tions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”
“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”
Fromthismomenton,youareofficiallythediscipleoftheDivineLord.”
Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.
ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.
Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.
Hetinued:
Inunderfiveminutes,myqiwasnearlydrained—butthesummitwaswithinreach.
Themountaiobesappingmystrength.
Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.
“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”
Bytheday—thoughtimewasstraheskyneverdarkened,evenwithoutasun,andtherewasnosenseofnightorday.
ThispceistheAsuraRealm.
Halftheeffort...?
Isteppedforwardandbowedrespectfully.
Inodded.
Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.
“gratutions,YoungMaster.Youhavepletedallthreeentrytrials.
Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.
“Tch.”
But...twoyearswithoutseeingmyfamily?That’lltakegettio.
Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:
“You’retooi
Sothat’swhyonlyanhourhadpassedierworld.
So,Icalledforth“me.”
“Ieanytime?etheschedule?”
Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout:
Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowardme.
Trainforoneday,thenyoumayleave.”
Thestepedhishaly.
TwoyearshereequalsonedayintheYangRealm.”
“Oh?”
Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”
AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?
“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”
“Today,YoungMaster,youshallmeetyourmaster—theAsuraDivineLord.”
Panting,Iasked,
Hecalmlyexpined:
Withanannoyedclickofthetongue,“I”spriraightupward.
“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”
“YoumustetotheAsuraRealmonceperweek.
“Master,thisdiscipleTianyasyou.”
Heallowedmeafulldaytorestandreplenishmyqi.
“Sinceyouarenowmydisciple,therearethingsImustcrify.
Returningtothepcewhereitallbegan,IfoundtheAsuraDivineLordalreadywaiting.
Thestewardsaid,
Inoddedandfollowedthepathhejured.
“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”
Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.
Timepassed.
Breathless,Irecimedtrol.