Hecalmlyexpined:

Thestepedhishaly.

Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.

“YoumustetotheAsuraRealmonceperweek.

Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.

Panting,Iasked,

“Ieanytime?etheschedule?”

Returningtothepcewhereitallbegan,IfoundtheAsuraDivineLordalreadywaiting.

“Oh?”

Themountaiobesappingmystrength.

Breathless,Irecimedtrol.

Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.

“Master,thisdiscipleTianyasyou.”

Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:

Trainforoneday,thenyoumayleave.”

“gratutions,YoungMaster.Youhavepletedallthreeentrytrials.

Heallowedmeafulldaytorestandreplenishmyqi.

ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.

“Sinceyouarenowmydisciple,therearethingsImustcrify.

Thestewardsaid,

But...twoyearswithoutseeingmyfamily?That’lltakegettio.

Hetinued:

ThispceistheAsuraRealm.

Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowardme.

Halftheeffort...?

tions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”

Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.

Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”

“You’retooi

AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?

“Today,YoungMaster,youshallmeetyourmaster—theAsuraDivineLord.”

TwoyearshereequalsonedayintheYangRealm.”

Timepassed.

Withanannoyedclickofthetongue,“I”spriraightupward.

Fromthismomenton,youareofficiallythediscipleoftheDivineLord.”

“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”

“Tch.”

“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”

Inodded.

Isteppedforwardandbowedrespectfully.

Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.

Sothat’swhyonlyanhourhadpassedierworld.

“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”

Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.

Bytheday—thoughtimewasstraheskyneverdarkened,evenwithoutasun,andtherewasnosenseofnightorday.

Inoddedandfollowedthepathhejured.

Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout:

So,Icalledforth“me.”

Inunderfiveminutes,myqiwasnearlydrained—butthesummitwaswithinreach.

“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”

“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”