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.