandao to his arm, and sparks of heaven crawled over his body. ¡°You think your stage of advancement is the only thing that matters?¡±


    ¡°Strength is the only thing that matters,¡± Cui Bao snapped back. Embers burst from the blades of his hatchets. The heat lapping off him in waves redoubled as he activated some body enforcement technique.


    A leopard threw itself into the storm. The sky broke, and heaven touched the earth.

 4.26 - A Leopard in the Storm

    Chen Fei had always known He Yu was strong. Stronger than he gave himself credit for. She¡¯d seen him fight Xiaoling during the tournament. She¡¯d seen him train with Zhang Lifen, with Xiaoling, and more recently, with Li Heng.


    This was different. Each of his blows was heavy with the fury of his spirit and his killing intent in a way they¡¯d never been in training. Sure, Senior Sister Zhang had implored them all to train at full strength, and He Yu always had. But there was some quality to him now that had never been present then.


    The moment He Yu and Cui Bao met each other in combat, the four Third Realms rushed forward. Chen Fei summoned the Titan Panoply, the third stage of the White Mountain Body Art. Her spirit rose to the heavens and reached deep into the earth. From within the effects of her presence, she felt like she was looking down on the world from an impossibly tall peak¡ªcapped in snow and thrumming with the eternal power of an immovable mountain.


    She drew strength and vitality from the earth. Metal flowed through her meridians, and her skin became harder than stone or steel. The suit of spiritual armor formed around her, encasing and protecting her. She became the mountain¡ªthe perfect alignment and combination of earth and metal.


    The first of Cui Bao¡¯s followers reached her. He carried a pair of butterfly swords, and moved with respectable speed. People always thought she¡¯d be slower than she really was.


    She drew back a fist and cycled qi into the Eternal Mountain Root. The instant she connected with his chest, she activated her family art, the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols. A single formation character imprinted itself upon the world, and the Third Realm blasted backwards and away from her. She grimaced and mentally apologized to him. Then she reminded herself that nobody had told them to attack her. It wasn¡¯t her fault¡ªthey could have sat this out if they¡¯d really wanted to.


    The rightness of her assessment settled over her, as her thoughts and her actions resonated with her Wayborn Seed. They had been the ones to attack, and He Yu had told her to look out for Zhu Feng. If she needed to stand between these four and the alchemist, then that was what she would do.


    The second reached her, carrying a large, iron banded club. She took a hit on one of her formation barriers and ducked inside his guard. Once more she drew from the earth. A dull golden shimmer of mountain qi gathered around her fist, warping the very air. An uppercut sent the Third Realm stumbling backwards.


    The first of the Third Realms that she¡¯d hit was back on his feet. Just as he rushed forward a second time, dozens of black tendrils of shadow burst from the nearby undergrowth and pulled him into an ever-expanding mass of darkness. She allowed herself to relax a bit at that¡ªalthough she was mostly confident she¡¯d be able to endure all of Cui Bao¡¯s followers, she¡¯d hoped that she wouldn¡¯t have to. It was still hard for her to hurt people, after all.


    At least that¡¯s what she told herself as one of their jaws shattered beneath her fist.


    * * *


    Zhu Feng wasn¡¯t suited for combat. He shot another worried glance up from the table and out the ruined workshop door. If he¡¯d needed any reminder of why that was the case, it was clashing of the Fourth Realm presences just outside. Oh, sure. He was late Body Refining, and all his mentors and seniors assured him it was only a matter of time before he reached Golden Core. He desperately wished that he¡¯d pushed himself harder and had reached it already.


    Not that he could participate in that, however. No, he simply wished he was at Golden Core so that it didn¡¯t take cycling every last drop of qi into his presence to remain on his feet in the face of their clash.


    He¡¯d known He Yu wasn¡¯t normal. He¡¯d seen what that kid had done while he was still at Body Refining to the arena in the final round against the Jade Princess. The mere thought that only two years later he was¡ªby all accounts¡ªearly Golden Core was absurd. Zhu Feng had known plenty of Golden Cores over the years. That fire cultivator, that was what a Golden Core was supposed to feel like.


    If Zhu Feng hadn¡¯t known better, he¡¯d have assumed He Yu was middle stage, at least. He knew better, of course, but he was having a hard time believing it. He was also having a hard time believing that He Yu, practically a child still, was this strong already. Zhu Feng was a good fifteen years older than him. Maybe if he were a bit more normal, it would have been easier to take.


    Stuffing the last of whatever he thought might be of value from this slaughterhouse masquerading as a workshop into his storage treasure, Zhu Feng shot another glance outside. If he hadn¡¯t witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have believed it to be true.


    That guandao of his slammed down upon the earth. Wind blasted away from the impact. It left a crater a good six feet across. It kicked up a cloud of dirt and sent chunks of rock flying. A stroke of lightning reached down from the heavens themselves to leave a black scar at the crater¡¯s center. Before the aftermath of that impact had faded, He Yu was already advancing on the fire cultivator with a series of looping sweeps.


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    Every single one of those sweeps churned with the power of a howling gale, and sent crescent shaped blades formed of crackling heaven qi arcing forward. The fire cultivator was on the back foot. He put up a good fight, but it was clear to Zhu Feng that this fight was over in practice. Golden Cores could go for days, even when this mismatched, but it was obvious who the stronger party was.


    Even Sect Sister Chen, still at peak Body Refining, was engaged in a horrifically one-sided fight against two cultivators at her own stage. And of course she was winning. Sect Brother Yan was off somewhere in the undergrowth, from the feel of his spirit. Presumably dealing with the other two. Quite the achievement for a Yan, all things considered.


    Zhu Feng shook his head as he scurried away. Maybe in another decade, with enough elixirs, with enough medicines, and a whole heaping of good fortune, he¡¯d make Golden Core. Even then, he¡¯d never be the monster these three were.


    * * *


    Yan Shirong faded back from the Third Realm with the butterfly swords. One of his throwing daggers cut a silver line through the darkness that enveloped them both, knocking the sword off its target. Shadows billowed up around him, and the world outside became ephemeral, like so much smoke.


    He allowed himself a small smile at that¡ªhe was so close to unlocking the full potential of his movement technique, the Darkwalker Shroud. Once he reached Golden Core, he¡¯d be able to step through shadows in truth, becoming wholly insubstantial for the duration of his movement.


    The partial use was, for now, good enough. He emerged from the billowing cloak of his presence and sniffed as he pointed two dozen throwing daggers at his opponent¡¯s back. ¡°Trash,¡± he scoffed as he released them all with a flex of his qi. Sure, the other cultivator was Third Realm, and he blocked a few. But since his training first with Zhang Lifen and more recently Yi Xiurong, there weren¡¯t many Body Refining opponents who could stand against him any longer. That didn¡¯t account for the qi-disrupting poison he¡¯d taken to coating his daggers with, either.


    Then there was his presence. A thousand eyes peered out from the darkness all around him. He perceived. Nothing escaped his sight. Of course, he had to shut out the duel between He Yu and Cui Bao. He knew how that would turn out, and the riot of their clashing spirits would only distract him.


    Shadows curled around his limbs, and yanked him to the side as the Third Realm in front of him launched into another assault. Yan Shirong tossed another couple dozen daggers at him, then turned his attention to the one with the bow. He plucked the arrow from the string using another twisting limb of shadow. Then blasted him with a spray from the Myriad Black Thorns. Dozens of tiny darts of sharpened shadow pelted the archer. Yan Shirong faded back into the darkness before either of his opponents could get their bearings.


    He allowed himself a moment to marvel. It was so easy, now that he¡¯d a Wayborn Seed of his own. The vague impression of eyes that he¡¯d always known were there, lurking within the depths of his presence, had given him something akin to sight before. But now? With such a connection to his Way, they gave him so much more. He had an awareness of everything within the effects of his spirit. As shadows billowed around him, cloaking and hiding him from his foes, he watched.


    The archer drew back his string. With the Umbral Puppetmaster, Yan Shirong bound the archer¡¯s limbs. Another barrage of daggers peppered his body. The one with the swords lunged at him, but Yan Shirong had seen it coming. He faded back into the darkness and sent a spray of shadowy thorns at his opponent with a flick of his wrist.


    It was almost too easy. Although he may not have the raw offensive power of Chen Fei, let alone He Yu, he would wear these two down. They couldn¡¯t touch him, and he saw their every move before they even made it. The longer this went on, the more time his poison had to do its work and the more things would swing in his favor.


    * * *


    He Yu¡¯s guandao slammed into the pair of hatchets. Heaven and flame sparked and leaped. Embers sprayed away from the impact, and lightning crawled along He Yu¡¯s weapon and arms. For the second time that day, He Yu locked eyes with Cui Bao.


    ¡°The court will use you up like it did Sha Xiang. It¡¯s not too late. Throw down your weapons and surrender yourself, and I¡¯m certain the sect will allow you to return.¡±


    Cui Bao spit in his face.


    It was a futile gesture¡ªHe Yu only had to flex his spirit a bit, and the spittle blasted away from him. Zhang Lifen¡¯s words rang in his head once again. They weren¡¯t worthy of his mercy. He didn¡¯t want to accept that. But then again, Cui Bao clearly knew what was going on here. Maybe if Cui Bao had actually surrendered, He Yu would have been able to find a justification for sparing him. Bringing him back to the sect could provide valuable information, right?


    It was clear Cui Bao had no intention of turning himself over. He probably thought He Yu would treat him in much the same way he would treat He Yu. A defeated opponent to loot and then kill. Since Cui Bao was no longer a member of the sect, he wasn¡¯t protected by sect rules, just as he was no longer bound by them.


    Certainty settled over him. He layered his killing intent into Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade and swept his guandao before him. This was a pure formation of the technique, unsupported by the Five Crescent Winds. Sheets of lightning crashed down from heaven, just like he¡¯d seen during his advancement.


    He smelled burned flesh, and hardened his heart as Cui Bao stumbled backward, barely catching himself from falling. Pointing his blade at his former sect brother, He Yu cycled his cultivation base. Heaven qi surged through his meridians with the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. Wind curled around his weapon as the Five Crescent Winds wrapped his blade and tugged at his clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve sealed your fate then,¡± He Yu said. In the distance, thunder rumbled as he spoke.


    ¡°Fuck. You.¡± Cui Bao spoke through gritted teeth.


    Flaring his presence, and summoning all the killing intent he could, Cui Bao righted himself. What was left of the grass and shrubs nearby smoldered, and even some small fires leaped to life. They were quickly extinguished under the weight of He Yu¡¯s superior presence in a burst of steam. Cui Bao still took a step forward. The impression of a fiery red leopard stepped forward with him.


    He Yu answered in kind. Lightning surged in the winds and wrapped him, rain fell upon the scorched land. Killing intent pressed down upon them both¡ªcoming equally from each. It was the only measure in which they were roughly even.


    ¡°Then let us end this,¡± He Yu said. In his mind¡¯s eye, he saw the Thunder God beating his drum.

 4.27 - Storms Reckoning

    Distant peals of thunder sounded in Cui Bao¡¯s ears. A guandao, sparking with golden arcs of heaven, pointed towards his heart. He Yu. That stupid, weak piece of shit loomed over him. Towering to the heavens, clouds gathered around him. Brilliant flashes of light cast him in stark relief.


    This shouldn¡¯t be happening. He¡¯d done everything Kong Huizhong had said. He¡¯d earned elixir after elixir, a mountain of spirit stones, and even a small band of lower-ranked cultivators to command. How had it all crumbled so fast?


    Fire qi surged through his meridians as he poured what little qi he had left into the Seven Blazing Calamities. Embers burst from his twinned hatchets. Flames leaped from his feet. He launched himself like the leopard he was at this brainless country bumpkin from a no-name town in the south.


    A disk of water qi turned aside one strike, then the other. In the space between heartbeats, a knee slammed into Cui Bao¡¯s gut, followed by a burst of wind that had somehow come alive with crackling arcs of heaven. Again, he stumbled backward. An instant later He Yu was right there, that guandao of his raised for another massive overhand strike.


    With a blaze of motion, Cui Bao slid into the opening. A sweeping cross cut with his hatchets glanced off that blue disc, and Cui Bao found himself exposed, out of position. Lightning crashed down upon him. He fell to one knee. He could almost swear that in the space between attacks, he heard the distant beating of a drum.


    A thrust came for him now. Scintillating flashes arced along the polearm¡¯s length. The air had taken on a sharp, pungent scent as they destroyed the glade around the workshop with their battle. Ash and smoke from half a dozen small fires, steam from rain falling upon the same, and the increasingly sharp ache in Cui Bao¡¯s meridians. It was getting harder to deny he was on the losing end of this one.


    Somehow, he brought his hatchets up in time, and turned away the larger weapon. It still knocked him back a bit. Cui Bao caught himself, then launched into another attack with an animalistic snarl.


    How could He Yu have gotten this strong? They were at the same stage. Sure, He Yu had been at Golden Core for over a year longer, but Cui Bao had been advancing through the low Fourth Realm quickly, according to Kong Huizhong. The gap between them shouldn¡¯t be anywhere this large.


    Cui Bao launched a flurry of strikes at He Yu¡ªfaster and more ferocious than any he¡¯d ever managed before. He Yu turned all of them aside. That technique of his flashed into the space where Cui Bao had meant to strike, and his hatchet would just slide off it before the disk winked out.


    Hatchets clashed against the metal haft of He Yu¡¯s guandao, sending up a shower of sparks and embers. Anything He Yu didn¡¯t deflect or block, he simply dodged. How did he find the space? Cui Bao¡¯s fighting style got him in close¡ªnobody should be able to dodge him so reliably.


    All the while, He Yu looked like he was hardly trying. Each sweep of his guandao brought with it a burst of wind and a crescent blade of heaven. That blue disk flashed in and out almost faster than Cui Bao could track. He Yu¡¯s movements were easy, controlled. Almost as if he could see the attacks before Cui Bao had even committed. A far cry from that bumbling little First Realm who had barely held his own in a simple brawl during their first months at the sect.


    Pain exploded in Cui Bao¡¯s chest. He stumbled for what felt like the hundredth time. This time he didn¡¯t catch himself. Cui Bao wasn¡¯t exactly sure when the next strike had come, but now his left arm was gone from the elbow down. It didn¡¯t even hurt anymore.


    The last thing he heard was the howl of wind, and the sharp crackle of heaven as the full weight of He Yu¡¯s killing intent found its mark.


    *    *    *


    When Cui Bao¡¯s lifeless body hit the dirt, his head following an instant later, He Yu felt no joy. But neither did he feel regret. He wouldn¡¯t pretend this was something noble. It wasn¡¯t. But Cui Bao was complicit in what He Yu had seen inside the now-ruined workshop. For all he knew, Cui Bao could have easily been the source of a good number of those corpses. For those inside, it was a small measure of justice.


    He Yu knew this was something he¡¯d have to deal with at some point. Something he¡¯d have to reconcile, that tension between his ideals and what they may demand of him. However, there were more immediate concerns.


    To one side, a mass of shadows resolved itself into Yan Shirong. ¡°It¡¯s better this way,¡± he said, waving at Cui Bao¡¯s headless body. ¡°If you left him alive, he would have alerted the rest of the court.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not safe yet,¡± He Yu said. ¡°There might be others on the way. We should leave quickly.¡±


    Yan Shirong stooped down and set about to searching Cui Bao. He Yu turned away. As much because he didn¡¯t want to make anything of it as because he wanted to check on Chen Fei.


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    A few dozen feet away, he saw her kneeling next to a motionless figure. He Yu took a deep breath as he approached, steeling himself for what he was almost certain he would find based on the color and style of the figure¡¯s robes.


    As he approached, she looked up at him, eyes red and pained. ¡°I tried to keep him safe,¡± she said. Her voice hitched.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± He Yu looked down at Zhu Fang¡¯s body. His skull had been caved in by a heavy strike of some sort. The Third Realm cultivator who¡¯d done it lay a short distance away, unmoving. They were a good way away from where all the fighting had started. It was easy to see that he¡¯d gotten isolated. Too far away for Chen Fei to get to in time.


    ¡°You tried,¡± He Yu said. ¡°That¡¯s all that matters. Sometimes it¡¯s all we can do.¡± He said it as much for himself as he did for her. In the end, he felt Zhu Fang¡¯s death was more his fault than anyone else¡¯s. Tan Xiaoling had told him about leadership being about responsibility to those you led, and he was coming more and more to understand what she¡¯d meant.


    Wordlessly, Chen Fei nodded. To her credit, she slipped Zhu Fang¡¯s storage treasure into a pouch at her belt. The fact she was still focused on their mission was a good sign. He Yu turned to the approach of footsteps.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten everything I could find.¡± Yan Shirong looked down at Zhu Fang as he drew near. ¡°Shame,¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯d started to grow fond of him.¡±


    ¡°Do we have everything?¡± He Yu asked.


    Yan Shirong and Chen Fei both said they did.


    The three of them withdrew their presences and left as quickly as they could while leaving as little trace as possible. They traveled throughout the night and the whole of the next day, making use of the speed and endurance granted by their advancement rather than any techniques. After sunrise on the second day, He Yu felt they were far enough away from the workshop to release their spirits and make full use of their techniques. When they returned to the sect, a disciple met them at the gate to the inner sect mountain. Yi Xiurong was waiting, and asked they come directly to her.


    At Yi Xiurong¡¯s home, both the First Disciple and Zhang Lifen were waiting. Yi Xiurong sat behind a large desk strewn with scrolls. She looked up from her writing as the three of them approached. Zhang Lifen lounged in a nearby chair, absently twisting a lock of her hair. From the looks of things, they¡¯d been waiting for a while, and Yi Xiurong seemed to be making a concerted effort to ignore Zhang Lifen¡¯s presence.


    ¡°You¡¯ve returned,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°Good. Tell me what you¡¯ve found.¡±


    He Yu relayed all they¡¯d found at the workshop and then recounted their battle with Cui Bao. He deliberately left out any mention of Zhu Fang. When Yi Xiurong didn¡¯t ask after him, He Yu informed her of his death.


    ¡°Such losses are acceptable. Especially when dealing with entities such as the Sunset Court. The demon core you said you¡¯ve recovered. Show it to me.¡±


    It took a considerable amount of effort to choke down all the things he wanted to say at Yi Xiurong¡¯s utter dismissiveness towards the loss of a sect disciple. Would she have reacted the same way if he had been the one to fall? What about Chen Fei or Yan Shirong? The answer was fairly obvious. Of course she would.


    Yi Xiurong¡¯s eyebrows crept fractionally upward, asking an unspoken question. In the corner of his vision, Zhang Lifen gave him a small, sympathetic smile. It was something, at least.


    ¡°Here it is,¡± He Yu said, taking the formation-etched box holding the demon core from his storage treasure and placing it on the desk.


    Yi Xiurong opened the lid. For a moment, she said nothing. She simply stared down at the core, silent and inert, with a stony expression. Snapping the lid closed, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve done well. This will be of great benefit in tracking down the Emissary himself. What else did you find?¡±


    They turned over the elixirs and alchemy notes they¡¯d found. Yi Xiurong was particularly interested in the notes regarding the demon core itself. The chest containing the herbs and materials for pills was of less interest. Most of it likely came from the area surrounding the workshop, but Yi Xiurong said they¡¯d investigate for potential sources anyway. Any leads were welcome at this point.


    The alchemy equipment was of the least interest. Although it was made of the same unfamiliar metal as the pill furnace from the mine, Yi Xiurong didn¡¯t seem like she thought it would lead to any new insights. She still took it. Last came the storage treasure He Yu had taken from Cui Bao.


    When He Yu placed the dull gray ring on the desk before Yi Xiurong, she pushed it back in his direction. ¡°This was Cui Bao¡¯s, I take it?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Spoils of victory. Divide its contents among yourselves as you see fit. Same with any other storage treasures you took from that traitor¡¯s followers. As for Zhu Fang¡¯s belongings, those are yours to do with what you will as well.¡±


    He Yu grimaced as he took Cui Bao¡¯s storage treasure. A part of him had hoped the sect would want whatever ill-gotten resources Cui Bao had kept with him. A larger part had hoped Yi Xiurong would lay claim to Zhu Fang¡¯s belongings, too.


    The three disciples all saluted Yi Xiurong and turned to leave.


    ¡°One last thing,¡± she said before they could go. ¡°You¡¯ve earned some rewards for your work.¡±


    Yi Xiurong flicked her sleeve, and a pill box appeared in front of each of them, hovering in the air. Although the boxes were closed, He Yu could smell the potent medicinal scent emanating from them. The one in front of him smelled like a summer afternoon right before a thunderstorm. Even the heavy circumstances couldn¡¯t put a damper on He Yu¡¯s anticipation of what awaited inside the box.


    ¡°Disciples Chen and Yan. The pills I¡¯ve selected for your will serve you best if you wait and take them when you break through to the Fourth Realm. You could take them now if you wanted and use their energies to bolster your cultivation base. However, I know both of you are close, and selected them for their ability to aid you in the formation of a quality Golden Core.


    ¡°Disciple He. Your elixir was created especially for you. With it, you should be able to reach the middle Fourth Realm. Take it as soon as you are able. As our campaign against the Sunset Court continues, we need all the strength we can muster. When you reach the middle stage, your responsibilities will increase accordingly.


    ¡°Further, you have all been awarded a considerable sum of spirit stones and contribution points for your efforts. You may collect the stones at the commission hall at your convenience.¡±


    With their dismissal now final, they filtered out of Yi Xiurong¡¯s office. As he turned to leave, Zhang Lifen made a slight gesture that caught his eye. A brief glance, and a slight motion of her head in the general direction of her home. The message was clear, and He Yu was glad for it. There were a lot of things he needed to get off his chest.

 4.28 - A True Reward

    Shortly after leaving the meeting with Yi Xiurong, He Yu made his way through the upper reaches of the inner sect mountain. The second highest of the peaks that dominated the inner sect were given over to the core disciples¡ªall six of them. He Yu wended his way through the paths and gardens separating the palatial homes. When he arrived at the smallest of them, it was no surprise that Zhang Lifen had arrived first.


    ¡°You did well,¡± she said as she ushered him through the gate in the outer wall. ¡°Cui Bao served as a courier of sorts for the Sunset Court. As a Golden Core, he could move rather freely between their various operations, delivering supplies and messages. He was strong enough to easily pass between settlements, but not so strong that his passing would be unmistakable. You¡¯ve struck the court a greater blow than you realize.¡±


    They took a seat in the central courtyard of Zhang Lifen¡¯s home. It seemed she could tell that he had more on his mind than usual. She didn¡¯t bother setting out tea, or producing one of her paintings from her storage treasure. She simply sat with her hands folded inside the sleeves of her blue and black gown and waited for him to speak.


    He supposed he appreciated the mention that Cui Bao¡¯s death had some value. He didn¡¯t particularly care. Cui Bao was almost as bad as Sha Xiang was¡ªwherever she had gotten off to. He¡¯d also been complicit in whatever had been going on in the alchemy workshop. He was, for all the world, the sort of person He Yu had always imagined himself struggling against when he¡¯d dreamed of becoming a cultivator of legend. Even if he¡¯d only been little more than a footnote in the end.


    ¡°What about Zhu Fang?¡± he asked. That was the single thing that had been bothering him the most. Of course, he¡¯d spoken with both Chen Fei and Yan Shirong about it on the way back to the sect.


    Chen Fei had, of course, been far more distraught than Yan Shirong had. Yan Shirong wasn¡¯t wholly callous¡ªnot in the way Yi Xiurong had been. He¡¯d lamented the fact that Zhu Fang had died, but He Yu got the impression this was only because he¡¯d taken a liking to the Third Realm alchemist while they¡¯d been traveling together.


    It was a different story altogether for Chen Fei. She had promised He Yu that she would protect Zhu Fang, and in her eyes she had failed. Although He Yu insisted it wasn¡¯t quite that serious, or even really her fault, she disagreed. It was only during one of their rest stops on the way back that she eventually told him that a large part of her Way was protecting others¡ªspecifically those she cared about or counted as companions.


    ¡°You recall what I told you about the life of immortals?¡± Zhang Lifen asked. ¡°Just before the tournament.¡±


    ¡°That it would be one of struggle,¡± he answered. He remembered it well. At the time, he hadn¡¯t given it much thought. It was a fact that had just seemed a given. The way she¡¯d said it¡ªoffering him an out of sorts¡ªwasn¡¯t something he was ever going to accept. Now it had taken on a different meaning.


    ¡°Death stalks the world of cultivation. It often comes first for the weakest. Whether they deserve it or not. Had Zhu Fang been stronger, he would have lived.¡± Although Zhang Lifen¡¯s features were softer than Yi Xiurong¡¯s had been, it was still obvious she cared little for the death of one Third Realm alchemist¡ªinner disciple or no.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°Is that why Yi Xiurong didn¡¯t seem to care?¡±


    ¡°Yi Xiurong understands such losses are to be expected. Had all of you died on this mission, she would have reacted much the same way. Although I expect she would be a bit more upset, seeing as if that were the case, we wouldn¡¯t have recovered an intact demon core.¡±


    He Yu hung his head. Was it the callous disregard for the life of someone weaker, or the ruthless pragmatism that bothered him more? He couldn¡¯t say. Neither could he deny the merit in Zhang Lifen¡¯s words. As the sect¡¯s First Disciple, Yi Xiurong likely sent lower-ranked sect members to their deaths all the time. How else would someone like her respond to these sorts of things?


    Then there was Zhang Lifen, of course. Although she at least seemed sympathetic towards He Yu, he wasn¡¯t under any illusions that she hardly gave Zhu Fang a second thought, either.


    ¡°Have you lost anyone on sect missions?¡± he asked.


    Her answer came without hesitation. ¡°Of course¡ªdozens. Like I said, death stalks the life of immortals. There was a reason I told you that you could stay in the outer sect before the tournament, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. Then, he asked, ¡°does it get easier?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡±


    ¡°How can mortals even survive?¡± The question came out before he even realized what he was asking. Before he even realized that he¡¯d been thinking about it.


    ¡°By and large, they don¡¯t. At least not without someone else to protect them.¡± It was the bluntness that surprised him more than the answer. ¡°Outside towns with a force of cultivators to serve as guards, a local expert, or formation scripted walls? Mortals die by the hundreds every day across the whole of the Dragon Empire.¡±


    ¡°But in Shulin,¡± he began. Of course, he knew it wasn¡¯t really an objection. He¡¯d been away from that isolated little town on the edge of the southern forest long enough. Shulin, and by extension the southern forest was the exception. Weak and diffuse natural qi meant there was a practical limit to how powerful spirits or awakened beasts could ever grow. For a First Realm cultivator, or even a mortal, a brief excursion into the surrounding woods was unlikely to result in getting taken by spirits, or killed by beasts. Even someone of low talent like Dong Wei could easily maintain the barrier stones that kept Shulin safe.


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    ¡°I understand your concern, at least to the extent that anyone can understand another¡¯s Way, but it would be best not to concern yourself too much with the fate of mortals,¡± she said.


    Although he disagreed, he said nothing. If there was one thing that had become abundantly clear since reaching Golden Core and climbing the ranks of the inner sect, it was that the best one could expect from higher realm cultivators was simply indifference. Tan Xiaoling may have spoken about the duty she had to her people, but by now He Yu was under no illusions. If a handful of mortals died when a settlement was attacked, neither Princess Tan nor her father, King Tan Zihao, would bat an eye.


    Yi Xiurong would likely feel nothing at the death of an entire town. Maybe if it were part of sect administered territory, she would see fit to dispatch a team of disciples to avert the worst destruction. Maybe if it were an attack by someone like the court¡¯s Emissary, Kong Huizhong, she might even send a core disciple. But only because it would be a chance to strike at the court, not out of concern for the town itself. He didn¡¯t let himself think about how Zhang Lifen would respond to a similar situation.


    In an effort to change the subject, he asked, ¡°Will the demon core we recovered truly be that great a help?¡±


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s smile grew a bit strained at the question. It passed quickly, and had He Yu not spent so long cultivating the Peerless Judgment, he likely would have missed it.


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± she began. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever told you. The whole reason Sha Xiang was allowed to stay at the sect, even become an inner disciple, was because of her demon core. The cores are thought to be a creation of the Sunset Empress herself. Some means by which she can form pacts with her strongest followers despite her imprisonment in the Dawn Palace.


    ¡°We have known for some time that one of the court¡¯s Emissaries operates in the southwest of the empire. Whether the court has discovered the actual location of the formation itself is still a mystery. That was one thing we wanted to determine. Once the sect elders discovered Sha Xiang had bonded with a core, they decided to gamble on her.


    ¡°If the suspicion that the cores are created by the empress was correct, we should be able to use the traces of her qi that they contain to divine the locations of other cores. All members of the court who are granted the rank of Emissary have one.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take him long to pick up on what she¡¯d not said. ¡°With Sha Xiang being expelled from the sect?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That was an oversight on my part. One for which I¡¯ve been sufficiently chastised for. It was why I¡¯ve been absent from the sect for so long. Yi Xiurong sent me to follow Cui Bao and learn anything I could about the court¡¯s activities through him.¡±


    ¡°So, the alchemy workshop?¡± He let the question suggest itself.


    ¡°Cui Bao deserved the death you gave him.¡±


    He Yu turned that over for a moment and decided that he¡¯d rather not know more. He¡¯d seen enough to easily take Zhang Lifen at her word. Instead he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you step in?¡±


    ¡°I was expressly forbidden to. After Yi Xiurong expelled Sha Xiang from the sect¡ªnot anything that¡¯s a fault of yours, I assure you¡ªI was sent to gather information. Yi Xiurong specifically told me not to engage Cui Bao in combat. Despite appearances, I do know which lines ought not to be crossed.¡±


    ¡°I take it you and Senior Sister Yi have some history?¡±


    Zhang Lifen gave a dismissive wave. ¡°Its nothing more serious than a mutual dislike for one another. Our personalities aren¡¯t exactly compatible, and our relationship is strained more by our natures than anything else. Have no fear, though. She considers me beneath her, and not without reason. She also considers her duty to the sect to be of the highest importance, and won¡¯t do anything as ill-advised as choking you of resources. Like a certain pair of Fourth Realm misfits have.¡±


    ¡°You knew all along,¡± he said. Although, upon reflection, he shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. She always seemed to know, and she never seemed to act.


    ¡°Of course I did. It was a clever plan. I¡¯ll give them that. Ultimately futile. Especially now that Yi Xiurong has given you that elixir. I told you things would be easier after this move against the court. Once you and your companions sell off your spoils, you¡¯ll be in a good enough position.¡±


    The elixir. Yi Xiurong had said it was created specifically for him. ¡°Will the elixir help that much?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not in the way you might think,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re incredibly close as it is. Even deprived of the resources provided by sect assignments, the middle Fourth Realm is well within your grasp. Judging by your presence, I¡¯d say the spirit stones Yi Xiurong credited to you would have been enough by themselves.¡±


    He produced the elixir from within his storage treasure. The pill box was heavily scripted, but it still emanated potent energy. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°How should I know? I didn¡¯t create it. Senior Sister Yi is one of the most talented alchemists seen across the whole of the Dragon Empire in ten generations. Whatever it was she put in that elixir for you, it¡¯s going to be potent. For reasons I won¡¯t speculate on, Master Cai has determined that you are to play some role in all this. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have let you and your friends go out into the western wilds in the first place.


    ¡°Yi Xiurong is pragmatic, if nothing else. Since you¡¯re involved by Master Cai¡¯s hand, she¡¯s going to make use of you. In order to do so, she needs you to be as strong as possible. This, by the way, is another reason she split you off from Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling. They each had their own assignments and will receive their own rewards. Likely just as potent as yours.


    ¡°The sect rewards talent. The three of you already represent some of the most talented young cultivators seen in generations. Seeing as it¡¯s practically an inevitability that both Chen Fei and Yan Shirong will join you in the Fourth Realm soon, the five of you together will represent a significant locus of power within the sect. It would be foolish to squander you.¡±


    For the first time since he¡¯d joined the sect, He Yu hadn¡¯t felt this level of excitement. Cultivation had become routine. Advancement mundane, and an increasingly difficult thing to reach for. But now? Not only was he so close he could feel his fingers brush against the middle stage, he was going to break through with the aid of a powerful elixir made specifically for him.


    Zhang Lifen laughed. ¡°Go,¡± she said. ¡°I shall eagerly await what emerges once you step into the middle Fourth Realm.¡±

 4.29 - The Middle Realm

    Despite it being terribly rude, He Yu blasted through the inner sect on the winds of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight on his way home. He couldn¡¯t find it within himself to care. He¡¯d been stuck at the early stage of the Fourth Realm for what seemed like an eternity. Within his storage treasure, he held an elixir. An elixir that had been created for him. Specifically, to push him to the middle stage.


    Arriving at his home, he fetched his remaining mid-grade stones. Then he went directly to his cultivation chamber. He withdrew the scripted medicine box containing the elixir. When he cracked the lid open, qi practically flooded his cultivation chamber. The orange-red pellet that sat upon a pillow of silk looked so mundane. Just a dull little ball, the color of cinnabar, barely the size of a thumbnail. But in his spiritual sight, it shone like a sun.


    The elixir¡¯s scent was that of a summer thunderstorm. The fresh smell of new rain and the sharp scent of lightning filled the chamber. His head practically swam with the impression of dark, rolling clouds, driving sheets of rain, and brilliant flashes of lighting. The hair on his arms stood on end, and he could feel a tingle run down his spine as he sat in the chamber¡¯s center.


    When he placed the elixir in his mouth and bit down, qi flooded his entire being. It rushed through his meridians and raged at the furthest knife-edge of his control. It was all he could do to produce his mid-grade stone and cradle it in his palms as he settled in to cycle the raging spiritual energy coursing through him. He Yu closed his eyes, and the world fell away.


    The gates of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace opened. He stood at the top of a stair of unfathomable length. Below, for as far as he could see in any direction, lay a blanket of black clouds. Within those clouds, heaven¡¯s fury flashed, and the distant rumble of thunder rolled over him like a wave. Three golden pillars rose to infinity in the distance, each of them crackling with yet more of heaven¡¯s power. Moving within the expanse of clouds, He Yu thought he caught glimpses of a giant, serpentine figure. It was so unfathomably large that his mind recoiled at the sight, and turned away from trying to contemplate it any further.


    As the incredible power of Yi Xiurong¡¯s elixir coursed through him, He Yu turned the Peerless Judgment upon himself. He stood at the top of the golden stair, the palace itself to his back. The pillars of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering rose to heaven on three sides. The Five Crescent Winds churned around him and below. In his spiritual center, his core pulsed.


    By now, the process had become reflexive. He could perform the required condensation of his cultivation base with barely a sliver of his attention. A good thing, as the splendor of what lay before him¡ªand the insights it contained¡ªrequired far more concentration.


    He Yu stood at a crossroads. Two paths lay before him. Either would shape his future, and have a profound influence on his Way. He could continue to pursue greater advancement and greater power. That pursuit had gotten him to where he was now¡ªthe youngest Golden Core in the sect. A monster in the making, ascending the realms of cultivation faster than anyone he¡¯d ever known. Should he continue like this, his desire to become a legend would be guaranteed.


    Standing atop a mountain, his companions were there, but distant. Of the four of them, only Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling stood close enough that he could clearly make them out. The three of them together became core disciples of the sect. They unseated first Zhang Lifen, then the others, and finally Yi Xiurong herself. The three of them became more than legends¡ªfigures of myth. Gods.


    Chen Fei and Yan Shirong became notable in their own right, but they never reached the heights that He Yu did. Their friendship was maintained, but it grew distant. They stayed at the sect and became powerful and influential. It was a destiny that, upon consideration, He Yu found acceptable.


    Except for one thing.


    In this future, He Yu became like Yi Xiurong. Cold, callous, and uncaring. So what if mortals died by the thousands? Let the Second and Third Realm cultivator guards worry about attacks on towns. Death was a fact of life. People like him had more important things to worry about. Real, consequential threats stalked the land. If a town wanted protection, they could always raise up a few experts.


    He Yu turned away from that path. Yes, he would become a legend. He would rise to heights that he¡¯d never thought possible. But at what cost? Was he willing to sacrifice his ideals for that? The Peerless Judgment, turned upon himself, showed him the truth of things. He found he could. He could set aside his ideals for power if that was what it took.


    Another road remained. In this one, his friends were impossibly distant. Although the threads of fate and destiny that connected them were stronger here, the strongest they¡¯d ever been, he couldn¡¯t see them. Rather than standing at the peak, he was deep within a shrouded valley. He was no less powerful¡ªno; it was just that his future was far less certain.


    Here he was, not only a legend, but a hero as well. The source of the difference wasn¡¯t anything he could discern. Not with the clinging mists that hugged the valley floor and the land that rose in all directions. The fact his friends seemed so distant bothered him as well. It was a small comfort, however, that their bonds endured. He¡¯d never forgotten some of those first revelations, of standing alone at the peak and the overwhelming sense of loneliness that had accompanied.


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    He Yu turned his thoughts to his Way. He sought the ease that came when he acted with that connection he¡¯d formed with his Wayborn Seed. The guidance he¡¯d expected didn¡¯t come. Instead, he found either path was equally open¡ªequally in keeping with his Way. It seemed he truly was at a crossroads.


    If he was free to choose, then in his eyes, the choice was an easy one. He Yu stepped into the valley.


    Even if he could lay his ideals upon the altar of advancement, he wouldn¡¯t. He remembered the scenes of destruction left in the wake of King Hao and his men. He remembered the looks of desperate hope the miners had given him after he¡¯d defeated the overseer. He remembered standing against Sha Xiang after she¡¯d attacked all his friends in a moment of his weakness.


    He would accept the uncertainty. He would accept the struggle. He would walk the path of a hero.


    His core contracted, and his cultivation base pushed against it. Maintaining control of the advancement was trivial. His connection to his Way aided him greatly, and by now he¡¯d plenty of practice. Even as the stench of extruded impurities broke through his cultivation trance, he kept squeezing his cultivation base into an ever smaller, ever denser core at the center of his spirit.


    With his advancement came knowledge. Not quite a certainty, but something close. He would struggle, he would try. He would choose the more difficult path time and again. For that, he would build a legend. He would be a hero not only in name but also in deed. He would also bleed. How much and for how long, he couldn¡¯t say.


    It didn¡¯t matter. The only thing that mattered was that he did everything in his power to be what those weaker than himself needed. He would not throw away the lives of mortals, or even weaker cultivators. What was the point of gathering strength if you didn¡¯t use it for anything worthwhile?


    With his resolve came certainty¡ªcertainty that he would fail. He would fail again and again¡ªhe would fail more often than he succeeded. A thousand cultivators like Zhu Fang would die for every one he saved.


    Then he would simply try harder.


    A dozen villages would burn while he saved one.


    Then he would save everything he could of that one.


    The point wasn¡¯t that he be all things to all people. He would be enough for those that he could. Legends were inflated, and heroes were imperfect. The point was they tried when others didn¡¯t.


    He Yu exited his cultivation chamber and sloughed off the black sludge of impurities. The sky was dark and starless, something that he¡¯d gotten used to over the past few years. To the east, the perpetual mists of the Shrouded Peaks held the faint silver promise of the approaching dawn.


    Cleaned and dressed, He Yu headed out into the sect. Even in what would be the quietest part of the night in the mortal world, there were plenty of disciples about. Those disciples who cultivated aspects of lunar or shadow qi would be finishing their ¡°day¡± just now. Perhaps they¡¯d be retiring to their cultivation chambers, or maybe they¡¯d be snatching the few hours of sleep they needed every so often.


    Passing though the inner sect market and then to the paths that would take him to the outer sect mountain, He Yu simply walked, and absorbed his surroundings. He kept his presence restrained, as was only polite, but his passing was hard not to notice. Even he could tell the surrounding air was more charged than it had been the previous day. The scent of rain clung to him no matter how tightly he kept hold of his spirit. Winds that seemed to only affect him tugged at the hem and sleeves of his robe. The air was also somehow still, in the same way it was just before a storm broke.


    Thankfully, the other inner disciples largely ignored him. While most inner disciples were stuck at the peak Body Refining bottleneck, Golden Cores were common enough. A few of the lower-ranked disciples¡ªthose of the late Third Realm but not yet at the peak¡ªsaluted him as he passed. Sadly, his relative anonymity didn¡¯t follow him to the outer sect.


    It was rare that inner disciples ventured onto the outer sect mountain. Rarer still that a Golden Core should do so. Most Fourth Realms simply used treasures or techniques to leave the mountain. But He Yu had a different purpose, and a walk through the outer sect was in service of that.


    He similarly ignored the murmurs and salutes that followed him through the outer sect. Instead, he reflected. Reflected on his year on this mountain, that now seemed so distant. His time as a First Realm, struggling to find his feet against what had seemed like overwhelming odds. When he set his feet on the path to Xu Xiang at the base of the mountain, he felt the mist spirits flee in their terror of him.


    He Yu spent most of the morning simply strolling through Xu Xiang. The mortals and lower realm cultivators there were all deferential to him, but at least here it was similar enough to the inner sect mountain. Even the inner disciples had need of the goods traders brought to Xu Xiang from the distant reaches of the Dragon Empire.


    This left him more or less alone with his thoughts. The practical reality of his decision during his breakthrough settled over him. These were the sort of people he truly gathered his strength for. Sure, when he¡¯d taken his first shaky steps into the world of cultivation, awakening himself with an old¡ªand honestly, garbage¡ªcultivation manual in Shulin, he¡¯d filled his head with stories of heroes and legends.


    He¡¯d come a long way in a short time. He¡¯d seen more of the world than he¡¯d imagined could have existed, and come to realize many things. What, truly, was the measure of a hero?


    He couldn¡¯t say for certain. But each step along his Way, brought him closer to an answer. His answer. For the time being, at least, he had a clear enemy. A clear target to strive against. He¡¯d seen what the enemy was capable of. He¡¯d seen what they turned Sha Xiang into. He didn¡¯t know whether she yet lived, but if she did, he would have to deal with her, eventually. Like he¡¯d dealt with Cui Bao.


    The Shrouded Peaks Sect existed to protect the Dawn Palace. Protect it from the Sunset Court. The court was a worthy villain in his eyes. The sect would bring the fight to them. The sooner, the better.

 4.30 - Time and Debt

    Winter came and went once again. By the time spring came around in what was to be He Yu¡¯s twenty-second year, Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling had both advanced to middle Golden Core. Just as Zhang Lifen had said, Yi Xiurong seemed intent on bringing all five of them up. He Yu, Li Heng, and Tan Xiaoling were routinely given authority over small teams and ordered to strike against agents of the Sunset Court. As winter dragged on, those assignments¡ªand their accompanying rewards¡ªcame less frequently.


    After the first snows dusted the grounds of the inner sect mountain, Chen Fei announced she was going to attempt a breakthrough into the Fourth Realm. Soon after, she left for the higher peaks to the north, and was gone nearly all winter. When she returned, the change was immediately apparent.


    She¡¯d always been taller than He Yu. And most everyone else, with only a handful of exceptions. She wasn¡¯t any physically taller, but when she returned, she seemed to tower over all those around her. Her presence had been steadily becoming more solid as she advanced. Her cultivation of the White Mountain Body Art made her feel like a literal mountain. Now her spirit reached deeper into the earth and closer to heaven than ever before.


    She also carried herself with a newfound confidence¡ªa self-certainty that He Yu thought she wore well. It was a change he had experience with himself.


    Chen Fei¡¯s success was the sole bright spot of the season, unfortunately. The sect¡¯s campaign against the Sunset Court continued apace, but they made zero progress in tracking the Emissary. When He Yu had asked Zhang Lifen about it, she¡¯d simply told him they would discover his whereabouts eventually. As the resources doled out as rewards for suppressing the court dried up, He Yu felt the pinch once more.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Li Heng asked, passing a jar of wine.


    They sat together under a peach tree, just outside a now ruined training arena. Spring was in full bloom, and vibrant pink blossoms littered the ground all around them. It was one of those rare days when the mists of the Shrouded Peaks parted, and patches of blue showed themselves above. Unseasonably warm, a promise of the approaching summer. He Yu took a deep drink of the wine. The warmth that spread through him was as much an effect of the alcohol as it was the infused qi.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell just how things will go. I¡¯m willing to try, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I guess I¡¯m just not as certain as you are.¡±


    Li Heng had grown increasingly insistent they go after Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu as spring approached summer. He Yu couldn¡¯t blame him. The two late Fourth Realm cultivators had¡ª¡°as punishment,¡± in their words¡ªtaken to choking Li Heng of resources as well. At least Li Heng could request cultivation resources from his father, unlike He Yu.


    Over the winter and spring, both He Yu and Li Heng had been busy. Deprived of resources from regular jobs and with the spoils from the court now drying up as well, they¡¯d taken to challenging other disciples more and more often. They¡¯d both shot up the ranks. He Yu now held rank three hundred twenty-seven. Li Heng was ranked three hundred thirty-five. A week ago, Zhang Lifen had come and warned them to hold off on ranked duels for the time being. If they climbed too much higher, it would be increasingly likely Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu would move against them directly.


    Which had resulted in the first of many discussions about taking revenge.


    ¡°What if we asked Tan Xiaoling?¡± Li Heng asked.


    That honestly surprised He Yu. He wouldn¡¯t have thought that Li Heng¡¯s pride would have allowed him to suggest such a thing. Then again, their relationship was far from secret and Tan Xiaoling would likely jump at the chance if they asked. Her Way pushed her into ever more unbalanced fights. She lost about as often as she won, and her sect rank was the most volatile out of all of theirs.


    After thinking about it for some time, he rejected the idea. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°As much as I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to join in, this is our fight. Our debt.¡±


    Neither he nor Li Heng had fought against any late Fourth Realms since that first encounter. They had fought plenty of middle stage Golden Cores, though. As they rose through the middling ranks of the inner sect, they each established themselves as emerging powerhouses. It had struck He Yu as a bit odd at first. Weren¡¯t the other disciples just as driven as he was? Weren¡¯t they just as talented? If the other disciples at his own level were any indication, no.


    The success they¡¯d had so far was the only reason they even considered this. That, and the fact they¡¯d pushed Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu further than they¡¯d any right to during that first encounter. Obviously, the sensible thing would be to wait. Wait until they¡¯d reached the late stage, at least. If they could get their hands on more resources, maybe even reach the peak.


    But He Yu had never been very patient.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be tough,¡± he mused, finishing off the last of his wine.


    ¡°Just think what it will do for our reputation should we win,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Nobody would dare oppose us.¡±


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    Although he could see the benefit, He Yu cared little for that. He just wanted to complete jobs again. The only thing he cared for were the advancement resources locked behind their adversary¡¯s treachery.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s decided then,¡± he said, standing. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do it publicly, though.¡±


    ¡°That will make it just as risky for us,¡± Li Heng said.


    Issuing a challenge, even an informal one, wasn¡¯t the sort of gambit anybody would consider sensible. Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu had very little to lose. A bit of face and whatever they carried on them. He Yu and Li Heng were too low ranked to issue a formal challenge, so the sect wouldn¡¯t recognize the duel.


    He Yu and Li Heng would have far more on the line. With their current lack of resources, anything they lost would represent a far larger portion of their individual wealth. Challenging their seniors publicly like this, then losing the fight, would do tremendous damage to their reputations as well. They were, however, more or less backed into a corner. If they wanted to regain access to sect resources, they¡¯d have to fight, eventually.


    ¡°Yan Shirong should be able to help track them down,¡± He Yu said.


    With Yan Shirong¡¯s help, it didn¡¯t take them long to find where Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu spent their days. They were in a large, open square on one of the higher peaks. Small groups of inner disciples milled about, mostly ranked in the two hundreds and higher. Aside from He Yu and Li Heng, nearly everyone was in the late Fourth Realm. As was typical of more advanced cultivators, they mostly ignored the approaching juniors.


    When they came within a couple of dozen feet of Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu, He Yu summoned his guandao. He slammed the metal end-cap into the flagstones. The sound crashed over the plaza like thunder, and in an instant the weight of dozens of cultivators¡¯ attention descended upon him.


    ¡°Wang Xiaobo! Xin Lu! I declare you both bandits and cowards! You have spent over a year depriving your juniors of resources, weakening the sect in the process. You have pursued a petty grudge against disciples who are no threat to you. You have demeaned yourselves by bullying your juniors. Swear before us all that you will cease this pursuit, or defend your honor against those you have wronged.¡±


    Wang Xiaobo laughed. He made no move to draw his weapon, or even right himself from where he leaned against a tree. ¡°Cease your barking, peasant dog.¡±


    Next to him, Xin Lu frowned. Unlike Wang Xiaobo, he did call forth his weapon. He planted the end of his double halberd on the flagstones and lifted his chin. With an unwavering gaze, he met He Yu.


    ¡°Then you admit your cowardice?¡± Li Heng demanded.


    A murmur passed through the gathered disciples. With the obvious difference in cultivation, there was a certain amount of leeway that could be afforded here. Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu could wave off an insult or two. He Yu and Li Heng could make a declaration and simply leave if it weren¡¯t answered. But should they continue to press the issue, the longer that the more senior disciples allowed it to pass, the worse they looked.


    ¡°I admit nothing,¡± Wang Xiaobo said. Now he pushed off the tree and took a step forward. ¡°You dare accuse us? I will be gracious, as you are still young. Leave now, and we will forget this insult.¡±


    Xin Lu leaned over and muttered something into Wang Xiaobo¡¯s ear. Wang Xiaobo shot him a glare before turning back to Li Heng and He Yu. Those gathered mostly watched.


    There were, however, a few jeers thrown at the two late-stage Golden Cores.


    ¡°You have deprived us of advancement resources because you fear what we could become,¡± He Yu said. ¡°You push around your juniors because you were incapable of defending yourself against this disciple¡¯s master. You scrabble in the grass because you lack the ability to reach for the heavens.¡±


    ¡°Wang Xiaobo,¡± came a shout from the crowd. ¡°You would let this whelp speak to you like that? Teach them a lesson before they step all over your pride.¡±


    A chorus of agreement rose from the gathered onlookers. He Yu had to fight back both his smile and his nerves. Now that the crowd had turned on them, Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu would have no choice but to answer the challenge.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Wang Xiaobo took another step forward, his jian falling into his hand. ¡°Remember, Junior Brother He, you brought this upon yourself. You challenged our honor and our pride, and you demanded that we face you.¡±


    Wordlessly, Xin Lu joined Wang Xiaobo, and four presences broke across the plaza.


    Wang Xiaobo was a blade, gleaming in the diffuse light of the Shrouded Peaks. Metal and killing intent blended to the now-familiar cold and sharp sensation that marked the presence of many higher-level cultivators. Water rushed out from Wang Xiaobo, the secondary and lesser of his aspects. It was still powerful, as was only fitting for a late Fourth Realm expert.


    When Xin Lu joined his sword brother, he brought fire and heaven with him. Once more, his double halberd took on the shimmering golden-red glow that it had previously, as he infused the weapon with his techniques. Heat radiated out from him, and arcs of heaven qi crawled over his soldier¡¯s garb. The sensation of unfiltered rage was joined by his killing intent. It was clear that Xin Lu and Wang Xiaobo weren¡¯t going to make this easy.


    Except, He Yu thought, they both seemed far less intimidating than they had the last time. He couldn¡¯t be certain. The rush of blood in his ears and trembling anticipation made him want to surge forward and throw himself against these two in a clash of techniques.


    Li Heng¡¯s presence brought the biting cold of winter. The sky flickered, turned black, and then the world was bathed in silver. Hoarfrost crept out from where Li Heng stood, coating the flagstones white. White like the snow-lit field of his spirit. The temperature dropped, and He Yu could swear that¡ªfor the briefest moment¡ªLi Heng¡¯s spirit actually overpowered Xin Lu¡¯s. Some of the nearby onlookers backed off as the hems of their robes gathered a coating of frost. They had to flex their own spirits to hold back Li Heng¡¯s expanding presence. Far above, He Yu thought he could almost make out an image of the taiji, slowly rotating in a dark starry sky.


    Finally, it was He Yu¡¯s turn. With his presence came the storm. The slate-colored sky over the sect turned black. The smooth, featureless mist churned and seemed to boil as the clouds became turbulent and violent. Rain pattered against the flagstones, and another chorus of murmurs arose from the onlookers. A jagged finger of heavenly qi reached down. It touched He Yu¡¯s guandao, and the brilliance of heaven exploded with a roar of thunder. The wind howled and drove the rain. Heaven crawled along his clothes and his weapon.


    With an explosion of power, the four cultivators met in a clash of techniques.

 4.31 - Talent and Experience

    He Yu blasted forward on the wings of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Heaven qi surged around him as he poured his cultivation base into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. He drew back his guandao, and the Five Crescent Winds warped the world. Forming the Sweeping Wind along with Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade, he swept the polearm before him. Wind and heaven howled and crashed. A crackling golden blade extended from his guandao, doubling his reach.


    Wang Xiaobo met He Yu¡¯s attack with techniques of his own. The late Golden Core¡¯s skin took on a sheen similar to He Yu¡¯s. A rain of metal poured forth; a thousand blades pointed at He Yu¡¯s heart. Wang Xiaobo¡¯s technique twisted around He Yu¡¯s formation of the Sweeping Wind. Heaven and metal screamed. Water churned, and wind howled. Their clash was brief; a storm broke over the plaza. The fresh scent of rain and the pungent scent of lightning gave way to something more acrid¡ªthat of twisted and burned metal.


    ¡°Should have killed you when I had the chance,¡± Wang Xiaobo said through gritted teeth, his features a snarl of rage and his eyes gleaming with hatred.


    He Yu said nothing. He only renewed his assault.


    Off to the side, Li Heng battled Xin Lu. The older cultivator¡¯s double halberd crackled with heaven as he launched into a powerful flurry of strikes. Li Heng met all of them, turning them aside as though they were nothing. The silver light of the Winter Moon Reflection blazed like the midday sun.


    Li Heng flashed back with the White Hare Dance, appearing just outside Xin Lu¡¯s reach. He pointed his jian at Xin Lu and released the gathered power. A brilliant stream of silver light gushed off his blade. The gathered onlookers had to shield their eyes.


    The world turned white as an unnatural winter fell over the plaza. When Li Heng¡¯s release of the Winter Moon Reflection finished, everything went dark. A dusting of snow was the only indication of what Li Heng had done. He Yu had fought with him enough times to know what came next. Under the pale light of a full moon, five black scars opened on the world. Opened frostbitten wounds on Xin Lu¡¯s back.


    Xin Lu spun his double halberd and called forth a twisting cyclone that blazed with heaven and flame. With a one-handed backstroke, he brought his weapon down, only to meet Li Heng¡¯s jian. Their clash renewed, ice and flame ebbed and flowed, as the two exchanged blows, techniques, and wounds.


    The Peerless Judgment screamed a warning in He Yu¡¯s mind. Through the raw speed granted by the three pillars of his body enforcement, He Yu twisted. Wang Xiaobo¡¯s jian slid forward, a thrust that would have pierced his throat, barely missing his mark. Wang Xiaobo¡¯s killing intent pressed down upon him with that attack.


    ¡°I should have known you¡¯d dishonor yourself like this,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Imbuing your strikes with that much killing intent in a duel for honor? No wonder Master Zhang had to whip you like a dog.¡±


    The taunt had its intended effect. Wang Xiaobo roared, launching into another flurry of attacks. He Yu beat them back. The Spring Rain Mirror flashed into being and turned away a thrust. He called the Bracing Wind and blasted away a hundred metal barbs. Wang Xiaobo activated some movement technique, his form blurring as each motion flowed into the next in the way of a water cultivator.


    He Yu had spent hundreds of hours training against a water cultivator¡ªWang Xiaobo was no Zhang Lifen.


    Curling his left hand into a fist, He Yu cycled the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. Along with whatever other heaven qi he could muster, he poured it all into a single blow. It was something he¡¯d seen Zhang Lifen do enough times. Something he¡¯d trained in for a month before advancing. Another layer of the intended lesson settled into place. There was no reason a cultivator should rely solely on their techniques. When an opportunity presented itself, take it.


    He Yu ducked beneath Wang Xiaobo¡¯s incoming strike. The thrust passed just over his shoulder. His fist slammed into Wang Xiaobo¡¯s gut. He Yu released the gathered heaven qi as a spike, punched right above Wang Xiaobo¡¯s navel. The other cultivator¡¯s spirit went wild.


    Water hissed away to steam, and metal twisted and blackened. Wang Xiaobo stumbled backward and screamed¡ªhalf in pain, half in fury. He was far from out of the fight, but He Yu could tell he¡¯d dealt a serious blow. Although his presence already reasserted itself, it still flickered as though He Yu¡¯s heaven qi still cycled through Wang Xiaobo¡¯s meridians. Still disrupted the flow of Wang Xiaobo¡¯s own qi.


    A blazing mass of heat and lighting fell like a dying star. He Yu didn¡¯t need to turn. Didn¡¯t need to see. He pulled himself to the side with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, twisting to face the now-smoking crater where he¡¯d just been standing. Xin Lu stood in the center of a ruined mass of flagstones, the ones closest to him partially melted and glowing a furious dull red. Never taking his eyes off He Yu, he reached down and pulled Wang Xiaobo to his feet.


    ¡°You dare,¡± Xin Lu said. His voice was quiet, angry, and deadly. ¡°You strike at my brother¡¯s cultivation base? I, Xin Lu, swear that I will not rest until I claim your head.¡±


    Wang Xiaobo¡¯s spirit had now fully recovered. The feeling of metal and water returned to its smooth, glistening sheen. Wang Xiaobo¡¯s movements once again became fluid and controlled. ¡°And you have the audacity to call me a coward?¡± He practically spat as he asked the question.


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    The sharpness in both their spirits spiked as their combined killing intent turned on He Yu. Li Heng appeared next to him, and He Yu was glad for it. Together, the combined attention of two late Fourth Realms was almost too much to bear on his own.


    ¡°My grandfather would attack,¡± Li Heng murmured next to him.


    Li Heng had told He Yu of his time training with Old Guo. ¡°Yes, he would,¡± He Yu said.


    They moved as one. Since coming to the sect almost four years ago, He Yu and Li Heng had trained together constantly. Thousands of hours¡¯ worth of familiarity gave them the ability to act in concert. Training against someone allowed you to fight alongside them. It wasn¡¯t until they clashed with Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu that He Yu remembered the two of them would have spent even longer training together.


    The two late Fourth Realms fought like they were of a single mind. Li Heng would flash behind Xin Lu, only for Wang Xiaobo to appear and turn his blade away. He Yu would rush towards Wang Xiaobo, only for Xin Lu to place himself and his halberd in his path. When the two of them attacked, they would cover for their weaknesses¡ªXin Lu adding his reach to Wang Xiaobo, and Wang Xiaobo covering inside Xin Lu¡¯s guard. Their teamwork was impeccable.


    Xin Lu loomed over He Yu, a raging tempest of heavenly fury and blazing heat. His double halberd slammed down. He Yu caught the blade on his own weapon¡¯s haft. Heaven exploded from the impact, and the flagstones beneath He Yu cracked. By now, many of the onlookers had retreated to the furthest edge of the plaza. Even then, they cycled their own cultivation bases as a precaution. Unlike the training fields or the tournament, there were no formations here. Nothing to protect from the raw power of four Golden Cores clashing.


    Pivoting on one foot, He Yu pushed aside his opponent¡¯s weapon. He had but a moment¡¯s opening¡ªone chance for a decisive blow. He took it. His guandao swept forward and up. A rising strike carrying wind and heaven. He aimed his blade at Xin Lu¡¯s neck. The older cultivator was too fast. He ducked to one side and grabbed the metal collar of He Yu¡¯s weapon just where the blade met the shaft. With a swift jerk, he pulled He Yu off-balance, and sent him stumbling. Xin Lu took a step back and slammed the butt of his halberd into the ruined flagstones at his feet.


    ¡°I am Xin Lu,¡± the older cultivator said. ¡°Son of Baron Xin Yaozu. Inheritor of the Blazing Star Cultivation Law. Witness my power. Witness the Seven Sundered Skies.¡±


    Xin Lu reached forward with an outstretched hand. His presence expanded, dominating all other aspects in the plaza. Above, the sky turned to night. The stars fell. They descended upon the lands below, slamming into the earth in a rain of fire. He Yu fought against Xin Lu¡¯s presence, cycling his whole cultivation base. He focused his intent on his purpose¡ªhis resolve to stand against two cultivators stronger than himself who had tried to wrong him. His spirit moved as it resonated with his Wayborn Seed, cycling more easily as it tapped more fully into his connection to his way.


    He Yu pushed his perception through the sudden spike in Xin Lu¡¯s presence. Xin Lu floated dozens of feet above him, one hand outstretched to the sky. A blazing sphere of heaven and flame gathered power above him, already more than a dozen feet across. As more qi gathered in Xin Lu¡¯s technique, the older cultivator¡¯s presence flared once more.


    The stars continued to fall. The world below burned, and heaven poured its wrath onto the already devastated land. It became difficult to even stand in the face of such might. But at the edges of He Yu¡¯s perception, he caught the whisper of a truth¡ªa hint that he¡¯d never before noticed.


    He turned the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment upon Xin Lu. He peered deep into his opponent¡¯s spirit. Xin Lu had no Wayborn Seed. He had no ease¡ªno assistance¡ªfrom the Eternal Dao. He yet struggled to understand his own nature. If Wang Xiaobo was in a similar position, that would be the clearest path to victory.


    He Yu and Li Heng both had formed their own Wayborn Seeds, after all.


    Xin Lu released his technique. The blazing sun crashed down, and He Yu poured everything he had into every one of his techniques. The Spring Rain Mirror appeared before him, small and pathetic looking before the descending red and gold cataclysm. He formed the Bracing Wind, pushing qi into the technique in a desperate attempt to somehow cushion against the attack. He cycled the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, taking what bolstering he could from a body enforcement made mostly for speed. Activating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, he dashed back and away, threading the needle the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed him.


    When Xin Lu¡¯s technique¡ªthe Seven Sundered Skies¡ªfinally slammed into the ground, it released an explosion of heaven and fire. Heat washed over He Yu, and he could feel the telltale spikes of pain from the technique¡¯s heaven aspect. Grabbing hold of the rioting qi best he could, he sought to overwhelm Xin Lu¡¯s fire with his own water. He sought to wrest control of Xin Lu¡¯s heaven, and claim it for his own.


    The storm battled the falling star. Qi raged at the edge of control. The flagstones beneath He Yu cracked and then shattered¡ªat least what was left of them by this point. The earth turned molten and red. The sky, blackened with a shifting collision of storm clouds and midnight, flashed with the brilliance of heaven.


    In the end, it was too much. The star crashed down upon He Yu. His skin burned, and heaven spiked through his meridians. It was like his tribulation compacted into a single moment, but worse. Distantly, he heard himself scream. He stumbled, one knee cracking against the ruined, naked earth.


    A strong grip caught him. Hauled him to his feet. He cracked open one eye. Li Heng was there, looking about as rough as He Yu felt. But his ancestral jian shone like a thousand winter moons.


    ¡°Get up,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t handle them both on my own.¡±


    He Yu stood, and looked to where a similar scene played out on the far side of the plaza. Wang Xiaobo helped Xin Lu to his feet. Xin Lu¡¯s spirit was noticeably weaker than it had been a moment ago¡ªit seemed that attack had taken quite a bit out of him. As Xin Lu used the momentary lull in the fight to take a medicinal pill, He Yu did the same.


    ¡°Xin Lu doesn¡¯t have a Wayborn Seed,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s going to be enough on its own, but it¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you can figure out a way to use that, I¡¯ll hear it,¡± Li Heng said. There was a strain to his words that told He Yu all he needed.


    Any path to victory would push the both of them to their limits.

 4.32 - A Score Settled

    As he helped Xin Lu to his feet, Wang Xiaobo couldn¡¯t believe his very eyes. How could two middle Fourth Realm children stand against them? They weren¡¯t the top-ranked outer sect disciples, sure, but being in the top one hundred was no small feat. It had been decades since Zhang Lifen had become a core disciple, and both of them had spent much of that time reflecting on the lessons learned at her hands.


    Li Heng was less than half Wang Xiaobo¡¯s age, and as much as it pained him to admit it, a superior swordsman. He may not have Wang Xiaobo¡¯s experience, killing intent, or density of qi, but Li Heng¡¯s technique was the finest he¡¯d ever seen. Including other disciples in the top one hundred of the inner sect. He wielded his jian like a master of five hundred years.


    Then there was He Yu. How could a mere child who¡¯d only just reached the middle Fourth Realm stand up to Xin Lu¡¯s Seven Sundered Skies? Sure, He Yu was an utter mess, but Xin Lu could barely form that technique¡ªhe wasn¡¯t in much better shape. What should have been an easy victory had somehow turned into a war of attrition. One that Wang Xiaobo wasn¡¯t certain they could win anymore.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, ¡°we can¡¯t give them time to recover.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Xin Lu bit down on his medicine with a crunch. Immediately, his flagging presence reasserted itself. At least his attack had taken enough out of those two that they couldn¡¯t follow up on Lu¡¯s momentary weakness.


    A burst of frost was the only warning Wang Xiaobo had. Li Heng stepped out from nothing with that movement technique of his. The blade of his jian was little more than a few wisps of frozen mist as he launched his attack. Wang Xiaobo cycled the Iron Blood Sutra. His skin turned as hard as iron forged by a master smith, reinforced by his potent metal-aspected qi.


    It wasn¡¯t enough. Cold seeped into his flesh. It wasn¡¯t painful¡ªnot quite. It was worse. The five rents in his robe showed the effects of Li Heng¡¯s technique. The flesh beneath turned black and necrotic. Frostbitten. He cycled what qi he could spare to heal the damage, but that was all the attention he could afford. A series of thrusts and cuts put him on the back foot as Li Heng launched into an aggressive assault. Wang Xiaobo had thought that he¡¯d taken Li Heng¡¯s measure. The Li¡¯s arts were defensive. Passive. Reflective. Where was this coming from?


    As Wang Xiaobo pushed himself to the edge of his ability to beat back Li Heng¡¯s attacks, winter fell over the sect. Hoarfrost spread across the ground, coating the earth and what was left of the plaza in ice. The trees at the edges withered and died. Even some of those still watching the fight shivered and stamped their feet. How could he have such an overwhelming presence already?


    Xin Lu slammed down on top of Li Heng. The explosion of heaven and flame warmed the frozen earth. Ice melted, then turned to steam. Wang Xiaobo leaned into the decades of practicing with his sworn brother and attacked.


    A blue disk of water qi, no larger than the palm of his hand, appeared in the path of his sword. The disk turned away his blade. Wang Xiaobo grimaced.


    ¡°You shame yourselves, the both of you,¡± He Yu said as he rushed forward, his guandao held before him like a spear.


    Wang Xiaobo said nothing. Not because he had nothing to say. Quite the opposite. He¡¯d always prided himself on his ability to taunt his opponents in duels. He was quite the poet, after all. No, he said nothing because he was afraid that should he speak, his voice would betray just how close he was to the edge of his ability.


    Instead, he activated the Thousand Blades Rain. His primary art carried equal aspects of metal and water. It was fluid, graceful, and strong. Like the movements of a mighty river. It was also a gleaming-sharp instrument of precision. Like the jian it supported.


    Somehow, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    The countless blades formed by the art all fell upon He Yu as one, from a thousand sides. What he couldn¡¯t deflect, he dodged or endured. Wang Xiaobo forgot himself for a moment and cursed. How could He Yu have gained so much ability with only the move from early to middle? As much as he hated to admit it¡ªthey were more or less on equal footing.


    He Yu came at him like a storm. Wind howled around him, whipping rain and stray strands of hair into Wang Xiaobo¡¯s eyes. Lightning cracked and thunder roared. The guandao gleamed in the fading afternoon light, reflecting the flickers of heaven that filled the entire plaza. Rain soaked Wang Xiaobo¡¯s hair and clothes.


    And through it all, He Yu slammed attack after attack against him.


    His arms grew heavy and tired. His meridians ached with the strain, and his core felt emptier than it ever had. It was only a matter of time before he faltered. The only question that remained to be answered was whether He Yu would have to experience or the qi to press the advantage. What had started as a fight Wang Xiaobo had been certain he¡¯d win had turned into one that he only hoped he could turn into a draw.


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    *    *    *


    Wang Xiaobo¡¯s jian flashed. Metal and water qi bloomed out from the late Fourth Realm as he poured his faltering reserves into one last, desperate gambit. He Yu saw the shape of the attack with the clarity of an emperor. The Spring Rain Mirror turned the attack away. The countless echoes of metal qi turned with it. Wang Xiaobo was out of position and open for a span of time that could fit between heartbeats. For a cultivator of the Fourth Realm, it was all He Yu needed.


    The metal cap of his guandao slammed into the side of Wang Xiaobo¡¯s head. The older cultivator stumbled. He Yu struck at the wrist holding his sword. Wang Xiaobo screamed as dozens of tiny bones shattered and another spike of heaven qi punched through his meridians. The jian clattered to the ground.


    In an instant Xin Lu was there, the fury of his presence saying more than words ever could. But Wang Xiaobo was effectively out of the fight. He Yu caught Xin Lu¡¯s attack on his guandao and kicked Wang Xiaobo¡¯s jian off into the crowd.


    Moonlight flashed, and Li Heng appeared behind Xin Lu. The five black scars of the Darkmoon Strife opened, and Xin Lu¡¯s face twisted in pain. Still, he continued his attack. Two polearms flashed as their blades sent sparks of heaven showering onto the plaza. The area they¡¯d been fighting in was utterly ruined. The flagstones were cracked and broken¡ªlittle more than rubble at this point. Many had been melted to slag or encased in ice. More still were blackened by the touch of heaven. He Yu¡¯s rain had turned to ice under Li Heng¡¯s marching winter.


    He Yu tapped his Wayborn Seed, moving with the ease and certainty granted by his Way. Next to him, Li Heng did likewise. By now it was clear their connections to their Way would decide the fight. Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu may be more experienced, but they were more or less on equal footing in terms of their raw power. How they could have advanced so far without either of them forming a Wayborn Seed of their own, He Yu couldn¡¯t fathom.


    As Xin Lu beat back a combined assault from guandao and jian, Wang Xiaobo launched a flying kick at He Yu. Without missing a step, He Yu turned the attack aside with the Spring Rain Mirror. He grabbed Wang Xiaobo by the ankle and simply tossed him at Xin Lu. The two of them tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs¡ªtheir faltering presences told He Yu all he needed to know.


    Li Heng stepped through winter and stood above them both. With a single decisive thrust, he drove his jian into the thick muscle of Xin Lu¡¯s thigh. He Yu landed next to them with a heavy blast of wind and rain. His foot slammed down on Xin Lu¡¯s wrist. A moment later, he used the butt of his guandao to send Xin Lu¡¯s weapon clattering away.


    ¡°Yield,¡± Xin Lu said. The word was strained with anger and pain alike.


    Wang Xiaobo struggled to stand. He Yu placed the point of his guandao at his neck. The older cultivator sagged, then let himself fall to the ground. He rolled over onto his back and said nothing as he stared into the sky¡ªrage and shame doing battle across his features.


    ¡°Empty your storage treasures,¡± He Yu said. For the first time since joining the sect, he didn¡¯t feel bad about taking his sect brothers for all they were worth.


    A veritable mountain of spirit stones, medicines and elixirs, and still more exciting treasures tumbled to the flagstones. Li Heng stooped down and picked up a scripted pill box. Cracking it open, potent qi filled the air. He snapped the lid shut and shook his head.


    ¡°Well, this should begin to make up for all the resources taken from us over the past year,¡± he said.


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± He Yu said, scooping up a handful of spirit stones and sending them to his storage treasure. ¡°They¡¯ve been starving me for far longer.¡±


    As they sorted through the lucre, something caught He Yu¡¯s eye. A silver mirror in an eight-sided bronze frame lay among the other goods. The outside of the frame was inscribed with the eight trigrams. It didn¡¯t take an expert to see it was some sort of divinatory treasure. He picked it up.


    ¡°What do you make of this?¡± he asked Li Heng.


    ¡°Probably how they beat us to that first assignment I took on our behalf.¡±


    If that was the case, then it likely was a divinatory treasure. ¡°I¡¯m taking it. I think it could be of use.¡±


    Li Heng nodded, understanding passing between them. Over the course of the past winter, there had been little progress against the court. Most notably, the court¡¯s Emissary still eluded them despite the demon core in their possession. The mirror was clearly of magnificent quality¡ªa treasure among treasures, if He Yu were to guess. At the very least, turning it over to the sect would be worth a try. He Yu had little use for it himself, and at the very least he might get some contribution points for his trouble.


    To Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu he said, ¡°I consider our grudge settled. I am not Zhang Lifen. If you leave me to my peace, I will leave you to yours. If you seek to obstruct me again, I will muster all I have at my disposal to oppose you.¡± The implication of his words were clear. This time, it had only been Li Heng and himself. Next time, it would be everyone and everything he could bring to bear. Not to mention the fact that it appeared Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu were at a bottleneck, and He Yu still had the rest of the Fourth Realm before him.


    ¡°We won¡¯t forget this,¡± Wang Xiaobo said, his expression as angry as it was defiant.


    ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± He Yu said, scooping the last of the spirit stones and medicines into his storage treasure. He and Li Heng could divide their spoils at one of their homes¡ªaway from the greedy eyes of any onlookers.


    Although he didn¡¯t think anyone would try attacking them just now. Aside from the fact that doing so immediately following a duel was terrible form, He Yu and Li Heng had just beaten a pair of inner disciples a stage above them. If anything, they should be free from any attacks for some time. Especially once word of the fight got around¡ªwhich would take hours, at most.


    As they made their way back to Li Heng¡¯s home, the closer of the two, He Yu allowed the fatigue of the day to settle over him. He popped one of his restorative pills, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Heng do the same.


    ¡°Did we really just do that?¡± he asked, the reality of their victory finally sinking in.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I hadn¡¯t lived it myself,¡± Li Heng admitted. ¡°A feat worthy of legend, if you ask me.¡±


    He Yu clapped his friend on the shoulder. A feat worthy of legend, for sure.

 4.33 - Eight-Sided Mirror

    After divvying up the spoils of their fight, He Yu left Li Heng to cultivate and set off to pay a visit to Yan Shirong. He wanted to learn what the eight-sided mirror they¡¯d taken from Wang Xiaobo could do. It was clearly a divinatory treasure of some sort. Mirrors were frequently used for divination, and the trigram inscriptions around the frame were another strong clue. If there was anyone He Yu knew and trusted that could shed some light on a treasure like this, it was Yan Shirong.


    On his way to Yan Shirong¡¯s home, he passed through the plaza where the fight had taken place. Although night had fallen in the time since, it was easy to see the sect had been busy. The damage had been repaired, and He Yu wouldn¡¯t have known the plaza had been all but ruined just hours prior if he hadn¡¯t been a part of ruining it.


    When Yan Shirong ushered him inside, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but notice the changes to his presence.


    ¡°Fourth Realm?¡± he asked, as they each took a seat in the courtyard.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Close, though. Half a step, if I might brag a bit.¡±


    Ever since forming his Wayborn Seed, Yan Shirong¡¯s presence had become far more defined. As much as He Yu wanted to be excited for him, the changes were unsettling. The most prominent effect was that Yan Shirong seemed to be a bit blurry if He Yu wasn¡¯t looking directly at him. Like he was made of smoke and shadow rather than flesh and blood. He also felt as though he was being watched¡ªlike dozens of pairs of invisible eyes peered at him from every little nook or cranny that could hide some umbral watcher. It was more than a bit unsettling.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Yan Shirong said, ¡°I take it this isn¡¯t a social visit? I expected you and Li Heng would either be half-passed out from your celebrations or sequestered in your cultivation chambers after today¡¯s excitement.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± He Yu didn¡¯t comment on the fact Yan Shirong already knew of what had happened that afternoon. Word would have traveled quickly regardless¡ªan unofficial fight like that among four Golden Core disciples wasn¡¯t anything that happened frequently. Less so one where two talented juniors emerged victorious in the way He Yu and Li Heng had.


    Withdrawing the mirror from his storage treasure, He Yu placed it before Yan Shirong. ¡°I need to know what this is, and what it can do. I have my suspicions, but I want to be sure.¡±


    Yan Shirong picked up the mirror and turned it over in his hands. ¡°Clearly a device for scrying. Divination. That much I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve guessed already.¡±


    He Yu said he had.


    ¡°It¡¯s well made. And powerful,¡± he said. ¡°Give me a moment.¡±


    Two pairs of eyes manifested above either of Yan Shirong¡¯s shoulders and peered down at the mirror as he turned his full concentration towards it. He Yu could sense the flows of shadow qi around both Yan Shirong and the mirror as he worked whatever technique or talent he had to discern the treasure¡¯s secrets. It only took a few moments. Yan Shirong handed the mirror back to He Yu with a nod, and the eyes above his shoulders puffed away to smoke.


    ¡°Nothing particularly notable about it, at least not in its function,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°As you suspected, it is a divinatory treasure. The only thing remarkable about it, aside from the craftsmanship that went into it, is its power.¡± He turned the mirror over, showing its reverse side to He Yu. After sending a trickle of qi into the mirror, the previously blank back side glowed with an intricate formation script. ¡°This here is the real prize, so to speak. The script allows the mirror to pierce concealing techniques. Efforts to evade the mirror are more or less pointless. Once the mirror is attuned to someone or something, it¡¯s nearly impossible to hide from it.¡±


    The mirror could be the key to finding the court¡¯s Emissary, Kong Huizhong. The potential was obvious¡ªthe only question was how. He Yu didn¡¯t have any talent for divination himself, and he didn¡¯t think Yan Shirong would be of much help either. As impressive as his abilities were, Yan Shirong was still only at Body Refining. But the sect must have someone who could use a treasure like this. Assuming, of course, they didn¡¯t already have something similar.


    ¡°This could be what we need to finally strike a death-blow to the Sunset Court,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d say something like that,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? I thought you wanted to see them gone from the empire, too.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°But you remember what happened in the west. And at the workshop.¡± He fell silent for a moment, and when he continued, there was a gravity to his voice that He Yu had never heard from him before. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel we¡¯re in over our heads. I know you¡¯re all set on becoming a legend, but how many up-and-coming legends never make it? How many put themselves in situations they can¡¯t deal with? I feel like we¡¯re in one of those situations rather than something more, I don¡¯t know, manageable.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stick around if you don¡¯t want to,¡± He Yu said.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Yan Shirong waved him off. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. I told you before we even went to the wilds that I was in. I swore to Elder Cai just like the rest of you. Despite my misgivings, I have a duty to you and the others, the sect, my family. The empire. I guess I just want you to be careful, is all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± He Yu said, taking the mirror and standing.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Yan Shirong said with a laugh. ¡°Anyway, congratulations on dealing with Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu. I¡¯m sure now that you¡¯re not being choked out of resources, you¡¯ll reach the Fifth Realm inside a year, or something equally absurd.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a long way from Nascent Soul,¡± He Yu said as he left. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know what happens with the mirror.¡±


    It took him a bit to figure out how best to handle the next steps. He wandered through the inner sect as he turned over the possibilities in his head. Eventually, he settled on taking the mirror to Zhang Lifen. She knew far more of the workings of the sect than he did, and she could ensure the mirror got into the right hands. He supposed that he could have taken it to Yi Xiurong all the same, but he honestly didn¡¯t like the first-ranked core disciple all that much. He¡¯d rather not deal with her if he didn¡¯t have to.


    Thankfully, Zhang Lifen was home. She admitted him with a knowing smile. Of course she¡¯d already know about the fight.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected you to challenge them so soon,¡± she said once they¡¯d taken their seats and she set out tea for them both. ¡°Impressive, pulling out a victory against them.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll leave me alone now?¡± he asked. This wasn¡¯t why he¡¯d come, but since she¡¯d broached the subject, he may as well make use of her familiarity with Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu.


    ¡°They¡¯ll certainly need to spend some time licking their wounds after today. Whether they cause trouble for you in the future,¡± she shrugged, ¡°who can say? Now, I suspect that you¡¯re here for some purpose other than to gloat.¡±


    He withdrew the mirror from his storage treasure and placed it before her. After he¡¯d explained what it was, she picked it up and turned it over briefly.


    ¡°You were right to bring this to us,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve no guess where Wang Xiaobo could have gotten such a treasure, but this should prove most useful.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it will allow us to finally track down the Emissary?¡±


    ¡°It will certainly allow us to do something. If the mirror functions as Yan Shirong says, the first challenge will be to attune it to Kong Huizhong. I¡¯m no expert in divination, but I imagine Yi Xiurong will find some use for this. Here, give me your stamp.¡±


    He Yu produced the jade stamp that tracked his contribution points. Zhang Lifen pushed some of her qi into it before handing it back to him. When he checked his total, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.


    ¡°The mirror is worth that much?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Surely,¡± Zhang Lifen answered. ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t allow us to find the Emissary, it¡¯s quite the treasure. The sect will benefit from it greatly. I don¡¯t think anyone in a position to disagree would say otherwise.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We wait. I¡¯ll have to turn this over to Yi Xiurong, and she¡¯ll figure out what we do with it. If it allows us to find the Emissary, I imagine you¡¯ll have even more contribution points coming your way. My guess is that Yi Xiurong will want to deal with the Emissary herself. As far as you¡¯ve come, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll be of much use against him.¡± She gave him an appraising look, as if she were making her mind up about something. After a moment, she continued. ¡°I could, however, try and convince her to let you come along. It¡¯s not uncommon for lower-ranked disciples to act a support in these types of situations. It would be like bringing Third Realms along on your own strike teams.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯d more or less be on your own. She wouldn¡¯t be able to spare any attention to protect you. If you got caught in an exchange of techniques, you¡¯d almost certainly die. But,¡± she said, giving him a knowing smile, ¡°the opportunity to witness such a fight could provide a tremendous amount of insights you could then meditate on. It would certainly ease your path to late Golden Core, and may even help you when it came time to form your Nascent Soul.¡±


    ¡°Would she really let me come?¡± He Yu asked, almost unable to believe that Zhang Lifen would offer him an opportunity like this.


    ¡°She might,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°I may have to trade some favors, but it¡¯s a small price to pay for my only disciple.¡± She took on a more serious mien then, her eyes changing from their typical shifting cerulean to the color of the darkening sky just after nightfall. ¡°It would be dangerous,¡± she said. ¡°I meant what I said about a stray technique killing you. Kong Huizhong was approaching the late stage of Nascent Soul when I faced him. Ren Huang and I could only drive him off, and I suspect he held back a significant portion of his power when he faced us. Given his inclination towards secrecy, he likely didn¡¯t want to attract undue attention. If he¡¯d used the full extent of his power against Ren Huang and I, he may have caught notice from the other core disciples. Or perhaps an elder.¡±


    ¡°If I may ask, what exactly is Ren Huang¡¯s advancement?¡±


    ¡°He is in the late Fifth Realm.¡±


    He Yu considered for a moment. Zhang Lifen had been at the peak of Golden Core, and half a step into the Fifth Realm back then. As the sect¡¯s rising star and peerless talent, she was a considerable portion of the sect¡¯s strength, even back then. She¡¯d advanced immediately after the fight, and was now herself in the middle stage of Nascent Soul. That the two of them together had only driven Kong Huizhong off didn¡¯t bode well. Especially if her suspicions were correct and he hadn¡¯t fought with his full strength.


    But the opportunity. Zhang Lifen was right¡ªmerely witnessing such a battle would provide him with practical demonstrations of higher realm techniques. Anything he witnessed would be something he could learn from, and would thus ease his path forward. He¡¯d be a fool not to take the opportunity.


    ¡°If you can convince her,¡± he said, daring to hope.


    She gave him an approving smile. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Now go home and cultivate. You still haven¡¯t fully recovered from your struggle against Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu. You¡¯ll need to be in peak condition if you¡¯re to come along."


    Wasting no time, He Yu headed home. Over the next days he threw himself into training and cultivation, burning through a good portion of the resources he¡¯d taken from Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu. The only real break he took was to make a trip to the sect market. Most of the advancement resources he¡¯d looted weren¡¯t suitable for him, so he needed to sell what he couldn¡¯t use and buy elixirs that would be of greater use.


    A week passed in a flash. A messenger arrived from Yi Xiurong. The First Disciple had summoned him to a meeting the following morning. It seemed Zhang Lifen had made good on her word.

 4.34 - Tracking the Emissary

    He Yu could barely contain his excitement. As far as he¡¯d come in the past four years at the sect, this was beyond anything that he¡¯d ever imagined. Since he was a child, he¡¯d wanted nothing more than to step into the world of immortals, witness the deeds of legends, and perhaps become one himself. Now he would do just that.


    Upon arriving at Yi Xiurong¡¯s home, he found the First Disciple already waiting. Zhang Lifen was there, too. Trying his best to contain himself¡ªno mean feat in his eyes¡ªhe bowed over a salute.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done us a great service, Junior Brother He,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°The mirror you gave to Sect Sister Zhang, combined with the demon core you recovered, allowed us to finally pierce the obscuring techniques Kong Huizhong used to keep himself hidden.¡±


    Yi Xiurong spent a moment looking him over. The weight of her attention pressed down on him, and he wondered if perhaps he may have done something wrong. Maybe she suspected him of something, given how much he¡¯d provided. Maybe it was just a component of her nature and her Way. He Yu couldn¡¯t have said.


    ¡°Consider me impressed,¡± she said after the silence stretched out far longer that He Yu was comfortable with. ¡°When Sect Sister Zhang proposed that you come with us, I would have refused had it been anyone else. Clearly, you are an asset to the sect. As much as bringing you along represents a risk to your safety, I find myself in agreement with Sect Sister Zhang. The benefits to your development outweigh those risks.¡±


    He could have burst then. It took all the self-control he could muster to remain properly deferential. ¡°This one thanks Senior Sister for her consideration.¡±


    ¡°Good. Meet us at the sect gate in one hour. Take the time to gather whatever provisions you may need. We leave immediately after.¡±


    He Yu wasted no time. Although he kept most of his more potent restoratives with him these days, he still used his old storage treasure as a hidden stash. After grabbing a few extra mid-grade spirit stones and some elixirs, he made his way to the sect gate.


    As he passed through the outer sect, he caught the rumors that were already spreading. Two core disciples? And one of them, the First Disciple herself? Speculation was rampant. When He Yu joined Yi Xiurong and Zhang Lifen, he couldn¡¯t help but smile at the renewed murmur around them. He didn¡¯t have time to bask in it, though. Yi Xiurong gave a sharp nod, and they were off.


    Yi Xiurong¡¯s flying treasure manifested from her storage. The peacock feather floated a hand span above the ground, and its vibrant iridescence shimmered even in the diffuse light of the Shrouded Peaks. It held a spiritual weight not dissimilar to Zhang Lifen¡¯s bow, and He Yu was dying to ask if it had any other capabilities beyond flight. Not as though flight wasn¡¯t impressive enough on its own.


    Placing first one slippered foot on the peacock feather, then the other, Yi Xiurong floated toward heaven. ¡°I trust you¡¯ll be able to keep up,¡± she said down to He Yu. ¡°I¡¯m aware of your limits, but I will not tolerate anything less than your all.¡± Qi gathered around her, and she shot off to the northeast.


    Zhang Lifen gave him a reassuring smile. ¡°She¡¯s not all bad,¡± she said, before adding, ¡°just mostly.¡± With a curl of mist, Zhang Lifen activated her movement technique, and followed Yi Xiurong. He Yu¡¯s perception was now at a level that he could track her with only a little difficulty. She was still remarkably fast, and his eyes seemed to slide off her when she used the technique.


    He Yu activated Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and leaped dozens of feet into the air. Catching himself with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, he shot after Zhang Lifen and the First Disciple. Thankfully, the two of them kept their pace slow enough that he caught up to them before long, but that wouldn¡¯t last. As soon as he drew close enough to almost touch the hem of Yi Xiurong¡¯s gown, she increased her speed to match his. Zhang Lifen did likewise.


    They traveled for several days like that, with He Yu pushed to the absolute edge of his speed. When Yi Xiurong finally called a halt, he only had a couple hours in which to restore himself. He pulled one of the mid-grade stones and an elixir from his storage treasure and settled in to cultivate. At the very moment he¡¯d restored himself to the state he¡¯d been at when they left, Yi Xiurong ordered them to leave once again.


    For a little over a week, they traveled in this manner. They moved at the very limit of what He Yu was capable of for several days at a time, and then Yi Xiurong would call a stop. During their rests, they cultivated in silence. He Yu had gotten used to idle chats when he went somewhere with Zhang Lifen, but it quickly became clear the two core disciples didn¡¯t particularly care for one another. That gave the trip a somewhat frigid tension he¡¯s rather have done without.


    As they traveled, Yi Xiurong would periodically produce the mirror from her storage treasure. From atop her peacock feather, she would peer into it, then make adjustments to their course. The mirror itself had taken on a slightly black tinge at the edge of its bronze frame, and it gave off a weak impression that reminded He Yu of the demon core.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    After almost two weeks of travel, they came upon a small town. Formation stones ringed the edge, but He Yu couldn¡¯t detect any experts within. It most likely relied on maintenance from the sect to ensure the barrier held. Still a good way out from the town, Yi Xiurong called a halt.


    ¡°Take a pill. No time to cultivate,¡± she said. ¡°Kong Huizhong is close. Junior Brother He, take care. Remember, you are here to act as support. Should new enemies arrive, deal with them as you are able. Should any new arrivals be too much for you, inform Sect Sister Zhang. She will deal with them in that case. Otherwise, observe. You will only be a hindrance to us once we engage the Emissary. I¡¯m sure Sect Sister Zhang has already warned you, but I will repeat it¡ªshould you become involved the coming battle, you will die. See first to your own safety.¡±


    He Yu shot a glance toward the town. ¡°What about them?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What about them?¡± Yi Xiurong¡¯s expression was cold. Her voice betrayed no emotion. It was as if the very idea of consideration for the mortals in the town hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourself with them,¡± Zhang Lifen said with a shrug. ¡°Mortals die. That is a part of life.¡±


    For a moment, he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Didn¡¯t want to believe what he was hearing. After looking between his mentor and the First Disciple, it finally sank in. They were serious. They didn¡¯t care what¡ªif anything¡ªhappened to that village. To them, the lives of all within were utterly inconsequential.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it our duty to protect them?¡± He Yu asked. It was the only thing he could think of that would challenge their indifference without overstepping the bounds of rank and propriety.


    ¡°It is,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°But our mission takes precedence. The Emissary must be dealt with. If the battle crushes a town, that is unfortunate. But it is not different from a mortal stepping on a trail of ants while carrying water. Regrettable perhaps, but ultimately inconsequential.¡±


    That¡ªno. He couldn¡¯t accept that. But neither could he disagree. At least not now. Not here. Yi Xiurong was the sect¡¯s First Disciple. She was the highest ranked member of the sect other than the elders themselves. To disagree with her would be a grave insult. He Yu tried to keep his distress from showing. Given the sympathetic smile Zhang Lifen gave him, he hadn¡¯t done a very good job.


    ¡°You¡¯ll come to understand someday,¡± Zhang Lifen said.


    He Yu¡¯s Wayborn Seed twisted and recoiled. Although he said nothing as Zhang Lifen turned to confer with Yi Xiurong, he agreed with the flood of sensations he got from the seed. He wouldn¡¯t come to understand. Understanding wasn¡¯t his Way. It wasn¡¯t the path of a hero, nor a legend, nor the one he¡¯d set himself upon. As they moved in the direction Yi Xiurong indicated they¡¯d find the Emissary, He Yu cast one last glance to the town.


    They moved as quickly as they could while keeping their spirits restrained, making use of the bodies they forged for themselves during their time in the Third Realm. They moved far faster than even the swiftest of mortals, but far more slowly than they could. It was more to conserve whatever qi they could rather than mask their approach. Even with their presences reigned in, there was only so much they could do.


    Three mid-realm cultivators¡ªone Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Refining stage apiece¡ªwould weigh heavily on the world around them. Zhang Lifen¡¯s qi was the quietest, given the nature of her cultivation base. Even as a mere mid-Fourth Realm, He Yu carried the traces of the storm with him wherever he went. His movement flickered from place to place like distant lighting. The scent of fresh rain followed him everywhere, and faint currents of wind constantly eddied as he moved.


    Yi Xiurong was the loudest. Or, rather, the brightest. She seemed to shine, no matter how bright the day or dark the night. A sense of judgment hung around her, clinging to her gown and pressing down on the world, like the concept of severity and law personified. She was impossible to miss.


    As they drew ever closer to their destination, He Yu had to cycle his qi according to the Peerless Judgment. Excitement and apprehension did battle, as his heart felt ever more like a thundering drum in his chest. The reality of it all had finally sunk in. He was going to witness a battle out of legend. A battle that could kill him if he weren¡¯t careful. Easily, too. But he didn¡¯t care about that. All he could think of was how lucky he was. Not only to be living his dream, but also to bear witness to a clash that would surely provide valuable insight to his own cultivation.


    Somewhere ahead, perhaps over the next hill, lay the Emissary himself. Kong Huizhong. When He Yu finally felt his presence, it made his stomach turn. Fire and blood. Metal caked in rust-colored flakes, half-molten, and stinking of death. Anger, avarice, and hate. He Yu wanted to gag. Given the set of both Zhang Lifen¡¯s and Yi Xiurong¡¯s features, he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt it.


    They crested a hill. In the bare hollow below, He Yu finally laid eyes on the man he¡¯d first felt almost two years prior. The man King Hao¡¯s death had summoned, and He Yu had fled from with his friends. He hadn¡¯t really known what to expect. A tyrant? A monster? Certainly not what he saw.


    Kong Huizhong sat atop a broad, flat rock at the center of the hollow. A cleaver lay across his lap, fashioned of black metal and glistening red. The weapon was of similar length to a typical jian, but twice as broad and single-edged. The end was notched on the back side, like it had been damaged and left unrepaired. Like Yi Xiurong¡¯s peacock feather and Zhang Lifen¡¯s bow, it gave off a noticeable spiritual weight. The Emissary himself was dressed in a black robe embroidered with silver thread. Dragons decorated the sleeves and hems. His hair was held back in the fashion of cultivators. The crown hairpin he wore was set with a ruby and fashioned of a similar black metal as his weapon.


    He looked refined, if severe. His intense eyes stared at the three sect disciples from beneath a pair of fierce, sword-like eyebrows. He set his weapon on the rock next to him, stood, and saluted. His movements were slow and controlled. Everything about him spoke of confidence, power, and grace. He was, after all, at the peak of Nascent Soul.


    ¡°Get somewhere safe,¡± Zhang Lifen said. Her bow of black qilin horn fell into her hand. Although she kept herself restrained, He Yu could feel the shifting of her spirit. Qi moved through her meridians and into her bow.


    ¡°I had almost grown tired of waiting,¡± Kong Huizhong said, retrieving his weapon from the rock next to him. ¡°Shall we exchange pointers, disciples of the Shrouded Peaks?¡±

 4.35 - Water and Fire

    Zhang Lifen pushed her concern for He Yu from her thoughts. Both she and Yi Xiurong had warned him, and he knew what he was getting into. Although it had taken some convincing to persuade Yi Xiurong, one point in He Yu¡¯s favor from the beginning had been that she agreed with Zhang Lifen¡¯s assessment. He Yu could handle himself. If he got a bit banged up? It would be a valuable lesson.


    Now that she¡¯d learned Kong Huizhong had advanced since their last clash, Zhang Lifen couldn¡¯t spare a thought for anything but the coming battle. She knew this was dangerous for her, too. Yi Xiurong could handle him on her own, but how easily depended more on his demon core than anything else.


    ¡°Act as support,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°Allow me to deal with the brunt of his techniques.¡±


    Zhang Lifen nodded, more than happy to oblige. She hadn¡¯t yet forgotten the wounds suffered at his hands the last time they clashed. They may now stand in the same realm, but she wasn¡¯t so foolish to believe herself his equal just yet. After all, she had some measure of humility, however small.


    All three cultivators released their spirits at once. As was typical for battles of the higher realms, this was their first real exchange.


    Zhang Lifen let go of her typical restraint. Her normally calm demeanor dropped away as she became like the deep black waters. Her spirit surged with power and violence. No longer was she the stream that gently flowed around the stone. She was the deluge, the flood. She swept away villages, carved out valleys, and drenched the land.


    Into her presence, she released her killing intent. She was the silent black depths of the lake, the ocean. Her Wayborn Seed thrummed with the first nascent connections to her Dao of Grace. She was beauty, perfection. The perfect draw. The perfect release. The arrow that never missed.


    She cycled the Frost Lotus Incantation. Her meridians surged with power, as her immortal strength doubled, then doubled again and again. She drew back her bow¡ªa sacred treasure of ten-thousand year ebony and qilin horn. She formed the Heart Piercing Black Rain.


    Her presence crashed against the four-armed giant that stood before her. Gouts of steam hissed away from Kong Huizhong as water met flame and molten iron. His bloody spirit fought against hers and her waters turned crimson. Four cleavers, each laden with his killing intent, gleamed under a red sun. The wrongness in his spirit¡ªthe mark of his demon core¡ªhowled in anticipation. He carried death. Not the silent, serene death that Zhang Lifen promised, but a bloody and violent one.


    Kong Huizhong contained nothing but violence and rage. Possession, blood, and suffering. The metal-clad giant, slick with blood and dripping with gobs of molten iron, stepped forward. Four black arms raised four black cleavers. Red and gleaming with the desire to take lives borne from countless lives taken. Flames rolled over the hollow and the hills. Zhang Lifen shuddered involuntarily, and her stomach clenched at the feeling of Kong Huizhong¡¯s spirit.


    Finally, came Yi Xiurong. She brought a welcome reprieve from the promise of carnage that Kong Huizhong unleashed upon the field of battle. From atop her peacock feather, she stared down at them both. She was the personification of purity, of judgment. Brilliant radiant light burned away the water, the fire, the blood. Zhang Lifen¡¯s spirit faltered, flickered. She nearly lost hold of the Frost Lotus Incantation.


    Yi Xiurong was the brilliance of the empyrean. Fire and heaven combined into her aspect of radiance¡ªperhaps one of the rarest and most difficult aspects to cultivate. Its rewards were proportional to the effort.


    Her spirit slammed down on the world. Imposing the very essence of order upon Kong Huizhong and Zhang Lifen alike. In the brilliance of her light, the Emissary seemed to shrink back. One of his four arms lifted to shield his eyes. It was of no use.


    ¡°I am Yi Xiurong, First Disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Emissary of the Sunset Court, the will of heaven demands your death. Submit yourself to heaven¡¯s judgment or be destroyed.¡±


    The answer came in fire. Like a rising, bloody sun, Kong Huizhong met Yi Xiurong. Zhang Lifen had to pour qi into the Tidewalker Step to escape the explosion of power at their clash. Kong Huizhong fought with the fury and abandon possessed only by those fully pacted, only by those fully in control of their demon core.


    It wasn¡¯t enough.


    Yi Xiurong¡¯s face remained calm. She held her hands before her, spaced a foot apart, as if she cradled something invisible and delicate between them. A single golden disk floated before her, shining like a miniature sun. Eight additional disks floated above her in a semicircle. Each of them blazed with empyrean light. One disk met each of Kong Huizhong¡¯s strikes, and each strike sounded a temple gong. The sound compounded and doubled. It rose to a crescendo and blasted the Emissary away from Yi Xiurong.


    She spread her arms, and the ninth disk joined the rest. A stark light erased the world below. The scrubby vegetation in the hollow was simply obliterated. The hills leveled flat. Nothing escaped her radiance.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    It was but the first exchange of their battle against the emissary. Fires smoldered at the furthest edges of a blackened crater. Kong Huizhong stood in the center, yet unharmed and defiantly glaring up at Yi Xiurong. Zhang Lifen couldn¡¯t fathom what sort of treasure he¡¯d sacrificed to survive an attack of that level.


    ¡°If heaven demands my death, then it has sent a poor executioner,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t need to raise his voice¡ªall present could hear well enough.


    He cycled his qi. Fire and blood settled upon the world. The blackened iron-clad giant rose again. Zhang Lifen drew her bow.


    A gleaming black arrow of water qi condensed, completed the instant her bow reached a full draw. The bowstring thrummed as it had thousands of times before. One arrow became nine. The nine, each nine more. Eighty-one arrows, all bearing the weight of Zhang Lifen¡¯s Way and her killing intent, fell upon the Emissary. Eighty-one arrows from eighty-one directions, all aimed at one point.


    The Heart Piercing Black Rain was true to its name.


    Yi Xiurong spread her arms once again, a gold disk appearing in each hand. Twin beams of light seared the sky, burned the earth. Radiance turned the world white. It was only the overwhelming sense of wrongness that accompanied the demon core that allowed Zhang Lifen to activate the Tidewalker Step in time. Two of Kong Huizhong¡¯s cleavers slammed down onto the hill where she¡¯d just stood. Fire and metal blasted the earth, forming another crater, leaving another scar upon the landscape.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten about you,¡± he said. His features were calm, and his voice devoid of emotion. ¡°I won¡¯t let you escape me a second time.¡±


    Zhang Lifen released a parting shot as she flowed away from him. She didn¡¯t bother to respond¡ªshe was too focused on simply surviving. There was no way she could go toe-to-toe with this one for more than an exchange or two. But she still had a few tricks he¡¯d not yet seen. Shifting behind Kong Huizhong, she punched him in his left kidney and sent a spike of her water qi along with the strike.


    Too many cultivators relied exclusively on their techniques. There was a lot one could do with a simple strike and a bit of qi. Kong Huizhong spun, swinging a backhand stroke with his cleaver, but she¡¯d already faded to mist. By the time he realized his mistake, she was behind him again. She released another arrow, then two more in rapid succession, just for good measure. Her spiritual perception screamed a warning, and she flowed to safety.


    She¡¯d barely avoided Yi Xiurong¡¯s attack. Nine pillars of light converged on Kong Huizhong. Within, Zhang Lifen could barely make out the figure of the Emissary, and the disintegrating land around him. She suppressed a shudder. The fact he could survive an attack like that from a Sixth Realm cultivator was a testament to the power of the Sunset Empress¡¯s influence.


    At least it seemed as though that last attack had gotten under his skin a bit. He let out a bestial roar, and his spirit surged with yet more of the demon core¡¯s power. In much the same way that Sha Xiang had, a black, shadowy form laid itself over the Emissary. Kong Huizhong¡¯s demon core took a form akin to his presence. It was like a suit of armor¡ªfour-armed and holding four cleavers.


    Zhang Lifen backed off and withdrew her presence from the battle. She would be of the most use if she could act as Yi Xiurong had told her to¡ªas support. Neither of them were so vain as to let their mutual dislike stand in the way of their mission and their duty to the sect. They may have their differences, but they were at least united in that respect.


    Fading into the hills and the nearby underbrush, she took a moment to check on her disciple. He Yu¡¯s presence was small, but discernible. A safe distance away, but close enough to still observe. Good. She turned her attention back to the battle.


    Yi Xiurong had engaged Kong Huizhong in hand-to-hand combat now. Her disks served as both powerful attacks and defenses, and she used them now as the latter. They were, upon consideration, like a powered-up version of He Yu¡¯s Spring Rain Mirror in that respect. Except instead of fading after a strike, they resonated like gongs, washing the battle with wave after wave of thunderous music as they turned each strike aside.


    Zhang Lifen took what opportunities she could to launch techniques at the Emissary from cover. With the space her role as support provided, she also gathered some insights of her own. It was a rare treat to witness Yi Xiurong in battle.


    One wouldn¡¯t know it simply by looking at her, but she was a peerless martial artist, besides her many other talents. For each of Kong Huizhong¡¯s sword forms, she met him with a punch or a kick that could fell mountains. It was shocking, then, that the Emissary¡¯s cleaver could even turn aside her strikes. A testament to its construction.


    As the fight wore on, Kong Huizhong flagged. His movements slowed. His strikes carried less power. His presence seemed to weaken. Even the demon core¡¯s influence faded.


    Zhang Lifen knew better than to let up, and so did Yi Xiurong. Together, they pressed whatever tiny advantage they could eke out against him. Each opening, each clear shot, Zhang Lifen took. By now, his robes were bloodied, and not from the aspect of his qi. The giant suit of armor in his presence showed dozens of cracks. Molten iron hardened to slag under Zhang Lifen¡¯s assault. One of the four arms hung limp and useless.


    Yi Xiurong stepped forward. Her fist slammed into Kong Huizhong¡¯s chest, and one of her golden disks blasted him with stark radiance. He staggered back a step, and she kicked his thigh. He fell to one knee. Her elbow crashed down.


    She missed.


    He¡¯d activated a technique, or talisman. Something. Zhang Lifen hadn¡¯t been able to track it. He was several dozen yards away from Yi Xiurong and had regained his feet. Although he was unsteady and swayed slightly, his face was defiant.


    ¡°If I am to die,¡± he said softly.


    An instant later, Zhang Lifen¡¯s fears were realized. She drew back her bow, but she knew that the technique wouldn¡¯t reach in time.


    ¡°Empress Jin!¡± he called, his voice the roar of a wildfire and the crash of shattered metal. ¡°Grant your unworthy Emissary the strength to serve you in truth! I give you my all, so that you may defeat your enemies through me!¡±


    Kong Huizhong¡¯s spirit went wild. The demon core howled. Black and red veins shot through the Emissary, and his presence became more demonic, more wrong. A far-off echo, soft as a whisper and loud as thunder, rolled across the now-ruined battlefield.


    ¡°Mine.¡±

 4.36 - Witness

    He Yu watched three legends do battle. At least, that¡¯s how he would have described it had anyone been around to ask. He¡¯d sparred enough with Zhang Lifen to get a taste of what she was capable of. This was the first time he¡¯d ever seen her at full strength, however. As impressive as his master was, she was dwarfed by Kong Huizhong and Yi Xiurong.


    The Emissary was just as terrifying as He Yu had been led to believe. The iron-clad giant with four bloody cleavers dripping molten metal strode across the battlefield and burned away all that came close. Zhang Lifen¡¯s water-aspected qi did little to quench Kong Huizhong¡¯s heat, despite the gouts of steam that erupted from every one of her arrow¡¯s impacts. Yi Xiurong was the clear powerhouse, though. She bathed the world in radiant white light, and those golden disks hovering around her blasted beams of brilliance like flashes of a thousand suns.


    From his relatively safe vantage point, He Yu watched, absorbing what lessons he could.


    One thing that stood out from the first exchange was that Kong Huizhong was a monster. His demon core gave him the same sense of wrongness that he¡¯d gotten from Sha Xiang whenever they¡¯d clashed, but far more intense. Zhang Lifen had called the Emissary ¡°fully pacted.¡± The description didn¡¯t do the experience justice.


    It wasn¡¯t just the sense of wrongness that pervaded Kong Huizhong¡¯s presence, but also the clear marks of the Sunset Empress¡¯s influence. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed him the truth of Kong Huizhong¡¯s power¡ªhe had truly given all of himself to Jin Xifeng. In return, he¡¯d gained the ability to stand firm against a cultivator in a realm above his own.


    As much as He Yu¡¯s stomach turned at the feeling of Kong Huizhong¡¯s presence, he could understand why someone could be tempted by such power. Especially after what he¡¯d seen in the wilds. The Empress offered mighty gifts indeed, and her whispers held promises of even more.


    Understanding was not the same as accepting, however. If anything, witnessing the effects of a fully pacted demon core only redoubled He Yu¡¯s resolve to resist the Sunset Empress in any way he could.


    The fight dragged on, and for all the world it looked as though the combined might of Zhang Lifen and Yi Xiurong would be enough. They wore down Kong Huizhong bit by bit. As the Emissary¡¯s strength ebbed, He Yu thought this would end it. The end of the Sunset Court in the west. The Dawn Palace would be safe. At least, for the time being. He Yu and his friends could train, gather their strength, and ascend the realms. When Jin Xifeng finally broke free of her prison, they would be ready for her.


    Then, disaster.


    Just as it looked like they¡¯d won, like Kong Huizhong would fall, the Emissary called upon his liege. ¡°Empress! Make use of your unworthy servant!¡±


    Desire, want, and avarice washed over the world. A distant echo of a single word resounded in He Yu¡¯s ears and spirit.


    ¡°Mine.¡±


    He Yu activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. With the benefit of the technique, he saw the truth. Whether it was because of the perceptive qualities of the Peerless Judgment, or the strange way in which it was bound to the Empress herself, he couldn¡¯t have said. He supposed it didn¡¯t matter in the end. The result was the same.


    Red-black filaments grew out from Kong Huizhong. Real but also somehow not. Thousands of them extended in every direction, reaching across the ruined land, the flattened hills, the scars of the still-raging battle.


    The Emissary himself had increased in power. Now comparable to Yi Xiurong in the intensity of his spirit and the weight of his presence, that wasn¡¯t what worried him. What worried him was the sensation that seeped across the land. It was like that time in the west. In the wilds. The raging of a thousand spirits and beasts, all consumed by the same frenzied will to destroy, to tear apart those who dared stand in the Empress¡¯s way. To tear apart all things that were not hers.


    Without a second thought, He Yu blasted off toward the town they¡¯d passed. He released his presence, not caring who or what marked his passing. He poured all the qi he could spare into his body enforcement and his movement technique. The combined effects of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight made him the fastest of all his peers. It shouldn¡¯t have surprised him that Zhang Lifen was faster.


    When she grabbed him, it was like he¡¯d slammed into the side of a cliff. She didn¡¯t so much as flinch when she swung him around, her grip on his upper arm far too strong for him to break free of. Pulling him nearly nose-to-nose, the anger in her churning black eyes shocked him.


    ¡°Are you trying to get killed, revealing yourself like that?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°The town is in danger,¡± he said. Even though he knew he wouldn¡¯t pull out of her grip, he tried anyway.


    ¡°And? Such is the life of mortals, He Yu. I¡¯ve told you this.¡±


    ¡°So has everyone else,¡± he shot back. ¡°I won¡¯t leave them to die, even if everyone else will.¡±


    ¡°The fight is too far away,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the fight I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    Some of her anger faded, giving way to a hint of confusion. ¡°They aren¡¯t in any danger.¡±


    ¡°They are. Can¡¯t you feel what¡¯s happened?¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°The battle continues. Kong Huizhong has tapped into some well of power he didn¡¯t have before, but that¡¯s no reason to worry about the village.¡± As if to punctuate her words, a column of light and a column of flame slammed into one another, back where Yi Xiurong and Kong Huizhong continued their clash.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the emissary,¡± He Yu said. ¡°The Empress, she¡¯s using him to spread her influence.¡±


    Zhang Lifen frowned, a small crease appearing between her brows. Her eyes turned from black to a calmer blue, although still dark. She released her grip. ¡°Explain,¡± she commanded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is. It¡¯s like the wilds when we were attacked. Me and my friends.¡± He Yu struggled to find the right words. Did she not know what the Empress¡¯s influence could do? He¡¯d recounted their time in the wilds to her upon his return.


    ¡°This is different,¡± she said, but much of her earlier certainty was now gone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a perception technique of your own?¡±


    For a moment, her features went blank. Her eyes looked as though she stared off into some great distance. Then she was back and her earlier hardness redoubled. ¡°They¡¯re just mortals,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Heroes don¡¯t leave people to die just because they¡¯re weak.¡±


    ¡°If you get overwhelmed, I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±


    ¡°I never expected you to,¡± he snapped. He hadn¡¯t meant it to come out as sharp or as angry as it had, but when he heard the heat in his words, he was beyond caring.


    Something shifted in Zhang Lifen¡¯s face. It was more than just that his words wounded her. She was truly worried about him, he realized.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hold you to that.¡±


    Then she was gone. Her presence rapidly faded as she surged back towards the battle with Kong Huizhong with the speed of a Fifth Realm immortal. He Yu turned once more towards the village and let the clash of immortals fade into the back of his mind. He had his own battle to fight.


    As he drew closer to the town, beasts and spirits became frequent. Some clashed against one another. Others headed towards the fight behind him. The most moved towards the town ahead. He Yu called forth his guandao and cut down any spirits and beasts he could with his passing.


    Many didn¡¯t even have time to react to him. They were of the First or Second Realm. These lands were fairly well-settled, after all. Maintained by the sect and patrolled by the empire¡¯s troops. More powerful beasts would keep to more remote areas. Any Third or Fourth Realm spirits and beasts would take longer to arrive, assuming any were around. He Yu could only ask that heaven grant him fortune. That there were none of the Fifth Realm or above close enough to fall under the Sunset Empress¡¯s influence.


    The closer he drew to the town, the more things reminded him of his time in the western wilds. A pack of wolves nearly a hundred strong surged over the land. He Yu landed in their midst, culling half their number with a single strike. Of those that remained, it was even odds whether they continued upon their course or turned to him.


    A spirit of earth and metal erupted from the underneath him. It was merely a Second Realm, and He Yu smashed it into rubble with a single strike. An ox in the early Third Realm lowered its head and charged. He turned it aside with the Spring Rain Mirror and opened a mortal wound along its flank. Now grounded and surrounded by foes, He Yu fought his way through the ever-growing horde, pushing ever closer to his destination.


    When he arrived at the town, it was already under heavy assault. For the moment, the town¡¯s formation barrier held and the few cultivators that made their homes within had rallied to the town¡¯s defense. They wouldn¡¯t be enough. At least not without him.


    The storm broke over the spirits and beasts. Black clouds rolled out from where He Yu slammed down. Heaven¡¯s fury raged around him, and the winds rose to a howl as he unleashed the fullness of his presence. He held nothing back. The whole of his cultivation base poured into his presence as he tapped the certainty of his Wayborn Seed. He let the shining sharp edge of his killing intent seep into his presence and his body enforcement.


    The combined weight of it all had the desired effect.


    Hundreds of beasts and spirits turned their attention away from the cultivators and the town. Turned their attention to him. The rage and the hatred that washed over him was palpable. The Empress recognized the Heavenly Palace, and she directed her thralls to destroy the piece of it that challenged her once again.


    A tide broke over He Yu, and the storm answered. Within moments, he waded through an ocean of blood. Beasts fell before his blade by the dozen. Most were only of the First Realm, after all. About a third were of the Second Realm, and a handful of early Third Realm beasts and spirits were sprinkled throughout. Even those were nothing to him.


    A single formation of the Sweeping Wind cut through more foes than he could count, but still they came. Only the Third Realm beasts got close enough to launch techniques, but he turned each one away with the Spring Rain Mirror. On the wings of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, He Yu made a circuit of the town, cleaving through beasts by the dozen. In just under an hour, he¡¯d beaten back enough of the horde that he could leave things to the barrier formation. If only for a few moments.


    Upon entering the town proper, the twenty or so local cultivators threw themselves to the ground in kowtow. A chorus of thanks and praise erupted from them. He Yu shook his head.


    ¡°Stand up, all of you,¡± he said, doing his best to sound like he¡¯d imagine someone like Tan Xiaoling or Yi Xiurong would in a situation like this. He needed soldiers, not sycophants. ¡°Anyone capable of formation work, step forward.¡±


    Two of the locals stepped forward.


    ¡°You two will maintain the barrier stones around the town. You have no other task than that. If it costs you your lives, you will do everything you can to ensure the barrier formation does not fall. Go.¡±


    As the two he¡¯d commanded hurried off to obey the order, He Yu fought down the discomfort at how easily he¡¯d given it. Now wasn¡¯t the time. The lives of this town depended someone capable taking charge and there wasn¡¯t anyone but him.


    ¡°The rest of you, arrange yourselves by advancement.¡±


    As the remaining local cultivators split into three groups, one of them asked, ¡°Lord Immortal, what is going on?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re under attack. I¡¯m here to do what I can to save you.¡±


    He Yu took stock of what he had to work with. It wasn¡¯t good. There were only two locals who¡¯d reached the Third Realm, and the stronger of the two was still at at early Body Refining. The other seemed to have just broken through. Neither had much of a presence to speak of. They also looked to be in their sixtieth year. Of the remaining locals, nearly two-thirds were at middle or late Qi Gathering. The handful that remained were scattered through Foundation. He Yu realized that should the barrier fall, most all of them would die.


    Squaring his shoulders, He Yu looked at each of them in turn. ¡°Stay behind the barrier. Use whatever techniques you can to defend the barrier and attack from within, but try not to cross it yourselves. Especially those of you still at Qi Gathering. I will do what I can to defend outside of it.¡±


    The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment warned him of an approaching Fourth Realm spirit. He Yu turned in the direction it approached from. ¡°Remember,¡± he said over his shoulder, ¡°the mortals of this town depend on you. Do not let them down.¡±


    He Yu threw himself into the fight once more.

 4.37 - Desperation

    He Yu slammed into the Fourth Realm spirit like the edge of a thunderstorm. Heaven flashed and winds roared. The Spring Rain Mirror turned the spirit¡¯s first attack away. He Yu charged forward with the Rushing Wind and the crackling brilliance of Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade.


    The spirit was at early Golden Core. It stood almost eight feet tall, with long gaunt limbs that ended in razor-sharp claws. Its mouth hung open as though its jaw was broken or dislocated, with rows of sharp teeth that appeared half-rotted. Its tongue extended out from its mouth and hung down to its distended belly. Black oily hair hung down around its face. Intelligent and malevolent eyes peered out from behind the limp, greasy strands. The spirit lunged forward, its arms outstretched to grab him. Its breath smelled of rotting corpses.


    He Yu darted to the side with the speed granted by his body enforcement. He slammed the metal cap of his guandao into the spirit¡¯s midsection. It staggered back, and he brought the blade around, scoring a gash across its torso. It bled black.


    The spirit twisted, swinging one clawed hand at He Yu, but the fight had turned against it already. In the brief exchange that followed, wind and heaven tore the spirit apart, and the Spring Rain Mirror pushed each of its strikes to the side. The fight may have been quick, and He Yu still had plenty of qi left after, but it had still cost him time.


    The formation barrier around the town buckled under the combined weight of a hundred adversaries¡¯ assaults. That was just the portion He Yu could see. With a flex of his presence, he threw himself to the town¡¯s defense. He landed just inside the formation barrier and called the Sweeping Wind. He stepped forward with his attack and poured his cultivation base into Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. His guandao became a jagged blade formed of scintillating heaven. Sheets of lightning crashed down before him, pouring forth from heaven like rain. Beasts died by the dozen.


    He Yu spared no time or thought for the cheers of the few cultivators he¡¯d just relieved. He activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and rushed to the next point of the barrier that was closest to failing. Like the wrath of heaven, He Yu slammed into a wall of beasts and spirits, scattering the ever-growing horde that battered at the formation barrier.


    With the aid of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he quickly discerned which portions of the barrier were weakest. The points where he was needed most. With thunderous shouts fueled by his Body Refining lungs and the qi of a Golden Core, he bellowed commands to the two formation adepts he¡¯s instructed to keep the barrier up. When on his way to put out yet another fire, he would drop a spirit stone so the formation adepts could restore themselves, or channel the qi into the formation. He didn¡¯t care which, really. It only mattered that the barrier held.


    He Yu rushed from place to place, fight to fight. He dropped spirit stones and the occasional low-grade medicine for the other defenders. Most of those at Qi Gathering had already mostly exhausted themselves. Now they rotated in and out of the fight. The Second Realms would soon follow. Then the Thirds. It would just be He Yu before long.


    He would have to be enough. The town looked like it housed maybe a couple hundred people in total. Not a huge amount of mortals compared to the scope of the empire. But they were still lives. Lives He Yu might save if he tried. So he would.


    Again and again, He Yu threw himself into the fray. He would land among a group of spirits or beasts at the edge of the town and start swinging. For the lower realm foes, he wouldn¡¯t even use a technique. Just the strength of his immortal body. With every group he dispatched, the stench of blood and death grew stronger. The pile of bodies grew larger. And the horde itself swelled.


    The Second Realm cultivators were close to their limits. The formation still held. He Yu bit down on a restorative pill as he flew across the town once again. He¡¯d long since run out of medicine the lower realm defenders could handle. Hopefully, they could still restore themselves using their own supplies. The formation barrier flickered, the sense of qi He Yu got from it rapidly fading. The two formation adepts had nearly spent themselves as well. The barrier would fall soon. He would have to be enough when it did.


    As the defense wore on, He Yu¡¯s movements became rote. Effortless. Fighting became almost like a meditation. Even as his reserves slowly drained, his qi cycled more freely through his meridians. It reminded him of when he faced Tan Xiaoling in the tournament. Except now he was the one who fought without trying. Without effort.


    Deep in the core of his spirit, his Wayborn Seed thrummed. His core, his qi, every little thought and action had aligned with something greater. He glimpsed into something greater. His Way, and the threads connecting him to the Eternal Dao. The resonance of his intent and action, the fruit of so many little decisions, and more than a few large ones he¡¯d made over the past several years slid into place. They fit together as though they¡¯d been made for one another. They had.


    He Yu glimpsed his Dao. It was too faint, too distant for him to fully grasp, let alone name, but it was there. And he walked his Way.


    His connection was far from complete, but at once closer than it ever had been before. This effort, this struggle, this valiant stand was the mark of a hero. To strive to save those not worth even a moment¡¯s consideration. The foundation upon which he would build his legend. The first real step to becoming the hero he¡¯d imagined himself so many times.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Because He Yu tried when nobody else would.


    Even someone like Yi Xiurong, the sect¡¯s First Disciple and¡ªin her own words¡ªthe personification of justice and order, deemed these people beneath her. They were too small, too weak to matter. Zhang Lifen, for all she¡¯d done for him, saw no value in these mortals. So she would leave them to die. He Yu would not.


    He moved with his Way. Heaven and wind and water flooded his meridians, surging into his techniques, and felling countless beasts threatening the town. He became the storm. The terrible and awesome instrument of the heavens, bringing hope or despair to the deserving of either below. Life in one hand, death in the other.


    The fight wore on and he grew further detached from the momentary minutiae of the ordeal. Action unified with purpose, but undertaken without intent. He was everywhere at once. His thoughts all but ceased, and he simply was. The countless spirits and beasts that fell before him blurred together into a single mass. That mass registered only as a threat, a thing to stave off, to hold at bay for as long as he was able.


    Overhead, the sky turned black. Within the roiling dark clouds, heaven flashed. Rain fell, driven by a wind that howled and screamed across the ruined plain. In the center of it all, a lone immortal fought against an endless tide. Alone he stood now, a force of heaven and nature, the sole bulwark against which an unending tide broke. He stepped forward, and heaven descended.


    * * *


    Jia Chao slumped against the low stone wall. His meridians ached, and his dantian was all but empty. The immortal who had shown up when all had seemed lost split the sky and held back the tide all by himself. He must be from the sect. Where else would a Golden Core level expert of this sheer power and talent come from?


    When the immortal had arrived, he¡¯d called for anyone skilled at formations to step forward. Jia Chao and his sister, Jia Meili, had answered. It was their father, Jia Yunru, who maintained the town¡¯s formation in truth, but he¡¯d been outside the barrier when the tide of beasts arrived. Jia Chao didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d survived.


    Although the nameless expert had dropped a fortune¡¯s worth of medicine to keep Jia Chao going, it hadn¡¯t been enough. It couldn¡¯t have been enough. Whatever was happening to them, whatever force of nature or heaven had turned its attention and its wrath to their little town, it was beyond what they could deal with. If it hadn¡¯t been for this expert, they¡¯d have died already.


    Jia Chao turned to his sister. She leaned against the same wall, a mere arms length away. Her eyes were closed. She breathed slowly, cycling what qi she could from the storm the expert brought with him.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll make it?¡± he asked.


    Jia Meili opened her eyes. They were still a bit red, a bit puffy. She had less faith than Jia Chao that their father would make it. ¡°I hope we do,¡± was all she could say.


    Jia Chao shuddered as the expert passed overhead once more. Every time he did, the air grew thick and heavy¡ªmoreso than it already was. His presence was so expansive and weighed down upon the world more heavily than anything Jia Chao had ever felt. Jia Chao and Jia Meili were only Foundation. This expert was like a giant was to ants compared to them. For the thousandth time, Jia Chao thanked the heavens for their fortune that he¡¯d appeared when he did.


    A flash of light, then a crack of thunder, marked yet another of the expert¡¯s techniques. The thunderstorm raged above, by now having spread out to cover the sky. Jia Chao couldn¡¯t tell anymore whether the storm was just the expert¡¯s presence, or whether he¡¯d manifested it. Either as part of some technique, or a consequence of his immense spirit. The only thing Jia Chao could say for certain anymore was that he was well out of his league when compared to the monster overhead.


    On the side of the town opposite where the expert currently fought, the formation barrier flared brightly in the darkening storm. Jia Chao scrambled to his feet.


    ¡°Meili¡¯er,¡± he said, ¡°we need to go. The barrier.¡±


    Jia Meili opened her eyes again. The exhaustion and despair on her features were unmistakable. She didn¡¯t have it in her to make it to the formation stones in time, let alone pour qi into the formation and reinforce the barrier. Still, she wordlessly pushed herself to her feet.


    Jia Chao ran. He ran as if his life depended upon it. As if the entire town depended upon it. He kept his eyes fixed on the barrier. He watched helplessly as he ran. As cracks spread across the shimmering dome before it broke like a dropped porcelain bowl and shattered like a vain hope.


    Next to him, Jia Meili fell to her knees. Jia Chao leaned against the wall of a nearby house and waited for the end.


    * * *


    When the barrier finally failed, He Yu dimly noted that it had lasted far longer than he¡¯d expected. He held himself over the center of the town in the grip of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. In that moment, before the law of earth asserted itself once again, he gave his order.


    ¡°To the central square! Cultivators, form a defense! Protect anyone you can!¡± His words cracked like thunder. They were carried by his winds to all within the town. To his relief, mortal and cultivator alike obeyed.


    As the mortals below ran towards the center of town, the one spot where maybe He Yu could protect them, the horde followed. His stomach turned as the reality settled in. He couldn¡¯t save them. They were doomed. He bit down on another pill. Medicinal qi flooded his meridians. Doomed or no, a hero would fight to the last.


    He Yu slammed down in the center of town. He caught sight of one of the formation adepts nearby. She¡¯d fallen to her knees, and stared out from the square at the oncoming throng, expressionless. He Yu hauled her to her feet.


    ¡°Make any sort of barrier you can,¡± he said, shoving the last of his low-grade spirit stones into her hands. He let go of her arm and faced away from the square.


    He Yu cycled the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. His skin shimmered like galvanized iron. Heaven qi crawled over his skin and his robes. Every tiny movement flickered, like he jumped from place to place in the moments between time. He called the Five Crescent Winds. He brought Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade down upon the world. He cycled the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. The truth he saw was a bleak one, but he cast it aside. If to cultivate was to defy the heavens, why not also fate?


    He Yu stood before the coming tide.

 4.38 - Kong Huizhong

    Zhang Lifen danced on the edge of a knife. She faded backwards with the Tidewalker Step, launching a volley of arrows as she danced out of Kong Huizhong¡¯s range. His gleaming cleaver slammed into the scarred ground. It cracked and split the earth. It melted stone. It had been too close.


    The Emissary had shifted a large part of his attention to her. It was, all things considered, a good plan. Should he take her out of the fight, he could then focus solely on Yi Xiurong. As things stood now, if he met Yi Xiurong blow-for-blow, he opened himself up to attacks from Zhang Lifen. While she couldn¡¯t do all that much damage to him, a thousand mice could bring down a tiger given enough time.


    ¡°Ignore me at your peril!¡± Yi Xiurong shouted. Her foot slammed into Kong Huizhong¡¯s back with a burst of radiance from all nine of her golden disks.


    Kong Huizhong merely grunted. Two of his cleaver-wielding arms swung behind him, only to crash against two of Yi Xiurong¡¯s golden disks. The sound of two gongs layered upon one another washed over the battle. By now, there was hardly anything left for the endlessly building gong to break into rubble.


    What had once been a hollow nestled among the rolling hills of the southwestern Dragon Empire was now a blasted wasteland. Any vegetation for miles around had long since been burned to cinder. The hills had been flattened. Any stone larger than a pebble had been shattered to dust. Blackened craters scarred the land all around. Even now, the three immortals reshaped the earth itself with every exchange of blows and techniques.


    The two remaining cleavers swung at Zhang Lifen. Again she faded back, flitting just outside their range. She launched another rapid series of shots at her opponent. She preferred to stay outside of melee range in most cases, only closing in for an opportune strike when it was safe. But Kong Huizhong was nearly as fast as she was. Especially with the aid of the Sunset Empress herself.


    Ever since he¡¯d called upon his pact in full, he¡¯d been slowly pushing back their advantage. Yi Xiurong did all she could to keep him occupied, but he was relentless in his pursuit of Zhang Lifen. As he fought, the tempo and ferocity of his attacks only increased. Zhang Lifen grimaced at the thought. This was the first time she¡¯d ever faced a fully pacted member of the court, and she¡¯d rather not do it again anytime soon. Maybe she¡¯d have felt differently if they¡¯d been on more even footing.


    As it was, Kong Huizhong had lasted far longer than he¡¯d any right to. He may be late Nascent Soul compared to Zhang Lifen¡¯s place in the middle Fifth Realm, but Yi Xiurong was here. The gap in strength between the Fifth and Sixth Realms was immense. Yi Xiurong should have ended this fight hours ago, even as an early-stage Soul Refining cultivator. Instead, the Emissary stood against them both.


    Zhang Lifen avoided another duo of strikes. The follow up slammed into Yi Xiurong¡¯s disks. The First Disciple stepped into the space Zhang Lifen had just vacated, her radiance surging to an intensity Zhang Lifen had never seen. She had to turn away, for fear she¡¯d go blind.


    ¡°My empress endures,¡± Kong Huizhong growled. ¡°She will rip apart the Shrouded Peaks Sect when she is freed, and then she will take her rightful place, reigning over the whole of the world.¡±


    It was a feral sound, pushing against the edge of actual speech. Over the course of their battle, Kong Huizhong had grown more vicious, more animalistic. More demonic. The core was certainly asserting itself, but the Emissary still held control. That was the most frightening part.


    Sha Xiang had been at the very edge of her limits during her fight with He Yu. Yi Xiurong was right to disable the girl, then expel her from the sect. She would have lost herself had things been allowed to continue. It had been best to let her die in the wilderness, devoured by her own spirit.


    Kong Huizhong was different. He owned his core. The core¡¯s power was his, in truth. He wielded as effectively as his all his other techniques. His core wasn¡¯t simply a parasite leeching off his spirit¡ªit was a part of him. A part he could bring to bear as effectively as all the rest. It was the only explanation that made sense. The only thing Zhang Lifen could think of that allowed him to stand against the both of them.


    ¡°Your empress is a pitiful shell,¡± Yi Xiurong shot back. ¡°She was trapped once, and she has only bled strength in the thousand years since. You give yourself to a husk, a living corpse.¡±


    Nine beams of radiant light converged on Kong Huizhong. The iron giant of his presence shrugged them off like they were nothing more than a bright morning sunrise. The feeling of wrongness that emanated from the activated core redoubled once again. Zhang Lifen shook her head as she drew back another arrow.


    The blackened, bloody suit of iron armor rushed her. She released her shot and faded away. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator had their limits, and hers drew close. That last attack even cut her gown. It was only a matter of time before she made a mistake.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Yi Xiurong slammed a fist into the back of the Emissary¡¯s wrist. He dropped one of his cleavers. The remaining three turned on Yi Xiurong. The following exchange gave Zhang Lifen enough space to pop a medicinal pill into her mouth and bite down. Relief flooded her along with the pill¡¯s restorative qi. The shift of focus also gave her enough space to for the Heart Piercing Black Rain¡¯s ultimate technique.


    Eighty-one arrows fell upon Kong Huizhong. Although there wasn¡¯t much Zhang Lifen could do to him by herself, even a moment¡¯s distraction could swing the tide of battle. Kong Huizhong twisted, defending as much of her technique as he could, while also keeping most of his attention on Yi Xiurong.


    In the very instant the Emissary¡¯s attention split, Yi Xiurong launched a brutal assault. A series of punches, kicks, elbows, and knees so blindingly fast Zhang Lifen couldn¡¯t track them. Each strike carried an explosion of radiant qi. Each impact lit the battle like a miniature sun.


    It was passing strange that no other members of the court had come to his aid. A fight like this would be felt by experts for a thousand miles in any direction. Was Kong Huizhong the only cultivator of note the Sunset Court yet still had in the west? Had the sect¡¯s campaign truly been so effective?


    Zhang Lifen desperately wished her perception technique was even half as capable as Master Cai¡¯s. She was all but certain he could have answered that question for her. Given his rapid advancement, perhaps even He Yu had progressed the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to where even he could provide insight. Such questions had to be left for later.


    She turned her full attention back to where Kong Huizhong clashed with Yi Xiurong. The iron colossus of his presence showed cracks and breaks across its surface. The molten heat dripping from the joints was more viscous than before, a consequence of succumbing to Zhang Lifen¡¯s water-aspected qi. Even the previously slick bloody sheen had turned the color of rust and now flaked off to reveal the dull black of the metal below. His cleavers were similarly dulled, and even the sharpness of his killing intent, previously so finely honed, seemed blunted.


    Kong Huizhong¡¯s face was twisted into a mask of pain and rage. His hair had come loose from his crown hairpin to hang freely about his head. Every swing of his weapon was just a hair slower than the last. The tempo of his attacks slowed. The rhythm of his strikes faltered. He stumbled.


    Yi Xiurong slammed a fist into his midsection and sent him staggering back. Zhang Lifen launched another volley of the Heart Piercing Black Rain. He threw one of his cleavers in her general direction, even as he spit up a mouthful of blood. It didn¡¯t even come close to hitting her. Another sequence of blows from Yi Xiurong sent him to one knee.


    His presence flickered. The demon core ebbed, and his spirit retreated. Zhang Lifen poured everything she had left into one last push. Now would be the worst time to let up. She knew it, and so did Yi Xiurong. The First Disciple blasted Kong Huizhong with nine beams of radiant qi. He pitched forward, barely catching himself. From his hands and knees, he looked to Yi Xiurong with a mix of hatred and fury. And then¡ªpride.


    ¡°I am not the last,¡± he said. As defiant as he tried to make himself sound, his voice barely carried enough for Zhang Lifen to hear. His spirit had faded to almost nothing after Yi Xiurong¡¯s last attack. He felt no stronger now than a particularly talented cultivator of the Body Refining stage.


    ¡°You are the last in the west,¡± Yi Xiurong said. She practically loomed over him, with her nine golden disks arrayed in an arch above her head.


    Zhang Lifen frowned. Something about the whole situation seemed off¡ªthe tide had turned too quickly. It was almost as though Kong Huizhong had simply given up once he realized the battle had truly turned against him. Didn¡¯t he have an escape talisman of some sort? No treasures he could sacrifice to at least leave with his life?


    ¡°Make sure you destroy his core,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want him coming back after all this effort now, would we?¡±


    To her credit, Yi Xiurong didn¡¯t take her eyes off Kong Huizhong. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of novice you take me for,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Just wanted to make sure you remembered that killing a Nascent Soul is easier said than done.¡±


    Although she¡¯d kept her voice light, Zhang Lifen still tried to puzzle out what was going on. As a Nascent Soul, he might take over another body if they weren¡¯t thorough. Or if another member of the court found him in time. Surely he still ought to try to escape? Coming back to life wasn¡¯t easy, after all. Not even for a member of the court, demon core or no.


    Yi Xiurong¡¯s spirit flexed. Radiant qi surged out, and her stark light bathed the world. Her peacock feather manifested beneath her feet as the very ground fell away to nothing under the weight of her spirit. Under the erasure of her purging radiance. She held out a hand, one finger pointed at Kong Huizhong¡¯s core.


    ¡°I serve my empress even in death,¡± Kong Huizhong said.


    Zhang Lifen realized their mistake an instant too late. ¡°Yi Xiurong! Wait!¡± She surged forward, her presence a plunging waterfall, rushing with the speed and weight of the law of earth. Time seemed to slow as Yi Xiurong formed her technique. For the first time in her immortal life, Zhang Lifen was too slow.


    The beam from Yi Xiurong¡¯s finger pierced Kong Huizhong¡¯s core. Nine more columns of radiance descended upon him from the nine disks arrayed around the defeated Emissary. Zhang Lifen slammed into Yi Xiurong. A vain hope, an attempt to tackle her to the ground before it was too late. It was like slamming into a mountain.


    Kong Huizhong¡¯s spirit faded. His presence retreated. He choked out a bloody laugh as his cultivation base flooded into the demon core.


    Yi Xiurong grabbed Zhang Lifen and simply tossed her aside. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? We must¡ª¡±


    Far to the west, a column of red light a hundred miles across pierced the sky. A moment later, a shockwave of rapidly fading heaven and radiant qi crashed over them. An overwhelming and insatiable sense of want settled over the whole of the Dragon Empire. With it came the sound of a soft, satisfied laugh.

 4.39 - Disaster

    With a wide swing of his guandao, He Yu cut down another dozen beasts. By now, he¡¯d lost count of how many he¡¯d killed. The stench of death hung thick in the air. Along with smoke from countless fires, ignited by either He Yu¡¯s techniques or fire aspected attacks coming from the horde. Or from mundane sources, like a toppled candle.


    At his direction, the mortals of the town had erected barriers from the smashed remains of homes and furniture to herd the beasts into a single area. It had been in vain. Either by the beasts themselves, or under He Yu¡¯s desperate techniques, the barriers fell quickly. They¡¯d barely lasted the time it takes half a stick of incense to burn. It had simply been too hectic for He Yu to care for the barriers¡¯ integrity. If he had to choose between a stack of furniture or the life of a mortal, he¡¯d save the mortal every single time.


    He¡¯d also lost track of how many of the mortals or lower realm cultivators had died. There simply wasn¡¯t time to count or to think. The only thing he knew was that he needed to keep pushing himself. Keep fighting. Save whoever he could.


    Even as the fight settled into a routine¡ªdash from one side of the square to the opposite, kill a beast, then do it again¡ªHe Yu could see it was a war of attrition that he¡¯d eventually lose. There were simply too many foes.


    Then, bit by bit, the tide turned.


    The rush of bodies slowed. The deluge of spirits, beasts, techniques, and attacks faded. He Yu found himself able to take a few breaths between leaping in front of a pack of wolves attacking a mortal, and a bear mauling one of the few remaining cultivators. The spaces grew larger, and the attacks eased up. The tide became a trickle.


    Then there was silence. He Yu stood in the square of a ruined town with nothing to fight. He let his shoulders sag and exhaustion wash over him. His core was empty. His meridians ached. Wounds and blood covered him. Corpses, human and beast alike, littered the square. But he¡¯d done it. He¡¯d stood until there were simply no more beasts or spirits to come. Nothing left for the Empress to send into a frenzy with her influence.


    Most of the cultivators were dead. The few that had survived were gravely injured. The handful of mortals that somehow hadn¡¯t died did their best to tend to the wounded. He Yu wished Chen Fei was around. She could help¡ªshe always carried medicine with her. He shook his head, and let his guandao rest against the paving stones of the ruined square. He wanted to feel elation. Feel accomplishment. Feel anything. He only felt numb.


    It was more than exhaustion, but he couldn¡¯t say what. Witnessing the scope of the damage done was too much for him to really grapple with. He couldn¡¯t fully say he¡¯d failed, though. A few yet lived when he¡¯d expected that he wouldn¡¯t be able to save anyone in the end. No, he¡¯d gone into this fully expecting the entire town would die. That even one person had survived was more fortune than he¡¯d ever asked from heaven¡ªlet alone the two dozen or so he¡¯d saved in the end.


    He¡¯d thrown himself into this fight, certain it would come to nothing. Certain his efforts would be in vain. And he¡¯d been wrong in the best possible way. He knew there was a profound insight into his Way here. If only he weren¡¯t on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. He¡¯d have to examine it later.


    For the first time in what felt like days¡ªmaybe weeks¡ªHe Yu turned his spiritual perception to the battle in the distance. A raging flood and a stark brilliance clashed with a giant of iron and flame and blood. He leaped up to the roof of one of the few buildings that remained fully intact. Taking one of his last remaining pills, he sat down and cycled while casting his perception to the battle between his master, the First Disciple, and the Emissary.


    That Kong Huizhong still lived and still fought was almost beyond belief. Merely contemplating the power the demon core afforded him made He Yu suppress a shudder. Such power was unnatural, and not anything one ought to take into themselves. He could see why someone like Sha Xiang would be tempted by it, however. He supposed Kong Huizhong wasn¡¯t that much different in that respect.


    He Yu cycled his medicine, restored himself by what measure he could, and felt out the battle beyond the horizon. Gradually it went much the same way his own struggle had. Kong Huizhong¡¯s qi faded, slowly at first, then all at once. The Emissary¡¯s qi winked out, and He Yu¡¯s eyes snapped open. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment screamed in his spirit.


    West.


    He stood, turned. What he saw horrified him.


    A column of red light shone to the sky. A wave of fading qi¡ªthe remnants of the Dawn Palace¡ªbroke over the town. Murmurs, then shouts, rose from below as the remaining cultivators and mortals turned to the west. As the red light swallowed the sky.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Run,¡± He Yu said, his throat tight and dry. He did what he could to swallow. ¡°Run!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Where?¡± came the response from below.


    ¡°Anywhere but west. It doesn¡¯t matter. Just get as far away from the light as you can.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for a response. Activating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and forcing what meager qi he¡¯d still left, He Yu headed west.


    Beyond the Shrouded Peaks, the column of red light darkened, growing tinged with black. Twisting cords of shadow rose along with the light. Even though it was still early afternoon, a red sun hung in the west and the rest of the sky grew dark. With every breath he drew, He Yu felt the growing weight of the Sunset Empress and her insatiable want.


    Another spirit slammed down over him. Bright radiance turned twilight to day¡ªand He Yu collapsed under the full weight of Yi Xiurong¡¯s presence. A hand gripped him by the arm. He looked up into Zhang Lifen¡¯s churning black eyes.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I have to help them,¡± he said, trying to wrench free. His friends were back at the sect. He Yu knew in his mind and his heart that Jin Xifeng would attack the sect before anywhere else. He still remembered her beautiful features twisted in hatred as she rushed down Elder Cai in his vision of her suppression.


    ¡°Who can you help?¡± Zhang Lifen asked, practically ripping his arm off as she hauled him to his feet. ¡°What can you do? You¡¯re only a Golden Core. Do you know what it is you face?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I owe them everything, just as I owe you everything. I won¡¯t abandon them.¡±


    He knew it was pointless. There was truly nothing he could do. If they came under direct attack from Jin Xifeng, an ancient cultivator at the peak of the Eighth Realm¡ªDivine Soul Apotheosis¡ªthey would die. He Yu was utterly powerless to save any of them. For all he knew, they were dead already.


    ¡°Release him,¡± came the sharp and severe voice of Yi Xiurong.


    Zhang Lifen spun on the First Disciple. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. There¡¯s nothing he can do. There¡¯s nothing we can do. You know as well as I do that to return to the sect is death.¡±


    ¡°Yet still we return. Do we not, Sect Sister Zhang?¡±


    ¡°We are core disciples! We have a duty to the sect, and to our juniors. He Yu is my disciple. I will not send him to his death.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t sending me anywhere!¡± He Yu shouted. ¡°I¡¯m going where I¡¯m needed. I refuse to abandon my friends.¡±


    Yi Xiurong¡¯s gaze pinned him in place, pressing down on him with the full weight of a Sixth Realm¡¯s attention. ¡°Let him go,¡± she said, not breaking eye contact with He Yu.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let him go?¡± Zhang Lifen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bring him with us. He¡¯ll never reach the sect in time to aid his friends on his own.¡±


    Zhang Lifen finally released him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she demanded, the heat in her words now directed at Yi Xiurong.


    ¡°Junior Brother He acts in accordance to his Way. Do not seek to obstruct the Heavenly Dao. Such a thing is futile.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Zhang Lifen said. It looked as though she was about to continue, but Yi Xiurong silenced her with a sharp gesture.


    ¡°We will return him to the sect. He will collect his friends, and with them he will flee.¡± Then she returned her attention to He Yu. ¡°Do you understand the conditions of my aid in this, Junior Brother He?¡±


    He Yu bowed to Yi Xiurong over a salute. ¡°This one understands, and will do as Senior Sister Yi commands.¡±


    ¡°Just so. Now, both of you. Get on.¡± Yi Xiurong¡¯s peacock feather appeared, hovering a finger¡¯s width above the ground. It had expanded to a size where it could easily accommodate all three of them. As He Yu stepped on to the flying treasure, Yi Xiurong handed him a medicine box. ¡°Take this. You¡¯re useless as you are now.¡±


    It was the first time he¡¯d seen anything resembling a crack in the severe outer facade Yi Xiurong wore. There was a note of compassion, with a tiny dash or wry humor mixed in as well. He supposed he shouldn¡¯t be surprised that there was more to her than just the surface¡ªthere had always been more to anyone he¡¯d met at the sect, after all.


    He Yu sat down on the peacock feather and cultivated as best he could. The feather rose to the sky, and Zhang Lifen joined him. She¡¯d taken some medicine of her own, and her breathing was slow and controlled as she restored herself after her battle with Kong Huizhong. Yi Xiurong guided the feather as it shot across the landscape, traveling at speeds that were incomprehensible even to He Yu as a Golden Core.


    ¡°It will take us just under an hour to arrive,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°I expect you to do exactly as Sect Sister Yi commanded.¡±


    He Yu nodded his agreement, keeping up the breathing pattern of his cultivation technique.


    ¡°I trust you know what we¡¯re headed towards?¡±


    ¡°How did she break free?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The demon core,¡± Zhang Lifen said, confirming his suspicions. ¡°We¡ª¡± she looked away, shame crossing her features. ¡°We should have known.¡±


    ¡°The cores are one of her techniques,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°Jin Xifeng bestows them upon her followers. When one of those hosts dies, the core returns their cultivation base to her. Sect Sister Zhang is correct. We should have known something like this was possible.¡±


    ¡°But why now?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°What¡¯s so special about Kong Huizhong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Zhang Lifen said with a rueful laugh. ¡°He was just the bucket that broke the dam. That dam has been cracked and crumbling for a long time, it seems. How many members of the court have we killed that fed drops of power to her over the past year? How many of the beasts under her control that died in the western wilds pushed her power ever closer to breaking free? Kong Huizhong was at the peak of Nascent Soul. Nothing compared to Jin Xifeng herself, but apparently she was much closer to breaking free than we had imagined. We pushed our fortune further than it could take us. Now we pay the price.¡±


    As they sped across the lands of the western Dragon Empire, He Yu tried to ignore the growing pit in his stomach. The red and black column of power pierced the sky. A black vortex of qi swirled around where the light vanished. Far to the west, a red sun hung motionless just above the horizon. The Sunset Empress, Jin Xifeng, was free.

 4.40 - Xu Xiang

    On the back of Yi Xiurong¡¯s peacock feather, they soon arrived at the Shrouded Peaks. At the base of the lowest of the sect mountain, smoke rose from Xu Xiang, the sect town. Higher up on the outer sect mountain, flashes of light evidenced the exchange of techniques.


    This close to the sect proper, the entire sky had turned a deep red, like a blood-soaked sunset. Even within the purifying light of Yi Xiurong¡¯s presence, He Yu could feel the Sunset Empress¡¯s influence scratching at his mind. Promises, hollow yet seductive all the same, whispered in the depths of his thoughts. They asked for his obedience, his subservience. They offered unfathomable power in return.


    He Yu stood up. ¡°Let me off here,¡± he said. They were close enough. Whatever was going on in the sect town wouldn¡¯t slow him down too much. If his friends still lived, they could handle themselves for a little longer.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Zhang Lifen said, making no effort to mask her concern. All pretense was gone from her posture and voice.


    ¡°I will,¡± he said, cupping a fist in salute.


    ¡°I mean it, He Yu. Don¡¯t throw your life away for the sake of some ideal. Not here. If I don¡¯t see you again before all this is over, make sure you live.¡±


    He Yu swallowed down the lump in his throat as Zhang Lifen and Yi Xiurong disappeared towards the inner sect mountain on the back of Yi Xiurong¡¯s peacock feather. The reality of how serious things had turned finally sank in. Jin Xifeng was free. She would come for the sect, and he wasn¡¯t yet ready. None of them were.


    When He Yu entered the outskirts of the sect town, a First Realm cultivator rushed towards him. At first, He Yu just thought his junior was seeking aid, or protection. He cupped a fist in salute. The First Realm produced a jian and attacked.


    The Spring Rain Mirror turned the blade aside easily enough. A moment later, the jian lay on the ground, and He Yu held the outer disciple by the wrist. Any attempts to question the disciple were answered with a stream of barely coherent nonsense about power and promises. He Yu had to activate the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to make any sense of it.


    A sweet voice whispered in the disciple¡¯s ear, promising him wealth and status and power. All he had to do was submit. Submit and attack the sect. He¡¯d been in Xu Xiang when the voice started its whispers, and he¡¯d succumbed almost instantly. He Yu couldn¡¯t really blame him¡ªhe heard the voice too, and even knowing what it was, it took a small but noticeable portion of his attention and will to resist.


    He Yu pushed a spike of qi into the disciple¡¯s lower dantian. The First Realm¡¯s cultivation base surged, disrupted by the foreign heaven qi now coursing through his meridians. He fell to the ground with a spasm, fighting against his own cultivation base, and the small spike He Yu had implanted. He Yu hoped he¡¯d not done any permanent damage with his attempt at disabling the disciple¡ªbut if he were honest, someone of such a low cultivation base wouldn¡¯t likely survive the day, anyway.


    Inside Xu Xiang, He Yu found the signs of fighting everywhere. Mortals lay dead and wounded throughout the streets. Several fires spread from one building to another, and a few of the town¡¯s buildings had collapsed. First and Second Realm cultivators did battle. It seemed random whether they would turn their attention to He Yu as he drew near, or continue fighting one another. Their choice mattered little; none of them could pose a threat to him.


    Rounding a corner, He Yu caught sight of Chen Fei. A Second Realm swung a large war-club at her. The club rebounded off one of her barriers. She made a quick incantation gesture, and another barrier sprang up around the Second Realm, sealing both him and his cultivation base. As she turned away from her disabled opponent, relief washed over her features as she caught sight of He Yu.


    ¡°He Yu!¡± she said, rushing towards him. She caught him up in a fierce hug. It was practically a tackle, and he had to push a bit of qi into his body enforcement to remain standing.


    ¡°I,¡± he stumbled over his words. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright.¡± The whole thing caught him out. Now wasn¡¯t the time to get distracted by something like this.


    As he disentangled himself, Chen Fei seemed to have realized how forward she was being. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ªI¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± he said. Putting the last of his composure in place, he pointed to the sect town. ¡°What happened here? Besides the obvious, that is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. I was here buying some things when that happened.¡± She turned to the red pillar piercing the sky. ¡°I heard her voice. Like in the wilds. Then everything just sort of went crazy. I¡¯ve been doing what I can to keep people safe, but I¡¯m the only one down here.¡± She cast a glance to a nearby mortal laying motionless against a ruined wall. ¡°What could have caused this?¡± she asked, turning back to He Yu.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Kong Huizhong. The Emissary is dead. When he died, the demon core he¡¯d pacted with returned his cultivation base to the Empress. At least that¡¯s what Yi Xiurong and Zhang Lifen think happened.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Chen Fei said, horror breaking across her face. ¡°So we¡¯ve been making her stronger by attacking the court?¡±


    He Yu grimaced, then nodded.


    Chen Fei turned to the west. ¡°What now?¡± she asked, voice small.


    ¡°First, we find the others,¡± he said. ¡°Once we¡¯re all together, we decide what we do next.¡±


    She visibly relaxed with his answer. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    They headed towards the path led to the lowest of the sect mountains and the outer sect. Now that there were two Golden Cores moving through Xu Xiang, all the First and Second Realms had eyes only for them. Chen Fei¡¯s techniques were more than capable of disabling the lower realm cultivators¡ªfar more so than He Yu¡¯s were. She sealed most of them behind formation barriers. By the time they¡¯d reached the foot of the path, the violence in Xu Xiang had all but ended.


    The peace didn¡¯t last. The instant they set foot upon the path leading up the mountain, themist spirits fell upon them. This time, however, they weren¡¯t a frightened Second Realm, and a powerless First Realm.


    Although the spirits attacked with far more aggression than they had been back then, the gulf in power between He Yu and Chen Fei compared to the spirits was insurmountable. Metal and stone and heaven and wind scattered the spirits, blasting or crushing their forms into diffuse qi that faded into the mists. The whole thing still bothered He Yu, though.


    That not only the disciples in Xu Xiang, but also the spirits on the path, would be driven to such an irrational display of aggression didn¡¯t give him much hope for what lay ahead. He¡¯d seen enough of what Jin Xifeng¡¯s influence could do. How she drove beings with such a low cultivation base to such a suicidal frenzy, he couldn¡¯t have said. For what purpose she did so, he couldn¡¯t have guessed. All he could see were the effects. And the effects were mindlessly destructive.


    It began to make sense that she could have felled an entire generation of experts. That she could have brought the whole of the Dragon Empire to its knees.


    Their journey through the outer sect was similar to their experience in Xu Xiang. First and Second Realm disciples would attack in groups. Chen Fei would quickly disable them, and then she and He Yu would move on. The occasional Third Realm would attack as well, and they would take a bit more effort to deal with, but they posed little threat. The main thing He Yu noticed was that most Third Realms seemed capable of resisting whatever influence drove the rest of the disciples to their frenzy.


    ¡°I wonder what the difference is?¡± he mused after pointing it out to Chen Fei.


    ¡°There were Fourth Realm beasts with the rest when we were in the western wilds,¡± she pointed out. ¡°So we know she¡¯s capable of influencing at least the Golden Core level.¡±


    It could have been distance, or time, or the number of individuals. He couldn¡¯t have said, and his speculation was cut short by an attack from a group of First Realms. He supposed the answer didn¡¯t really matter. It wouldn¡¯t change anything about their immediate situation, anyway. The one solace he took from the scene was that, based on what he could see on the higher mountains, there wasn¡¯t any immediate evidence of fighting. Maybe they could get a better grip on what was happening once they reached the inner sect.


    A fiery presence eclipsed everything else in the area. Like a burning mass of insatiable flame, Ren Huang slammed to the ground a few feet away from He Yu and Chen Fei. Dressed as he typically did in his baggy pants and open vest, he also had the wolf-tooth club he¡¯d carried in the wilds resting on one shoulder. A disciple rushed him, and Ren Huang grabbed him with his free hand. Without even looking, he flung the disciple into a building.


    ¡°Junior Brother He, Junior Sister Chen. I am glad to see you¡¯re safe,¡± he said in his usual low rumble. ¡°All inner disciples are to report to the inner sect mountain to muster for the defense.¡±


    ¡°Defense?¡± Chen Fei asked. He Yu was glad she had. He was dying to know himself, but didn¡¯t feel he was familiar enough with Ren Huang to break propriety.


    ¡°A horde of beasts approaches the sect from the west.¡±


    Now He Yu felt he could speak up. ¡°Pardon, Senior Brother, but couldn¡¯t the core disciples handle it on their own?¡±


    Ren Huang pinned him with a stern look. ¡°Do you think you saw even the tiniest fraction of what lay in the west during your brief time there? Do you not realize what the pillar of light stretching to heaven means? We will require every bit of strength the sect can muster if we are to have any hope.¡±


    He Yu bowed over a clasped fist. ¡°This one apologizes, Senior Brother.¡±


    For an instant, Ren Huang¡¯s normally stern expression and fierce demeanor dropped. In that moment, He Yu realized he was likely far older than he appeared. Zhang Lifen was considered young for her advancement, after all, and she¡¯s already lived for over sixty years. How much older would Ren Huang be?


    His voice was still a low rumble when he spoke, but there was a softness to his tone. ¡°My peers and I will do what we can to protect our juniors, but we can¡¯t do everything on our own. We need you nearly as much as you need us. Focus on the foes that you can defeat, and leave the stronger ones the core disciples. The elders stand by for when they are needed as well.¡±


    He dismissed them with a wave. He Yu and Chen Fei remained silent as they made their way through the outer sect, each lost in their own thoughts. Ren Huang¡¯s shift in demeanor was what concerned He Yu the most. It wasn¡¯t that the core disciple had lacked confidence, but rather he seemed resigned. As if the conclusion of the day had already been decided.


    Zhang Lifen¡¯s obvious concern returned to He Yu then, too. She¡¯d always been so quick to throw him into danger, and never once had she shown any real concern for his safety. Like she¡¯d known with absolute certainty that what she¡¯d gotten him into was within his capabilities to handle. Even if he didn¡¯t know it himself.


    This time, it was different. This time, it felt like the end.

 4.41 - Rally

    When He Yu arrived at the inner sect proper with Chen Fei, things were noticeably more calm. Although there were also a few sporadic exchanges of techniques here, too, most conflicts never rose past heated arguments between disciples. It reminded He Yu of what happened in the west between Li Heng and himself.


    Under the influence of Jin Xifeng¡¯s whispers, some long-buried point of contention would finally boil over to an open disagreement. It was usually something fueled by envy. At least from what He Yu overheard. An interesting similarity between what had happened with Li Heng, and one that he made sure to remember.


    Those disciples who weren¡¯t engaged in some sort of disagreement headed to the higher inner sect peaks. The ones closest to the core disciples¡¯ and elders¡¯ peaks. That would be where He Yu and Chen Fei would need to go soon enough. But first He Yu needed to restock on supplies.


    Between trying to keep both himself and a group of two dozen lower realm cultivators in fighting shape for hours, he was completely out of resources. Chen Fei said she would go look for Yan Shirong and headed off. It was good thinking on her part¡ªYan Shirong would be able to easily get them in touch with Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling once they found him. Aside from the approaching horde, He Yu¡¯s first concern was the same as it had been when he started back to the sect on his own. Gather his friends and ensure they were safe.


    After restocking on restoratives and spirit stones, He Yu tucked his second storage treasure into his robe. As much as he hoped that his home at the sect would be safe, given the way Zhang Lifen and Ren Huang had spoken, he thought it would be prudent to bring it with him. Beyond that, he didn¡¯t want to think any further on the implications. Surely they would prevail. Especially if the sect elders rallied to the defense. Sect Leader Zhou Shanyuan was late Eighth Realm, and Elder Cai was at the peak. The only other sect elder He Yu knew of, Elder Wen, was middle Eighth Realm. Even one Eighth Realm immortal was a being of unfathomable strength, let alone three.


    ¡°I take it you know something of all this nonsense?¡± Yan Shirong asked once he and Chen Fei met up with He Yu. He waved a hand toward the pillar of red light to the west.


    ¡°When Yi Xiurong and Zhang Lifen killed Kong Huizhong, his cultivation base returned to the Sunset Empress. Now she¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d say something like that,¡± Yan Shirong said, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°You¡¯ll want to get in touch with the others, then? I dispatched constructs after Chen Fei nearly broke down my door. They¡¯re on their way.¡±


    He Yu thanked Yan Shirong for his swift response, and Yan Shirong replied with his expected payment. That he could still think of money at a time like this was surprisingly comforting. A small island of normalcy in a world that seemed to be on the brink of becoming something different.


    Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling arrived a short time later. Both looked as though they¡¯d been fighting, but were otherwise in good condition. The twin silver streaks in Li Heng¡¯s hair had come loose, and He Yu noticed a dusting of frost on the hem of his robes. Tan Xiaoling had one of her dao sabers out, and kept her killing intent close about her, causing the surrounding area to feel sharp and dangerous.


    ¡°Welcome back, little brother,¡± Li Heng said with a strained smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it safely, but as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, things have been a bit rough in your absence.¡±


    A touch of his normal humor was there, which made He Yu relax a bit. Whether there was any lingering envy on his friend¡¯s part, it seemed like he resisted whatever influence the Sunset Empress was trying to exert.


    Once He Yu filled them in on what had happened, they headed to the highest inner sect peak along with the remaining stragglers. If any doubt had remained about the severity of their situation, the sight of the entire inner sect assembled dispelled it. He Yu knew that there were hundreds of inner sect disciples. The rankings made that clear all on their own. But due to the nature of various schedules, assignments, and seclusions, the sect never felt crowded. The plaza they assembled in now was packed with immortals. More than He Yu had ever seen in one place before.


    Nearly seven hundred cultivators stood in ranks. Their spirits, although restrained, made the plaza an absolute riot of qi. Aspects of the five phases were most frequent¡ªfire, earth, metal, water, and wood¡ªbut other aspects were present, too. Shadow, poison, and wind; life and occasionally heaven. A trace of radiance here or there. Mountain was common; unsurprising given the sect¡¯s signature arts.


    He Yu even caught traces of aspects he¡¯d never encountered before. Sword and force were the ones that stood out the most. Still more that he couldn¡¯t immediately identify. He recalled one of his earliest lessons at the sect, that there were more aspects of qi than there were concepts under heaven.


    As he fell into rank along with the others, a large, familiar figure wearing a conical peasant¡¯s hat stepped up to him.


    Fang Yingjie saluted He Yu and the others. ¡°Junior Brother He,¡± he said. ¡°It is good that you have made it.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°It is good to see you in health as well,¡± He Yu said, returning the gesture.


    ¡°A shame, is it not?¡± Fang Yingjie asked, turning to look at the column of red light rising to the sky. ¡°I had hoped that one day we could engage in a true test against one another. If heaven is merciful, that day may still come.¡±


    ¡°This one is grateful for your peerless instruction,¡± He Yu replied. ¡°If such a day never arrives, Senior Brother can be assured that it is through no fault of his own.¡±


    Fang Yingjie looked first from He Yu, then to the others. ¡°Be safe,¡± he said before disappearing into the gathered crowd.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the implications,¡± Yan Shirong muttered as they took their places towards the back of the gathered disciples.


    He Yu didn¡¯t either, but he said nothing. Instead, he fixed his eyes in the same direction as the other gathered members of the inner sect.


    At the far end of the plaza, five cultivators stood apart from the rest. Among them were Zhang Lifen, Ren Huang, Su Meifeng, and two others He Yu didn¡¯t recognize. Several dozen feet above, Yi Xiurong stood atop her peacock feather. The core disciples.


    The Shrouded Peaks Sect was truly arrayed for war.


    ¡°Disciples, attend to me,¡± called Yi Xiurong. Her voice carried over the assembled cultivators, although she barely raised it over her normal speaking tone.


    As one, the inner disciples pressed their fists to palms in salute. As one, they cried out, ¡°As the First Disciple commands!¡± The sound was like thunder.


    ¡°An ancient foe has awakened. A foe whose prison the Shrouded Peaks Sect exists to protect. A foe who the Shrouded Peaks Sect exists to defeat. As we speak, a tide of spirits and beasts possessed by this foe draws near. You all are tasked with the defense of the sect and the Dragon Empire. For each hundred inner sect disciples, there is one core disciple. Arranged by sect rank, you are under the command of your corresponding senior. Arrange yourselves accordingly and receive your orders.¡±


    Like Yi Xiurong herself, the instructions were precise and to the point. He Yu and Li Heng headed to where the other disciples ranked in the three hundreds gathered, joined by Tan Xiaoling. Chen Fei and Yan Shirong broke off to join the four and five hundred ranked disciples, respectively.


    A male cultivator stood at the head of the three hundreds, lazily waving a feathered fan before his face. He wore peach colored robes and a scholar¡¯s cap. His presence, although restrained, gave the impression of a snowcapped mountain.


    ¡°Three hundreds,¡± the core disciple called out. ¡°I am Wei Hua, third-ranked core disciple. Attend to me.¡± His voice was strong, musical, and lazy. His expression seemed almost bored as he spoke, gently fanning himself, yet there was an intensity to his eyes that spoke of danger. He Yu supposed a layabout would never make it as a core disciple, let alone manage to be ranked third among them.


    ¡°We hear Senior Brother Wei,¡± bellowed the gathered disciples.


    ¡°There are three main paths of ingress to the sect from the west. The two hundreds will hold the center. We hold the south and the four hundreds hold the north. The remaining three groups will act as reinforcements. The disciples with ranks above six hundred will act as supply runners and messengers for the main fighting force. To your positions.¡±


    Along with a hundred other inner disciples, all in the Fourth Realm, He Yu headed to the appointed point of defense. Between two of the sect¡¯s southernmost peaks, a pass sloped down into a valley below. Beyond that valley lay the boundaries of the sect territory, and western wilds. Although the path was winding and long, there was little other than distance that stood between He Yu and whatever was coming.


    Under Wei Hua¡¯s direction, melee specialists like He Yu moved to the front of the group. Joined by Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling, he took his position at the top of the pass. The land dropped away fairly steeply before him, with a single broad stair providing the only easy means of access.


    Of course, anything with a cultivation base to speak of wouldn¡¯t be slowed by the surrounding terrain all that much. But the position was defensible enough, if only from the height advantage. Anyone with ranged techniques would rain attacks down on the approaching throng, softening them up as they approached.


    Next to him, He Yu could feel Tan Xiaoling shifting with anticipation. He glanced over at her and saw unbridled excitement.


    ¡°This is my Way,¡± she said when she noticed him looking at her. ¡°To fight. To struggle. To push myself against ever greater challenges until either I, or they, break.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± He Yu said, ¡°I¡¯m glad heaven has provided the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s provided one for you, too,¡± she said. The normal wry humor in those kinds of comments was absent now, and her expression was similarly serious.


    He Yu thought on it for a moment. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± he said at length. This was the sort of thing he¡¯d always wanted, wasn¡¯t it? To struggle against insurmountable odds so that he could forge his legend. So he could prove to the world that he was a hero in truth. Although he¡¯d always imagined it to be in some grand duel against a worthy rival, he¡¯d certainly gotten his wish.


    ¡°Heng, too,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so certain,¡± Li Heng began.


    ¡°Balance,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°If you always defend, you lose.¡±


    Li Heng began to object, but then clapped his mouth shut and simply nodded. He Yu supposed that what Tan Xiaoling was really getting at was deeper. Like one ought to seek how their current situation resonated with their Way, rather than fit their Way to the circumstances. He Yu only hoped he would have sufficient time in the future to examine that particular gem of wisdom.


    Far to the west, a flash of light lit the sky, then another. And another. It was the formation barrier at the edge of the sect lands. Soon, the western sky was a pale pink as the red light from the Sunset Empress filtered through the shining formation barrier. Cracks appeared. A sound like a vase shattering against a stone floor crashed over the gathered disciples. The barrier vanished.


    Moments stretched to minutes, then to hours. Nothing came. There was no sound, no movement, nothing. Silence and stillness hung over the inner disciples. Then, a shout. Someone nearby pointed down the valley. In the fading eternal twilight cast by the Sunset Empress, He Yu saw them. Beasts and spirits beyond counting surged up the valley towards the sect. Accompanying their advance was an overwhelming sense of exactly two emotions¡ªinsatiable want and endless fury.


    He Yu summoned his guandao. Lightning crackled along his skin as he activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering.


    Whether he liked it or not, it was time to be a hero.

 4.42 - Endless

    A hundred presences of the Fourth Realm released at once. The aspects were all jumbled together, such that He Yu could only pick out hints of individuals within the riot of unleashed power. All the unrestrained qi made it difficult to concentrate, and it wasn¡¯t helped by the additional weight of one hundred cultivators¡¯ killing intent.


    Dozens of techniques were released at once. Arrows, boulders, spikes, and more all screamed down the valley at the advancing horde. Next to He Yu, a black spear limned in flame formed. Tan Xiaoling released the Mark of the Dark Sun. A black blaze erupted from where her technique struck. Hundreds of beasts died, leaving a seared scar along the length of the valley.


    He Yu thrust his guandao. Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade, supported by the Rushing Wind, sent a torrent of golden sparking forks of heaven¡¯s wrath down along the valley. Beasts and spirits died by the dozen. Like He Yu and Tan Xiaoling, each cultivator with any sort of ranged technique killed dozens or hundreds of the mostly First and Second Realm spirits and beasts.


    It was far from enough. The horde continued to advance, driven by the empress¡¯s will and heedless of their own losses. Inch by inch, foot by foot, they drew ever closer to the disciples at the top of the valley. The closer the beasts drew, the more died. The more that died, the closer they drew. When they finally drew close enough, Wei Hua ordered the counterattack.


    With Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling on either side, He Yu rushed forward. Dozens of disciples joined them. In the three hundreds, everyone had formed their Golden Core. The melee oriented fighters waded into a field of death while techniques arced over their heads to thin the oncoming ranks still surging up the mountain from the west.


    Heaven crackled through He Yu¡¯s meridians and over his skin. His cultivation base cycled through the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, and each of his movements was little more than a flicker. The edge of his guandao bit into beast and spirit, and heaven poured down around him as he brought the storm to bear. He hardly had to think anymore. He simply fought. Countless hours of training, reinforced by the ease of being that his Wayborn Seed granted, all came together into the effortless execution of form and technique alike.


    To one side, Li Heng spread winter. Frost lined his robe, his sword. It crept across the ground. Moonlight flashed each time he called upon the White Hare Dance. A silver river of qi streamed from his jian each time he released the Winter Moon Reflection. The frostbitten scars of the Darkmoon Strife turned beast flesh black. His touch was the cold, quiet death of a winter¡¯s night.


    Tan Xiaoling called forth her sandstorm. She became an eddying cyclone of grit and scouring shards. The heat from her sun burned and dessicated all it touched. She moved with the strength and grace of a tiger. Her paired dao flashed, and beasts fell. The sharp weight of her killing intent infused every one of her movements and techniques. She fought, and she did not hold back.


    First and Second Realm beasts and spirits fell by the dozens. By the hundreds. The disciples held firm, slaughtering all who came. A single technique could fell dozens of Qi Gathering opponents, after all. At the Foundation stage, the beasts fared little better. Among the horde were a few opponents at Body Refining. But they were scattered and rare. They still fell quickly, but the strongest among them could survive one or two techniques from the early stage Golden Cores.


    For the first hour or so, things remained more or less the same. First and Second Realms broke themselves upon a wall of Fourth Realm defenders. Beyond the passing thought that it seemed an awful waste, He Yu could only focus on the next swing, the next technique. He supposed that given enough time, enough bodies, the defenders would run out of qi, eventually. But it seemed an awful waste.


    However, as the fight dragged on, those few at the Body Refining stage gradually became more frequent. At first, it might have been one in about two or three hundred. Then one in a hundred. One in fifty. One in ten.


    By the time He Yu realized what had happened, over half the opponents he fought were equivalent to the Third Realm. Now, he had to actually try. Those around him had to try as well. Instead of felling dozens of opponents at once, it took two, three, sometimes four attacks to kill a single attacker. As the tide continued, and the Third Realm beasts only grew in number, more and more cultivators took wounds.


    At first, it was fairly mild. A scrape here, a bruise there. But increasingly, He Yu found himself relying on the Spring Rain Mirror. Next to him, Li Heng took more and more attacks on his jian and the space between releasing his silver sword light lengthened beat by beat. Tan Xiaoling retreated more frequently into her sandstorm. By now, she couldn¡¯t even spare the several breaths it took to for the Mark of the Dark Sun, and she had to fall back on the sandstorm itself and her raw martial prowess.


    Step by step, the inner disciples of the Shrouded Peaks Sect ceded ground. They extracted a heavy price, paid in blood, for every scrap of dirt and stone they gave up, but they gave it up, regardless. The enemy who paid cared not for the cost. By now, First and Second Realms were all but absent. And while Golden Core stage cultivators had tremendous qi reserves, they weren¡¯t limitless. He Yu could feel the drain, the ache in his dantian.


    Stepping back from the front ranks, he took a restorative pill. In the brief respite, he looked over what the disciples had wrought. Corpses of beasts and the fading remains of spirits filled the valley below. His stomach turned at the idea that the Sunset Empress would simply throw away so many lives. Sure, spirits and beasts weren¡¯t human, but both became more like humans the stronger they grew. Higher realm spirits and beasts could even take human forms. But these opponents were little better than mortal animals. It still bothered him, though. That Jin Xifeng would so callously throw away creatures that had, as far as He Yu could tell, fallen under her influence.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    In the endless twilight that had lasted now for hours, He Yu saw the first Golden Core stage spirit tearing its way through the tide before it. Heedless of its fellows, it ripped apart anything in its way with its wicked claws. It was of the same type He Yu had seen back at the town¡ªa gaunt humanoid figure with long black hair, a gaping jaw filled with jagged teeth, and a long lolling tongue.


    It lasted for a few moments when it reached the defenders. Being of the Fourth Realm, the disciples immediately recognized the threat it could pose and focused their attacks. Dozens of weapons and dozens of techniques fell upon the spirit. It didn¡¯t even have a chance to form a proper technique of its own. It died almost as quickly as the First and Second Realms had. But it had taken the combined efforts of multiple defenders.


    In the space, the distraction, caused by the Fourth Realm spirit, dozens of Body Refining beasts struck. Although nobody was injured seriously, there were injuries still. Several disciples had to fall back to take medicine from their own stores, or to seek treatment from the supporting disciples in reserve. If only for a few moments, the front line had thinned. He Yu felt the extra pressure instantly. Almost as if by some unseen and unheard signal, a dozen more Fourth Realm beasts appeared at the base of the valley.


    ¡°Do not let them close on the lines! Ranged techniques now!¡± ordered Wei Hua. The third-ranked core disciple stood above the fray, atop a pillar of stone. He¡¯d been directing the defense, issuing down orders but not stepping in. As the Fourth Realms drew ever closer, He Yu wished he would.


    Although it seemed a terrible waste, the strategy¡ªif one could even call it that¡ªhad become apparent by this point. The sect¡¯s disciples had been fighting for hours. They¡¯d spent a good deal of their qi reserves on the beasts in the initial wave. On chaff. They¡¯s been slaughtering ants, and while it hadn¡¯t cost them much, it had still cost them.


    They still maintained their dominating advantage, but with each additional Third Realm, the advantage grew smaller.


    Now came the Fourth Realms. Fresh, with full cultivation, and ready to sacrifice themselves for their empress.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before they overwhelm us,¡± He Yu said, cutting down a Fourth Realm wolf with black fur and flames erupting from its eyes.


    ¡°Then we die on our feet,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. Her voice was strained with fatigue and effort. She¡¯d taken several injuries¡ªall minor, but they were starting to add up.


    Li Heng caught a massive swipe from a red-furred bear with his jian. The Winter Moon Reflection flared, and a river of silver light poured forth. The bear screamed. He Yu slammed down his guandao. Metal bit into flesh, and a column of heaven fell on the beast. Li Heng gave He Yu a brief nod of thanks.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not die, if it¡¯s just the same,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°Same,¡± He Yu echoed.


    ¡°We may not have a choice in the matter,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, pointing down the length of the valley with one of her sabers.


    The first of the Fifth Realm beasts had arrived. Deep down, He Yu knew it had only been a matter of time. The lands to the west were wild, and rich in natural qi. The further west one went, the more powerful the spirits and beasts grew. According to everything he¡¯d learned, Seventh Realms weren¡¯t uncommon around the area of the Dawn Palace array. Or rather, the former Dawn Palace.


    The grim reality of their situation settled in. As the battle dragged on, and the defenders grew weaker, the attackers would only grow stronger. Progressively, higher realm foes would throw themselves at the sect. By the end, they would have to contend with beasts and spirits that had reached as profound a level as the Seventh Realm¡ªDivine Body Attainment.


    Perhaps a half a dozen Golden Cores could wear down a beast of the Nascent Soul. Maybe two dozen could hold back¡ªnot defeat¡ªa beast of the Soul Refining stage. But the defenders as they were, even those ranked above one hundred and under the command of Yi Xiurong couldn¡¯t hold back what was surely coming.


    Not even the core disciples could hold back beasts of the Seventh Realm. Among them, only Yi Xiurong had advanced past Nascent Soul. And she was only of the low Sixth Realm.


    But with the first Fifth Realm beast, He Yu finally glimpsed the sect¡¯s strategy as Wei Hua released his presence.


    Wei Hua¡ªthe third-ranked core disciple¡ªwas of the late Fifth Realm. His presence fell over the assembled defenders like an avalanche. He was a monument of stone, a mountain capped by eternal snow, with a glacier carving out the surrounding land. He was all weight and strength. His frozen spirit couldn¡¯t have been more different from Li Heng¡¯s¡ªrather than a quiet creeping cold, it was the feeling of an eternal glacier. Season didn¡¯t matter, the ice never melted, never retreated. It was more like stone than an aspect of water.


    The weight of his spirit crashed down on the approaching beast¡ªa silver-furred stag with horns of amber crystals. Wei Hua stepped forward and made an incantation gesture. Spires of stone erupted from the earth all around the stag. Wei Hua made another incantation gesture, and a blast of frigid air froze the stag in place. A third incantation gesture, and the stag turned to stone. Wei Hua tapped it on the nose with his fan, and it crumbled to dust and snow.


    The third-ranked disciple called over his shoulder, ¡°Hold the pass. I shall deal with any Fifth Realms foolish enough to test the strength of the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    From nearby, but out of sight, the other core disciples finally entered the battle. Their presences expanded to eclipse even the hundreds of gathered Golden Cores defending the valley entryways. Zhang Lifen¡¯s churning black sea crashed over her foes, more violent than He Yu had ever felt it. The deep, life-giving forest of Su Meifeng expanded to protect the disciples under her watch, even as ancient trees lifted their roots to choke the life from the horde. A presence He Yu didn¡¯t recognize, formed of a thousand swords wielded with the experience of a thousand experts emanated from what could only be the fourth-ranked disciple. Ren Huang, the blazing black wolf with embers for eyes, trotted forward and burned all before him. The brilliant radiance of Yi Xiurong simply erased everything that it touched, leaving only stark purity in its wake.


    Even as he struggled shoulder-to-shoulder with Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling, He Yu allowed himself to feel a tiny glimmer of hope.

 4.43 - Heralds of Twilight

    He Yu sat down on a log that had been an ancient tree just that morning. The medicine he¡¯d taken coursed through his meridians, restoring his dwindling qi reserves. The fighting had been going on for hours. Even so, a red sun hung just over the mountains to the west, casting the world in perpetual twilight. The column of red light still pierced the sky. The tide of spirits and beasts showed no signs of slowing.


    For the third time that day, the countless little cuts and bruises and more serious injuries He Yu had taken in his defense of the sect began to close up. Along with Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling, he¡¯d been rotated out of the front line. The attacking horde consisted almost entirely of Fourth Realm beasts, and Fifth Realms were growing more common by the hour. The two reserve groups, those disciples ranked under two hundred, had long since been sent to relieve the flagging defenders.


    That wasn¡¯t to mean the fight was over for He Yu. Instead, he¡¯d been instructed to step back, take pills and receive treatment as necessary. Then get back into the fight. At least the reinforcements were almost exclusively late or peak Golden Cores. Among the top fifty, there were even a handful of Nascent Souls. The sect¡¯s strategy, it seemed, mirrored their opponents.


    ¡°What happens when the Sixth and Seventh Realms arrive?¡± He Yu asked, not intending to say it aloud. He was too tired to care once it was out.


    ¡°The elders will step in, I¡¯d hope,¡± Li Heng said. He was just as haggard as He Yu was. His robes torn in a dozen different places, and his crown hairpin had long since been banished to his storage treasure. He now wore his hair in a warrior¡¯s bun, similar to how He Yu typically wore his. Fatigue showed plainly on his face and he held his jian with limp fingers, not even bothering to stow it away as he sat next to He Yu as they rested.


    On the opposite side of Li Heng, Tan Xiaoling looked little better. At some point she¡¯d torn the sleeves off her own gown, and her arms bore the marks of countless claws and teeth and horns. Even now, the wounds closed up as she cycled her own medicine. She¡¯d found a scrap of cloth¡ªperhaps once part of her gown¡ªthat she¡¯d used to tie her hair back. Vanity, it seemed, was entirely off the table.


    ¡°I wonder how Chen Fei and Yan Shirong are doing?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°I should think Chen Fei is well enough,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°She¡¯s tougher than she looks.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t decide if Tan Xiaoling meant physically or mentally. After a moment, he decided it was the latter. Chen Fei¡¯s ability to shrug off tremendous blows had become somewhat of a talking point among the inner disciples over the last year. While there were still plenty of whispers calling her a barbarian, nobody dared say it where she could hear anymore.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past Yan Shirong to have an escape talisman, at the very least,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Both of them should be fine.¡±


    It was reassuring to hear. Especially as He Yu looked up to see a low Fourth Realm disciple being dragged away from the front lines by a sect healer. Sights like that had become more frequent as the fight wore on. By now, nobody could deny this was a battle of attrition. The sect may have had many inner disciples and resources at its disposal, but those disciples and resources were still limited. The enemy was all but endless.


    With his injuries and cultivation base restored for the time being, He Yu stood. ¡°We should get back into it.¡±


    The others wordlessly joined him as they returned to their grim task. They took their places on the front lines, and another trio of disciples moved back to take their turns resting and restoring themselves. Within moments, He Yu was back in that strange in-between place of detachment and focus as his Wayborn Seed eased his movements and techniques in the endless battle for the Shrouded Peaks.


    Several hundred feet below, Wei Hua moved through the valley. Everywhere he walked, spires of stone erupted from the valley floor and slopes to pierce or pummel his foes. Giant slabs of ice formed, only to crash down on the Fifth Realm beasts he held back from reaching the Golden Cores at the top of the slope. He¡¯d been at it for hours.


    From atop a nearby mountain, Zhang Lifen rained hundreds of arrows upon the horde every second. She would loose a single shot of gleaming water qi that would split into nine, then another nine. The resulting mass of arrows would all curve unnaturally towards their marks, felling nearly a hundred with each attack she released. The second arrow would leap off her bow before the first volley had made it halfway to their marks. Her arms were a blur as she released shot after shot, covering the sky with her rain of death.


    Another hour passed. Then another. He Yu¡¯s arms ached. His legs ached. The feeling of emptiness in his core was sharper and more pronounced than he¡¯d ever felt it before. His meridians strained with each activation of his techniques. Through it all, he continued to kill.


    It was, in its own odd way, the one thing that benefited the defenders. While the lives of spirits and beasts carried less weight than the life of a human, especially a fellow cultivator, a death was still a death. The fight wore on, and He Yu noticed a sharpening, a refinement, of his killing intent.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    His techniques took on a weight they¡¯d never had before. The storm of his spirit became ever more dangerous. His techniques more deadly. Li Heng¡¯s killing intent similarly developed. Only Tan Xiaoling¡¯s killing intent didn¡¯t show the same rapid increase, but hers had already been so finely honed, He Yu didn¡¯t think much of it. A horde of beasts could only do so much for her.


    Still, the struggle dragged on.


    Another hour passed, and a shout rose from where Wei Hua fought. ¡°Disciples, fall back!¡±


    Despite the fatigue, despite the endless tide pressing against them, the disciples obeyed. They fought as they retreated, ceding ground to the oncoming wave. Bit by bit, the flow of beasts slowed. When they¡¯d almost fully abandoned their defensive position, He Yu took the chance to peer down the valley. Wei Hua held back the horde mostly by himself. He had support from Zhang Lifen, who was still perched on the nearby peak, but he was the only one on the ground. A moment later, He Yu saw why.


    Two beasts¡ªbears with stone claws and rigid rocky growths along their backs¡ªlumbered up the valley. They were both in the Sixth Realm. Behind them, a Seventh Realm Golden Tiger bounded towards the lone Fifth Realm core disciple, its eyes twin pools of molten gold. He Yu¡¯s worst fears for the battle finally showed themselves.


    Wei Hua stomped his foot. A wall of ice and stone erupted from the ground, blocking passage up the valley. With a single step, he appeared at the top of the valley. ¡°Back!¡± he shouted.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t react in time. Everything happened at once. A presence that He Yu had only caught the smallest glimpse of descended upon the valley. This time, it was unrestrained, heedless of what it crushed beneath it. The valley and the mountains erupted with growth, with life. He Yu fell to his hands and knees, spitting up a mouthful of blood.


    Elder Wen Xi, the instructor for the outer disciples¡¯ cultivation lesson during He Yu¡¯s first year in the sect, stood atop a broad leaf. Floating a hundred feet above the valley floor, he glared down at the Sixth and Seventh realm beasts below with his hands folded within his sleeves.


    Trees stretching a hundred feet into the air grew in an instant. Moss and vines choked the land and the beasts. A surging of wood and life qi crashed over the disciples at the top of the valley. A tree erupted from the ground, carrying one bear along in its branches. Vines crept up the trunk to wrap around the struggling bear and choke the very life from its throat. The second bear stumbled. A thick tangle of brambles sprang up around it. Thorns pierced its fur, then its skin. Each drop of blood the bear shed, the brambles drank in. Life overcame life, and the beast was consumed.


    The Seventh Realm tiger bounded through the explosion of undergrowth. The rapidly growing primordial forest soon became too much. Its roars increased in fury, even as He Yu lost sight of it among the trees and moss and vines. Then it was silent. Silent except for the cracking of stone as the forest continued to grow, to reshape the land for as far as He Yu could see.


    Then, relief. The oppressive weight of a single sect elder¡¯s spirit ceased to press down upon him. When He Yu looked up, he saw why. Sitting in the branches of a nearby and newly grown tree was Su Meifeng. Her presence, the same aspects of wood and life as Elden Wen but more protective in its nature, had expanded to cover all those disciples still at the top of the valley. She plucked her ruan, and a barrier formed over them all. Her music continued, and healing life-aspected qi washed over the exhausted Golden Cores.


    He Yu flopped over onto his back and stared at the red sky. From within the branches of her tree, Su Meifeng gave a soft laugh.


    ¡°The fight is far from over, Junior Brother He. I am glad, however, to see that you yet live. Not all our disciples were so lucky. I am afraid you may have increased your rank over the course of the day.¡±


    It was a bitter thing to hear. Logically speaking, it was obvious that not everyone would survive a fight like this. Especially those in the middle and lower tiers of the sect¡¯s combat strength, like He Yu. It hadn¡¯t been something he¡¯d time to think about, though. Not while fighting for his life.


    ¡°How is the battle not over?¡± he asked. ¡°I would assume that someone as powerful as a sect elder could deal with the rest of the horde alone.¡±


    ¡°You are correct. Master Wen will hold the west,¡± Su Meifeng said. Given the feeling of her qi, it made sense that she would be Elder Wen¡¯s martial daughter. ¡°The inner sect and the greater portion of the core disciples will defend against the cultivators that approach from the east and the north.¡±


    He Yu sat up. ¡°Cultivators approaching from the east and north?¡± he asked. Although he had a good idea of what that meant, he hoped he was wrong.


    Su Meifeng¡¯s features were grim despite the peaceful music coming from her ruan. ¡°The Sunset Court. I suspect they waited so they could coordinate with one another. Whether Jin Xifeng herself is directing them, I couldn¡¯t say. They¡¯re far fewer in number than the beasts here, but there¡¯s enough of them such that we need the disciples to aid in the defense.¡±


    ¡°Waited? For how long?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°By my count, it¡¯s been three days since the empress first pierced the sky,¡± Su Meifeng said.


    He Yu stood and saluted Su Meifeng. ¡°This disciple thanks Senior Sister for her aid.¡±


    She inclined her head and gave him a ghost of a smile. ¡°Take care, Junior Brother He. See the medicine hall disciples on your way. They¡¯ll give you some elixirs to replenish the resources you¡¯ve expended defending the sect.¡±


    He Yu headed to where the sect healers had set up their field hospital, along with Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling. The three of them then followed the instructions that Ren Huang bellowed from atop a nearby pavilion and headed toward the outer sect mountain.


    ¡°It¡¯s odd that the court still has enough strength to attack the sect after the year-long campaign we¡¯ve been waging against them,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°I wonder how many there are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about the why,¡± He Yu said. He kept returning to how wasteful this whole thing was. Unless the court had experts of the Eighth Realm, surely they had to know there was no chance of victory against the entire Shrouded Peaks Sect arrayed for war? Even if they only had a single expert at the Divine Soul Apotheosis stage, all six of the sect elders were of the Eighth Realm as well. Sect Leader Zhou Shanyuan and the First Elder Cai Weizhe were both at the peak.


    Although He Yu had no direct experience with the Sunset Empress Jin Xifeng, he couldn¡¯t imagine why she¡¯d simply throw away her followers¡¯ lives. To him, it went against the covetous nature that so infused everything her spirit touched.


    As He Yu made his way to the next battle, he turned the problem over in his head, certain he was missing something.

 4.44 - Her Court Arrives

    Along with roughly a dozen other inner disciples, He Yu arrived at the outer sect mountain. When the outer disciples caught sight of the approaching inner disciples, a barrage of question arose to greet them. Most were of the First and Second Realms. A few early Body Refining disciples were there, too. None of them would have the first idea what was going on. He Yu was content to allow the more senior inner sect members to field the questions. To his knowledge, even among the top-ranked inner disciples, few knew of the Sunset Court, or the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s true purpose.


    As He Yu hung back with Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling, someone he¡¯d not thought about since his days in the outer sect approached.


    Qiao Xia. She was still at the peak of Body Refining, as were most who¡¯d joined the sect at the same time He Yu had. Most, at least, who weren¡¯t part of his core of companions. She wore the same fine sorts of clothes she usually did, but seemed in noticeably better spirits than when she¡¯d been in Sha Xiang¡¯s orbit¡ªdespite the worry in her expression.


    ¡°Senior Brother He,¡± she said, bowing over a salute. ¡°Do you have a moment?¡±


    He Yu shared a glance with Li Heng before he answered. ¡°You can just call me He Yu. But sure. What do you want?¡±


    Qiao Xia took a moment to glance around before she stepped closer. Although he sensed no danger or ill intent from her, He Yu still tensed. He was on edge after all the fighting still.


    ¡°Does all this have to do with the Sunset Court?¡± she asked in a near-whisper.


    A sharpness settled over the four of them as Tan Xiaoling got practically nose-to-nose with Qiao Xia. ¡°And what if it was? If I recall, you were among their number not too long ago.¡±


    Qiao Xia looked at the dirt. ¡°I was,¡± she admitted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t privy to everything that Sha Xiang was, and I cut off my association with the Court after Sha Xiang was expelled from the sect.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°I went to the elders and told them everything,¡± she added quickly. ¡°They extended the sect¡¯s protection after, so long as I swore to never associate with another member of the Court again.¡±


    ¡°So then, what¡¯s the question?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°I just¡ªI don¡¯t know.¡± Qiao Xia looked to the east. ¡°I heard experts were coming. I assumed they were part of the Court. All of this,¡± she gestured toward the west, ¡°feels like the Emissary.¡± For a moment, she looked like she wrestled with something in herself, then she said, ¡°He¡¯s powerful. And frightening. If someone like him is coming, be careful.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± He Yu said.


    Qiao Xia visibly relaxed, closing her eyes. ¡°Then heaven is merciful. I can fight whoever comes along with my sect siblings without fear.¡±


    ¡°Fight whoever comes?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked.


    She drew herself up then. ¡°I earned my place in the inner sect with the last tournament. I¡¯ve been running messages so far, as I am only ranked six hundred forty-second. That¡¯s how I was able to find you all.¡±


    He Yu shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t throw your life away,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re still only Body Refining. I¡¯ve been fighting the Court for the past year and more now. Let the Fourth Realms face them.¡±


    A number of different emotions played across her face before she finally bowed her head. ¡°Senior Brother is right. I will go. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I never held any ill-will towards you,¡± He Yu said before she left. ¡°You were needlessly cruel to Chen Fei, and you should feel bad for that. But I don¡¯t blame you for falling under Sha Xiang. I know what she¡¯s like.¡±


    ¡°Kinder than she deserved,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, watching Qiao Xia go.


    ¡°Kindness is something this world needs more of, I think,¡± Li Heng said, sweeping his gaze over the consequences of battle that surrounded them all.


    ¡°I agree.¡± He Yu turned back towards the east. ¡°But there¡¯s no kindness for what comes. Mercy and kindness are for those deserving of it. Or who can learn from it.¡± He produced his guandao as the approaching presences encroached on the outer sect, and the gathered lower realm disciples scattered. ¡°Mercy is wasted on full members of the Court proper. I¡¯m sure the both of you have seen similar enough things as I have.¡±


    Silence was his only answer, and the only one he needed. He¡¯d already spoken to Li Heng about what he saw at the alchemy workshop where they¡¯d used demonic techniques of blood and flesh to experiment on the unbonded demon core. Li Heng had shared that he¡¯d discovered similar scenes on the missions he¡¯d conducted. He Yu didn¡¯t expect Tan Xiaoling would have experienced anything different.


    It took less time than he¡¯d have expected for the members of the Court to arrive. When they did, they attacked. There was no preamble. No exchange of speeches or boasts. They simply appeared in the plaza via their movement techniques and engaged the closest sect disciple they could find.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Almost immediately, He Yu found himself separated from the others. His opponent was a woman who appeared to be perhaps thirty. She wielded a pair of hook swords. She¡¯d reached the peak of Body Refining and was half a step into the Fourth Realm. Her techniques and presence reminded He Yu of metal and starlight. Although she was in a full realm below him, she put up a far tougher fight than he thought she had any right to.


    As they exchanged techniques, he idly wondered if this was how some of his foes had felt when they faced him. He¡¯d pushed Sha Xiang back when he was less advanced than her, and together with Li Heng, he¡¯d bested a pair of late stage Golden Cores.


    Against most Third Realm cultivators, He Yu hardly had to try. Against this expert of the Sunset Court? She fought more like a fresh Golden Core than a peak Third Realm. The only person of a lower realm that had ever come close to pressing He Yu like this had been Sha Xiang shortly after he¡¯d advanced. And she¡¯d bonded a demon core¡ªsomething that He Yu didn¡¯t sense in this foe.


    He moved on to his next opponent in short order. This one was more on his level, an early Fourth Realm approaching the middle stage. Almost immediately, He Yu realized this foe was far tougher than he¡¯d any right to be.


    Through all the hours of training against Yan Shirong, He Yu felt as though he¡¯d gotten a pretty good grasp on how slippery shadow cultivators could be. This member of the Court cultivated mostly shadow, with a nasty addition of metal. He fought with a spear, and a combination of long range techniques.


    Although his foe tried to slip away whenever he could, He Yu used the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment to good effect. His perception technique easily pierced the illusions his enemy created to confuse him with, and the speed granted by the combination of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight allowed him to just as easily keep pace. Metal clashed against heaven, and wind blew away shadows that resembled smoke.


    Still, the other cultivator matched He Yu blow for blow. It took everything He Yu had. All the tiny insights he¡¯d gotten from training and fighting against those of such greater advancement amounted to so little. He had to claw every inch of advantage against someone who, by all accounts, should have fallen easily before him.


    At length, he managed a decisive blow. Using the Spring Rain Mirror, he threw his opponent off-balance by deflecting a particularly heavy attack. The Peerless Judgment opened the way for him, and he darted in using all the speed he could muster. He severed the other cultivator¡¯s hamstring and then took his head.


    It was a hard-fought victory. Harder than it had any right to be. In the tiny moment before another devotee of the Court could attack, He Yu took in the battle. All around, the inner disciples were fighting hard. Many were losing. Nearby, Tan Xiaoling drove her paired dao into the chest of her opponent before kicking his body off the mountain.


    Nearby, Li Heng had been slowly gaining advantage over his own black-clad foe. With the death of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s opponent, the momentum of Li Heng¡¯s fight reversed. It was subtle. Almost imperceptible. But He Yu could have sworn that the black-clad cultivator¡¯s movements had grown faster. More controlled. Like they¡¯d gotten a boost to their cultivation with the death of their comrade.


    He Yu zipped away from the fight, positioning himself on top of a nearby roof. He watched the melee in the courtyard unfold with the discerning judgment of an emperor. As it was intended to, the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed him the truth of things. With each death the Court suffered, their remaining number grew fractionally in strength. As if the cultivation base of the slain expert was then distributed among those that remained.


    As the full implication of what he¡¯d realized fell into place, horror gripped his heart. He recalled what had happened after Kong Huizhong had died. He recalled his confusion at why Jin Xifeng would throw away the lives of so many in a pointless attack on the sect. He finally saw the full shape of the Sunset Empress¡¯s strategy.


    He Yu poured qi into his meridians even as they screamed at him in protest. Faster than he¡¯d ever moved before, he blasted through the sect, heedless of whatever destruction he might cause with his passing. He needed to find someone¡ªanyone¡ªwith some sort of authority. A core disciple. An elder would be the best.


    Elder Wen. Was he still in the west? Defending the sect from there?


    He Yu headed in that direction as fast as he could. As he drew closer, the elder¡¯s overwhelming presence pressed down on him. Just being on a nearby mountain was enough to cause He Yu¡¯s cultivation base to seize up, making it impossible to use his techniques. There was no way he¡¯d be able to approach the elder without some sort of assistance.


    Instead, he sought out Zhang Lifen. She wasn¡¯t hard to find¡ªhe was so familiar with her qi that he could pick her out even among the riot of presences all warring with one another across the sect. When he landed next to her, she only flicked her churning black eyes in his direction before launching a volley of arrows at a group of Third and Fourth Realm cultivators doing battle with a noticeably smaller group of inner disciples.


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t exactly the time for a social visit,¡± she said. Although her words weren¡¯t exactly angry, it was clear she didn¡¯t approve of him being here.


    ¡°The strategy,¡± He Yu half-gasped, feeling out of breath for the first time since he¡¯d reached Foundation. ¡°I figured it out.¡±


    ¡°What strategy?¡± she asked, this time not taking her eyes off the battle below.


    ¡°The Court. Why are they just killing themselves? They know they can¡¯t win here.¡±


    ¡°Fanatics. They throw their lives away¡ª¡±


    ¡°And give their cultivation to her!¡± He Yu shouted.


    Zhang Lifen froze. She didn¡¯t need to argue. Or to ask. She¡¯d been there when Kong Huizhong had died. When the Dawn Palace had, after a thousand years, finally shattered.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    In the west, the column of red light vanished. The bloody red sun that hung over the peaks vanished a moment later. For the briefest of moments, it was morning.


    Then, it wasn¡¯t.


    Jin Xifeng stood atop a treasured flying sword and stared down at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. She looked just as she had in when the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment had shown her to He Yu. Like she was barely twenty years old, with skin the color of white jade. Beautiful wasn¡¯t enough to describe her. She was like a creature of heaven. He Yu¡¯s heart ached as he looked at her. Every part of his being screamed at him to go to her, throw himself to the ground in kowtow and submit. To give himself to her wholly and forever.


    She turned her eyes to the sect. Deep, black, and ancient. They carried the weight of hundreds of years in them. And they shone with a fury and a hatred that caused He Yu¡¯s mind to reel. Behind her, a flat plain stretched to the horizon. A battlefield covered in corpses. The bloody red disk of a setting sun just touched the edge of the world. The Sunset Empress stood among a field of the dead¡ªa field of all those who had given themselves to her. Who had made her what she was.


    Jin Xifeng had come¡ªin all her terrible power and insatiable desire for more.

 4.45 - Jin Xifeng

    From atop her flying sword, Jin Xifeng raised one hand. A tide of twisting shadow rose, wrapping around the sect mountain closest to her. He Yu¡¯s perception rebelled at it. The immensity of the technique was too much. Trying to look at it through the Peerless Judgment felt like it would rip his mind apart. The only point of reference he could pin it to was what had happened with King Hao, but even that was a meager approximation.


    The shadows receded, and with them, the mind-numbing power followed. When they had finally cleared, the mountain was simply gone. No rubble, no remains. Just a barren valley where one of the inner sect¡¯s mountains had once been. He Yu couldn¡¯t come to terms with it. It was close to where Elder Wen had been holding the western ingresses to the sect. Had there been anyone else in the area? He Yu couldn¡¯t bring himself to think about what he¡¯d just witnessed¡ªhow many potential lives had just been erased.


    Jin Xifeng pointed towards the elders¡¯ mountain. The tallest of the sect¡¯s peaks. The tide of shadow rose once again. This time, it was met by something capable of resisting.


    Sect Leader Zhou Shanyuan towered to the heavens. Under the crushing weight of his presence, He Yu fell to the ground and spit up mouthful after mouthful of blood. Cycling everything he had into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, he desperately flexed his own presence to simply keep himself from being crushed.


    Zhou Shanyuan was a mountain in truth. A peak that touched heaven and reached deep into the earth. Ancient and strong. Unmoving. Eternal. He was earth and metal and mountain. He was the creator of the White Mountain Body Art. An art he had mastered hundreds of years prior. A Divine Soul Apotheosis cultivator at the peak of his power, he stood against Jin Xifeng.


    She met him in kind.


    Red light washed over the world. The sun behind Jin Xifeng hung motionless in the sky. It grew to swallow the lands below. The field of the countless dead at her feet rose. A tide of corpses, a tide of shadow, a tide of want crashed against the mountain. Crashed against the very bones of the earth and those bones trembled. The world shook with her hatred and rage and desire for always more.


    He Yu coughed up more blood. The clash of presences, of two Eighth Realm cultivators, was far too much for him to handle. A few feet away, Zhang Lifen fared little better.


    ¡°How?¡± was all He Yu could choke out between gasps for breath.


    ¡°Get somewhere else,¡± she forced through gritted teeth. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He crawled off in a direction he hoped would lead to safety. All around him, the world broke.


    Mountains erupted from the earth, only to be drowned in a tide of shadow and stolen power. The sun burned red in the sky, and the earth opened to swallow it up, to drag the bloody disk below the horizon. The clash of shadow and blood and mountain tore apart the nearby landscape. The mere existence of these two experts reshaped the very land itself.


    Elder Cai Weizhe joined the struggle. A pillar of alabaster rivaling Zhou Shanyuan¡¯s mountain appeared. Of the four faces carved upon its surface, the western visage opened its eyes. Twin beams of radiant heaven burned away the field of corpses. Radiance lit the sky¡¯s eternal twilight. Golden heaven qi cracked and surged down the pillar¡¯s length.


    The Eternal Mountain and the Pillar of Heaven crashed against the Blood Red Sun. Three titans ripped apart the world. All that the western face of the pillar beheld, it destroyed. The mountain reshaped the land even as it grabbed hold of the setting sun. The sun touched the world, burned away life and death alike, and drowned its foes in a sea of want.


    Below, hundreds died. Somehow, He Yu found himself inside a formation barrier. One of the sect¡¯s training fields? He couldn¡¯t be certain. Zhang Lifen must have dragged him there. She lay on her back nearby. Her chest heaved as she struggled to bring her breathing back to normal while she stared into the blood red sky. The weight inside was still oppressive, but bearable. At least so long as the formation held.


    He Yu struggled to make sense of all that passed just outside the barrier. The clash of spirits was so far beyond his comprehension. He only caught snatches of the battle, and even those came more in impressions rather than an exchange he could follow. As though his advancement just wasn¡¯t far enough to grasp the profound truths contained in these three experts¡¯ techniques. The only thing he could say for certain was that even though he could only grasp a fraction, he now bore witness to the true heaven defying power wielded by peak experts of the Eighth Realm. Yet a greater realm still lay beyond.


    Then he grasped something concrete. What he saw horrified him.


    Jin Xifeng stood on her flying sword. Nine more swords floated nearby. In one hand, she¡¯d caught Zhou Shanyuan by the wrist. For a moment, time stretched on forever while they stood atop their treasures. Face-to-face. Unmoving.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Nine swords pierced Zhou Shanyuan¡¯s body. Jin Xifeng tore the sect leader¡¯s arm from its socket and tossed it aside like a piece of trash. The mountain in the sky cracked, then crumbled. Sect Leader Zhou Shanyuan fell from his treasure and plummeted to the earth. In that moment, He Yu knew¡ªhe¡¯d seen the battle of Jin Xifeng¡¯s suppression. He¡¯d seen through the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment and the memories of Cai Weizhe. He knew exactly what she was capable of.


    Jin Xifeng turned towards Elder Cai. He stood atop a cloud and held a golden ringed staff. Shadow and blood surged around Jin Xifeng. Heaven and radiance crackled over Cai Weizhe. In that moment, the First Elder looked incredibly old. He looked incredibly tired.


    He pointed his staff at Jin Xifeng, and heaven opened. Sheets of lightning rained down from the sky. Although it was so far beyond what He Yu could do with the technique, he still recognized it. Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade¡ªthe fury of heaven¡¯s judgment descended. A radiant beam of light, hundreds of feet across, surged forth from Elder Cai¡¯s staff, and the world vanished. In its place, the alabaster pillar had returned, and now all four of its faces were awake, their eyes open, and the devastation of their gaze fully unleashed.


    With a lazy, contemptuous gesture, Jin Xifeng met Elder Cai¡¯s technique. Turned it aside, redirecting it to a nearby peak. A peak that, when the attack faded, simply vanished. Her swords trailed shadow, and the army of her servants surged around her. Countless figures, gaunt and drained, crawled up the base of the alabaster tower like so many insects. Shadows wrapped around the faces.


    Blood trickled from He Yu¡¯s nose. Even from within the formation, he wasn¡¯t fully protected from the sheer spiritual weight of the battle over the sect. The barrier itself shone under the strain of the battle above. Somehow, he managed to push himself to a seated position.


    ¡°Get out of here,¡± Zhang Lifen said. She¡¯d regained her feet, and looked like she was in about as bad as He Yu felt.


    ¡°What about you?¡± he asked. She reached out and helped him stand. Her eyes were black, but still.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t decide whether he believed her. ¡°I need to find my friends.¡±


    ¡°Then do it.¡± She turned to the battle in the sky. To the clash of heaven and the red setting sun. ¡°Once you do, find a way out. Go anywhere but here.¡±


    Still struggling under the combined weight of the two massive presences, He Yu took his place next to her. ¡°Can she be defeated?¡± he asked, watching the struggle unfold.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhang Lifen¡¯s voice was somber. All her usual playfulness, blas¨¦ attitude¡ªgone. ¡°You¡¯ll know the outcome either way, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again?¡± His throat was tight, and it was all he could do to ask.


    ¡°Go,¡± she said, not looking at him. ¡°And be safe.¡±


    He Yu went. How could he not? There was nothing he could do here. Nothing he could contribute. To even try would be to throw his life away. Zhang Lifen was right¡ªhe¡¯d know the outcome when it came. He was fairly certain he already knew how it would end, but he didn¡¯t let himself dwell on that.


    Once outside the formation barrier, the spiritual presence of Elder Cai and Jin Xifeng¡¯s clash crashed over him once again. He struggled to move, but after a moment, it became much easier. A glance over his shoulder told him the battle had moved a good distance away from the sect. The presence was still strong, but at least he could stand. For now.


    He made his way through the ruined plazas and gardens of the inner sect. Evidence of the battle lay all around him, and he found only chaos. Cultivators with weaker presences lay dead or critically injured. Their dantians and meridians damaged by the mere proximity to the unleashed spiritual base of the battling Eighth Realm masters.


    Those of at least Golden Core seemed to fare better¡ªat least in their ability to withstand the spiritual pressure. Instead of dying, they fought. They fought each other. They fought those few beasts that had survived the crushing weight of the clash. They fought against those members of the Sunset Court that yet remained.


    He had no idea how to find his friends. He had no idea if they even still lived. Activating the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, he hauled himself into the air and began his search in earnest. Occasionally he had to fend off attacks from members of the court, members of the sect driven to frenzy, from a spirit or a beast. From time-to-time he caught flashes of one of the core disciples¡¯ presences as they engaged in battles of their own.


    Yan Shirong was fighting a group of three other cultivators when He Yu found him. Relief crashed over him¡ªout of all his friends, Yan Shirong was the least advanced. Still only at the peak of Body Refining. He Yu had worried about him the most, that he¡¯d not be able to withstand spiritual weight of the combined experts. He Yu landed in the middle of the fight. A quick blast of the Bracing Wind disrupted Yan Shirong¡¯s foes, and the two of them quickly ended the fight.


    ¡°You live. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± Yan Shirong said. Fatigue hung off each word. Blood spattered his robes. How much of it was his own, He Yu couldn¡¯t have said. His spirit felt far less pronounced than usual, so he¡¯d been fighting hard regardless, and was probably close to his limit.


    ¡°We need to find the others,¡± He Yu said, handing him some medicine from his storage.


    Yan Shirong bit down on the pill. Three of his bone and shadow constructs appeared and took flight. Wordlessly, he slumped against the remains of a nearby building. He Yu let him have his rest.


    Then, something inside He Yu broke. Or it felt like it¡ªa spiritual snap. Like a tether had been cut. Something he¡¯d not even known was there, connecting him to a line of experts stretching back to ancient times. He turned to the west even as he struggled to keep standing.


    The alabaster pillar cracked, then crumbled. Giant chunks of white stone rained down, crashing to the earth below. The light of heaven vanished, and the radiance was consumed. In its place, a furious red sun hung over a horizon, casting light over a field of uncountable bodies. Against that sun, He Yu saw her. She stood alone. Her expression calm, satisfied. The hatred and rage were muted for now. In their place¡ªsatisfaction.


    ¡°We need to go,¡± he said, hauling Yan Shirong to his feet.


    For perhaps the first time, He Yu realized just how young they all were as he looked into Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes. He saw a frightened young man, only twenty-two years old and uncertain about the world they¡¯d just entered. They were the same age.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± he asked. From his tone, he clearly already knew the answer.


    He Yu answered as much of his own sake as for Yan Shirong¡¯s. ¡°Elder Cai is dead. Jin Xifeng has won.¡±

 4.46 - Escape

    To the west, four additional presences rose to meet the Sunset Empress. He Yu only recognized the ancient forest of Elder Wen, but the other three had to be sect elders as well. Only an elder would be capable of standing against a monster such as Jin Xifeng. He Yu didn¡¯t bother to look. The outcome had been decided when Leader Zhou and Elder Cai fell¡ªthe Shrouded Peaks Sect was lost.


    He Yu raced through the sect, following one of Yan Shirong¡¯s shadow and bone constructs. All around him, the once pristine grounds of the sect lay in ruin. Immaculate gardens ripped out or burned. Pavilions lay in rubble. The dead littered the paths and plazas. Although he¡¯d only lived here for a few short years, He Yu¡¯s heart ached. The sect had come to feel like home to him¡ªa place where he could achieve all the things he¡¯d once thought out of his grasp. Now? Now it was gone. Taken by a force too powerful to resist.


    As they searched, neither said anything. From the expression he wore, it was clear Yan Shirong had his own response to the sect¡¯s destruction. His own response to the death around him, to the loss of something he¡¯d come to value. He Yu chose not to dwell on the day¡¯s events. There would be time for processing things later. The first thing to do was to find the others. Find the others, and escape. Escape, and live.


    Soon they arrived on the highest of the outer sect peaks. Chen Fei stood a short distance away, facing down three Fourth Realm cultivators. Her sturdy outfit of leather and fur was bloodied and torn. Most of her hair had come out of its braid. Her expression was one of determination even as she faced down three enemies, each of them easily her equal.


    Behind her, huddled nearly a dozen Third Realms. Outer disciples that had somehow escaped the madness and devastation of the battle. Formation scripts shone all around the disciples and Chen Fei. An activation of her family art¡ªthe Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols. Her presence, though fatigued and on its last breath, was that of a solid mountain, imposing itself between those it protected and those that would do harm.


    He Yu slammed down between Chen Fei and her three opponents. Heaven¡¯s fury surged out from him, carried by the Bracing Wind. Despite his lower advancement, Yan Shirong joined in as well. Chen Fei rallied, and the three of them met the attackers. The fight was as brief as it was brutal. Chen Fei slammed her foes with punches and kicks that each carried the force of an avalanche. He Yu swept the wind, and brought down heaven. From the edges of the battle, Yan Shirong peppered their foes with an unending barrage of poisoned daggers and shadowy thorns.


    When the last of the attackers had fallen, He Yu turned to the gathered outer disciples. ¡°Go,¡± he said, ¡°the sect has fallen. It isn¡¯t safe here.¡±


    Thankfully, the frightened cultivators obeyed. They scampered off without even so much as a salute or a bow. Better, in He Yu¡¯s opinion. Every moment someone delayed was a moment they could have spent trying to escape. The four remaining elders would fall soon enough, and He Yu didn¡¯t want to be around to find out what Jin Xifeng would do to the surviving members of the Shrouded Peaks Sect once that happened.


    ¡°We need to find Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng,¡± Chen Fei said once she¡¯d taken some medicine. It wasn¡¯t a very potent pill¡ªthey¡¯d been taking so many pills over the past few days that anything strong would surely cause a backlash by now.


    Yan Shirong pointed to a mostly ruined path that would lead them toward the inner sect. ¡°The heavens have some mercy, at least. They¡¯re together.¡±


    He Yu gave a brief nod, and they headed down the path. They passed yet more devastation. More ruin. More of what Jin Xifeng¡¯s desire brought.


    ¡°What will become of the Dragon Empire?¡± Chen Fei asked as they made their way through the now mostly ruined sect.


    That wasn¡¯t something He Yu had considered before now. What would become of the empire? The vision of the past had showed him a battle at the empire¡¯s edge. A battle that had taken place after a long campaign against Jin Xifeng and her followers. A campaign that had claimed an entire generation of experts. With the empire¡¯s first line of defense against her return gone, who would stand against her now? The Dragon Emperor himself? He was supposed to be of the Ninth Realm¡ªa Heavenly True Immortal¡ªbut he¡¯d not been seen in years. The only talk He Yu had heard was that he¡¯d entered closed-door cultivation. Ninth Realm cultivators could disappear for centuries at a time. Would he be able to respond to this threat? If he could, would he be enough?


    Any further speculation fell to the side when He Yu caught notice of two familiar presences. Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng were close by, and judging by the feel of their spirits, they were engaged in battle. The black desert sun and the endless winter crashed against a presence of blood and flame. A member of the court, judging by the feel, and firmly in the late Fourth Realm.


    He Yu and the others wasted no time. Even with the boost their enemy had received by absorbing the cultivation base of his allies that had already fallen, the five of them were simply too much. Chen Fei bound their opponent with her family art and Yan Shirong supported her efforts with his shadows. He Yu and Li Heng launching a coordinated attack possible after hundreds of hours of training together. Tan Xiaoling stepped in to the opening that they¡¯d created and unleashed a flurry of slashes with her paired dao.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    With no foes in the immediate area, Tan Xiaoling banished her dao sabers to her storage treasure. ¡°My thanks, Sect Brother He. Your timing was perfect,¡± she said over a bow. The wry humor that usually would have been present was absent, replaced with fatigue. She looked in much worse shape than she¡¯d been before Jin Xifeng¡¯s attack, and her spirit seemed to flicker. She must be as tired as He Yu was. And the rest of them.


    Li Heng turned to He Yu. ¡°What now?¡± he asked.


    He Yu shoved his surprise, and discomfort, at the question aside. If the others were going to look to him for direction, now wasn¡¯t the time to doubt himself. ¡°We need to get away from the sect,¡± he said. ¡°Elder Cai and Leader Zhou are dead. The sect is no more. I don¡¯t know what Jin Xifeng and the court will do to any survivors they find, but we can¡¯t stay.¡±


    He didn¡¯t tell them about his last moments with Zhang Lifen. They still weighed on him¡ªher worry and the uncertainty if he¡¯d ever see her again. Despite the complicated, and at times frustrating, relationship he¡¯d formed with her, she was still his martial parent. She was the reason he was here at all. The reason he¡¯d first truly set his feet upon his way. He did his best to quash his worry for her. If there was anyone who could make it out of this, it was her.


    To his suggestion they flee, nobody disagreed. After a brief discussion, they agreed the best route would be to head down to Xu Xiang. The sect town would likely be abandoned by now, if not completely ruined. They¡¯d face little resistance, and once out of the foothills of the Shrouded Peaks, they could head in whatever direction was safest.


    A wave of qi that could have only come from Jin Xifeng broke over the sect. It passed over them all and continued out into the world beyond. An answering call of countless presences flared up. Beasts and spirits and cultivators all¡ªand they all headed directly for the sect.


    Or what was left of it.


    ¡°Perhaps Xu Xiang isn¡¯t the best approach,¡± Yan Shirong said with a grimace.


    He Yu looked around, letting his gaze fall on each of his friends. They all looked as exhausted as he felt. For the past three days, at least, they¡¯d been fighting. Fighting a battle that would never end. Whatever strength they could still muster wouldn¡¯t be enough. Freed from her imprisonment and unrestrained by experts who could match her, Jin Xifeng could simply bring more foes under her sway. He Yu supposed she¡¯d run out of minions eventually, but could he gamble his life¡ªand the lives of his friends¡ªon such a faint hope?


    No. He couldn¡¯t. They couldn¡¯t stand and fight anymore. They were all exhausted. Even if they could find the opportunity to rest and take some medicines, their stores would deplete before much longer. Assuming none of them suffered a backlash, of course. They couldn¡¯t run either. Judging by the presences they¡¯d felt answering Jin Xifeng¡¯s call, the next wave would come from all sides. They¡¯d be ringed in. Any escape would only come after they broke through.


    ¡°Any suggestions?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here, that¡¯s certain. Fleeing is our only real option, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m confident in my chances of breaking past whatever¡¯s coming.¡± Nobody else was, either. Even Tan Xiaoling was aware she¡¯d reached the edge of her limits. Yan Shirong looked as though he were about to collapse, and Li Heng was struggling to maintain his poise.


    ¡°What about the cave?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    There was only one cave she could mean. ¡°The waterfall,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Will it provide an escape for us?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°Cave systems often have more than one entrance,¡± she said. ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t, the spirit stone veins will help us recover.¡±


    ¡°And we could hide down there while we wait for things to blow over on the surface,¡± He Yu added. The more he thought about it, the better the idea sounded.


    ¡°What if the cave mantises have fallen under the Sunset Empress¡¯s sway?¡± Yan Shirong asked.


    ¡°No different than staying outside, if you ask me,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. She¡¯d already started off towards the path that would take them to the waterfall.


    He Yu fell in next to her. ¡°I agree with Tan Xiaoling. Besides, the beasts down there were all Third Realm. We shouldn¡¯t have nearly as much trouble handling them as we did last time we explored.


    I¡¯ve fought a few that have wandered to the surface since. We¡¯ll also be protected from everything else that¡¯s coming. So we¡¯ll only have to deal with the cave beasts.¡±


    ¡°Assuming there¡¯s not some Ninth Realm hive queen or whatever,¡± Yan Shirong replied with a grimace. He¡¯d joined them along with all the others. Despite any misgivings, he clearly thought it was their best option, too.


    That¡¯s exactly what it was. Any direction they went, they¡¯d run into members of the court or the endless hordes of spirits and beasts that had fallen under Jin Xifeng¡¯s sway. At least if they went underground, there would be some limit to how many enemies could come after them at once.


    ¡°And if we get lost?¡± Li Heng asked as they walked.


    Chen Fei answered him. ¡°I think between my sense for earth and mountain qi, Yan Shirong¡¯s constructs, and He Yu¡¯s perception art, we should be okay.¡±


    It was more or less what He Yu would have said. As they were all already headed toward the cave, it was clear the decision had been made. They were out of options, and this was the least worst. If they were lucky, they¡¯d come out of the cave system somewhere far enough away from the sect proper that they could then escape.


    Where they¡¯d escape to, He Yu couldn¡¯t say. He looked over his shoulder at the blood-red sunset behind them. The Shrouded Peaks sect had fallen, and for all he could tell, the empire was next. Maybe heaven would smile on them, and a hidden master of the Ninth Realm would emerge. If this were one of the legends, that¡¯s what would have happened. But He Yu had learned that in forging his own legend, the truth was often far harsher than the stories made it out to be.

 4.47 - Through the Caverns

    The trip to the waterfall cave was a short one. The fighting in the outer sect had mostly died down, and the oncoming wave of the empress¡¯s reinforcements hadn¡¯t yet arrived. He Yu and the others moved as quickly as they could, given their exhausted state and desire not to draw any more attention than necessary. Soon they arrived at the now-ruined formation gate that marked the path leading to the cultivation spot Tan Xiaoling had found that first year.


    Setting their feet upon the deserted path, they began the ascent. Here they could be a bit more free with their movement techniques, but through an unspoken agreement, they conserved their qi and mostly ran. A trip that had once taken them the better part of an entire morning passed in the time it took to burn a stick of incense.


    The waterfall and pond had escaped the devastation of the rest of the sect. Were it not for the bloody sunset that had hung in the sky for three whole days, it would have been easy to forget all else that had happened. The waterfall still cascaded into the pond near the cave entrance, kicking up a refreshing mist filled with revitalizing qi. The cave itself appeared undisturbed¡ªif the creatures inside had frenzied like everything else, they¡¯d either ventured away from the entrance or retreated deeper within. The red pines at the edge of the pond were still, and the mists of the Shrouded Peaks wended through their trunks. A deceptively peaceful scene, considering their circumstances.


    Pausing at the entrance to the cave, He Yu looked to his companions. ¡°Any last thoughts or objections?¡± he asked.


    He couldn¡¯t have said why, really. Since they¡¯d decided to abandon the remains of the sect to its fate, the others had looked to him. Asking for their input just felt like the right thing to do in that moment. They were, after all, abandoning the rest of their martial family¡ªor what was left of it. They should all be in agreement before moving forward.


    Nobody said anything. They all looked as exhausted as he felt, their presences flickering and faint. They¡¯d all agreed to this course of action already. The time for reconsideration had passed.


    He Yu stepped into the entrance. The crushing weight of the mountain pressed down on him from all around. It was far less oppressive than the first time he¡¯d entered, and he barely had to push more of his cultivation base through his meridians to counteract the effects of the natural qi so inimical to his own. The others followed in short order, with Chen Fei moving into the lead as she activated a light-casting formation character.


    In one corner of the cave, near where they¡¯d passed into the deeper portions previously, lay the unmoving form of one of the cave creatures. One of its arms lay a few feet away, completely ripped from its exoskeleton. A pool of ichor lay beneath it. The stone on the cave floor and walls nearby showed scores of gouges¡ªleft by the claws of other cave mantises, no doubt.


    ¡°Frenzy?¡± Li Heng asked.


    Although the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment could have shown him, He Yu declined to activate it. He needed to preserve what little qi he had left. ¡°Most likely,¡± he said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t say if that¡¯s a good or a bad sign, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Yan Shirong said with a sniff. At least some of his typical dismissiveness had returned now that they weren¡¯t in any immediate danger. It was, oddly enough, a bit comforting.


    The once-narrow passage that had led deeper into the cavern network had long since been gouged open. Given the evidence of great chitinous claws, it was easy to see by whom. The cave mantises would have needed some method of reaching the surface in order to roam out of the cave, and it looked like this was the one they¡¯d chosen. He Yu and Chen Fei could walk side-by-side as they made their way towards the spirit stone chamber. He glanced to one side and gave her a smile that was only halfway forced.


    ¡°What are we going to do when we make it out?¡± she asked, returning a similar expression.


    He didn¡¯t have an answer. What could they do? They were ants to someone like Jin Xifeng. Less than that, even. Chen Fei had seen the battle between the Sunset Empress and the two greatest experts of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. None of them could stand against that.


    Given what he¡¯d seen from the visions the Peerless Judgment had granted him, He Yu had no illusions about what happened next. Jin Xifeng would move against the rest of the Dragon Empire. The only question that remained was how far would she go? She wanted it all¡ªthe feeling of endless covetous want in her presence was all He Yu needed to be certain of that fact. Were there any experts among the great clans who could stand against her? Perhaps in the east, he thought. Among the great clans of the west, the most advanced cultivator was the hidden patriarch of the Li. Compared to Jin Xifeng¡¯s cultivation, Li Renshu was only in the middle stage of the Seventh Realm¡ªDivine Body Attainment.


    The only other western expert who approached the Sunset Empress in cultivation was the indomitable Tan Zihao¡ªin the early stage of the Eighth Realm. But the Jade Kingdom was a vassal state of the Dragon Empire. Could he be counted on to come to the aid of the empire that had subjugated his realm? Perhaps Tan Xiaoling would know her father¡¯s mind. For the time being, He Yu had more pressing concerns.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± he said to Chen Fei after some time.


    If there was anything he could be certain of, it was that he wasn¡¯t simply going to lay down and accept everything that had just happened. Just changed. There was no world in which the Sunset Empress wouldn¡¯t bring devastation to the whole of the empire. Devastation, suffering, and injustice. He Yu¡¯s Way was not to sit idly by and give up in the face of a monster like Jin Xifeng simply because she was an entire four realms higher than him. It was not his Way to give up, to give in.


    The five cultivators emerged into the chamber they¡¯d been pushed out from the last time they came to this place. Spirit stone veins glowed dimly, and fluorescent moss added to the illumination from Chen Fei¡¯s formation. The gouges in the cave floor that had clued them into the presence of the mantises had only increased in number since their last visit. Several of the beasts lay scattered among the spirit stone pillars in a similar state to the one they¡¯d seen at the entrance.


    ¡°Did they truly do this to one another?¡± Tan Xiaoling asked.


    He Yu knelt down next to the nearest of the remains. This time, he did activate the Peerless Judgment. Traces of earth qi that were subtly different from that of the mantises themselves lingered. Alongside it, he also picked up the telltale wrongness emanated by a demon core.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said. ¡°Someone with a demon core came through. And they ripped through these beasts while they were here.¡±


    ¡°Anybody we know?¡± Li Heng asked grimly.


    It wasn¡¯t something that had occurred to He Yu, but now that Li Heng mentioned it, he couldn¡¯t fully rule out the possibility. ¡°I hope not,¡± he said. ¡°If I never have to see or hear of her again, I can live out the fullness of my immortal lifespan happily enough.¡±


    ¡°Either way,¡± Yan Shirong said, ¡°are we still going to proceed? We can¡¯t be certain of the advancement of whoever did this. They¡¯re clearly strong enough to handle a half dozen cave mantises at once, so that¡¯s not a good sign if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Yan Shirong is right,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°We might be throwing ourselves into an unwinnable battle.¡±


    He Yu glanced up at her. So far as he could tell, the concern she displayed was more for the sorry state they were all in, rather than any reluctance to conflict. She wasn¡¯t wrong to worry. They were, after all, at the edge. They¡¯d been at the edge for some time now¡ªa fight with a powerful foe could easily be too much for them.


    ¡°Alright. What do we all think?¡± He Yu asked as he stood, turning to face the rest. ¡°I think we should stick together, regardless. If everyone else agrees, we¡¯ve got two options. First, we keep heading deeper and risk whatever¡¯s ahead. Second, we return to the surface and figure out another plan.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just wait things out here?¡± Yan Shirong asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not simply waiting around anywhere,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, crossing her arms over her chest. Although there was no shift in her spirit, her words were sharp.


    ¡°Neither am I,¡± He Yu agreed. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t like either option, I like waiting even less. If someone with a core has come down here, I¡¯d say it¡¯s only a matter of time before someone else wanders in. At least if we keep moving, we¡¯ll be walking into our fate and taking it with our own hands rather than letting heaven dispense it to us.¡±


    Both Li Heng and Chen Fei expressed similar sentiments. Yan Shirong muttered something about it simply being a suggestion and didn¡¯t press the idea further. Although He Yu could tell that the younger cultivator didn¡¯t like the decision, he certainly wouldn¡¯t abandon the group¡ªor let them abandon him.


    ¡°So, up or down?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°I like our odds with down,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, eying a roughly circular opening in one wall with a tunnel sloping sharply down. An additional pair of dead cave mantises lay near the entrance.


    ¡°We know what awaits us above,¡± He Yu said. ¡°And what awaits us is a horde of crazed beasts, spirits, and cultivators. Along with a peak Eighth Realm ancient expert with a will to dominate or destroy everything she lays eyes upon. I don¡¯t really like our chances going up.¡±


    Judging by the grim expressions of the remaining three, they didn¡¯t either.


    ¡°So we¡¯re settled then?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    Wordlessly, they all moved to the tunnel. It wasn¡¯t really a choice, were He Yu honest with his assessment. Their chance of survival was basically zero if they tried to fight through what lay on the surface. Sure, they could be walking into a Fifth of Sixth Realm member of the Sunset Court with a demon core by going down. But unlike above, their death wasn¡¯t a certainty. A faint hope was infinitely better than none.


    Besides, if the one who¡¯d ripped through the dead cave mantises littering the chamber was only of a Golden Core, it would be four of equal advancement on one. Even at the peak of the Third Realm, Yan Shirong had proved himself valuable support against Golden Cores¡ªhis poison alone slowed them down and made it easier for He Yu and the others to deal with them. His arts were similarly suited to keeping him out of harm¡¯s way, so they didn¡¯t need to focus too much attention on protecting him.


    Then there was the fact that whoever had come through here had been fighting the whole way. While they likely weren¡¯t as spent as He Yu and the others, they wouldn¡¯t be at full strength either. All things considered, it was the clearly superior option.


    ¡°Take whatever medicines you can,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°We may not get a chance for some time.¡±


    He Yu pulled a fairly low grade restorative pill from his storage treasure. The others did similar, and a faint medicinal scent filled the air. Nobody wanted to risk a backlash, it seemed, and they may need more potent medicines later. He Yu allowed himself to feel a small measure or relief as his core filled incrementally, and medicinal qi flowed through his meridians. It was a small boost to be certain, but a small benefit was still a benefit.


    Around him, the others noticeably perked up. They were all still ragged¡ªwith torn clothes, countless little injuries, and faint spirits. But they were alive, and they were together. For the time being, that was all that really mattered to He Yu. He¡¯d told Zhang Lifen he needed to find his friends, to make sure they were safe. He¡¯s said that when she told him to run rather than return to the sect, and he¡¯d said the same when she told him to flee from Jin Xifeng after Leader Zhou¡¯s death.


    He¡¯d done what he said¡ªhe¡¯d found his friends and gotten them out of immediate danger. That he was currently leading them into a different, unknown danger wasn¡¯t important. The important part was that they went together.


    He remembered the earliest visions from his time at the sect. Two competing futures, one where he stood alone at the peak, and one where he stood with the others. He knew which one he¡¯d have chosen every time. Whatever awaited them, they¡¯d face it together.

 4.48 - Witness Madness

    The group descended ever deeper into the caves. Branching paths split off every so often and it quickly became hard to tell which one continued the path they were on, and which led in to a different tunnel. Every so often, they had the benefit of a dead cave mantis to mark the correct path, but increasingly, they had to rely on their techniques.


    Yan Shirong proved the most useful in that regard. The gloom lurking outside Chen Fei¡¯s light provided ample shadow qi for him to draw upon and fuel his constructs. He¡¯d have as many as a half dozen skeletal birds flitting through the shadows, scouting the tunnels on either side.


    Chen Fei likewise provided useful guidance. She was more attuned to the flows of the qi down here¡ªearth, metal, and their combined subtype of mountain. Certain dead ends were just obvious to her, and she guided them along the paths where the flows of qi were the strongest, as that had been the path the mysterious cultivator had taken.


    Likewise, He Yu could use the Peerless Judgment, but he quickly found it to be far less useful down here than either Yan Shirong or Chen Fei¡¯s abilities. Still, he could discern a thing or two about the dead cave mantises, including the fact that the slight wrongness he¡¯d first felt was indeed the result of a bonded demon core.


    After some time, the sound of running water came from somewhere up ahead. He couldn¡¯t tell how far away it was, given that his hearing was now so much sharper than any mortal¡¯s. All he could tell was that it came from somewhere further down the same tunnel they were in. The others heard it too. A mix of apprehension and cautious optimism descended over the group.


    Eventually, they emerged into a massive cavern stretching off into the darkness¡ªand the source of the water. An underground river sprang from the rocks near the tunnel they¡¯d just emerged from, carving its way through the living earth. The same fluorescent moss from above was far more abundant here, and so were the spirit stones. Pools of pale white light marked the riverbanks as the water coursed ever deeper into the earth.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly not the way out, judging by the slope,¡± Li Heng said.


    Despite his agreement, He Yu didn¡¯t say anything. He was too taken aback by the sight. Despite being underground, it was like he¡¯d entered a strange world, buried beneath the earth and hidden from those above. A giddiness he¡¯d not felt since he¡¯d first come to the sect bubbled up within him. One that was welcome, given their circumstances. This was a place straight out of the stories.


    Tan Xiaoling pointed. ¡°There, one of the cave mantises.¡±


    They made their way to the beast. The spattering of ichor around the fallen cave mantis was still wet and glistening. It hadn¡¯t been long since the beast was slain. The sense of wrongness from its killer¡¯s demon core clung to the area, along with a faint trace of earth and metal.


    The presence of metal allowed him to relax, if only a little. The combination of earth aspected qi and demon core was too close to Sha Xiang for his liking. But she didn¡¯t cultivate any metal, so far as he knew. Her presence was earth and fire, with a small touch of mountain. He¡¯d been worried that they would run into her down here, but it seemed that was less likely than it once had been. It seemed heaven had graced them with a small boon, at least.


    He relayed the news to the others. They seemed just as relieved as he did. Although they were nearly all in the Fourth Realm by now, Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng had both suffered humiliating defeats at her hands. If her time in the sect was any indication, she could very well have formed her own Golden Core by now. As much as he hated to admit it, He Yu recognized her talent.


    They followed the river for some time, picking their way through the forest of pale, glowing spires of spirit stone. He Yu was tempted to call a halt. It would benefit them to take time to rest, cultivate and restore themselves. But they¡¯d made up their mind. It would be best to keep moving. The last thing they wanted was to be attacked while they were unprepared. For all they knew, the mysterious cultivator that was down here with them could be watching at that very moment.


    Upon asking, he learned everyone else was of a similar opinion. So they pressed on.


    The subterranean river flowed gently downward, with pillars of faintly glowing spirit stone veins on either side. As with the tunnels higher up, occasional slain cave mantises let them know they were at least going in the right direction. He Yu didn¡¯t like that they were going deeper, though. If they wanted to get out of the caverns, they would need to start ascending, eventually. The river would follow the law of earth, so following its course would only lead them deeper.


    If there was one benefit to their current course, it was the rich qi filling the caves. The numerous and potent spirit stone veins allowed the group to absorb unaspected qi from the environment as they followed the river. While it wasn¡¯t as effective as stopping and cultivation properly would have been, it was far better than nothing. Plus, it didn¡¯t carry any risk of backlash like taking more pills would. As the group pushed forward, everyone gradually perked up as they were restored by the steady trickle into their dantians.


    After an uncountable amount of time in the giant alluvial cavern, they came to its end. The river itself kept going¡ªa small tunnel, just large enough for each of them to squeeze through one at a time, marked its course ahead. A short distance away, a larger tunnel yawned in the face of living rock that rose out of the gloom. The gouges around the larger tunnel¡¯s entrance were all the sign they needed as to which way to proceed.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He Yu stepped towards the entrance. A faint impression of earth and metal brushed against the edge of his spiritual perception. It clashed against another impression of solely earth¡ªa battle was underway up ahead.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve found our foe,¡± he said.


    Cautiously, they moved forward. They soon emerged into another large chamber, this one clearly a nest of some sort. Husks of shed chitin littered the ground. Pearlescent egg-sacs clung to the walls. At the far end, the demon-core cultivator did battle with the largest cave mantis they¡¯d yet seen.


    Or rather, finished his battle.


    As they came into the cavern, the cultivator ripped one of the mantis¡¯s scythe-like arms from its shell and used it to decapitate the beast. The mantis fell to the cave floor with a heavy crunch, and the cultivator turned to He Yu and his friends.


    His spirit was a wild mix of earth and stone and the telltale influence of the core itself. A rocky expanse, with spires like swords erupting from the cracked ground. The inky black influence of the core¡ªtendrils of red-stained black shadow¡ªcrept over the earth and climbed the sword-spires. His spirit was that of a Golden Core, late stage by the weight it gave, but it was tangled up upon itself.


    The cultivator¡¯s expression was crazed, his eyes gleaming with madness and hate. Without hesitation, without a word, he launched himself at He Yu and his friends. A massive spiked club appeared in his hands as he shot across the distance, his spirit howling in confusion and rage as he closed the gap. Five presences bloomed out in response. A storm, a frozen winter¡¯s night, a mountain of iron, a cyclone of sand, and a mass of teeming shadow.


    He Yu placed himself in between his friends and the demon core user. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment filled his sight and his mind with truth. He¡¯d only meant to use the perception technique to see the shape of the core user¡¯s attack, to best place the Spring Rain Mirror. But as was the technique¡¯s purpose, he saw the truth of things.


    The core user was maddened, truly. Frenzied, given over in whole to the demon core. He was little more than a puppet, dancing on the strings held by a piece of Jin Xifeng. This was the fate of a core user who failed to overcome the core¡¯s strength, the core¡¯s desire. This was what would have happened to Sha Xiang if Yi Xiurong had let their fight continue. For all he knew, Sha Xiang had succumbed to this madness long ago. He wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that.


    The core user¡¯s spiked club slammed into the Spring Rain Mirror. The Mirror cracked, then shattered. Only a hasty formation of the Bracing Wind allowed He Yu to effectively block by catching the attack on his guandao.


    ¡°Vile! Hated! You carry its touch!¡± The crazed cultivator locked eyes with He Yu.


    An avalanche crashed down upon the demon core user. Chen Fei followed up her initial attack with a kick at the core user¡¯s midsection. Her whole body was encased in the bulky construction of the Titan¡¯s Panoply. Each blow accompanied by a flash of formation characters. Earth and metal and mountain pressed down on the world with crushing force as her combined assault sent the core user sailing away from them.


    Tan Xiaoling overtook the core user, her sandstorm billowing around her and her paired dao flickering with tongues of black flame. The core user righted himself quickly, and beat back Tan Xiaoling¡¯s flashing sabers, his own techniques launching jagged spikes of metal at her with each swing of his club.


    With a flex of his spirit, He Yu activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and blasted forward with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Crackling heaven arced from his blade, left jagged black scores from his passage, and surged across his limbs. Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade reached out, brilliant streaks of lightning casting golden light over the nest chamber.


    The core user met He Yu¡¯s technique with a palm strike. A shockwave of churning earth and heaven qi burst out from the impact. The core user lifted his chin, and for a moment his eyes became almost lucid.


    ¡°You carry it.¡± Two voices spoke. One human, one something else. The eerie combination of the two voices sent shivers down He Yu¡¯s neck, but he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Carry what?¡±


    His only answer was a roar filled with rage and pain. The core user launched himself at He Yu once more, and it was all he could do to defend. Tan Xiaoling slid into the core user¡¯s blind spot and scored a pair of cuts across his back. The acrid scent of burned flesh filled He Yu¡¯s nostrils. The core user ignored his attacker, his attention fully focused on He Yu.


    Pouring all his training and experience into his defense, He Yu barely held the core user off. Another assault from Tan Xiaoling actually pulled a fraction of his attention from He Yu, but only enough to push her back. Then he launched another relentless rain of blows toward his true target.


    What did he carry? Nothing that he could think of. None of his treasures were all that special. None of the meager supply of medicines in his storage treasure were of any great value. Why would the core user be so relentlessly focused on him?


    Chen Fei erupted from the gloom of the cavern once more, the crushing power of her attacks finally forcing the core user to focus on someone other than He Yu for a moment. Along with Tan Xiaoling, they both had the core user on the back foot within an exchange of less than half a dozen techniques.


    The advantage was still in his favor; it seemed. He was more advanced than either of them. Tan Xiaoling was equal to He Yu, at the middle Fourth Realm, and Chen Fei still stood in the early stage. The user stood close to the peak¡ªbut he also had the benefit of the demon core. Sha Xiang¡¯s demon core had allowed her to fight beyond her capacity, and this core user was no different. He also wasn¡¯t in control, and whatever power the core contained cascaded off of him, unrestrained and uncaring for what damage it did to its host. All that it absorbed would simply return to Jin Xifeng, anyway. If the core destroyed its host and hastened that return? It was only fulfilling its ultimate purpose.


    The user and the core screamed as one. Another wave of power crashed over He Yu as the core¡¯s wrongness asserted itself more fully. A black shadow, reminiscent of Sha Xiang¡¯s Four Demon Fists, partially emerged from the core user. The user himself went limp as the partially separated core puppeted his unresponsive body. Spiritual copies of the user¡¯s weapon appeared in each of the core¡¯s hands. Wrongness radiated off the pair, and the manifested core looked at He Yu with two burning eyes.


    ¡°When I shatter your cultivation, I will do so in my mother¡¯s name.¡±

 4.49 - Demon Core

    The awakened core lunged. The move dragged the puppeted cultivator¡¯s body behind it, and the both of them flailed with all three of their weapons. A flash of the Spring Rain Mirror turned one blow aside. A well-timed dodge under the raw speed granted by his body enforcement put He Yu in position to both avoid a second blow while blocking a third.


    Li Hang arrived with a blast of frozen winter and a flash of moonlight. The moon vanished, the snow lost its gleam, and the five black scars of the Darkmoon Strife rent apart the world. A casual backhand from the core user glanced off Li Heng¡¯s jian. Gleaming silver light limned the blade as the Winter Moon Reflection took in the force from the blow.


    That was all the attention the awakened core spared for its new opponent. It launched itself towards He Yu once again, a flurry of massive spiked clubs pushing He Yu to the limits of his defense. The blows carried all the same frenzy and unnaturally wrong power that Sha Xiang¡¯s had, but this time it was backed by the cultivation of a late realm Golden Core. A late realm Golden Core intent on He Yu alone.


    He met his opponent with everything he had. Each block, each deflection, every strike sent heaven crackling along both their weapons and thunder roaring through the nest cavern. The cave floor cracked and shattered from the clash of their spirits. A howling gale whipped up around them both as they exchanged blows. Jagged arcs of heaven reached down from the clouds, ripped through the sword-spires of the core user¡¯s spirit. Metal screamed, earth shattered.


    It was far from enough.


    The awakened core and its puppet met He Yu on equal ground, and its own attacks pushed He Yu to his limits. If it weren¡¯t for his friends, he¡¯d have been overwhelmed nearly as soon as the fight started. Li Heng¡¯s jian flashed in the near-dark of the nest cavern, pouring what sword qi he could into the counterattack of the Winter Moon Reflection. In the back of his mind, He Yu thanked the foresight of heaven that Li Heng had long since stopped relying solely on his defensive style of fighting. The awakened core spared little attention for anyone other than He Yu, so Li Heng had few opportunities to power up his blade.


    A barrage of silver streaked out from the darkness. In the enhanced perception of the Peerless Judgment, Yan Shirong loomed in the shadows, held aloft by summoned strands of shadow qi. A hundred hundred eyes peered from those same shadows, seeing the fight from angles beyond the physical, observing with an intensity and attention beyond even He Yu¡¯s perception technique. Although Yan Shirong used the same tendrils to rope the core user¡¯s limbs, it was mostly in vain. He Yu wasn¡¯t even certain the core user noticed attempts to be bound by someone with a full realm disadvantage. Still, his spiritual perception allowed him to see that Yan Shirong¡¯s poison was doing its work, if slowly.


    With coordination rivaling that of He Yu and Li Heng, a combined assault from Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling gave He Yu a moment where the pressure he was under all but vanished. A golden tiger coiled and leaped, its eyes of molten metal gleaming as its claws rent burning jagged wounds across the awakened core itself. Below, Chen Fei slammed a series of monstrously powerful kicks in to the user himself. Her raw physical strength, rivaled only by Tan Xiaoling, had improved tremendously since she¡¯d formed her Golden Core. He Yu was grateful that he didn¡¯t have to endure her blows.


    In the brief space the others had bought him, he activated Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. The air above the awakened core ripped apart, opening a crackling golden tear on the fabric of the world. Heaven¡¯s fury rained down. A pale comparison to what Cai Weizhe had been capable of, it was still an attack worthy of a budding legend.


    A column of golden lightning consumed the awakened core and the user alike. They howled in tandem, rage suffusing the sound as its double cry shook the foundations of the cavern. When the tear in the world slammed shut and the lightning faded, He Yu¡¯s heart sank. The only evidence that the attack had any effect were a few flickering motes of light floating away from rapidly closing cracks on the awakened core¡¯s shadowy surface.


    Two pits of burning hatred focused on He Yu. The awakened core let out a feral growl. The user gnashed his teeth and flailed his spiked club about. The pair stood at the center of a scorched starburst of partially melted stone. At the very edges of the pattern, jagged spikes resembling bolts of heaven reached out toward the distant cavern walls.


    Everyone moved at once. The clash of presences, of qi, of techniques sent explosions of power rocking through the cavern. Chunks of the walls and the floors were blasted to rubble or pulverized to dust. Entire sections of the cave collapsed, whether from a stray blow or a dodged technique. What little remained of the nest portion of the cavern was quickly made to ruin, the egg sacs and the stray mantis corpses obliterated by the clash of six experts.


    Through it all, the awakened core had eyes only for He Yu. It spared only the smallest fraction of its attention for anyone else. If a strike was too threatening to it, it would defend. It would slap away one of the other, but then immediately reorient its focus to He Yu. It pursued him with a single-minded intensity that he couldn¡¯t quite fathom. More often than not, it opened itself to¡ªand received¡ªattacks from the others.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The only real defense came from its advancement. Its advancement, and the power of the fully awakened core itself. Had it been at a more equal level of advancement to the rest of them, He Yu was sure they would have worn it down by now. Even with Yan Shirong¡¯s poison coursing through its meridians; even with Li Heng opening ragged black scars upon its spirit; even under the relentless avalanche of Chen Fei¡¯s blows; even burned by the black flame of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s paired dao; and even before the wrath of heaven under He Yu¡¯s call; the awakened core endured.


    The abomination weathered everything they could throw at it. And more. It attacked through their offensives, bringing a storm of earth and metal with each of its blows. Spires like swords erupted from the earth, as much a part of the user¡¯s techniques as his presence. He would swing his club, and the spikes would grow. They twisted and reached for their target¡ªmore often than not, that target was He Yu.


    A massive fist slammed into the cave floor as He Yu darted out of its path at the last moment. Stone ruptured, and another forest of blades grew in the space of a heartbeat. He Yu responded as he always did¡ªhe attacked with techniques of his own. With all the speed of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, he advanced. The Five Crescent Winds formed a churning gale around him, and Heaven¡¯s Descending charged the air.


    Chen Fei¡¯s hands flashed in an incantation gesture. A barrier formation shone before He Yu, taking the brunt of a double slam from the spiked clubs. The Spring Rain Mirror turned away the greatly diminished attack a moment later. Li Heng launched another assault with the Darkmoon Strife, ripping open even more tears in the thing¡¯s spirit.


    The awakened core was weakened, but so were they. All of them could see it. He Yu didn¡¯t need a technique like the Peerless Judgment to see this truth¡ªthey were in a battle of attrition. And they were on the losing side. As the awakened core slowly, inexorably ground them down and swung the battle ever more in its own favor, He Yu scrambled for a plan.


    It was hard to think, being pressed as he was. Forced to fight at the very limit of his capacity just to survive. The only plan that came to him was one he immediately rejected. It was just as like to get him killed as not. While something deep in his spirit recoiled at the thought, he couldn¡¯t deny that right now he was the only thing keeping the awakened core from overwhelming the others. He¡¯d already taken several heavy blows. Pain shot through his left side with each breath from several broken ribs. He was pretty sure he¡¯d more cracked bones, too. Time was running out, and he couldn¡¯t think of any other options.


    Fine, then. If the awakened core was going to focus on him to the exclusion of all else, that was how this was going to end.


    He Yu pulled himself back from the awakened core on wings of wind. ¡°Tan Xiaoling, follow your Way!¡± He could only hope she¡¯d catch his meaning. There had only been a few conversations between them that touched on this, but there was one exchange in particular he hoped she would remember. Just to be sure, he shouted, ¡°Remember the tournament!¡±


    Princess Tan did not hold back. One of her paired dao vanished, and she lifted her hand to the heavens. A black spear limned with fire formed above her. Killing intent gleamed on its point. More powerful than he¡¯d ever felt it before, the sharp promise of death descended upon the world with her formation of her ultimate technique. The Mark of the Dark Sun.


    He Yu sent his guandao to his storage treasure. Blasting forward with every ounce of speed he could muster, he slammed into the core user, grappling the human-sized cultivator in a grip bolstered by all the strength he could call from his body enforcement. He yanked the core user around, placing the cultivator between himself and Tan Xiaoling¡¯s technique. He Yu fixed his stare forward. Tan Xiaoling met his gaze, and dropped her hand.


    Pain ripped through him. Black flames seared through his chest, burned his flesh and his organs. Fire surged through his meridians, and his cultivation base went wild. Distantly, he heard screams. The awakened core thrashed in his grip, and broke free. He Yu stumbled back and fell. Five black scars ripped open the world. Another formation of the Mark of the Dark Sun turned the world to fire.


    He felt the rage and the hate crescendo. It crashed over them all, and then it was gone. Somewhere close by, a thump. The wrongness faded to nothing as the impression of gleaming sword spires flickered before it, too, died.


    Black crept in to the edge of He Yu¡¯s vision. Far away, a husky voice said, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be tougher than that.¡±


    He Yu closed his eyes and cycled his cultivation base. He fed what qi he had left into his wounds, but in the back of his mind he knew¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be enough. Gentle, worried hands worked over his chest. Someone shoved a medicinal pill into his mouth. He bit down.


    ¡°Will it be enough?¡± Yan Shirong. He Yu forced a smile at the fact he wasn¡¯t making any effort to hide his concern.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± muttered Li Heng from somewhere close by.


    He Yu reached out and took his friend by the hand. With his other hand, he reached up and gripped Chen Fei even as she tried to feed him more medicine.


    ¡°A hero never gives up,¡± he said as his world went dark.


    Voices erupted all around him, but he couldn¡¯t make out what any of them were saying. He knew he was hurt, and badly. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was going to make it, but at that moment, it didn¡¯t matter. The others would. They¡¯d keep going, keep fighting. At the very least, they¡¯d live. If he had to sacrifice himself for their sakes, he¡¯d do it a thousand times.


    Even so, he didn¡¯t simply lay back. He cycled the medicine. He drew on what little of his cultivation base was left. He¡¯d meant what he said, and he¡¯d be damned if he ever gave up.

 4.50 - Fall of the Shrouded Peaks

    With a delicate step down from her flying sword, Jin Xifeng alighted onto the ruined flagstones of a once-elegant courtyard. Death surrounded her. She drank it in. So many had given of themselves, their spirits, their cultivation¡ªand now she stood on the threshold. After so many centuries, the Ninth Realm was within her grasp. Almost as importantly, she was free.


    She sent the nine floating swords back to her storage treasure. Her lips curled into a smile as she did¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t be needing them again for quite some time. Cai Weizhe was dead. Any disciples or heirs he may have raised up during her imprisonment wouldn¡¯t be bringing him back. She¡¯d won, and she¡¯d made certain her victory was final.


    Nearby, a familiar presence revealed itself at the edge of her perception. She turned and walked over to the man kowtowing at the far end of the plaza. He was a tangled mess of shadow and metal. A yawning chasm of endless suffering for all those unfortunate enough to fall in. Razor-sharp blades of the finest steel, honed over the course of half a millennium, hid within the umbral depths of his spirit.


    He¡¯d stepped into the Eighth Realm since she¡¯d given him his core. Long Tingguang. The first who¡¯d received her greatest gift and mastered it. The first to survive.


    ¡°This Long Tingguang greets his empress,¡± he said into the cracked flagstones. ¡°At long last.¡±


    ¡°Rise, my true dragon.¡±


    Her servant did as he¡¯d been commanded. How could he not? She had wrapped her will so tightly over his spirit for so long that he may as well be an extension of herself by now. The only desire he could hold was to serve. He¡¯d given himself to her completely. And he was no less powerful for it.


    Standing before her, he was the picture of a true immortal. Strong, noble of bearing, and projecting an unmistakable aura of power and confidence¡ªeven with his tightly restrained presence overshadowed by her own. He wore black robes adorned with red formation characters. A concession to her own spirit. Long black hair fell down his back and shoulders like silk. His beard came to a noble point, and his eyebrows were like swords.


    ¡°Tell me of the Dragon Emperor,¡± she said.


    ¡°The poison worked. A child sits upon the imperial throne.¡±


    It had been a gamble¡ªbut one that had paid off. Little else mattered. She cast her long gaze to the northeast. To the capital. With Cai Weizhe¡¯s sect scattered to the four winds, the path to the Imperial City lay open. The Dragon Empire would be hers, at long last.


    She took a small comfort in that notion. For so long, she¡¯d hungered for his destruction. Hungered to tear down all he¡¯d built. To break him as punishment for defying her. Now she¡¯d done so. And she remained unfulfilled. There was more that yet eluded her grasp. More that was not under her dominion. The hunger and want screamed in her spirit. Without realizing, she reached to the northeast, as if to pluck a fruit from a tree.


    With a brief shake of her head, she stopped herself. Instead, she turned to her retainer. ¡°You¡¯ve taken a disciple.¡±


    ¡°This one has found a most promising martial daughter. Sent by your Emissary, Kong Huizhong. She remains at the peak of the Body Refining stage, yet the control she exhibits over her gift increases by the day. Soon she will achieve the Fourth Realm, and her training can begin in earnest.¡±


    Jin Xifeng shuffled through the spirits within her cultivation base. Kong Huizhong had served her well, despite only having reached the late Nascent Soul stage. He¡¯d been the one that had given her the final push. The needed power to break the Dawn Palace at long last. His death had served her well.


    ¡°See that she reaches her potential, whoever she is. I look forward to gracing her with my sight, and learning what you¡¯ve made her into one day.¡± Just as Jin Xifeng was about to continue, to issue the first of her commands and send what remained of her forces to the Imperial City, two insects scraped across the ground at the edge of her perception.


    She turned. Two cultivators¡ªif she could call them that¡ªpressed their heads into the dirt at the edge of the ruined courtyard. They were each at the late Golden Core stage. Nothing. Fury boiled up in her heart. How dare these worms approach her? How dare they make themselves visible to her without her leave? She raised a hand to erase their existence, then paused.


    Desire, hot and vengeful, burned in their hearts. They wanted. Wanted with an intensity that reminded her of her younger days. Striving to grasp for always more. She looked closer, and what she saw stayed her hand in truth. They had been marked by Cai Weizhe¡¯s arts. No, that wasn¡¯t correct¡ªwhen she realized what she saw, rage exploded from her.


    A black mass of grasping shadow lined with the blood of thousands lashed out in all direction. What was left of the courtyard shattered beneath her feet. The crimson sunset blazed with calamitous hatred. Cai Weizhe had an heir. His arts had been passed on to another. His death meant nothing!


    With a flash, she appeared before the two infant cultivators. Blood flowed from their mouths and noses and eyes and ears. She grabbed one and lifted him. Stared into his terrified eyes and spoke her demand.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Who do you desire vengeance upon? Name him.¡± She could see the shape of things in their desire. They¡¯d been beaten by a cultivator of lower advancement, lower status. They¡¯d been humiliated, and vengeance burned in their hearts. Jin Xifeng cared not for the wants of infants. She cared only for the bearer of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace.


    ¡°He Yu. He was a disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Our junior. He humiliated us.¡±


    Cai Weizhe had passed his arts to a child? A mere Fourth Realm? Jin Xifeng let out a long, musical laugh. An infant such as this inheritor was beneath her. She would not demean herself by hunting him personally. These two would be more than enough. Especially if they served her in truth.


    ¡°And you wish to pledge yourselves to me in exchange for revenge? How truly hated this child must be.¡±


    ¡°This Wang Xiaobo will do whatever it takes to restore his honor.¡±


    ¡°This Xin Lu follows his sworn brother in your service.¡±


    These worms were beneath her. Jin Xifeng turned to Long Tingguang. ¡°Make these two into something worthwhile. Then send them after the child they so desperately wish to destroy. If they can manage that, I¡¯ll allow them to serve me.¡±


    Jin Xifeng turned and headed to the grand pavilion of the former Shrouded Peaks Sect. There would be a thousand years¡¯ worth of hoarded treasures within, all for the taking. Behind her, the two worms swore themselves to the attention of Long Tingguang. Swore themselves to her service. The first servants of her new empire.


    * * *


    Zhang Lifen let her arms fall to her sides, barely keeping a grip on her bow. Grief kept its fingers firmly wrapped around her heart, but she had no time to give herself over to it. Instead, she squared her shoulders and took another step forward with her movement technique, the Tidewalker Step. She appeared next to Yi Xiurong, who had just crushed the skull of a Fourth Realm cultivator beneath her radiant fist. She pushed her worry for He Yu aside as she turned away from the young man Yi Xiurong had just killed. Sending him away from the sect when she had was the best thing she could have done. The best way to ensure his survival.


    ¡°Sect brother¡ª¡± Yi Xiurong stopped herself. ¡°Ren Huang comes. Have any of the others made it out?¡±


    For a moment, Zhang Lifen simply searched her eyes. Dark circles had appeared beneath them. Her spirit was far weaker than Zhang Lifen had ever felt it¡ªthey¡¯d been on the run and constantly battling for weeks now.


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve not found any. I know Su Meifeng was with Elder Wen.¡± She took a deep breath before she continued. ¡°I think¡ªI think it¡¯s just the three of us.¡±


    The severity she¡¯d come to expect in Yi Xiurong¡¯s expression had softened during their flight following Master Cai and Leader Zhou¡¯s deaths. Heaven knew what Yi Xiurong must be feeling. She had been First Disciple before Zhang Lifen had even entered the sect.


    ¡°We should keep moving. Ren Huang will catch up when he¡¯s ready.¡±


    Together, they headed north. They¡¯d set out from the Shrouded Peaks and had first thought to make for the Imperial City. That had been foolish. They should have expected that as soon as Jin Xifeng had finished with the sect, she¡¯d head for the capital. Which was exactly what she¡¯d done.


    Her passing had been unmistakable. The red sun descended upon the land, and a tide of want followed. The frenzy that accompanied her this time had been different in character. Less of an all-out attack on a hated foe, more of a general upwelling of chaos. Mortals and cultivators alike gave themselves over to their deepest held or basest desires.


    In her wake, those that remained of the Sunset Court crashed over the land. The Golden Core that Yi Xiurong had just killed was one of them. At least now, weeks after her passing and hundreds of miles away from the Shrouded Peaks, they¡¯d grown far less common on the ground.


    A blast of heat and anger announced Ren Huang finally catching up to them. Even his spirit seemed somehow less hot, less of an inferno than weeks prior. His features showed his fatigue, too. Zhang Lifen didn¡¯t blame him. For weeks they¡¯d been fighting a near-constant battle that ebbed and flowed in its intensity, but never completely abated. The three of them were¡ªfor all they knew¡ªall that was left of the sect. Anyone who¡¯d remained would have died at Jin Xifeng¡¯s hands once she¡¯d finished with the elders.


    ¡°They¡¯re handled,¡± he rumbled. Embers popped off his skin as he hoisted his wolf-tooth club onto one shoulder.


    He¡¯d set off to deal with some pursuers he¡¯d caught the scent of. Zhang Lifen was grateful that he still had enough left to do it himself. She wasn¡¯t used to being the weakest one in a group. It had been a long time since she¡¯d been assigned to assist any of the other core disciples. Normally, she was either on her own, or in charge of small teams of high-ranked inner disciples. At least, she reminded herself, that how things had been.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Yi Xiurong. The word clipped and slightly strained. ¡°We should be out of the central plain in another day or so. We can break east and make for the sea. My clan will shelter us.¡±


    Zhang Lifen didn¡¯t voice her doubts. Rumors of fighting had reached them in those few moments of rest they spared in a village or a roadside inn. Many nobles had risen up when talk that the Dragon Empire had fallen reached them. They¡¯d marched on the capital with their clans and their retainers. No doubt intent on carving out their own place in whatever replaced the old dynasty. Sometimes they¡¯d warred with one another, sometimes they¡¯d warred with the ever-growing forces of Jin Xifeng¡¯s Twilight Empire.


    If things got out of hand, Jin Xifeng herself would make an appearance. Although it would take some time for her to fully bring the empire to heel, Zhang Lifen could see the outcome clearly enough. There was nobody who could stand against Jin Xifeng. The empire was hers. The great noble clans would either fall in line, or she would destroy them.


    There would be resistance. If Zhang Lifen remembered her history lessons from when she was a girl, when the last dynasty had forged the Dragon Empire, it had taken the better part of a thousand years to finally cement their control. The only difference was, they hadn¡¯t had techniques capable of fostering undying loyalty in their followers.


    The three remnants of the Shrouded Peaks Sect continued their trek north. Zhang Lifen spared one last thought for He Yu. She¡¯d truly grown fond of him in their short time together. If she learned that he¡¯d made it out alive, perhaps she could continue his training one day. For now? The last three members of the Shrouded Peaks Sect had a duty. They had to finish what the sect¡¯s mission. They had to stop Jin Xifeng.

 4.51 - Witness and Departure

    He Yu opened his eyes to the pale soft glow of spirit stone spires. His chest hurt. His meridians ached. His core had turned to a hollow pit while he was unconscious. He¡¯d promised them he would pull through¡ªso he had.


    Beside him, Chen Fei sat on the rough stone floor of the nest cavern. He gave her a sheepish a sheepish smile as he pushed himself up on one elbow.


    ¡°About time,¡± sniffed Yan Shirong from somewhere nearby but out of He Yu¡¯s field of vision.


    ¡°Ow,¡± was all he could bring himself to respond with.


    Chen Fei handed him a drinking gourd filled with water. ¡°Here. You¡¯ve been out for a while.¡±


    After quenching his parched throat, He Yu looked down at himself. The repair formation in his robes had done their work. He poked around the scar that seemed far too small for how much the wound from Tan Xiaoling¡¯s technique had hurt.


    ¡°How long has it been?¡± he finally asked.


    Li Heng sat down next to him and shrugged. ¡°Hard to say. Not really many easy ways to track time down here,¡± he said, motioning to the dark cavern and its meager illumination.


    ¡°Fair.¡± He was hungry, which meant he¡¯d been out for a while. ¡°Do we know a way out?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done some scouting,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°There are a couple potential paths to the surface, but Chen Fei wouldn¡¯t leave your side. I could have used her help.¡±


    ¡°Leave her alone,¡± Tan Xiaoling said as she sauntered up to the rest of them. From the sharpness in her words, it sounded like a conversation they¡¯d had too many times already.


    He Yu gave Chen Fei his thanks as he handed the gourd back to her. Pushing himself to his feet, he gave his shoulders and arms an experimental stretch. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get moving then.¡±


    Li Heng arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°You sure? You just woke up.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll need food eventually, and we need to get to the surface. I can cultivate as I we move, and I¡¯ve got at least a pill or two to get me the rest of the way to good condition.¡±


    Chen Fei stepped up next to him. For a moment, she eyed him critically. Then she said, ¡°If he thinks he¡¯s fit, then let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yan Shirong let them into the tunnels he¡¯d mentioned without another word, clearly eager to leave as well. So far as He Yu could tell, the only reason Li Heng had objected was out of concern for him rather than any desire to stay. Once they¡¯d arrived at the branched, gently upward sloping network of passages, Yan Shirong and Chen Fei got to work.


    Between Chen Fei¡¯s sense for the qi of the mountains and earth, and Yan Shirong¡¯s skill at geomancy, they soon settled on their best route. The softly glowing caves fell behind them, and they had to rely on Chen Fei¡¯s formation for light. The sound of the underground river faded, too, falling away behind them as they climbed ever closer to what they hoped was the surface.


    They hiked for hours. Or days. It was hard to tell, as Li Heng had said. Eventually, the shine of daylight on the bare stone walls appeared before them. They picked up their pace, each of them as eager to be out from the underground as He Yu was. While cycling his cultivation base had prevented him from feeling too much discomfort at the literal mountain above him, he would be glad to be in the open air once again, and in an environment friendlier to his spirit than under tons of earth.


    They emerged into late afternoon. The sun had just touched the tops of the peaks to their west. To the east, the land fell away before flattening into the broad fertile plains of the northern sect territory. They turned south, and He Yu¡¯s heart plunged into his gut.


    The familiar collection of mountains that had housed the sect proper lay in ruin. Based on what he¡¯d seen both in his strange visions of the past and of Jin Xifeng¡¯s attack itself, He Yu knew there was no point in searching for survivors.


    Li Heng was the first one to speak, asking that He Yu was certain was on everyone¡¯s minds. ¡°What now?¡±


    The answer came to him instantly. He truly had no other answer. There was no other option. No other course lay before him. His Way demanded as much of him¡ªhe demanded as much. He would challenge Jin Xifeng.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Li Heng said once He Yu had told him what he intended.


    ¡°There is no other way,¡± He Yu said. ¡°She destroyed the sect. She killed thousands, and that¡¯s just what we witnessed. It makes no accounting for what she¡¯s done in the past, or what she¡¯s done since the battle. Maybe we lucked out and the Dragon Emperor defeated her. Or the great ducal clans assembled and forced her back into a prison.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Or maybe she simply left,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°The world is much larger than the Dragon Empire, you know. She could have gone elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°She wanted the empire. Always has. Whether she stops there is another question.¡±


    Yan Shirong spoke next. ¡°So you, a middle stage Golden Core with no backing from family or sect, are going to bring down a what¡ªpeak Eighth Realm expert who single-handedly wiped out one of the most prestigious sects in the entire empire? You¡¯re delusional.¡±


    ¡°A legend has to start somewhere,¡± He Yu shot back. Yan Shirong¡¯s words had rubbed him the wrong way, even if he knew Yan Shirong was right.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be a legend if you¡¯re dead,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get stronger. It¡¯s what I¡¯ve always done, haven¡¯t I?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°This is different and you know it,¡± Li Heng countered.


    There was something in Li Heng¡¯s features He Yu didn¡¯t care for. A mix of sadness and regret. He felt the beginnings of an itch at the back of his mind. A suspicion of what was coming next.


    It was Tan Xiaoling who eventually broached the subject. After a bit more back and forth between He Yu on one side, and Li Heng and Yan Shirong and the other, she stepped forward and held up a hand for silence.


    ¡°I need to return home,¡± she announced. ¡°My duty is to the Jade Kingdom.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t surprised that she¡¯d been the first. Tan Xiaoling had always insisted that her duty was to her family and her kingdom first. What she hoped to accomplish by returning home exactly, he couldn¡¯t have said. He didn¡¯t try to argue with her. She wouldn¡¯t have listened, and he knew it. Besides, the only thing he knew that might convince her was the conflict with her uncle¡ªthe fact that she¡¯d be walking into certain death. Her uncle, Tan Qingsheng, was a Fifth Realm. He Yu knew as well as she did what exactly that meant. She couldn¡¯t beat him as she was.


    Yan Shirong came next. ¡°The Ministry of Information will be busy. I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll be needed.¡± At least he had the decency to look regretful.


    He Yu grimaced, but said nothing. The memory of standing on a lonely mountaintop returned, and he did his best to shove aside all the complicated feelings of his youth and an imagined future that came with it. He managed well enough until it was Li Heng¡¯s turn.


    ¡°No doubt my father will want to make moves of his own. My grandfather may even emerge from seclusion. I need to return to the Western Passage.¡±


    That was too much for He Yu. ¡°For what purpose?¡± he asked, desperately aware how much it sounded like pleading. ¡°Li Renshu is only at the middle stage of Divine Body Attainment! Even he can¡¯t stand against Jin Xifeng.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more we can do than face her directly,¡± Li Heng said. His expression was hard, but there was a softness¡ªa regret¡ªin his eyes. He Yu knew him well enough. He didn¡¯t want to go, but he felt it was his duty.


    He Yu turned away. ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Yu,¡± Li Heng said. He turned. Li Heng had one hand outstretched. He Yu gripped him by the forearm. ¡°You¡¯ll be welcome if you come,¡± he said.


    Then he turned and left. Yan Shirong and Tan Xiaoling followed, the three of them heading north together. For the time being. He Yu sat down on a nearby rock and held his head in his hands. This was more or less what he¡¯d been trying to avoid. He¡¯d always thought his allies¡ªhis friends¡ªwould come to the peak with him.


    Chen Fei sat down next to him and patted him on the shoulder. Her eyes were fixed to the north, but on the backs of their retreating friends. She looked to somewhere further off. Somewhere far more distant and small.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to leave, too, are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Only if you want me to.¡±


    A few days, or a few weeks ago, he would have told her it was up to her. After seeing what an expert like Jin Xifeng was capable of? An immortal¡¯s lifespan suddenly seemed far too short.


    ¡°I¡¯d like it if you stayed,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to stay.¡±


    They sat together for some time. Each in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The sun moved past the peaks in the west, casting first shadows then twilight then darkness across the two immortals and the land. The stars wheeled overhead. Dawn broke, the sun casting golden rays that crept over the land inching ever westward. Ever to the peaks.


    ¡°Were will we go?¡± Chen Fei asked, standing.


    He Yu joined her. As he started walking, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve only got one idea, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll work out.¡±


    Like the others before them, they headed north. At least at first. They kept their pace leisurely. Neither had fully recovered from the weeks¡¯ long ordeal they¡¯d just been through. They didn¡¯t want to attract any undue attention, either. Although this had once been sect land, things had changed, even if they didn¡¯t know how. They were, for all purposes, rogue cultivators now. What did that mean for them? He Yu couldn¡¯t have said. They were, at least, in agreement that caution was a good idea.


    Chen Fei kept things light¡ªsticking to topics like hunting and plants and the like. He Yu appreciated it. He still felt empty and betrayed at the others¡¯ departure, even if he understood their reasons. He needed time to come to terms with it, and Chen Fei¡¯s talk of simple things kept him from dwelling on it. He suspected she needed the distraction as much as he did. Even if he wasn¡¯t an equal participant in their talk, he could at least listen while she mostly distracted herself. Over the next few days, the mood lightened as they adjusted.


    They soon reached their destination. A winding path let up the slopes of the mountain with a temple carved into its face. The place looked just as He Yu remembered it¡ªabandoned. Statues of a winged god carrying a mallet and a drum decorated the entryway. Columns, cracked and broken, disappeared into the darkness beyond. As they approached the entrance, the pair of bronze braziers on either side were the only evidence of habitation. They remained lit and in perfect condition, showing no signs of age or dirt.


    He Yu gave a salute and bowed at the entryway, then he waited. Chen Fei did likewise. They did not wait long.


    A Fifth Realm spirit appeared from nothing. Nearly seven feet tall, the spirit wore the robes and cap of a scholar. Its substance was that of a storm cloud, flickering with heaven. Vaguely human-shaped, the spirit returned the salute as best its cloudy hands were able.


    ¡°Welcome, Child of Storms.¡± Yongnian said. ¡°Enter and be welcome. There is much to discuss, is there not?¡±

 5.1 - Twilight Empire

    A storm of qi swirled around He Yu¡¯s dantian. His core. It drew from its surroundings. From the gathering and darkening clouds above, flickering with arcs of purple and gold. From the lashing wind and rain. From the ever growing, ever churning storm. He Yu drew upon it all, and cultivated.


    Deep within the mountain, within the shrine of the Thunder God and his drum, He Yu cultivated. The insights he¡¯d gained from that final battle over the Shrouded Peaks sect had taken years to sort through properly. Years to come to terms with. The overwhelming power of the experts above had shaken the foundations of the world, and even that wasn¡¯t enough to stop her. The Sunset Empress she¡¯d been called. Jin Xifeng.


    Sect Leader Zhou Shanyuan had fallen first. Even the mountain itself proved nothing before Jin Xifeng¡¯s insatiable want. The pillar of heaven, First Elder Cai Weizhe¡ªHe Yu¡¯s own martial grandfather¡ªhad fallen next. Cracked and broken under the power of countless lesser experts, wielded by a creature of avarice and malice.


    With her jailers defeated, Jin Xifeng swept across the Dragon Empire, claiming it for her own. Although he¡¯d come directly to the Thunder God¡¯s Shrine, seeking refuge from the storm spirit, Yongnian, He Yu wasn¡¯t wholly removed from the world. Occasionally, he ventured forth from the sanctuary with Chen Fei.


    The emperor was dead. Whether he¡¯d been slain by Jin Xifeng herself, or had fallen to some calamity before her arrival, was some point of contention. It mattered little¡ªthe result was the same. Jin Xifeng was the empress now. A Twilight Empress for a Twilight Empire. Fitting, as her bloody sunset now hung over the whole of the land that once belonged to the dragon.


    With little else to do, He Yu cultivated. His sect destroyed, his friends scattered, and his mentor missing. What else had he before him? His was the Way of a hero¡ªa legend. For three and a half years, he¡¯d sought a villain. Someone deserving of justice delivered. Someone he could strive against and prevail over. He¡¯d thought Sha Xiang was one such figure. In the end, she¡¯d defeated herself. Sacrificing her future, her very cultivation to something far greater and far worse. He¡¯d got what he asked for. When Jin Xifeng broke free of her prison, he¡¯d come to glimpse what becoming a legend meant. He¡¯d come to glimpse the fury and the power of one who could and did defy the heavens.


    He¡¯d been wholly unprepared. Were it not for the protection of the sect, the protection of his mentor, Zhang Lifen, he¡¯d have died with the rest of his sect brothers and sisters. As the years passed by, grief turned to resolve. Ignorance to wisdom. Helplessness to clarity. Slowly he clawed insight, certainty, and purpose from it all.


    He Yu cultivated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. The principle technique of a primordial art gifted him by Cai Weizhe. What records he¡¯d found in his early days at the sect had held little. But the crumbs were there. Cai Weizhe had inherited the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace¡ªthe art he¡¯d personally chosen for He Yu. Cai Weizhe had been the one first to create, then maintain, the Dawn Palace. A grand formation array responsible for sealing Jin Xifeng away in the western wilds. For a thousand years he¡¯d watched over the array, supported by the Shrouded Peaks Sect.


    All things were connected under the Eternal Dao. Some were connected more closely than others. The Dawn Palace, the Peerless Judgment of a ruler and a hero, the Heavenly Palace of the Cloud Emperor. As the years crept by following the fall of the Shrouded Peaks Sect, He Yu pulled those threads ever closer. Followed them ever further. By now, he could see the weft and the weave. The way they twined around one another and reached beyond his sight. He could see when and how he¡¯d been spun into a tapestry begun a thousand years ago.


    He could see his way out.


    He Yu was not yet fully bound. Wholly a part of this grand design beyond his comprehension. He could remain as he was. A lowly, unimportant cultivator. A talented one, to be sure. Whatever he did, his future was bright. His deeds would be mighty. As he was now, he was certain he could reach the Sixth Realm, at least. Perhaps even the Seventh.


    Such was not his Way.


    When he caught the first fleeting glimpse of his personal Dao, it shook him from his meditation. He¡¯d spent days discussing what he¡¯d learned with Yongnian, then with Chen Fei. They had, in their own way, encouraged and guided him. Chen Fei, with her enthusiastic insistence that he did what he thought was right. That he follow the path he¡¯d laid out for himself when he first left his childhood home, the tiny village of Shulin. In her own way, she had become more and more like a sage as the years passed and she walked further along her own Way, up in the mountains near the shrine.


    Yongnian had provided a different, but no less important, sort of guidance. The storm spirit was the steward of this place, appointed by the Thunder God himself to watch over a shrine long forgotten by mortals and immortals alike for purposes the spirit himself did not fully understand. Yongnian did, however, know that He Yu was a part of that purpose.


    Spirit and immortal spent hours, days¡ªeven years¡ªdiscussing the Dao. Discussing the Way of a young and uncertain cultivator unmoored from the support he¡¯d come to rely upon. The Heavenly Palace was connected to the Thunder God, yes. The Heavenly Palace was the creation of an ancient cultivator from a time before memory. Yes, that cultivator was the Cloud Emperor. Perhaps some records yet remained, but they were unimportant.


    Through their discussions, He Yu gained yet more insights. He advanced his understanding of himself, his Way, and his arts. Yongnian added to the lessons He Yu had taken from Zhang Lifen. He¡¯d clarified some of her instruction, and provided corrections to some misconceptions He Yu had formed. Had events passed differently, Yongnian assured him, Elder Cai likely would have imparted these lessons eventually. The Fifth Realm spirit claimed he was a poor substitute for the inheritor of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace, but He Yu was grateful for the guidance either way.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    When He Yu finally made his choice, it was no choice at all.


    He¡¯d already chosen¡ªthree times. First, Zhang Lifen had offered him a chance to stay an outer disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. She¡¯d reminded him that to press forward would be to face a life of hardship. He could remain in the outer sect, and he would live a long, comfortable life. A good life, free from worry.


    He Yu entered the tournament.


    Elder Cai had offered him a similar choice. To forget what he¡¯d learned. To choose a different cultivation art, and remain ignorant of what lay in the west. Remain ignorant of the truth behind the Dawn Palace and the Sunset Empress. Ignorance would be his armor, and Elder Cai would not think any less of him for it.


    He Yu went west.


    Finally, He Yu had set his feet upon the path up the mountain. Ready to walk into the storm, face the wrath of heaven, and subject himself to a tribulation. To form his Golden Core. Once again, Zhang Lifen had told him he could stay. Told him he could remain at the peak of Body Refining. Most cultivators never reached the Fourth Realm, she reminded him. His place in the inner sect was secure, and he could still advance his rank.


    He Yu endured the tribulation.


    When He Yu made this final choice, it was no choice at all. He¡¯d already chosen. Those three times, and in countless others. To be a legend was to face the impossible¡ªto shake the foundations of the world and to defy the heavens themselves. To be a hero was to face the unconquerable¡ªto stand where others fell and to endure against all odds. He Yu wasn¡¯t so vain, so foolish, so na?ve any more think he was anything approaching a hero yet. Let alone a legend. But such was his Way.


    After nearly fifteen years at the Thunder God¡¯s Shrine, He Yu went to the deepest part of the temple, and sequestered himself beneath the statue of the Thunder God himself. Yongnian sealed the doors behind him. A distant drumbeat thundered in his heart and his ears as he drew upon the world. Drew upon the fury and punishment of heaven. Upon the wind and rain. Upon the storm.


    Atop the infinite stair of the Heavenly Palace stood the Thunder God himself¡ªLeigong, the Lord of Thunder. Mallet in one hand and drum in the other, he sent punishment to evildoers, striking them down. His wife¡ªDianmu, Mother of Lightning¡ªguided his punishment with her brilliance. Together, they brought the wrath of heaven down upon the evildoers of the world.


    In the sky above, a great dragon wrapped itself around the heart of the storm. Its beard flowed like clouds, and its scales shone like lightning. It brought wind and rain, flooding and nourishing the land in turn. Its horns held the immensity of heaven and earth. Its body coiled around the sky, the world, the Heavenly Palace.


    He Yu placed one foot upon the stair. Then another. Around him rose the three pillars he¡¯d formed of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering¡ªan art gifted to him in this very shrine by Yongnian. As he climbed, He Yu drew upon the churning mass of qi all around him. Pulled it in to his core, and cycled it according to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment¡ªhis strange, primordial cultivation technique that showed him the truth of things.


    Within the center of his spirit, a figure emerged from the vast expanse of qi he held and drew upon. Seated in cultivation, it shone golden, primordial, and pure. It flickered with heaven, swirled with water, and churned with wind. A combination of the primary aspects of He Yu¡¯s cultivation base. It was He Yu, perfected and reborn.


    He climbed the staircase. With each step, he pushed more of his qi into his forming Nascent Soul. The stone beneath his feet cracked, as if it had been struck by a thousand bolts from heaven.


    Two more pillars of heaven rose from the expanse of his core. The five of them together forged his body anew. His bones became like steel. His muscles drew upon the very storm and sky. His blood turned to lighting, and his skin took on a shine like burnished bronze.


    The rain sheltered him. He feared no single blow, for he could turn it aside with the gentle course of a stream, or the surging flood of a river as he needed.


    The winds lifted him. No longer did his feet touch the ground, no longer did he need to tread upon the earth.


    Ten thousand steps lay behind him. He erupted into a new realm. He Yu reached for the heavens, and heaven answered.


    He turned and beheld the world with the eyes of an emperor. The pillars of heaven rose on before him and on either side. The stair of the Heavenly Palace stretched up to reach infinity behind him. A great dragon coiled around it all. At the center of his spirit sat his newly formed complete Nascent Soul.


    He Yu opened his eyes and stood. The black sludge of impurities covered the floor of the shrine. More than he¡¯d ever extruded before. He turned his sight inward, just to be certain. It was still there, a tiny representation of himself, seated in meditation at the center of his expanse of qi. Qi more plentiful and potent than he¡¯d ever felt before.


    With a flex of his spirit, He Yu expanded his presence. Rain washed away the sludge of his breakthrough. Wind howled through the chambers, and lighting crawled over every available surface. As he gazed down from atop the Heavenly Palace once more, the dragon swam through the sky above.


    He may not be ready to face Jin Xifeng as he was. She¡¯d slain two Eighth Realm experts like they were nothing. But if he wanted to deliver justice, this was the first step. First on this path, but just another along his Way. A Way that became ever more clear, ever more defined as He Yu cultivated, and shaped the world with his spirit.


    At the far end of the chamber, the twin bronze bound doors swung open. Yongnian stood beyond, clouded hands folded within his robe. The storm spirit approached, his Fifth Realm presence feeling somehow feeble in He Yu¡¯s new sight. When he drew close, he spent a moment silently regarding He Yu, the storm cloud that served as his face betraying nothing.


    ¡°Child of Storms, no more,¡± Yongnian said at length. ¡°Regent of the Heavenly Palace, this keeper of the shrine greets you.¡±


    He Yu finally allowed himself a smile. ¡°Thank you, Yongnian. I should have known you¡¯d sense what I¡¯d done.¡± After fifteen years he¡¯d grown familiar with, and rather fond of, the spirit.


    ¡°Of course. How could you think so auspicious an occurrence within this place could escape my notice?¡± Yongnian motioned for He Yu to follow. ¡°Come, I¡¯ve prepared a bath. Now that you¡¯ve achieved all that you can here, we must speak on what comes next.¡±

 5.2 - To Venture Forth Anew

    He Yu stepped out from behind the screen, dressed once again in the robes he¡¯d received from Yongnian all that time ago. They still looked new, despite the battles and hardship they¡¯d seen in their time with him. The shimmering gray silk embroidered with clouds and dragons was a more appropriate vestment now than ever.


    ¡°I should apologize in advance,¡± Yongnian said. ¡°I will be of little help now that you¡¯ve exhausted what meager expertise I possess.¡±


    He Yu waved him off. ¡°No apology necessary,¡± he said. In the fifteen years he¡¯d spent at the shrine since fleeing Jin Xifeng¡¯s destruction of the Shrouded Peaks Sect, Yongnian had been invaluable.


    As a spirit of storms, his very nature was attuned to He Yu¡¯s cultivation. Although he wasn¡¯t personally familiar with He Yu¡¯s arts, he was a steward of the Thunder God¡¯s Shrine. Yongnian¡¯s nature and role gave him insight into aspects of He Yu¡¯s cultivation that he desperately needed now that he was cut off from the resources and expertise of his former sect.


    At times, he wondered how much faster he could have advanced if he still had access to tutoring and sect jobs, but those were pointless, idle thoughts. By his count, he¡¯d recently turned thirty-five. He couldn¡¯t be completely certain¡ªit had been early spring when he¡¯d secluded himself in the shrine, and he hadn¡¯t yet been outside. He hadn¡¯t the slightest idea of how long this advancement had taken him. Months, at least, if he were to guess.


    ¡°Still,¡± He Yu began, ¡°I do have questions you might answer. You¡¯ve been in the Fifth Realm far longer than I have.¡±


    That was an understatement. As far as he knew, Yongnian was nearly as old as the sect had been. According to the spirit, the shrine had been carved from the mountain shortly after Jin Xifeng¡¯s initial suppression. What ¡°shortly after¡± meant was a bit fuzzy, as the spirit¡¯s conception of time differed considerably from He Yu¡¯s own, but his best guess put it within a hundred years, or so. Yongnian had advanced to the Fifth Realm shortly after.


    Spirits advanced differently than humans, however, and that was more the root of why Yongnian couldn¡¯t really provide any more guidance despite his hundreds of years in the Fifth Realm. Unlike humans, spirits didn¡¯t form Nascent Souls, following a different sort of advancement that slowly made them increasingly similar to humans in their appearance and cultivation.


    It was a largely irrelevant point to He Yu, though. His questions were of things other than advancement this time.


    ¡°That, I cannot say,¡± Yongnian admitted in response to He Yu¡¯s questions about his arts, and about Jin Xifeng.


    He Yu drummed his fingers on the table and took another sip of the tea Yongnian had made for them. It had been something that had bothered him for a while now. The connection between the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace and the Thunder God Leigong had been obvious for some time. The distant beat of a drum, the appearance of the Lord of Thunder in He Yu¡¯s meditations, and the clear path from He Yu¡¯s increasingly firm understanding of justice to Jin Xifeng¡¯s excess and cruelty. There was a thread.


    Was it something inherent in the art? If so, had it come from the Cloud Emperor, the art¡¯s titular creator? Or had it come from Elder Cai¡¯s millennia-old clash with Jin Xifeng? And why was he a part of it, seemingly so thoroughly? Some thread of fate? Or simply a natural consequence of his Way?


    The answer, it seemed, was beyond them both.


    He Yu changed the subject. ¡°So what next, then?¡±


    ¡°The path to the Soul Refining stage. As I¡¯m sure your esteemed mentor instructed, the higher realms come by aligning oneself ever more closely to one¡¯s Way. You must seek your Dao. And from there, endeavor to pursue it so that your Daoist Mind may become manifest.¡±


    He¡¯d been afraid Yongnian would say something like that. He Yu knew precious little about what the next, more mystical, steps of his advancement would entail. He knew that a Wayborn Seed was a hard requirement for advancing to Nascent Soul. It was what prevented most Golden Cores from pushing through the bottleneck. It was also something he¡¯d achieved when he was still in the Third Realm.


    To go beyond, he needed more. The only real insights he¡¯d gained were from a brief conversation with Yi Xiurong. She¡¯d told him to pursue his Way, to meditate, and discover his personal Dao. He supposed everyone had simply been under the assumption life would continue more or less as it had. Zhang Lifen had only just returned to the sect when they¡¯d been sent after Kong Huizhong, and Jin Xifeng had broken free of the Dawn Palace formation.


    Perhaps he could seek out Zhang Lifen? He wouldn¡¯t know where he would look. He didn¡¯t even know if she lived¡ªalthough something told him she did. She didn¡¯t seem the type to get caught if she didn¡¯t want to. But even if he found her, would she be able to help? She was in the Fifth Realm herself when he¡¯d last seen her. Middle stage, sure, but as someone who¡¯d not yet advanced to Soul Refining, could he really expect her to guide him?


    He Yu realized the truth of things, even without his cultivation technique¡¯s help. ¡°I need to leave, don¡¯t I?¡±


    Yongnian¡¯s storm cloud head bobbed in the spirit¡¯s approximation of a nod. ¡°Does the path of a hero lay within a forgotten and ruined shrine?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The question was rhetorical, and they both knew it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone, though.¡± It was something that had stuck with him since the beginning. One of the earliest insight he¡¯d gained from his cultivation, before he¡¯d even begun cultivating the Hidden Palace. That vision of a future, standing at the peak. Peerless and without equal. Without rivals or enemies. Without allies. Without friends. Alone.


    ¡°What about Daughter of the Mountain?¡± Yongnian asked.


    ¡°Would she come?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she?¡± the spirit countered.


    He had a point. Chen Fei had followed him here. When she¡¯d ventured out from the shrine to find a cultivation spot of her own, she restricted her search to within a day¡¯s journey of the shrine. She visited frequently, and He Yu went to go see her about as often. No, he admitted. She would come if he asked.


    Which was the problem. She¡¯d followed him here, to a place far from anyone else she knew, and filled with aspects she didn¡¯t cultivate. She¡¯d stuck with him after the sect fell because he asked. Could he ask even more of her? Would it be fair to?


    ¡°Go see her. I don¡¯t know how humans navigate these sorts of things, but perhaps you could tell her she¡¯s welcome to join you, rather than ask directly?¡±


    It was more than a little embarrassing that a spirit was better than he was at navigating interpersonal relationships than he was. There wouldn¡¯t be any harm in talking to her. At the very least, it was an excuse to see her. Not that he needed one anymore.


    ¡°Where should I go, then?¡± he asked, standing.


    ¡°You should first seek a new weapon,¡± Yongnian answered. ¡°Your current treasure is no longer suitable, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    He Yu tried not to let his disappointment show. Yongnian was right¡ªhis guandao wasn¡¯t suitable anymore. It would shatter the first time he tried to fight at full capacity with it. He might get a few strikes in first, but Tan Xiaoling had said it would serve him through the Fourth Realm after she¡¯d had it reforged for him.


    He hated to part with it, though. It was the first¡ªwell, only¡ªweapon he¡¯d ever owned. He¡¯d fought Sha Xiang to a standstill with it after reaching Foundation. It had carried him to second place in the inner sect tournament. When Tan Xiaoling had shattered it with her Mark of the Black Sun, he¡¯d faced her down with one of its jagged shards. When she reforged and strengthened it as a mark of her respect, it had carried him into the Fourth Realm. He¡¯d beaten Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu with it. He¡¯d faced down the hordes of Jin Xifeng¡¯s demonic techniques with it.


    It would be an understatement to say he¡¯d grown rather attached.


    Pressing a fist into his palm, He Yu saluted the storm spirit. ¡°This one thanks the Great Spirit Yongnian for all the guidance he¡¯s shown over the years. This one is in your debt.¡±


    ¡°I trust you will show proper respect by saying goodbye before leaving my mountain home? The both of you,¡± Yongnian said. Although his words carried the crackle of lighting and the distant rumble of thunder as they always did, He Yu had come to know the spirit well enough in their time together.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°Chen Fei wouldn¡¯t forgive me if we didn¡¯t.¡±


    A short time later, He Yu burst out from the shrine entrance. The wind caught him and lifted him to heaven. As the twin carved likenesses of the Thunder God faded to tiny specks below, He Yu lost himself to the thrill. This was, perhaps, the thing he¡¯d been looking forward to the most.


    He could fly now.


    True flight¡ªnot the half-soaring, half-falling he was capable of before. He looped over in the air, twisting and dipping, maneuvering with the grace and majesty befitting his movement technique¡¯s namesake. The Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight was true to its promise, and for a moment He Yu let the apprehension of his uncertain future fall away. He let the wind cradle him, carry him, and propel him to heights he¡¯d only ever imagined until now.


    Catching himself on currents of air, he turned towards a lone peak to the northwest. It rose high above those around it, its top capped in eternal snow. Even from this distance, he could feel the powerful thrum of qi contained there. Mountain and earth combined into metal¡ªthe perfect spot for a cultivator like Chen Fei.


    He glanced around, taking stock. It was, by his reckoning, late summer. He¡¯d been in seclusion for far longer than he¡¯d first thought. No matter. Chen Fei would have been cultivating during that time, anyway. They frequently missed one another. Life of cultivators, after all.


    He Yu shot off toward the lone peak where he¡¯d find her. The mountains rushed by beneath him, and the wind followed like the faithful companion it had been for so long. Testing his newfound cultivation base, he activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering.


    His body enforcement had always been more one of speed than strength. Even with the drastic increase in power and durability it brought, even now it boosted the incredible speed he was newly capable of. The five pillars rose around him, reaching to heaven. Lightning sheathed him, trailing after him in a glittering tail. All around, his presence expanded. The storm darkened the sky as clouds formed from nothing. The wind picked up and howled with his passing, and deep within the inky bank of black clouds, the dragon stirred.


    Landing like a bolt from the heavens, He Yu pulled his presence back as he saluted Chen Fei. It was impossible to keep the stupid, silly grin off his face as she opened her eyes and rose to her feet. She stood motionless for a moment, looking him up and down with a critical eye.


    Her own presence, although restrained, was obviously more impressive than he remembered it. A mountain rose from the earth, solid, strong, and eternal. Fitting, as she was nearly a full head taller than he was. Her spirit reached deep, with stone and metal roots drinking power from the very earth upon which she stood. The fur-trimmed leather vest she wore, leaving her muscled arms bare despite the year-round chill on the peak, fit her better than it ever had. Peak Golden Core since he¡¯d last seen her¡ªhalf a step into Nascent Soul, if his senses could be trusted.


    Then, the pretense dropped. Chen Fei launched herself at him, wrapping him up in a hug that was half a tackle. ¡°Congratulations!¡± she shouted as he struggled to remain standing.


    ¡°Has there ever been a younger Fifth Realm cultivator in the history of the empire?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t say,¡± he answered with a laugh, returning her embrace before extracting himself. ¡°Not that it matters. I came to tell you I¡¯m leaving.¡± Best to get it out quickly. They¡¯d spent too much time dancing around things that needed to be said back at the sect.


    Her face didn¡¯t exactly fall, but the apprehension was clear. ¡°When?¡± she asked. ¡°And where?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where,¡± he said. ¡°As to when, soon. That¡¯s why I came. If you want to come, I¡¯d love to have you.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, visibly relaxing. ¡°But why?¡±


    The last question was pointed. He knew what she meant by it. ¡°The path of a hero doesn¡¯t lie within a mountain shrine,¡± he said. He turned to the east. To the capital. ¡°I¡¯m going to defeat Jin Xifeng. Want to come?¡±

 5.3 - The Journey South

    He Yu sat with Chen Fei just inside the cave she¡¯d carved for herself into the side of her mountain. They¡¯d set the topic of their trip aside while they took care of other concerns. Now, after nightfall and next to a crackling fire, they returned to their next foray into the larger world once more.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a new weapon, won¡¯t you?¡± she asked, turning over a slab of sizzling meat.


    ¡°That¡¯s what Yongnian said. I¡¯m just not sure where I¡¯d be able to get a new one.¡±


    ¡°Your dad¡¯s a blacksmith, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d be able to help,¡± He Yu admitted. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d not thought about asking his father. It had been nearly twenty years since he¡¯d seen him, and he was long overdue for a visit. His father was a cultivator, too. If a modest one. Would a First Realm cultivator even be able to create a weapon capable of standing up to the rigors a Nascent Soul level expert would subject it to?


    He asked Chen Fei about it.


    ¡°Not as important as you think,¡± she said. ¡°The formation work will be what gives the weapon most of its strength.¡±


    ¡°Would you be able to do the formations, then?¡± he asked, tapping a finger on his knee as he thought.


    In their time away, Chen Fei had progressed her family art, the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols, significantly. The instruction she¡¯d gotten back at the sect from Ren Huang had built a solid foundation for her. Since coming to the shrine, Yongnian had provided her with manuals that allowed her to continue her practice.


    ¡°Of course. Which is another point in favor of returning to Shulin. Both your father and I are connected to you. We¡¯ll add significance to anything we create for you, specifically.¡±


    That gave him an idea. ¡°What if we used my current guandao? Like, if we used the metal from it to create a new one? Would that help?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°I think between using your old weapon, having your father reforge it, and me do the formation work, we should be able to craft a truly significant treasure for you.¡±


    It was a plan, and a good one, too. There was just one last thing that gave him a tiny itch of worry about it. ¡°You¡¯ll be meeting my father, then.¡±


    She leaned into him. ¡°It¡¯s about time I met your family, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    He Yu put his arm around her. ¡°I suppose. What I¡¯ve got left of it, that is.¡± He didn¡¯t mention anything about meeting hers. For whatever reason, it was a subject she still didn¡¯t like bringing up, and one that she was clearly uncomfortable with. His offer from all those years ago to return to her village with her still stood. They both knew that, and she only had but to ask. That she hadn¡¯t yet was good enough for him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been that far south,¡± she said, pushing off him and taking their meal off the fire. ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡±


    ¡°A wasteland,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°For qi, at least. I think the people back at the sect called it a qi-starved backwater, or something similar. They weren¡¯t wrong.¡±


    As much as a part of him resented that characterization of his home, he couldn¡¯t deny the truth. Shulin, and the surrounding area, was practically devoid of natural qi. What little qi there was naturally spread out across the vast expanse of the southern forest. The area was spiritually sparse, and low in both quality and density.


    For those reasons, cultivators tended to avoid the area. There was no real reason to go there. Any medicinal plants that grew would be far weaker than those that grew in more potent areas. Even the rare ones that could be found in the woods often weren¡¯t worth the trouble. Spirits would be of low advancement, and the same held true of any awakened beasts. It made for poor hunting.


    Of course, the upside was that the area around Shulin was relatively safe. Even a poorly made formation could keep out the strongest spirits the southern forest had to offer. With little in the area to interest experts, rogue cultivators and bandits left the residents alone. No point in trying to extort people who had nothing of value, after all. Richer pickings were a quick trip north, and the entire region was already out of the way to begin with.


    This also meant that anyone who tried to become a cultivator there had basically no chance. The only reason He Yu had come as far as he had was because he¡¯d left. It was, in all honesty, most of the reason he¡¯d not yet gone back.


    It would be nice to see his father, though.


    With their destination set, they spent the night in each other¡¯s company and comfort, then headed out from Chen Fei¡¯s cave with first light. Although she didn¡¯t have anything as impressive as actual flight, she still got down the mountain in a manner fitting a Golden Core. She jumped.


    Launching herself off the side of the mountain with an explosion of strength and power, she leaped into the yawning void above the jagged rocky ground below. When the law of earth finally took hold of her again, she created a platform using her family art. A shimmering circle edged by silver formation characters appeared beneath her. Again she jumped, and again she caught herself with her art.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He Yu took the opportunity to explore his newfound flight. The trip took longer than it had the previous day¡ªChen Fei wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as he was. Still, they were faster than any mortal would have been, and they soon arrived at the Thunder God¡¯s Shrine to bid farewell to Yongnian. The spirit manifested before them, framed by the massive stone entryway carved into the mountain itself. The likeness of the Lord of Thunder towered to either side of the spirit, Leigong¡¯s fierce gaze glaring out over the plains to the east of the mountain.


    ¡°Regent of the Heavenly Palace, Daughter of the Mountain. This humble steward greets the both of you,¡± Yongnian said over a salute. ¡°I trust this is goodbye, then?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back eventually, I¡¯m certain,¡± Chen Fei said. She¡¯d always been far more comfortable acting casually around the spirit than He Yu had, quickly striking up an easy friendship with him shortly after arriving.


    ¡°See that you do,¡± Yongnian said, with something approaching humor in his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done far more for us than we can ever repay,¡± He Yu added. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With a wave of his clouded hand, Yongnian dismissed He Yu¡¯s words. ¡°I serve the Lord of Thunder in my way. You serve in yours. I have done what is required. If I could provide refuge in addition, it has been my pleasure. Have you decided where you¡¯ll go?¡±


    They told him. Although they¡¯d formed no plans beyond visiting Shulin and upgrading He Yu¡¯s weapon, Yongnian nodded his approval.


    ¡°That is a good idea, I think. Daughter of the Mountain is correct. The spiritual significance will create a treasure worthy of you. Go, and may good fortune follow.¡±


    As they took their leave, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia. Whether for his home, or the shrine, he wasn¡¯t sure. The shrine had come to represent something of a second home for him. He¡¯d certainly been here longer than he had the Shrouded Peaks Sect before its destruction. The only place he¡¯d ever spent more time was Shulin itself¡ªthe place he now returned to.


    He supposed it didn¡¯t matter in the end. Nothing in his life had gone the way he¡¯d imagined. After spending his childhood dreaming of becoming a cultivator of legend, he now stood firmly in the Fifth Realm of cultivation. More powerful than anyone who¡¯d ever come from, or to, his childhood home. He¡¯d joined a sect, and he¡¯d learned the world of cultivation wasn¡¯t anything like the stories at all. He¡¯d spent the past fifteen years cultivating in a forgotten ruin of a temple, taking pointers from a spirit of storms. He had a mentor¡ªhe hoped¡ªsomewhere out in the world, but he didn¡¯t know where she was, or if she lived. And now, he was about to set to wandering himself.


    A rogue cultivator following an ideal. Pursue justice and defeat an ancient expert with a full three realms¡¯ advancement over him.


    Simple.


    As night drew near, He Yu caught sight of a wayside inn off in the distance. Before Jin Xifeng¡¯s release, a rest stop like this would have been maintained by the sect. That lamps glowed in the windows, and horses stood in the stables was evidence enough the inn was maintained. But by whom, he couldn¡¯t have said.


    He relayed his findings with Chen Fei and they decided to approach cautiously, keeping their spirits as restrained as possible. They wouldn¡¯t be able to pass as mortals, especially if anyone inside was awakened, but they could hopefully pass for lower-realm cultivators if nobody used any perception arts on them. Neither of them knew what had transpired in the outside world since they¡¯d taken refuge in the shrine and the mountains. Aside from each other and Yongnian, they¡¯d had precious little contact with the outside world these past fifteen years.


    Entering the building, a fairly sedate scene greeted them. A handful of people¡ªsoldiers, by the look of them¡ªgathered around a table at the far end of the shared dining room that dominated the building¡¯s first floor. A mortal man of about sixty years greeted He Yu and Chen Fei when they entered, and set about to preparing bowls of noodles and vegetables for them.


    As they ate, He Yu caught several of the soldiers eying them. He¡¯d seen similar looks enough times back at the sect, and hoped he was wrong about what was coming next.


    ¡°Trouble,¡± he said between bites of steaming food.


    ¡°Not surprised,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Should we be worried?¡±


    They both knew the answer, but He Yu activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, anyway. The captain of the soldiers was at early Body Refining. The rest were all somewhere in the Foundation stage. He told Chen Fei as much.


    When the group all got up as one and swaggered over to them, He Yu thought they really should have known better. The Body Refining captain should have been able to tell that He Yu and Chen Fei were both cultivators themselves. Neither were as good at hiding their presences as someone like Zhang Lifen or Yan Shirong were, so it should have been obvious they wouldn¡¯t be pushovers, either. Maybe they thought their advantage in numbers would be enough.


    As the captain approached, he sneered down and He Yu and practically oozed arrogance. ¡°There¡¯s a toll for traveling these roads,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll collect it now.¡±


    The proprietor of the inn had vanished into the kitchen at some point, likely in anticipation of whatever came next.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen no signs proclaiming such, Elder Brother,¡± He Yu said. There wasn¡¯t any harm in being polite¡ªat least for now.


    ¡°Maybe you just can¡¯t read,¡± the captain said with a laugh.


    He Yu had kept his good robes tucked away in his storage treasure, and hardly looked the part of an immortal in his current, simpler outfit. Chen Fei hardly ever looked like a lady of the Way, either.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± He Yu said. ¡°But I¡¯ve still not seen any signs on the road. Besides, under whose authority is this toll collected? I¡¯m a wanderer, you see, and I don¡¯t know who administers this land.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? I say there¡¯s a toll, so there¡¯s a toll.¡± The group of guards gathered behind the captain all chuckled at that.


    ¡°Ah,¡± He Yu said. ¡°So it¡¯s extortion, then. Take some advice from this humble wanderer, Elder Brother. Don¡¯t give yourself over to vice and corruption. The will of heaven demands that officials act for the benefit of society, not themselves.¡±


    ¡°Insolence. I¡¯ll have you whipped like a dog for talking back to me!¡± The captain drew back his hand to strike at He Yu.


    The strike never landed. To a Third Realm like the captain, it would have seemed like He Yu hadn¡¯t even moved. He caught the captain by the wrist. The other man tried to pull away from He Yu¡¯s grip, but the anger in his features turned to fear as He Yu stood.


    ¡°No,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you will.¡± He Yu released his grip on the captain¡¯s wrist. At the same time, he released his grip on his spirit. A storm broke over them all.

 5.4 - The Wayside Inn

    Around He Yu, the air grew charged. The sharp scent of a thunderstorm, pungent and fresh, filled the room. The captain fell to his knees, and his soldiers followed suit. He Yu looked down on them from atop the storm, his eyes flashing with distant sparks of heaven. A breeze tugged at the hem of his simple robes, a promise of the gale he still held back. Although he¡¯d not completely released his spirit, or any of his killing intent, even the blind would see he was far beyond these soldiers.


    ¡°Forgive this one! Have mercy, Lord Immortal!¡± the captain cried into the floor.


    ¡°Go,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Hope that I never see you again. And hope that I never hear of you extorting innocent travelers.¡±


    The soldiers all fled from the inn, and moments later the sound of horses fading into the distance floated in from outside. He Yu pulled his spirit back and returned to his meal. He caught a look from Chen Fei as he sat back down.


    ¡°I was worried there¡¯d be a fight for a moment,¡± she said.


    He Yu could think of more than a few people who would have done far worse than simply frighten off a few low-realm bullies. Ren Huang, for example, likely would have beaten them all within an inch of their lives. He didn¡¯t want to think about what someone like Yi Xiurong would have done, with the stark, purifying light of her Dao of Radiance. A Dao that imposed justice and order upon the world.


    Finishing his meal, He Yu rose and looked for the innkeeper. ¡°Uncle!¡± he called. ¡°You can come out now. The soldiers are gone.¡±


    ¡°Good riddance,¡± the older man spat, emerging from wherever he¡¯d gotten off to once violence threatened his establishment. Then he seemed to remember that He Yu was actually a powerful expert, and bowed over a clasped fist. ¡°Forgiveness, Lord Immortal. This one meant no disrespect.¡±


    He Yu waved him off. He was going to have to make sure he kept himself hidden in the future. All this ¡°Lord Immortal¡± nonsense was too much, and he¡¯d much rather if people talked to him normally. ¡°Tell me, Uncle, is this something that happens often? Soldiers acting like bandits?¡± There¡¯d been something about the man¡¯s clear disgust when he¡¯d returned to the room. He Yu hoped his intuition was wrong.


    ¡°They¡¯re not the worst, at least. That lot really only bothers travelers,¡± the innkeeper said. ¡°But yes, officials collect taxes they aren¡¯t owed. Soldiers accost people on the roads, demanding tolls or protection money, and the governor of the province does nothing to stop them. Some say he¡¯s in on it, but you didn¡¯t hear that from me.¡±


    The territory they were in had once been administered by the Shrouded Peaks Sect. It made sense that someone would have to be placed over it. He Yu assumed the innkeeper didn¡¯t know exactly who that might be, since he¡¯d not said it, so he didn¡¯t bother asking. Whoever administered these lands must have been appointed by Jin Xifeng¡ªor one of her ministers. It wouldn¡¯t be much of a stretch to think that whoever governed the province shared her covetous nature. At the very least, it would explain the captain¡¯s actions well enough.


    ¡°Will those soldiers return and cause trouble for you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. Worst they¡¯ll do is blame me if they come back and find you still here,¡± he said. Then, he quickly added, ¡°Not that it matters. You wouldn¡¯t be to blame, of course.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t about to risk causing the innkeeper any more trouble than he already had. He paid for his and Chen Fei¡¯s meal, and they both took their leave. Back on the road and well after dark, they traveled as mortals. At least as much as two lone individuals could, walking the roads after dark. Nobody they met would be fooled, but at least they weren¡¯t announcing their passing to anyone with qi sense.


    For some time they walked, He Yu remaining in pensive silence. Eventually, Chen Fei nudged him.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he admitted. ¡°I¡¯d hoped those soldiers were just a bad bunch. That maybe they¡¯d gone without notice. It seems things aren¡¯t as orderly as they were before we fled the empire.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just the local official?¡± she suggested. Given her tone, she didn¡¯t really believe it, either.


    The innkeeper had told them the governor did nothing. Whoever he was, he was at least ambivalent. Not a good sign, as far as He Yu was concerned. Shulin was on the edge of the area formerly administered by the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Would his hometown be under the jurisdiction of this new governor? Maybe it had been added to the nearby county, administered by a comital clan he couldn¡¯t remember the name of. Hard to say. At the very least, Shulin should be far enough out of the way that trouble wouldn¡¯t follow.


    As they traveled, they stopped at inns, villages, and towns as they ran across them. Whenever they stopped, they made inquiries as discreetly as they could. The picture that emerged was one that did little to ease He Yu¡¯s worries.


    If anything, their encounter with the soldiers was atypical in the sense that it was fairly mild. Mostly due to He Yu¡¯s advancement, and his willingness to reveal himself long before things got out of hand. When he and Chen Fei asked their questions, they were answered with stories of excess and violence. Groups of soldiers were quick to beat anyone who they thought defied them. Not surprising, given the captain¡¯s reaction to He Yu admonishing his behavior.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Even the magistrates of small towns would have a group of cultivator guards that followed them around, enforcing their demands as they squeezed the population ever tighter. From the newest recruit, through the local officials, all the way up to the province governor, it seemed corruption and avarice ruled the day. The more He Yu heard, the more his disquiet at the whole thing grew. One night, as they drew close to Shulin and the southern forest, he stared into their fire in silence, with Chen Fei looking on. She made no secret of her concern.


    ¡°Is the whole empire like this?¡± she asked.


    With the silence finally broken, He Yu allowed himself to release a bit of the tension in his shoulders. ¡°Surely not,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t know if he truly believed it, or if he was simply trying to reassure himself. He kept talking. ¡°There¡¯s no way the empire could hold together if this level of corruption was so widespread. The ducal clans wouldn¡¯t have it. They may not challenge Jin Xifeng directly, but they¡¯d do something, right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she destroyed anyone who might challenge her? Or bought them off? You saw what she could do. The treasures she had. Who knows what else she¡¯s capable of?¡±


    He Yu cursed himself. She was right¡ªJin Xifeng would have tremendous wealth at her disposal. Even after a thousand years of imprisonment, she would have a store of treasure to call her own. With the wealth of the empire at her feet? She could buy off anyone she wanted. While He Yu couldn¡¯t say what level most of the other noble clans were at, even the legendary Tan Zihao of the Jade Kingdom was at the early Eighth Realm.


    Jin Xifeng had fought two experts as ancient as she was immediately after breaking free, and she¡¯d won. Both of them had been at the same stage as her, too. And the most terrifying part? She¡¯d won easily.


    Although the battle itself had been too much for him to bear, and he¡¯d only caught glimpses of its totality, He Yu was certain it had been fairly one-sided. Zhou Shanyuan hadn¡¯t stood a chance. As soon as Jin Xifeng got a hold of him, she¡¯d torn off his arm, and then killed him. She¡¯d cast aside the leader of the Shrouded Peaks Sect like he was nothing. Elder Cai had seemed to fare a little better, but he¡¯d lost, too. The alabaster pillar of his presence had crumbled, and he¡¯d fallen from the sky just the same.


    No, Jin Xifeng was beyond what the empire could bring against her. The rumors said she¡¯d killed even the Ninth Realm Dragon Emperor¡ªalthough that was disputed. Whatever the truth, she was peerless now. If she weren¡¯t, someone would have challenged her.


    Considering it all, He Yu grew ever more despondent about the path he¡¯d set himself to.


    Was it pointless? Was he an idiot? Chasing after a monster like Jin Xifeng seemed little more than rushing headlong into certain death. She had over a thousand years and three entire stages of a head start on him. She drew upon the cultivation of her followers to empower herself. He¡¯d seen firsthand how easily she could sway people to her. How simple it was for someone to give themselves over to her influence.


    How many thousands of cultivators could she draw upon, now that she had crowned herself empress?


    Chen Fei moved closer to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. He hadn¡¯t realized that he¡¯d been cradling his head in his hands. He must look wretched, like he¡¯d given up on some grand adventure before they¡¯d even begun. Leaning into her, he took whatever comfort he could.


    ¡°We could always head south,¡± she said after a while.


    ¡°And live in the forest?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Beyond. There¡¯s got to be something there.¡±


    ¡°Does there?¡± he asked. He wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°The world is far bigger than the empire. Beyond the mountains where I live is the great steppe. The nomads travel far past the horizon, I¡¯m told. The Jade Kingdom lies outside the empire, as well. If you travel to the eastern sea, you can follow the coast north, and find another of the empire¡¯s tributary kingdoms.¡±


    She was right. There was no reason to think the empire encompassed the whole of the world. They could travel beyond the southern forest, and they could find a place outside the empire. Make a life for themselves away from all of it.


    But that felt like giving up.


    A memory bubbled up from the depths of his spirit. The memory of holding the shard of a broken weapon, facing down the single most powerful cultivator of his generation.


    ¡°A hero doesn¡¯t give up,¡± he said softly.


    Chen Fei looked up from where she leaned against him. ¡°Then we keep going.¡±


    ¡°We keep going,¡± he said.


    The satisfaction he felt deep within his spirit was a pulse of something both of himself and not. His Wayborn Seed. Briefly, he once more glimpsed something greater, something beyond even that. He¡¯d come too far. Turning back now wasn¡¯t simply something that would damage his cultivation because of its sheer incomparability with his Way¡ªit was something He Yu himself was physically and spiritually incapable of. The person he had shaped himself into, the Way he¡¯d carved for himself through his actions, and his the personal Dao he¡¯d only just begun to comprehend¡ªthey were all things he couldn¡¯t bring himself to turn away from.


    Not so long as someone like Jin Xifeng walked the earth.


    Over the next several days, He Yu and Chen Fei pushed ever more south. The flat fertile plains gave way to light woods that grew ever more dense the further they went. The further they went, the more diffuse the qi grew. He Yu was glad for their choice to pose as lower-level cultivators. Any qi they spent here would take a long time to replenish without tapping into their limited supply of restorative medicines.


    When they finally arrived at the familiar path that led to Shulin from the main road, it was getting late. They arrived at the village itself shortly after nightfall. Dong Wei¡¯s school was still the largest building in the town. He Yu paid it little mind as he crossed to the far edge with Chen Fei. They had a different destination.


    The forge was dark, its fires banked for the night when they arrived. Light spilled out from He Yu¡¯s old home, though, and with each step they took, his apprehension and homesickness grew. The weight of the years not seeing his father broke over him all at once. It had been far too long.


    He Gang answered the knock. At first, his expression was a concerned frown, but then recognition broke over his face.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er,¡± he said, voice hushed.


    ¡°Apologies, father,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I should have returned sooner.¡±


    He Gang peered out into the darkness beyond He Yu and Chen Fei. ¡°Get inside,¡± he snapped. ¡°You can¡¯t be seen here.¡±

 5.5 - Return to Shulin

    He Yu pushed aside his concern as he followed his father inside. He couldn¡¯t be seen? Why not? This was his home. Sure, he¡¯d left almost twenty years ago, but he should be welcome here. There weren¡¯t any signs of danger¡ªno powerful presences betraying any other cultivators nearby. At this point, that¡¯s what it would take to pose a threat to him or Chen Fei.


    With the door firmly closed behind them, He Yu, Chen Fei, and He Gang gathered around a table inside the modest home. He Gang looked between the two of them, his features lined with a mix of relief and worry both. It struck He Yu how much his father had changed in what seemed like such a short amount of time. When he¡¯d left, He Gang had been a strong man, just entering his middle years and not showing any outward signs of age. Now, his posture was less firm, his face lined. He still walked with a limp, and he seemed to have slowed even more for it. The strength of a lifetime working the forge was still there, mostly. But he appeared shockingly¡­ mortal.


    The change was more than just the passage of time. More than the weight of age. The lines around his eyes, his mouth, the result of worry. Of grief. The telltale mark of a father who¡¯d lost a son.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here,¡± He Gang eventually said. ¡°When the sky turned red, I feared. When news of what the befell the sect reached us, I didn¡¯t dare hope.¡± His voice hitched, emotion thick in his words as he spoke.


    He Yu didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t come sooner,¡± was all he could manage.


    Next to him, Chen Fei picked at the fur trim of her vest.


    He Gang shook his head, ¡°No. I¡¯m sure you had your reasons.¡± He seemed to perk up, then, as he looked over He Yu once more. The weight seemed to fractionally fall away from him¡ªgrief and loss slowly turning to pride. ¡°You¡¯ve grown, Yu¡¯er. You look a proper immortal, now.¡±


    That hit He Yu differently than he¡¯d expected it to, but no less hard. He could practically feel his chest swell at his father¡¯s praise. ¡°I¡¯ve recently formed my Nascent Soul,¡± he said. ¡°Chen Fei is at the Golden Core stage, and half a step into the Fifth Realm.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s your companion¡¯s name,¡± He Gang said, turning to Chen Fei.


    She bowed over a clasped a fist. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Uncle He.¡±


    ¡°And are you two?¡± he let the question remain unspoken as he looked between them.


    He Yu glanced to Chen Fei, and the heat in his cheeks mirrored the color in hers. He Gang laughed, and a comfortable familiarity and ease settled over the gathering. The three of them spoke long into the night, with He Yu and Chen Fei recounting their time at the sect, and He Gang tactfully avoiding any more prying questions.


    When they¡¯d finished catching up on the past fifteen years, He Yu brought the conversation back around to his father¡¯s initial reaction. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be seen?¡± he asked.


    He Gang¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You¡¯re an outlaw, Yu¡¯er. I guess you¡¯ve been away for some time, if you didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± he answered. Briefly, he explained that he and Chen Fei had been in seclusion since the sect fell. Neither he nor Chen Fei wanted to go into much detail about what exactly had happened at the sect, and He Gang didn¡¯t press the question.


    ¡°I see,¡± his father said once He Yu had finished relaying his time with Yongnian. ¡°Still, it¡¯s not good for you to be here. The provincial governor sent out the declaration shortly after his appointment.¡±


    ¡°Who is this governor?¡± He Yu asked. The more he learned about how this province was being administered, the less he liked this governor. Even if he didn¡¯t know their name.


    ¡°Lord Xin,¡± He Gang said. ¡°That¡¯s all I know him by.¡±


    He Yu fought back his anger at that. It could just be a coincidence. He didn¡¯t know for certain who this Lord Xin was, but he certainly had his suspicions. It would explain why he¡¯d been singled out, after all.


    ¡°Dong Wei has also managed to get himself appointed to a position of authority. He scrapes and bows. He flatters Lord Xin¡¯s envoys, and he¡¯s been rewarded for it.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t something He Yu had wanted to hear. ¡°Rewarded how?¡±


    ¡°First, he was given authority over the town. Not only was he allowed to continue running his school, but now he¡¯s officially Shulin¡¯s magistrate.¡± That wasn¡¯t right. Shulin was far too small a town to have a magistrate. A village elder, who would have been Dong Wei anyway, sure, but an appointed official?


    ¡°I take it there¡¯s more?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Dong Wei¡¯s flattery has gotten him far. With the wealth of his appointment, he¡¯s been able to reach the Third Realm.¡± Significant for a place like Shulin, but inconsequential as far as He Yu was concerned. At worst, it meant that Shulin would be stuck dealing with Dong Wei for at least another seventy years.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound all that much to worry about, if you ask me,¡± Chen Fei said.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Perhaps not in terms of his cultivation,¡± He Gang said. ¡°Especially not compared to either of you. But he¡¯s held a grudge.¡± He Gang turned back to He Yu. ¡°That woman, the one who recruited you for the sect. Dong Wei hasn¡¯t forgotten how she humiliated him. When you failed to return from the Shrouded Peaks in defeat and humiliation, his hatred for you only grew, Yu¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°What did Senior Sister Zhang do to him?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    He Yu told her. She¡¯d already heard about the tournament, and the origin of Sha Xiang¡¯s irrational hatred for him, but he¡¯d never told about how Zhang Lifen had threatened Dong Wei. He¡¯d hardly thought about that incident in the years since. It had seemed far too insignificant in the face of everything else. Now, it seemed, it had come to matter once again.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as if a Third Realm could do anything to either of us,¡± she said.


    ¡°He¡¯s spiteful and boastful, but he¡¯s no fool. He¡¯ll summon Lord Xin if he finds you,¡± He Gang said. ¡°Although, I don¡¯t know if that matters. Nascent Soul.¡± He Gang shook his head, muttering to himself in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯d never have imagined you could achieve such heights.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Surely. But you won¡¯t reach any higher here. As much as I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯ve come, certainly you won¡¯t be staying.¡±


    It was a hard thing to admit, but his father was right. ¡°No, we won¡¯t. There¡¯s a long road ahead for both of us, and it will take us far away from here.¡± He thought it best not to mention what he intended. Certainly his father wouldn¡¯t take well to the news that he intended to challenge¡ªand defeat¡ªthe ancient cultivator who now ruled the whole of the empire.


    ¡°I trust you¡¯ll be leaving soon, then? I suppose it¡¯s for the best,¡± He Gang said, shoulders sagging a bit.


    ¡°About that. There¡¯s a reason we came beyond a simple visit.¡± He Yu produced his guandao and presented it to his father. ¡°I need my weapon reforged. It¡¯s no longer suitable, now that I¡¯ve advanced to the Fifth Realm. If possible, I¡¯d like something that can carry me to the highest level of cultivation.¡±


    He Gang¡¯s eyes practically jumped out of their sockets. For a moment, he just stared at the weapon, speechless. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± He shook his head. ¡°This, this is beyond me. I¡¯m not even worthy to sharpen a treasure of this quality.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone I¡¯d rather have do this work,¡± He Yu said. Surely his father was capable enough? He may only be barely awakened to the First Realm, but he was a master smith, regardless.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± He Gang repeated. When He Yu objected again, He Gang silenced him, then pointed at the formation script along the back of the blade. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even begin to tell you what this script was. Or this one along the haft. Maybe, if I took my time, I could match the workmanship of the weapon itself, but you have to know the workmanship isn¡¯t really what matters. I am no formation master.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Chen Fei said. Then she added, ¡°Well, not a master, but I¡¯m pretty good. At least that¡¯s what Senior Brother Ren had always told me.¡±


    ¡°She also cultivates metal qi,¡± He Yu added before his father could object again. ¡°She¡¯ll be able to help with the forging process, not just the formations. If your forge isn¡¯t up to the task, she can help there, too.¡±


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve discussed this between yourselves, already,¡± He Gang said.


    Chen Fei gave an enthusiastic nod. ¡°The significance of all the pieces will matter the most,¡± she began. ¡°Reforging the weapon he¡¯s been using, having you do the actual metalwork, and having me do the formations. It will come together in a weapon that¡¯s spiritually significant to him. It will serve him better than just about any other weapon he could get somewhere else.¡±


    He Gang reached out and picked up the guandao. As he turned it over in his hands, examining it with a practiced and critical eye, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself. Although he¡¯d not said as much yet, He Gang had already agreed to help. The two of them sat in silence while He Gang ran his hands over the haft and the blade, peered at the formation characters, and tested the edge with his thumb. They waited as he went to fetch a sheet of paper and a piece of charcoal. As he sketched out plans and muttered to himself.


    ¡°A star fell to earth just last month,¡± He Gang said after a little while longer. ¡°If you can find it, we can imbue the new blade with metal from it. With such a material, even a lowly smith such as myself could create a treasure to shake the heavens. Especially with the help of a formation expert of Lady Chen¡¯s mastery.¡±


    ¡°Please, just call me Chen Fei. And I¡¯m no expert.¡±


    He Gang fixed her with the stern gaze that had pinned He Yu so many times during his youth. ¡°I¡¯m sure this Senior Brother Ren knows better than you do.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t help but laugh as Chen Fei shrank back. He¡¯d been on the receiving end of that look more than enough times to know its power. ¡°I can search for the fallen star come morning,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯ll keep me out of the way while you work, and keep Dong Wei from learning I¡¯ve returned, at least for a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± He Gang said, in that firm but still kind way of his. ¡°It will give me time to ask Chen Fei some questions, too.¡±


    Chen Fei shot He Yu a nervous, half-frightened look. He simply shrugged in response. ¡°You¡¯ll get along fine,¡± he said. ¡°My father isn¡¯t any worse than Ren Huang. Certainly easier to deal with than Senior Sister Yi.¡±


    They talked late into the night, the conversation quickly falling under He Gang¡¯s authority and turning to matters of metalcraft and formation work. Once the focus shifted fully to the project of He Yu¡¯s new weapon, Chen Fei relaxed as well. She talked excitedly about the kinds of formations the weapon would need. He Gang listened with the ear of an expert craftsman, nodding along as he made notes with rough but quick strokes on his paper.


    Before they got too lost, He Yu interrupted them and asked where he might find the fallen star. As the night grew long, and the eastern sky eventually grew pale with the coming of dawn, he slipped out and left Chen Fei and his father to their work. He had to admit to himself; it was good to be back after all this time. Even if he couldn¡¯t stay, he was glad he¡¯d come. He¡¯d missed Shulin, and that missing piece had been something he¡¯d not even realized was there until the town had come into sight.


    He¡¯d missed his father, and seeing that the man who¡¯d raised him was healthy despite his advancing years eased his heart and his conscience alike. However long or short it would take to forge the new guandao, it would be a welcome reprieve from the world of cultivation and the long road he¡¯d committed himself to. For a time, he could simply be a son again.


    But first, he had a fallen star to find.


    He Yu passed beyond the formation stones that marked the boundary of Shulin. He kept his presence tightly restrained as he rushed through the forest with only the power of a body that had passed through the Third Realm and had been tempered by the wrath of heaven. Using his techniques would announce his presence to everyone within at least a day¡¯s journey. Heading off in the direction his father had told him to search, He Yu set himself to his immediate task. Obtaining metal fallen from heaven.

 5.6 - The Fallen Star

    The forest around Shulin was just as He Yu remembered it¡ªpractically a wasteland to his qi sense. While shrubs and trees passed by in a green and brown blur, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder. How had he ever awakened himself in a place like this? There was nothing here. Wood and life floated through the forest, but it was so faint he could only sense it if he concentrated all his attention on the environment.


    In the lands around the Shrouded Peak Sect, the thrum of natural qi was a constant presence. The flows of power were always there. One only had to reach out, and all the qi they could use was right there. The ground beneath his feet had given earth and mountain and metal. From the waterfalls and mists of the peaks flowed abundant water. Wind rushed through the passes and valleys. Life and wood clung thick to the dense undergrowth and mighty red pines. The Shrouded Peaks had been a bounty of power.


    It was no wonder Zhang Lifen had thought he held so much potential. As weak as he¡¯d been, He Yu had awakened himself. With no formal instruction, and in a place such as this. He shook his head as he marveled at it all. At how far he¡¯d come. He¡¯d never have achieved a fraction of his current strength if he¡¯d stayed here.


    As he made his way through the forest, he lost himself in memories of his youth and all the paths he¡¯d walked since he left. It was good to remember where he¡¯d come from, how he¡¯d gotten to where he was. Too many cultivators forgot, he thought. Or maybe they never had to try¡ªto struggle. He thought about cultivators like Mo Zhiqiang or Da Ning.


    He¡¯d have been shocked if he learned that either of them had struggled at all. They¡¯d probably been elevated to Foundation by their families. Likely before they¡¯d even arrived at the sect. Unused to hardship and convinced they¡¯d earned their advancement, was it any wonder they were as arrogant as they were ineffective?


    What about someone like Li Renshu? He Yu knew well the Li patriarch had come from nothing. It was much of the reason Li Heng had always talked about how vulnerable his family was. Would Li Renshu have achieved the heights he¡¯d risen to without having to claw them from the grip of heaven and earth?


    The journey fell into a moving meditation. He Yu thought on his past and his current circumstances as he searched. He absorbed what little qi he could and limited what he spent. Although his cultivation base was more plentiful and potent than it had ever been, it made little sense to be wasteful. He¡¯d no idea what awaited him at the fallen star. It would be a good while before he could cultivate properly, though.


    It took He Yu two days before he found the fallen star. Or at least evidence of it. At the edge of his qi sense, He Yu felt a concentrated source of metal qi that practically blazed against the background of the southern forest. He leaped up into the highest boughs of a nearby tree, hoping to get a better look. Off toward the metal source, a broad area of the forest had been flattened and burned. The charred remains of trees ringed a crater gouged out from the forest floor.


    Observing the site with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he caught aspects of fire and heaven as well. Neither was as prominent as the metal aspect, but they were enough to tell him he¡¯d found his prize. He couldn¡¯t catch any evidence of beasts or spirits, but that just meant that if anything had been attracted, it was either weak or actively concealing himself.


    He leaped from the tree, propelling himself towards the crater with just the power of his refined body. Only just before he hit the ground did he briefly activate the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, and only then to allow him to land in such a way that he could easily transition to a full sprint. It was only a short time later that he arrived at the crater¡¯s edge.


    The crater was much wider and deeper than he¡¯d first imagined. Easily several hundred feet across, the forest and earth around the central, deepest part had been blasted away in the impact. The trees that still stood closest to the edge were charred and burnt, their bark turned black by what must have been an intense heat. Even now, a month after the impact, according to his father, flame spirits still danced in tiny pockets around the crater and the rim.


    Around the fallen star itself, coiled a beast of metal and stone. Fifteen feet from nose to tail, it was covered in metal spikes that gleamed softly in the light. Its skin was of stone, and its eyes the color of new iron. It fixed its attention on He Yu. Although it remained wrapped around the dull, almost black stone that could only be the fallen star, it was alert and ready to leap to its massive, clawed feet. It resembled a dog in the shape of its head and the placement of its legs, but the tail was too long and thick for a hound. Almost like that of a lizard or a snake.


    He Yu jumped from the rim of the crater onto its floor, covering about half the distance to the fallen star, and the beast. It finally rose to its feet, canine ears pricking towards his approach. Its maw, like its tail was more lizard-like. It was a strange creature, to be sure. He Yu had never seen its like, and he wondered if it might have been created in the impact itself. Drawing close to the beast, he didn¡¯t get the sense it was very strong. Maybe equal to a Third Realm. Strong for the area, but nothing he couldn¡¯t deal with.


    Claws of iron and jagged stone extended from the beast¡¯s feet and gouged the earth beneath it. It let out a low growl that sounded like shifting stone. A warning, but one that He Yu ignored. Instead of retreat, he gave the beast a warning of his own.


    His presence expanded fully for the first time since returning to the southern forest. Lighting flashed and thunder cracked. The winds rose to a gale, and rain lashed cultivator and beast both. The storm churned around him, and arcs of heaven leaped across his skin and flashed behind his eyes. Although he¡¯d left his weapon back with his father, he¡¯d no need of it.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The beast did not back down. He Yu took a step forward, carrying the full weight of the storm with him. Rain soaked the scorched and broken land beneath his feet, and the winds howled ever louder. Still, the beast did not back down.


    It hadn¡¯t attacked, either. A puzzling reaction, he thought. Was it unable to sense his power? Everything about its posture, its willingness to stand its ground, told He Yu that it wasn¡¯t frightened enough to run. But neither was it confident enough to be the aggressor. He¡¯d hoped that by revealing his presence that he¡¯d have scared it off. It may be a beast, but it wasn¡¯t threatening anyone here. The formation stones around even a small settlement like Shulin should be enough to ward off a Third Realm, so leaving it wasn¡¯t a danger. It would never advance so long as it stayed in the southern forest, so it would have to leave in order to grow stronger.


    Unless it didn¡¯t.


    He Yu turned his attention fully to the fallen star for the first time since he¡¯d arrived. With the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, he observed the truth. The beast hadn¡¯t simply advanced by the fallen star¡¯s power¡ªit had been remade. The metal aspect of the star, and the qi released by the exposed earth, had drawn the creature, whatever it had once been. It settled around the fallen star, and it had advanced. Advanced and been remade. Much in the same way He Yu¡¯s own advancement to Body Refining had changed him, the qi of the fallen star had altered this creature. It was smart enough to know what the star meant to it. Like a mother protecting her cubs, it would give its life to defend the very thing that had given it more power than it could handle, reshaping it into its current form.


    In the space between heartbeats, He Yu crossed the distance between himself and the beast. A fist crackling with the spark of heaven slammed into the stony and metal hide. Spines cracked and shattered with the sound of shearing metal. A bolt of heaven arced from He Yu to the creature, and it let out a roar that was half enraged and half in pain.


    As he¡¯d expected it to, it fought back. Stone and metal claws rent the sleeve of his robe, but failed to break his skin. Jaws closed around his arm, and he simply wrenched himself free. With a casual toss, he sent the beast tumbling to the ground. It got up and leaped at him, claws and teeth bared in another futile attempt to tear apart the intruder to its domain.


    He Yu stooped to pick up the fallen star, and the beast sailed over him. It was a dull black mass of metal, perhaps about a foot across and unexpectedly heavy for its size. The qi it gave off now that he could inspect it properly was more than enough to bring a creature like this to the Fourth Realm. Maybe even the Fifth, if it remained near it long enough. It was no wonder the stone and metal hound was willing to defend it so.


    He sent it to his storage treasure and turned his attention back to the hound creature. Although it was poised for another attack, this time it hesitated. Its ears twitched, and it sniffed at the air. He Yu swept his hand before him, and sheets of lightning poured down from the sky. They ripped up the earth, leaving black scars where they struck. The beast jumped back, uncertain now that it could no longer sense the stone it had fought to protect only moments ago.


    With another flex of his spirit, He Yu sent the creature running into the woods. Clearly outmatched and with no reason to stay, it did what all beasts would do in a similar situation. It would eventually circle back and investigate. It might even cultivate a bit with the remaining qi in the area. Eventually, it would have to leave and find somewhere with more qi should it want to sustain itself. Once out in the larger world, it would either fall prey to stronger creatures, or bother some town with actual cultivators, or maybe it would advance. Whatever happened to it mattered little, so far as He Yu was concerned.


    He¡¯d got what he came for, so he headed back to Shulin. When He Yu presented his father with the dull black hunk of metal and stone, He Gang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± He Gang said, gingerly taking the offered fallen star from He Yu. ¡°Even I can feel its power. It¡¯s fortunate you brought Chen Fei with you. Without the help of a formation expert like her, I¡¯d never be able to do this material justice.¡±


    He Gang and Chen Fei settled in to work on the new weapon. First, they disassembled He Yu¡¯s old one. The collar¡ªshaped like a roaring heavenly dragon¡ªand the spiked metal end cap would be inlaid with reinforcements from the fallen star and Chen Fei¡¯s formation work. The half would be melted, then alloyed with star metal and reforged. Finally, the blade would be formed wholly from the remaining material from the fallen star itself. The final construction would be reinforced with Chen Fei¡¯s formations.


    As the work commenced, He Yu quickly learned that Chen Fei and his father had become rather good friends while he was gone¡ªmostly by sharing embarrassing stories about him in his absence. As they worked and talked, with He Yu tucked away in an out of sight corner of the workshop, he quickly got over his embarrassment.


    That He Gang accepted and approved of her was something he¡¯d not realized he¡¯d been worried about. But seeing the two of them work together eased his heart in a way he hadn¡¯t known he¡¯d needed. Even as his relationship with Chen Fei had deepened and grown in their years after leaving the sect, neither of them had brought up their families. He was sure Chen Fei had her reasons, and he now realized he¡¯d had his own, too.


    It took several days for the weapon to take shape. According to He Gang, making a weapon of quality took time. Chen Fei would work late into the night, carving out formation characters in the weapon¡¯s components. The next day, He Gang would fill them in with metal from the fallen star. Even before the guandao was complete, He Yu could feel the power and significance it contained. It grew ever more difficult to wait on its completion.


    Finally, as Chen Fei and He Gang were placing the finishing touches on the masterwork, a shout rang out from the road in front of the forge. He Gang froze, and Chen Fei looked to He Yu.


    ¡°He Gang,¡± came a voice He Yu had thought he¡¯d never hear again. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing rumors that you have guests! Cultivators, they say. Send them out immediately. I¡¯ve been given authority over this town by Lord Xin himself. That these travelers haven¡¯t come to see me, and gain my approval for staying here, is an insult to my station.¡±


    Although he¡¯d hoped to avoid a confrontation, He Yu put down his jar of wine and stood. When he stepped out into the street, the pathetic old man who stood before him was just as he remembered.


    Dong Wei¡¯s grin was enough to warrant a slap just on its own. ¡°So the little dog has returned from the sect at last. I¡¯d half expected you to come crawling back so much sooner. No matter. Now that you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll have my satisfaction at last.¡±

 5.7 - Dong Wei

    He Yu took in the sight before him. Dong Wei hadn¡¯t changed much in the past fifteen years. His robes were of far finer make than He Yu remembered, but most noticeable was his cultivation. He made no effort to hide it¡ªsuch as it was.


    Somehow he¡¯d advanced to the early Body Refining stage. Which likely explained why he appeared to have not aged a day in the past decade and a half. Despite the reaching the Third Realm, Dong Wei was far from reaping its full benefits. He barely had a presence to speak of¡ªjust the vague, almost imperceptible sensation of a slight wood-aligned aspect. Probably the only aspect he could cultivate in any decent quantity, rather than the result of wood-aligned cultivation art.


    He still appeared old and somewhat frail. He Yu knew Shulin¡¯s resident cultivation ¡°expert¡± would be stronger than any mortal in town, but he¡¯d have been nothing but free resources for even the laziest of outer disciples at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. He was even more pathetic than He Yu remembered.


    ¡°Still, you have no respect for your betters, it seems,¡± Dong Wei snapped. ¡°You should kowtow before me, unless you¡¯re so pathetic you can¡¯t even sense my advancement.¡±


    Chen Fei joined He Yu in front of the forge. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± she asked. ¡°And why is he trying to threaten you?¡±


    ¡°I have been given authority over Shulin by Lord Xin. Barbarian that you are, you may call me Magistrate Dong.¡±


    ¡°Oh, him.¡± Without another word, she went back inside.


    Dong Wei¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Come back out here, trash!¡± he shouted.


    As Dong Wei stomped towards the forge, He Yu stepped in front of him. ¡°You should leave before things get out of hand,¡± he said.


    ¡°You think I would listen to you? Just like your father, you had to return from the sect with your tail between your legs like a whipped dog. At least you had someone of superior talent go with you, so that everyone could see how pitiful you were. I¡¯m sure once they saw Sha Xiang¡¯s ability¡ªmy student¡¯s ability¡ªthey threw you out like the trash you are. Just like they threw out your father.¡±


    He Yu could hardly believe it. Was that the root of all of it? He peered at Dong Wei with the judgment of an emperor. He saw envy. Humiliation and resentment. Suddenly, it all made sense.


    Dong Wei had been passed over for acceptance into the Shrouded Peaks Sect. He Gang hadn¡¯t. But by his own admission, He Gang hadn¡¯t possessed the talent, and had been thrown out when he failed to reach Foundation in time. Upon his return to Shulin, Dong Wei had taken it as evidence of his own superiority. That was the seed of the grudge that had made him refuse to teach He Yu. The seed that he¡¯d transferred to Sha Xiang when he¡¯d seen that she hated He Yu for her own, unrelated reasons.


    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The absurdity of it was too much for him. The only reason he¡¯d advanced as far as he had was, in a sense, because of Dong Wei¡¯s stupid grudge against his father. If he¡¯d not been so desperate to prove himself, he¡¯d never have awakened himself into the Qi Gathering stage. He¡¯d never have gone into the woods, and never met Zhang Lifen.


    If not for Dong Wei¡¯s stupid resentment against his father, Sha Xiang never would have come to the sect either. He Yu had long since realized Zhang Lifen had brought her along simply to push him. And push him, she had. Struggling against her pointless aggression in those early days had allowed him to reach Foundation as quickly as he had. Having to catch up to her had pushed him in the tournament. It had allowed him to best her and stand against Tan Xiaoling as a near equal. Her attack on his friends had been the key that pushed him to Golden Core.


    ¡°You dare mock me?¡± Dong Wei demanded. His spirit spread out from him, a weak and feeble thing that barely weighed upon the world. Even by the standards of the Third Realm, Dong Wei was a nobody.


    ¡°You¡¯re too quick to take offense where none exists,¡± He Yu said. ¡°One day, you¡¯ll overstep your bounds. You¡¯re lucky you live in a place like Shulin, where nobody of consequence ever comes. You¡¯re lucky Master Zhang¡¯s hand was stayed by order of the sect elders. You¡¯re lucky I have no interest in bullying those weaker than myself.¡±


    Now it was Dong Wei who laughed. A half-cackle, lacking in mirth, echoed through the morning air. ¡°Master Zhang? You can¡¯t be serious. If you¡¯re discipled to a peak Golden Core, your master isn¡¯t worth their rank in the sect. Your spirit is no different when it left. After I teach you a lesson, I¡¯ll teach that barbarian inside to remember her place, too. Then I¡¯ll finally put your father in his!¡±


    The thought that Dong Wei still seemed to think the Shrouded Peaks Sect remained was something He Yu put aside for later. He was growing tired of the older man¡¯s boasting, and he couldn¡¯t allow threats like that to remain. ¡°My spirit is no different? You¡¯re truly a fool, Dong Wei. It¡¯s common courtesy to keep one¡¯s presence restrained in the company of mortals, lest you crush them with your power. But that¡¯s a lesson you never had to learn now, was it?¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°You call me weak?¡± Dong Wei said. He made a fist and stepped forward. ¡°Beg for mercy, trash.¡±


    ¡°Or you¡¯ll what?¡± He Yu kept his voice even. It was only from nearly twenty years of cultivation that he remained calm. Even so, his temper threatened to break free despite his best efforts. A gentle wind picked up and tugged at his robe, and the faint scent of fresh rain filled the air.


    The punch Dong Wei threw at He Yu¡¯s jaw flowed like a river of mud. For what seemed like an eternity, He Yu watched the fist inch closer. When it finally connected, it may as well have been a feather. Infinitely foolish and ignorant, Dong Wei only redoubled his fury when He Yu didn¡¯t so much as flinch.


    ¡°Coward! Take your beating with honor! Whatever body enforcement you have, it won¡¯t save you forever. You couldn¡¯t be more than Foundation by now. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you were still at Qi Gathering for all the meager talent you have!¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I¡¯m so far beyond you or anyone you¡¯ve ever met that you can¡¯t even see the mountain upon which I stand.¡±


    Dong Wei¡¯s laughter rang out for a moment before abruptly dying on his lips. He Yu¡¯s presence crashed over the town of Shulin, but he kept himself limited to early Golden Core in potency. There were mortals here, and he wouldn¡¯t inadvertently harm them when making an example of an upstart like Dong Wei. Still, Dong Wei collapsed to his knees under the weight of He Yu¡¯s presence, just as he had all those years ago before Zhang Lifen.


    ¡°You will leave now,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Forget you saw me, and leave my father in peace. Chen Fei and I will depart from Shulin soon enough, and you can go back lording over your insignificant little patch of the southern forest. But know this¡ªunlike my shifu, I am under no obligation to show you mercy. As I said, I have no interest in bullying those weaker than myself. That is the only reason you yet live. Any other cultivator of my stage wouldn¡¯t have shown a fraction of the restraint I have.¡±


    A paper talisman appeared in Dong Wei¡¯s hand. He looked up at He Yu from where he kneeled in the dirt. ¡°Lord Xin will put you in your place,¡± he forced out. The talisman flashed, then vanished.


    He Yu hauled Dong Wei to his feet and pulled him so that he was nose to nose. From inches away, he stared into the old man¡¯s eyes. ¡°What was that talisman?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Your death!¡± Dong Wei spit in He Yu¡¯s face. ¡°Lord Xin put out a bounty for you. I¡¯d hoped one day to collect it myself, but I¡¯ve no doubt he will reward me for giving him the opportunity to end you after all this time. And after you and that barbarian of yours are dealt with, I¡¯ll finally settle things with your father!¡±


    It was too much. The insults, the threats, the disrespect. He Yu had given this man every conceivable chance to walk away. Every opportunity to let things be. But Dong Wei had spit on him, then threatened his father. He¡¯d shown so much more restraint than Dong Wei deserved.


    He slammed a fist into Dong Wei¡¯s gut, injecting a spike of heaven qi into his dantian. As He Yu released his grip, Dong Wei staggered back, shock and fear and rage doing battle on his features. His cultivation base went wild, its barely aspected qi surging out from Dong Wei¡¯s ruined dantian. The older man fell to the ground and screamed as his own cultivation base along with He Yu¡¯s qi ripped apart his meridians. As his future as a cultivator was ended forever.


    He Yu loomed over him. ¡°Consider yourself fortunate. You court death, Dong Wei, yet I have shown you mercy you don¡¯t deserve. Never forget this lesson.¡±


    ¡°Lord Xin will destroy you. He has reached the Nascent Soul stage! He¡¯ll kill you, that woman you have with you, then he¡¯ll track down and punish your pathetic excuse for a father.¡± Even as he hurled threats and insults, Dong Wei crawled away from where He Yu stood.


    He Yu let him go. He went back inside the forge where his father looked on, a grim set to his features.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know,¡± He Gang said as he watched Dong Wei finally get to his feet and hobble off. ¡°Lord Xin isn¡¯t known for his mercy.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± He Yu said. ¡°I have a pretty good idea of who he is, especially if he declared me an outlaw, and not anyone else I associate with.¡± He produced a handful of what coins he had, along with some low-grade spirit stones and a few mid-grade ones. Mortal wealth meant little to him, and he could always trade some low grade stones for more coins than he could ever use. ¡°Take these. It should be enough to get you away from Shulin for good. The roads are still maintained, so you¡¯ll be safe. Those stones will be enough to take you to Foundation, at least. Possibly even to Body Refining. When I¡¯ve done what I need to do, I¡¯ll find you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take this,¡± He Gang said, attempting to push the pile of near-inconceivable wealth back to He Yu.


    ¡°Please, with all respect, don¡¯t argue with me. I don¡¯t know if this Lord Xin will seek vengeance on you or not, but I don¡¯t want to take chances. Either way, it¡¯ll be a long time before I can return. I want to see you again, if I can.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He Gang asked. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    He Yu turned to the northeast. ¡°I¡¯m going to deliver justice,¡± he said. ¡°For my sect, for Elder Cai, for all my brothers and sisters who fell. But I have to get stronger first.¡±


    He Gang scooped the stones and coins into his apron. ¡°Be safe, Yu¡¯er.¡±


    Chen Fei handed He Yu his new guandao. It was a work of art and a treasure worthy of a legend. He wished he had the words or the means to thank his father properly. Sending the weapon to his storage treasure, he turned to his father. He bowed deeply over a salute. ¡°I will find you one day, I promise.¡±


    Already he could feel the approaching mass of heaven and flame. The feeling of a long stoked fury. Chen Fei glanced at him as they let Shulin vanish behind him¡ªshe could feel it, too.


    When they were a suitable distance away, far enough they wouldn¡¯t inadvertently call attention to the village itself, they both unleashed their presences. The storm and the mountain crashed over the southern forest. They both turned east, and with their cultivation bases blazing a beacon for a hundred miles in every direction, they fled as fast as they were able. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting as far away from Shulin as they could manage.


    It was late afternoon when Xin Lu finally caught up with them. Like a blazing comet, he slammed into their path, igniting a circle of trees and earth with his furious manifestation. Clad in an ornate suit of lamellar, a satisfied grin tugged at Xin Lu¡¯s lips as He Yu stopped, and produced his new weapon. It seemed the guandao would receive a baptism in flames.


    ¡°I have waited too long, Sect Brother He,¡± Xin Lu said, his double halberd falling into his grip.

 5.8 - Xin Lu Seeks Satisfaction

    Xin Lu¡¯s presence exploded out from him. He was much as He Yu remembered. A furious blaze, sparking with the wrath of heaven. A pillar of swirling flame towered above them, twisting around itself and raining embers down from above. Lightning coursed along its length, cracking and sparking with each turn of the massive blazing column. The addition of a twinge of darkness, of shadow, of blood wasn¡¯t something He Yu wanted to see, but it didn¡¯t surprise him.


    Whatever bargain Xin Lu had formed with Jin Xifeng, it was driven by the humiliation he¡¯d suffered at He Yu and Li Heng¡¯s hands. It explained why he¡¯d been given authority over the lands formerly administered by the sect. Given authority over Shulin. Over He Yu¡¯s home.


    None of that was what bothered He Yu about Xin Lu¡¯s presence unleashed. It was the fact that he¡¯d reached late Nascent Soul. A two full stages above He Yu, and a realm¡¯s advantage compared to Chen Fei. As He Yu brought his new weapon to bear, he prepared himself to once again face an opponent beyond his ability. Outmatched as they may have been, He Yu and Chen Fei answered Xin Lu in kind.


    Chen Fei grew to fill the heavens, to dominate the landscape for miles around. She reached down into the earth and drew up its strength and power. Her bare arms bunched, her muscles hardening to iron. Looming over the both of them, she became the mountain.


    The weight of her spirit pressed down on the world, with all the heaviness of its aspects. Earth and metal and mountain, she drew from the earth and became indomitable. With her activation of the third stage of the White Mountain Body Art¡ªthe Titan Panoply¡ªa suit of ornate armor forged of metal aspected qi formed around her. She fell into a fist stance, and rings of silver formation characters glowed around her wrists, and along her metal encased knuckles.


    He Yu unleashed the storm. For the first time since his advancement to the Fifth Realm, he allowed his spirit free rein. Winds lifted him from the ground as the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight carried him upon its wings. The once-gentle breeze whipped into a howling gale. The undergrowth and ground cover within a hundred feet of He Yu lifted into the air, whipped by the storm, before finally blasting away.


    Five mighty pillars burst forth around him, reaching to heaven. Arcs of heavenly qi surged along their length, leaped toward He Yu waiting in their center. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering was a body enforcement art that emphasized agility above all else¡ªbut that did not mean it provided nothing more. Now that it had reached its fifth stage, it hardened He Yu¡¯s skin and muscles and bones more than it ever had. He was stronger and tougher than ever, while still being even faster than he was at the peak of Golden Core. Even the tiniest of his movements was a flickering jump from one place to the next.


    The storm above him churned and swirled around its center. Rain fell and extinguished the countless tiny fires started by his own sparking spirit, and the embers falling from Xin Lu. The sheets of rain pouring down all around them stood ready¡ªready to turn away any strike, any technique, and turn it from its course. Turn the course and open the path for He Yu¡¯s own strike, He Yu¡¯s own techniques.


    All three of them moved at once.


    A river of flame poured forth. The storm answered by drowning the land. A bolt of heaven split the sky. The mountain stood scarred but firm. Aspects of fire and storm and heaven and earth crashed against one another. Within moments, the land turned to blackened ash. Trees crashed to the ground, either ripped apart by the winds, felled by lightning, burned to cinders, or uprooted as the very earth they stood upon rose to join the battle. Stones cracked under the strength of the mountain. They melted beneath unrelenting flames, only to blacken and cool under the endless deluge.


    Steam exploded from each exchange of techniques between He Yu and Xin Lu. Fires turned aside by the Spring Rain Mirror, winds subsumed by Xin Lu¡¯s raging tempest of fury and flame. The gleaming black halberd struck out with the speed of the lightning that surged along its length. It only found empty air as He Yu moved with the same speed, flickering from one place to the other, and striking with wind and heaven alike.


    Chen Fei launched a barrage of gleaming fists, each strike flashing with formation characters. Force, strength, stone. She used the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols to give her strength and power beyond what a peak Golden Core could otherwise muster. To lend aspects she didn¡¯t cultivate to her techniques, if only by degrees. All throughout, the armor she¡¯d encased herself in hardened and drew upon the very earth to give it strength and durability.


    Despite their best efforts, Xin Lu beat them back inch-by-inch. It was the outcome He Yu had expected from the beginning¡ªthe only surprise coming from the fact it had simply taken longer than he¡¯d first expected.


    Xin Lu¡¯s double halberd slammed into one of Chen Fei¡¯s barriers. The silver characters winked out, and the formation shattered. He lashed out with a powerful kick aimed at her chest. The impact released an explosion of flame and heaven and metal. Chen Fei slammed into the side of a hill, leaving a crater nearly the size of the one left by the fallen star.


    ¡°It is a shame my brother isn¡¯t here to take part in your defeat,¡± Xin Lu said. The twisting mass of flame and lightning that was his presence hadn¡¯t dimmed over the course of their fight. He Yu already felt the strain of battle, despite his vastly increased cultivation base compared to their last encounter.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I¡¯m not beaten yet,¡± He Yu answered. He still stood, he still had a weapon, and he still had qi to spare. As he¡¯d promised Wang Xiaobo all those years ago, he wasn¡¯t about to make this easy.


    The two cultivators launched themselves at each other once more, meeting in an explosion of heaven and flame and wind and rain. He Yu¡¯s new guandao was certainly a treasure, surpassing even his greatest hopes. Chen Fei¡¯s formation work was of expert quality all on its own, despite her protests. The addition of the star metal to the characters only elevated the formation¡¯s ability to channel his qi through the weapon, the blade¡¯s ability to withstand the rigors of battle between immortals. The blade itself, formed of heavenly material by his own father¡¯s hand, already carried noticeable spiritual significance. It reacted to his techniques and his qi in ways no other weapon he¡¯d ever held had.


    Back and forth they went, their techniques tearing open the earth, splitting the sky, and turning the surrounding forest to cinders. As their battle raged, the sun sank to the west. The stars winked into being one by one, and eventually the eastern sky grew light. Dawn broke, and the fight dragged on. He Yu and Xin Lu threw themselves against one another, exchanging techniques freely, and ripping apart the mortal world with their battle. As the fight dragged on and the sun rose ever higher, several things became clear.


    This was not a fight He Yu could win. He might stand against Xin Lu for now, but he couldn¡¯t effectively wound the more advanced cultivator. Sure, he scored hits. Plenty of them. Even now, as the fighting fell into a brief lull and the two Fifth Realm cultivators took stock of the other, Xin Lu showed signs of damage.


    His armor was cracked. One of his shoulder guards had completely fallen off, and countless wounds had opened and healed over any exposed skin He Yu could reach over the past day. It wasn¡¯t enough. For every blow He Yu had landed, Xin Lu struck two. With greater advancement came a greater cultivation base. While He Yu still had plenty left, Xin Lu clearly had more. Over the course of the night, the battle had settled into one of attrition, and a battle of attrition was one He Yu knew he¡¯d lose, eventually.


    The second thing that had become obvious regarded Chen Fei. She wasn¡¯t exactly holding He Yu back¡ªin fact, she often took enough pressure off of him and allowed him to land some of his most significant blows. Her techniques were disruptive, and her peerless durability and endurance had kept her in the fight far longer than could be reasonably expected of a Golden Core against an opponent of the Nascent Soul stage.


    Despite that, she was rapidly flagging. Her spirit had dimmed considerably since the previous afternoon, and her Titan Panoply showed even more cracks and rents than Xin Lu¡¯s armor. She¡¯d bleed more than He Yu, and even now nursed an arm that hadn¡¯t quite finished mending after Xin Lu had broken it. Worse, even when she landed a solid hit, it barely affected him. She wasn¡¯t exactly a liability, but as the fight dragged on, He Yu¡¯s concern for her continued to grow, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Xin Lu battered down her defenses completely.


    The last thing was at once the most vexing, and perhaps their best chance at salvaging something of worth. Xin Lu seemed wholly focused on He Yu. Although he could easily take Chen Fei out of the fight any time he wanted, he only spared the barest attention for her, and only when she got too bothersome, or threatened to distract him from He Yu for too long. Then he¡¯d unleash an attack that would take her out of the fight long enough for him to return his attention to his true target. When she invariably recovered, the cycle would repeat.


    He Yu would bet every spirit stone he had left that if Chen Fei simply ran, Xin Lu would let her go. He could continue to hold of the stronger cultivator for a time. Once she¡¯d gotten far enough away, He Yu could use the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight to escape. Over the course of the battle, Xin Lu hadn¡¯t used any techniques matching He Yu¡¯s raw speed. He¡¯d displayed no evidence of a treasure that granted flight, and techniques that did the same were rare in the Fifth Realm. He Yu was certain that if he could use his full speed without worry, Xin Lu wouldn¡¯t be able to catch him.


    ¡°No!¡± Chen Fei shouted once he¡¯d relayed his plan. ¡°Not leaving you.¡± She slammed into Xin Lu with the force of an avalanche. The middle Fifth Realm cultivator didn¡¯t even flinch.


    Instead, he drove the end of his halberd into her midsection and levered her into the air. A follow-up kick sent her crashing into a pile of uprooted trees, reducing the once-mighty trunks to kindling. The disdain and utter contempt were obvious on his features¡ªhe considered her a nuisance, not even worth inflicting real harm on. He considered her so far beneath him, that she wasn¡¯t even a foe worth defeating properly.


    He Yu formed Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. With aching arms, he slammed his guandao down, calling a blinding column of heavenly qi. Xin Lu brought up his double halberd, successfully weathering the attack, but his pained grunt told He Yu it had cost him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t win here, we need to escape,¡± he said as Chen Fei picked herself up for the thousandth time and made ready to throw herself at Xin Lu once again.


    A renewed assault from Xin Lu ended any further conversation. He Yu desperately fought back the larger, more powerful man. With each successive strike from the double halberd, whether he turned it away with his guandao or his techniques, he took a step closer to the edge. It was only a matter of time before he fell off.


    Chen Fei slammed a palm into Xin Lu¡¯s back. She¡¯d withdrawn her presence so she could sneak up on him¡ªa risky move as it left her defenseless. But the gamble paid off. A ring of silver formation characters blazed around Xin Lu¡¯s feet. He Yu pulled himself back as Chen Fei¡¯s barrier activated, barely escaping her trap.


    With her armor gone and having spent what must have been a massive amount of qi, she looked awful. Her hair had mostly come out of its braid, and her leather vest was ripped and stained with blood. But Xin Lu was trapped. For now.


    ¡°He¡¯ll break out before long,¡± she gasped.


    They went west. It was the opposite direction to where Shulin and its meager population of mortals lay. Not to mention He Yu¡¯s father. If they would find refuge, He Yu couldn¡¯t have said.


    They each took a pill as they ran. The first restorative either of them had used since the fight began a day ago. As they headed towards the setting sun, Chen Fei turned to He Yu.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it alone,¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m not abandoning you.¡±


    Before he had the chance to respond, an explosion of heaven and flame lit the horizon behind them. He Yu grimaced. ¡°You may not have a choice,¡± he said.


    Xin Lu was free already.

 5.9 - Fist of the Heavens

    He Yu¡¯s guandao fell into his hands once more. ¡°Go,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said, cutting her off. ¡°You¡¯re not abandoning me.¡± He turned to Chen Fei and forced a smile. ¡°Xin Lu is after me. If you go and hide yourself, he won¡¯t come after you. I can catch up. I¡¯m faster than he is, I¡¯m certain. I¡¯ll hold him off for as long as I can, then I¡¯ll come find you.¡±


    Chen Fei turned in the direction they¡¯d been heading. ¡°The Shrouded Peaks are ahead. We¡¯ll meet at the old sect town.¡± Without waiting for a reply, she exploded into motion.


    They both knew where things stood. She¡¯d always been the slowest, with no proper movement technique at her disposal. Only her raw strength and endurance had allowed her to keep up with the rest of them, running at a full sprint for days on end. That was all fine when they weren¡¯t running from an angry cultivator trying to kill them.


    Turning his back to the setting sun, He Yu readied himself. As the approaching mass of lightning and flame drew ever closer, he answered by flaring his own presence. When Xin Lu arrived moments later, the combined weight of their Fifth Realm spirits brought ruin to the surrounding terrain.


    ¡°I see you face your death on your own,¡± Xin Lu said, giving He Yu the slightest of bows. He at least had some respect, it seemed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in delaying the turn of seasons, so I won¡¯t try to,¡± He Yu said. ¡°But you can still stay your own hand, Xin Lu.¡±


    The other cultivator¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Have you forgotten how you and the Li whelp humiliated my brother and I? Do you think that¡¯s an insult I would forgive?¡±


    ¡°And you thought to repay me by lording over the south, and allowing corrupt officials to exploit the common people? Allow soldiers to extract tolls from innocent travelers? Never forget, I sought to strike a deal, to make peace. You and Wang Xiaobo forced my hand. Should I be held responsible that the two of you weren¡¯t strong enough to stand against your juniors?¡±


    ¡°The strong take what they can,¡± Xin Lu said. The shadow of greed and want that had only been a mere suggestion before crept into his spirit. It wasn¡¯t a demon core¡ªHe Yu would have noticed that long ago. It was something different. He activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, hoping to discern its truth.


    Xin Lu attacked.


    With a tremendous blow, he slammed his double halberd down on He Yu. The once-black metal glowed orange under the weight of Xin Lu¡¯s techniques, and heavenly qi trailed its every swing. The combined might of Xin Lu¡¯s cultivation, techniques, and treasured weapon were almost too much. Almost.


    He Yu met the attack, pouring qi into his body enforcement and guandao alike. The treasure his father had created held, and so did He Yu¡¯s strength. A burst of wind and heaven exploded from him as he met Xin Lu¡¯s attack. The ground beneath cracked. The battle was joined.


    Once again, they struggled against one another as the sun dipped below the horizon and stars wheeled overhead. This time, however, without Chen Fei¡¯s assistance, He Yu had to endure the full weight of Xin Lu¡¯s attention. And Xin Lu gave him no quarter.


    Exhausted limbs, still not fully recovered from the previous day¡¯s fight, met each blow with just a a fraction less strength than the one before. He Yu dug into every reserve of strength and power he had. He tapped his Wayborn Seed, the certainty of his cause, and his killing intent. He poured qi into his meridians as he met techniques and attacks while returning his own. Slowly, achingly, Xin Lu gained the upper hand. He Yu gave ground, if only an inch at a time.


    They fought throughout the night. Their techniques scarred the earth. Stone cracked and burst under the wrath of heaven. Every blow they delivered left ruined craters and yawning chasms beneath their feet. Countless fires ignited from Xin Lu¡¯s sparking presence, only to be extinguished by the constant rainfall from He Yu¡¯s eternal storm.


    Xin Lu appeared in front of He Yu in a burst of flame that erupted with steam. A vortex of fire reached out from his halberd. He Yu turned it away with the Spring Rain Mirror. Slipping into the space he¡¯d created for himself, He Yu drove the metal cap at Xin Lu¡¯s head. They fought as if with staffs, now. Half grappling as they vied for advantage, with Xin Lu threatening to overpower He Yu with every exchange.


    The pillars of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering showed cracks from the strain of their battle. The ache in his meridians, once dull and easily pushed aside, had grown sharp and impossible to ignore. Each exchange took more out of him than the last¡ªand it was still hours before dawn.


    If he could last through midday, he could run then. Chen Fei would have gotten enough of a head start by then. He just had to endure.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    So he endured.


    He pushed aside those tiny doubts¡ªthe fear that he wasn¡¯t enough, that he couldn¡¯t last. That Xin Lu had some secret technique he¡¯d not yet used. He Yu couldn¡¯t let that doubt worm in. Couldn¡¯t let himself question his course. This was far from the first time he¡¯d faced down someone stronger, and it would be far from the last. At the very least, he still had the one thing that had always served him well¡ªhis sheer stubborn tenacity.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± Xin Lu said, casually landing a kick that sent He Yu sprawling. ¡°You had potential. If you¡¯d just kept to your place, none of this would have happened. Brother Xiaobo would have grown bored eventually, and you¡¯d be allowed to advance again.¡±


    He Yu pulled himself to his feet with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. Lightning exploded from him as he surged forward. His guandao gleamed with heaven and killing intent alike. Xin Lu deflected the initial charge, but He Yu spun, wrapping himself in the winds, and called down heaven. His blade bit deep into Xin Lu¡¯s thick, muscled arm. Flesh and hair singed and popped under the sparks of heaven.


    ¡°No,¡± He Yu said. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯ve spent too much time enduring the mercy of your type. Maybe you, Xin Lu, once had something approaching honor. But not Wang Xiaobo.¡±


    Xin Lu¡¯s fist slammed into the side of He Yu¡¯s head. It was only instinct that allowed him to pull himself away from the burning, lightning-charged follow-up from Xin Lu¡¯s halberd.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t fit to speak his name, peasant trash,¡± Xin Lu growled. ¡°I don¡¯t need to defend his lineage to one such as you, but it speaks for itself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never heard of the Wang clan before arriving at the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Since, I¡¯ve learned they¡¯re a ducal clan in the far east. What did Wang Xiaobo do to get himself sent here? Did none of the great sects near the capital want him?¡±


    Whatever the relationship was between Xin Lu and Wang Xiaobo, it was one that Xin Lu felt required him to defend Wang Xiaobo¡¯s honor. With a roar, he took the bait and launched in to a vicious, if far less controlled, flurry of attacks. The Peerless Judgment served He Yu well¡ªusing the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight he darted about, deflecting what he couldn¡¯t avoid with the Spring Rain Mirror. Once more, he slipped past Xin Lu¡¯s guard.


    Too close for a solid strike with his guandao, He Yu made a fist. Zhang Lifen¡¯s words during their training had never left him. Sometimes all he needed was simple brute force.


    He drove his fist into Xin Lu¡¯s gut, aiming at his dantian.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t under the impression he could cripple Xin Lu¡¯s cultivation¡ªnot with his own flagging strength in the face of Xin Lu¡¯s greater cultivation. But he could disrupt him.


    Cycling his cultivation base, He Yu sent a spike of heaven qi into Xin Lu¡¯s dantian. Time froze. For an instant, He Yu glimpsed something in the storm of his spirit. He¡¯d seen the promise of the vast creature at the heart of the storm. It had revealed itself during his advancement to Nascent Soul.


    The great dragon had never appeared like this before. Never when he trained. Barely even when he cultivated, and contemplated the manifestations of his Way, and the myriad Dao. Even when he glimpsed it, it had been in times of significant insight. Now, it impressed itself upon the world along with He Yu¡¯s spirit.


    Its head overlaid itself on his fist. Horns sparking, eyes blazing, and beard flowing. Its shimmering scales flowed up his arm to the shoulder. Its back ridge coursed with wind and heaven alike. And when he made contact with Xin Lu, the power of heaven exploded from his fist.


    It took everything He Yu had to keep his head in the fight. There was a tremendous insight here¡ªone that would possibly take decades to unravel and incorporate into his techniques properly. He would have to examine it later. If there was a later.


    Xin Lu roared as his cultivation base went wild. He¡¯d have an easier time bringing it under control than someone who didn¡¯t also cultivate heaven, but the foreign qi would occupy him for at least a few heartbeats. He Yu pressed the attack. With a series of sweeping strikes, he called Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade.


    Lightning poured down in columns of golden, blazing fury. Wind whipped at He Yu¡¯s robes, and rain drenched the earth. It didn¡¯t take long for Xin Lu to recover, and when he did, he answered with fury of his own. For a day and another night, they clashed. By the time dawn broke for the third time since Dong Wei had called Xin Lu, the surrounding land was unrecognizable.


    The normally lush and fertile plains east of the Shrouded Peaks had turned to a scarred and broken wasteland. Xin Lu had burned away the vegetation for miles in every direction. The scars of lightning strikes and the physical blows left pits and craters everywhere. He Yu¡¯s downpour had filled most of the craters, turning them to little more than pits of mud. It was the first time He Yu had witnessed up close the devastation cultivators could bring. He could only be grateful they were far from any settlements.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t keep going. He¡¯d reached closer to his limits than he cared to, and if he stayed, he might not escape. While he¡¯d not said as much out loud, he felt like his final words to Chen Fei carried the weight of a promise.


    As a parting shot, he called to Xin Lu, ¡°Leave me be. Whatever disgrace you think you suffered at my hands, I was simply defending myself. You can turn away from this path any time you want. Same with Wang Xiaobo.¡±


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Xin Lu half-growled. ¡°Empress Jin commands it.¡±


    If the comment had been meant to throw him off, prevent him from fleeing, it almost worked. He Yu blasted away with all the speed his aching meridians could muster. He¡¯d have plenty of time to figure out what Xin Lu had meant once he was safe.


    At least that¡¯s what he thought. Much to his surprise and dismay, Xin Lu shot after him, moving far faster than he ever had before. Was it some technique? A treasure? He Yu glanced over his shoulder. He¡¯d gotten enough of a head-start that he couldn¡¯t see if Xin Lu rode atop a treasure for certain, but he didn¡¯t think that was the case. If he slowed down, he might use the Peerless Judgment, but that would only let Xin Lu close the gap.


    He Yu grit his teeth, and poured everything he had into making his escape. He had to trust in himself and his biggest advantage¡ªspeed. Had to trust, because by now he didn¡¯t have anything else left.

 5.10 - Return to Ruin

    Carried by the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, He Yu shot toward the sunset. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering sent trailing sparks of heaven qi into the vortex of wind trailing in his wake. Xin Lu followed.


    The flat plains of the former sect lands raced by below. What were once farms, fields, and villages now gave way to spirits and bandits both. Absent the watchful eye of the Shrouded Peaks Sect, the land had become wild and lawless. Xin Lu, governor or no, had been lax in his duty, it seemed.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t allow himself to be distracted. Not now. Whatever authority over the sect¡¯s former territory, Xin Lu had been given, and for what purpose, he could find the answers later. Right now, He Yu had to escape.


    As he drew closer to the Shrouded Peaks themselves, Xin Lu fell further behind. Over the hours of his attempted escape, He Yu had learned well enough that Xin Lu could keep pace easily enough, but couldn¡¯t catch up completely. Whatever treasure or technique he had, it only gave him enough speed to keep pace in bursts.


    Not that it mattered, really. He Yu didn¡¯t have enough left. The ocean of qi at his core was all but empty, and his meridians ached with the strain of a battle that had lasted three full days. Xin Lu didn¡¯t need to be faster¡ªhe just needed to be fast enough to keep He Yu within the furthest edge of his qi sense. They both knew who would run out of qi first.


    He Yu touched down at the edge of Xu Xiang, the old sect town. He stumbled forward, carried by the momentum of his movement technique. From within his storage treasure, he summoned his guandao and used it to catch himself. To keep from pitching forward into the ruined earth. He grimaced, righted himself, and sent the weapon away once more.


    Chen Fei was at his side in an instant. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She shoved a pill at him.


    ¡°I am,¡± he said before he bit down on the pill. The medicine flooded his meridians, and his dantian lit up with the revitalizing qi. It was one of the most potent pills he¡¯d ever taken. Under any other circumstances, he¡¯d have refused it. Or at least asked her where she¡¯d gotten it from. Now? He was just grateful for the help.


    Once he¡¯d cycled the initial burst of medicine, he turned east and activated the Peerless Judgment. Xin Lu was still there, but he¡¯d stopped. Now that he was with Chen Fei again, He Yu couldn¡¯t escape. Not without abandoning her¡ªwhich he considered out of the question. Even with the medicine, he wasn¡¯t certain he had another escape left in him, anyway. That didn¡¯t seem to matter, though. Xin Lu had to know where they were. There wasn¡¯t any world where a cultivator of his advancement couldn¡¯t detect He Yu and Chen Fei both. Even with both their spirits withdrawn, Xin Lu had to know where they were.


    It was Chen Fei who gave voice to the question. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he coming?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t say,¡± He Yu said. Turning to the ruined town at his back, he swept his perception over it, aided by the Peerless Judgment. It confirmed his suspicions¡ªnobody had been here since the fall of the sect. He¡¯d noticed on his arrival that there were no signs of looting. No signs that anyone had attempted to rebuild, either. The town had been abandoned, then forgotten.


    Could it have something to do with Xin Lu¡¯s mention of Jin Xifeng? Maybe her command had included a prohibition of revisiting the sect. Given her clear hatred for Elder Cai, she may have given such an order. Either way, He Yu wouldn¡¯t question it further. They¡¯d a chance to recover and it would be foolish not to take it.


    ¡°May as well see if we can find anything here,¡± he said.


    Together, they entered the sect town proper. Or what was left of it. Even fifteen years later, evidence of Jin Xifeng¡¯s return remained. Unburied corpses of mortals and disciples alike lay among the rubble and the empty streets. Stripped to the bone by scavenging beasts, it was only by the tattered remains of the clothing¡ªhalf rotted and all ruined¡ªthat He Yu could tell them apart.


    What had once been a bustling settlement at the base of the mountain was now little more than the charred remains of shops and homes. The unpaved streets were a mess of hardened mud and the scars of battle still lingered; nobody remained to repair the damage. Darker rust-colored stains marked where bodies had fallen, only to later be dragged away by scavengers.


    An uncomfortable silence hung over the town as He Yu and Chen Fei poked through the abandoned town. Only a collection of mundane objects remained in the rotting, half-collapsed buildings. With the eternal mists of the Shrouded Peaks themselves and the frequent rains, the once-sturdy timbers had gone soft in the absence of regular upkeep of the former residents.


    The town itself had never been much of a stop for the disciples¡ªat least not for anything related to cultivation. The few trinkets that remained were of little interest to either He Yu or Chen Fei, neither of them much needing or wanting the sort of self aggrandizing vanities that made up the bulk of the sect town¡¯s trade.


    While they searched, Xin Lu remained. Far enough away that they had to use techniques and actually search to sense him, but more than close enough that he¡¯d soon catch up should they try to run. He Yu and Chen Fei both came to a similar conclusion as their meanderings through the town brought them to the foot of the path leading up the mountain.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Think we¡¯ll find anything?¡± she asked as they both stood beneath the remains of the formation gate that once marked the trial for newly arrived disciples.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t hurt to look,¡± He Yu said. Then he looked in the direction where Xin Lu still waited. ¡°It might also give us a chance to lose him. If he¡¯s not coming to the town, I doubt he¡¯ll follow us up the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Worth a try.¡± Chen Fei set her feet upon the path and climbed.


    It was a stark difference from when they¡¯d first made this climb together. They¡¯d been eager and wholly ignorant of the path fate had laid before them. They hadn¡¯t even known the path itself was trial¡ªmeant to weed out disciples who hadn¡¯t the tenacity to push through fairly harmless spirits, and keep climbing despite the impending danger. A trial meant to teach what it meant to walk the world of cultivation.


    They¡¯d not even made it halfway up the mountain when the mist spirits attacked.


    They burst from the mist, appearing from nothing. The spirits lunged at He Yu and Chen Fei both, with dark, half-solid claws. The first one threw itself into Chen Fei¡¯s formation barrier. Silver characters blinked into a shimmering circle, then collapsed in on themselves. The spirit popped like a bubble. She didn¡¯t even spare it a look. He Yu grabbed the first spirit that came within reach, catching it by the throat. A brief surge of heaven qi and the mist creature faded away like so much smoke. As they continued their climb, the attacks only increased.


    ¡°Why are they attacking?¡± Chen Fei asked when they were about halfway up the mountain. ¡°Except for when they were under Jin Xifeng¡¯s control, they¡¯d always run from anyone past Foundation.¡±


    He Yu had been wondering the same thing himself. Through the insight of the Peerless Judgment, it seemed that some of Jin Xifeng¡¯s influence yet remained¡ªit was faint, but even after fifteen years, it was still there. ¡°It¡¯s Jin Xifeng,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sense anything with my perception,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°She¡¯s not still close, is she?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± That much was obvious to him, but it wasn¡¯t the thing that was most pressing¡ªwhy could he sense her lingering effects, but Chen Fei couldn¡¯t? Somehow, his cultivation art had always been connected to Jin Xifeng. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace had been key in sealing her, but it went deeper than that, somehow. In ways He Yu didn¡¯t understand. In ways that could likely have only been explained by Elder Cai.


    They continued their ascent, harried by mist spirits the whole way. As they climbed higher, the attacks lessened. The spirits, while still unusually aggressive, weren¡¯t mindless. Whatever lingering influence of Jin Xifeng¡¯s remained, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to drive them to the frenzy they¡¯d reached during the massive attack on the sect. By the time they reached the entrance to the sect proper, the attacks had all but stopped.


    Arriving at the once proud gate to the Shrouded Peaks Sect, they both stopped and stood together in silence. This was the first time either of them had returned to the sect since fleeing Jin Xifeng. Now, seeing the very same formation gate that had once been the first glimpse of his life as a cultivator stirred an uncomfortable mix of emotion in He Yu. How could something that had once seemed so indomitable now lie in ruin?


    The frame still stood. One gate hung from a single valiant iron hinge, while the other lay shattered in the courtyard beyond. The wall had half a dozen breaches that He Yu could see¡ªplaces where the Sunset Court had attacked and broken through the outer sect defenses. Beyond lay the gardens and plazas and terraces of the sect proper. The manual pavilion where he¡¯d gotten his first real cultivation technique on Zhang Lifen¡¯s advice. The house where he¡¯d first met Li Heng.


    Chen Fei bumped his shoulder. ¡°You still want to go in?¡± she asked.


    He¡¯d never been good at hiding his emotions from people. Not in the way he was expected to, or in the way so many cultivators always did. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said. ¡°I just hadn¡¯t really thought about all this since we left.¡±


    They crossed the threshold together.


    The outer sect beyond was much as He Yu had feared it would be. Pavilions lay in pieces. The outer sect assignment hall had burned down, now only a pile of charred wood and scorched brick. The gardens were all tangled with weeds and overgrowth¡ªthe manicured beauty he¡¯d taken for granted in his time here vanished under the relentless march of the natural world, always quick to reclaim whatever it could.


    Evidence of looting was everywhere. Broken chests and vases littered the entries of what buildings still stood. The remains of the manual pavilion sat amid a sea of cracked jade slips and rain-washed bamboo scrolls. A broken pill furnace lay in pieces near the old medicine hall.


    And everywhere were the bodies. Most were outer disciples, marked by their nondescript gray robes. Expression twisted into the pain of their last moments, eyes staring at nothing in the blank, misty sky. Others could only be members of the court. A few were twisted, with limbs blackened or features made demonic. Victims of demon cores, no doubt¡ªtheir cultivation now returned to Jin Xifeng, as it had always been destined to.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t leave anything,¡± Chen Fei said.


    Given what they¡¯d both seen from Jin Xifeng¡¯s presence, and the overwhelming sense of want that clung to her like a gown, it wasn¡¯t a surprise. A cultivator of her level would be as bound to her Way as He Yu was becoming to his¡ªshe would have picked the sect clean, taking any treasures she desired for herself.


    Any disciples that had escaped would have doubtless done the same. The way that simply being near Jin Xifeng inflamed one¡¯s desires would have seen to that, if common sense hadn¡¯t done so first. Any members of the Sunset Court would have likewise long since picked over whatever Jin Xifeng left, deeming it beneath her.


    There would be nothing of value left here, but something pushed He Yu to look, regardless. They poked through the ruins and gradually made their way toward the inner sect. When they first approached the lower mountains of the inner sect, He Yu felt the ghost of a presence so dim he thought at first he¡¯d imagined it. He looked again, this time with the Peerless Judgment. He saw it clearly, if only faintly. A faded impression, barely enough to identify, rose in his spiritual sight.


    An alabaster pillar, carved with a face looking to the four directions and crackling with sparks of heaven. First Elder Cai Weizhe.

 5.11 - Echoes

    ¡°How can he still live?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Is it really him?¡± Chen Fei shot him an uncertain look.


    ¡°You feel it, too, then.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s faint, but yes. But how?¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t say. With his own eyes he¡¯d seen the pillar shatter, seen it crumble. He¡¯d stood beneath Jin Xifeng¡¯s furious red sun as the light of heaven faded. As the radiance was consumed. Could this be some trap? One last blow to anyone who returned to the sect, looking for treasure or hoping to find survivors?


    It seemed unlikely. The feeling was faint. More like a memory than the towering presence He Yu had felt in those times he¡¯s brushed his perception against Elder Cai¡¯s spirit. Whatever the truth, there was only one way to find out.


    ¡°We should at least investigate,¡± he said.


    As he resumed the march up the cracked stair leading to the inner sect, Chen Fei followed. ¡°It will be dangerous,¡± she said. ¡°Whatever is creating that presence is fighting something.¡±


    He Yu focused his qi sense and saw she was right. As distant as the source was, he clearly felt techniques activating. The sparking heaven and the blinding radiance Elder Cai had brought to bear against Jin Xifeng were all there¡ªif only faintly. He called his guandao to his grip.


    They reached the top of the stair and passed through the formation gate that marked the outer boundary of the inner sect¡¯s lowest mountain. The scene here was worse than on the lower mountains. Rubble littered the plaza, pits and craters scarred the flagstones, and collapsed pavilions rimmed the space like fallen sentinels. An inauspicious sensation hung in the air. Not a result of Jin Xifeng¡¯s lingering influence, which was even more concentrated here than on the lower peaks, but something just as sinister. The stench of rot drifted through the silent, empty plaza.


    Off to one side, at the foot of a path that He Yu remembered once led to a tea garden, something moved. Chen Fei noticed it at the same time as he did. They both fell into ready stances, heaven and metal qi exploding out from them both as they prepared for what could only be an attack.


    What He Yu expected, he couldn¡¯t have said. What he saw was beyond his worst fears.


    With jerking, spasm-like movements, a corpse emerged from behind a heap of collapsed timber and roof tiles. It gave off a presence that contained only death and decay. Although its robes were torn, decayed, and covered in blood, they¡¯d once been fine. Its rotted skin dripped off its face like melted wax, but the dull red gleam in its eyes fixed upon He Yu and Chen Fei.


    It raised a hand, and a whip-like tongue of fire lashed out, sending a shower of embers over the ruined plaza. The technique had an aspect of what He Yu could only call decay to it, an aspect unlike anything he¡¯d ever encountered before. It felt like death, but not in the same way that killing intent did.


    Killing intent held the promise of death. The potential, the threat. This was like death had already come and gone, leaving only the cold silence of its passing. It was a dark emptiness that left a profound discomfort lingering on He Yu¡¯s spirit.


    The Spring Rain Mirror flashed into place and turned aside the fire whip. Chen Fei crossed the plaza in an explosion of strength and power. A silver ring of formation characters flashed around her fist, and the walking corpse exploded. She did her best to hide her disgust as He Yu approached.


    ¡°There will be more of them, won¡¯t there?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nobody buried them,¡± she said, shifting her attention to the collapsed buildings and lengthening shadows past He Yu.


    He didn¡¯t blame her for being nervous. How many had died here, he couldn¡¯t have said. Hundreds. Maybe even thousands. As quick as that last exchange had been, it would serve as a beacon. If He Yu¡¯s instincts were right, the red gleam in the corpse¡¯s eyes meant they were somehow still connected to Jin Xifeng, too.


    From behind the same collapsed building as the first corpse, another shuffled into view. Then another, and another. Each of them had the same dull crimson shine in their lifeless eyes. A few had the twisting ropes of shadow He Yu had seen around King Hao and Sha Xiang. It was all he needed to see to confirm his hunch.


    With a sweep of his guandao, he sent a blade of wind and heaven rippling across the plaza. A golden arc crackling with heavenly qi sheared through a half-dozen of the walking corpses. They fell, but continued to drag themselves forward with their rotting arms, eyes fixed on He Yu and Chen Fei, their mouths opened in silent cries.


    He Yu suppressed a shudder. He¡¯d seen death, smelled the scent of rotting and burning flesh alike. He¡¯d killed with his own hand enough times that his killing intent was sharp and refined. He may have even killed some of these corpses fifteen years ago during Jin Xifeng¡¯s attack. But the sight before him was a step beyond.


    He activated Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. Half a hundred bolts of heavenly fury rained down upon the plaza. Gold and purple and blue and green, the sparking scintillating arcs of brilliance and destruction cleared the way for He Yu and Chen Fei. The shuffle of feet and the stirring of deathly not-qi was warning enough.


    ¡°We should keep moving,¡± he said.


    The corpses were slow, and individually weak, if their first encounter was to be trusted. The corpses may be weak, but they were many. Neither of them had fully recovered from their battle and subsequent flight from Xin Lu. The medicine had helped, but neither of them were at full strength. And both of them knew well the power of overwhelming numbers.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The deeper they pushed into the ruins of the inner sect, the thicker the dead grew. Thicker, and stronger. At first, the encounters were much like the first plaza. He Yu could call the fury of heaven and obliterate scores of them with barely a gesture. Chen Fei¡¯s formations were especially effective at sealing them, as they were now closer to spirits than the human cultivators they¡¯d once been. Should any of them get too close, He Yu and Chen Fei were both more than capable of handling them in direct combat. At least, at first.


    The first group they¡¯d encountered after reaching the inner sect had likely been Body Refining disciples in life. The lower-ranked disciples had been rallied in the final hours of the battle to guard against the Sunset Court¡¯s incursion to the lower inner sect. They would have died by the hundreds there, as the frenzy took hold and they turned on one another even as they fell at the hands of Jin Xifeng¡¯s true servants.


    By contrast, the corpses seemed to be roughly equal to Foundation stage cultivators. Maybe low Third Realm for the stronger ones. Whatever their true strength was, it was clearly weaker than it had been in life. Nothing they couldn¡¯t handle. As they pushed further into the inner sect and made their way to the ever higher mountains, all that changed.


    At first, the corpses just became more durable. Only a little, but a little was something to be concerned about. He Yu first noticed when several of them remained on their feet after he unleashed a technique on them. He hoped it would be a fluke, but that hope proved itself short-lived. Soon, most of the corpses they encountered were strong enough to be considered fully in the Fourth Realm. Both in terms of how tough they were to defeat, and in the strength of their techniques.


    He Yu slammed a fist into a corpse that had pushed inside his guard. Heaven qi spiked through his opponent, burning it to ash as, once again, the shadow of the dragon wrapped itself around his arm. He longed to examine what this was, but as it manifested more frequently, his suspicions drew together into a solid guess. It would take time in cultivation to sift through his insights and be certain, though.


    ¡°Are we getting any closer?¡± Chen Fei asked. Gore spattered her clothes and bearskin mantle. She¡¯d long since taken to partially activating her Titan Panoply, protecting her hands and forearms with a solid layer of metal and mountain aspected qi.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell,¡± He Yu admitted. With a quick activation of the Peerless Judgment, he double checked before he continued. ¡°The presence is faint, and the further we get, the more it seems to be coming from all around us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d felt the same thing,¡± she said. A corpse lunged for her. She grabbed it in one, qi-enforced hand. Silver light flared around her wrist before the corpse crumbled to dust in her grip. ¡°Should we keep going?¡±


    It was a tough call. The longer they stayed, the greater the risk they¡¯d be overwhelmed. Just because they were keeping ahead of the horde now didn¡¯t mean their fortune would last. The balance would shift against them eventually, as they ran low on qi and had to fall back on their limited stock of medicines. It was only a question of how long that would take.


    But if Elder Cai somehow still lived¡ªwell, that would make it all worthwhile. Even if he was weakened, he could at least provide guidance and insight. With enough time, he could cultivate back to his full strength. Hadn¡¯t he said the whole reason he¡¯d remained at the peak of Divine Soul Apotheosis was to maintain the Dawn Palace? The formation was shattered. All the power he¡¯d needed to spend maintaining it was now his once more. He might even advance to the Ninth Realm. Surely, an expert at the Heavenly Immortal stage with Elder Cai¡¯s experience could defeat even a monster like Jin Xifeng.


    Pushing deeper carried with it tremendous risk. But He Yu couldn¡¯t see any other way to freeing the empire from Jin Xifeng¡¯s grip. As much as he wanted to face her himself, he had to be realistic. Even when he¡¯d had the help of all his friends, Jin Xifeng was so far beyond their combined strength that they would be like infants to her. She could crush them all with hardly a thought or a care. As much as his Way pushed him to the heights, to become a hero in truth, and to forge a legend to last forever, he couldn¡¯t beat her. Not as he was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said after some time. ¡°Is the risk worth it? I don¡¯t know. Will we find what we hope, or will it just be another corpse? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve felt it, too. Jin Xifeng¡¯s influence lingers here. It¡¯s not just that the dead were unburied. With nothing to feed on, corpses like this should have faded to nothing by now. The red eyes, the unnatural shadows. They died under her influence, and even though they¡¯re just empty husks, she still won¡¯t let go of them. They¡¯re still driven by wants they don¡¯t even understand anymore.¡± He Yu sent a lance of heavenly qi into an approaching group of corpses. It took two more techniques to deal with them all.


    ¡°Yu,¡± she said. He turned to her, and she banished one of her gauntlets. She reached out and briefly touched his cheek before reforming her technique. ¡°Its hard to do the right thing when you don¡¯t know what it is. Not every choice you make carries the same weight. We can leave whenever you want. I think part of becoming a legend is knowing that whatever you choose, it was the best one you could have made at the time. I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way.¡±


    It was an echo of so many talks they¡¯d had over the years. Either sitting together against the wall of her immortal¡¯s cave looking out over the expanse of winking stars and glittering snowcapped mountains, or within the sparking and crackling depths of the Thunder God¡¯s Shrine, surrounded by the storm contained within. Even now it was tough to admit the wound still ran deep. Watching Li Heng, Yan Shirong, and Tan Xiaoling turn and walk away.


    He understood¡ªhe truly did. They had their duty. To their station and their family and clan. Something He Yu and Chen Fei alike were unmoored from. A burden neither of them had to bear.


    But it still felt like a betrayal.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep looking,¡± he said. It would be the same if he left Elder Cai. At least it would be to He Yu.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll turn back if it gets too dangerous.¡±


    They pushed ever deeper and ever higher. Every step of the way, they were dogged by more shambling corpses than the step before. The sight of disciples overwhelmed by the endless tide of spirits and beasts lurked at the edges of He Yu¡¯s memory. Fighting his way through a battle of chaos to find his friends before they fell. All the while, they were attacked. All the while, Jin Xifeng¡¯s lingering influence grew stronger. It wasn¡¯t hard to see why Xin Lu had left them. This place was cursed.


    When they finally reached the source of the fading presence, He Yu¡¯s heart sank. It certainly looked like Elder Cai¡ªbut centuries aged. When he moved, he briefly faded from sight, a sleeve or a hand vanishing, only to reappear as he connected a strike or activated a technique. His spirit felt diffuse and weak, even here. He may have been the equivalent of an early Nascent Soul at best. More likely, a peak Golden Core, judging just by the power of his techniques.


    The worst part¡ªhe was locked in battle with a half-dozen spirits. He Yu remembered them. Their distended bellies and dislocated jaws. Tongues that hung to their stomach, and long spindly arms ending in twisted clawed hands. It was clear to see this wasn¡¯t a battle Elder Cai could win.


    He Yu unleashed his presence. The hunger spirits turned to him as one. He shot forward, and heaven¡¯s fury followed.

 5.12 - A Fading Light

    He Yu and Chen Fei crashed into the fight as one. A rolling thunderhead and an unstoppable avalanche. Lightning cracked and sparked while formations shone. A swipe from one of the spirit¡¯s claws glanced off the Spring Rain Mirror. He Yu opened a gash across the spirit¡¯s swollen belly. Maggots and rotten meat spilled out as it howled in fury and pain.


    ¡°Stupid children!¡± Elder Cai shouted. He held out one palm before him. A beam of radiant light and jagged heaven qi poured forth. ¡°Run while you still have the chance.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t answer¡ªnot with words. He swept his guandao before him, and heaven opened. Next to him, Chen Fei¡¯s presence crashed over the spirit she¡¯d set her sights on. Each punch and kick she launched at the abomination was enough to shatter stone.


    The spirit¡¯s flesh fared poorly.


    The renewed clash of presences wasn¡¯t without consequences. From all around, a horde of the shambling corpses¡ªmost easily equal to Fourth Realm cultivators¡ªshuffled inexorably towards the powerful confluence of qi. The first opportunity for feeding they¡¯d had in over a decade. Although his dantian was dangerously empty, the ocean of qi at his center nearly dry, He Yu pushed everything he had into his Nascent Soul level presence.


    A storm broke over the ruined terrace courtyard they now occupied. Winds howled as they wrapped He Yu in their violent embrace. Lightning of every color imaginable lit the sky and ripped chunks of stone from the ground. Dark clouds covered the sky and a torrent of rain drowned the land. In the heart of the storm, a dragon stirred. The world trembled.


    Looping sweeps of a blade forged by his own father carved through the spirit before him. Crackling trails of lighting cut arcs through spiritual flesh and the very air itself, sending miniature thunderclaps echoing across the plaza. A mirror of water qi flashed into being and turned away black and hungry claws. Winds lifted him and deposited him right where he needed to be¡ªwhere he could rain judgment and death upon the hungry ghosts who sought to devour his martial grandfather.


    With each swing of his blade, his Wayborn Seed sang. His killing intent pressed down on the world. Some of the weaker spirits or corpses would rupture or separate before he¡¯d even landed his blow. Through it all, he moved in accordance with his Way. He moved with the Eternal Dao.


    Elder Cai ceased his protest. Instead, he focused on the battle at hand. The alabaster pillar that had once seemed so mighty, so eternal, showed cracks and missing pieces. The faces bore marks like wounds or scars. Still, it contained power. Four pairs of eyes opened, and their gaze brought destruction. The walking corpses fared the worst under the combined power of the stark light of radiance and the judgment of heaven itself.


    With his own formation of Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade, Elder Cai called down lighting from the storm of He Yu¡¯s spirit. His defensive formations resembled the Spring Rain Mirror. They were faster and more practiced, calling as many as a dozen discs at once. They were more like Yi Xiurong¡¯s golden discs than He Yu¡¯s technique.


    Those attacks Elder Cai didn¡¯t deflect simply missed him as his mastery of the Peerless Judgment allowed him to avoid strikes before they happened. Weakened as Cai Weizhe may have been, he was still an expert over a thousand years old. He¡¯d still achieved the peak of the Eighth Realm. He was still a force of destruction and power made flesh.


    Chen Fei summoned the Titan Panoply. With her activation of the White Mountain Body Art, she grew to a height of over ten feet. She waded in to the fray, scattering the hungry spirits and ravenous corpses like grains of rice spilled before the wind. Even with her nearly doubled size and bulk, and with the massive suit of spiritual armor that encased her from head to toe, her powerful bursts of speed were no less incredible. She slammed into one foe, a formation enhanced punch turning it to dust. An instant later, she was two dozen feet away, the impact of her fist echoing off the mountains and flagstones alike.


    Each of her steps cracked the earth. Each of her punches sent shockwaves ripping outward. She was immovable and unstoppable. For every new foe that got within reach, she simply drew more upon the Eternal Mountain Root, pulling strength from the very ground upon which she stood.


    Despite their diminished cores, despite their aching dantians, and despite Elder Cai¡¯s rapidly fading presence, the battle turned. Bit by bit, the momentum swung in their favor. The hungry spirits with their distended bellies and lolling tongues were of the Fourth and Fifth Realm. He Yu dealt with most of them, as Chen Fei¡¯s Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols art was particularly well-suited to banishing the walking corpses of their former sect siblings.


    Elder Cai helped where he could, raining down lightning and radiance both as he swept his alabaster sight over the battle. It was worrying, though, the way his spirit flickered and dimmed. His spirit was fainter and more diffuse now than when He Yu had first sensed him. As if this battle was taking the last of his cultivation after all this time. He Yu pushed the thought aside. By whatever stroke of fortune, or secret technique that Elder Cai had survived Jin Xifeng¡¯s attack, surely he could weather this.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The fight wore on, until finally, He Yu slammed his guandao down on one of the hungry spirits. He turned, expecting to find yet another foe, but met only silence. Chen Fei had returned to her normal size, and the Titan Panoply was gone. Fatigue lined her features, but her eyes shone with triumph. Elder Cai sat down on the shattered remains of a nearby boulder. To He Yu¡¯s dismay, his spirit felt no stronger than a mid Third Realm.


    With no foes yet remaining, He Yu send his guandao back to his storage treasure. Fatigue crashed over him as he released the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and finally, fully, felt the ache in his limbs and the countless wounds he¡¯d taken. He¡¯d lost track of how many days he¡¯d been fighting for. He supposed it didn¡¯t exactly matter¡ªthere were more than enough days left in his future. Especially now that they¡¯d found Elder Cai.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come here,¡± Elder Cai said as they approached. ¡°You¡¯re too late, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°And why are you so weak? I have pills, if you need them. Once you¡¯ve recovered, we can rebuild the sect and challenge Jin Xifeng.¡±


    ¡°Foolish child,¡± Elder Cai said. He leaned back and stared up at the sky. He sighed, long and heavy, then he said, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose it can be helped. You were still only at Golden Core when you left. Even now, you wouldn¡¯t comprehend what happened when Zhou Shanyuan and I failed to stand against Jin Xifeng.¡±


    ¡°But you lived¡ª¡± He Yu began.


    ¡°I did not. Cai Weizhe is dead. You speak to his Nascent Soul, although I suppose that now I am all that¡¯s left of what we once were. In our last moments, I used a technique to create a clone. I trust you remember our first meeting. With that technique, I tricked Jin Xifeng into believing she¡¯d destroyed me¡ªmy Nascent Soul. Into believing that she¡¯d fully, and finally, earned her ultimate victory.


    ¡°But Jin Xifeng is nearly as vengeful as she is covetous. Despite thinking she¡¯d destroyed me fully, she placed a curse on the sect with a fragment of her own spirit. She created a formation to bind the wandering spirits here. Once she and her followers had taken what they wanted from the ruin, they left. But I remained, along with the restless dead.¡±


    ¡°Are we?¡± Chen Fei didn¡¯t need to finish her question. There wasn¡¯t any other one she could have asked.


    Elder Cai waved her off. ¡°The formation traps spirits, not humans. Escape should be possible for you both. A budding formation master like yourself might even disrupt it enough for spirits to pass through, given enough time.¡±


    ¡°So we can get you out,¡± He Yu said. ¡°You¡¯re Elder Cai¡¯s Nascent Soul? Then we can help you  reincarnate. You can help us defeat Jin Xifeng.¡±


    ¡°My time is done.¡±


    The finality of that statement slammed down the gate on He Yu¡¯s last, fading hopes. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I have been fighting for fifteen years. I have never stopped. Not since Jin Xifeng placed her seal on this place and left it for the cursed ruin you now see. That anything of me still remains must be the will of fate,¡± he said as he looked from He Yu to Chen Fei.


    He Yu was too dumbfounded to speak. This wasn¡¯t how things happened. Even though he¡¯d done his best to erase any records, Cai Weizhe was as much a legend as someone like Tan Zihao. Legends didn¡¯t simply fade away. Not like this.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    ¡°Leave. Jin Xifeng won. Even if you could match her in advancement, you saw what happened at the sect. No one cultivator can best her. She draws strength from the multitude of her servants¡ªshe cannot fall by a single expert¡¯s hand alone.¡±


    Something in He Yu stirred at that. His Wayborn Seed twisted in his spirit, and his very nature, too, rebelled. ¡°We can¡¯t simply give up,¡± he said.


    Elder Cai looked up from where he sat. With each passing moment he looked less the strong, middle-aged man that He Yu remembered, and more the wizened elder. With each passing moment, the weight of his spirit grew lighter. ¡°I had wondered once whether you would make anything of yourself. You¡¯ve come far, but not nearly far enough. Tell me, do you wish to continue?¡±


    ¡°I will follow my Way to its end.¡±


    ¡°Then you will need allies. As I said, no single expert can hope to stand against Jin Xifeng, let alone defeat her. You are far too weak as you are now. A mere Fifth Realm is like dust before her.¡± Elder Cai held out his hand. ¡°If you still have it, give me your jade slip. The one that holds the secrets of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace.¡±


    He Yu produced the jade slip from his storage treasure. The string binding it together was frayed. Many of the characters etched onto the jade had worn so far down they were barely legible. A few of the pieces showed cracks. It hardly looked like the repository of an ancient and powerful cultivation art that it was.


    Elder Cai took the slip. ¡°Whether you make something of yourself¡ªmake yourself into what you¡¯ll need to be¡ªis up to you. I can bestow only this.¡± Elder Cai¡¯s spirit flared, and for an instant he became as He Yu remembered him. Ancient and powerful, a graven alabaster pillar towering to heaven. ¡°Remember what I said. You cannot do this alone. Seek allies.¡±


    Heaven qi flared. He Yu collapsed under the weight of a peak cultivator of the Eighth Realm. Blood poured from his nose. Next to him, Chen Fei groaned. Here he was, only an arm¡¯s length away from the full power of a Divine Soul Apotheosis level spirit. He cycled his cultivation base and poured everything he had into resisting the overwhelming spiritual weight of his martial grandfather.


    The presence vanished. The jade slip fell to the ruined flagstones with a soft clink. He Yu pushed himself to his hands and knees, afraid of what he knew he would find.


    Elder Cai was gone. On the stones where he¡¯d once sat, only He Yu¡¯s cultivation manual remained. The string now mended, the characters clear, and the weathered old jade shining like it had just been carved. When He Yu looked deep into its faintly shimmering surface, he saw the distant flicker of heaven within.


    Chen Fei joined him, twining her fingers through his. ¡°What now?¡± she asked.


    He Yu remained silent for a long time. Eventually, he said, ¡°We find allies.¡±

 5.13 - Seeking Allies

    They spent some time picking through the ruins of the inner sect. Still, they were attacked, and by defending themselves, He Yu and Chen Fei drew attention to themselves. But with the beacon of Elder Cai¡¯s Nascent Soul now absent, the parade of walking corpses turned from a steady stream to a mere trickle.


    Much as He Yu anticipated, the inner sect had been picked clean. Someone like Jin Xifeng, whose very nature demanded she take all that she could, wouldn¡¯t willingly leave any of the sect¡¯s treasures. They looked regardless, combing over the collapsed pavilions, the torn up gardens, and the shattered homes of former disciples. Even after it became obvious they¡¯d find nothing of value, He Yu still searched.


    Or at least went through the motions. The absent poking through remains of the Shrouded Peaks Sect was a welcome exercise. A chance to occupy some part of his mind, and let the rest focus on the task that loomed over his future. Seeking allies.


    The southwest of the empire, having mostly been administered by the sect, was populated by minor clans at best. If he could find allies among them, they wouldn¡¯t be at the level he¡¯d need. Besides, they¡¯d likely turn their noses up at him, anyway. He was a rogue cultivator now, wandering the land without family, sect, or status. Without any connections, they¡¯d have nothing to do with him.


    If the old system of rank remained in place, he was eligible to be made into a noble. That would solve a good number of his problems. Except he¡¯d need to petition Jin Xifeng herself to receive his rank. Given that she¡¯d placed Xin Lu over Shulin specifically so he could keep watch for He Yu, he figured approaching her would be akin to suicide. Even if it weren¡¯t, the thought of kowtowing to someone like her turned his stomach. It would be so against everything he¡¯d forged his Way into, it might even damage his cultivation. Certainly his ability to advance.


    No. What he needed was to seek others like himself. Those with power who still held a commitment to the ideals of justice. Who would rise up and stand against Jin Xifeng. But where could he find such experts?


    Cai Weizhe and Zhou Shanyuan were both dead. Given their mission as the leaders of the Shrouded Peaks Sect, they¡¯d surely have helped even a lowly Fifth Realm such as He Yu. Then again, if they¡¯d been capable of defeating her on their own, the sect wouldn¡¯t have fallen in the first place. The stories of his youth were from hundreds or thousands of years ago. He wasn¡¯t certain if any of those legends still lived, and if they did, where would he begin to look?


    As he picked through the ruins with Chen Fei, he turned over his options. Then discarded them one by one. The more he thought, the more the possibilities closed off. A part of him wanted to reject what Elder Cai had said. Reject the idea that Jin Xifeng couldn¡¯t be defeated by a single expert. Surely, if he grew strong enough, he could do it.


    With each answer less practical than the last, despair crept up on him. The only times where he wasn¡¯t clinging on to a rapidly fading hope were those times when the walking corpses finally caught up with them. Throwing himself into a fight provided a certainty he couldn¡¯t find in any of his other circumstances. If a spirit came to tear out his throat, there was really only one thing to do. So he threw himself into those brief moments of focus and purpose with everything he had.


    Over the course of the night, He Yu and Chen Fei made their way toward the northernmost peaks of the sect ruins. Through tacit agreement, they avoided the outer sect and the path back to the sect town. It wasn¡¯t certain that Xin Lu would still be waiting for them, but there was little point in risking it. Heading north through the mountains before making their way back down to the lowlands wouldn¡¯t really cost them any time. A mountain range was an insignificant barrier to cultivators of their advancement.


    By dawn they¡¯d left the sect ruins, and by late afternoon had reached the plains that lay east of the Shrouded Peaks. They followed a road north as it hugged the edge of the foothills, and they marked the boundary between the cultivated rice paddies and the untamed forest. As night fell, Chen Fei found a suitable spot among the cedar to make camp.


    He Yu wanted to keep moving, away from the sect ruins. But he saw the wisdom. They¡¯d both been pushing themselves for too long. A stop to cultivate now would let them move through the next day, cultivating as they traveled, and restoring their near-empty reserves. If they ran into any real trouble, neither of them was in any shape to deal with it.


    As he stared into their cook fire, her voice jerked him from his thoughts. He blinked, looked at her, then said, ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    ¡°I noticed. You¡¯ve been quiet since we left the sect.¡±


    ¡°Where can we find allies? Who can help us?¡± The floodgates opened. All the thoughts he¡¯d been wrestling with since their last talk with Elder Cai poured out. All the discarded plans. All the hopes and doubts. As he spoke, Chen Fei listened.


    When he finally reached the end of it all and his shoulders finally slumped forward, she spoke. ¡°What about Li Heng?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    He swallowed down a bitter taste at the question. For fifteen years, he¡¯d thought about Li Heng and the others as little as he could. He¡¯d deliberately not considered him an option. Or the others.


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t want to?¡± It was the fear that hung over the prospect of asking any of them. A specter born of the lingering sense of abandonment at their departure.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he?¡± She asked with a pointed frankness that told him the question was more for his sake than for hers.


    ¡°He left once. So did the others.¡±


    ¡°And before he did, he said you¡¯d always be welcome.¡±


    Of course, she was right. Li Heng had said that. He Yu hadn¡¯t forgotten. Somehow, that invitation had made it worse in a way. Made the whole time he¡¯d been on the mountain seem like it was his fault. Or that Li Heng hadn¡¯t meant it because he hadn¡¯t come to seek out He Yu in that time. Or something.


    Chen Fei scooted over to him. ¡°I get it, I think. Sure, he said you can come, but did he mean it? You can¡¯t really know until you try, but the possibility is worse than the promise. But your father didn¡¯t send you away, did he? He took you in and helped, even when he knew you¡¯d be in danger if you stayed in Shulin.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s my dad.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Li Heng always call you ¡®brother?¡¯ Didn¡¯t he say the reason he left was to do the very thing you want his help with? There¡¯s no harm in trying. If he says no, yeah, it¡¯ll hurt, but it might be better to know than not.¡±


    He Yu stayed quiet for a long time after that, staring into the flames. At his side, Chen Fei remained a silent, comforting presence. She was right. It would be better to know. And Li Heng had said he¡¯d be welcome. At the very least, he¡¯d see his friend again. If Li Heng couldn¡¯t help, at least He Yu wouldn¡¯t have to wonder anymore. It wouldn¡¯t help with their search for allies, but it would take a weight off his mind.


    ¡°We should get Yan Shirong first,¡± she said once he started perking up.


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°His family¡¯s holdings are on the way, and we might be learn something. He¡¯s probably been working for the Ministry all this time. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s collected his share of secrets.¡±


    She made a good point. Yan Shirong¡¯s Wayborn Seed had formed when he¡¯d discovered the secret of Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu¡¯s sabotage back at the sect. Collecting secrets probably formed some core part of his Way. If they could convince him to come, he could help in their search for potential allies.


    Now that He Yu thought about it, Yan Shirong was probably the most likely to join them. He¡¯d jump at the promise of riches, and they¡¯d need a tremendous amount of advancement resources. Climbing the reams of cultivation wasn¡¯t cheap, after all. With Yan Shirong on their side, it might even be easier to convince Li Heng.


    There was also his access to the Ministry of Information. As much as it pained He Yu to admit it, he¡¯d always been fairly ignorant of the wider world during his time at the sect. Spending the past fifteen years in seclusion hadn¡¯t helped that. All he really knew was that Jin Xifeng now ruled the empire, renaming it after herself. Beyond that, he¡¯d really no idea what transpired in the Twilight Empire. For all he knew, there could be a civil war raging in some corner, and potential allies could abound. It was a small hope, to be sure, but he didn¡¯t have much else at the moment.


    They set out at dawn. While Chen Fei was far more traveled than He Yu was, having joined the sect from much further away, she only vaguely knew the way to Yan county. They set off on the northerly road, planning to ask for directions and gather information about the Yan where and when they could. Roads led to people, after all. They¡¯d run across a settlement of some sort, eventually.


    With at least a direction in mind, they set their feet to the road. After a quick discussion, they agreed to pose as mortals. Or at least as low realm cultivators to anyone with qi sense. It would be impossible to hide their presences fully. Neither had a very quiet spirit, after all.


    He Yu fashioned a farmer¡¯s hat for himself out of bamboo on that first day. Since his advancement to Nascent Soul, the distant flicker of heaven in his eyes had only grown more noticeable. The hat would help him hide that. At least he¡¯d packed his good robes away in his storage treasure. Most would ignore the nondescript peasant, especially if they stuck to the roads. The formation stones would be explanation enough for why a mortal could venture outside the protection of a settlement.


    Chen Fei was another matter entirely. For now, they just had to hope nobody questioned why a southern peasant was traveling with someone who looked to be a steppe nomad. At least she spoke the imperial tongue and had an imperial name. She didn¡¯t even have an accent, which would lend credibility to her very true claim that she was from the mountains north of the Western Passage. What she was doing this far south, then, was a bridge they¡¯d cross only when they had to.


    With each step taking them incrementally closer to a potential ally, He Yu¡¯s heart grew lighter. The sect was behind them in truth, now. The ruins were just that¡ªa collection of rubble and the walking dead. Elder Cai was gone, the last of his cultivation placed within He Yu¡¯s cultivation manual. What that meant, he didn¡¯t know.


    While they traveled north, he accessed the manual several times, looking for changes to the techniques it contained. There were changes, to be sure. Just not ones he could fully grasp. Aside from the revitalization of the manual itself, the techniques seemed somehow more complete. The patterns of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment were subtly different from what he¡¯d been practicing. He quickly adjusted to the new breathing and cycling from Elder Cai¡¯s changes, but couldn¡¯t determine if they were better than what he¡¯d been doing. It wasn¡¯t worse, so he kept it.


    All the other techniques had similar changes to them. Tiny adjustments that, although they didn¡¯t make the techniques worse, they didn¡¯t make them any stronger or more efficient. At least not in a way he could determine. He Yu practiced with them regardless, deciding to trust whatever it was Elder Cai had done. Especially since the real changes lay in the higher realms. The portions of the manual that remained closed to him were noticeably different. Although probing them with his qi yielded no insights, he sensed the promise of something greater than what the manual had previously contained.


    With renewed hope, and the promise of some inheritance from Cai Weizhe himself, things felt less daunting for the first time He Yu could easily remember. Yan Shirong lay ahead and to the north. And beyond, the promise of so much more. The promise of facing down Jin Xifeng herself.

 5.14 - Cause Unending

    Water qi surged and flowed around Zhang Lifen. The Tidewalker Step carried her safely out of reach of the poison wind and corrupted shadow. As she faded away from her pursuer, she drew her bow of qilin horn and black wood. An arrow of water qi condensed, completing at the instant she reached a full draw. Her bowstring thrummed, and a river surged over its banks to drench the land. The Heart Piercing Black Rain split into nine arrows, then each into nine more. Then each of those into another nine. More than seven hundred arrows loosed from a single draw, backed with all her decades of killing intent, and the cultivation of a Sixth Realm expert.


    It still wasn¡¯t enough.


    The second core user, this one only at the same advancement as Zhang Lifen¡ªearly Soul Refining¡ªstepped from an explosion of life and loam. Countless branches twisted like claws reached for her as creeper vines sprang from the newly fertile soil and tried to wrap her limbs and pin her in place.


    She tapped her Dao of Grace and slipped between spaces too small for even her perception technique to find. Another volley leaped from her bow. She hit the ground, rolled to her feet, and flowed away on the currents of her movement technique. As she created distance between herself and her target, she cycled her cultivation base and poured qi into the second stage of her bow art. The gleaming arrow that formed this time was a thousand-year flood. A white-capped violent surge of water carrying the promise of cold silent depths. She layered her killing intent into the technique, cold and sharp. Her bowstring sang once more.


    The technique found its mark at the same time Ren Huang hit the core user and the thicket of thorns and vines they¡¯d grown around themselves. Water and fire clashed in a gout of steam as wood turned to ash. Even with the unnatural power of a demon core at their disposal, the wood cultivator couldn¡¯t stand up to Ren Huang¡¯s sheer fury. With Zhang Lifen assisting? The core user didn¡¯t have a chance. Not that it mattered.


    Each swing of Ren Huang¡¯s black iron wolf-tooth club sent forth a river of flame. The core user fell back, frantically calling a never ending cascade of growth and soil to shield themselves from Ren Huang¡¯s all-consuming fury. With the user on the back foot for now, Zhang Lifen activated her movement technique. Ren Huang did the same. In a burst of water and fire, they ran.


    Several li away, a mass of poison, wind, and shadow winked out under the uncompromising glare of Yi Xiurong¡¯s spirit. Nine colorless stars lit the countryside like day. Zhang Lifen didn¡¯t need to see what that light did to the land below¡ªshe¡¯d witnessed it up close time enough. With the poison wind core user disabled for the moment, Yi Xiurong would be along shortly.


    Hopefully this time, they¡¯d escape.


    It was a bitter wound in Zhang Lifen¡¯s pride that they¡¯d been forced to flee. Again. These two core users were new to their advancement, new to the power that demon cores bestowed upon their hosts. Yes, they were strong enough to eventually master Jin Xifeng¡¯s gifts, but now they were as weak as they¡¯d ever be. Now was the time to kill them¡ªexcept that would only make things worse.


    Zhang Lifen had learned her lessons well. Better late than never, she thought with a bitter, internal laugh. She tried not to be too hard on herself. Tried not to blame herself. The sect elders had been the ones to come up with the plan. They¡¯d been the ones that had ordered Kong Huizhong¡¯s death.


    The death that had allowed Jin Xifeng to finally break free of the Dawn Palace.


    They¡¯d had access to one of those cores. They¡¯d studied it¡ªthat¡¯s how they¡¯d found Kong Huizhong. If there had been any way to know, they¡¯d have known. Still, her thoughts kept turning back to the bloody red sky. To the pillar of heaven collapsing to earth. She should have known.


    They ran. Ran from foes best defeated, but whose deaths would only fuel the monster sitting on the Twilight Throne. Jin Xifeng, self-crowned empress of her Twilight Empire, had done exactly what Zhang Lifen had expected her to. She¡¯d set about to grasping for more. More power. More wealth. Greater cultivation.


    It seemed every week there were dozens of new core users popping up in the east. Most of them succumbed, of course¡ªthe demon cores that consumed them returning to Jin Xifeng, adding their cultivation base to hers. Even though the price of failure was well known by now, there was no shortage of those willing to risk it all for a chance at more power.


    Besides, those that survived came to form the core of Jin Xifeng¡¯s base of power in the new Twilight Empire. They were lavished with wealth and advancement resources. Given the holdings of the old clans who¡¯d thought to challenge Jin Xifeng¡¯s rule in those early days. They formed the core of her elite, most loyal soldiers. Service to the empress carried risks, yes. But for many, the rewards were more than worth it.


    Yi Xiurong arrived atop her peacock feather. ¡°South,¡± was all she said.


    All three of them fled as fast as they could. No doubt Ren Huang had injured the wood cultivator enough that not even their core would allow them to follow. Yi Xiurong¡¯s ability to disrupt others¡¯ techniques had only grown with her advancement to late Soul Refining. For now, they¡¯d bought themselves a window to escape¡ªfrom foes their combined might could reliably defeat.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    It was another three days before Yi Xiurong called a stop. There had been no signs of pursuit, and they were far enough away from any settlements that the risk of another core user happening across them was minimal. A nearby fishing village¡ªabandoned and left to rot like so many other small settlements in the east¡ªserved as a place to rest and cultivate. It was an ideal spot for Zhang Lifen. The massive amount of water qi she could draw from the Eastern Sea wouldn¡¯t simply restore her¡ªit would push her even closer to reaching the middle Sixth Realm.


    ¡°We should have stayed longer and crippled them,¡± Ren Huang said as the three sat down in the mostly intact remains of an old fisher¡¯s hut. Outside, the light patter of a late spring rain began.


    Zhang Lifen opted to cultivate rather than involve herself for now. Between the rain and the steady rush of waves, this was an opportunity she wouldn¡¯t soon get again.


    ¡°Too risky,¡± Yi Xiurong said. Even with her spirit pulled in and tightly restrained, the glow that clung to her like a candle¡¯s flame made her hard to miss. Ren Huang wasn¡¯t much better. Given how loud the three of them were when fighting together, there had almost certainly been more servants of the empire on the way.


    Both positions had their merits. Zhang Lifen didn¡¯t doubt Yi Xiurong¡¯s assessment¡ªthey¡¯d been too close to the city. If they¡¯d stuck around, it was almost a guarantee they¡¯d have drawn more foes. They¡¯d long since learned the best way to deal with a core user was to cripple their cultivation. Easier said than done unless the victim was far less advanced, but it was still doable. Fight them within an inch of their life, subdue them, then shatter their dantian. Simple¡ªin theory.


    It took effort and coordination, but it was worth it. Crippling a core user¡¯s cultivation base also crippled the demon core itself. Zhang Lifen suspected that once the newly mortal core user finally died, the demon core would still return what little qi they¡¯d left to Jin Xifeng. But it was such a pitiful amount. The majority of what the core had already fed upon was lost when the host¡¯s cultivation was shattered.


    She suspected it was this practice of crippling core users, rather than killing them, that had put such a high price on each of their heads. That, and their association with the Yi clan. At least what was left of the Yi clan. Which, as far as Zhang Lifen knew, amounted to just Yi Xiurong.


    ¡°Where do we go next, then?¡± Zhang Lifen asked after the silence dragged on for a while longer than she liked.


    Ren Huang just grunted like he usually did. She couldn¡¯t really blame him. Even before Jin Xifeng had returned, out of the core disciples, he always had the fewest connections outside the sect. All Zhang Lifen really knew about his past was that he came from the northern parts of the empire, and that he¡¯d come south seeking a teacher before earning a spot in the sect nearly a hundred years ago.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much left for us here,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°With every passing year, Jin Xifeng¡¯s grip tightens over the imperial center. The only thing we¡¯ll find here are more core users.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least they¡¯ll keep funding us,¡± Zhang Lifen tried to put on an airy front as she said it, but she couldn¡¯t even fool herself. The rain was getting to her, especially now that the drizzle had turned to a full storm since they¡¯d taken shelter.


    Yi Xiurong was right. Although they¡¯d been able to fuel their cultivation with the spoils taken from their defeated foes, every fight they started this close to the capital was a bigger risk than the last. It was only a matter of time before they pushed their luck too far.


    ¡°West?¡± she asked after another stretch of silence. It was that, or south, really.


    ¡°You¡¯d go to the steppe?¡± Yi Xiurong asked. A bit of her imperial prejudice was in the words, but the character of the question suggested she¡¯d might actually consider it.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d thought perhaps we could take refuge in the Jade Kingdom. While Tan Zihao isn¡¯t exactly in open defiance of Jin Xifeng, he¡¯s not cooperating with her, either. Especially not with the succession still in question. But now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, why not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not abandoning the empire,¡± Yi Xiurong snapped. ¡°We¡¯re not abandoning our duty.¡±


    Zhang Lifen held up a placating hand. ¡°I wasn¡¯t suggesting we abandon anything,¡± she said. ¡°But we can¡¯t continue as we are. Three Soul Refining experts against the entire empire? Even before she took the throne, Jin Xifeng was beyond what all three of us could muster.¡±


    Ren Huang shot her a warning look. They¡¯d had this conversation enough times, and they still weren¡¯t any closer to resolving their differences. Yi Xiurong thought their duty was to carry on the sect¡¯s mission. To resist Jin Xifeng and seek to contain her. Zhang Lifen didn¡¯t object to it, in principle. Her position was just that they could best accomplish that by leaving the fight for later and growing stronger now.


    If there was one thing they all had an abundance of, it was time. As they were now, all within the Sixth Realm, they could live for well over a thousand years. By the standards of immortals, they were all still young, too. They could go somewhere they wouldn¡¯t be bothered, and focus on advancement. Zhang Lifen had further defined her Dao¡ªthe Dao of Grace¡ªwith her advancement to Soul Refining. Ren Huang had done the same with his Dao of Wrath. Yi Xiurong had long since defined her Dao of Radiance. They were all on the path to the Divine Body Attainment stage.


    From there, they could manifest their Daoist Minds and reach the Eighth Realm. They could do it, if they were smart. They were the best the Shrouded Peaks Sect had once produced. Yi Xiurong was right, though. They couldn¡¯t abandon their charge. They owed at least that much to the millions of souls they¡¯d failed. And to all the souls they¡¯d yet to fail.


    As the argument fell back into the same round of points and objections it always did, Zhang Lifen only half paid attention. She sat with her back to one wall, so she could look out over the ruined fishing village toward the coast, running far to the south. Hopefully, down there in the lands around the Shrouded Peaks and the great southern forest, He Yu still lived. Still struggled.


    She¡¯d grown fond of the boy in the short time she¡¯d known him. Hopefully, even without guidance and support from a mentor or a sect, he could still achieve some of the potential she¡¯d seen. The potential he¡¯d started to reach for when it had all come crashing down. If there was ever a time for a legend to rise, it was times such as these. For his sake, she hoped he was up to the task.

 5.15 - Plum Blossom City

    He Yu and Chen Fei arrived at Plum Blossom City along with fall. Posing as mortals had limited their speed, but had allowed them to see much of what had become of the lands they wandered through. What they saw left He Yu unsettled.


    To say the empire was in ruin would have been a vast overstatement, but neither was is prosperous. Bandits roamed the roads and attacked undefended settlements. The towns they passed through were governed by corrupt officials, often asking outrageous tolls simply for passing through the gates. The common people suffered, and the local nobility turned a blind eye at best. It seemed much had changed in the time they¡¯d been secluded from the larger world.


    The line to enter Plum Blossom City was the longest they¡¯d had to wait in so far. Fair, He Yu thought, as this was the largest settlement they¡¯d been to yet. The walls rose several dozen feet high, their ramparts inscribed with formation characters and patrolled by spear-wielding cultivator guards. From within, the sounds of a bustling urban center filled the air, and even at the back of the line, He Yu caught the scent of noodles, dumplings, and tea shops.


    A pair of Foundation stage guards manned the gate, collecting tolls paid in mortal coin from those passing through. After their first experience trying to enter a town, He Yu and Chen Fei had exchanged some of their low grade spirit stones for coins. They made sure to always carry some ever since. It was a pittance to them, and it just made things easier.


    Chen Fei also inscribed their clothes with hidden formations to help mask their presences. Both of them were far too advanced to easily hide themselves, especially since both of them cultivated fairly heavy aspects. The formations would only stand up to a cursory inspection, though. It was mostly to keep mortals from noticing them, and to throw off the low-realm guards they typically ran across. A true expert would sniff them out in an instant, and should either of them need to reveal their presence, the formations wouldn¡¯t do anything to hide that.


    When they finally reached the front of the line, the guard barely paid them any attention. ¡°Travel papers,¡± he intoned.


    He Yu and Chen Fei shot each other a quick glance. This was the first time either of them had been asked for any papers.


    ¡°We¡¯re simply here in search of a friend,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We can pay the toll, but we won¡¯t be in the city long.¡±


    Now they had the guard¡¯s attention. ¡°So you have no papers, then,¡± he said, standing up straighter and tugging at his armor.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never needed them before,¡± Chen Fei offered.


    The guard spit. ¡°So you¡¯re either vagrants or bandits.¡±


    By now, the mortals in line behind them had caught on to the disturbance and shuffled back a few steps. Nobody wanted to be associated with the two troublemakers trying to enter the city.


    He Yu took a deep breath. They¡¯d had to deal with guards like this several times already. Mostly Second¡ªor sometimes Third¡ªRealm cultivators who¡¯d let what little power they had go to their heads. A bribe had usually been sufficient, but something told him that wouldn¡¯t be the case this time.


    Taking a step forward, He Yu lifted his chin so the brim of his hat no longer shaded his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause trouble, but we must enter Plum Blossom City. We¡¯re meeting a friend here, then we will leave. I can pay the toll.¡±


    The guard met He Yu¡¯s flickering, heaven containing eyes, and apprehension spread across his features. ¡°My lord, why didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°You must be mistaken,¡± He Yu said quickly. ¡°I am but a simple traveler.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the guard stammered out as a handful of bronze coins clinked into his awaiting palm.


    ¡°With luck, we¡¯ll be gone by tomorrow,¡± He Yu said.


    Once they¡¯d passed through the gates, Chen Fei cast a glance back at the gate guards over her shoulder. ¡°Was that wise?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was better than making a scene.¡± If he¡¯d allowed the questioning to continue, it would have come out soon enough that they weren¡¯t mortal.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to report it,¡± she said.


    Hopefully, nothing would come of it. This was the seat of the Yan¡¯s power, and the center of the Ministry of Information in the western empire. The last thing he needed was a horde of Ministry cultivators descending upon him for entering the city illegally. If that happened, the Yan would surely involve themselves.


    ¡°Maybe it will lead us to Yan Shirong,¡± he said.


    Chen Fei gave him a light shove, but let the issue drop. She was right to be concerned, but there wasn¡¯t really anything for it.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Strange how age, cultivation, and a shift in perspective changed things. When they¡¯d first entered the sect, an encounter like that would have caused her no end of worry. He Yu wouldn¡¯t have handled the confrontation well either, but for his own different reasons.


    Putting thoughts of the gate guard behind them, the headed to the government district at the center of the city. They followed the main street north, passing noodle shops, tea houses, and other storefronts. People of all different statuses headed in and out of the buildings, and up and down the street. Neither He Yu nor Chen Fei had ever been to a city this large, and it showed.


    The more obvious of the two, Chen Fei stared at all the people passing by, the signs and the storefronts, and the sheer scale of it all. The whole experience wasn¡¯t that dissimilar to vising Xu Xiang at the foot of the sect mountains, but the scale was more than either of them were prepared for.


    He Yu had to fight down a slowly growing sense of apprehension as they made their way to the Ministry building. With this many people, it was only a matter of time before someone found them out. What then? At the other towns they¡¯d passed through, nothing was ever this busy, and they¡¯d been gone by sundown, anyway. There wasn¡¯t any telling how long they¡¯d have to stay here. If his limited experience dealing with officials from his time in the sect was any clue, it could easily take a few days, at least.


    When they arrived at the large Ministry of Information building at the center of the city, their first real problem reared its head. There were two lines¡ªone for mortals and another for cultivators. The line for mortals was considerably longer, stretching out the courtyard, down the steps, and well into the central plaza of Plum Blossom City. If they entered that line now, they¡¯d likely not be seen before the office closed for the day.


    The cultivator line was much shorter, but required them to be cultivators. He Yu didn¡¯t know how the Ministry would confirm that. Would they need to reveal their presences? That would be fine for lower realm cultivators. They wouldn¡¯t have put any mortals at risk if they had low enough cultivation. If the Shrouded Peaks Sect was still around, they likely could have presented their jade stamps. But something told He Yu that wouldn¡¯t be the best idea now, fifteen years after the sect¡¯s destruction. They¡¯d come off looking like looters at best. He couldn¡¯t begin to guess what would happen if the rumors that the sect grounds were haunted had reached this far¡ªsomething he wasn¡¯t willing to gamble on.


    In the end, his impatience won out. He headed up the stairs, past the waiting mortals, and into the building. Another cultivator was already speaking to the man behind the desk, so He Yu simply stood a respectful distance behind and waited, ignoring the mix of skeptical and envious looks he and Chen Fei drew as they passed everyone else.


    It took some time for the cultivator ahead of them to finish up. When the Ministry official behind the desk finally motioned for them to approach and look at them both expectantly, He Yu was beyond the point where he was capable of tact any more.


    ¡°I need to schedule a meeting with someone who I think works for the Ministry. Yan Shirong. He¡¯s an acquaintance of mine.¡±


    He Yu felt the presence of foreign qi faintly and briefly press down on him. The way Chen Fei shifted next to him told him she¡¯d felt it, too. The official blinked, then narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who are the two of you, exactly?¡±


    At least they knew how the Ministry verified their cultivation. But he quickly realized this presented them with a new problem¡ªthey would both appear in official ledgers after this. If Xin Lu tried to use the Ministry to find them, he¡¯d know exactly where to look. He Yu wasn¡¯t certain if Xin Lu had any ties with the Ministry to speak of, or how closely they worked with Jin Xifeng. That the Ministry still stood, and the Yan still controlled Plumb Blossom City, he guessed the answer was ¡°closely.¡±


    ¡°Acquaintances of Yan Shirong,¡± Chen Fei cut in when it grew obvious that He Yu wasn¡¯t answering quickly enough. ¡°We¡¯re just passing through, and thought we¡¯d pay a visit. We don¡¯t know if he¡¯s in the city, or if he¡¯s even with the Ministry at this point. Coming here seemed like a better option than visiting the Yan estates.¡±


    ¡°Well, you were right to come here,¡± the official said, marking something down on a sheaf of paper conveniently out of sight. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re contacted once we¡¯ve made the arrangements. Next!¡± There was no ¡°next¡± in line behind them, but He Yu knew a dismissal when he heard one.


    As they left the Ministry offices, Chen Fei said what He Yu was thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t think that was the best idea.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been. Between the guard at the gate and the obvious perception technique at the Ministry, they¡¯d called more attention to themselves than he¡¯d have liked. That didn¡¯t even touch on the fact the official hadn¡¯t bothered to ask where to find them. Or followed up on their request to meet with Yan Shirong.


    ¡°What now?¡± Chen Fei asked once they¡¯d left the Ministry and the central plaza well behind them.


    ¡°Noodles,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Food? Now?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a decent bowl of noodles in fifteen years. There are obviously cultivators in this city, so we shouldn¡¯t have any problem finding some good ones.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you just want some food then? Not that I disagree,¡± she added. ¡°You can only eat spirit beasts for so long before you want something more.¡±


    Not that either of them needed to eat much. The sort of qi-infused food that higher realm cultivators ate was closer to elixirs than something they needed. While constant hunting was a poor substitute for the refined elixirs and pills they¡¯d had access to at the sect, it had allowed them to keep advancing over the past decade and a half.


    This time, however, He Yu was mostly just interested in a good meal. And if it could provide even a small boost before whatever fallout was coming from the Ministry caught up with them, he¡¯d take it.


    They quickly found a shop that met He Yu¡¯s standards, low as he felt they were. A couple of low-grade spirit stones bought them a private room and two hot bowls. They¡¯d not even had their food long enough for an incense stick to burn when the proprietor returned with a third bowl, placing it at an empty spot on the table before bowing and leaving without a word.


    The flickering shadows cast by the paper lantern overhead grew unnaturally dark. Then they surged outward, filling the room and plunging it into blackness. In that inky dark, a thousand eyes stared at He Yu, perceiving him from all angles. When the shadows retreated after another several heartbeats, a familiar figure that He Yu hadn¡¯t seen in a long time sat before the third bowl.


    ¡°That was stupid of you,¡± Yan Shirong said before taking a bite from the steaming bowl in front of him.

 5.16 - Yan Shirong

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, too,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Should we be getting ready to leave?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    Yan Shirong waved her off. ¡°It should be fine for now,¡± he said. ¡°I intercepted the missive and took care of the gate guard¡¯s report. That should buy you enough time to at least finish your meal.¡± Then he fell silent and eyed the both of them. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t stay in Plum Blossom City any longer than that, if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Under the Dragon Empire, rogue cultivators were only ever tolerated, at best. They¡¯re regarded much less favorably in the Twilight Empire. If I weren¡¯t so focused on my Way, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed a circumspect report of two unknown cultivators with suspiciously familiar descriptions wandering in. Truly, He Yu, your recklessness knows no bounds. It seems neither does your fortune, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we don¡¯t have to go looking for you,¡± Chen Fei said, trying to inject some levity into the room.


    Yan Shirong had clearly grown in the time since they¡¯d last seen him. He still dressed the same, in black and plum robes, with silver embroidery. He¡¯d grown a beard, which he kept to a neat point, a look that He Yu thought suited him after a moment¡¯s consideration. It made him look more like a government official. His presence, which had always been the least obtrusive of He Yu¡¯s friends, had only deepened in its shadows. Even now, he felt like some unseen watcher observed his every movement.


    ¡°Why now?¡± Yan Shirong asked. ¡°Why, after all this time?¡±


    The question held a slightly accusatory note that caught He Yu off guard. He¡¯d assumed Yan Shirong would brush him off, not be upset that he hadn¡¯t come sooner. ¡°There wasn¡¯t any reason to stay where I was once I reached Nascent Soul,¡± he admitted, feeling a little sheepish once it came out. And once he saw Yan Shirong¡¯s reaction.


    He rolled his eyes and shook his head. After he¡¯d taken another bit of his noodles, Yan Shirong sighed. ¡°Of course you¡¯ve reached Nascent Soul already. I don¡¯t suppose I should have expected any differently. Alright, fine. What do you two want?¡±


    ¡°How candidly can we speak here?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Yan Shirong said without hesitation. ¡°Nothing in Plum Blossom City goes unseen or unheard. But anyone snooping would find me here and assume I¡¯m on business. So you¡¯re about as safe as you can be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to defeat her,¡± He Yu said.


    That was enough to finally get a real response out of Yan Shirong. He very deliberately folded his hands before him, and looked from He Yu to Chen Fei. Then, he asked Chen Fei, ¡°Is he serious?¡± Then he stopped, shook his head, and muttered, ¡°Never mind. Of course he is. Next question. You agreed to this?¡±


    Chen Fei shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t see why not?¡±


    ¡°Have the two of you been living in a cave? Wait, let me guess, you have, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been inside that shrine Old Guo sent me to,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°I carved my cave out myself, if that counts,¡± Chen Fei said.


    ¡°You¡¯re Fifth Realm,¡± Yan Shirong said to He Yu. Turning to Chen Fei, he paused, then said, ¡°And you¡¯re peak Fourth. Well, I can assure you that at your current strength, neither of you is anywhere near as strong as you¡¯ll need to be. Not if you want to go through with this absolute madness you¡¯ve conceived of.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Elder Cai said,¡± He Yu replied.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°It seems you two need to start at the beginning.¡±


    They took turns filling him in on the past fifteen years. There wasn¡¯t all that much to tell, as it turned out. Not until the past few months, after they¡¯d left the Thunder God¡¯s Shrine, at least. They glossed over the trip south, and their reasons for going. That He Yu needed a new weapon was satisfying enough for Yan Shirong, and until Dong Wei showed his face, the whole affair had been fairly uneventful, anyway.


    The story picked up once Xin Lu entered the picture, however. Yan Shirong nodded along as they recounted learning Xin Lu was governor of the region, as though he¡¯d already known.


    When they got to the part where they planned to use the sect ruins to lose him, Yan Shirong held up a hand.


    ¡°Why the sect? I guess I could just assume you didn¡¯t know about the curse. Or the prohibition on entering it.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°But we were close enough that it made sense.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Yan Shirong said, his expression betraying a hint of his eagerness. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    He Yu told him. Yan Shirong seemed far more interested in the sect than He Yu thought the place warranted, but he wasn¡¯t about to second guess him. Everyone knew cultivators tended to grow a bit eccentric as they advanced, and given what he knew about Yan Shirong¡¯s way, He Yu didn¡¯t find the questions that out of character.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Once He Yu had finished, Yan Shirong sat back and hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Well,¡± he began. ¡°Elder Cai was certainly right about one thing. No single cultivator has managed to stand against the Twilight Empress since she took the throne. A number of the great families rallied against her at first, you know. Mostly ambitious ducal clans who didn¡¯t believe the rumors, looking to capitalize on the chaos. A few turned out like the Yi clan. Thought to restore the old order from a usurper. The empress put them down like dogs, then brought the rest to heel shortly after.¡±


    ¡°The Yi,¡± Chen Fei asked. ¡°Like Yi Xiurong?¡±


    ¡°The same. She¡¯s still alive, by the way. Has an outrageous bounty on her head. Fifty thousand mid-grade spirit stones, last I checked. Same with Ren Huang and Zhang Lifen.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re alive?¡± He Yu practically jumped out of his seat. ¡°We can find them¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°The only place further from where they are than Plum Blossom City is where you two just came from. They stick to the core territories of the empire, skirmishing against the empress¡¯s elite soldiers. Staying on the move, though, which is the only reason they¡¯ve not been caught already. They haven¡¯t made enough of a nuisance of themselves that the Empress deems them worth her personal attention. At least, not yet.¡±


    ¡°But we need allies,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Right. Which is why you¡¯re going north to find Li Heng. I¡¯m just a stop on the way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more than a stop,¡± Chen Fei said.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Yan Shirong chuckled. ¡°But I also know where I stand. I¡¯ll not begrudge you seeking me out first because of my usefulness. It was the right move, after all. Especially given the current state of the Western Passage.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He Yu asked.


    Yan Shirong steepled his fingers in front of him before answering. ¡°You mentioned that Xin Lu had been appointed governor of the former sect lands, including your home of Shulin. Similarly, Wang Xiaobo has been given ducal authority over the Western Passage, along with substantial holdings to the east of the Li territory.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The news that Wang Xiaobo had authority over the Western Passage came as an unwelcome shock.


    ¡°That is a secret I do not possess,¡± Yan Shirong admitted. ¡°I can say that these appointments came from the empress herself. From what I gather, Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu were the first among the nobility to swear themselves to her service. Rumor has it they did so before she¡¯d even left the Shrouded Peaks.


    ¡°Were I to guess, it has something to do with you. I find it unlikely that the two cultivators you and Li Heng very publicly humiliated shortly before the sect fell now control territory important to you both by sheer coincidence.¡±


    ¡°So what about the Li then?¡± Chen Fei asked, shooting a worried look at He Yu.


    Until she asked about them, He Yu hadn¡¯t even considered the fate of the Li. Hadn¡¯t even considered that, perhaps, his best friend might have been a part of those families Jin Xifeng eliminated in the early days of her reign.


    ¡°General Li Bao still holds his posting. He was smart enough to bide his time when the fighting broke out in the east. Once it became clear who would ultimately claim victory, he sent his forces. Such maneuvering didn¡¯t escape Jin Xifeng¡¯s notice. But she couldn¡¯t be seen punishing someone who came to her aid, even if Li Bao did so later than she would have liked. An empire cannot be ruled by force alone, after all. Wang Xiaobo did, however, provide a convenient excuse to curtail the Li¡¯s power. All the more so if his appointment serves some other scheme, whether one of his own or that of the empress¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°So the Li have gone over to her side?¡± He Yu asked. He wasn¡¯t certain which idea was worse¡ªthat the Li may have been unseated from power, or that they served Jin Xifeng.


    ¡°Begrudgingly, yes. But Li Bao is, shall we say, uncooperative. With the Tan conveniently ¡®losing¡¯ their tributary payments, the situation in the west has become increasingly less tenable. Talk is the Jade Kingdom could assert its independence at any time. Li Bao would be within his right to insist his writ only demands he defend the empire¡¯s borders, not launch military campaigns outside them to bring unruly tributaries to heel. Any attempts to invade across the White Desert would only divert attention from the east, which is still not wholly under the imperial thumb, despite years of crackdowns.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like things are about ready to fall apart,¡± Chen Fei mused.


    ¡°I can think of no other time in the ten-thousand year history of the empire when things were balancing on a finer knife¡¯s edge. Sure, there have been plenty of periods of civil war, the rise and fall of dynasties, but never have things been so uncertain for so long. Jin Xifeng commands tremendous personal power, but she is still only one woman. The imperial bureaucracy exists for a reason, after all.¡±


    ¡°Not to change the subject,¡± He Yu said, ¡°But you mentioned we only had a few hours. I take it to meant the Ministry of Information is in cooperation with Jin Xifeng?¡±


    ¡°The Ministry¡¯s position is a difficult one. We serve the empire first. Which many among the Ministry, my father included, take to mean that who exactly sits on the throne matters little. We do our jobs regardless. I, however, do not agree with this position. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, if you couldn¡¯t guess.¡±


    Although he hadn¡¯t formally asked yet, He Yu let himself finally feel the relief he¡¯d been holding back ever since Yan Shirong arrived.


    It was Chen Fei who gave voice to what he wanted to ask. ¡°You¡¯ll come then?¡±


    ¡°First, you won¡¯t be able to do this without me. That¡¯s why I said coming to me first was the right move. I can explain more about what I mean once we¡¯re out of Plum Blossom City. Second, my advancement has slowed far too much for my liking since I left your company. It would be foolish not to go along with you. He Yu alone seems to trip over mentors, and treasures, and fortune everywhere he goes. I see he¡¯s still chasing that nonsense about becoming some kind of legend. Unless heaven and earth have switched places in the past fifteen years¡ªsomething I¡¯m certain hasn¡¯t happened¡ªfollowing you two is sure to bring just the sort of hardship that fosters advancement. Of course I¡¯m coming.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be glad to have you,¡± He Yu said as Chen Fei wrapped Yan Shirong up in a hug. It was good to have another member of their group back. Even if it did mean heading into a likely conflict with Wang Xiaobo¡ªand just after they¡¯d left Xin Lu behind, too.


    ¡°It should be dark by now,¡± Yan Shirong said, extracting himself from Chen Fei and standing up. ¡°We¡¯ll use this opportunity to slip out of the city. If we travel through the night, we¡¯ll be far enough away by morning that nobody will care. Hopefully, you¡¯ve got some better clothes, though. I don¡¯t want anyone to think I¡¯m traveling with a peasant.¡±


    He Yu let the jab slide¡ªhe was just happy that things had gone this well. Hopefully, he could expect the same when they arrived at the Western Passage.

 5.17 - The Western Passage

    After He Yu switched out his common garb for what Yan Shirong considered ¡°proper attire,¡± the three of them left Plum Blossom City under cover of darkness. The guards at the northern gate to the city stood down with a wave from Yan Shirong. Once a polite distance from the city walls, they released their cultivation, and the journey began in earnest.


    Yan Shirong had reached late Golden Core in the time since He Yu had last seen him. Now his movement technique allowed him to step from one shadow to another. The result was similar to how Li Heng¡¯s movement technique had always worked, with Yan Shirong melting to nothing before reemerging in a new location. For longer distances, he still had the use of his Umbral Puppetmaster technique. Similarly improved, the countless tendrils of shadow lifted him and carried him along as the terrain raced by beneath them. The result looked effortless on his part, if a little disturbing because of its resemblance to a spider.


    Free from the city, He Yu finally got a good sense of Yan Shirong¡¯s cultivation, too. The shadows that had always clung to him had deepened considerably since they¡¯d last seen each other. He wasn¡¯t constrained to natural shadow anymore, either. He could, with the increased spiritual weight of his presence, simply manifest his own shadows wherever he needed them.


    Similarly, the myriad eyes that appeared along with the formation of his Wayborn Seed had become more tangible and real, but in a way that was difficult for He Yu to pin down. He couldn¡¯t ¡°see¡± the eyes, exactly, but he knew they were there¡ªlurking within the darkness of Yan Shirong¡¯s spirit, watching. Perceiving. No secrets remained so for long once within the umbral cloak of Yan Shirong¡¯s presence. A fitting manifestation of a Ministry official¡¯s spirit.


    They raced north, now uninhibited by the need for discretion. With Yan Shirong accompanying them, they had the perfect cover story¡ªthey were headed north on official Ministry business. While it wasn¡¯t typical for Ministry officials to travel so openly, or in a group, neither was it so far out of the ordinary that anyone would pay too much attention. At least according to Yan Shirong. The greater benefit came from the Ministry¡¯s reputation itself. Most officials knew better to ask too many questions when a cultivator showed up bearing the seal of the Ministry of Information. That the Ministry official in question was a Golden Core and in the company of two more mid-level experts was all the more reason to look the other way.


    A single Golden Core could level a small town all on their own and with hardly any effort. Two late stage Golden Cores and a Nascent Soul? Anyone with any sense would simply look the other way, hope not to be noticed, and let the three monsters continue on with whatever errand they pursued. Unhindered by magistrate and beast alike, they made spectacular time, and He Yu hadn¡¯t been able to simply relish in his cultivation and enjoy his strength since before the fall of the sect.


    As was their habit when traveling, they hunted beasts and spirits along the way. The constant influx of cores and material kept their qi reserves mostly topped off, and anything they didn¡¯t consume could be sold off at larger settlements. For the first time in fifteen years, He Yu¡¯s personal wealth increased rather than slowly dwindling.


    They restocked their medicines and elixirs as they went using the spirit stones gained from selling hides, unsuitable cores, and any other herbs or material they ran across while they traveled. Although stopping to hunt and gather herbs slowed them down, nobody complained. Yan Shirong was always keen to increase his stock of spirit stones, no matter how small the profit, and both He Yu and Chen Fei were both in dire need of the resources.


    The landscape raced by as the three cultivators headed inexorably north. Familiar lush river valleys and their rice paddies fell away behind them. The forests that marked the beginning of the foothills to the west changed their character, too. They grew less dense, less verdant the further north they went. Trees gave way to shrubs¡ªlow, rugged, and bristling with thorns¡ªas field and farm turned to cracked, dry soil.


    The humidity of the southwest, something He Yu hardly noticed living his whole life there, gave way to parched air and land. While the terrain was still relatively open, it wasn¡¯t wholly flat. Rolling hills, climbing slowly but constantly upward, took them higher towards the wide mountain pass of the Western Passage itself. As they approached the stronghold of the Li family and the empire¡¯s western bulwark, the difference between the lush lowlands to the arid highlands became even more stark.


    ¡°No wonder Tan Xiaoling¡¯s cultivation was so harsh,¡± He Yu remarked when they¡¯d been in the arid scrublands for a few days.


    Yan Shirong laughed. ¡°This is nothing,¡± he said. ¡°The true desert lies beyond.¡± He pointed toward the jagged peaks they¡¯d been following north.


    ¡°Even the steppe pales compared to the White Desert,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°And this place is far more welcoming than the steppe. Beyond the mountains lies the true desert.¡±


    He Yu took them both at their word. Chen Fei, especially. She came from a village even further north, nestled on the western slopes of the mountains. She¡¯d have spent most of her life before joining the sect looking out across the vast expanse of the steppe¡ªthe endless rolling hills where the nomad tribes followed the herds and their strange ways.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    After another few days, the citadel of the Western Passage came into view. The layout of Iron Gate City was similar to any other city in the empire. A square design bisected by two broad streets aligned along the cardinal axes. A central square served as the administrative center of Iron Gate City, and the Li estates would be located nearby. The main difference revealed itself in the city walls.


    Easily twice as high as any settlement He Yu had ever seen, the walls were constructed of iron-banded stone. No evidence of masonry was present¡ªthe walls had been grown from the very earth itself. No doubt they¡¯d been reinforced with powerful formations¡ªevidenced by the powerful pulse of earth and metal qi He Yu could sense even from their current distance.


    The group drew to a stop on a small hill several li outside the city walls. ¡°We¡¯ll wait here for a bit,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°I¡¯m going to scout ahead, just to be certain.¡±


    Yan Shirong called a handful of constructs forth, each one a skeletal bird bound together with shadow. As he tossed them into the air, his eyes went blank. The constructs shot off toward the city, spreading out and gathering information to send back to their master.


    He Yu sat down, settling in for an indeterminate wait. Chen Fei joined him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet the past few days,¡± she said softly, taking the first opportunity they¡¯d had to speak in relative privacy.


    Although he was certain Yan Shirong would overhead everything they said, He Yu appreciated her consideration, anyway. ¡°Just thinking,¡± he said, picking at a piece of tough, spiky grass.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said, leaning into him. ¡°If anything, Li Heng will probably react like Yan Shirong did. He¡¯ll tease you for taking so long to show up, then everything will be fine.¡±


    That would be the most likely outcome. He knew it, and the fact that he was still worried made him feel even more foolish. ¡°But what if he doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll worry about it if it happens. You two have sorted out worse, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯ll sort this out, too.¡±


    He Yu allowed himself to relax a little as he put his arm around her. She was right. Li Heng would probably just be happy to see him. And if he wasn¡¯t, they¡¯d get through it. Their friendship had survived Jin Xifeng¡¯s influence. The influence that had exposed a very real rift between them. Then, they¡¯d worked through Li Heng¡¯s jealousy at He Yu¡¯s advancement. They¡¯d stood shoulder-to-shoulder against Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu, then later against the forces of Jin Xifeng herself. A bit of time was nothing by comparison.


    Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡°Bad news,¡± he said, joining them on the ground.


    ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d say something like that,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°The city has been locked down. Nobody can go in or out. From what I gathered, the order came from Wang Xiaobo himself¡ªwho¡¯s scheduled to arrive soon, along with an ¡®esteemed official¡¯ from the south.¡±


    ¡°Xin Lu,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Is there any way we can get in?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    ¡°First, we could force our way in. Official Ministry business, and all that. Not that I have enough weight to throw around compared to Wang Xiaobo¡¯s ducal authority. But I do have enough pull to scare a couple of gate guards into letting us in. The problem with that approach is we¡¯d be reported to Wang Xiaobo. The guards wouldn¡¯t have any idea who we were, though. Just that a Ministry official strong-armed his way past the gate with a couple of rogue cultivators in tow. Wang Xiaobo would figure the rest out on his own.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a great plan, to me,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Our other option is to try to sneak in. If we¡¯re successful, Wang Xiaobo won¡¯t find out we¡¯re here until we¡¯re already gone, if he finds out at all. If we¡¯re not,¡± Yan Shirong shrugged. ¡°That will depend on how the formations work.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Well, if the Li are still fully in control of Iron Gate City, they¡¯ll be the ones to know the formations are breached. Or they¡¯ll be the ones notified if we¡¯re spotted, or whatever else we manage to mess up. If not, maybe Wang Xiaobo would be alerted. Either by some key script, or by the guards themselves.¡±


    ¡°Are those our only two options?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    ¡°I supposed I could try to slip a messenger construct past the walls. Maybe through the gates. I¡¯m not certain that would work, though. Again, it would depend on the formations themselves. The construct route is probably the worst option, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°Iron Gate City is a fortress first. The formation will be meant to aid in the city¡¯s defense. Any attackers will need to have high-level cultivators with them. My constructs aren¡¯t autonomous; they¡¯re controlled by my techniques. Best case, the constructs get through, but an alarm gets triggered in the process. Who would be alerted, I couldn¡¯t say. More likely, the constructs get blocked by the formation, and the alarm goes off, anyway.¡±


    He Yu saw the problem. Trying to get one of Yan Shirong¡¯s constructs past the wall came with all the same downsides of trying to sneak past themselves, but with a much lower chance of success. That left them with trying to sneak in, which carried a higher potential risk, or forcing their way in, which came with a guarantee that Wang Xiaobo would figure out they were there, but maybe would give them enough time to contact Li Heng before he showed up.


    ¡°How would we sneak in?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°We¡¯d have to use the gates. Unless Chen Fei could disrupt the formation, somehow.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way a formation like that doesn¡¯t have some sort of trigger. Any disruption would send the entire city on high alert,¡± she said.


    ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d say something like that,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing going over the walls is out of the question,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Same problem as with the constructs.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Sneaking in it is. Hopefully, you have a plan?¡±


    Yan Shirong looked a bit sheepish. ¡°Sort of,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait for dark.¡±


    That reaction didn¡¯t exactly give He Yu much confidence. ¡°I hope there¡¯s more to it than that,¡± he said.


    ¡°A bit more,¡± he said, before adding, ¡°not much, though.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±

 5.18 - Iron Gate City

    ¡°That¡¯s not a plan,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Do you have a better one?¡± Yan Shirong asked. His tone was a bit more indignant that He Yu thought he deserved.


    The plan, if it could be called that, involved using Yan Shirong¡¯s shadows to effectively blind the guards while they passed through the gates. Never mind the fact the gates remained sealed as part of the lockdown, or that none of them knew if they¡¯d be able to open them.


    Of course, He Yu didn¡¯t have a better plan. At least Yan Shirong suggested they try it well into the night. The darkness would hide their approach, with Yan Shirong¡¯s Darkwalker Shroud doing the rest. Once they reached the gates, he would plunge the area into darkness, and they¡¯d pass through.


    He Yu and Yan Shirong went back and forth for some time, before He Yu eventually had to admit that as bad a plan as it seemed, their other options were significantly worse. Although Chen Fei stayed out of the disagreement, her skepticism was plain to see. In the end, they all agreed to it, and all that was left was to wait until the early hours of the morning.


    When the appointed time finally arrived, they stood and made for Iron Gate City. The moon was bright overhead, casting the flat, barren land outside the city in silver light. To He Yu¡¯s senses, it was practically bright as day. Yan Shirong assured him it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. As if to prove it, he called forth a mass of shadow, stretching out from beneath a few tufts of grass to cover all three of them in a blanket of darkness.


    He Yu didn¡¯t mention the spike of qi in his spiritual perception. They¡¯d committed to their course of action. He Yu had to admit that among their limited options, it was the least worst.


    They approached the wall, staying clear of the gate itself. The construction was more like the kind found on forts rather than common cities. A section of wall protruded out from where the main gate would be, creating an enclosed courtyard of sorts. The smaller gate in this second wall that allowed access to the courtyard itself was set parallel to the main fortification, facing to the east rather than the south. The inner courtyard provided an area for marshaling troops in defense of the city, or to slaughter anyone who breached the smaller outer wall while they dealt with the more fortified inner gate.


    Sneaking into a fort, it turned out, wasn¡¯t something easily done.


    Once they¡¯d gotten as close as Yan Shirong deemed acceptable, he expanded his Darkwalker Shroud. It was his movement technique, and He Yu had to hand it to him¡ªa partial activation like this took a considerable amount of control and skill to maintain. He could only assume Yan Shirong had to tap into some aspect of his Wayborn Seed to maintain it. A seeker of secrets had to have some resonance with skulking about where they weren¡¯t supposed to, after all. Yan Shirong had always been adept at stealth, and the intervening years working with the Ministry of Information had only sharpened his skills, it seemed.


    Upon reaching the gate, things went about as well as He Yu had expected. The two guards, both at middle Body Refining, immediately noticed their approach. Spearheads dipped in their direction, and one of them produced a talisman from their storage treasure.


    A snaking tendril of shadow leaped from beneath the guard¡¯s feet and yanked the talisman from his hand. The guard shouted.


    He Yu cursed.


    Two Third Realm presences bloomed out¡ªa poorly defined mix of earth and fire. He Yu could barely tell them apart. Yan Shirong appeared behind the two guards, stepping from an unnaturally deep shadow. Darkness fell over the two guards at the same moment it lifted from around He Yu and Chen Fei.


    ¡°Gate formation?¡± he asked as they broke into a run. Both of them still kept their presences restrained, hoping to draw as little attention as possible.


    ¡°It will be on the inside,¡± she said.


    He¡¯d been afraid of that.


    When they reached the gate, He Yu placed a hand on either of the iron-bound double doors and pushed. Wood splintered and cracked. Iron screamed as it bent. The gates strained, with silver light flaring on the far side as the formations activated. He Yu called down the pillars of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. The gates exploded inward, flying off their hinges and sending splintered wood and twisted iron bands across the inner courtyard. Trumpets and drums sounded from within the city.


    The three of them rushed into the courtyard. He Yu shot a look over his shoulder. The two guards hung from the wall, each wrapped in a cocoon of shadow. At least Yan Shirong had bought them a moment to deal with the inner gate.


    ¡°What now?¡± He Yu asked.


    Before anyone could answer him, the inner gate swung open. A dozen cultivator guards stood ready, each carrying a spear and shield. Activating the Peerless Judgment revealed they were all either Foundation or Body Refining.


    ¡°Try not to hurt anyone!¡± He Yu shouted as Yan Shirong and Chen Fei¡¯s presences both expanded to fill the courtyard along with his own.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Chen Fei called from his side.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Yan Shirong muttered. ¡°Fine.¡±


    He Yu landed in the middle of the guards and activated the Bracing Wind. The burst of wind qi scattered the less advanced cultivator guards, sending all but a few tumbling to the ground. Shadow erupted from every spot of darkness to wrap around the guards, and a brilliant silver array of formation characters filled the air.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The gate trembled as it tried to close¡ªthe defensive formations attempting to seal off the incursion into Iron Gate City. Chen Fei¡¯s Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols seemed enough to keep it open, but the gate formation would win out soon enough. He Yu shouted for the others to get inside, and Chen Fei made it through just as the massive inner gate to the city slammed shut.


    Yan Shirong stepped from the shadows, one hand working in an intricate series of gestures as his Umbral Puppetmaster technique tied down most of the cultivator guards. Chen Fei dealt with the rest, trapping them inside formation barriers.


    ¡°We need to get away from the gate,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Reinforcements will be along shortly.¡±


    They set off deeper into the city as drums and trumpets continued to sound the alarm. All around them, the citizens of Iron Gate City reacted to what He Yu imagined many assumed was an attack. Lanterns winked out, bars slammed down over doors, and furtive faces peeked out of windows. From all over the city, the Peerless Judgment warned of presences converging on the south gate. Most were of the Second or Third Realm, but with each passing moment, more Golden Cores joined in. It would be tough to deal with them without harming any.


    ¡°At least we¡¯re inside,¡± Chen Fei offered as they dashed through the deserted streets.


    They¡¯d pulled back their presences for the time being. Hopefully that would be enough to buy them some time, and then eventually lose any pursuit. He Yu didn¡¯t like their chances. Any guard with a half-decent perception technique would be looking for them, and two Golden Cores and a Nascent Soul weren¡¯t exactly the easiest spirits to hide. The days when He Yu could escape notice were long over.


    They ducked into alleys and took quick turns onto random side streets. As they ran, they relied solely on their raw physical strength and speed, foregoing the use of even body enforcement techniques. If they¡¯d any hope of losing their pursuers, it lay in their ability to make themselves as unobtrusive as possible. Easier said than done, given their advancement.


    By now, He Yu had banished any doubts they were being tracked. Either someone with a perception technique akin to his own, or a geomancer, or by some other technique. The pursuit was too regular. Groups of guards would pop out from side streets and attempt to block their escape. Fortunately, they were all weak enough that He Yu and the others could deal with them easily enough. And without causing too much damage.


    At least if one thing had worked out in their favor, it was that He Yu didn¡¯t need to resort to killing weaker cultivators who were just following orders. Besides, the guards had no idea that these three mysterious cultivators that had just forced their way into a heavily defended city only wanted to meet up with a friend. If there was one thing working in their favor, it was that they¡¯d not caught the attention of any stronger cultivators yet. That let them avoid revealing their advancement and let them stay out of any serious fights.


    Rounding a corner, they found themselves in a walled-off, dead-end courtyard. The only conventional way out was the way they¡¯d come in from, but already the heavy footfalls of approaching guards echoed down the deserted city streets. They could always just go over the walls, escaping across the rooftops. But that would only draw more attention to them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll tie them down here with techniques, then head back down the alley,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°This would be so much easier if we didn¡¯t have to worry about their well-being,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are enough pills to go around that we could take a limb or two.¡±


    ¡°No. The less damage we cause, the better it will work out for us,¡± he said.


    ¡°Tell that to them,¡± Yan Shirong shot back.


    The guards parted, and two cultivators wearing captain¡¯s uniforms stepped forward. Both held jian at the ready, and were late Golden Core.


    ¡°By the order of Lord Wang Xiaobo, stand down and submit yourselves to the laws of the Twilight Empire,¡± one of them shouted.


    He Yu kept a hold of his spirit, as not to reveal his true advancement just yet. His guandao still sat within his storage treasure, too. Although he was completely out of ideas, he still hoped they¡¯d find a way out of this without a fight. That the guard had declared for Wang Xiaobo rather than any of the Li didn¡¯t leave him with much hope, though.


    Chen Fei shot a glance at He Yu. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°We stand our ground,¡± He Yu said.


    The two Golden Core guard captains both flared their presences and advanced. The guard company behind them followed.


    ¡°We¡¯re not getting out of this without hurting anyone,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Unless we run. Now.¡±


    He was right. If they wanted to avoid a fight, they¡¯d have to take to the roofs. That would reveal the extent of their cultivation, and likely call down even more advanced experts to deal with them. He Yu didn¡¯t like the idea, but it was their best option.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. They¡¯d figure out a way to deal with it, somehow. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The night lit up with brilliant silver light. The temperature in the plaza plummeted, and frost covered the ground. A lone figure appeared between He Yu and the advancing guards in a burst of ice crystals. Half frozen, half bare, the taiji stamped itself onto the plaza. Clad in robes of pale blue and silver, he stood in the middle of a frost covered field.


    Li Heng brought the cold silence of an eternal winter. The dispassionate silver glow of the full moon. The dark expanse of a starless sky, and the eternal promise of endless night. He stood fully in the Fifth Realm, at long last on equal footing with He Yu once again.


    The reaction was instant. The lower realm guards all fell to their knees in kowtow while the captains bowed deeply over clasped fists.


    ¡°Lord Li,¡± the more senior of the captains said, ¡°there is no need to concern yourself with these troublemakers. Please, allow us to dispatch them, so you may return to whatever business you were roused from.¡±


    ¡°I will handle things from here,¡± Li Heng said. His voice was colder than He Yu remembered it. The sharp tone that reminded him of the first time they¡¯d met sent a spike of apprehension through him. Chen Fei gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.


    There was a moment of hesitation from the guard captain. Too much hesitation, apparently.


    ¡°I said go.¡± Li Heng¡¯s voice was hard. His spirit flared for an instant and frost crept across the flagstones toward the guards. The low-ranked guards stood and marched off, unwilling to test the newly arrived scion. A moment later, the captains followed.


    Once they¡¯d gone, Li Heng finally turned to face them. The twin silver streaks in his hair had grown thicker with his advancement and seemed to glow in the moonlight. His features softened when he locked eyes with He Yu. Stepping forward, Li Heng extended a hand. He Yu released his breath as he gripped Li Heng¡¯s forearm.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, little brother,¡± Li Heng said, flashing him a familiar smile. ¡°Things aren¡¯t well, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already figured out. Come, Wang Xiaobo is no doubt already on his way. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

 5.19 - Seeking Aid from the Li

    Following Li Heng¡¯s lead, He Yu and the others headed to the Li estates at the northern end of Iron Gate City. As they walked through the streets, He Yu filled Li Heng in on the past fifteen years. He Yu and Chen Fei recounted their time with Yongnian at the Thunder God¡¯s Shrine, then their trip to Shulin.


    Li Heng seemed to grow troubled at the mention of Xin Lu, but allowed them to continue. They told him of their escape, and how they¡¯d taken refuge in the ruins of the sect. Then they gave the account of their meeting with Elder Cai¡¯s fading Nascent Soul. Yan Shirong shared what he knew of the broader state of the empire. Of particular interest to Li Heng were the movements of the former core disciples, led by Yi Xiurong in the east of the empire. Li Heng kept quiet, content to listen while they filled him in. Soon they stood at the grand gate to the Li estates.


    The character representing the Li family proudly marked the iron-banded gate that served as the estate¡¯s entrance. The stone wall separating the estates from the rest of the city coursed with qi. A powerful defensive formation, no doubt commissioned at great expense. A decorative pond served as a moat of sorts¡ªat least in spirit. Carp swam in the pond, and low-grade spiritual herbs grew at its edge. Obviously more decoration than cultivation resources, but He Yu thought it was a nice touch, regardless.


    ¡°Before we see my father, we should talk,¡± Li Heng said, once they¡¯d passed beyond the outer gate. The doors thumped closed behind them, and Li Heng reactivated the formation script. ¡°You should know the state of things here.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve advanced,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Surely they can¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    Li Heng allowed a bit of his humor to slip through in the smile he returned. ¡°One would think. I¡¯d thought that finally I¡¯d surpassed you once again, but I suppose I shouldn¡¯t have expected differently.¡±


    ¡°You two can compare notes and see who made it to Nascent Soul first when we have more time,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Li Heng grew serious again. ¡°As I said, things aren¡¯t well here. It seems that thanks to Yan Shirong, you¡¯re aware Wang Xiaobo has been granted ducal authority over the Western Passage. That¡¯s the root of the tension. My father chafes at being placed under someone he rightfully considers his junior. But Wang Xiaobo has the empress¡¯s favor, so my father can¡¯t act against him openly.¡±


    ¡°Why is he here?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    ¡°In a word, vengeance. From what I¡¯ve been able to learn, Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu pledged themselves to the empress before she¡¯d even left the Shrouded Peaks. In exchange for their loyalty, they asked only for the opportunity to repay the humiliation they suffered from He Yu and myself.¡±


    He Yu shook his head and looked to the heavens. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Wang Xiaobo is a proud man,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°As for Xin Lu, they¡¯re sworn brothers. He¡¯d follow Wang Xiaobo into the realm of the dead if that¡¯s where he led them.¡±


    ¡°So how does the Western Passage play into their bargain for revenge?¡± Yan Shirong asked, stroking his beard in a manner that made him look very wise and distinguished. He Yu thought that was probably the point of the gesture.


    ¡°To give them potential access to He Yu and myself. They spent the better part of ten years searching for He Yu after the sect¡¯s destruction, you know. Once they gave up their search, the empress sent Wang Xiaobo here with a writ of authority. My father had been toeing the line between cooperation and defiance for some time already. His appointment was meant to help bring my father to heel, while also giving him the chance to move against me if the opportunity presented itself. Xin Lu was given authority over the former sect lands under the assumption that He Yu would return there, eventually. Which he did, of course.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s next, then?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to convince my father to move against Wang Xiaobo for years now. Since placing Iron Gate City under lockdown, my father has been growing increasingly angry with Wang Xiaobo. Now that all of you are here, I¡¯m sure we can convince him to move against Wang Xiaobo openly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much of a plan,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    ¡°Yan Shirong¡¯s right,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°What¡¯s stopping your father from simply turning us over to them?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know my father like I do,¡± Li Heng insisted. ¡°He was a loyal servant of the Dragon Emperor. He chafes at being placed under the authority of someone less advanced than himself. It will only take a slight push to tip him into open defiance, and allies from my time at the sect are that push. I¡¯m certain.¡±


    Despite Li Heng¡¯s emphatic tone, He Yu wasn¡¯t convinced. Like Chen Fei and Yan Shirong, he thought this plan of Li Heng¡¯s was a vain hope at best. It was their only plan at the moment, however. With Wang Xiaobo surely closing in, their options were limited.


    ¡°What about after? You realize Jin Xifeng won¡¯t stand by if your father openly defies her,¡± He Yu said.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°She is too busy dealing with the east. Between managing the restless nobles and the strikes against her closest followers by Yi Xiurong and the others, she won¡¯t be able to divert attention to the west. The east isn¡¯t the only region that resents the change of rule. There are enough nobles in the west that we can rally to our cause. If we can rouse my grandfather from his seclusion, we¡¯ll be able to face her directly.¡±


    He Yu frowned. ¡°Your grandfather was only middle Seventh Realm last I heard. Jin Xifeng faced two late Eighth Realm elders at once, and won. Easily.¡±


    ¡°My grandfather recently broke through to the late Seventh Realm,¡± Li Heng said. Before He Yu could object, he continued. ¡°Look, I know. You don¡¯t have to say it. He¡¯s not ready to face her yet. But he will be. I¡¯m certain.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°Elder Cai said she can¡¯t be defeated by a single cultivator. We¡¯ll need an army of Eighth and Ninth Realm experts to deal with her. And no disrespect, but your grandfather isn¡¯t in the Eighth Realm yet.¡±


    ¡°I know. But I told you, he will be. What about you? What about all of us? Do you really think that with how quickly all four of us have advanced, we won¡¯t reach Divine Soul Apotheosis ourselves? At least. I¡¯d put my family¡¯s entire fortune on all of us reaching the Ninth Realm one day. Surely, if we all could achieve the Heavenly Immortal stage, Jin Xifeng would be no match for our combined might.¡±


    Further argument was futile. Li Heng had convinced himself and wouldn¡¯t be swayed. He Yu could only hope that his faith was well-placed.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go see your father.¡±


    A momentary flicker of relief was all the indication Li Heng gave that he¡¯d been worried about the outcome. He led them from the outer gardens to the main courtyard of his family estate. As the four of them approached the main room, a figure that could only be General Li Bao emerged.


    Li Bao was mostly an older version of Li Heng. His features were noble and refined. He wore a long beard and kept his hair pinned into a warrior¡¯s bun with an ornate crown hairpin. His robes were finely made, but of a more practical fashion than most cultivators. Li Bao was as much the warrior and soldier as he was the noble and statesman.


    As they approached, Li Heng saluted his father. The others followed suit.


    ¡°Who have you brought here?¡± Li Bao asked.


    ¡°These are my former sect siblings,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Yan Shirong, son of the Yan family and official of the Ministry of Information. Chen Fei, a peak Golden Core expert, hailing from the imperial north and former inner disciple. Finally, my friend He Yu. Disciple of Senior Sister Zhang Lifen, core disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. He Yu has achieved Nascent Soul in his time away from the sect.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one Wang Xiaobo searches for,¡± Li Bao said. He Yu shared a nervous glance with Chen Fei.


    Li Heng lifted his chin and answered his father. ¡°He Yu is the reason Wang Xiaobo has been given authority over us. With him here, we can finally put an end to this insult once and for all. All three of them share our desire to free the empire from Jin Xifeng. They would bolster our fighting capabilities significantly. We can finally throw off this humiliation.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what you suggest.¡± Li Bao¡¯s face was cold and unreadable, but it was easy enough to tell things weren¡¯t going as well as Li Heng had hoped.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you said we¡¯re simply biding our time?¡± Li Heng asked. ¡°Waiting for an opportunity? Well, this is it. He Yu and I have reasons to challenge Wang Xiaobo. With Chen Fei and Yan Shirong, the four of us could surely deal with him. Then we¡¯d be free of his authority, and we could move against the empress at our leisure.¡±


    ¡°And Xin Lu?¡± Li Bao asked. ¡°Would he simply stand by while the four of you attacked his sworn brother?¡±


    ¡°We could invite Wang Xiaobo into the city and attack him while he¡¯s alone.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I would allow such a battle to take place within my city? The five of you would destroy it. Do not forget, Wang Xiaobo is at the peak of the Fifth Realm. He alone could deal tremendous damage to Iron Gate City once allowed within the walls. A fight between the three of you? Out of the question. As for your friends, they¡¯re still Golden Core. As impressive a feat that may be, they are worthless against a peak Nascent Soul.¡±


    As much as He Yu hated to admit it, Li Bao was right. Yan Shirong and Chen Fei would only hinder them in a fight against someone like Wang Xiaobo. After what he and Xin Lu had done to the countryside during their brief exchange, He Yu could only imagine the destruction an all-out fight between three Fifth Realm experts would bring to Iron Gate City. Then there was the fact that Xin Lu would never stand by. Even if, by some great stroke of fortune, He Yu and Li Heng could deal with Wang Xiaobo, they couldn¡¯t deal with him and Xin Lu both at once.


    ¡°I should simply hand this He Yu over and be done with it. I¡¯d gladly trade some commoner for my son¡¯s life. Wang Xiaobo would have his satisfaction, and I would be free of him.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Li Heng shouted.


    Li Bao¡¯s presence descended over the courtyard like the early coming of winter. The entire world turned silver as a full moon hung overhead. The light seemed to have a physical weight to it. Yan Shirong and Chen Fei both took a knee. Although he had to cycle his cultivation base, He Yu remained standing. So too did Li Heng.


    Even though it only lasted an instant, Li Bao¡¯s cultivation froze the courtyard solid, as though it had suffered a winter of a hundred and one years. The decorative ponds froze over, and frost crept across the ground. A light dusting of snow even began to fall.


    ¡°You forget your place.¡± Li Bao said. ¡°You may be a noble and a talented cultivator, but you are still my son.¡±


    Li Heng cupped a fist and bowed. ¡°Apologies, father.¡±


    As quickly as it had come, Li Bao¡¯s presence retreated. The frost and ice remained. ¡°The most I would give is refuge for a night. Then, your friends must leave. I will not harbor them and give Wang Xiaobo any more reason to lord himself over me. We will continue here as we have.¡±


    ¡°It is more than I could ask,¡± Li Heng said, still keeping his head bowed.


    He Yu fought down a grimace. Although he¡¯d come to the Western Passage with high hopes, it seemed they¡¯d find no real help here. Worse, it seemed as though Li Bao would demand that Li Heng stay. An outcome as unsurprising as it was disappointing. He¡¯d come all this way, spending months worrying about whether Li Heng would accept him. Only to find out that despite Li Heng welcoming him, He Yu would have to be the one to leave this time.


    It put a sour taste in his mouth.


    Just as Li Bao turned to go, drums thundered from outside the walls of the Li estates. A shout came up from the street.


    ¡°General Bao! Under the authority of Empress Jin, I demand you open your home! I have it on good authority that traitors to the Twilight Empire are within!¡±


    He Yu¡¯s heart thundered with a mix of fury and fear. Wang Xiaobo had arrived.

 5.20 - Wang Xiaobo Arrives

    For a moment, the only sound came from the thunder of drums on the street outside. When Li Bao started off to the main house gate, the silence broke.


    Chen Fei grabbed He Yu¡¯s arm. ¡°We need to go,¡± she whispered harshly in his ear.


    ¡°General Bao,¡± Yan Shirong called. ¡°I represent the Ministry of Information. If I may, allow me to speak with Wang Xiaobo. There¡¯s a chance I could dissuade him.¡±


    ¡°Father, wait!¡± Li Heng called.


    ¡°All of you, silence!¡± Li Bao spun and faced the group. ¡°This has gone far enough. I will not shelter you, but neither will I suffer the indignity of a Fifth Realm ransacking my home. I will speak with him.¡±


    Did that mean they should run? No doubt that as soon as the time for words had ended, Wang Xiaobo come for He Yu and Li Heng both. There was little point in staying. He Yu searched the eaves running along the outer edge of the courtyard for a likely path of escape.


    Li Heng appeared at his side. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said, his voice low.


    ¡°Chen Fei¡¯s right. We can¡¯t stay here,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m going to get my grandfather. He¡¯ll deal with this.¡±


    Yan Shirong stepped from a mass of shadow, planting himself in front of Li Heng and He Yu. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Unless I¡¯ve missed the news that the Li clan¡¯s hidden patriarch has come out of seclusion in the last, I don¡¯t know, several hours.¡±


    ¡°Out of my way,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°My grandfather will sort things out. And talk some sense into my father.¡±


    ¡°Assuming he doesn¡¯t obliterate us all for disturbing his seclusion,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°I know full well you understand what you¡¯re suggesting. Which is why it¡¯s absolutely beyond my ability to comprehend why you¡¯re doing it.¡±


    ¡°I think Yan Shirong is right,¡± Chen Fei said, although she didn¡¯t sound as certain as Yan Shirong did.


    He Yu turned to Li Heng and looked him square in the eye. ¡°Do you think it will make a difference?¡± he asked.


    Although he also knew that disturbing the cultivation of a secluded expert was dangerous, He Yu trusted Li Heng¡¯s judgment. They¡¯d been through enough together. If Li Heng thought this was the best course of action, then He Yu would throw his weight behind him. Of course, Li Heng could always have grossly misjudged how Li Renshu would react to being disturbed, but He Yu saw little difference in the outcomes at this point. Either die to Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu, or be obliterated by an old and angry Seventh Realm monster awakened from seclusion.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here. Awaiting your inevitable deaths,¡± Yan Shirong scoffed as He Yu and Li Heng hurried up the steps to the main house.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ll keep Yan Shirong company,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Maybe if there¡¯s fewer people, he¡¯ll be more forgiving.¡±


    He Yu didn¡¯t blame them. Staying behind was the smart thing to do, anyway. Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu had no cause to dislike either of them, so bothering the ancient was just an unnecessary risk. At the very least, Chen Fei would likely be spared whatever consequence Li Heng brought upon them all. That was enough for He Yu.


    Once inside the house, they quickly arrived at the formation-sealed door that could only be the entrance to Li Renshu¡¯s cultivation chamber. Even out here, He Yu could sense the powerful lunar and ice qi within. Frost lined the edges of the door itself, and the air here was noticeably cooler. He Yu¡¯s breath steamed in front of him, and the feeling of a humid summer afternoon that followed him gave way to a deep wintry chill.


    Without ceremony, Li Heng unsealed the chamber. He placed a hand on the door and sent a flood of qi into the formation script. The sound of cracking ice filled the air, and the chill deepened. The seal on the door broke, and a furious, wintry presence rolled forth from within.


    The door flew open to reveal a furious Li Renshu. If Li Bao was an older version of Li Heng, then Li Renshu was an older Li Bao. His hair and beard were the same silver as Li Heng¡¯s twin sidelocks. Aged lines creased is features in a way that made him look dignified and venerable. His movements held all the strength of a man in his prime, despite his age of hundreds of years.


    Although his presence was restrained, it still pressed down on He Yu nearly as much as Li Bao¡¯s had when he¡¯d unleashed it. The cold wintry moon of the Li was there to be sure, but the cold of Li Renshu¡¯s spirit was deeper. More like the cold of a frostbitten death than simple winter. It took him a moment to realize, but it was Li Renshu¡¯s killing intent. The ancient cultivator had claimed so many lives in his day, that his killing intent had become an indelible part of his spirit. He Yu wondered if some of what he¡¯d felt from Jin Xifeng was from her killing intent, too.


    ¡°You dare?¡± Li Renshu demanded, fixing his unwavering gaze on Li Heng. ¡°I may have been withdrawn from the world, but do you think I am not aware of the state of my descendants? You awaken me for what, a spat among children? A mere Fifth Realm arrives in the night seeking violence, and you see fit to rouse me for this?¡±


    ¡°This one offers his deepest apologies, patriarch,¡± Li Heng said as he fell to his knees in kowtow. ¡°We ask for your aid, not in dealing with Wang Xiaobo, but in dealing with a greater threat still.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°There is no threat here. The walls of Iron Gate City stand. All that falls within my qi sense are children who bicker amongst themselves and have forgotten their place.¡±


    ¡°To the east, the Dragon Empire has fallen. An ancient cultivator called Jin Xifeng has taken the throne. My friend, He Yu, has come to us seeking aid in dealing with her. Father would turn him over to his enemies.¡±


    Silence hung over the hallway. Li Renshu¡¯s gaze slowly shifted from his kowtowing grandson to He Yu. Uncertain as to what else he should do, He Yu followed his friend¡¯s example, and dropped to his knees in kowtow, saying nothing. Even with his eyes averted and his forehead on the floor, he could still feel Li Renshu¡¯s attention upon him.


    After what seemed like an eternity, Li Renshu spoke again. ¡°I was young and weak when Cai Weizhe, the Dragon Emperor, and their companions sealed Jin Xifeng in her prison. Do you mean to tell me she has broken out of her cage?¡±


    ¡°She has, patriarch,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°Both of you, stand.¡±


    With tremendous relief, He Yu got back to his feet. Li Renshu¡¯s attention was still squarely on him, so he dared not speak.


    ¡°Heng, go fetch the others waiting in the courtyard. You, inheritor of Cai Weizhe¡¯s arts, stay.¡±


    As Li Heng left, he shot a nervous glance at He Yu. It summed up about how He Yu felt at the moment. What would an old monster like Li Renshu want with him? And how did Li Renshu know about He Yu¡¯s cultivation?


    ¡°What do you know of the art you cultivate?¡± Li Renshu asked once Li Heng had vanished down the hall leading to the courtyard.


    ¡°Only that it was gifted to me by my martial grandfather, Cai Weizhe. That it is an ancient art, from a time before even Jin Xifeng¡¯s imprisonment.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Ancient like the arts Jin Xifeng herself cultivates. Arts that have opposed one another for countless thousands of years. Such a conflict drawn out over so long a time creates a thread. One that stretches back to before even the empire was born. To the days of when the first cultivators walked the earth, and first gave challenge to the heavens.¡±


    ¡°I saw her suppression,¡± He Yu said without thinking. His excitement was getting the better of him, but there were so many strange, unanswered things about his cultivation. Things that it seemed Li Renshu knew. ¡°Ever since I started cultivating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace I¡¯ve been seeing visions, or memories. Do you know what they are?¡±


    Li Renshu shook his head. ¡°I am only newly awakened to my Daoist Mind. If I¡¯d had another hundred years to contemplate it, there is more I¡¯m certain I could tell you. What I can tell you is this¡ªthere is nowhere within her realm that is far enough from Jin Xifeng. She will know of your strength. Should you advance and grow strong enough to threaten her, she will come for you.¡±


    ¡°Elder Cai said no one cultivator can defeat her.¡±


    ¡°I would trust Cai Weizhe¡¯s judgment over my own, where Jin Xifeng is concerned,¡± Li Renshu admitted. ¡°But if there is one who could lead others to her defeat, it is the bearer of the Heavenly Palace.¡±


    Something Yongnian had said returned to him for the first time, then. The epithet. Upon his advancement to Nascent Soul, the spirit had changed how he referred to him. Calling him ¡°Regent of the Heavenly Palace.¡± Although he¡¯d thought little of it then, He Yu couldn¡¯t help but wonder now.


    ¡°The others come,¡± Li Renshu said. ¡°It¡¯s best that my gift stay our secret for now.¡±


    Before He Yu could react, Li Renshu tapped the center of He Yu¡¯s forehead with two fingers. A pulse of qi spiked into his head and surged through his upper dantian. For the briefest of moments, He Yu once again glimpsed the Eternal Dao.


    But this time, he glimpsed something more. His own Way, his own connection. His Dao¡ªthe Dao of Heroism.


    Defined through countless choices, it was just as Zhang Lifen had always said. His Dao of Heroism was the endless turning of a great wheel, set into motion by his very nature, sustained by a chain of choices that began well before he¡¯d set off into the forest in search of herbs, and accelerated by the Way he¡¯d defined for himself over the past twenty years.


    Before he could lose himself in the full weight of what Li Renshu had just given him, the sounds of his approaching friends shook him back to the present.


    ¡°That should remain between us,¡± Li Renshu said.


    He Yu only had time for a brief nod before the others arrived.


    ¡°You won¡¯t defeat Jin Xifeng if you stay in the empire,¡± Li Renshu said, returning to what he¡¯d been saying before¡ªbefore whatever that had been. ¡°Should you grow too powerful, she will hunt you down. There is, however, a convenient place where you can grow.¡± Li Renshu turned to the west. ¡°The White Desert is a harsh land. Many who seek to cross it succumb to its endless sands. The land beyond, the Jade Kingdom, is an even harsher realm. But there is a reason the greatest cultivators often come from the Jade Kingdom.¡±


    Li Renshu turned back to the four of them. ¡°You won¡¯t survive as you are now. Heng, step forward.


    Li Heng did as he¡¯d been bid, saluting his grandfather as he did so.


    ¡°Give me the manual for your cultivation art.¡± Once Li Heng handed the jade slip over, Li Renshu sent a pulse of qi into it. ¡°I have added all the knowledge I¡¯ve gained pertaining to the Lunar Mirror Sword Art to your copy of the manual. I¡¯ve also added the insights to lunar and ice qi taken from my seclusion. The adjustments to the art will make you a formidable foe on their own. The insights, on the other had, will allow you to tailor the whole of the art to your own Way. In time, you will easily surpass your father. Perhaps even myself.¡±


    Li Heng¡¯s mouth worked in speechless shock for a moment. Finally, he settled on another salute.


    ¡°Shadow,¡± Li Renshu said, turning to Yan Shirong. ¡°I have little of use for you. Except these.¡± Li Renshu produced an ornate box, scripted with formation characters. ¡°I see you¡¯ve already formed a Wayborn Seed. Nascent Soul is only a matter of time. You are close to the peak. Take half a step into the Fifth Realm, then take these elixirs. The Nascent Soul you form will be of superior quality, and allow you to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your comrades.¡±


    Then he turned to Chen Fei. ¡°Your arts are foreign to me, but heaven brings fortune to you regardless.¡± Li Renshu produced a set of armored bracers and anklets. ¡°These treasures will reinforce your strikes. Your mastery over formations will give you the necessary skills to modify them to your White Mountain Arts. Metal and earth will be your guide. May you stand atop the mountain eternal.¡±


    Finally, he turned to He Yu once again. ¡°I have little for you but this. Explore your Way. Follow the insights it holds and stay true to the path you¡¯ve laid out for yourself.¡±


    All four of them bowed, thanking Li Renshu for his gifts.


    ¡°Once you arrive in the Jade Kingdom, seek hardship. Overcome death. Forge yourselves in the crucible of battle. Perhaps you will succeed where so many others have failed. Now, go. I will delay these upstart servants of Jin Xifeng for as long as I can. They will realize you¡¯ve gone before long, so make haste.¡±


    Li Renshu showed them a secret exit to the rear of the house. Keeping their spirits restrained, they made for the west gate of the city, with Li Heng leading the way. The guards, only having orders to prevent anyone from entering, let them through without argument. The four of them released their spirits once they were clear of the walls and went west.


    With dawn, the empire fell away behind them. They crossed into the White Desert.

 5.21 - The White Desert

    Dawn broke, bringing with it the burning and angry sun. The rugged, arid lands of the western passage had been warm and dry. He Yu had thought the White Desert itself would be similar in climate. He¡¯d thought wrong.


    The night had been hot, but the night had been merely a prelude to the day. Moments after sunrise, the temperature started to climb. A cultivator could resist extremes, but only up to a point. How extreme depended on their advancement. The sun was only three fingers above the horizon when the day surpassed He Yu¡¯s limit.


    ¡°Forsaken wasteland,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Surely it¡¯s cursed.¡±


    He¡¯d fared the worst out of them all, so far. The desert¡¯s vast, featureless expanse left no place for shadows to grow under the unrelenting blaze above. Although Yan Shirong could form shadows from nothing now that he¡¯d reached peak Golden Core, doing so cost him. The extra qi he needed to spend was a toll none of them could afford to pay in a place like this.


    Hard and cracked ground the color of bone stretched from horizon to horizon. With each step they took, the land itself seemed to soak up their qi and their vital essence. The drain was slight, but constant. A slow, inexorable death awaited all of them if they remained here. How long they had exactly, He Yu couldn¡¯t have said. One thing was immediately clear though¡ªexpending qi would only hasten that end.


    ¡°A fitting clime to inspire the Tan family arts,¡± Li Heng remarked as they trudged beneath the relentless sun.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s sandstorm. If He Yu remembered correctly, her technique was named for this place. Breath of the White Desert. A fitting name for a technique so like the arid expanse. The metal aspect of the technique reflected the cracked earth and endless white sands. The constant drain it inflicted mirrored the effects of the desert itself. Both sapped their victim¡¯s strength and weakened them for the hardships yet to come.


    ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll make it across quickly enough,¡± He Yu said.


    Despite his greater advancement, Li Heng fared almost as poorly as Yan Shirong. Not even the effects of his presence, with its promise of winter eternal, could give relief from the relentless heat. Shadow and ice had no place here, it seemed. The slow, silent sun beat down most heavily on those least suited to endure its attention.


    He Yu held up a bit better than the other two. Still, the sun stripped away the clouds of his storm. It burned away the humid air, the promise of rain. Even the wind stood still. Dead, hot air clung to him, and he wished for the relief that even the slightest breeze would bring, even if it only lasted a moment.


    Chen Fei seemed to hold up the best, bearing the land with grit and determination. She¡¯d sent her bearskin mantle to her storage treasure, but that was the only concession she¡¯d made so far. The desert¡¯s alignment of metal and earth was similar to her presence. But the sun and the sand took their toll on her, just like the others.


    They¡¯d long since stopped using any movement techniques. Even that small amount of qi brought their end closer. Like mortals, they walked. They at least had the advantage of bodies strengthened in the Third Realm. When He Yu had first learned the purpose of the Body Refining stage¡ªto prepare the frail mortal body for the rigors of the higher realms, he¡¯d never imagined he would need such a body to simply continue walking across flat, featureless terrain under the morning sun.


    Never mind that terrain drew the very life from him, or that the sun was hotter and more deadly than any sun he¡¯d felt before. As they walked and fell into a miserable silence, he wondered if mortals ever crossed the desert. Surely not. They¡¯d be dead within an hour, and that was assuming they had shelter and supplies. Unlike the cultivators.


    He Yu had been on dozens of trips away from the sect during his time there. He¡¯d spent countless times away from civilization and its comforts. Not once had he ever thought to bring supplies. Especially since reaching Golden Core, he¡¯d hardly needed them. The hunting he¡¯d done had been a luxury rather than a necessity. The flesh of awakened beasts fortified him in the same way an elixir would rather than provide sustenance. Those hunting trips had been a boon to his advancement, not a requirement for survival.


    While hunting might provide some measure of protection against the constant drain of the desert, it was out of the question. First, and most importantly, they had seen no other signs of life since departing the Western Passage. One could hardly hunt where no game could be found. Neither was there any fuel for a fire. So they couldn¡¯t cook their catch, anyway. Raw meat wasn¡¯t something He Yu particularly wanted to eat. Then there was the question of qi. Even a low realm beast would cost them qi. Qi they could little afford to spend.


    As the sun reached its zenith, He Yu called a halt. ¡°We can¡¯t keep going,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s only going to get worse. We should find shelter.¡±


    Yan Shirong made a show of looking around. ¡°And where do you suppose we look?¡±


    He had a point. The desert was the same as it had been since they¡¯d first set out to cross. Flat. Featureless. Not even scrub or brush. And by now, the sun sat directly overhead. Only the four figures standing in the middle of the expanse broke the nothing.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°We could dig,¡± Chen Fei said.


    ¡°With our hands?¡± Yan Shirong asked. The question was only half affronted. More practically, the expense of using techniques would decrease the time they could spend in this desolate place.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth the effort,¡± Li Heng said. He still looked miserable.


    ¡°Then you can be the one to do it,¡± Yan Shirong grumbled as he produced a fan from his storage treasure. He spent a few moments fanning himself before giving up and sending it back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Chen Fei said.


    It had seemed like a good plan at first. The ground was hard and should have allowed them to dig out a makeshift shelter. Instead, it collapsed in on itself. No matter how much earth Chen Fei hollowed out, she couldn¡¯t create anything that would allow them even a moment¡¯s respite from the sun. She even attempted to brace the pit with formations, but to no avail.


    So once again, they set off to walking.


    By late afternoon, the thirst set in. He Yu couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d sweat before today. All four of them had been sweating since morning. Now his throat was parched, and they¡¯d all fallen into silence, as speaking had become difficult. Between the heat and the need for water, it had grown ever more difficult to even think straight. At least as the day wore on and the sun dipped to the horizon, they had a clear marker of where to go.


    With nightfall came some measure of relief. They all perked up a bit, and wordlessly picked up their pace. The heat was still oppressive, but had once again turned bearable. The desert still drew upon their strength, but less so as day faded to night. Most importantly for He Yu, the small break in the desert¡¯s oppressiveness gave him the opportunity to think.


    They couldn¡¯t keep going like this. Looking around at his friends, He Yu saw a pathetic sight. Yan Shirong had wilted like cut flowers, and Li Heng looked little better. Even Chen Fei¡¯s monstrous endurance had all but crumbled under the strain of the day. The three of them looked about as awful as He Yu felt. They wouldn¡¯t survive another day.


    Should they turn back? They¡¯d traveled for a night and a day already. If they pushed themselves through the night, using techniques to speed their travel, they could hopefully make it back to the Western Passage before dawn broke. There they could gather supplies, and set off again the following evening better prepared.


    Except they¡¯d no idea if Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu still searched for them in Iron Gate City. If the four of them were no match for the two late Fifth Realms before, they¡¯d no chance against them now. Not to mention the state they¡¯d be in after the trip back. No, Iron Gate City wasn¡¯t an option.


    So all they had left was to press on. But that would bring certain death. As much as it was He Yu¡¯s Way¡ªhis Dao, he reminded himself¡ªto stand firm in the face of overwhelming odds, there was a difference. One could stand against a stronger foe, face a heroic death in one final, desperate stand. Against such, one could even prevail. He Yu had done just that enough times to know its truth.


    This was different. A desert wasn¡¯t a foe to be defeated. A stronger opponent to stand against. It was a force of nature with no desires and no weakness to exploit. Perseverance wasn¡¯t the sort of guarantee it had always been in the past. Not this time.


    They couldn¡¯t even know how long a journey they still had before them. It could be weeks before they crossed the desert. Weeks they wouldn¡¯t survive. Could they risk it all on a single, insane gamble? Could they push everything they had into their presences and try to resist the relentless sand and sun? Zhang Lifen had once told him a cultivator¡¯s spirit impressed itself upon the world as they advanced. Could that be the secret to crossing the desert?


    Would shadow, winter, and storm be enough? It would take them cycling their whole cultivation base to even try. And what then? Keep walking, or risk the use of movement techniques? What about Chen Fei? She¡¯d simply have to run. The desert seemed the worst environment for someone like her. Only her sheer endurance allowed her to keep pace normally. Endurance was the very thing the desert drew upon the most. He Yu sifted through questions and discarded answers as they walked in oppressive silence. At least they were making better time than during the day.


    ¡°My kingdom for an oasis,¡± Yan Shirong grumbled.


    ¡°What?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°An oasis. You know, somewhere with water. Hopefully, some plants where we can shelter during the day.¡±


    ¡°I know what an oasis is. What makes you think there¡¯d be one?¡±


    ¡°Trade caravans come from the Jade Kingdom, you know. It¡¯s were most of the best quality jade in the empire comes from. Sort of in the name,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°They have to make it across somehow.¡±


    He Yu activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. The drain was considerably more than he was used to here in the White Desert, and his seed of a plan was far from certain, but he couldn¡¯t see that they had any other options. Far above the earth, with the desert stretching as far as he could see below, he activated the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment.


    In the far distance, past the western horizon even from this height, he saw a dim spot of water qi. It was hard to tell how far it would be, but if they pushed, they could make it. Probably. It wasn¡¯t as if they had a better choice.


    When he returned to the others, they quickly agreed to make for the promise of water. They agreed to risk some of their precious reserves to move as quickly as they dared. None of them was under the illusion they¡¯d survive another day. They needed to reach their goal before dawn.


    Through the night, they pushed themselves. Yan Shirong strode across the sands on a mass of shadow tendrils that resembled a spider¡¯s legs. Li Heng flashed from one spot to another, the frosted spots he left behind greedily devoured by the white earth. Chen Fei ran, powering forward with her own tremendous vitality and the stamina of the White Mountain Body Art. He Yu skimmed the ground on wings of wind.


    As the sky grew light with the coming dawn, He Yu had just barely spotted their salvation on the horizon. A tiny splash of green against the silvering sky. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed him more than he could have hoped for. The oasis ahead blazed with water and life aspected qi. It seemed once more heaven had granted them fortune. The mood lightened as they drew ever closer to their refuge. They were now close enough that He Yu could see not only trees, but lively green bushes. Rocks that would cast shade. And most importantly, water.


    Just as the sun had fully crested the horizon, disaster struck. Far to the west, a wall of sand rose from the horizon. With each passing breath it grew, reaching ever higher into the heavens. The sandstorm barreled east, and already He Yu could feel the tug of the breeze that promised the winds that bore the storm. The storm that headed right for the oasis. Headed right for them.

 5.22 - Breath of the Desert

    The sandstorm hit just as they reached the oasis. As they drew near, the winds picked up like the storms down south, but scorching hot and dry rather than pleasantly cool and humid. The foliage around the oasis itself shook in the increasingly violent wind, but held firm. The thick bark of the date palms endured the winds and sand well.


    Under the full fury of the storm, they had to shelter in the lee of a rock. They huddled together, seeking what scant refuge they could find from the razor-sharp cloud of sand driven by a wind the likes of which He Yu could only hope to one day summon. The storm was like Tan Xiaoling¡¯s technique, only more. More wind, more razor shards, and more darkness.


    He Yu¡¯s qi sense was useless within. He only sensed the metal and wind and earth of the storm itself when he opened his spiritual sight. The oasis had all but vanished, and the life qi of the hardy plants clustered around it was merely a memory in the howling darkness of the sandstorm. He didn¡¯t bother with the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. There was little truth the technique could show him that wasn¡¯t already obvious.


    Thousands of razor shards ripped into any exposed flesh. Wormed their way into robes, cutting into otherwise protected skin. If the qi He Yu had needed to withstand Tan Xiaoling¡¯s sandstorm was a constant trickle, this was more akin to a flood. The rock they¡¯d sheltered behind seemed to do little, but it would surely be worse were they exposed. All they could do now was huddle in what tiny shelter they had. Take refuge, and hope the storm wore itself out before it wore them down.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be how we go,¡± Yan Shirong shouted over the gale. He spit out a mouthful of sand, then covered his face with his sleeve again.


    Next to him, Chen Fei placed a palm on the ground. A formation script flared to life around them, creating a barrier. Immediately, the barrier shone like daylight. ¡°It won¡¯t hold for long,¡± she said, eying her creation.


    ¡°Even if it only holds for a few heartbeats, the respite is welcome enough.¡± Li Heng slumped down against the rock as he spoke.


    He Yu joined him. ¡°Enough to heal up,¡± he said, looking at the hundreds of tiny cuts on the back of his hand as they closed.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay out like this,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Tan Xiaoling told me about these storms. The worst is still on its way. They can last for hours, and they¡¯ll strip even Fourth and Fifth Realm cultivators down to bones by the time they pass.¡±


    That was the last thing He Yu wanted to hear. ¡°Did she say how to endure them?¡±


    ¡°Travelers usually carry sand tents made from thick hides and reinforced with formation scripts. They set them up when they see the storm¡¯s approach, and take shelter inside. They¡¯re not perfect, but it makes the storms survivable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose any of you have such a tent handy,¡± Yan Shirong said.


    Before anyone could answer him, Chen Fei¡¯s barrier collapsed. The wind and sand rushed in, and they had to huddle down upon themselves while she created another formation.


    ¡°How long can you keep that up for?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°A long time,¡± she answered before giving an apologetic grin. ¡°Not long enough, though. These storms can last for days.¡±


    ¡°At least we don¡¯t have to deal with the sun,¡± Li Heng said.


    There was that. The sky above was a dark ochre, nearly black. As dangerous as the sand was, it at least obscured the relentless sun above. He Yu couldn¡¯t tell which he¡¯d rather have dealt with. It was much the same in the end, once he thought about it. The sun sapped their strength as the desert itself bled away their life along with their qi. The sandstorm required they constantly spend their precious reserves healing the constant barrage of razor sand, lest they be stripped down to the bone in moments. Both led to the same place, their cultivation base eventually running dry, followed by death.


    ¡°No wonder the Jade Kingdom produces such cultivators,¡± He Yu said after Chen Fei created a third barrier formation.


    ¡°Dangerous as the White Desert is, the Jade Kingdom is worse,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°At least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    ¡°Surely it can¡¯t all be as bad as this.¡± He Yu couldn¡¯t believe that an entire kingdom had taken root in a land that was supposedly less hospitable that the hellscape they found themselves in.


    ¡°Settlements are roughly as you¡¯d expect,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Warded by formations, and looked after by local experts. Some valleys are tranquil enough that hardy Third Realms can survive on their own. But generally speaking, if you¡¯re not at least Golden Core, stay in the capital. The Tan family watches over Jade Mountain Citadel. It¡¯s the only truly safe place in all the kingdom.¡±


    Li Renshu had told them to seek hardship. The implication was that in doing so, they¡¯d eventually become strong enough to challenge Jin Xifeng herself. He¡¯d told them to do so in the Jade Kingdom. It was little wonder Tan Xiaoling had already been such a monster when she arrived at the sect.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°When we make it to the mountains, just think of the training opportunity,¡± He Yu said without thinking.


    ¡°Here we are, huddling behind a rock, hoping we won¡¯t be ripped to shreds by a sandstorm, and he¡¯s thinking of training,¡± Yan Shirong grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s half the reason he¡¯s advanced so fast, you know,¡± Chen Fei said after forming another barrier.


    ¡°Better than giving into despair,¡± Li Heng said.


    The conversation fell silent when a dark shape moved in the storm just outside the barrier. He Yu wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d seen it. The others shifted to more alert postures from their refuge behind the boulder. It could have simply been his imagination. With the constant howl of the wind and wall of sand, not to mention Chen Fei¡¯s shining barrier, He Yu couldn¡¯t see more than an arm¡¯s length into the storm. Then another shape moved. Then another.


    He counted, at minimum, half a dozen of the shapes. All of them moving just outside the barrier. Just far enough beyond the edge that he couldn¡¯t clearly make them out. They were more like phantoms in the swirling than creatures of flesh and blood. Whatever they were, they were smart. Awakened beasts, most likely. Creatures that came with the storm, hunted within it. He Yu shuddered at the thought. That such creatures could dwell within the violent eddies of wind and sand suggested they were nothing he wanted to encounter. Yet here they were.


    The attack came the instant Chen Fei¡¯s barrier fell once more. Three of the creatures burst from the sand before she could react.


    They looked like a cross between a lizard and a great hound. Thick, dark brown scales covered their powerfully built bodies that resembled hunting dogs. Slender legs ended in curved, glinting claws that dug into the earth as they charged. Their heads bore elongated snouts like a serpent¡¯s, with ridges of scales running over each slit-pupiled eye. Long, whip-like tails trailed behind them, ending in barbed spikes that reminded He Yu of a scorpion¡¯s stinger.


    The first sand beast slammed into He Yu before he could finish standing. It easily possessed the strength of a Fourth Realm beast. Claws dug into his robes and flesh. He had to shove his forearm into the sand beast¡¯s maw, leveraging it open before it sank teeth like daggers into his throat.


    He called the Bracing Wind, but the creature clung onto him, using some wind aspected technique of its own to shrug off the blast from its prey. Sand dug into the wounds the beast opened on him as he struggled in its grip. He wrestled his other arm free and tried to pry its jaws loose.


    An explosion of mountain qi pushed him into the packed earth and shattered the rock they¡¯d sheltered behind. The sand beast¡¯s head snapped to the side as it finally released its grip enough for He Yu to struggle free. The burst of power from Chen Fei¡¯s punch had been enough to momentarily blast away the sandstorm from around them both, creating a tiny bubble of calm. As He Yu regained his feet, he took in his surroundings.


    Li Heng and Yan Shirong both fought with sand beasts. Just outside the rapidly collapsing bubble of calm, more sand beasts circled. Easily double He Yu¡¯s first estimate. Sandstorm or no, desert or no, they¡¯d little choice now. At least this was something he knew how to handle.


    His guandao fell into his hands as his presence expanded and clashed with the sandstorm howling all around them. The others joined in, creating a riot of aspects. Mountain, shadow, ice, and heaven¡ªall swirling within the constant barrage of sand and wind from the storm itself. If the creatures had been aggressive before, they flew into a frenzy at the unrestrained spirits before them.


    Green acidic blood sprayed from a wound opened in one sand beast¡¯s shoulder as Li Heng flashed away from his opponent. The sand beast turned to bring its front claws to bear, the barbed tail lashing behind it. He Yu slipped into the space, slamming a blade wrapped in wind and gleaming with heaven upon the distracted beast. The injured creature spun again, only for Chen Fei to fall upon it. Her punch blasted away the sandstorm once more, and the sand beast collapsed. Its hind legs spasmed even as it scrambled forward, still trying to attack despite its shattered spine.


    Nearby, Yan Shirong tried his best to avoid three of the creatures at once, while fending off two more. Without so much as a word between them, He Yu and the others attacked the sand beasts from behind. Yan Shirong¡¯s expression was all the thanks He Yu needed. With the pressure taken off him, Yan Shirong faded back into the position where he was most effective. Half a hundred daggers gleamed in the dim light, held by as many caliginous strands of shadow. A barrage of poison tipped steel rained upon the sand beasts even as more shadows rose to bind them in place. He Yu and the others fell upon them. Lightning lit up the darkened storm. The cold silver glow of Li Heng¡¯s family art flashed in the gloom. The sound of shattering rock accompanied each of Chen Fei¡¯s crushing blows.


    Through it all, the beasts endured.


    The sand beasts were far tougher than they¡¯d any right to be, even at their advancement. The weakest among them were early Fourth Realm, and the bulk of the creatures were in the late stage. Even He Yu and Li Heng took several vital strikes to finally still the creatures. And through it all, the sandstorm that had brought them continued to rage.


    Nearly a dozen of the creatures lay dead or dying around the oasis, but the pack still came. He Yu desperately wished the storm would let up, but it only worsened. The sand and wind still raged around them, and the constant drain on their qi was taking its toll. The sand beasts seemed wholly unaffected by the storm. Which probably explained why they hunted within it. Whether the beasts or the storm took them first, it was only a matter of time before each of them fell¡ªeither ripped open by tooth and claw, or scoured clean by the storm itself.


    He Yu did everything he could to keep himself clear of the storm. As he had during the tournament when facing Tan Xiaoling, he used his command of the wind to maintain a pocket around himself. While he was far stronger now, the natural sandstorm made Tan Xiaoling¡¯s Third Realm technique look like a gentle breeze. Worse still, the winds only increased intensity as the fight dragged on, and the sand seemed only to cut deeper with each passing moment.


    Still, they fought. What other choice did they have? During a brief lull in the onslaught, He Yu took stock of his companions. Each looked ragged and worn out in their own way. Yan Shirong¡¯s movements were slower, and the sand beasts occasionally ripped free of his shadows. Li Heng had taken a number of cuts that bled profusely, even as his jian glowed in the murky light. Chen Fei had fared the worst, her bare arms covered in blood and grime.


    Just as the storm seemed it couldn¡¯t get any worse, a hulking shape padded out from the churning wall of the storm. A sand beast, twice again as large as the others, fixed its reptilian eyes on He Yu. Soundlessly it lunged, teeth and claws shining in the gloom.

 5.23 - Oasis

    The sand beasts moved without sound and attacked without warning. The pack leader was no exception. He Yu summoned the Spring Rain Mirror and darted to the side. A spray of acid blood erupted from the wound he scored on the creature¡¯s side as it passed him by. When it landed, it turned. Fixed its eyes on him once more. Once more, it attacked.


    Nearby, Chen Fei fought off two more of the beasts. Although they clung to her with their claws and their teeth, they failed to bring her to the ground. Her spirit rose to the heavens. The Titan¡¯s Panoply encased and protected her. Her formation barriers flashed as she warded off the attacks of a third beast that had yet to find purchase. Each blow from fist or foot sent rumbling cracks booming through the storm. Already Li Renshu¡¯s gift proved its worth as another beast broke beneath her blows.


    A flash of snow, however briefly it lasted, announced Li Heng¡¯s arrival. The sliver gleam of the Winter Moon Reflection a beacon in the gloom as he cut down the sand beast to He Yu¡¯s side. A nod, another flash of moonlit snow, and he was gone once again. Off into the swirling sand to fell another beast. Even through the howling wall of desert sand, Li Heng¡¯s presence shone through. The snowy field bathed in silver light stretched out beneath a silent moon. His ancestral jian flashed and beasts fell.


    In the shadows of the storm, Yan Shirong was a spot of deeper darkness. Carried by the Umbral Puppetmaster technique, he skirted the edges of the melee, launching poison-tipped daggers at the pack. When a sand beast got into position to flank one of the others, Yan Shirong bound it with an eruption of shadow. The beasts that came for him directly found themselves confounded, as he would simply vanish while they were in mid leap. Stepping out from the Darkwalker Shroud, a volley of dagger would pierce their hides. They would turn, only to find him gone once again.


    As he finished with yet another of the smaller beasts, Yan Shirong turned the countless eyes of his presence outward. ¡°The pack thins!¡± he called through the storm. Despite shouting, He Yu could barely hear him over the storm. At least things had finally swung in their favor.


    Another eruption of shadows grabbed a beast in mid-leap. Li Heng darted in, his blade fading to mist. The five black scars of the Darkmoon Strife open on the beast, on the world. Frostbite and rime crept over the creature¡¯s scaly hide, and its vile blood froze in the wound. As it fell to the ground, its movements sluggish in Li Heng¡¯s unnatural cold, the gleaming silver jian found its mark.


    Chen Fei grabbed the last sand beast that still clung to her and pried it off her spiritual armor. Taking each of its snapping jaw in one hand, she pried its maw open. With a sickening snap, the sand beast¡¯s bottom jaw tore free. Chen Fei stomped on the fallen beast, shattering its spine just below the neck.


    Lightning coursed down the length of He Yu¡¯s blade. By now, the pack leader had grown wary¡ªit was smart enough to realize its pack was defeated. It kept its distance from He Yu, sizing him up with too-intelligent eyes. The others moved into position around the beast, encircling it and cutting off any chance of escape.


    As the sandstorm finally waned, He Yu¡¯s presence expanded to take its place. Rain fell, soaking into the parched earth. The sandstorm¡¯s howling winds gave way to He Yu¡¯s gale. Thunder cracked across the desert as a stroke of lightning reached down from the heavens, called by his techniques.


    At long last, the pack leader roared. Cornered and desperate, it fought with all it had left. It was still a dangerous foe. As tall at the shoulder as Chen Fei, its bulk alone was enough to overpower any of the cultivators it faced. He Yu judged it to be roughly equal to his own advancement.


    Still, it was four on one now.


    Mountain, shadow, moonlight, and storm¡ªthe four of them attacked the pack leader at once. Chen Fei slammed into the beast with a flying kick. Its head snapped to the side as it stumbled, the extra force added by the flare of her formation giving the attack enough power to affect even a beast a realm above her. Shadows twined around the beast¡¯s legs. A hundred silver streaks marked the barrage of daggers Yan Shirong embedded in the pack leader¡¯s scaly hide. Fifth Realm or no, that much poison was certain to have an effect.


    As one, He Yu and Li Heng attacked. Even after fifteen years apart, the thousands of hours they¡¯d spent training together hadn¡¯t been forgotten. In a flash of moonlight, Li Heng stepped into a swipe of the pack leader¡¯s claws. His jian caught the attack and flared silver. He flashed away with the White Hare Dance and unleashed the river of sword light back at the beast.


    He Yu charged. With an upward sweep that surged with the power of Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade, his guandao gouged into the beast¡¯s exposed belly. Acid blood, entrails, and gore spilled onto the desert sand. He turned away a final desperate swipe of the creature¡¯s claws before it collapsed, the life fading from its furious eyes.


    The four of them withdrew their presences. With the fight over, they finally realized the storm had passed. He Yu idly wondered if the storm had brought the beasts of the pack itself had been the cause. He supposed it didn¡¯t matter either way. They¡¯d survived. That was what mattered most.


    The late afternoon sun beat down on them as they surveyed the day¡¯s work. Over two dozen of the sand beasts lay dead or dying, scattered across the oasis. Yan Shirong and Li Heng set about to finishing off those wounded beasts that still lived. Ever the huntress, Chen Fei knelt next to the pack leader with knife in hand, and reached into its chest, searching for its core.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    He Yu took the opportunity to search the oasis itself. Despite the storm¡¯s passage and the battle that had occurred within, the collection of hardy plants remained largely unaffected. With the storm gone, he could finally get a sense of the oasis itself. The feeling of life and water qi that had first drawn him in was stronger than he¡¯d expected. These plants could likely be refined into powerful elixirs if properly harvested. None of them had the skills of a refiner, so he put the thought aside. Best would simple be to cycle the area¡¯s qi as they recovered from the fight.


    They were all in rough shape, after all. The sandstorm had proved itself an even greater drain than the relentless sun. Then there was the damage inflicted by the beasts themselves. If there was one upside to all this, it was the oasis itself. The rich water and life qi of the area acted almost like a protective barrier against the worst effects of the desert sun. The more He Yu searched the area, the more he liked the idea of staying here to recover.


    The oasis proved itself far larger than he¡¯d first thought. Closer to what could only be the source of the water qi, He Yu had to push his way through increasingly dense and lush plant life. Date palms created an actually useful amount of shade, and the air had become almost cool. When the water source itself came into view, it was more than he ever could have hoped for.


    A deep pool of crystal-clear water formed the center of the oasis. At its edge sat a small hut fashioned out of mud-brick. Here at the center of the oasis, the confluence of water and life was as strong as anything he¡¯d ever found at the Shrouded Peaks. The location was such a nexus of natural qi, it could easily serve as a cultivation spot for someone of the Nascent Soul stage. Perhaps even higher.


    Here at the center, the draining effects of the relentless desert were wholly nullified. While none of them cultivated life qi, absorbing and cycling it would restore them faster than even the aspects they normally cultivated. The hut was currently unoccupied, but showed evidence of use. He Yu quickly realized this was how the caravans crossed the desert. They moved from one oasis to another, taking refuge in huts like this one.


    He relayed his findings back to the others. ¡°We should stay here and recover,¡± he said once he¡¯d shared what he found.


    ¡°It would be stupid not to,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Besides, if you¡¯re right about how the caravans travel, we could find another oasis. Between your perception and my geomancy, we shouldn¡¯t have too much trouble finding with way to go.¡±


    ¡°We should finish harvesting the beasts first,¡± Chen Fei said. She held up the gleaming core of the pack leader. ¡°This is potent. Earth and wind aspected, mostly. Traces of metal.¡±


    The cores would be most useful for her, then. ¡°What about the rest?¡± Li Heng asked.


    She tapped her skinning knife on the beast¡¯s hide. ¡°It¡¯s about as tough as it looks,¡± she said. Then she motioned to the pile of teeth and claws she¡¯d already extracted from the pack leader. ¡°I¡¯m no refiner, but these have to be worth something. Grind them up for elixirs, use them for weapons. Hides for armor. Fourth Realm beast cores are worth a lot on their own. We¡¯ve got a whole pack of them, along with all their parts. We¡¯re sitting on thousands of mid-grade stones, at least.¡±


    Predictably, Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes lit up at the prospect of wealth. Li Heng silently set to work, processing the corpse closest to him. He Yu joined them in their work. Chen Fei hadn¡¯t needed to say it¡ªafter fifteen years in seclusion and without access to the sect¡¯s resources, they were both low on, well, everything.


    He Yu had only his most potent medicinal pills left, stashed away for a truly dire emergency. After what he¡¯d given his father and the expenses of traveling across nearly the entire empire, he was completely out of low-grade spirit stones. His supply of mid-grade stones was similarly low. He¡¯d long since burned through his supply of advancement elixirs, and it was only Chen Fei¡¯s skill at wilderness craft that had kept them both in supply of beast and spirit cores during the past decade and a half.


    Their work lasted from late afternoon to well past dark. He Yu showed them to the pond at the center and the hut. It was cramped inside, but there was enough room for all of them. The water of the oasis was practically an elixir itself. He Yu and Li Heng emptied their wine jars and any gourds they had in their storage treasure and filled them from the pond.


    They spent the night cultivating. Between the water and the abundant life qi, they¡¯d healed their wounds by morning. Yan Shirong performed his geomancy, and He Yu went on a quick scouting excursion to confirm their route. For the remainder of the day, they rested and recovered. With the coming of nightfall, all four of them were back in peak condition. Leaving the oasis behind them, they set off into the White Desert once more, this time with a route and a plan.


    The promise of another oasis allowed them to use their movement techniques now. It was still night when they arrived, and the desert still took its toll, but they¡¯d traveled at least twice as far as they had the first day alone. As they recovered during the day, Yan Shirong¡¯s geomancy showed the way to their next stop.


    In this way, they traveled. By night, they crossed the desert as fast as they dared, making for the next oasis, heading ever west and south. By day they rested, restoring themselves under the protection of the life-giving waters. It took them a month of travel, but at long last, the rugged crags of the Jade Mountains peeked over the horizon.


    Finally, they arrived at Jade Mountain Citadel, the capital of the Jade Kingdom. Walls of black granite rose from the desert, and the mountains rose higher still at the city¡¯s back. The gates were manned by half a dozen guards, the weakest of them in the early Fourth Realm. The line for cultivators to gain access to the city was unusually long, and those who awaited in it were all at least Body Refining. Most of the Third Realms were still children. It seemed the rumors about the Jade Kingdom¡¯s cultivators were true¡ªit was little wonder Tan Xiaoling had been so strong.


    After a brief discussion at the gates, the four decided they wouldn¡¯t be able to fool the guards by passing as low realm cultivators. The Golden Cores¡¯ qi sense would be too sharp, and all four of them were far too advanced now to hide themselves from even a poor Fourth Realm perception technique. Still, they chose not to announce their affiliations, deciding it was best to keep up the ruse they were simply a group of rogue cultivators. According to Yan Shirong, rogue cultivators were more common in the Jade Kingdom anyway, and four of them coming to the capital wouldn¡¯t raise suspicion.


    Thankfully, the guards accepted some beast cores for the toll, and they passed through the gates with little difficulty. Once on the bustling streets of Jade Mountain Citadel, they set about to their next task and the main reason they¡¯d come here. Finding Tan Xiaoling.

 5.24 - Jade Mountain Citadel

    Backed by the rugged, snow-capped peaks of the Jade Mountains to the south, the royal palace dominated the capital of the Jade Kingdom. The city itself was as busy as He Yu had ever seen. Not that he¡¯d seen all that many, now that he reflected on it. He tried his best not to look like the country bumpkin he was.


    Chen Fei had no such shame. She let her excitement show plainly as she moved through the crowd, talking about how even during her first trip south to the Shrouded Peaks she¡¯d largely stuck to towns and smaller settlements. Li Heng and Yan Shirong found his and Chen Fei¡¯s reactions a bit droll, having both come from proper cities themselves, even if Plum Blossom City was hardly large enough to be considered as such.


    Pushing their way through the crowds filled with mortal and cultivator alike, they made their way to the merchant district. It was similar enough to the sect market that He Yu felt a bit of nostalgia along with the comforting familiarity of somewhere he could finally get his bearings. They sought a refiner first, looking for somewhere to sell the sand beast cores.


    The moment they dumped the cores on the refiner¡¯s counter, He Yu realized they¡¯d something truly valuable on their hands. The refiner¡¯s eyes lit up. He could hardly contain his excitement as he produced a bronze mirror to examine the cores¡¯ potency with. The reaction wasn¡¯t lost on any of them, Yan Shirong especially.


    ¡°Uncle, tell us more of these cores,¡± Yan Shirong said as he scooped up the larger part of the gleaming spheres and returned them to his storage treasure. ¡°As you might have realized, we¡¯ve only recently come to the Jade Kingdom, having just crossed the White Desert. We¡¯re unfamiliar with the spirit beasts of this region, as I¡¯m sure you understand. Clearly these cores are valuable, and I¡¯m sure one of your good character and honesty would let us know if we were in possession of treasures surpassing our knowledge.¡±


    The refiner¡¯s face fell a bit, but he took Yan Shirong¡¯s words in stride. ¡°Of course,¡± he said, peering at the reflection of the few remaining cores in the mirror. ¡°These cores come from beasts called scaled desert hounds. They cultivate earth and wind mostly, as I¡¯m sure experts of your ability have already discerned. This allows them to stalk the sandstorms that race across the desert and remain unharmed. They¡¯re dangerous beasts, and a pack as large as the one you all no doubt encountered poses a great danger, indeed.¡±


    ¡°So their parts must be suitably rare, then,¡± Li Heng said.


    The refiner¡¯s face fell a bit further. ¡°Suitably rare, indeed,¡± he said, this time a bit less enthusiastically.


    He Yu stepped back, happy to let Li Heng and Yan Shirong¡ªboth obviously more accustomed to haggling than he was¡ªdeal with the merchant. In the end, the two nobles got what they obviously considered an excellent price for the cores, as they both practically fell over themselves once they¡¯d left the refiner¡¯s shop.


    For the rest of the morning, they worked the market. Selling off small amounts of the scaled desert hound parts, their stock of spirit stones became a veritable mountain by the time they were done. The organs of the beasts mostly went to refiners, along with the few cores the first merchant couldn¡¯t afford to buy off them. Claws and teeth, too, got sold off to alchemists. Hides went to leather workers and armorers, and they even found a boyer to sell the sinew to. Gall and blood found their way to another suitably impressed alchemist. By the time they¡¯d finished unloading all the beast components, the fortune they possessed between them rivaled anything He Yu had seen at his time back at the sect. Even Yan Shirong was suitably impressed with their haul.


    During their time at the market, they also had Li Renshu¡¯s gifts appraised. The set of elixirs he¡¯d given Yan Shirong would easily take him to Nascent Soul, just as the Li patriarch had promised. They would allow him to more easily process and cycle any qi he absorbed, catapulting him into the next realm.


    Of course, forming a Nascent Soul would still take time and tremendous effort. Under Li Renshu¡¯s advice, Yan Shirong would still need to take half a step into the Fifth Realm first if he wanted to get the most out of his gift. Now, with the mountain of spirit stones they had, all he needed was a place and the time to do so.


    The formation expert they found to examine Chen Fei¡¯s gift practically fell over himself when she showed her set of bracers and anklets to him. He Yu and the others left her to excitedly confer with him, as they worked out precisely the sorts of modifications she would need to make to the formation script to best make use of Li Renshu¡¯s treasure.


    Once they were alone for a moment, Li Heng turned to He Yu. ¡°My grandfather gave us all a gift, except for you. At least that¡¯s what it seemed.¡± They sat together outside of a restaurant, drinking jars of wine together while they waited for the others. Something they¡¯d not done together for far too long.


    The unspoken question was obvious. For a moment, He Yu weighed the proper response. Li Renshu had, of course, told him to keep the gift of insight between them. Li Heng was the person He Yu least wanted to keep this sort of secret from, despite the former envy that had once nearly ruined their friendship. The choice was easier to make that He Yu had expected.


    ¡°Li Renshu gifted me insight into my Dao,¡± He Yu said, carefully judging his friend¡¯s reaction. ¡°I follow the Dao of Heroism,¡± he finished.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Much to He Yu¡¯s relief, Li Heng shook his head and gave a small laugh. ¡°Heaven truly favors you, it seems. I trust you know how precious the gift my grandfather gave you is.¡±


    ¡°Not precisely, but I have some ideas,¡± he admitted.


    During his time with Yongnian, the spirit turned out to be a wealth of knowledge of the higher realms. Although Yongnian had only reached the Fifth Realm himself, he kept records of the cultivators that had once frequented the shrine. He Yu had spent countless hours discussing his future advancement coming to better understand the Eternal Dao in his time with the spirit.


    Until a cultivator had left the Nascent Soul stage behind, they merely glimpsed what would eventually form their Daoist Mind. The main focus of an expert who had formed their Nascent Soul was to align themselves ever more closely with their Way, using their Wayborn Seed to do so. Defining their Way ever more clearly to themselves, and acting in accordance with it, opened their path to the Sixth Realm¡ªthe Soul Refining stage.


    Clearly defining one¡¯s personal Dao was the hallmark of the Sixth Realm. Sometimes, a particularly talented cultivator would define their Dao concretely during the process of pushing through the bottleneck. Most often, though, immortals only named their personal Dao once they¡¯d advanced to Soul Refining.


    Glimpsing one¡¯s personal Dao clearly enough to name it while not yet at the peak of Nascent Soul could only come from extraordinary circumstances. Like having an expert impart the wisdom of their Daoist Mind.


    ¡°Well,¡± Li Heng said, ¡°you¡¯ll have to share your newfound wisdom with the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Elder Cai said it himself. I¡¯ll need all of your help if I¡¯m to defeat Jin Xifeng.


    Li Heng¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of the empress. ¡°You think we¡¯ll be able to beat her? Obviously not now, but with enough time? Enough training?¡±


    He Yu shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted. ¡°But that isn¡¯t going to stop me from trying.¡±


    ¡°The Dao of Heroism.¡± Li Heng shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s rather obvious, now that I think about it.¡±


    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡± He Yu laughed.


    ¡°Fitting,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°A toast, then, to the hero of legend, He Yu.¡±


    They drank. It was the first time since leaving Iron Gate City that they¡¯d really had the time to connect. Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu¡¯s arrival had forced them to flee into the White Desert. The desert had been, well, awful. And that was putting it mildly. Even when they sheltered at the oases, they¡¯d been too exhausted. Too drained from their push through the night to reach their next refuge before morning.


    He Yu realized how terribly he¡¯d missed this.


    Yan Shirong found them first. Already it seemed he¡¯d spent a portion of his share of their stones, as he wore a new robe and a matching scholar¡¯s cap. The look suited him, He Yu told him. Yan Shirong accepted the compliment with a sniff. Then he sat down and bought them each a jar of wine to celebrate their arrival.


    It was mid-afternoon when Chen Fei finally found them, clutching a rolled up scroll containing the notes she¡¯d made with the help of the formation expert. Once the four of them were together again, they set off towards the palace. Once they collected Tan Xiaoling, they could begin their training in earnest. As far as they¡¯d all come so far, there was a long way left to go.


    The palace itself was a grand structure on the south side of Jade Mountain Citadel. Pavilions rose above a formidable wall of the same black granite that ringed the city. Qi surged through the walls and the palace itself, no doubt from powerful defensive formations or living techniques. Bronze statues of soldiers lined the plaza before the palace gate, each of them a powerful construct. Two more constructs, guardian lions carved of living jade, flanked the massive formation-engraved gate itself.


    When they crossed the plaza and approached the gates, a half-dozen guards wearing lamellar moved to bar their way. The captain, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator judging by the weight of his fire and wind aspected presence, stepped forward to glare at them.


    ¡°Be gone,¡± he barked. ¡°The palace is off limits. Even to those of your level of advancement and status.¡± He eyed Li Heng and He Yu as he spoke the last.


    He Yu had long since changed back into the robes he¡¯d gotten from Yongnian years ago. Li Heng dressed in his typical raiment, and Yan Shirong¡¯s new outfit was equally fine. Only Chen Fei didn¡¯t look the part of a noble these days, but she still carried herself with the dignity common to ladies of the Way. Nobody would mistake the four of them for anything other than immortal experts anymore.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to see Princess Tan,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We¡¯re friends of hers from the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    A dangerous silence fell over the courtyard in front of the palace as the sharp sensation of killing intent came from the guard captain. After a moment, he spoke, his voice low and threatening. ¡°The four of you would do best to leave. There is no Princess Tan here in the palace.¡±


    Li Heng stepped forward, releasing a small portion of his presence as he did so. ¡°What do you mean, there is no Princess Tan?¡± he demanded. ¡°We know her personally. Let us pass, or I¡¯ll make sure she hears of this insult.¡±


    The captain released a pulse of qi. Each of the guardian lions to either side of the gate shifted, turning their attention to He Yu and the others. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed them to be creations equal to a Seventh Realm cultivator. Chen Fei looked around nervously. He Yu put a hand on Li Heng¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is just a misunderstanding. Once we speak with Princess Tan, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll clear things up,¡± He Yu said, attempting to diffuse the situation.


    A jian radiating fire-aspected qi fell into the captain¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ll not repeat myself,¡± he said.


    ¡°Right,¡± He Yu said, holding up a hand and taking a step back. ¡°Message received. We¡¯ll be going then, if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best that you do,¡± the captain said.


    As they turned to leave, the captain and the guardian lions watched them as they retreated.


    ¡°That went well,¡± Yan Shirong muttered once they¡¯d left the plaza well behind them.


    ¡°It could have gone a lot worse,¡± Chen Fei pointed out. ¡°We can figure out a way to get inside, I¡¯m sure. They probably have to chase all sorts of people off.¡±


    He Yu couldn¡¯t say he shared her optimism. On their return trip from the spirit stone mine, Tan Xiaoling had shared with him some of her troubles with her uncle. This certainly had something to do with that. For all he knew, she might not have survived her return. He hoped that wasn¡¯t the case. They found a restaurant where they could rent a private room and have a meal suitable to their advancement. As they sat and ate, they discussed their plans.


    Whatever had happened to Tan Xiaoling, there had to be a reason the guard captain said she wasn¡¯t in the palace. Clearly, their first order of business was to find out what had happened since they¡¯d parted ways with the Jade Princess.

 5.25 - Absence

    It didn¡¯t take them long to find lodgings in the city suitable for cultivators of their advancement. With the spirit stones they¡¯d received for the sand beast parts, the price wasn¡¯t anything to worry about either. They each had their own cultivation chamber, and the hostler even had a formation expert on hand to reconfigure the script to amplify the aspects guests required. He Yu emerged from his cultivation early the next morning as Jade Mountain Citadel began to awake.


    After a quick meal of qi fortified dumplings with the others, they set about to planning their next moves. Li Heng wanted to force their way in to the palace¡ªa plan He Yu and the other unanimously overruled. Yan Shirong had the more sensible suggestion. Split up, and gather information.


    There was too much they simply didn¡¯t know. Why would the guard act as if Tan Xiaoling didn¡¯t even exist? He Yu didn¡¯t think she was dead. If she¡¯d fallen at the hands of her uncle upon her return to the Jade Kingdom, he thought the captain would have said as much.


    When he shared his reasoning with the others, Yan Shirong pointed out there might be some custom or taboo surrounding naming the dead. Li Heng didn¡¯t think that made sense, and He Yu agreed. Regardless of whether such a taboo existed or not, it didn¡¯t change their immediate goal.


    With the plan settled for the time being, He Yu headed out into the city with Chen Fei. Once they¡¯d left the inn well behind them in the crowded streets of Jade Mountain Citadel, she pulled He Yu onto a less crowded side street.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about her,¡± she said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think something¡¯s happened to her?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think you¡¯re right, though. She¡¯s still alive. I think whatever was going on with the guard captain has to do with the succession dispute.¡±


    He Yu wasn¡¯t surprised she knew about that. For their whole time in the outer sect, Chen Fei and Tan Xiaoling had lived together. They¡¯d quickly struck up a friendship, and had remained close after moving into the inner sect. If anyone would know the details of Tan Xiaoling¡¯s troubles, it would be Chen Fei.


    ¡°Tan Xiaoling told me a bit about the problems with her uncle, but I¡¯m not really up on the details,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Well, the short of it comes from the fact she was of such low advancement.¡±


    ¡°Surely that could have been fixed, right? I mean, she was the strongest outer disciple that joined with us. And you saw what she did during the tournament.¡± She¡¯d simply crushed everyone she faced, was what she¡¯d done. He Yu had been the only one to put up a fight, and she still beat him handily. Despite all the insights to his Way and his proclamations about never giving up, with the wisdom of time and hindsight he could admit the truth. He¡¯d never stood a chance against her.


    ¡°Eventually. But you know how cultivators are. Her uncle never would have given her the chance to grow strong enough if she¡¯d stayed.¡±


    ¡°So she left,¡± He Yu said.


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s part of the problem,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Based on what she told me, the people of the Jade Kingdom value strength and personal power above everything else. Makes sense if you think about it. I mean, look at what happened to us in the desert. Things are worse up in the mountains themselves. Between the White Desert and the Jade Mountain, this isn¡¯t a land where the weak get to enjoy long lives. I think that¡¯s a lot of the reason Xiaoling was the way she was, you know?¡±


    It made sense. He Yu had always vaguely known that Tan Xiaoling¡¯s constant insistence that the Jade Kingdom was a harsh land full of harsh people was more than a simple platitude. If their journey across the White Desert was any hint of what the mountains held, this land was even harsher than he¡¯d first imagined.


    ¡°So succession disputes like the one Xiaoling and her uncle have are common,¡± Chen Fei continued. ¡°Expected, really. This one is different, though.¡±


    ¡°Different how?¡± he asked.


    ¡°So her mother was a concubine. Tan Zihao never married. He also never had a second child.¡±


    ¡°Does that matter?¡± He Yu asked. As far as he knew, any children born of the reigning emperor or empress in the Dragon Empire were eligible for the throne. Heirs were often selected based on talent and actual advancement. Although given the typical lifespans of cultivators, actual succession was exceedingly rare. The practice of naming an heir was more of a safeguard against crises more than a practical necessity.


    ¡°Normally, the monarch would have many children. They would compete amongst themselves for resources and to advance the fastest. Once a clear strongest emerged, that child would be named heir. Any of the other children could challenge the named heir for their position, although that hardly ever happens. But Tan Zihao never took another concubine after Xiaoling was born. It¡¯s happened before, according to her. Sometimes a monarch will only have one child, so they can invest all the resources at their disposal into that child¡¯s advancement.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Alright,¡± He Yu said. ¡°But what¡¯s different this time?¡±


    ¡°Tan Qingsheng. He¡¯s much younger than Tan Zihao, by like hundreds of years. He¡¯s only eighty or so years old. Practically a child in the eyes of cultivators of Tan Zihao¡¯s advancement.¡±


    He Yu thought he saw what she was getting at. ¡°So because he¡¯s so young, he could challenge Tan Xiaoling¡¯s right to the throne.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Also, because he was already at the Nascent Soul stage, there was no way Tan Xiaoling could stand up to him.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense that she came south then.¡±


    ¡°Problem is that made her look weak.¡±


    The shape of things fell into place. ¡°So she all but renounced her claim by coming south to save her life.¡±


    Chen Fei nodded. ¡°And I¡¯ll bet Tan Qingsheng wasn¡¯t simply sitting on his hands while she was gone, either. He knew she¡¯d come back eventually. While the Jade Kingdom produces strong cultivators, Xiaoling is a once-in-a-generation talent even by the standards of her home. He¡¯d have known that he would have to deal with her, eventually.¡±


    ¡°So if she was still at the Golden Core stage when she returned, she wouldn¡¯t yet be able to challenge Tan Qingsheng directly,¡± he said.


    It seemed they had two questions to answer now. The most important one remained finding out what happened to Tan Xiaoling. The second was to determine what exactly Tan Qingsheng had been up to during Tan Xiaoling¡¯s time in the sect. And in the fifteen years since her return.


    He Yu and Chen Fei quickly agreed their best course of action would be to find out more about Tan Qingsheng. A discreet question here or there about Tan Xiaoling wouldn¡¯t hurt, but learning the extent of what her uncle had been up to seemed to be the best route to figuring out what happened in her absence. They set about to wandering the city and asking their questions. As it turned out, people were more than happy to talk about the great Tan Qingsheng.


    Over the past twenty years, he¡¯d become something of a hero to the people of Jade Mountain Citadel and the surrounding settlements. He¡¯d built the foundations of his reputation with frequent excursions into the surrounding lands. Whether he came to the aid of settlements dealing with attacks from beasts of spirits, or routing bandits from the valleys of the Jade Mountains, Tan Qingsheng had always ensured he did so visibly. As more and more people of the Jade Kingdom witnessed his exploits, they talked. The more people talked, the more his reputation grew.


    Tan Qingsheng also made a show of bestowing vast amounts of advancement resources on the cultivators of the settlements he defended. His stated reason for this was always to help those experts better aid those who depended upon him. While gifting such vast wealth certainly did what Tan Qingsheng claimed it would, nobody was foolish enough to think that was the only reason he¡¯d done it. But neither was anybody willing to turn down such wealth, even if it was simply to buy their goodwill.


    In the first years after Tan Xiaoling went south, Tan Qingsheng had worked hard to push her from the people¡¯s memory. His efforts had mostly worked. To the people of the Jade Kingdom, Tan Qingsheng was everything an heir should be. Visibly strong, an active defender of the kingdom itself, and magnanimous to its people. By contrast, Tan Xiaoling was simply absent.


    They did, however, find one potential lead about what might have happened to Tan Xiaoling. As the day and the shadows grew long, He Yu and Chen Fei stopped at a food stand for a quick snack. Although the stand dealt only in mortal fare, Chen Fei insisted they stop, since the smell was irresistible. The steamed buns stuffed with red bean paste did smell amazing, and since mortal wealth was meaningless to him, He Yu was more than happy to join her.


    ¡°The princess. I remember hearing something about her,¡± the stand owner said after Chen Fei had brought the conversation around to what they were really after. The owner was an older man, nearing the end of his mortal lifespan. His face was lined with age, but he ran the food stand with the energy of a man of only half his years. ¡°A lot of people were upset when she left, you know. She was popular, if only because she showed such promise.¡±


    ¡°But fifteen years ago,¡± Chen Fei said around a mouthful of steamed dough and bean paste.


    ¡°Ah, when she returned,¡± the stand owner said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t say what happened exactly. There wasn¡¯t a battle or anything. People would have remembered that. Tan Qingsheng denounced her to anyone who would listen, and with his reputation, that turned out to be most people. The talk stopped soon after, so if I were to guess, she fled the city again.¡±


    ¡°My thanks, uncle,¡± He Yu said as he put down another coin for a second steamed bun.


    The owner was more than happy to keep talking, but they quickly found he¡¯d little else of use to say. At least now they had something. If only that something was the barest whisper of a hint, it was better than what they¡¯d had before. They poked around the city for a little while longer. Even with the stand owner¡¯s speculation to follow up on, they learned nothing else of value. As night fell, they headed back to their rooms to meet up with Li Heng and Yan Shirong.


    ¡°Better than what we got,¡± Li Heng said over a jar of wine once they¡¯d all finished filling each other in about the day¡¯s questioning.


    During their own tour of the city, Li Heng and Yan Shirong hadn¡¯t learned much other than what most people of Jade Mountain Citadel were willing to freely share. Tan Qingsheng was popular. He¡¯d made a name for himself. And although no official declaration had ever been issued, he was considered the heir presumptive by mostly everyone in the city.


    Yan Shirong sat silently, wearing a pensive expression. He Yu left him to it. No doubt he was sorting through everything they¡¯d learned¡ªwhat little of it there was¡ªin an attempt to glean something useful for their next steps.


    Li Heng¡¯s frustration was understandable. His relationship with Tan Xiaoling had been somewhat of an open secret back in the sect. He Yu didn¡¯t know how much they¡¯d shared about her situation with respect to her uncle, but He Yu could tell he was worried about her.


    ¡°One thing that seems to be fairly obvious,¡± He Yu said in an attempt to lift Li Heng¡¯s spirits, ¡°is that she didn¡¯t do battle with her uncle. At least nowhere near the city. That means there¡¯s a good chance she¡¯s out there somewhere, right?¡±


    Li Heng kept staring into his wine. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± was all he said.

 5.26 - Into the Wilds Once More

    Yan Shirong sat down at the table in the downstairs room of their inn. ¡°I think I may have found her,¡± was all the announcement he made.


    When He Yu had emerged from his cultivation after their first day of combing Jade Mountain Citadel for rumors and clues, Yan Shirong was already gone. At least he¡¯d the courtesy to leave a note, even if it had only said to wait for him to return. They¡¯d done as he bid, and had spent the morning and the early afternoon sitting in the main room and drinking wine while He Yu and Chen Fei took turns distracting Li Heng for long enough that he didn¡¯t head out into the city on his own.


    During their time at the sect, He Yu learned well enough to trust Yan Shirong¡¯s ability to tease out information based on very little. He¡¯d apparently thought the morsels He Yu and Chen Fei discovered were enough, and set about to doing what he was best at. Li Heng knew better, too, but He Yu understood his frustration. It had been fifteen years, after all.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Li Heng asked, immediately perking up as Yan Shirong joined them once more.


    Skipping any preamble, Yan Shirong shared what he¡¯d learned. ¡°A traveling merchant from one of the higher valleys spoke of a female cultivator living in seclusion in the reaches even higher than where he comes from. He couldn¡¯t provide too many details, but what I learned is promising.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡± Li Heng leaned forward, intent on whatever it was Yan Shirong was about to share.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up just yet,¡± Yan Shirong said with a frown. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t have many details. A promising lead, but still merely a lead.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Just tell us what you¡¯ve heard. We¡¯ll figure out what to do next.¡±


    As Yan Shirong shared what he learned, wine jars stayed on the table and the soup they¡¯d ordered steamed before growing cool. All their attention was focused on him as he spoke, and the more He Yu learned, the harder it became to deny that this was more than a ¡°mere lead.¡±


    The expert living in seclusion was, judging from what the traveling merchant said, either peak Golden Core or maybe even early Nascent Soul. The trader¡¯s advancement was merely that of late Body Refining. Between his lower advancement and the distance at which he sensed the expert¡¯s presence, the distinction was beyond him.


    Although he admitted he¡¯d never seen her himself, others on his route had. They spoke of her in fairly uniform terms. She was young, appearing to be maybe in her early twenties. Of course, that meant little in the world of cultivators. Zhang Lifen was old enough to be He Yu¡¯s grandmother, and last he¡¯d seen her one could easily be forgiven for guessing they were of similar age. Jin Xifeng was over a thousand years old and she appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties, too.


    The importance of age¡ªat least in appearance¡ªwas relative to when they¡¯d last seen Tan Xiaoling. She had been in her early twenties then, just like the rest of them. As a mid stage Golden Core, she wouldn¡¯t have appeared to have aged a day in the intervening decade and a half. Just like the rest of them still appeared young, but with that distinct sense of gravitas that was common among more advanced cultivators. Although it wasn¡¯t much to go on, it matched how Princess Tan would appear.


    Everyone who had encountered her also described her otherworldly beauty. Not surprising, either. Anyone who achieved Golden Core would have nearly perfected their physical form. Handsome, beautiful, or whatever other way one could describe an attractive person was almost not worth mentioning with cultivators. Her description also mentioned her unnerving golden eyes. Not something that would have described Tan Xiaoling previously, but both Li Heng and He Yu had begun showing more of their cultivation in little physical tells with their advancement to Nascent Soul.


    If this mysterious expert was Tan Xiaoling, and she¡¯d achieved the Fifth Realm in the past fifteen years¡ªsomething He Yu felt was almost a guarantee, given what he knew of her¡ªit was entirely possible her eyes would change color. He distinctly remembered staring down the golden tiger Tan Xiaoling¡¯s arts were named for, and those two pairs of eyes were like molten pools of gold.


    Then there were the descriptions of being near her. The trader said people spoke of a distinct sense of danger that seemed to cling to her, and follow her wherever she went. It was perhaps the strongest evidence they¡¯d heard so far.


    ¡°There¡¯s one last thing,¡± Yan Shirong said, making Li Heng pause even as he stood from his seat. ¡°They say her arts call forth a storm of metal blades or manifest a spear of dark flame.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her,¡± Li Heng said.


    He Yu couldn¡¯t blame him. Although a storm of metal blades wasn¡¯t exactly the same as the sandstorm he was used to, there was no reason she couldn¡¯t adjust her techniques. Aligning the technique more closely with metal would simplify the aspects she needed to cultivate.


    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± he announced. He was already halfway to the door when He Yu caught up with him.


    ¡°Wait,¡± He Yu said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to go rushing off.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Li Heng snapped, shooting a glance at Chen Fei. ¡°I¡¯ve waited for long enough.¡±


    ¡°I want to see her too,¡± Chen Fei said, coming over to join them and very pointedly ignoring Li Heng¡¯s look. ¡°He Yu is right, though. The Jade Mountains are going to be more dangerous than the White Desert. We don¡¯t want to head out without preparing first. Besides, if it is her, we likely won¡¯t be coming back to the city any time soon. It would be best if we plan for an extended stay in the mountains.¡±


    It took another few back-and-forth exchanges, but after Yan Shirong joined He Yu and Chen Fei, the three of them finally managed to convince Li Heng. He Yu didn¡¯t blame him, though. He knew exactly what Li Heng had been getting at, and he¡¯d have done the same if their positions were reversed.


    Once they¡¯d gotten him to calm down, figuring out what they needed was a task he set himself to with vigor. The spirit stones they¡¯d earned from their encounter in the desert would serve them well here. They had more than enough funds to purchase the list of supplies they drew up and still have plenty of stones left.


    By the time night fell, they were loaded with elixirs and medicines enough for the foreseeable future. Yan Shirong had even acquired a pill furnace and some refining manuals, claiming it was about time he finally learned how to make his own pills. Finally, Chen Fei had found a mountain guide, and spent several hours conferring with him. Her knowledge of mountain living meant the guide could catch her up quickly, and she soon had as good a sense of the land as she could get without seeing it for herself.


    It took a little convincing for the guards to let them through the gate, as they¡¯d been shut for the night, but a few spirit stones across a pair of palms and they were on their way. The gates thumped shut behind them, and they set off on the road by foot. At least until they¡¯d gotten a polite distance from Jade Mountain City.


    The mountains themselves rose as a black mass against the star-lit sky as their presences expanded outward. Li Heng vanished in a flash of moonlight and a dusting of snow, appearing several hundred feet ahead of the rest. Shadows rose around Yan Shirong, lifting him into the air as he leaned back like he was lounging on a pile of cushions, allowing his technique to do the work for him. Chen Fei simply ran, her powerful strides carrying her further than any mortal could have dreamed of. He Yu knew full well her endurance was more than enough to let her keep pace with the rest.


    He Yu flew. The wind curled around him, buoyed him, and lifted him into the sky. With his advancement to Nascent Soul, the Sky Dragons Flight had, at last, come into its name. He soared above the other three, ignoring their envious looks as he looped through the sky without need for a flying treasure.


    The land rose before them. As rugged and wild He Yu had always considered the land around the Shrouded Peaks, the Jade Mountains themselves were a whole other kind of wild altogether. Even the closest¡ªand lowest¡ªof the Jade Mountains rose higher than the tallest of the summits down south. The slopes were densely wooded, covered in hardy evergreens. The well-maintained road had become little more than a dirt track by the time the sun showed itself in the east.


    It only took until midmorning before they encountered the first glimpse of what the higher peaks had in store for them. An overturned cart, coated in frost and rime, glittered in the early morning sun. The cart¡¯s driver was nowhere to be seen, but the snow leopard tracks leading toward the tree line and up the slope were evidence enough of their fate. The tracks themselves were twice again as large as He Yu¡¯s hand. Judging by the strength and density of the lingering qi, the attacking leopard would have been in the Fourth Realm.


    He Yu shook his head as they passed the wreckage. Around the Shrouded Peaks, a beast of that stage would have been hunted down by the sect. Especially this close to a settlement. A few would be kept around and herded into designated areas for training, or for stronger disciples to hunt for resources. They¡¯d have been managed. Not let to simply grow stronger and attack as they pleased.


    Then he noticed the carrion birds. A flock of them lurked on the branches in the tree line. Silently, they watched the four cultivators pass or peered at the wreckage with eyes that held far too much intelligence. He Yu opened his sight to the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment. Of the two dozen birds, the weakest was at the middle Fourth Realm. He shut his sight and thanked their fortune that the birds weren¡¯t aggressive. Even with Li Heng and himself along, it would have been a tough fight.


    From that point on, he kept an eye out for beasts and spirits. Once he started looking, he found them.


    Although there were a good number of Third Realm creatures around, it seemed the most common were all at the Golden Core stage. It likely explained why so many of the cultivators they¡¯d run across reached Golden Core. While the natural qi of the mountains was both abundant and dense, that wouldn¡¯t be enough to explain their advancement alone. But with such access to materials and components from beasts this strong? Elixirs that He Yu likely could have only afforded in his dreams back at the sect must be fairly common here.


    The constant struggle against the powerful beasts of the land would push cultivators in ways life at the sect had never pushed him. And the more he saw, the more obvious it became that the reason the inhabitants of the Jade Mountains didn¡¯t claim more of the land was simply because they couldn¡¯t. Everywhere he turned his sight, He Yu found more beasts.


    Until he didn¡¯t. The first indication that something was amiss came from the sudden disappearance of the mountain¡¯s inhabitants. He Yu wasn¡¯t the only one to notice. After a shout and a wave from Li Heng, He Yu landed amidst the rest of his companions.


    ¡°Something is close by,¡± Li Heng said. ¡°Did you catch anything?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a ravine up ahead,¡± he answered. ¡°Now that I think about it, there is an awful lot of earth qi that way.


    They advanced cautiously. The utter absence of spirits and beasts was a tell enough. Just as the ravine came and the rope bridge spanning it came into view, they also found the source of the earth qi.


    A massive awakened beast sat in the road. It had the head of a boar, with two wicked-looking tusks jutting out from its mouth. Although its legs ended in trotters, it stood upright like a man as it rose to its feet. Its bulk came from what could only be muscle covered by a thick layer of fat. He Yu had been in more than enough fights to recognize strength when he saw it. As it took a step forward, the boar-creature-man thing produced a fittingly massive cleaver that it rested on one shoulder. Beady, burning eyes flicked between the four of them.


    Then it spoke. ¡°A toll for crossing my bridge. A toll of flesh and a feast to fill my belly. Which one of you will feed me? And which of you will continue on your way? Make your choice before I make it for you, man-things.¡±

 5.27 - Bridge Guardian

    He Yu called forth his guandao. This was not a creature they could reason with, and he wasn¡¯t even going to try. The massive boar stood twice as tall as even Chen Fei, and its wrist was as thick around as He Yu¡¯s chest. It was clearly advanced enough to assume a partial human form, and although he wasn¡¯t yet certain of the great boar¡¯s advancement, He Yu could tell this was not a foe to be taken lightly.


    As the storm of his presence billowed out from him, he called upon his techniques. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment showed him the shift of weight, the bunch of muscles, and the adjustment the creature made to its grip on the cleaver¡ªwhen the attack came, he was ready. The Spring Rain Mirror formed to turn the boar¡¯s cleaver away. He Yu surged into the space he¡¯d created and called Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade.


    A flash of moonlight marked Li Heng¡¯s appearance. He caught the boar¡¯s cleaver on his jian and flashed away once again. Leveling the gleaming blade at the creature, he unleashed a river of sword light with his release of the Winter Moon Reflection. Even as Li Heng¡¯s technique washed over their opponent, the boar¡¯s shadow churned. Dozens of tendrils formed from living shadow burst from beneath the creature, wrapping themselves around its weapon and limbs. The instant Li Heng¡¯s technique fully faded, Chen Fei slammed into the creature like an avalanche. Her first punch sent a thunderclap echoing off the surrounding mountain slopes, and the earth beneath her cracked and cratered.


    The creature laughed. It ripped itself free from Yan Shirong¡¯s tendrils. It caught Chen Fei¡¯s kick, grabbing her leg. Using her like a club, it swatted He Yu away. They both crashed into a nearby tree. Wood splintered beneath them as the tree all but disintegrated.


    ¡°Four times the feast! I, Kang Zhu, God of the Green Mountains, accept your challenge! Come fight me, or flee while you still can!¡±


    Kang Zhu¡¯s presence rose to answer the challenge. A great stone boar rose from the earth. Four tusks of obsidian sprouted from its mouth on either side of its snout. Trotters, black and gleaming and razor-sharp, tore at the earth beneath it. Its snorts sounded like cracking stone, and the ridge along its back was jagged and sharp, as if hewn from living rock. The great boar tossed its head and charged.


    It was only the prescience afforded by the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment that allowed He Yu to react in time. Kang Zhu¡¯s cleaver crashed into the Spring Rain Mirror, shattering the defensive technique as the earth-aspected attack overcame his water-aspected defense. He caught the blow on his guandao, cycling the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. The impact sent another burst of qi exploding outward, shattering the earth beneath his feet.


    Kang Zhu was fully within the Fifth Realm. Likely close to the middle stage, if not already there. Worse, he cultivated earth qi¡ªan aspect He Yu had always felt he fared poorly against. Kang Zhu had already proved his monstrous strength, and no doubt he had durability and endurance to match. He Yu grimaced as he tried to shove the massive cleaver back and it hardly budged.


    ¡°Beasts shouldn¡¯t dare speak,¡± scoffed Yan Shirong. Shadows billowed out from him, and a thousand eyes peered out from within their depths. Dozens of gleaming points darted out from the gloom, only to bounce harmlessly off Kang Zhu¡¯s thick hide.


    Without even looking, Kang Zhu swatted Yan Shirong away with a lazy backhand. The strike passed through nothing but air as Yan Shirong vanished to shadow, using his movement technique, the Darkwalker Shroud.


    Chen Fei was back on her feet, and she¡¯d called forth the Titan Panoply. As the suit of spiritual armor forged itself, her presence reached to the heavens. In He Yu¡¯s spiritual sight, she towered over the battle. The White Mountain Body Art drew from the very earth itself, feeding her strength and vitality. With the art¡¯s first stage, the Eternal Mountain Root, she drank the power of metal and earth.


    Kang Zhu snorted as Chen Fei drew back a fist. ¡°Do not hold back, child. This boar has endured worse than what you can call forth.¡±


    He Yu readied himself. Chen Fei might cultivate aspects poorly suited for dealing with a beast of earth, but she hadn¡¯t yet revealed her family art. A single formation character laid itself over the world at the instant her fist impacted Kang Zhu¡¯s middle dantian. Chen Fei¡¯s qi flowed into the formation character ¡°wood,¡± and wood-aspected qi flowed out.


    Kang Zhu roared as his presence faltered. Even at the peak, a Golden Core couldn¡¯t hope to do more than temporarily disrupt the cultivation base of a Nascent Soul stage awakened beast. But a temporary disruption could turn the tide of a battle. Li Heng stepped inside Kang Zhu¡¯s guard, the blade of his jian replaced by a frozen mist. The Darkmoon Strife opened five black scars on the world and left five frostbitten wounds across Kang Zhu¡¯s exposed side. The great boar twisted, grabbing for Li Heng, but caught only moonlit snow.


    With his opponent¡¯s back exposed, He Yu attacked. The storm screamed as he charged. The Rushing Wind curled around him, infused with the charged golden sheath of Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. His guandao pierced into Kang Zhu¡¯s hide, wind tearing at the wound even as heaven¡¯s lightning crawled along the beast¡¯s skin. Blood spurted from the wound as Kang Zhu roared in pain.


    He Yu ducked a sweep of the giant cleaver. Killing intent, sharp and heavy, pressed down on the world as it caused the edge of the cleaver to gleam with murderous light. Before He Yu could adjust, Kang Zhu followed up with a swift kick. The gleaming obsidian trotter opened a painful gash in his side. He tumbled over several times and crashed through another tree before he caught himself with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight.


    Kang Zhu lowered his head and charged. Shadows erupted from beneath his feet, from the surrounding undergrowth, and any other spot of darkness within several dozen feet. The charging boar ripped free of the tendrils like they weren¡¯t even there. Wind lifted He Yu. Only a last second formation of the Spring Rain Mirror bought him enough space to dart away from Kang Zhu¡¯s charge.


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    The great boar ripped through the trees and underbrush for another dozen yards before he stopped. Li Heng and Chen Fei both moved in behind him in an attempt to keep pressing the attack. The full moon shone down over a solitary mountain, as they both arrived at once.


    Li Heng appeared and lashed out with another strike using the Darkmoon Strife. Frost lined the sleeves and hems of his robe, creeping up almost to his elbows and waist. Each time he stepped through the White Hare Dance, a burst of frozen ground marked his passing. Jagged ice crystals littered the area, cold and sharp even under the midday sun.


    Kang Zhu lashed out blindly with his cleaver. Chen Fei caught the gleaming edge on her armored forearm, but He Yu winced as her technique¡¯s armor cracked under the weight of the Fifth Realm¡¯s attack. She held her own and responded with a powerful kick. An explosion of qi and another wood character imprinted itself on the world. Vines burst from the ground and wrapped around Kang Zhu¡¯s legs.


    With another roar, Kang Zhu grabbed for Chen Fei again. This time, she called a formation barrier as she backed off. The barrier flashed, then broke, but it had done its job. Out of Kang Zhu¡¯s reach, she made a series of incantation gestures, calling more wood-aspected formations with her Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols art.


    Yan Shirong stepped out of the shadows once more. This time, he used his Myriad Black Thorns technique to support his daggers. Aiming for the wounds the others had already opened in Kang Zhu¡¯s hide, he found purchase this time. A handful of silver darts embedded themselves into Kang Zhu¡¯s flesh, and the spray of shadowy thorns left an ugly, blackened mess of half-rotting flesh where they¡¯d struck.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Kang Zhu shouted. The power of his voice cracked the earth beneath his feet and triggered a rockslide on a nearby slope. ¡°Witness the might of the Stone Jungle.¡± He lifted his free hand and closed his fist. Spires of jagged stone with gleaming shards of razor-sharp obsidian erupted all around him.


    The technique shredded what remained of the nearby area. Obsidian blades set in stone pillars ripped apart trees that had stood for hundreds of years. The road had long since been obliterated, and the undergrowth turned to little more than shredded mulch. Even Chen Fei¡¯s vines fared little better than the natural plants.


    Floating above the fight, held by the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, He Yu avoided the technique. His friends weren¡¯t so fortunate.


    Chen Fei weathered the attack through sheer grit. She was already the toughest of them all, even still in the Fourth Realm. The techniques of the White Mountain Body Art all layered onto each other, providing a considerable boost to her already impressive resilience. The Eternal Mountain Root drew upon qi from the earth itself, cycling mountain qi to her limbs. The Iron Fortress Redoubt cycled metal qi to grant even more strength and durability. Then the Titan Panoply drew upon the first two techniques to form the suit of armor that now encased her. Even though the Titan Panoply cracked and fell apart under the assault of Kang Zhu¡¯s Stone Jungle technique, Chen Fei endured.


    Li Heng flashed out of the technique¡¯s range, but not before catching several bloody wounds from the sheer density of the attack. He still managed to deflect a portion of it with his jian, so when he stepped onto yet another field of frozen crystals, his jian shone like the full moon.


    Yan Shirong simply vanished, becoming one with the shadows before reappearing. ¡°Trash,¡± he snorted as more tendrils rose from within the forest of stone spires to wind themselves around Kang Zhu¡¯s weapon and limbs.


    With another hearty laugh, Kang Zhu ripped free from Yan Shirong¡¯s shadows. ¡°I¡¯ll devour you first, little shadow,¡± he said. The massive boar of Kang Zhu¡¯s presence charged, tearing up the ground beneath it and sending yet more spires of stone erupting in every direction.


    It slammed into a great solitary mountain, sending tons of rock and earth tumbling down its sides. Chen Fei staggered back, bloody and clutching her side as another layer of her defense was stripped away.


    The great boar tossed its head, gleaming tusks ripping shadow like cloth. A shout came from a particularly deep pocket of shadow as Yan Shirong stumbled out from the Darkwalker Shroud. His robes were shredded in several places, and blood glistened in the afternoon light, slick on his black and plum robes.


    Li Heng caught another charge on his jian. As he flashed away to release the Winter Moon Reflection, Kang Zhu followed. He grabbed Li Heng by the wrist and wrenched his arm back. The ancestral jian clattered to the uneven rocky ground below, and Kang Zhu kicked it into the ravine. He drew back his cleaver, still maintaining his grip on Li Heng.


    Heaven fell. He Yu slammed into the ground before Kang Zhu. Lightning reached down from the sky to dance along the length of his guandao. The wind surged around him, and rain soaked the broken jagged earth. He tucked his guandao under one arm and stepped forward, forming a fist.


    Shimmering scales crackling with heaven qi reached from his wrist to his elbow. Wind and heaven coursed along the ridge, flowing down the dragon¡¯s back. With blazing eyes and sparking horns, the dragon roared.


    He Yu pulled himself into the air, drawing himself eye-to-eye with Kang Zhu. He slammed his fist into the great boar¡¯s head. Heaven exploded out from the blow. Kang Zhu released his grip on Li Heng and staggered to several steps to the side. One of his tusks shattered, and the great boar spit out a mouthful of blood.


    With a formation of the Sweeping Wind, He Yu called the storm. Heaven flashed and thunder echoed off the nearby peaks. The gale-force winds whipped the downpour into stinging, freezing lashes. A mass of dark clouds swirled overhead, with heaven¡¯s lightning flickering deep within.


    The storm broke. Stones erupted from the earth, only to shatter under a relentless barrage of lightning. Those that survived the fury of heaven cracked under the weight of the accompanying thunder. The endless rain turned the cracked ruined earth into mud. The great boar¡¯s charge slowed as it sank and became mired. Still, the rain never ceased. The boar squealed and tore at the earth.


    Under clashing presences and by the exchange of techniques, the once-pristine mountain road had turned to ruin. Jagged spears of rock stood where there had once been ancient trees. The road was practically a river of mud. Patches of frozen ground sported delicate-looking but no less deadly shards of ice. Vines grown from nothing choked boulders and stone spikes alike.


    Amidst the wreckage and the ruin, He Yu stood with his friends. Across from them stood Kang Zhu¡ªwounded but not defeated. No less ferocious, and no less eager for battle.


    ¡°You put up quite the fight, man-things,¡± the great boar said. Blood oozed from the side of his mouth, and his speech sounded slurred now that he¡¯d lost one of his tusks. But his cleaver still gleamed, and despite the destruction all around them, his spirit remained undimmed. Once more, the great boar charged.

 5.28 - God of the Green Mountain

    Kang Zhu crashed into a shining formation barrier. Chen Fei¡¯s art faded, and the great boar unleashed a series of broad, sweeping cuts with his cleaver. Between the Spring Rain Mirror and the barriers called with the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols, He Yu and Chen Fei turned the attacks aside. Things still weren¡¯t looking great by He Yu¡¯s estimation, though.


    Yan Shirong had dragged himself well away from the fight. He¡¯d hunkered down among some boulders, seeking what protection they could afford him. Judging by the flow of his qi, he¡¯d at least taken some medicine. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment couldn¡¯t provide insight to how long it would take for Yan Shirong to restore himself, so He Yu mentally counted him out of the fight.


    Similar for Li Heng. His right arm hung limp and useless at his side, dislocated by the look of it. Not the most serious injury a cultivator could take¡ªSha Xiang had broken his back, and he¡¯d recovered from that well enough¡ªbut he¡¯d also lost his jian. Once he¡¯d jammed his arm back in its socket, he¡¯d have to go looking for the weapon down in the ravine. No telling how long that would take.


    Another activation of the Stone Jungle technique sent spires of stone and chunks of dirt flying into the air. Chen Fei formed up a barrier around herself, dealing with the worst of it. Still, she was only at Golden Core. The barrier broke, and jagged obsidian blades ripped through her leather and felt clothes, opening bloody wounds. A flaring of mountain qi accompanied her presence as she poured her cultivation base into her techniques. One by one, the layers of the White Mountain Body Art rebuilt themselves around her.


    Chen Fei¡¯s presence expanded. Once more, she towered to the heavens. The earth rose to embrace her even as she reached deep into its heart. Strength and vitality surged through her meridians, so powerful that even without the Peerless Judgment He Yu¡¯s qi sense was enough to follow their flow.


    With the Eternal Mountain Root reformed and feeding her qi from the earth at her feet, she activated the Iron Fortress Redoubt. Her skin grew hard and took on a dull iron gleam. The countless wounds she¡¯d taken smoothed over, filled in as her skin became ever more like metal.


    Finally, she called forth the Titan Panoply. The great suit of armor forged of metal and mountain and earth built itself around her. The stitched plates of layered steel hung down to her knees. Boots strapped with iron greaves protected her lower legs, and the ornate pauldrons decorated with roaring lions adorned each shoulder. A pair of iron bracers encircled her forearms and extended down to cover the backs of her hands. White fur trimmed the armor, a fitting decoration for the White Mountain art.


    The last portion of the armor to re-form was the helm. Similarly to the pauldrons, it was fashioned into the likeness of a lion, its mouth open in a defiant roar. The faceplate that formed to completely cover her was fashioned with the visage of a vengeful mountain spirit.


    ¡°I am the fist that shatters the earth.¡± Chen Fei¡¯s voice sounded hollow and distant, coming from within the wrought helm. Qi surged around her, and the mortal world faded under the weight of her spirit.


    A great mountain towered to heaven. For an unfathomable distance in every direction, smaller peaks covered the barren land. Her mountain was peerless. A gleaming locus of qi gathered above the summit. A swirling mix of earth and metal fed down into the peak, transforming into mountain qi within the titan¡¯s roots. Heaven and earth held their breath in silence. Above, the firmament stopped its eternal dance. A single star fell. The mountain broke, and the earth below shattered.


    Chen Fei¡¯s punch caved in Kang Zhu¡¯s chest. The force of her blow blasted away what little remained on the field of battle and left them both standing in a ruined crater. Kang Zhu wheezed, his hateful gaze furious even as he coughed up another mouthful of blood.


    ¡°You man-things dare to challenge the God of the Green Mountain! I will shatter your bones and grind them to dust. I will spread them to the four directions, and I will devour your cores. For ten generations, I will hunt your bloodlines, and none of your kin will survive my wrath.¡±


    He Yu slammed into Kang Zhu with the fury of heaven. Whatever that technique of Chen Fei¡¯s had been, it had created an opening and He Yu wasn¡¯t about to waste it. With wind and heaven, He Yu carved his way back into the fight.


    Countless pillars of stone exploded around him. Chen Fei cast barriers almost as quickly as the pillars appeared, but she couldn¡¯t protect him from them all. Some he turned away with the Spring Rain Mirror. Others he veered away from with the mobility given by his body enforcement and his movement technique. A few, he simply allowed to strike him.


    He shrugged off the wounds he took in his clash with Kang Zhu. He¡¯d taken plenty worse in the past. Calling the wind, he struck out. Lightning split stone and sky, and the howling gale blasted away great chunks of earth. Chen Fei fought at his side, half his shield, half a battering ram¡ªan immovable object and unstoppable force, both at once.


    Together, they fought. Together, they turned the tide.


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    A massive, meaty fist flew at He Yu. The Spring Rain Mirror turned it aside easily, and a band of silver formation characters appeared around Kang Zhu¡¯s wrist. His arm jerked down toward the earth, and chains of silver reached from the formation to the ground.


    He Yu wasn¡¯t about to waste the opportunity. Lightning crackled along his guandao. He infused the Sweeping Wind with the power of Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade. A great arc of heaven extended from his guandao.


    Kang Zhu howled. Blood sprayed from his shoulder where He Yu had severed the sealed arm. One-armed and furious, the great boar¡¯s spirit exploded with pain and fury and rage. The great cleaver shone with killing intent as he rushed He Yu, swinging the blade in erratic, frenzied slashes.


    A second formation dragged Kang Zhu¡¯s remaining arm to the ground. He Yu drew back his guandao, forming another heaven-infused strike. This time, he layered all his killing intent into the technique. A cold sharpness pressed down upon the world, like an executioner¡¯s blade held their victim¡¯s throat.


    A burst of moonlight and a scattering of snow announced Li Heng¡¯s return. His jian, once again faded to mist, swept through Kang Zhu¡¯s one good arm. The Darkmoon Strife turned the limb frostbitten and necrotic. The cleaver fell to the earth with a heavy clang.


    He Yu adjusted. He met the great boar¡¯s eyes, and he struck. The massive boar¡¯s body slumped over and heaved its last. Kang Zhu¡¯s lifeless eyes stared at the empty sky above as his head rolled to a stop.


    Falling to his knees, He Yu sent his guandao back to his storage treasure. Then he pitched onto his back and stared up at the sky. Relief flooded him, and he simply allowed himself to breathe now that the fight was over.


    Chen Fei¡¯s head filled his vision. ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    He flashed her a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a bit tired. What was that technique, by the way?¡± They¡¯d spent fifteen years training together during their stay at the Thunder God¡¯s Shrine. He¡¯d never seen her use it until today.


    ¡°Oh, that. It¡¯s been something I¡¯ve been working out in my spare time.¡± She looked a bit embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯d never really gotten the hang of it. I still don¡¯t think I did it right. I wanted to get it perfect before I showed anyone. It¡¯s called the Falling Star Strike, by the way. I¡¯m not sure about the name yet, though.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of new techniques,¡± Li Heng said as he approached, still cradling his dislocated arm. ¡°What was that one you used? The punch, I mean. You¡¯ve never really been one for hand-to-hand.¡± He gave a pointed look at He Yu as he asked.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure,¡± he admitted, getting back to his feet. ¡°Need help with your arm?¡±


    ¡°I do, but don¡¯t think I¡¯m letting you off the hook on this one,¡± Li Heng said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, by the way,¡± Yan Shirong called. ¡°Thank you all for asking. Your concern is truly touching.¡±


    Li Heng grunted as He Yu shoved his arm back into the socket. ¡°You know I can tell you took medicine, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s beside the point,¡± Yan Shirong sniffed. ¡°But I am glad you at least noticed. Anyway, shall we claim our spoils?¡±


    They all turned to the corpse of Kang Zhu. He Yu had shattered one of the boar¡¯s tusks with his punch, completely ruining it. The second one would make for fine ingredients, though. Chen Fei set about to carving out the beast¡¯s core. An awakened beast that had advanced all the way to Nascent Soul and could partially assume human form was a prize indeed. The earth aspected core, even unrefined, would be a tremendous boon to her cultivation.


    It took them the rest of the afternoon to process the beast¡¯s corpse. Although they skinned it and took its organs and bones and sinew, they left the meat. They all agreed that it was too close to human, even if it were still a boar, for them to feel comfortable eating it. The parts had been grisly enough work. But they were too valuable to pass up.


    ¡°The lair should be close,¡± Yan Shirong said as the sun dipped behind the western peaks, casting shadows across the ruined site of their battle. ¡°There¡¯s likely some good treasure in there, given the thing¡¯s advancement. At the very least, it¡¯ll give us a place to restore ourselves.¡±


    Treasure or no, the prospect of spending the night in cultivation was a good one. They didn¡¯t know what lay ahead still, but the reputation of the Jade Mountains had already proved itself. It would be foolish to press on in the state they were in. Although they¡¯d taken some medicinal pills after the battle, their qi reserves were all low, and they still had wounds that needed a bit more time to recover.


    After some discussion, they spread out and search the area. Yan Shirong¡¯s assumption that the lair would be close made sense. They hadn¡¯t sensed Kang Zhu¡¯s spirit until they were right on top of him. He¡¯d likely been inside when he sensed their approach and waited until they were close to block their path.


    He Yu dropped down into the ravine. Bones of animals and humans alike littered the floor. Some were fresher than others, but it looked like Kang Zhu¡¯s meals had been few and far between. He Yu swept the ravine¡¯s floor with the Peerless Judgment in hopes there might be some lost treasure here. Unsurprisingly, he found nothing. If Kang Zhu¡¯s victims had carried anything of value, those valuables would now be in the boar¡¯s lair, most like.


    For another twenty minutes or so he searched the bottom of the ravine. Twilight¡¯s gloom deepened, and he¡¯d just decided to head back to the top when a shout from Yan Shirong above caught his attention. He Yu was the first to arrive, and the others shortly followed.


    Tucked back behind a now-ruined stand of trees was the entrance to a cave. It was barely visible, as a massive boulder had been rolled over the opening, and the detritus of the battle further concealed the already well-hidden opening. Boar tracks were abundant in the area, and even with the stone in place, He Yu sensed the qi inside the cave.


    With a wordless glance shared between them, Chen Fei shoved aside the boulder. A passage opened up, leading deeper into the side of the mountain. The sensation of rich earth qi was already stronger than anything He Yu had felt in the Shrouded Peaks. More exciting was the abundance of unaspected qi. It was exceedingly rare to find unaspected qi out in the wilds, especially in an area already so dense with a particular type. It could only mean one thing¡ªspirit stones.


    Little wonder Kang Zhu had made his home here. Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes gleamed at the prospect of what awaited them in the great boar¡¯s lair. He Yu couldn¡¯t deny his excitement either. Together, they headed into the cave.

 5.29 - The Search Continues

    The passage leading deeper into Kang Zhu¡¯s lair sloped sharply downward. At least the roof of the tunnel was high enough that they didn¡¯t need to stoop, owing to its need to accommodate Kang Zhu¡¯s size. Each step brought them closer to the source of the unaspected qi, and into a denser soup of the same. It was hardly any Kang Zhu had grown so strong with a cave like this to cultivate in.


    When they emerged into the lair proper, Yan Shirong let out a low whistle. A pillar of raw spirit stone dominated the center of the chamber, casting a soft pale light over the rest of the space. A cooking area sat near one wall where a fissure ran from the floor to the cavern ceiling. He Yu could feel the shifting air currents with his sensitivity to wind qi coming from the natural chimney. The banked coals gave off meager heat and light. Nearby, a stack of kindling and firewood promised enough fuel for at least several days¡¯ worth of use.


    Opposite the cooking space was a makeshift sleeping area. Brush and leaves and boughs from the mountains fragrant pines made a bed large enough for all four of them to share, if they¡¯d the thick hide of an awakened spirit boar. The lair¡¯s real prize¡ªaside from the pillar of spirit stone¡ªwas the pile of loot stacked against the wall furthest from the entrance.


    They set about to sifting through the pile. There were a few weapons scattered about, but nothing worth their notice. They set them aside anyway, as they¡¯d at least fetch a handful of stones once they made it back to Jade Mountain Citadel. The stacks of pills and elixirs were another matter entirely.


    Yan Shirong set about to identifying the most potent ones, judging by the powerful medicinal energy they gave off. A stack of paper talismans, tucked off to one side and seemingly forgotten drew Chen Fei¡¯s interest. As she set about to pouring over the formation characters written on them, Li Heng joined He Yu near the central pillar of spirit stone.


    ¡°Well, no tiger-headed sabers,¡± he said, the note of relief in his voice unmistakable.


    ¡°Did you really think we¡¯d find something like that?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°No, but you can never know. It¡¯s been so long, and we didn¡¯t exactly part on a sweet note.¡±


    He Yu arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. Although a decade and a half had passed, he and Li Heng had quickly fallen into their old habits, once reunited. The door was open, and all Li Heng had to do was walk through it.


    ¡°I wanted her to stay with me in the Western Passage,¡± he began. ¡°I may have been a bit more insistent than was entirely appropriate. She didn¡¯t agree.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯d hold it against you.¡±


    Li Heng settled into a cultivation position next to the pillar. ¡°Maybe. She was awfully angry. Especially when I refused to come with her. We both said basically the same thing to one another. We had our duties to our families, and that was the most important thing.¡±


    ¡°The weight of nobility,¡± He Yu said, joining his friend on the ground.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re free from it now, I guess.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that the truth. They¡¯d all but abandoned the empire, with Yan Shirong forsaking his place in the Ministry of Information and Li Heng doing the same to the Western Passage. It seemed like the sort of thing He Yu should have had a problem with, but he didn¡¯t. Li Renshu had been correct¡ªthere was no way they¡¯d ever grow strong enough to truly challenge Jin Xifeng had they stayed.


    Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu wouldn¡¯t give He Yu the space to grow strong if he stayed where they could reach him. He suspected they wouldn¡¯t give Li Heng the space either, especially if Li Heng left Iron Gate City and the protection of General Li Bao. Besides those two, there was Jin Xifeng herself.


    The connection that he somehow shared with her via the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace would lead her to him. He couldn¡¯t have said why exactly leaving the empire would be enough, though. Perhaps the answer lay in Jin Xifeng¡¯s own arts? Li Renshu said that she practiced arts as ancient as his own. Arts that He Yu barely understood.


    If there was one safe bet about the connection, it was that whatever Elder Cai had done likely only reinforced that connection. And as Hu Yu further explored his art and accessed ever greater portions of Elder Cai¡¯s inheritance, he¡¯d no doubt be drawn ever closer to facing Jin Xifeng.


    Once Yan Shirong finished up with the medicines, he joined the rest of them around the pillar. They decided to spend the night in Kang Zhu¡¯s lair. The great boar had been here at the bridge for some time, it seemed. If the quantity and variety of elixirs were any evidence. Yan Shirong had identified several pills suitable for each of them. Between the spirit stone pillar and the medicine, they would be in peak condition by morning.


    For the next several weeks, they climbed ever higher into the Jade Mountains. If He Yu had thought their encounter with Kang Zhu would be the last of its kind, he quickly realized how incorrect that assumption was. Upon emerging from Kang Zhu¡¯s lair, they were immediately set upon by the same sort of carrion birds they¡¯d seen on their first day in the mountains.


    This flock was smaller than the one they¡¯d seen in the lower reaches, but significantly stronger. The ensuing battle was brief¡ªthe birds, it seemed, were only looking for an easy snack after feasting on what they¡¯d left behind of Kang Zhu. Once it became obvious He Yu and the others could put a significant fight, the largest of the birds called out to the others and they all took to the wing.


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    Whether the flock would follow them was a moot point, they decided. There was little they could do about it, as He Yu was the only one of their number capable of actual flight. The birds were too great in number and too high in advancement for him to deal with them all by himself. Following them would be pointless, and the birds seemed content not to bother them.


    They crossed the ravine, then spent another full day climbing before they suffered another attack. This time, it was a pack of stone monkeys. All were at least the late Fourth Realm, with nearly half their number in the early Fifth Realm. The pack leader was equal to a middle Nascent Soul in advancement, judging by the density of its qi. Despite being poor fighters on their own, the stone monkeys were smart and coordinated. They used tactics more advanced than lesser beasts employed, attacking as a group and fading away when one cultivator turned their full attention to any of the small squads they¡¯d organized themselves into.


    A pair of snow leopards provided some measure of relief with their arrival. The fight turned into an all-out brawl when the two early Fifth Realm leopards leaped from the tree line. The attack took enough pressure off He Yu and the others that they could make their escape. He saw little point in wasting time fighting the monkeys, even if they¡¯d overpower them eventually.


    Their journey fell into a frustratingly predictable pattern as they climbed higher. They¡¯d run across a spirit or a beast of some sort. Either a foe that blocked their way as Kang Zhu had, or an aggressive specimen that simply attacked with little warning. They would fight, emerge victorious, then harvest their spoils.


    At least both Chen Fei and Yan Shirong were by now half a step into the Fifth Realm. Between the constant battling all of them were subject to, the abundant natural qi, and the unending flow of beast and spirit cores, it was little wonder. The only they needed now was a place to break through, and the time to do so. Advancing to these higher realms could take weeks, at a minimum. The powerful confluence of qi that such an advancement produced would be certain to attract even more attention.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to carve out a cave,¡± He Yu said one night after they¡¯d stopped to cultivate.


    ¡°I could even put a formation at the entrance. It would make it easier to fight off anything that tried to bother us,¡± Chen Fei offered.


    ¡°We need to keep searching,¡± Li Heng insisted.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d had this argument. He Yu wanted to stop and give Chen Fei and Yan Shirong the opportunity to advance. If all four of them were at Nascent Soul, it would make the going that much easier. Both of them said they were ready, and they¡¯d plenty of elixirs and cores to aid in the breakthrough. Yan Shirong had gotten quite good as a refiner in the time they¡¯d been up here, and they still had the resources they¡¯d looted from Kang Zhu.


    Li Heng wanted to find the mysterious cultivator they¡¯d come up here to chase after. He remained convinced the rumor had spoken of Tan Xiaoling. Although they had found no traces of any other humans outside the rare village¡ªlet alone a cultivator that could be a match for the rumors¡ªhe insisted they keep looking.


    He Yu said their search would go faster if all four of them were at the same level.


    Li Heng said they couldn¡¯t afford to wait any longer.


    Chen Fei and Yan Shirong stayed out of it. Since neither of them were willing to break the stalemate, He Yu begrudgingly deferred to Li Heng¡¯s preferences. He saw little benefit in letting a simple disagreement spiral into something larger. If neither Chen Fei nor Yan Shirong were going to weigh in, he wasn¡¯t going to press.


    At least he took a bit of solace in the fact that Chen Fei felt the same as he did. She brimmed with energy, and her presence had grown incredibly more potent in the short time since they¡¯d entered the Jade Mountains. He couldn¡¯t imagine how frustrating it must be to hold back an advancement like this. But she was almost as eager as Li Heng to find Tan Xiaoling. The only solace was the knowledge that by delaying, both Chen Fei and Yan Shirong would increase the quality of their eventual breakthrough.


    While they searched, the ground grew hard and the air grew cold with the turning of autumn to winter. Soon after, the snows came, creeping ever further down the peaks. Rain turned to sleet, then to snow, and each new storm dumped more snow on the peaks and the slopes. Through the winter storms, they searched. When a particularly bad storm hit the mountain, Li Heng relented.


    They couldn¡¯t see more than an arm¡¯s length in front of them, and even Li Heng and He Yu had to cycle their cultivation to keep pressing on. With Chen Fei¡¯s help, He Yu built a makeshift windbreak. Yan Shirong divined the location of a cave, and they hunkered down. Yan Shirong advanced first. With the extra boost from the set of elixirs Li Renshu had given him, it only took six weeks. Thankfully, the storm obscured the power released in his advancement.


    Chen Fei took longer. The storm passed soon after she began, but with three Nascent Soul cultivators guarding the cave, those few spirits that came too close were little threat. After two months, the worst of winter passed and Chen Fei emerged from the cave and into the Fifth Realm. With spring finally approaching and all of them at Nascent Soul, they renewed their search.


    For another month, they struggled against spirit, beast, and nature itself. Yan Shirong was the first to suggest they head back to Jade Mountain Citadel. Li Heng had nearly gone to blows over the suggestion. As much as he hated to admit it, Yan Shirong¡¯s idea had merit. They could gather more information, at the very least. Narrow down their search, and likely have more success. They¡¯d just been wandering aimlessly around the mountains, fighting anything that got too close. They hadn¡¯t left with much of a plan, and they hadn¡¯t formed one in the time since.


    Spring continued to warm and summer drew closer. He Yu gave ever more of his own attention to openly siding with Yan Shirong on the question. Then he sensed it. The Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment was the best perception technique they had among them, and it was that technique that alerted He Yu to a flash of metal and dark flame. It was as brief as it was distant, but it was unmistakably familiar.


    He told the others. Li Heng, who was practically beside himself with worry, raced off in the direction He Yu had pointed them. The rest followed. They crossed the peak and made their way through a high mountain pass. Finally, a broad alpine valley opened up below.


    The feeling was unmistakable. Razor sharp metal, dark flame, and the sword-glint danger of refined killing intent. Through his perception technique, He Yu could even see the storm of metal qi distantly on the valley floor below, as it tore apart a cluster of trees.


    ¡°That¡¯s her!¡± Li Heng shouted, flashing down the slope.


    He Yu followed, grimly noting that she wasn¡¯t alone. A second presence was there, too, and it was the stronger.

 5.30 - The Jade Princess

    He Yu arrived on the valley floor first. As he drew closer, the storm of metal grew more distinct. Unmistakable. He shared Li Heng¡¯s certainty now. Nobody else he¡¯d ever encountered had this spirit. And what a spirit it had become.


    A shining expanse of white sand stretched to the horizon in every direction. Above, a ball of black fire limned by a dark orange blaze glared down over the desert. It was so much like the real White Desert, but at once so different. The storm at its center was of metal¡ªthousands upon thousands of tiny razors, churning in an unending cyclone of utter destruction. Over it all hung that familiar sense of sharp danger. More now than simple killing intent, she had grown more like Li Renshu¡ªthe weight of the lives she¡¯d taken in the past fifteen years had stamped themselves upon her spirit, and left an indelible mark.


    For all the weight and power her Nascent Soul spirit now carried, Tan Xiaoling¡¯s foe was clearly the stronger. When He Yu finally drew close enough to clearly see the battle with his sight rather than his qi sense, it was obvious why.


    Tan Xiaoling fought against a golden tiger. It stood as tall as Kang Zhu had, at nearly twenty feet. Although it still had the head and claws of its original form, its body had become far more human-like. It walked on its hind legs, and was built like a man, rather than a giant cat. It carried no weapons; its claws were weapon enough.


    The tiger met Tan Xiaoling blow-for-blow. An explosive flurry of her twinned dao sabers sent flashes of qi sparking into the air as iron and claw clashed. The golden tiger launched a swift kick at Tan Xiaoling, and she countered with a kick of her own. The exchange was the first time He Yu thought he¡¯d ever seen her fight a foe capable of matching her in sheer ferocity and raw strength. It was little wonder her Golden Tiger Cultivation Law took inspiration from these beasts.


    For the briefest moment, she flicked her eyes¡ªnow twin pools of molten gold¡ªto He Yu. In that instant, understanding passed between them. She saw him. She recognized him. And she would accept his help.


    A storm broke over the valley. The churning black mass of clouds covered the burning sun, and a torrent drenched the barren white sands. Heaven¡¯s wrath descended to earth in a wall of sparking gold. An instant later came the others. The shadow, the mountain, and the winter moon. The four of them joined the tiger of the White Desert, and once again, the five fought together.


    Much like Tan Xiaoling herself, the middle Nascent Soul golden tiger fought beyond its advancement. When confronted with four new opponents, it didn¡¯t shrink back. It didn¡¯t run.


    Instead, it roared.


    The thunderous sound of the roar froze He Yu in place. He cycled everything he could into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering, just to get moving again. It was the same technique the Third Realm tiger had used in the western wilds all those years ago, but this time powered by an awakened beast of the Nascent Soul stage.


    In the space where the tiger¡¯s technique pressed down on the battlefield, the tiger attacked. A punch, a kick, a swipe of its claws. Tan Xiaoling matched each blow, catching one after the other on the edge of her sabers. Still, it pushed her back. When finally the tiger¡¯s roar grew light enough for He Yu to once again move, he shot forward on the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight.


    Li Heng arrived first. Appearing behind the golden tiger in a burst of frost, snow, and moonlight, he held his jian poised to strike already. The blade turned to mist, and he swung. Five black scars opened on the world, the five frozen wounds of the Darkmoon Strife. The tiger turned. It counterattacked with a powerful strike shining with qi, even as the blackness of frostbite crept over its hide.


    Moonlight flashed as Li Heng caught the strike with the edge of his jian. Rather than spin away to create distance as he often did when deflecting blows this powerful, he stood firm. The frost that lined the hems of his robes, and the cuffs of his collar and sleeves covered him in an instant. Crystalline fingers of hoarfrost crept across the ground, radiating out from where he stood. Any scrap of shrub by his feet withered and died under the unnatural return of winter. Even his skin took on a slight bluish tinge as the cold closed its grip on the world.


    From behind the golden tiger, Tan Xiaoling struck. The massive, burning spear of her Mark of the Dark Sun flew true, and Tan Xiaoling herself burst through the explosion of fire qi. Her paired dao bit deep into the tiger¡¯s golden fur. An instant later, Li Heng¡¯s jian found its mark. Golden flame coursed down the tiger¡¯s arm, swirling around its claws as it countered. A formation barrier flashed into place. Silver and gold qi burst away from the impact. Powered by Chen Fei¡¯s advancement to Nascent Soul, the barrier held.


    He Yu sent a streaming mass of lightning out from his guandao, carrying the power of Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade on a formation of the Rushing Wind. Yan Shirong stepped out of the shadows, spraying countless spikes with his Myriad Black Thorns technique, while also sending hundreds of poison-tipped daggers into the beast¡¯s hide.


    As strong as the golden tiger may be, it couldn¡¯t stand against five cultivators of the Nascent Soul for long. When the beast finally fell beneath Tan Xiaoling¡¯s paired dao, its spirit guttering out in a flare of fire qi, she raised her chin to the others in acknowledgment.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Impeccable timing,¡± she said, one corner of her mouth creeping up in her familiar half smirk. She sent her sabers back to her storage treasure. ¡°Now, what are you doing here?¡±


    While He Yu and the others took turns filling her in on their journey, she set about to harvesting the golden tiger¡¯s corpse. He Yu should have figured she¡¯d have been the one to instigate the battle they¡¯d interrupted. By the time they¡¯d recounted everything they¡¯d learned and their reasons for seeking her out, she¡¯d just about finished up with the tiger.


    ¡°Well,¡± she began, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly in a position to help you right now. I need to deal with my uncle.¡±


    He Yu bit back his disappointment. ¡°What¡¯s stopping you from simply coming back later? Surely, if we can advance enough to deal with Jin Xifeng, you¡¯ll be strong enough to handle Tan Qingsheng, right?¡±


    Tan Xiaoling finished packing up the parts she¡¯d harvested from the golden tiger, saving the gleaming beast core for last. ¡°I don¡¯t think you fully understand my position. I fled Jade Mountain Citadel once, when I took refuge with the Shrouded Peaks Sect. After my return, I fled once again. In the eyes of most, I¡¯ve all but given up my claim to the throne.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± He Yu asked. ¡°By the time we¡¯ve defeated Jin Xifeng, you could just found your own kingdom if you wanted.¡± Judging by the reactions from Li Heng and Yan Shirong, he¡¯d just said something incredibly stupid.


    ¡°The Jade Kingdom is my birthright as the only child of Tan Zihao. It¡¯s a matter of honor.¡±


    He Yu pressed his lips together to keep himself from voicing all his objections. He didn¡¯t understand, but that didn¡¯t mean she was wrong. If she considered it a matter of honor, that would have to be good enough. ¡°What would it take for you to help us, then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be clear? Once I¡¯ve defeated my uncle and secured my succession, I¡¯ll have a free hand to do what I please.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling motioned for them to follow as she headed down a nearby path that led into the densely packed trees on the forest floor. As they followed, she explained a bit more of the situation in the Jade Kingdom, and what had transpired in the time since she¡¯d left.


    As they¡¯d already learned, her departure to the south caused many in the kingdom to view her as a coward. It didn¡¯t matter that she¡¯d only been at peak Foundation. It didn¡¯t matter that her uncle had already reached Nascent Soul. It certainly didn¡¯t matter that any fight between them would have been horrifically one-sided. She¡¯d ran, and that was all that mattered.


    In her absence, Tan Qingsheng had gotten to work. As his reputation rapidly eclipsed hers, Tan Xiaoling¡¯s favor fell even further. Between his generosity towards the guards and the experts of outlying villages, he¡¯d gathered quite the following of supporters.


    She¡¯d thought to first seek an audience with her father once she returned. As much as she was focused on the threat her Tan Qingsheng posed to her personally, she also recognized what Jin Xifeng¡¯s return meant. The Dragon Empire had long held dominion over the Jade Kingdom, but the terms were at least tolerable. There was no reason to believe the status quo would remain as such under the rule of Jin Xifeng¡¯s avarice.


    Her uncle¡¯s followers attacked before she¡¯d even arrived at Jade Mountain Citadel. According to her, she¡¯d killed a good number of them. A claim He Yu readily believed. Still, more had come, and the longer she stayed near the capital, the greater the chance her uncle would show himself. So, for a second time, she fled. For the past fifteen years, she¡¯d been in the mountains gathering her strength.


    ¡°We can help,¡± Li Heng said when she¡¯d finished. They still walked through the densely wooded valley floor.


    Tan Xiaoling grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Your uncle isn¡¯t doing this by himself,¡± Chen Fei said. ¡°Its only fair that you have help if he does.¡±


    She looked as though she was about to disagree again, but stopped herself. They walked in silence for some time. Then she said, ¡°My uncle has advanced to Soul Refining. I¡¯m still early Nascent Soul, and no stronger than any of you. Even with all of our strength combined, there¡¯s no chance we could defeat him as we are now.¡±


    ¡°Then we grow stronger,¡± He Yu said. ¡°If we want to face Jin Xifeng, we have to reach beyond Soul Refining, anyway.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling shook her head and gave a quiet laugh. ¡°I should have known you would say something like that. Alright. If you help me defeat my uncle, I¡¯ll do what I can to convince my father to aid us. I can¡¯t imagine he¡¯s keen to stay loyal to the empire, given everything you¡¯ve told me.¡±


    Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes lit up at the prospect of receiving Tan Zihao¡¯s aid. The Jade Kingdom was wealthy¡ªsurely some of that aid would come in the form of treasures and even more elixirs.


    He Yu felt a similar excitement himself, but for different reasons. Tan Zihao was a living legend. He¡¯d reached the Eighth Realm centuries ago, and would be a significant force in the fight against Jin Xifeng. Even better was the possibility that he might do more than throw treasures at them, or aid in the battle itself. If he could impart even a fraction of his expertise, it would be a tremendous boost to their future advancement.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Tan Xiaoling added as they approached a well-hidden cave entrance. ¡°We all have a long way to go before we¡¯re strong enough to challenge my uncle. Fortunately, we have the Jade Mountains.¡±


    They did have that. He Yu and the others had seen first-hand the reality of the mountains. Tan Xiaoling had been here for fifteen years, training, cultivating, and fighting. She¡¯d reached Nascent Soul on her own¡ªwithout the guidance and resources any of them had enjoyed during that same time. She¡¯d done it only through her own strength, and through the resources and challenges the mountains provided.


    ¡°You think we¡¯ll be able to do it out here?¡± Li Heng asked.


    ¡°With all five of us? I¡¯m certain. The mountains are home to every kind of spirit and beast. Any we find will be more advanced than anything we could face in the south. It isn¡¯t enough to simply sit in a cave and cultivate if one truly wants to reach the heights. One must face hardship and strife. Only by overcoming death can one truly walk the path of the immortal.¡±


    Her words were an echo of what Li Renshu had told them before they departed from Iron Gate City. After their journey into the mountains, and the winter they¡¯d already spent here, He Yu could see their truth. He could sense the threshold to middle Nascent Soul ever more clearly with each passing battle. The rich qi and abundant resources of the Jade Mountains had benefited them all, now that he thought about it.


    ¡°Alright,¡± He Yu said. ¡°First, we reach Soul Refining, then we defeat your uncle.¡±


    Their course set, the only thing left was to cultivate and train.

 5.31 - The Fruits of Our Labor

    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s immortal¡¯s cave was one of the most comfortable He Yu had ever seen. More than just a grotto carved from the living rock of the mountains, it was practically a home. She¡¯d swept away any dirt from the floor, and laid down exquisite foreign rugs. In the far corner, a pile of silk cushions sat near a pillar of spirit stone, much like the one they¡¯d found in Kang Zhu¡¯s cave. The entrance was partially hidden, but unscripted. He Yu wasn¡¯t particularly surprised by that. Tan Xiaoling likely welcomed the challenge intruders provided.


    The area around the cave contained potent flows of natural qi. Even without the spirit stone vein she¡¯d uncovered, this would have been an excellent spot to cultivate in. Among the nearby peaks, countless spirits and beasts roamed. Tan Xiaoling said golden tigers wandered into the area frequently, making it an ideal location for her to use. The nearby mountains would provide a source of both mountain qi for Chen Fei, and enough snow and ice for Li Heng¡¯s purposes. Yan Shirong could simply make use of the shadows in the more densely wooded parts. Tan Xiaoling claimed He Yu could find more than enough spirits with suitable aspects in a nearby valley.


    With their needs met, and any potential foes a distant thought, they settled in to cultivate and train.


    They based their training regimen on their time under Yi Xiurong¡¯s supervision. After rotating through one-on-one sparring sessions that gave each of them a chance to face all the others, they finished their sparring with a winner-take-all melee. Predictably, Tan Xiaoling usually emerged victorious in these exercises. But as the weeks turned to months, He Yu took the victor¡¯s position more frequently.


    For her part, Tan Xiaoling had made good use of her time up in the mountains. Like all the rest of them, she¡¯d undergone certain physical changes the reflected her advancement. The most noticeable of them all were her eyes. They¡¯d always been a bit light compared to anyone whose cultivation left them with natural coloring, but now they were anything but natural looking. Her eyes had become twin pools of molten gold with her advancement to Nascent Soul. No pupil, no iris or sclera¡ªjust a solid, metallic field gold, unnaturally reflecting a dim light even when it was otherwise pitch-dark. Just looking at them was unnerving, and evoked memories of a golden tiger¡¯s roar. He Yu wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she could root her opponents in place with a glance one day.


    Aside from her eyes, she¡¯d undergone other changes, too. Her hair, always worn back and away from her face, had gained a bit of a wild, unkempt look. According to her, there was nothing she could do about it, and even He Yu could tell it was something that bothered her. At least Li Heng was quick to mention he thought it suited her. A brief argument resulted in the two of them kicking the others out of her cave for a few hours. When they finally emerged, whatever disagreement they¡¯d had was clearly settled. He Yu was just happy they¡¯d gotten it out of their system sooner rather than later.


    Finally there was the way Tan Xiaoling carried herself. She¡¯d always been strong, and she¡¯d always moved like it. Now, even the most casual of gestures contained a sense of strength and power they hadn¡¯t before. The sense of abstract danger she¡¯d always worn like a gown had become more defined. Almost predatory. Upon reflection, it made sense. Tan Xiaoling¡¯s primary cultivation technique was the Golden Tiger Cultivation Law, after all. That she would become ever more like one of those beasts as she advanced only made sense.


    With her advancement to Nascent Soul, her spirit had likewise deepened. During her time in the mountains, she¡¯d shifted away from her previous cultivation style, adapting her arts to focus more on metal and fire. She claimed it made more sense with her Way, and He Yu couldn¡¯t deny she¡¯d made the correct choice.


    Her presence now resembled the expansive White Desert they¡¯d crossed to reach the Jade Mountains themselves. The sun of her spirit was the main difference. Hers was not the blinding white ball of oppressive heat and death that had sapped He Yu¡¯s very life. It was dark, black at the center, but no less of a blaze for it. A deep crimson corona limned the dark sun, much like the Tan Xiaoling¡¯s ultimate technique. Gazing up at it through the Peerless Judgment, He Yu could plainly see where the Mark of the Dark Sun had gotten its name from. What had once been her sandstorm was now a storm of metal¡ªgleaming white and razor sharp. Finally, at the center of her spirit¡¯s desert, was the oasis stalked by a great golden tiger.


    Of course, Tan Xiaoling wasn¡¯t the only of their number to have grown. Each of them had, in their own way, become more. More of themselves, and more of the promise they¡¯d always held.


    Li Heng¡¯s presence was much the same as it had always been¡ªdeep and cold, a moonlit expanse of glinting snow. It was just so much more now. The cold was deeper. The night was darker, despite the gleaming silver moon. The twin silver streaks in his hair that he¡¯d gained so long ago had grown thicker with his advancement to Nascent Soul while also taking on a shine of their own. Like they reflected moonlight even in the full brightness of the day.


    The wounds he placed upon the world with his jian technique, the Darkmoon Strife, were deeper than they¡¯d ever been. The cold more enduring, the darkness more oppressive. The expanse of his spirit had grown, and that was even more apparent with his body enforcement technique¡ªthe Raiment of the Frozen Soul. When combined with the weight of his Nascent Soul presence, it seemed only natural that Li Heng could bring the full force of winter to any place he ventured into.


    More than just the advancements of his techniques and his presence, he¡¯d traveled further along his Way in their time apart. So many aspects of his personality, his fighting style, the way he carried himself and more¡ªthey existed in balance with one another in ways they simply hadn¡¯t before. He fought in a style that brought together a seamless flow between offense and defense, shedding both the too-passive reliance on his Winter Moon Reflection and his later overcorrection to favoring the Darkmoon Strife. His ¡°noble¡¯s mask¡± was less a mask than it had ever been, and he wore it as easily as he wore his humor and his grin. In truth, he was more at ease with himself than He Yu had ever seen him.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    With his advancement to Nascent Soul, Yan Shirong had perhaps most clearly reached a new stage in his advancement. At peak Golden Core, the depths of his shadows had already grown deeper than even the darkest, moonless night. Now he could call shadows from daylight should he need to. The sensation of eyes watching from deep within his umbral cloak had now fully manifested. Every time he unleashed his presence in full, countless eyes opened from within the darkness, peering outward, observing everything within their sight. No secret could remain safe from him, and not even the tiniest movements escaped Yan Shirong¡¯s notice.


    Although he still used his many tendrils of shadow to haul himself around, both his movement technique and the shadows themselves had taken on new qualities. His movement technique, the Darkwalker Shroud, now allowed him to step through the shadows themselves. He completely vanished from this world, and stepped through another before reappearing in a different pool of shadow from the one he¡¯d just left.


    Even as Yan Shirong¡¯s shadow tendrils, the Umbral Puppetmaster technique, allowed him to command even more shadow tendrils and throw an impossible number of daggers, the most significant development had come when he reached Nascent Soul, and gained access to his family art¡¯s principle technique.


    It had taken him several weeks at Tan Xiaoling¡¯s cave to finally craft enough constructs to make proper use of the technique. The Puppeteer¡¯s Legion allowed Yan Shirong to control a small army of constructs. He¡¯d always made use of constructs, but mostly as messengers and scouts. This was different.


    Once he¡¯d completed his legion, he unleashed them in training. Dozens of the little things would swarm the battlefield. Yan Shirong could activate any of his techniques through any one of them. A barrage of daggers¡ªthankfully unpoisoned during training¡ªcould explode from any angle at any time. Same with his Myriad Black Thorns, the only direct offensive technique in his arsenal. He could even swap places with one of his constructs, although he claimed it was still difficult for him to manage.


    At least now everyone had stopped believing Yan Shirong¡¯s continued insistence that his arts weren¡¯t suitable for direct combat.


    By contrast, Chen Fei¡¯s improvements were perhaps the most subtle. Her outward appearance had hardly changed, with the only real marker coming in the form of her muscles feeling a bit more firm than was natural. Even for someone of her impressive raw physical strength. He Yu could also swear she was about a finger or so taller than when they¡¯d first met, but she insisted that wasn¡¯t the case. He didn¡¯t push the issue, as he was still just a tiny bit sensitive about being the shortest of them all.


    The feeling of her spirit was likewise much the same as it had always been. Strong and solid, with roots of rock reaching deep into the earth, and towering mountain reaching to the heavens above. The layers of the White Mountain Body Art had become more defined, but they still acted as layers¡ªeach technique building upon the previous.


    Her family art, the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols, had advanced, but only its efficiency. She was still limited by the ability of formations themselves, but she formed her scripts faster than she ever had. It gave her versatility that the White Mountain Body Art sorely lacked¡ªboth in her ability to disrupt and trap her opponents, and also lending her already impressive strikes explosive power.


    Finally, there was her new technique, the Falling Star Strike. She and He Yu had left the others for several weeks to go work on it. She¡¯d said she had wanted to perfect it before showing it off, but Kang Zhu had forced her hand. So, while they were away, they perfected it. Now, the gleaming mass of metal and mountain qi manifested a strike that truly carried the force of a fallen star. Even against someone as physically resilient as Tan Xiaoling, a single use that technique sent her opponent crashing into whatever unfortunate obstacle lay behind them.


    He Yu himself used their time in the mountains to finally come fully into his power as a Fifth Realm expert. His presence was ever more like a storm¡ªa mass of swirling black clouds flickering with the distant light of heaven¡¯s wrath. Each of his strikes brought down the same. When he activated the Peerless Judgment during his cultivation, he found himself finally standing atop that infinite stair. The Heavenly Palace itself rose to heaven at his back, and the world stretched out below and before him. He¡¯d truly come into the new epithet Yongnian had given him before he¡¯d left the shrine¡ªRegent of the Heavenly Palace.


    The pillars of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering¡ªnow five in number¡ªrose around him. The Five Crescent Winds had truly come into its own, proving itself the perfect vessel for reaching out with the principle offensive technique of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace¡ªHeaven¡¯s Descending Blade. The Spring Rain Mirror came more easily to him now than it ever had. And finally, at long last, the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight granted him the promise of its name.


    Most important of all, though, was the promise he¡¯d seen in his advancement, and how it tied in to whatever it was Elder Cai had given him. During his meditation, more and more frequently, he saw the dragon in the heart of the storm. He came to better understand the subtle changes Elder Cai¡¯s influence had made to his techniques. The changes weren¡¯t anything he could fully comprehend, but it was clear what they were¡ªthe insights of an expert a thousand years his senior. While he couldn¡¯t yet make full use of it all, there was truly no greater gift Elder Cai could have left him with.


    Then there was that single glimpse he¡¯d been given by Li Renshu. A glimpse of his Dao¡ªthe Dao of Heroism. He Yu had always known he walked the path of a hero. That he walked the path of a legend. But this was different. Coming to understand and define one¡¯s personal Dao was the key to all the higher realms. It normally wasn¡¯t something a cultivator managed before the Soul Refining stage. Now that he¡¯d seen it, the Sixth and Seventh Realms were all but guaranteed to him.


    As tremendous a boon as all of their advancements served, it was little comfort when a familiar presence interrupted their daily training. They¡¯d already been together in the mountains for a full year at that point. He Yu and Tan Xiaoling had both recently reached middle Nascent Soul, and the others were nearly ready to push through the same bottleneck. Even with the five of them far stronger than they had any right to be, young as they were, it was a small comfort in the face of the approaching foe.


    In a burst of fire and heaven burning with incandescent rage, Xin Lu slammed to the earth in the midst of their training field. Every tree within a hundred feet burned to cinders in an instant. The ground blackened to ash.


    ¡°At last, I¡¯ve found you,¡± Xin Lu said, unleashing the full might of his peak Nascent Soul.

 5.32 - Herald of the Flame

    Xin Lu¡¯s presence was a tower of flame, coursing with twisting channels of heaven running along its length. A rain of sparks and embers fell all around him, setting alight countless tiny blazes. The twinge of darkness and blood He Yu had detected down south still lurked within Xin Lu¡¯s spirit, but to He Yu¡¯s relief it hadn¡¯t grown any more potent. Gripping his double halberd in one hand, Xin Lu cast his furious gaze over the five of them.


    Finally he turned his full attention to He Yu. ¡°Surrender yourself,¡± he commanded. ¡°Do so, and I will spare the others. I will even tell Tan Qingsheng that you were alone. That I could not find his niece. This is your one chance to spare your companions. Take it.¡±


    He Yu tightened his grip on his guandao. It took all the willpower he could muster to keep his gaze fixed on Xin Lu. To keep himself from casting a worried look at Tan Xiaoling. He knew full well she considered dealing with her uncle her first priority. Would she betray him to buy herself more time? None of them were ready to deal with Tan Qingsheng. Although Xin Lu¡¯s arrival threatened to disrupt their plans, he¡¯d at least offered Tan Xiaoling a way to salvage her own goals.


    He needn¡¯t have worried. Tan Xiaoling stepped up next to him, her tiger-pommeled sabers in hand.


    ¡°Begone,¡± she practically spat. ¡°You think I would accept any terms from trash like you? I have made my choice of companions. Do not insult my honor by asking me to betray them.¡±


    He Yu pushed aside his suspicions that she¡¯d spoken more for his sake than Xin Lu¡¯s. He¡¯d always been easy to read, and his advancement to Nascent Soul hadn¡¯t changed that. Along with the others, he released the full weight of his presence.


    Xin Lu wasted no time. In a burst of furious heaven and flame, he appeared before He Yu and Tan Xiaoling. They both reacted as one, bringing their weapons up to meet his attack. Even with their combined strength, they barely managed to hold back the massive strike, brimming with lightning and flame.


    He Yu activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. His advancement to middle Nascent Soul hadn¡¯t added any more pillars to the art¡ªthat would come with higher realms¡ªbut it had increased the potency of the five pillars he¡¯d already formed. His skin took on the faint shine that marked his activation of the body enforcement, and arcs of heaven coursed along the length of his limbs. The storm roared in his ears.


    At his side, Tan Xiaoling called the Breath of the White Desert. A thousand thousand razor shards whipped up around her. Swirling and churning, ripping apart the ground at her feet, and screaming through the air. She called her own storm¡ªone of metal, sharp and cold and laden with killing intent. In the moment before she attacked, He Yu saw the tiger coil. Muscles bunched, gathering strength and power.


    Xin Lu staggered back. He caught himself almost immediately, but that briefest moment was all the opening Tan Xiaoling needed. She lunged inside the reach of his halberd, paired dao flashing in the afternoon light as flame danced along their edges. The blades bit deep, parting the lamellar of his armor like cloth.


    In the hair¡¯s breadth moment after her attack, Xin Lu grabbed her by the throat. Even as he lifted her off the ground, her expression twisted in fury. She sank one of her sabers into the flesh where his shoulder met his neck, but his grip held firm. Heaven and flame surged up his arm. Tan Xiaoling released a sound halfway between a scream and a roar, a mix of fury and pain that rooted He Yu to the ground for an instant.


    But the instant passed. He Yu hit Xin Lu at the same time as all the others. The battle was joined.


    A formation of the Sweeping Wind, crackling with all the sharp edges of Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade, arced out towards his peak Nascent Soul opponent. Li Heng stepped into the space between He Yu¡¯s technique and Tan Xiaoling¡¯s still raging storm of blades. The Darkmoon Strife left its scar upon the world. Chen Fei hit Xin Lu from behind like a collapsing mountain. Yan Shirong¡¯s poisoned daggers came from every direction, even as a mass of shadow curled itself around Xin Lu¡¯s ankles.


    Xin Lu answered their assault in a manner befitting his advancement. Tan Xiaoling crashed into He Yu, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. In the fraction of a heartbeat it took them to recover and regain their feet, Xin Lu had already beaten back Li Heng.


    The black iron of Xin Lu¡¯s halberd stood in contrast to the ever-brightening gleam of Li Heng¡¯s jian. As impressive as his defense was, he still wasn¡¯t a match for Xin Lu¡¯s raw power and aggression. Flames roared around them both as Xin Lu¡¯s strikes send arcs of heaven streaking across the sky. After a furious exchange, Li Heng flashed away with the White Hare Dance, finally getting out of Xin Lu¡¯s reach. The following river of sword light he released from the Winter Moon Reflection was the most potent He Yu had seen him use yet.


    Darkness fell over the field. Countless eyes peered out from it, laying bare all within. Yan Shirong rose above them all, carried by the very same strands of shadow he¡¯d used to bind Xin Lu. Around him, an army of constructs formed into ranks.


    ¡°You¡¯re outmatched, Xin Lu,¡± Yan Shirong said, his voice echoing through every one of his puppets. ¡°There are five of us, and one of you. Leave with your life while you still have it.¡±


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    Although He Yu couldn¡¯t find any fault in Yan Shirong¡¯s flare for the dramatic, the threat wasn¡¯t effective. Xin Lu roared a wordless shout, and flames burned away the shadows entwining his limbs. The army of constructs descended upon him. Sprays of black spikes burst from dozens of constructs all at once as Yan Shirong used them to channel the Myriad Black Thorns. Even more constructs reached out for Xin Lu, sending dozens of shadowy strands reaching for his weapon and limbs. Skeletal birds flitted above, releasing a steady barrage of poison-tipped daggers.


    Flames burst out from Xin Lu, forming an expanding sphere that reminded He Yu of the Bracing Wind. Constructs burned away by the dozens, and the darkness Yan Shirong had called lifted. When the wave of fire subsided, Chen Fei slammed a fist into the small of Xin Lu¡¯s back.


    The burst of mountain qi from her Falling Star Strike briefly overwhelmed Xin Lu¡¯s own mass of fire and heaven. He recovered quickly, thrusting the end cap of his halberd back behind him. Chen Fei doubled over under the force of his blow, and Xin Lu readied the bladed end of his weapon as he turned on her.


    He Yu struck. The heavens opened, pouring lightning down over the battlefield. The storm above churned with black clouds as the deluge broke. Steam hissed as the dozens of fires littered about died. Wind howled as it carried He Yu forward on its wings.


    Xin Lu answered in kind. The column of fire and heaven rose to meet the storm. They clashed in a twisting mass of wind and rain, fire and lightning. Flashes of heaven¡¯s spark accompanied the exchange of blows as halberd and guandao clashed, blade against blade, haft against haft.


    They exchanged strikes from their polearms. Kicks, punches. At one point, Xin Lu smashed his forehead into He Yu¡¯s nose. Hot blood flowed freely. He Yu formed his still imperfect technique, calling the dragon that lurked within the storm. Lamellar and bone bent and cracked beneath his fist. Heaven qi coursed through him and into Xin Lu in a spike laden with killing intent.


    Beneath them, the muddy ground churned even as their strikes rent great craters in the surrounding landscape. Li Heng slipped in, frost blooming out as he stepped out from nothing. The ground froze, only to melt an instant later. A storm of metal screamed in He Yu¡¯s ears. Countless lacerations opened and healed over Xin Lu¡¯s skin.


    And still, Xin Lu met them blow for blow. ¡°You¡¯ve grown strong,¡± he said, flames twisting around the length of his halberd as sparks leaped from his skin. ¡°Your time in the Jade Mountains has served you well.¡±


    Not well enough. He Yu cast a quick glance at the others. They were holding up, but the fight had dragged on for over a day by this point. The entire valley floor outside Tan Xiaoling¡¯s cave was a ruin. Cracked boulders littered what had once been forest. Craters and the smoking remains of fires scarred the land. Hoarfrost and jagged crystals of ice crept up the trunks of trees at the far edge where the flames of Xin Lu and Tan Xiaoling¡¯s respective techniques hadn¡¯t yet melted it away. Pools of rainwater mixed with mud and blood formed red-brown puddles in the bottom of ditches carved by weapon and technique alike.


    They had brought ruin to the once pristine wilderness. Any beasts or spirits in the area had long since fled. And by He Yu¡¯s estimation, the battle was far from over. Xin Lu stood proud. He Yu and his companions remained similarly defiant. All of them had taken wounds, all had healed with their massive reserves of qi. None of them had needed to consume any medicine yet. As they stared at each other across the open expanse their clash had formed, the reality of their struggle settled over He Yu.


    This was a battle between immortals in truth. All of them wielded power unfathomable to even those in the early stages of cultivation, and they did so with ease. What if there had been a settlement here? A town like Shulin, with no walls, no local experts to hold back the destruction they wrought.


    It was a reminder of what He Yu fought for, if ever there was one. Mortals would be helpless against any one of them, let alone all of them. Should someone like Xin Lu decide to obliterate even a walled town¡ªthat was it. There would be nothing any of them could do.


    So He Yu needed to keep pushing. Keep growing stronger, keep advancing, and keep challenging those who wielded their strength with impunity. Most of all, to face down Jin Xifeng, and all that she¡¯d brought to the empire. And to do any of that, he had to face down Xin Lu who stood in his way now.


    Carried by the wind and cloaked in the sharp edges of heaven, He Yu surged forward. His guandao once again clashed against the black iron of Xin Lu¡¯s double halberd. Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade reached down and touched the earth. Stone shattered, and the last remnants of Xin Lu¡¯s armor fell away.


    In the space between breaths, Tan Xiaoling joined He Yu¡¯s assault. Black flames flickered along the edges of her twinned dao sabers. She cut a pair of bloody gashes across Xin Lu¡¯s chest, and followed up with a kick to his thigh, just above the knee.


    Xin Lu stumbled, but caught himself before he completely fell. A blast of heaven and flame forced He Yu back. When his vision cleared, Xin Lu had used a movement technique to create a considerable amount of space. In one hand, he held his double halberd, the black blades low to the ground in his relaxed grip. In his other hand, a paper talisman.


    A trickle of qi flowed into the talisman, and it burned to ash in his fingers. ¡°You think I would truly come here alone?¡± he asked as a column of brilliant light shot into the heavens. At the far side of the valley, two presences revealed themselves.


    One, He Yu recognized. A brilliant jian hung over a still and serene lake. The sword glistened in the morning light as dew beaded along its length. A single drop formed at the tip, then fell into the lake below. Killing intent rippled through the lake, shone from the blade. It was a presence he¡¯d not felt in over a decade. Although it was stronger than last time, even more refined, He Yu recognized it still.


    Wang Xiaobo. Like Xin Lu, he¡¯d since reached the late stage of Nascent Soul. His presence rushed towards them from the far side of the valley with the same coursing power He Yu had come to recognize in Zhang Lifen¡¯s water-aspected spirit.


    The second presence was one He Yu had never felt before. But he recognized it just the same. It was a hot, burning desert. Jagged spikes of broken, bloody metal rose from the desolate expanse. A blackened sun with a deep crimson corona beat down mercilessly from above. Rather than an oasis at the center, this spirit held a bastion. A squat fortress, brimming with instruments of war. A glance at Tan Xiaoling was all the confirmation He Yu had needed. As if the presence of a Sixth Realm spirit that cultivated the Tan family arts hadn¡¯t been enough on its own.


    Tan Qingsheng had come, and they weren¡¯t ready.

 5.33 - Tan Qingsheng

    Tan Qingsheng arrived in a burst of metal and fire. The resemblance to Tan Xiaoling was immediate. He had the same rough edge as her, and his lips curled into a familiar half-smirk. The changes to Tan Xiaoling¡¯s physical appearance that had accompanied her advancement to Nascent Soul were more apparent in her uncle. His hair, while held back in the fashion of the empire, appeared rough and wild. Like his niece, Tan Qingsheng¡¯s eyes shone with a soft light, like two molten pools of gold.


    Wang Xiaobo arrived a moment later. Upon landing he locked eyes with He Yu, and his expression was one of prideful contempt, undiluted by time. He still wore fine silk robes, and an ornate silver crown hairpin. His jian was the same one He Yu remembered. The only difference between their last meeting was Wang Xiaobo¡¯s advancement. Like Xin Lu, he¡¯d reached late Nascent Soul since their last meeting. And also, like Xin Lu, a shadow of Jin Xifeng¡¯s power lurked within his spirit.


    A nine-ringed sword appeared in Tan Qingsheng¡¯s hand as he stepped forward. He leveled his weapon at Tan Xiaoling and looked toward He Yu the others. ¡°Leave me to this stain on the Tan family¡¯s pride, and I will let you live.¡±


    Wang Xiaobo¡¯s features twisted. Although his spirit flared briefly, he restrained himself from overt action. ¡°We had a deal,¡± he said, voice tight.


    ¡°The others are no concern of mine,¡± Tan Qingsheng said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have my honor back no matter what he says,¡± Wang Xiaobo spat, shifting his attention back to He Yu.


    Only the prescience of the Peerless Judgment allowed He Yu to avoid Wang Xiaobo¡¯s attack. He pulled himself back with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and deflected a thrust with the Spring Rain Mirror. The thousand gleaming blades of Wang Xiaobo¡¯s primary technique ripped apart the ground He Yu had just escaped.


    ¡°A fight it is, then!¡± Tan Qingsheng laughed. His Sixth Realm spirit crashed over them all. The black desert sun beat down on a land ripped apart by jagged iron spikes, burning under the relentless heat and dark light. Flames licked the length of his nine-ring sword as he threw himself, laughing, at his niece.


    The clash of the two immortals, both using the Tan family¡¯s Golden Tiger Cultivation Law, met on the valley floor in a burst of power. Metal screamed and flames rushed along their weapons. That Tan Xiaoling stood firm against the first assault of an expert a full realm above her was a testament to her strength. Even so, He Yu clearly saw she was on the back foot already.


    The initial explosion of fire and metal ripped through what little remained of the valley floor. The Breath of the White Desert¡¯s storm of metal razors leaped up around Tan Xiaoling. Tan Qingsheng called his own variation of the technique. Rather than a countless storm of tiny shards, Tan Qingsheng called seven larger blades, each the size of a sword. They flew around him in a looping pattern that was more controlled and precise than Tan Xioaling¡¯s use of the technique.


    A flash of moonlit snow marked Li Heng¡¯s arrival to assist the princess. A massive overhand strike from Tan Qingsheng¡¯s nine-ring sword deflected off Li Heng¡¯s ancestral jian, setting the smaller blade to glow with brilliant silver light. Although he¡¯d turned the blow aside, he still stumbled under the attack¡¯s sheer power.


    ¡°Lu! Deal with the Li whelp,¡± Wang Xiaobo shouted.


    Xin Lu rushed forward in a burst of heaven and fire, forcing Li Heng back and away from Tan Xiaoling. His advance brought a sweeping series of strikes from his double halberd, each one crackling with heaven and trailing tongues of flame.


    He Yu rushed Wang Xiaobo, heaven coursing along the length of his guandao. ¡°Chen Fei, help Tan Xiaoling! Yan Shirong, to Li Heng. I¡¯ll deal with this one!¡± He Yu shouted.


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure he could take Wang Xiaobo on his own, Tan Xiaoling certainly couldn¡¯t handle her uncle by herself. Someone needed to help tie Xin Lu down, and Yan Shirong would be best for that. And if there was anyone among them who could assist Tan Xiaoling, it was Chen Fei and her barriers. She¡¯d proved herself able to hold her ground against higher realm opponents more than enough times in the past.


    ¡°Ah, the peasant thinks he¡¯s a general now, does he?¡± Wang Xiaobo sneered as he launched another barrage of metal at He Yu. A hundred swords came from a hundred angles, each one gleaming with metal qi and killing intent.


    A formation of the Bracing Wind sent out a burst of wind and heaven, disrupting the greater part of Wang Xiaobo¡¯s technique. The true attack, a powerful thrust from Wang Xiaobo¡¯s jian, met the Spring Rain Mirror.


    He Yu said nothing. Wang Xiaobo had always been more experienced than he was, and he used that experience to good measure. Even with just this brief exchange, He Yu could tell Wang Xiaobo hadn¡¯t been idle in the fifteen years since they¡¯d last faced one another. Much like Xin Lu, he¡¯d made some deal with Jin Xifeng as well. He Yu grit his teeth. This was a very different foe than the one he¡¯d humiliated back at the sect. And worse, He Yu didn¡¯t have the rules of the sect¡ªsuch as they¡¯d been¡ªto protect him. Nor did he have the threat of Zhang Lifen¡¯s vengeance.


    Nearby, Yan Shirong¡¯s shadows rose to bind Xin Lu¡¯s weapon and limbs. He burst with heaven and flame, the black metal of his double halberd gleaming a dull orange-red. Xin Lu ripped free from his bonds, scattering Yan Shirong¡¯s nearby constructs with a swing of his halberd. With a thrust of his weapon, he sent a churning cyclone of heaven and flame at Yan Shirong.


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    ¡°Ignore me at your peril,¡± Li Heng said softly, barely loud enough for He Yu to catch over the din of the clashing experts. For an instant the world went dark, and all He Yu could see was the taiji, slowly rotating above a darkened expanse of ice and snow. When the world returned, the telltale marks of the Darkmoon Strife¡¯s frosted blade graced Xin Lu¡¯s back.


    But this time, Li Heng wasn¡¯t quick enough with his escape. Xin Lu slammed the butt of his double halberd into Li Heng¡¯s chest, sending him stumbling back. In the gaze of the Peerless Judgment, He Yu sensed the looping patterns of qi as Li Heng cycled his movement technique, but the disruption was enough, and Xin Lu was a fraction too quick. He grabbed Li Heng by the throat and lifted him off his feet. As He Yu rushed to his friend¡¯s aid, Wang Xiaobo appeared in his path with a movement technique.


    ¡°You picked these matches, peasant general,¡± Wang Xiaobo said with obvious glee. ¡°Now live with them.¡±


    The renewed assault took nearly all of He Yu¡¯s attention to beat back. To his great relief, Yan Shirong managed to distract Xin Lu just long enough for Li Heng to reverse his grip on his jian and plunge the blade into Xin Lu¡¯s chest. The older cultivator roared and dropped his prize. Then he turned his attention to breaking free of Yan Shirong¡¯s shadows once again. As grievous a wound as he¡¯d taken¡ªmore than enough to kill a mortal¡ªHe Yu knew full well that immortals weren¡¯t so to take down. And although he¡¯d no idea how much of Xin Lu¡¯s qi reserves yet remained, healing from a wound like that would certainly cost him.


    In a burst of metal and flame, Tan Xiaoling crashed into the earth a few feet away from where He Yu desperately fought back Wang Xiaobo¡¯s relentless attacks. The ground cracked and cratered under the impact. To her credit, she was back on her feet an instant later. Over one shoulder, the Mark of the Dark Sun formed the familiar spear of black flame.


    With a boisterous laugh, Tan Qingsheng did the same. ¡°Did you forget? We cultivate the same arts, Xiaoling!¡±


    Five spears formed around Tan Qingsheng, faster and more completely than the one Tan Xiaoling still gathered about her. In a burst of fire qi, they streaked through the air, trailing black flames in their wake. He Yu had seen what a single formation of that technique could do more than enough times¡ªhe was far too close to their intended target.


    Pouring his cultivation base into the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering both, he hauled himself away from the explosion of black flame. When the aftermath of the attack cleared, Chen Fei stood in front of Tan Xiaoling. Her armor was cracked and several pieces looked about to fall off. The fading formation from her family¡¯s Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols told enough of the story.


    ¡°Pay attention, peasant,¡± Wang Xiaobo laughed. He appeared inside He Yu¡¯s guard, his jian accompanied by a dozen metal echoes. Mists curled around him from the lingering effects of his movement technique. Had he attacked anyone else, he¡¯d have ended the fight right there.


    While Wang Xiaobo hadn¡¯t stood still in the past fifteen years, neither had He Yu. The Spring Rain Mirror manifested and turned aside the strike from Wang Xiaobo¡¯s jian. But the metal echoes from his sword technique found their mark. Pain spiked in He Yu¡¯s side. Several red stains spread over his robes.


    ¡°I hope you remember this,¡± He Yu said as he curled his fist. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one to have advanced since we last fought.¡±


    The clouds opened, and a long serpentine body uncoiled. A dragon¡¯s head layered itself over He Yu¡¯s fist, its horns sparking. The tiny arcs of heaven that crawled along He Yu¡¯s robes, weapon, and skin rushed into his still-imperfect and yet unnamed technique. The dragon¡¯s scales reached up his arm, past his elbow. They glinted and sparked with heaven.


    He Yu struck.


    All the power he¡¯d gathered into his fist surged into Wang Xiaobo, flooding his meridians and his dantian. His cultivation base went wild. He brought it under control far more quickly than he had the last time He Yu struck at his cultivation base directly. That he¡¯d since formed his Wayborn Seed came as no surprise¡ªhe¡¯d never have reached Nascent Soul if he hadn¡¯t. Still, the strike did its job.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed,¡± Wang Xiaobo spat. ¡°Still the same peasant coward you always were.¡± He attacked, his strikes less controlled, less precise than they¡¯d been moments before.


    The Peerless Judgment showed He Yu the shape of the incoming assault, and he beat back one strike after another. The winds and the rain churned at the surface of Wang Xiaobo¡¯s spirit. Once placid waters, still and bright like a silver mirror, rippled. The disturbance expanded through his spirit, causing even the sword hanging above the lake to tremble. If He Yu had learned one thing in his time at the sect, it was that a cultivator¡¯s pride was far too easy to injure.


    As the clash of presences continued to rip apart the now-ruined valley floor, a surge of darkness enveloped Xin Lu. A hundred pairs of eyes peered out from that darkness as a single gleam of silver bloomed within. The moment Li Heng struck once again with the Darkmoon Strife, Yan Shirong launched dozens upon dozens of poison-tipped daggers.


    Xin Lu had been fighting for the longest of their opponents, and much of that time he¡¯d been alone. Even at the late stage of Nascent Soul, a five to one advantage was hard to overcome. And at long last, the strain caught up. The older cultivator pitched forward, stumbling to his knees. An instant later, Wang Xiaobo was at his side. A barrage of metal qi pushed back Li Heng and Yan Shirong at once.


    He Yu charged, carried by the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. The Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering sent heaven qi crackling over his robes and toward the ground in great arcs. Wind and rain howled with him, as Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade reached for Wang Xiaobo, carried by a formation of the Rushing Wind. Wang Xiaobo looked He Yu in the eyes, and stood his ground, planting himself before his sworn brother. Li Heng and Yan Shirong hit Wang Xiaobo at the same time He Yu did. Heaven, shadow, and ice crashed over the sword hanging above the glass-still lake¡ªand the sword trembled.


    ¡°Cowards,¡± Wang Xiaobo growled. ¡°You have to face me three to one to have any hope, and while I defend my brother? Your shame is without limits.¡± Wang Xiaobo hauled Xin Lu to his feet. A paper talisman appeared in his free hand, and in a flash of qi, the both of them disappeared.


    ¡°Shame,¡± Yan Shirong sniffed. ¡°I¡¯d hoped we could finish them off for good.¡±


    ¡°We still need to help Xiaoling,¡± Li Heng shouted. With a flash of the White Hair Dance, he joined the fight against the Sixth Realm cultivator.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± He Yu said, shooting a worried glance after Li Heng. Chen Fei was in bad shape. One of her arms was slick and red with blood, and her spirit felt noticeably weaker than it normally did.


    Tan Xiaoling didn¡¯t look to be in much better shape. ¡°This is our best chance to deal with Tan Qingsheng.¡±


    Not that he thought they had a chance against him. Tan Qingsheng was early Soul Refining, and for all He Yu could tell, still had plenty of qi left. Now that He Yu could turn his full attention to him, he looked like he¡¯d not even been trying. Insurmountable or no, He Yu had promised Tan Xiaoling he¡¯d help her with this. So that¡¯s what he¡¯d do.


    Calling the storm once again, He Yu charged into the fray.

 5.34 - The Valiant Ones

    A great tiger stalked the desert. Its golden pelt shimmered in the harsh light of the dark desert sun, and its claws were of sharp metal, gleaming with death and strife. He Yu met the tiger as the storm, his spirit breaking over the land. A storm roared in, carrying wind and rain. Clouds rolled above, and heaven reached down to the earth, shattering the metal spikes littering the otherwise barren expanse. Tan Qingsheng turned. His nine-ringed blade met He Yu¡¯s guandao in a sparking clash of heaven and flame.


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn your back on me!¡± Tan Xiaoling shouted. Her voice had taken on a sort of frenzy¡ªa battle lust He Yu had known her spirit had always held, but only now had been fully unleashed. One tiger leaped at another, the smaller of the two no less ferocious for her disadvantage.


    But Tan Qingsheng had achieved the Sixth Realm¡ªSoul Refining. Nobody fell upward that far, even with access to as much wealth and privilege as Tan Qingsheng had. The Soul Refining stage was locked behind two important bottlenecks. First, to reach Nascent Soul, a cultivator needed to form a Wayborn Seed. Without one, Golden Core was the furthest one could ascend. Second, to break through the bottleneck to the Sixth Realm, a cultivator had to develop their Wayborn Seed to where they could at least glimpse their personal Dao.


    There were also the insights into one¡¯s Way and the sheer amount of qi one needed to cultivate toward Soul Refining. Experts at this stage were no laughing matters. The idea that a Nascent Soul cultivator, even five at once, could stand against one such expert was absurd. Yet here they were. After all, what other choice did they have?


    With his free hand, Tan Qingsheng grabbed his niece off his back. As he held her up, gripped in one powerful hand, it finally sank in just how huge the gap was. Tan Xiaoling was always absurdly strong among them. Her raw physical strength rivaled Chen Fei¡¯s. Her speed rivaled Li Heng, and that was without a dedicated movement technique. The flame-kissed sabers she wielded were as potent as anything He Yu could bring to bear, even with his cultivation of an ancient primordial art.


    Now she looked more like a helpless child than the monster He Yu knew her as. She fought, to be sure, but her uncle shrugged off saber and technique alike. Even as he formed up the giant metal blades of his variant of the Breath of the White Desert, he batted away He Yu¡¯s guandao with that nine-ringed blade of his.


    The Peerless Judgment showed He Yu the shape of Tan Qingsheng¡¯s technique. ¡°The shard!¡± he shouted. It was all he could get out in time, as the gleaming metal blade leveled itself at Tan Xiaoling¡¯s heart. Although he¡¯d never used the Spring Rain Mirror in such a way before, he couldn¡¯t do anything but try. The water-aspected blue disk formed itself from the qi of his presence. It formed in the instant the metal shard streaked toward Tan Xiaoling¡¯s heart, gleaming sharp and laden with killing intent.


    The mirror shattered under the weight of Tan Qingsheng¡¯s attack. A silver-white formation barrier flashed into the space between the still-fading mirror and Tan Xiaoling¡¯s heart. Chen Fei¡¯s barrier flashed with brilliant light for an instant, then faded. Although it hadn¡¯t held for more than a fraction of a heartbeat, it held for long enough.


    Li Heng flashed into the space behind Tan Xiaoling, his jian held before them both, the flat side of the blade covering her heart. The metal shard hit his ancestral jian, and the explosion of power finally broke the elder Tan¡¯s grip. Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The Jade Princess was the first to regain her feet. True to her word to He Yu so many years ago, she attacked.


    Tan Xiaoling threw herself at her uncle in a fury of blades and metal qi. The Breath of the White Desert screamed around her, contained to a tight formation that only extended just past the edge of her reach.


    If the sheer ferocity of her assault pressed Tan Qingsheng at all, he declined to show it. He met her blow-for-blow, his nine-ringed blade jangling as he deftly turned aside each of her strikes, and countered with his own.


    It took Li Heng a few breaths longer to rise. He struggled with his ancestral jian, like he had back when he¡¯d been struggling with the Winter Moon Reflection during their Foundation days. Still, he lifted the weapon and unleashed a screaming torrent of silver qi.


    Winter descended upon the ruined valley floor. The sky went black. Frost crept along the cracked and ruined earth, and the temperature plummeted. A jagged line of ice crystals followed the path traced by Li Heng¡¯s technique. Overhead, a silver moon filled the black expanse.


    The technique was enough, at least, to give Tan Qingsheng pause. ¡°Impressive, boy. Truly a worthy descendant of Li Renshu. Still, it¡¯s not enough.¡± The tiger¡¯s muscles bunched, and the desert reasserted itself. Night turned to day, and the frozen field faded. The thirsty earth drank the melting snow before, once again, it turned parched and cracked. The tiger pounced, and winter broke.


    When Li Heng appeared next to He Yu in a flash of moonlight, it didn¡¯t take an expert in medicine to see he was badly wounded. A bloody gash ran diagonally across his chest from shoulder to waist. Even coming out of the White Hare Dance, he stumbled, then took to one knee, his jian falling from limp fingers. His breathing came in heavy labored heaves and his spirit flickered with each lungful he took.


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    He Yu charged in to take his place at Tan Xiaoling¡¯s side as she still did battle with her uncle. Together, they fought back each of his strikes. The impact against his guandao sent shocks up He Yu¡¯s arms like he¡¯d never felt¡ªthis was a losing battle if he¡¯d ever been one. Some small part in the back of his mind told him he¡¯d no right to be here. No right to stand against a foe so far above him. But a different, louder part sang in glee. To fight such a battle was the stuff of legends in truth.


    From behind the elder tiger, a mass of shadows rose. Half a hundred eyes peered out from the darkness, and with the shadows rose an army. Lifted above the whole of it, Yan Shirong spread his arms as two massive eyes opened above his shoulders. The construct army surged forward, spraying masses of black thorns and reaching for Tan Qingsheng with limbs of shadow. Even as his legion of puppets advanced, Yan Shirong produced countless daggers, throwing them with the speed and accuracy that only immortals could achieve.


    Tan Qingsheng turned. He sent a massive blade each at Tan Xiaoling and He Yu, forcing them to back off. The blades were only meant to distract, to buy him a moment. But a moment was all he needed to deal with Yan Shirong. The old tiger waded into the army called by Yan Shirong¡¯s technique, the Puppeteer¡¯s Legion. Bones of countless constructs bound only with shadow shattered and scattered with each sweep of Tan Qingsheng¡¯s nine-ringed blade. The tendrils Yan Shirong called to bind him split and withered under the relentless march of the desert. The tiger leaped again. Yan Shirong stepped through shadow and hauled himself away on threads of the same.


    Tan Qingsheng roared. Only partially human, the sound carried the same paralyzing power as the spirit beast whose namesake the Tan family cultivated. A wave of qi washed over He Yu, rooting him to the spot. Rooting Yan Shirong to the spot.


    He Yu watched in horror as Tan Qingsheng appeared before Yan Shirong. Shadows rose from whatever tiny patch of darkness they could, wrapping themselves around Tan Qingsheng¡¯s limbs. They weren¡¯t enough. The old tiger slammed a massive meaty fist into Yan Shirong¡¯s face. He Yu winced at the resulting crunch. Yan Shirong flew back before finally crashing to the ground several hundred feet away. He tumbled over himself another dozen times before finally coming to a stop. He remained motionless.


    Still, He Yu and Tan Xiaoling attacked. Calling the Mark of the Dark Sun, Tan Xiaoling slammed a blazing black spear into her uncle¡¯s back. He Yu called the Rushing Wind, layering Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade onto the technique. A crackling line of heaven reached out from the end of his guandao. The flesh of Tan Qingsheng¡¯s back blistered and burned under the twin assault. He turned and locked eyes with each of them in turn.


    The look on his face chilled He Yu to the bone. It was one of excitement, elation, and fury. All mixed into an almost manic mask of battle lust. Tan Qingsheng¡¯s lips split into a grin, and he let out a deep, rich laugh. Between his expression and the visible damage to his flesh and clothes, Tan Qingsheng looked half a nightmare as he bore down on He Yu and Tan Xiaoling once again.


    A mountain burst forth from the parched earth of the desert. Earth and metal rose, blocking the path of the charging tiger. The jagged metal spikes that littered the desert twisted and rushed toward the mountain, layering themselves upon the lower reaches of the rugged slopes. At the peak, impossibly high, a shining mass of formation characters gathered. They tumbled down the slopes like in a landslide, strengthening and tempering.


    Chen Fei met Tan Qingsheng head on. A formation barrier flashed into the space between them. As capable as the Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols was, Tan Qingsheng smashed through the barrier like it was only a paper screen. Silver qi burst into the air, trailing in motes of light before fading to nothing. The nine-ringed blade carved through the air, flames licking the edge, and each of the nine rings gleaming in the fading afternoon light.


    The blade smashed down on Chen Fei¡¯s forearm. The Titan Panoply took the brunt of the attack, but the plates of metal qi still shattered under the weight. The sheer force of the blow caused her to stumble, even under the bolstering effects of the Iron Fortress Redoubt and the Eternal Mountain Root.


    Tan Qingsheng drew back his nine-ring blade for another strike. Chen Fei stepped forward, her fist gathering a mass of qi at her side. Three of Tan Qingsheng¡¯s metal blades slammed into her shoulders and chest. Her spirit flickered under the weight of the attack, but still she readied her technique.


    A mountain rose to the heavens, stretching away from the world below. From the endless canopy of the firmament, a single point of light broke free and began its fall. An explosion of mountain and earth and metal sent a shockwave blasting out from the impact of Chen Fei¡¯s Falling Star Strike. Great chunks of stone were ripped from the earth. The jagged spikes of Tan Qingsheng¡¯s spirit bent, screeched, and shattered. Then, for an instant, the world went silent as everything collapsed back in on itself.


    When He Yu¡¯s normal vision returned, Tan Qingsheng had Chen Fei by the wrist. He kicked her away. As she tumbled over the rocky broken valley floor, what was left of the Titan Panoply broke off and flew away in pieces. One of her arms twisted at an unnatural angle. Once she¡¯d finally come to a halt, she remained motionless.


    Tan Qingsheng turned. ¡°Which of you is first?¡± he growled. ¡°But I¡¯ll rip both of you apart at once, if you prefer.¡± He Yu heard pain in those words. Tan Qingsheng looked like he favored one side a bit, a clear mark that Chen Fei¡¯s Falling Star Strike had at least hurt him.


    Shooting a brief glance at He Yu, Tan Xiaoling said, ¡°It¡¯s been an honor fighting by your side, He Yu. I¡¯ll not hold it against you, if in the moments I¡¯ve left to live you abandon me. You¡¯ve done all you can here, and for that I am grateful.¡±


    He Yu drew himself up to his full height, such as it was. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten. A hero never gives up.¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Tan Xiaoling¡¯s lips quirked into the wry half-smirk she¡¯d so often worn back at the sect. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. And I don¡¯t hold back. Just make sure you don¡¯t get in my way.¡±


    Although it was as fatalistic as it was dry, He Yu appreciated the humor.


    Their presences expanded, spreading out across the valley floor. One, a tiger stalking the lush oasis hidden in the center of a scorching desert. The other, a churning storm driving wind and rain. Metal and heaven. Fury and flame. Together, they threw themselves at a foe stronger than either had ever faced before.


    Tan Qingsheng met them on their terms.

 5.35 - To Struggle Against All Odds

    ¡°Come and face me, then,¡± Tan Qingsheng laughed. His presence billowed out. Metal spikes erupted from the bleached white sands. A black sun beat down upon the land, and the desert burned.


    He Yu and Tan Xiaoling hit him both at once.


    Black clouds gathered above, but couldn¡¯t fully cover Tan Qingsheng¡¯s dark burning sun. Even as the rain fell, the parched land drank it up. Heaven reached down, but for every one of the metal spires He Yu struck and shattered, another grew up in its place. Although He Yu called the wind, Tan Qingsheng¡¯s storm of metal remained stronger still.


    Tan Xiaoling fared little better in the face of a more powerful expert wielding similar arts. When the twin cyclones of metal clashed, hers was overpowered. The burning wrath of her own sun withered before her uncle¡¯s, and even the stalking tiger that lurked at the center of her desert seemed smaller and less powerful that Tan Qingsheng¡¯s.


    The first exchange of techniques told He Yu everything he needed to know¡ªthey were outmatched, and they could only hope to fight for time. Heaven¡¯s lightning ripped through the metal blades orbiting Tan Qingsheng, shattering two of them. Three more appeared in their place. Although Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade left a scorched line across Tan Qingsheng¡¯s robes, the older cultivator remained uninjured.


    Tan Qingsheng launched all seven of his metal blades, his own formation of the Breath of the White Desert at He Yu. Three blades met the Spring Rain Mirror and glanced harmlessly aside. The rest shredded into He Yu¡¯s flesh in a spray of blood and a flash of pain. Even as he tried to pull himself away using the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight, Tan Qingsheng¡¯s fist crashed into the side of his head and sent him reeling.


    Using only his nine-ringed blade, Tan Qingsheng fought off Tan Xiaoling¡¯s assault. She rushed him like she rushed every other opponent, a shining knife under the desert sun, all fury and violence. Her twinned dao sabers flashed as their tiger pommels roared in silence. Sparks flew with each exchange, fire and metal qi exploding out from each exchange. Blow by blow, Tan Qingsheng beat her back.


    A black spear formed over her shoulder. Deep crimson flames limned the outline like the corona of an eclipse. Killing intent hung heavy in the air, its weight pressing down like the knife-edge shine of a death promised. Tan Xiaoling released her technique at the same moment her storm of razors flared up around her, forming both an attack to complement her sabers and a defense against her uncle¡¯s aggression.


    Tan Qingsheng merely laughed. It was a hearty sound, starting in his belly and rising to ring off the distant valley walls. His spirit flexed, and another formation of the Breath of the White Desert called more blades. All the blades launched towards Tan Xiaoling¡¯s Mark of the Dark Sun. The fiery black spear ripped through each one, until finally, at the last, it failed.


    Then, he attacked.


    He Yu had spent countless hours sparring against Tan Xiaoling. They¡¯d spent nearly as many discussing their techniques and their arts. The Golden Tiger Cultivation Law had a simple strength¡ªraw aggression. That principle was reflected in how Tan Xiaoling fought. A relentless onslaught, no quarter given and none asked for. She fought to crush her opponents with unrelenting attacks and overwhelming strength. He Yu had thought he understood the principle behind her style.


    Tan Qingsheng showed him how wrong he¡¯d been.


    With gleaming metal following in his wake, Tan Qingsheng threw himself at them both. The edge of his nine-ringed blade flickered with tongues of flame and shone with killing intent. One of his blades flew at He Yu. A second followed, delayed just enough that he could only deflect one. Even as the second blade pierced He Yu¡¯s flesh, Tan Qingsheng launched two Marks of the Dark Sun. With a burst of speed, he appeared inside He Yu¡¯s guard. The spears hit, sending searing pain through his chest and meridians. Tan Qingsheng locked eyes and grinned a terrible and manic grin. A fist slammed into He Yu¡¯s gut, and the next thing he knew, he was tumbling across the valley floor.


    He picked himself up and shook his head. For an instant, he was free of the melee. He took a pill, then activated the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight and the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering. He hurtled across the valley floor, sparks of heaven arcing from him to the ground and back. He fixed his eyes on the fight ahead and pushed himself to go as fast as he could. To rejoin the fray in time.


    Tan Xiaoling stood before her uncle, facing the full fury of his undivided attention. For all the strength she brought to bear, he¡¯d put her on the back foot. Tan Qingsheng advanced, his nine-ringed blade flashing in the evening light. Each meeting of their steel sent ripples of metal and fire qi crashing over the valley floor. Each blow Tan Xiaoling caught on one of her sabers forced her back by another step.


    Even as he raced across the valley floor on his wings of wind, He Yu knew he wouldn¡¯t make it in time. Tan Qingsheng¡¯s nine-ringed blade crashed down. Two sabers rose to meet it, and two sabers fell to the ground. Tan Xiaoling stumbled and fell to one knee. Killing intent hung heave in the air as Tan Qingsheng rose his blade one final time.


    Silver formation characters bloomed up around Tan Xiaoling. Another formation appeared around Tan Qingsheng¡¯s wrist, and the flames along the blade¡¯s edge died. A mass of shadows rose to bind Tan Qingsheng¡¯s arms and legs. A flash of moonlit snow announced Li Heng¡¯s appearance at Tan Xiaoling¡¯s side.


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    He Yu slammed into Tan Qingsheng with everything he had. The storm billowed out from him, clouds churning black as lightning flashed deep within. The Spring Rain Mirror turned aside a casual backhand punch. Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade reached out once more, this time carried on the Five Crescent Winds. It was enough to command Tan Qingsheng¡¯s attention, which was enough for He Yu.


    ¡°Get her out of here!¡± he shouted as he cycled the whole of his cultivation base through his meridians and into his techniques. His skin took on the dull shine of the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering and crackled of heaven crawled over his robes and his guandao. The storm boiled above him, angry and heavy.


    ¡°Stand aside, boy,¡± Tan Qingsheng growled, losing the manic pleasure of battle for the first time since they¡¯d crossed blades.


    He Yu lifted his chin and spoke a single word. ¡°No.¡±


    Tan Qingsheng attacked. It reminded He Yu of facing down Tan Xiaoling in the tournament. He was the most aggressive and overwhelming foe he¡¯d faced so far. Even the frenzied, demon core fueled battle lust of Sha Xiang was nothing before the sheer aggression that Tan Qingsheng brought to bear.


    Gone was the manic grin, replaced by a grim determination, a hardness in his eyes, and the sharp promise of death hanging in the air. The nine-ringed blade slammed down on He Yu¡¯s guandao again and again. Fire and heaven sparked off their weapons, and it took cycling everything He Yu could muster into the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering to withstand the assault. The Spring Rain Mirror turned away, maybe one in three attacks from either the rotating metal blades formed by the Breath of the White Desert, or the fiery spears formed by the Mark of the Dark Sun.


    Dimly, and only through the flawless perception of the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, He Yu felt the retreat of his companions. The twinge of guilt at ordering them around that he¡¯d felt so long ago was noticeably absent. The discomfort at leading paled in comparison to the need to do so, the need for someone to step up and take command of a truly dire situation. What exactly that meant, he could examine later. If he lived.


    With the others retreating, he focused the whole of his attention on his task. He focused on the ease that came when he tapped into his Wayborn Seed. He focused on what it meant to walk the path of a hero. On that glimpse Li Renshu had afforded him of his Dao of Heroism. Was throwing away his own life something that aligned with his Dao? It was, if it allowed others to live. To struggle another day. To follow their paths to their own Dao.


    Doubts fell away. Uncertainty faded. Resolve settled over him. He pointed his guandao at Tan Qingsheng. ¡°Whatever strength I may have, I use it to stand in your way. I use it to protect my friends, to protect those who you would harm. Break me if you will, but I won¡¯t stand aside.¡±


    Tan Qingsheng inclined his head. Then he stabbed his nine-ringed blade into the ground at his side. He pressed one fist into his palm in salute and bowed. ¡°Brave child. Foolish, but brave. I am Tan Qingsheng. Brother to King Tan Zihao of the Jade Kingdom. I fight for my right to his throne, as is the custom of our family and our land.¡± Tan Qingsheng straightened and took up his blade once more. ¡°I would know your name, expert of the Fifth Realm. It is only fitting.¡±


    ¡°I am He Yu. Former disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that name. The He family is not one I¡¯m familiar with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a commoner from a backwater nobody¡¯s heard of, looking to forge a legend,¡± he said, heaven surging through his meridians.


    ¡°Shame,¡± Tan Qingsheng said. ¡°You had potential.¡±


    A golden tiger roared, the sound crashed over the desolate land and rolled through the jagged metal spires that broke through the earth. He Yu froze as Tan Qingsheng¡¯s qi gripped him, rooting him to the ground beneath the burning desert sun. He cycled his cultivation base. The flow of heaven and wind and water through his meridians grew sluggish with each new redoubling of the roar.


    Although the storm remained, the desert endured, then asserted its dominion once again. A dark sun burned away the clouds. What few puddles yet remained dried under its uncompromising light. The wind stilled, and then there was only the hot air and the merciless sun above. Among the spires of jagged metal, stalked the tiger.


    He Yu fell back, slammed to the ground under the weight of a single blow from Tan Qingsheng. Flames licked his blade, danced along his arms. Two pools of molten gold fixed He Yu in place. The nine-ringed blade lifted, the soft tinkle of the rings the only sound in the valley.


    The Peerless Judgment flashed. He Yu formed the Spring Rain Mirror as he pulled himself across the ruined earth with the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. The nine-ringed blade gouged a scar into the land. He Yu regained his feet. With his guandao held forward like a spear, he formed the Rushing Wind and charged.


    Tan Qingsheng knocked aside He Yu¡¯s larger weapon. Two fists met in an explosion of qi¡ªone wreathed in flame, the other taking the form of a heavenly dragon. Pain shot up He Yu¡¯s arm as his knuckles shattered. He tucked the guandao under one arm, desperately cycling what little qi he still could spare into his ruined hand.


    A kick knocked his leg out from beneath him. He dropped to one knee. A second kick slammed into his face. When he finally came to a stop, he¡¯d tumbled across the entire valley floor and crashed into one of the few remaining stands of trees. The once heavily-wooded valley had been ripped bare by the battle, and the debris blasted to splinters.


    He Yu groped for his weapon. Tan Qingsheng stomped down on his wrist.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± he said, thrusting his sword into the earth mere inches from He Yu¡¯s head.


    ¡°Then kill me.¡±


    ¡°You fought well, He Yu. Better than those two cowards I brought with me. As a sign of my respect, I¡¯ll show you mercy. Once. When you finally track down my niece, tell her to leave. Renounce her claim. Leave me to my kingdom, and I¡¯ll let all of you live. Your courage has bought this for you and your friends. Don¡¯t squander it. I¡¯ll kill all of you if I ever see you again.¡±


    The tiger left, taking the oppressive expanse of the desert with it. He Yu lay on his back and stared at the sky. Eventually, he¡¯d cycled enough qi so that he could move once again. He bit down on a pill and closed his eyes in relief as the medicine flowed through his meridians. It would take him some time before he¡¯d be able to search for the others, but the Peerless Judgment would aid him.


    For now, he just stared upward in disbelief. Shown mercy? Left for dead, more like it. He¡¯d fully expected to die, and he¡¯d accepted that. It seemed Tan Qingsheng wasn¡¯t wholly without honor. He had a feeling Tan Xiaoling would make her uncle regret his decision to spare He Yu at the first chance she got.

 5.36 - Agreements and Ambushes

    Wang Xiaobo had been waiting with Xin Lu for several hours already when Tan Qingsheng returned. Announcing his arrival by throwing open the door to the hall, then throwing himself into the closest chair, Tan Qingsheng¡¯s arrival sent a wave of irritation through Wang Xiaobo. When the older man leaned back and sighed with a broad grin spreading across his features rather than address his guests, Wang Xiaobo finally lost his patience.


    ¡°So?¡± he asked, the word clipped and sharp. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve put your little dynastic struggle to an end? We can begin talking about how you can convince your brother, then.¡±


    Tan Qingsheng waved him off. ¡°They live still.¡± He didn¡¯t even bother sitting up or addressing Wang Xiaobo directly, instead speaking mostly to the ceiling.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Wang Xiaobo couldn¡¯t manage to say anything else for a moment, so great was his disbelief. ¡°How do they live? I take it they didn¡¯t defeat you. Since you¡¯ve returned.¡±


    ¡°I won, of course. The others fled shortly after you two did. He Yu stayed behind. By the time I¡¯d finished with him, the rest were gone. I left him alive so he could send a message to my niece.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Wang Xiaobo surged to his feet, despite the sharp look from Xin Lu.


    Finally, Tan Qingsheng deigned to give Wang Xiaobo his attention. He lifted his head to look at him, then quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Can you not hear? I said I left him alive. To send a message.¡±


    ¡°We had a deal.¡±


    ¡°And you two ran like cowards.¡±


    For a moment, Wang Xiaobo¡¯s already raw temper got the best of him. His spirit flared out. Before he could catch himself, Tan Qingsheng was on him, a burly hand around his throat, and the weight of his Soul Refining spirit pressing down on him.


    Tan Qingsheng spoke quietly, dangerously. ¡°Don¡¯t test me, whelp. Perhaps if the two of you hadn¡¯t turned tail the moment things got rough, you¡¯d have prevented them from running. He Yu is half your age, yet he put up twice the fight I¡¯d expect from either of you. It seemed only right to acknowledge his warrior¡¯s spirit. Something the both of you could take a lesson from.¡±


    ¡°We had a deal,¡± Wang Xiaobo repeated. ¡°We help you deal with Tan Xiaoling, you help us track down He Yu and Li Heng. When it¡¯s all said and done, you put in a word with your brother, so he comes around and starts sending tribute to Empress Jin once more. Everyone gets what they want.¡±


    With a casual toss, Tan Qingsheng sent Wang Xiaobo tumbling into the nearest wall. ¡°Our deal didn¡¯t involve you running. Don¡¯t like how I handled things? You¡¯re more than welcome to go after them yourselves. Not that I think you can. As far as your empress is concerned, she can come and speak to my brother herself. Or send someone worthy of his time.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let them escape? Surely you aren¡¯t allowing a threat to your claim remain,¡± Xin Lu said, finally entering the conversation. Typical of him, to remain silent for as long as he had, but Wang Xiaobo wished he¡¯d have jumped in sooner.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing nothing of the sort,¡± Tan Qingsheng said, returning to his seat and picking up a nearby jar of wine. ¡°I told He Yu to deliver the following. Tan Xiaoling may leave and renounce her claim. In exchange, I let them all live.¡±


    ¡°I fail to see how that¡¯s not allowing them to escape,¡± Xin Lu said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Xiaoling, then. She¡¯ll take this as an insult. All it will do is mean she¡¯ll come to me. When she finally shows her face, I¡¯ll crush her then.¡±


    For several moments, the sheer arrogance of Tan Qingsheng rendered Wang Xiaobo speechless. Had he listened to nothing either of them had told him? Did he truly believe he could simply sit here and lounge about in the palace and wait? And that Tan Xiaoling would come and offer herself up to him like a sacrifice?


    And he dared to still defy Empress Jin¡¯s demands of tribute? He must know she wouldn¡¯t be tied down forever. Must know that if he took too long, she would send someone who could enforce her will against an Eighth Realm expert such as Tan Zihao. Perhaps she would send Long Tingguang. Should this defiance continue long enough, Jin Xifeng would simply come herself. Nobody wanted that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know He Yu,¡± Wang Xiaobo said once he¡¯d finally regained his composure. ¡°If there is one great regret I have, it¡¯s that I didn¡¯t kill him when I had the chance. He took his beating, then he came back and humiliated Xin Lu and I in front of our peers. Those others he has with him? They¡¯re the same. If you give them the chance, they¡¯ll only grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you just weren¡¯t good enough, then.¡± Tan Qingsheng said. ¡°If they advance, that¡¯s fine with me. They were too weak to put up a proper fight. Let them grow stronger. Let them come. The strongest will prevail.¡±


    Wang Xiaobo opened his mouth to object, but Xin Lu shot him a look. As much as he hated to admit it, Lu was correct. There was no point in arguing. Tan Qingsheng was clearly convinced of his own superiority, and confident in his inevitable victory. That such a man could reach so far as the Soul Refining stage at least lent some credence to his confidence.


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    Bristling as they took their leave, Wang Xiaobo was sorely tempted to go after He Yu now. But Tan Qingsheng was right¡ªby the time they found him, he¡¯d have rejoined his companions. While Wang Xiaobo might take him in single combat¡ªbut even then he wasn¡¯t certain anymore¡ªhe remembered what He Yu had said after their last fight. If Wang Xiaobo moved against him again, he¡¯d bring everything he could to bear. Which meant they¡¯d have to deal with all five of them.


    He and Xin Lu may be late Nascent Soul, but they¡¯d been a stage above He Yu and Li Heng and they¡¯d lost then, too. And now Tan Qingsheng had given all five of them the chance to train, to advance. He was half tempted to return to the empire. The only thing stopping him now was the fear of what Empress Jin would do once she learned he¡¯d failed to kill the bearer of Elder Cai¡¯s arts.


    *    *    *


    When the core user entered the ravine, Zhang Lifen and the others attacked. The Heart Piercing Black Rain carried the power of a raging flood concentrated to a single point. The core user didn¡¯t even have a chance to fully release his spirit before several hundred arrows forged of water qi slammed into him. Ren Huang and Yi Xiurong burst into the ravine a moment later, one a blazing ravenous wolf, the other a colorless, radiant star.


    Ren Huang¡¯s wolf-tooth club swept before him. A wave of flame radiated out, engulfing the ravine. The wolf pounced. Its eyes blazed a furious red, and sparks flew from its maw. The core user¡¯s spirit, a twisted black thing seeping wrongness and avarice in equal parts, surged out. This one was at the edge of his control, the core close to winning the struggle with its bearer. They were doing this one a mercy, it seemed.


    Yi Xiurong¡¯s spirit lit the whole of the valley, shining brighter than even the midday sun. She slammed into the core user, the nine golden discs crashing like gongs. Each punch, each kick redoubled the reverberating tone, and each doubling brought another barrage of radiant beams laying waste to the ravine.


    The fight was a short one. Although the core user was at in the same realm as them all, a three to one disadvantage was too much for him, even with the aid of his core. In under an hour, the ravine walls had been reduced to rubble, the surrounding land scoured of vegetation, and the core user lay in the center of a smoking crater. Zhang Lifen shattered his dantian with a single swift strike and a pulse of qi.


    When the raging, out of control flailing of the core user¡¯s spirit finally died, Yi Xiurong ordered him to turn out his storage treasure. As expected, he carried a wealth of treasures, elixirs, and rare cultivation ingredients. The one thing most of note, however, was a small bamboo scroll that tumbled out after all the rest. Zhang Lifen wouldn¡¯t have noticed it, had the core user not attempted to conceal it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that,¡± she said, plucking the scroll from under the stone the core user had tried to conceal it with. Unfurling the scroll, she looked over the characters. What she found wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d wanted to see. Motioning to the others, she said, ¡°You should come read this.¡±


    Once they¡¯d finished, Ren Huang turned to the core user. ¡°What do you know about this message?¡± he demanded.


    The core user spit on him. Ren Huang kicked him in the face.


    ¡°That was uncalled for,¡± Yi Xiurong said. ¡°Regardless, the news isn¡¯t good. It seems the bounty we¡¯ve commanded is no longer sufficient.¡±


    Zhang Lifen tapped her lips with one finger. ¡°This Long Tingguang. I¡¯ve heard the name before. Spoken only in whispers, really. Supposedly, he¡¯s Jin Xifeng¡¯s right hand. She calls him her ¡®true dragon.¡¯ Can¡¯t imagine what sort of person he is, but he¡¯s certainly not someone I¡¯d like to meet.¡±


    ¡°Well, supposedly he¡¯s been charged with making sure we stop crippling core users,¡± Ren Huang rumbled.


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll come after us himself,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s at the Divine Soul Apotheosis stage. He¡¯ll send a lackey.¡± Then she added with a laugh, ¡°At least I hope he does.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll send his martial daughter,¡± the core user said, his voice a touch more controlled now that the core itself was just as powerless as he was.


    ¡°He has a disciple? How quaint,¡± Zhang Lifen said airily. Given that it had been less than two decades, she doubted that Jin Xifeng had managed to set up a proper sect structure and raise up any noteworthy experts beyond those who¡¯d already served her. Unless this daughter was from before the Dawn Palace¡¯s fall, it likely wasn¡¯t anyone they needed to worry about.


    Either way, her dismissal worked. The core user laughed, then said, ¡°Lady Sha is on the cusp of reaching the Sixth Realm. She grows her cultivation even now, and her mastery over her core is rivaled only by Long Tingguang himself. She will come, she will find you, and she will destroy you.¡±


    Zhang Lifen raised an eyebrow as she exchanged looks with Yi Xiurong. ¡°Lady Sha. What is her full name?¡± asked the former First Disciple.


    ¡°Sha Xiang, the Baroness of Molten Earth. The greatest recipient of Empress Jin¡¯s gifts other than his lordship, Master Long himself.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems she didn¡¯t die in the wilderness after all,¡± Zhang Lifen said, giving Yi Xiurong a sharp look.


    Ren Huang hauled the core user to his feet so he could glare directly into the core user¡¯s eyes. ¡°Where is she?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°In the capital. Good luck.¡± The core user spit on Ren Huang once again, only to get tossed to the ground for his troubles.


    ¡°We need to return east,¡± Yi Xiurong said, stepping onto her peacock feather.


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± Zhang Lifen asked, even as she activated a movement technique to follow.


    ¡°We can draw her out. It is my shame that she yet lives. It is therefore my responsibility to put it to rights.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, of course. We¡¯ll just walk into the capital and snatch her from beneath a pair of Eighth Realm experts.¡±


    ¡°Lifen is right,¡± Ren Huang said as he caught up with them. ¡°This is suicide.¡±


    ¡°We should wait. Bide our time. Let¡¯s not forget, we¡¯ve sworn to bring down Jin Xifeng. If Sha Xiang still lives and has mastered a core, killing her will only make our true aim more difficult.¡±


    ¡°Then we cripple her cultivation like we do the others.¡±


    ¡°I like that idea,¡± Zhang Lifen said. ¡°Although, if my disciple finds out we finished her off, he¡¯ll never forgive us.¡±


    ¡°You think he¡¯s coming back?¡± Ren Huang asked.


    She did. The rumors had said after the rogue cultivators abducted Li Bao¡¯s son, they fled to the west, into the White Desert. There was only one person who would have been able to convince Li Heng to flee Iron Gate City. That they went west meant there was only one place they could be headed. The Jade Kingdom.


    Zhang Lifen had no doubts that Tan Xiaoling would have left for home the moment she escaped the sect. If the vague descriptions were anything to go by, He Yu was gathering up his friends. There was no way he¡¯d be strong enough to challenge Jin Xifeng already, but he¡¯d only see that as something to keep pushing him forward.


    It seemed she¡¯d chosen well all those years ago.

 5.37 - Further into the Jade Mountains

    The sun sank to the west, and night eventually gave way to do day. As the stars wheeled overhead, He Yu cycled the medicine he¡¯d taken, and cultivated. By the time the sun rose the next morning, he¡¯d recovered enough that he felt he could travel.


    Throughout the night he¡¯d focused on the worst of his wounds, directing the revitalizing qi of the medicine first to his wrist, healing the shattered bones there. Then his broken cheekbone, where Tan Qingsheng had kicked him. He saved the cuts and gouges for last, as by now his body was more than strong enough to deal with those without direct attention from his cycling.


    He Yu stood from his cultivation position with the rising sun. He took a moment to drink in the destruction their battle had wrought upon the valley they¡¯d called home for a year. The once-familiar stands of trees were gone, blasted to splinters and kindling by the clash of immortals. A stream had once run through here, but that too was gone. Now it fed a growing pond, formed in one of the many scars left by the previous day¡¯s struggle. At some point, the entrance to their cave had collapsed as well.


    There was little reason to remain, he decided. Turning in the direction the others had fled in, he activated the Peerless Judgment. As a perception technique, it showed him the truth of things¡ªa fickle ability, were he honest, despite its usefulness. Still, it confirmed his memory was correct.


    Releasing his spirit, he pulled himself into the air on the wings of the Sky Dragon¡¯s Flight. He kept his spirit unrestrained while he soared over the rugged landscape of the Jade Mountains. His friends could have gone anywhere, and he¡¯d no doubt they¡¯d found somewhere to hide over the previous night. Making himself as easy to spot as possible would be his best chance to find them.


    Letting the worry about the others fade to the back of his mind, he simply allowed himself to relish the feeling of true flight. After all, what better ability could a legend ask for? Flight with no a treasure to? Even Elder Cai had ridden upon that cloud during his battle with Jin Xifeng.


    As he flew, soaring and looping over the summits and valleys of the Jade Mountains, he turned his thoughts to the previous day¡¯s battle. Tan Qingsheng had fought with aggression He Yu only ever dreamed of matching. Even in the year of training alongside Tan Xiaoling, he¡¯d thought he¡¯d gained an appraisal of her ferocity. Seeing what an expert who cultivated the Golden Tiger Law at the Sixth Realm was capable of both disabused him of that notion, but also gave him a great many insights to digest.


    There were differences in the shape of their techniques. They both cultivated the same arts, and therefore, the same techniques. But they also manifested those techniques differently. Plus, Tan Xiaoling had changed her manifestation of the Breath of the White Desert, too.


    While the change to how she formed the Mark of the Dark Sun was clearly just a refinement of how she¡¯d previously used it¡ªmuch like how He Yu had gotten better at layering Heaven¡¯s Descending Blade on top of the techniques of the Five Crescent Winds¡ªthe Breath of the White Desert was nearly a different technique. No longer was it a sandstorm. It was a storm of metal razors, and more tightly controlled than its previous form.


    He¡¯d thought that she had simply advanced the technique at first. But after seeing the differences between her and her uncle, perhaps that wasn¡¯t the case. What if he could change his own techniques? Might that be the key to unlocking whatever alterations Elder Cai had made to his art manual before his spirit faded at the last? He Yu had been struggling with those alterations ever since, but to no avail.


    The changes had only amounted to tiny gains in efficiency so far. Allowing him to fight that much harder for that much longer. Maybe if he examined those changes when he had the chance, he could work out how to make further changes. Further improvements. Of course, he could always as Tan Xiaoling, too. While she might not have specific insights into changing the Heavenly Palace, she¡¯d at least help point him in the right direction.


    After flying through the night and all the next day, he caught the unmistakable flare of his friends¡¯ presences in response to his approach. When he landed, Chen Fei practically knocked him over with a hug that was more a tackle.


    Tan Xiaoling¡¯s response was a bit more measured. ¡°How?¡± she simply asked.


    Doing his best to speak around Chen Fei, he told them what had happened after he¡¯d sent them away, finally ending with Tan Qingsheng¡¯s message.


    ¡°He has to know I wouldn¡¯t consider it,¡± Tan Xiaoling said, her expression stony. ¡°He¡¯s mocking me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s done nothing but demonstrate arrogance over common sense,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°The only thing it¡¯s done is give us the opportunity to deal with him at our leisure.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain it wasn¡¯t some sort of trick?¡± Li Heng asked, stroking his chin.


    ¡°My uncle isn¡¯t the sort to use tricks like that,¡± Tan Xiaoling said. ¡°He¡¯s trying to draw me out. Our family arts lack any real perception techniques. Once we¡¯d passed beyond the limits of his qi sense, he¡¯d have a hard time following us. He wouldn¡¯t leave an enemy at his back either, so his pride demanded he finish his duel with He Yu.¡± Then, speaking directly to He Yu, she continued, ¡°If he left you alive, it meant whatever measure of respect he held for you was at least sincere. So I suppose there¡¯s that.¡±


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    ¡°He also mentioned something about Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu,¡± He Yu said.


    Tan Xiaoling nodded her agreement. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have taken their leaving well. I¡¯d give even odds whether their partnership survived.¡±


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Chen Fei asked, finally disentangling herself from He Yu.


    ¡°What I want remains unchanged,¡± He Yu said. ¡°Avenge the sect, free the empire, deal with Jin Xifeng. I can¡¯t do that alone, and I made a promise to Tan Xiaoling. There¡¯s nothing to do except advance.¡±


    ¡°So we just remain up here in the mountains?¡± Li Heng asked. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not been for nothing so far. We¡¯ll run out of resources eventually, though. Even with Chen Fei helping us forage and Yan Shirong refining what he can.¡±


    ¡°I might have a solution,¡± Yan Shirong ventured. ¡°I found something while scouting with my constructs.¡±


    They turned to him as he relayed what he¡¯d found. In the next valley over, he¡¯d found the roof of a pavilion peeking through the forested valley floor. After sending his constructs into the valley itself, he¡¯d found half a dozen buildings covered by overgrowth. The remains of formation stones and scripts suggested experts had at one point lived there. He admitted he didn¡¯t look for too long¡ªthe stirring of spirits in the vicinity caused him to pull back his constructs before fully exploring the place.


    ¡°It could be the ruins of a sect,¡± Tan Xiaoling mused.


    ¡°Sects make their home in the Jade Mountains?¡± He Yu asked.


    ¡°They did,¡± she said. ¡°Long before my family consolidated their hold over the Jade Kingdom. Many of the sects opposed my ancestors¡¯ rise to power. They were destroyed as punishment, of course. Those that stayed out of the conflicts eventually migrated to the settlements around Jade Mountain Citadel. There were simply too many advantages to residing close to the center of power.¡±


    He Yu almost couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± he shouted, unable to contain his excitement. This was the sort of thing that always happened in the stories. Finding some lost place brimming with treasures and rare resources. Sometimes even a sealed realm. Even if they didn¡¯t find any true wonders, it would be the perfect place for them to train.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s that,¡± Li Heng said with a laugh.


    The discussion turned more to logistics than whether searching the ruin was a good idea. They were all in easy agreement. Whatever the ruin was, it likely held the most promise for hunkering down and training. The worst case would be they found nothing, and even then they¡¯d still have a usable base to operate from while they stayed in the higher reaches of the Jade Mountains. With an easy agreement reached, they followed Yan Shirong¡¯s directions.


    They approached the valley cautiously, regardless. It made little sense to advertise their position more than they already had. Or to alert any threats that might still lurk within the ruins. Once they¡¯d crested the peaks that ringed the valley, they to a moment to take a survey of what lay below. Much like Yan Shirong had said, a thick canopy of sturdy mountain pine and cedar covered the forest floor. A waterfall plunged down a cliff on the far side, feeding some unseen stream or pond.


    Here and there, cracked tile roofs peeked up above the trees, marking the buildings Yan Shirong had scouted. Using the Peerless Judgment, He Yu confirmed that more structures remained beneath the canopy. Whatever this place had once been, it was far too large for a village. The lack of any walls or their remains pointed toward Tan Xiaoling¡¯s guess that this might indeed be the ruins of a long forgotten sect. He Yu¡¯s excitement built with each step as they picked their way down into the valley.


    Once down in the valley itself, the trees closed in above. The forest grew dense here, and they had to wind their way through the trunks one at a time. Soon, they came upon stones marking a barely visible path. A formation stone here, a carved lantern there¡ªthe only evidence there had once been anything to speak of.


    Chen Fei knelt next to the first formation stone they found and examined the characters. ¡°It¡¯s a warding script,¡± she said after a quick inspection. ¡°Well-made, but it¡¯s not functional anymore. Probably failed after this place was abandoned.¡±


    Activating the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Peerless Judgment, He Yu swept his perception before him. There were a few spirits ahead, but most were in the Fourth or early Fifth Realm. Wisely, they kept their distance. More interesting than the spirits was the valley itself.


    It contained rich, natural qi. Wood was most prominent¡ªno surprise given the trees. Life aspected qi wended its way through the boughs here, too. A powerful source of water flowed at the far end of the valley. No doubt coming from the waterfall they¡¯d seen before their descent. The valley itself seemed to draw in surrounding qi from the peaks above, pulling mountain and earth qi towards the valley¡¯s center. Chen Fei said there must still be an active script somewhere.


    The aspects disappointed He Yu a little. He would have preferred there to be more that he could use personally. Still, this was clearly a former sect, given the strong natural qi and the lingering formation work. They followed the half obscured path, picking their way among the trees and stones and fallen boughs. Soon, the forest opened up ahead, and the first buildings came into view.


    A large pavilion dominated what once had been a courtyard. Several cracked and half-collapsed benches lined the edge of the paved square. Vines and moss covered the steps leading to the pavilion, and undergrowth obscured the paths leading to other areas of the complex. As they approached the pavilion, an embossed bronze seal upon the doors glinted in the dim light.


    He Yu read the characters on the seal. Cloud Dragon Valley Sect. He Yu swallowed and turned to the others. ¡°Does anyone know what that name means?¡± It had suddenly become very difficult not to explode with excitement.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve never heard of any such sect,¡± Tan Xiaoling said with a shake of her head. ¡°Nor have I heard of any such valley,¡± as she added the last, she gave He Yu a knowing look.


    Sects were often named following certain conventions. Sometimes they were named after a founder, or a prominent ancestor. Sometimes they were named after the location in which they were first established. Hence Tan Xiaoling specifically mentioning the valley.


    Sometimes they took their names from their cultivation techniques. He Yu fought back a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s get to exploring,¡± he said and set his foot upon the lowest of the stairs leading to the half-ruined pavilion.

 5.38 - Cloud Dragon Valley Sect

    He Yu placed a hand on each of the bronze plated doors and pushed. They creaked open on rusted, worn-out hinges to reveal the dusty interior they¡¯d guarded for so long. The disturbance of the stagnant air within kicked up a cloud of dust, sending golden motes to dance in the sliver of light that filtered in from the door.


    The group stepped in and surveyed what lay before them. A counter much like the one in the entrance of the Shrouded Peaks Sect¡¯s manual pavilion sat off to the right, just inside the door. Rows upon rows of shelves stretched into the gloom, extinguishing any doubt about what this place might once have been. A dilapidated staircase led to the second floor and beyond. Past a railing, yet more shelves stood, housing whatever stores of knowledge still remained in this place.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± Yan Shirong said, making his way across the dust-caked floorboards to the nearest shelf. He very nearly picked up a rolled-up jade slip, but stopped himself, letting his hand hover a few fingers¡¯ breadth above instead.


    He Yu joined him. This first shelf alone must have housed dozens of manuals. Most of the labels on the shelf had worn off or lay covered under layers of dust. The few he could make out gave him enough of an idea of what the shelf contained. Basic cultivation techniques, introductory texts to formations, alchemy, or crafting. Manuals containing basic martial techniques. The Cloud Dragon Valley Sect likely organized their knowledge similarly to the Shrouded Peaks Sect. Early realm manuals and the like would occupy the lower floors, with the more advanced knowledge living higher up.


    He looked up to where the pavilion rose above. Through the gloom, he could see at least another five floors beyond this one, but there could be more. Six floors in all wouldn¡¯t be enough to account for the roof¡¯s height above the treetops. He fought back an excited grin.


    ¡°There has to be something here for us,¡± he said. The only problem was how to find it. Back when the sect had still existed, it would have been a simple matter. A disciple would have been assigned to help those with access find what they needed. But no such disciple remained. A small price to pay, in He Yu¡¯s opinion, in order to access the whole of the Cloud Dragon Valley Sect¡¯s manual library without restriction.


    ¡°Let me handle this,¡± Yan Shirong said, turning to He Yu. His expression wasn¡¯t one He Yu had ever seen on him before. Normally Yan Shirong affected a bored or disinterested attitude to anything that didn¡¯t directly involve wealth. Now? His eyes positively shone with unconcealed excitement.


    He Yu could easily see why. This place contained a treasure trove of lost and forgotten knowledge. Secrets long forgotten. They might be the only ones to have come here in hundreds of years. Yan Shirong¡¯s Wayborn Seen pushed him to seek out such knowledge. To learn secrets hidden or forgotten. To pry mysteries from the world and collect them for himself. This sort of place could very well help him glimpse his Dao.


    It came as little surprise, then, that he hadn¡¯t waited for an answer. His presence billowed out, a hundred pairs of eyes blinking open over the whole of the first floor. A rift of shadow opened at his feet, and dozens of constructs poured out. Rats and birds and tiny homunculi, all fashioned of wood or bone and bound together in strings of shadow. They poured over the ground floor. The birds flitted through the gloom, making their way to the second floor and beyond. Tendrils of shadow sprang up from every crack and crevice, gingerly picking up old and decaying scrolls and slips. Yan Shirong¡¯s eyes glassed over as his attention split between a hundred points of perception at once.


    He Yu and the others left him to his work. Although he couldn¡¯t say exactly how long it would take Yan Shirong to sort through the vast wealth of knowledge in the Cloud Dragon Valley Sect¡¯s manual pavilion, he suspected Yan Shirong wouldn¡¯t take nearly as long as anyone else. Once outside again, they took stock of their surroundings.


    Half-concealed paths led deeper into the sect grounds. Some marked by broken stones, other marked only by gaps in the trees. The waterfall and its churning mass of water qi lay at the far eastern edge of the valley. Li Heng took a step in that direction.


    ¡°There¡¯s something there,¡± he said, his eyebrows drawn together in a slight furrow. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what, exactly, but something other than the water.¡±


    ¡°Lead on,¡± He Yu said. There wasn¡¯t any other obvious path for them to take, so this was as good as any.


    It took them the better part of an hour to cross to the far side of the valley. The spirits that had chased off Yan Shirong¡¯s constructs when he¡¯d found the place still kept a healthy distance. Their overall character was more of curiosity than aggression. A welcome change from the experience they¡¯d had this deep within the Jade Mountains so far.


    As they approached the far end of the valley, the temperature steadily dropped. By the time drew close to the waterfall itself, a dusting of frost covered the ground and crept up the bases of most trees. Finally, the waterfall itself came into view.


    It plunged from hundreds of feet above, down a sheer rocky cliff. Where He Yu had expected to find a pond, of the beginnings of a river, instead sat a spire of ice. Its jagged edges reached out like grasping fingers, creating something of a star pattern. Mist curled off the ice itself and crept along the forest floor and through the trees. The mist carried the chill of winter even now. The cold pierced deep, and likely would have been too much for anyone under the Fourth Realm to bear. Perhaps a water or ice cultivator of the peak Third Realm might endure for a time.


    What He Yu could only assume was a dried riverbed ran off into the forest. Likely where the waterfall would have led had the Cloud Dragon Valley Sect not harnessed it for their ice cultivators. Qi flickered through a barely active script that ran in a ring around the jagged spires. Chen Fei confirmed the script was the reason for the ice. The scrips would need repair, should Li Heng want to use it for any extended time, but she said she¡¯d be able to repair them with a little effort.


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    Li Heng shook his head in disbelief. ¡°I think I¡¯ve found where to spend most of my time here,¡± he said.


    It was a boon for him, indeed. The potent ice qi¡ªa subset of water that made up a significant portion of his cultivation base¡ªwould be a tremendous boon to him. The clearing would also allow moonlight to filter in at night, providing an ideal spot for him to cultivate in.


    He Yu left Li Heng to explore the area. Tan Xiaoling said she¡¯d stay with Li Heng, while Chen Fei gave them both a knowing smile and said she¡¯d come by to work on the script later. Leaving Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling to themselves, He Yu and Chen Fei headed back toward the main sect.


    They¡¯d gone about halfway back when Chen Fei said, ¡°Shame you didn¡¯t find anything to help your cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Yan Shirong will find something for me,¡± he said. ¡°Tan Xiaoling seemed to think the sect¡¯s name holds promise enough. What about you, though? There should be at least one formation manual in the library you can use. And maybe we¡¯ll find something in the center of the valley. We still haven¡¯t checked whatever formation is drawing in the qi from the mountains, yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, flashing him a smile.


    They¡¯d been together long enough for him to see through that one. He looked over at her in the growing evening gloom. The sun had dipped behind the peaks in the west, throwing the mountain¡¯s shadow over the whole of the valley. She flashed another smile.


    ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯ll be around when you¡¯re ready,¡± he said.


    ¡°I have to go home soon.¡±


    This was a topic they¡¯d circled around several times ever since their hunting trip in the Shrouded Peaks. She¡¯d never fully opened up about why exactly she didn¡¯t want to go home, and He Yu had never really pressed the issue. His answer had always been the same¡ªhe¡¯d go with her if she wanted, and he left it at that. This was the first time she¡¯d ever mentioned needing to go back, though.


    ¡°What¡¯s changed?¡± he asked.


    She looked down at her hands. A single formation character flared to life in her upturned palm, casting a silver glow over the path they followed. ¡°I¡¯ve reached the limit of my arts. Well, this art.¡±


    The Seventy-Two Blessed Symbols had been the bedrock of Chen Fei¡¯s advancement so far. It was an incredibly powerful art, allowing her to create formations from nothing, so long as she knew the characters. The things she could do with it had routinely allowed her to fight far beyond others of her advancement, while also giving her more flexibility than anyone else He Yu had known. The requisite mastery of formation scripts she¡¯d developed to actually use her art had likewise proved itself invaluable time and time again. He Yu hadn¡¯t ever thought she could reach some kind of limit.


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m going to say, but I¡¯ll say it, anyway. I¡¯m more than happy to come with you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said, pulling him over to a nearby stone bench that was, miraculously, somehow still intact. They sat down and she remained quiet for a long time before continuing. ¡°Its not just that. I worry. Too much.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what to say. So he said nothing, just letting her speak when she was ready.


    ¡°Like, of course, I¡¯m worried about going home. What they¡¯ll think of me. Sure, I¡¯ve reached Nascent Soul, but I haven¡¯t done anything. I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve earned it. But that¡¯s something for later. What about Tan Xiaoling? She can¡¯t beat her uncle. Not how she is now. What if she can¡¯t break into Soul Refining? She won¡¯t give up on this fight with her uncle. Especially not after he let her escape. Especially after the message he had you deliver.


    ¡°But what about the rest of us? What if none of us can do it? Even if we can, what about the next step? Things are only going to get harder. We have so far to go, and we don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on in the empire right now. All I know is what I saw. Jin Xifeng killed two Eighth Realm elders by herself. Two elders who could have killed all five of us just by fully releasing their spirits. They nearly did kill us, and we weren¡¯t even a part of the battle.¡±


    He Yu squeezed her hand, swallowed, and said the last thing he wanted to say. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come, if you don¡¯t want. I couldn¡¯t ask anyone to put themselves in the sort of danger I¡¯m walking into. Not if they don¡¯t want to.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡± Then she sighed, and let her shoulders slump. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m saying. I just¡ªit all seems so impossible. All of it. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    He Yu slipped an arm around her and pulled her close. ¡°I haven¡¯t known what to do for a long time,¡± he said quietly, almost a whisper. ¡°I¡¯ve been chasing this vague idea of what it means to be a hero. To forge a legend. I¡¯ve thought that with each step, the answers would come. They never have. I just keep making the best choice I can see in the moment.¡±


    ¡°Seems to have worked out pretty good,¡± she said, leaning in.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what to do. Except to keep moving forward. You¡¯re welcome to come. If we need to make a detour so you can go home, we can do that. We made the detour all the way out here, after all. And I¡¯ll help you in whatever way I can. Just like I¡¯m helping Tan Xiaoling now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. They sat in silence for some time. Long enough for the moon to rise over the valley rim, and for silver light to filter down in slivers through the trees above.


    Then, when the moon reached its zenith, a pulse of qi washed over the valley floor. It had come from the center.


    Both He Yu and Chen Fei leaped to their feet. Although he couldn¡¯t sense anything that might be dangerous, the flows of qi in the valley had shifted, growing markedly stronger than when they¡¯d first arrived. A wordless glance was all they needed, and they set off to the center of the valley.


    Yan Shirong joined them when they¡¯d nearly reached the center of the valley. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent constructs after the other two,¡± he said. ¡°I tried to scout the valley, but something blocked it.¡±


    Soon they came to an opaque wall, rising from a ring of formation script softly glowing through the undergrowth. Yan Shirong tried to send another construct through, but it failed to pass through whatever barrier. Even the Peerless Judgment couldn¡¯t show anything¡ªsomething that sent a spike of alarm through He Yu. The technique had never just failed before.


    Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling arrived just as Chen Fei finished her assessment of the script. ¡°We should be able to pass through. It only blocks techniques.¡±


    There was no discussion. As one, they stepped through the dome.


    The valley floor, once covered in trees and undergrowth, had been replaced by a plaza covered in a smooth expanse of jade tiles. At the center, a small open pavilion sat atop a raised dais, with a staircase spiraling underground. Four pillars glowing with golden formation columns supported the clay tile roof.


    Atop the roof lounged an expert dressed in flowing, golden robes. Two twisting horns swept back from his snow-white hair while his beard gently drifted on an unseen wind. He regarded the five of them with amber, slit-pupiled eyes.


    ¡°Strange,¡± the unnamed expert said. Although he¡¯d only spoken at normal volume, his voice carried the roar of distant thunder. ¡°You weren¡¯t who I expected. Explain yourselves to Patriarch Sun Lei of the Cloud Dragon Valley Sect.¡±

 5.39 - Patriarch Sun Lei

    He Yu stood before the one claiming to be Patriarch Sun Lei of the Cloud Dragon Valley Sect, and felt nothing. No whisper of qi, no spiritual weight of an expert¡¯s presence. Nothing. To call it unnerving would be an understatement. He had no reason to doubt this being¡¯s words, even if he didn¡¯t truly know what kind of being it was. Even if he had his suspicions. The only other time He Yu had felt such a lack of spiritual weight was during his first meeting with Elder Cai¡¯s projection. Although he dared not confirm with the Peerless Judgment, something told him this wasn¡¯t quite the same.


    Could this expert just be so far beyond him that he couldn¡¯t even sense his qi? Surely not. He¡¯d felt the overwhelming spiritual weight of the battle over the Shrouded Peaks Sect, hadn¡¯t he? He didn¡¯t see any reason that an expert beyond the level of Elder Cai or Jin Xifeng should suddenly have no detectable presence. Especially not when an expert¡¯s presence only grew with their advancement, and everything he knew about cultivation said that one¡¯s spiritual weight only increased with advancement.


    He glanced up at Sun Lei¡¯s horns, then at his eyes. At the amber irises, the slit pupils, and black sclera. The beard, and his long, prominent eyebrows. Maybe that explained it. He Yu knew well that even with his advancement, his knowledge of the various creatures that moved within the world of cultivation was woefully limited.


    The Patriarch made a show of examining his fingernails as he lounged on the pavilion roof, revealing ridges on the back of his knuckles that looked suspiciously like scales. After a moment, he returned his attention to He Yu and the others.


    ¡°Well?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you going to answer me, or are we going to simply stare at one another? I can go either way, mind you. I¡¯m in no hurry.¡±


    He Yu swallowed down the nervous lump in his throat, then bowed over a salute. ¡°This one is called He Yu. I have come here with my friends to train.¡±


    ¡°So you have,¡± Sun Lei said. ¡°What about my sect? Where are they?¡±


    ¡°This place was abandoned when we found it,¡± He Yu said. Probably best that they told Sun Lei the truth. ¡°It appears to have been abandoned for quite some time.¡±


    ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Sun Lei shifted his attention to Tan Xiaoling. ¡°You bear the touch of the Golden Tiger,¡± he said.


    He Yu fought down a spike of worry at those words¡ªhe hadn¡¯t forgotten what Tan Xiaoling had said about why a place like this might be abandoned. He hoped the Cloud Dragon Valley Sect had moved to the capital of their own accord, rather than falling at the hands of the Tan during their rise to power.


    Befitting her station and her pride, Tan Xiaoling lifted her chin. ¡°I do,¡± she said. ¡°I am Tan Xiaoling, daughter of Tan Zihao, princess of the Jade Kingdom, and the rightful heir to my father¡¯s throne.¡±


    ¡°Impressive,¡± said Sun Lei, clearly unimpressed. ¡°I haven¡¯t the slightest idea of who that is. I recall something about a Jade Kingdom somewhere in these mountains, but that was a long time ago, and I¡¯ve been rather occupied since.¡±


    ¡°If I may,¡± Chen Fei said, her voice uncertain as she bowed over a salute. ¡°But what is this place?¡±


    ¡°Where are you manners? I know you must think yourself mighty, having reached Nascent Soul at such a young age. Haven¡¯t even seen a full sixty-year cycle yet, after all. Good work. Introduce yourself properly.¡±


    ¡°Apologies. This one is called Chen Fei.¡±


    ¡°Better. And the rest of you?¡± Sun Lei looked to Li Heng and Yan Shirong, who both introduced themselves in turn. ¡°Good. Now that we¡¯ve gotten the formalities out of the way. You said you found this place abandoned? I¡¯m inclined to believe you. A battle involving even one of you wouldn¡¯t have left much to speak of in this valley, let alone all five. Then there would have been the experts of my sect. No, clearly they just forgot about me. I¡¯ve been gone an awfully long time, you see.¡±


    Sun Lei¡¯s expression grew pensive as he drummed his fingers on his thigh. He Yu¡¯s discomfort returned, then grew with each passing minute. The others were just as caught out as he was. Nobody wanted to be the first to speak, as Sun Lei was clearly a powerful expert. Despite the utter absence of any presence around him, he¡¯d correctly identified that all five of them were at the Nascent Soul level. He Yu certainly hadn¡¯t felt the touch of a perception technique, and he doubted that any of the others had either. It would probably be safest not to antagonize the patriarch.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Sun Lei said after some time, abruptly breaking the uncomfortable silence that had descended over the plaza. ¡°I¡¯ve just about made up my mind. Tell me, what are your training for? Besides the obvious, that is. You want to advance, defy the heavens and all that.¡± His mood shifted then, and he fixed each of them with an intent stare. ¡°Why do you want to grow stronger? What drives you? What is your purpose?¡±


    There was a weight to the questions. If one thing was clear, they would have to choose their answers carefully. As He Yu turned Sun Lei¡¯s question over, searching for the best way to answer, Tan Xiaoling stepped forward.


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    ¡°My uncle, Tan Qingsheng, challenges my right to the Jade Kingdom. He currently stands in the early Soul Refining stage. I cannot defeat him as I am now.¡±


    Sun Lei inclined his head, but said nothing. He simply waited and looked between the other four.


    Li Heng spoke next. ¡°I seek to honor my father and my grandfather. To become the man they expect of me, and a worthy heir to the name of the Li.¡±


    ¡°I seek ever greater knowledge,¡± Yan Shirong said simply.


    Chen Fei lifted her chin. ¡°I seek the strength to support those I care for.¡±


    Patriarch Sun Lei looked almost sad for a moment when she said that, but it passed so quickly that He Yu could have just imagined it. Finally, the patriarch turned his attention to He Yu.


    ¡°I seek to topple Jin Xifeng. I seek deeds worthy of a hero, of stories that will be told for a thousand years. To ascend the nine realms of cultivation, and to become a legend in truth.¡± As he spoke, something stirred within his spirit. His Wayborn seed. From the seed, a spiritual connection snapped into place, and for the briefest moment, he once again glimpsed the fullness of his Dao. The Dao of Heroism.


    ¡°I see,¡± Sun Lei said. He slipped down from the tiled pavilion roof, landing lightly. ¡°Well, my sect is gone. Whether destroyed or abandoned, it matters little, I suppose. You are here, and they are not.¡± He waved a hand towards the pavilion. The formation characters on the four columns still glowed a vibrant gold. For the first time, He Yu noticed the moon still hung directly overhead, though it felt they¡¯d been here far too long for that to be the case.


    ¡°For one thousand years I have secluded myself, cultivating to the peak of the Eighth Realm. I have yet failed to step into the Heavenly True Immortal stage. That has not stopped me from learning many secrets and insights into the Eternal Dao. The secret realm below opens only once every thousand years. I had intended to return and share this opportunity with my sect. It seems a thousand years was a touch too long for them to wait or endure. A shame to waste all my preparations.


    ¡°I offer the five of you this. Descend the stair. Enter the sealed realm below while you have the opportunity. Take what knowledge and insights you can from it. Just know that should you linger, you won¡¯t be able to leave until the seal opens again.¡±


    They each looked at one another, none of them able to speak. A secret realm offered by a peak Divine Soul Apotheosis expert? As far as He Yu was concerned, it was no question. The risks be damned. Whatever the realm held, surely it could only be of benefit. He took a step forward.


    The others followed. It seemed they were all in agreement¡ªthis was too good an opportunity to pass up.


    Sun Lei cracked a smile. ¡°Descend the stairs to the cave below. I trust you¡¯ll figure out what to do from there.¡± Then he looked to each of them in turn. Each of them, except He Yu. ¡°Good luck,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll need it.¡± With that, he leaped back up onto the pavilion roof, assumed a cultivation position, and closed his eyes.


    Undeterred, He Yu marched forward. The stairway twisted around itself, descending into the dark beneath the carved jade pavilion. From below, he could sense the flows of qi, powerful and abundant. A product of the sealed realm Sun Lei had granted them access to, no doubt. As he descended the stair, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the patriarch¡¯s last words. Why had Sun Lei looked at everyone except him before wishing them good luck? That he¡¯d added they would need it wasn¡¯t ominous at all.


    The stairway descended into a cave. Carved statues of red jade stood in alcoves cut into the walls. Formation scripts inlaid with spirit stones covered the walls and the floor, casting a pale glow over the whole chamber. At the far end, a door.


    Crafted of thick, solid wood from an undeniably ancient tree and bound in bronze, the door sat closed, dark, and silent. Oddly so¡ªsound seemed to die within this cavern. The whisper of fabric, the shuffle of their feet against the stone floor, all of it muted in a way that it shouldn¡¯t have been. With his advancement, He Yu¡¯s ears had only become sharper, but this was almost like they¡¯d now been stuffed with cotton.


    Formation characters crawled across the wood and the bronze of the door. Unlike the floor, these were dark, lacking the inlay of spirit stone. Likely a separate script then, at least in He Yu¡¯s limited knowledge of such things.


    He Yu took a step toward the door. The chamber was small enough that it would only take a few strides to cross in full. Each of his steps caused the script on the floor to flicker with his footfalls. Once he¡¯d reached the door, he turned. The others followed, each one of them showing various degrees of apprehension.


    ¡°Remember,¡± Sun Lei called down from above. ¡°Complete the challenges within my realm before the formation seals once again. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to leave until it reopens. You won¡¯t have any way to tell how long you have once you¡¯re in, so you¡¯d best hurry. Last chance to turn around.¡±


    ¡°What if we can¡¯t make it out in time?¡± Chen Fei asked.


    He Yu stopped with his hand raised halfway to the door. They had absolutely no idea what lay beyond. For all they knew, this could be some sort of trap, and the formation would seal behind them the instant they entered. Then again, He Yu didn¡¯t know why someone like Sun Lie would need to trick them. He was pretty certain the Cloud Dragon Valley Sect¡¯s patriarch could just take anything he wanted. Five to one advantage be damned.


    ¡°Then we stay in there for a thousand years,¡± he said. ¡°Nobody has to enter, but I¡¯m going in.¡±


    Tan Xiaoling stepped up next to him. ¡°If this will help me claim what¡¯s mine, I¡¯ll take the risk,¡± she said.


    Li Heng joined them, although he was noticeably less certain than Tan Xiaoling. Rather than speak, he gave He Yu a curt nod.


    Chen Fei joined them next, squaring her shoulders and staring firmly ahead. Like Li Heng, she said nothing.


    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s really no point in staying out,¡± Yan Shirong said. ¡°Besides, the curiosity would eat me alive, and I wouldn¡¯t know what to do if you all got stuck in there. I certainly wouldn¡¯t wait around for you to get yourselves out.¡±


    He Yu let go the tension in his shoulders. For a moment, he remembered those early visions where he stood solitary on a lonely peak. Powerful, but with nobody to join him. ¡°Thanks,¡± he whispered as he placed his hand on the bronze bound door.


    He sent a pulse of qi through his palm, and into the formation. A bright blue-white light filled his vision, and then black nothingness crashed over him.

 5.40 - The Sealed Realm

    When He Yu¡¯s vision returned, he found himself in a realm of crystal. The ground beneath his feet was of packed earth, like a cave floor. If he truly stood within a cave, he couldn¡¯t see the walls, nor the roof. Only the crystals.


    Jagged clusters of dull yellow jutted up from the floor like so many trees. The smallest of them came up to his knees, while the largest towered dozens of feet overhead. All of them pulsed with a soft amber light, enough to illuminate the immediate area and little else. The largest and brightest cast their glow for perhaps an arm¡¯s length, at most. When He Yu looked more closely, tiny motes of light floated deep within.


    He looked around, taking stock of the rest of the area. The crystals stretched out for as far as he could see, fading into the gloom as their light dimmed with distance. Ample room lay between the clusters regardless of their size, providing space for him to easily walk between them. He found no other way to tell of time or direction. Even immediately behind him, where he thought he might find a door or some other way out, he found only more of the same. Just more crystal poking up from the packed earth and softly casting their amber glow over the dirt and gravel underfoot.


    ¡°Hello?¡± he called. He¡¯d not expected any response, and none came. If the others were here in this strange place, they weren¡¯t anywhere close by.


    After examining the nearest cluster and finding nothing of any note, he picked a direction and walked. In the otherwise featureless expanse of crystals, one direction seemed as good as any other. He suspected that if he were to find his friends here, direction would be more or less irrelevant. The challenges Sun Lei had mentioned probably tested more than one¡¯s ability to orient oneself in an unfamiliar place, no matter how strange the landscape.


    He Yu walked for what must have been hours. The longer he walked, the harder it became to push aside his growing worry. What had happened to the others? So far, he¡¯d seen no signs of anyone else in this place, nor heard any sound other than his own footfalls. He couldn¡¯t even sense any qi other than his own. How would he know when his time ran short? The black expanse above and in all directions made it impossible to tell how much time had passed. For all he knew, it could already be too late.


    As he walked, the crystals slowly changed. Warped. The largest ones at the center grew longer, their light dimmed. At the base, they fused. As he walked, they resembled trees more with each of his steps. Soon, he walked through a forest. A forest that was familiar, despite its strangeness. Before long, he stepped from the woods into the outskirts of Shulin.


    Although the sky above was featureless and black and the forest or town still made no sound, this was his home. Replicated with the perfection of a memory, captured in detail that only his mind¡¯s eye could recreate. He Yu continued to walk, his steps carrying him along familiar paths through familiar homes. He found himself before his father¡¯s forge.


    Just inside, He Gang hammered away at his work. The man that stood before He Yu was a man he only barely remembered and had never truly known. He was young, perhaps thirty or so. As he moved about the forge, his gait was even and strong. Whatever this realm had chosen to show He Yu, and for whatever purpose, it had chosen a time before his father¡¯s injury.


    From outside the forge and around the building¡¯s corner, a young boy came running. He Yu immediately recognized himself, and the stick in his hands. The stick he¡¯d always used when playing by himself, lost in his imagination and the stories of heroes and legends his father had always told him. He watched himself flail around, and he watched his father take a moment from his work and smile.


    He watched as Dong Wei approached. A much younger version of the old ¡°master,¡± to be sure, but no less angry or prideful for it. He Gang¡¯s expression darkened as he stepped forward, motioning for He Yu¡¯s younger self to go inside. When child He Yu didn¡¯t immediately obey, a gesture and what would have accompanied by a sharp word sent him scurrying away.


    He Yu frowned as he watched Dong Wei approach his father. He looked to be speaking with that same condescending arrogance he¡¯d always used around people he considered beneath him. What he was doing at He Gang¡¯s forge, though? The two men exchanged words, and although the scene before him was still silent as the grave, He Yu could tell it was growing heated.


    Then, Dong Wei attacked. A swift move, a punch aimed at He Gang¡¯s lower dantian¡ªa move He Yu himself had used once. Unlike He Yu¡¯s attack, the strike missed its mark. He Gang responded with practiced ease. He¡¯d once been a disciple at the Shrouded Peaks Sect, after all, if even a poor one. The scuffle that followed was brief, but He Yu could tell how it would end. Dong Wei was clearly the stronger of the two, having advanced to Foundation already.


    Dong Wei stood victorious over He Yu¡¯s father. But rather than take his victory, Dong Wei laughed at He Gang. Then he stomped down on He Gang¡¯s leg. The same leg that had never properly healed, that He Yu had always remembered causing his father¡¯s limp. The same leg he¡¯d always thought had been kicked by a horse.


    The same sort of anger He Yu felt at Dong Wei calling Xin Lu boiled up within him. He stepped forward and grabbed the older man by the shoulder. Dong Wei spun around, the initial fury across his face turning to shock, then fear. He tried to speak, but still no sound carried through the phantom forest, through the phantom Shulin. He Yu made a fist and shattered Dong Wei¡¯s dantian.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Fire erupted from the nearby forge. Within moments, He Yu¡¯s childhood home burned to cinders before his very eyes. The fire spread, leaping from the forge, his home, to the nearby buildings. From within the smoke emerged a familiar¡ªand unwelcome¡ªfigure.


    Sha Xiang towered over Shulin, molten stone dripping from her jagged, rock-encased arms. Great gouts of poisonous smoke billowed forth. And lurking just behind her¡ªjust past the limits of mortal perception¡ªa hulking monstrosity. The demon core locked eyes with He Yu and grinned. A silent laugh cut into his heart as Sha Xiang laid waste to his childhood home. Their childhood home.


    As Shulin burned to ash before his eyes, He Yu tried to move. Some force rooted him to the ground. He tried to cycle his techniques. It was as if his qi was no longer his to control, like he was once again an unawakened child, helpless before the mighty forces of the world. He struggled, but everything he tried was in vain. Eventually, he fell to his knees and simply watched. It was the only thing this vision permitted. That, and to feel the stab of despair.


    ¡°Terrible, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sun Lei asked as he stepped into He Yu¡¯s view. While he was very much the same man He Yu had met outside, the lazy and somewhat casual air was now gone. Now, he carried himself like a true expert. Like a patriarch. He kept his hands clasped within his sleeves and his chin tilted up just enough that he looked down on the world around him.


    The cloud-white hair of his beard and eyebrows still seemed to drift on an unseen breeze. He fixed He Yu with a hard, but questioning look. As unnerving as the shift in demeanor was, so too was the lack of any spiritual weight. At least in this strange realm, it seemed far less out of place than it had above.


    ¡°Has this happened in truth?¡± He Yu asked, looking up at the Cloud Dragon Valley Sect¡¯s patriarch.


    ¡°If it had, what would you do?¡± Sun Lei asked, tilting his head slightly as he continued to appraise He Yu. ¡°Would you return south once you escape this place to check? You¡¯ve already crippled Dong Wei, so there¡¯s little left to claim except his life. As meaningless a gesture it would be. If you arrived at Shulin only to find it burned to the ground, would you seek out Sha Xiang? Would doing so fulfill your Dao, I wonder?¡±


    Before He Yu could answer, the scene shifted before his eyes, twisting to one he still remembered well. A burned-out village. Bodies scattered about, unburied and left for the crows.


    ¡°What would you have done had you arrived in time, I wonder?¡± Sun Lei asked.


    Again, the scene twisted and changed. The shrouded peaks loomed around him, and once more Elder Cai and Jin Xifeng did battle in the sky.


    ¡°What sort of world have we made?¡± Sun Lei pinned He Yu with his amber slit-pupiled eyes.


    Finally, He Yu stood. ¡°A world where the strong rule,¡± he said. ¡°A world in need of heroes.¡±


    ¡°Or a world in which to forge a legend.¡±


    There was an implication there. ¡°Are they not one and the same?¡± he asked.


    Sun Lei turned away. The two of them stood there, watching the battle play out. Watching Jin Xifeng finally claim her victory over Elder Cai. Once more, the alabaster pillar cracked. Once more, it fell to the valley floor. Once more, the bloody sunset covered the world.


    ¡°Despite your former sect¡¯s best efforts, Jin Xifeng was never truly forgotten. Now she sits upon the imperial throne. Does that not qualify as a deed of legend? You¡¯ve spent a long time searching for your answers, He Yu. You know the question. It¡¯s time you answered it.¡± Sun Lei remained facing where Jin Xifeng now stood triumphant as he spoke.


    ¡°You have been given a glimpse. Now you must grasp.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯ve been doing?¡±


    ¡°In a sense.¡± Sun Lei turned, facing He Yu once more. ¡°I will admit, I do not know all of what¡¯s transpired in the greater world during my time here. You carry with you an ancient art, do you not? Show me.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, He Yu produced the jade slip containing the Cloud Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Palace. The art manual still looked like new, still reflected flickers of heaven within its polished surface. When Sun Lei took it, He Yu felt the patriarch¡¯s qi for the first time. It confirmed all his suspicions.


    A great dragon curled around the world. Clouds hid the greater part of its unfathomable vastness. Wherever it roamed, rain followed. Its horns were the length of continents. Its scales shimmered with starlight and sent life-giving or flood-bringing rains in turn. Its cloud-white beard flowed in an unseen breeze, and its amber, slit-pupiled eyes held wisdom and power in equal measure.


    The cloud dragon spoke. ¡°Show me the fullness of your cultivation. Of your nature, and your Way. Show me your Dao, child of the Fifth Realm.¡±


    Whatever had once fettered He Yu¡¯s qi loosened. He allowed his presence to burst out and call the storm. His own spirit drew black clouds, heavy with rain and flashing with lightning. And deep within, the looping, coiling expanse of a dragon. Azure scales shimmered with heaven¡¯s light. Its beard flowed in the wind, and its horns crackled with heavenly qi. It brought the tempest, the storm, and the rain.


    All of existence opened once again. The expanse of the infinite flooded into He Yu¡¯s mind, and he struggled not to lose himself in the overwhelming sensation of all. The doors of heaven slammed shut, leaving the image of the taiji spinning even as it faded. His right hand held the form of a dragon, just as when he¡¯d struck at Wang Xiaobo¡¯s core. At Xin Lu¡¯s core. The same dragon Fang Yingjie had grasped when he reached into the storm.


    ¡°What?¡± He Yu couldn¡¯t form any word beyond that. There was simply too much. The question he most wanted to ask was simply too absurd, too insane to even consider.


    Sun Lei smiled a serene and fatherly smile. ¡°Not everything is literal, child. Few things in this realm, of all places. You are not of my kind, although I suspect it would delight you to no end should you learn that you were. No, your cultivation has simply forged a connection to the God of Thunder and the great celestial dragon of the tempest alike. A powerful connection, to be sure.


    ¡°The way to Soul Refining is open to you. As it has been for some time. Do you recall our conversation outside? Your path forward is both easier and more difficult than you know. But for this sealed realm, well, you hardly needed my help. You need only to grasp it.


    ¡°Take my final lesson. Go assist your companions. You¡¯re far more important to them than I think you realize.¡± With that, Sun Lei vanished. The image of the Shrouded Peaks vanished with him. So too did the forest of crystals.


    A stone door frame stood before He Yu in an otherwise empty expanse of darkness. Within the frame stood a door bound in bronze. Through that door, he would find his friends. What trials they faced, he couldn¡¯t say. But he¡¯d go to them, regardless. He pushed, and the door swung open easily, as though it welcomed his approach. He stepped through.