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