Cade stared at the sight stretching out before him.

  A swarm of black dots encircled the mountain. They were everywhere, numbering in the thousands, most hovering motionlessly despite the strong gusts of wind. They appeared to maintain a distance of a couple of miles from the mountain’s base. As Cade drew closer, the tiny dots gradually resolved into fliers of many shapes and sizes, some as large as buildings, though most vessels were around the size of his own speeder. In fact, many were Arrows of various types, including dozens of Sixes. There was a huge number of elven and fey fliers, the latter standing out thanks to their shiny, geometric carapaces built of small plates fashioned from silver and golden metals. When they moved, they reflected the sun's rays in all directions, glittering like diamonds.

  “Wait… is that a palace?!” Cade mumbled in disbelief, narrowing his eyes to magnify the view. It was a huge flying barge carrying a small castle that looked nothing like those in the Empire. Built of bright, white stone, the structure had a rounded, elegant shape with two towers on each end, each topped with a golden dome. Its single-paneled windows seemed to stretch from floor to ceiling, a true feat of craftsmanship. It had the word ‘Long’ engraved near the bottom in runes inlaid with precious gems. Everything about the palace appeared pristine, luxurious, and expensive. The opulent structure floated leisurely, like a speck of dust carried by a calm stream of air, a sight he found fascinating in light of its size.

  The dark spots on the ground turned out to be tents, hundreds of them, mostly set up around the nearby lakes. Some were tiny, enough to fit one person; others were as large as houses, with colorful banners announcing their owners' allegiance snapping in the wind. It was hard to judge how many people surrounded the monastery, but their numbers must have been in the tens of thousands. Cade assumed most of these experts were here for company or protection, maybe having only one or two candidates among their groups.

  The trial was supposed to start tomorrow. As Cade observed the scene before him, he noticed many new fliers arriving from all over, though they were a drop in the ocean compared to the vast number already present. He unleashed his life sense to see if he could find the Black Sun Sect Master. His peak True Core cultivation would shine brightly amongst all the others, not to mention his specific fluctuations, which the Asura would recognize in a heartbeat. The space ahead of him lit up with thousands of glowing life signatures. Although a few dozen suggested the True Core realm, the old man wasn’t among them. It was likely he and Jade were camped on the other side of the mountain. Cade’s life sense didn’t reach that far; its effective range was currently a touch above five miles.

  Everyone who sought admission into the Sword Dao Monastery had to pass the trial, an annual ordeal. Each candidate would be given a special qi-expelling collar that dispersed spiritual qi within their body. They would then climb the mountain using nothing but their physical strength, and only those who reached the summit within two weeks would have the option to become outer court disciples. There were many ways to reach the peak, and many organizations had developed their own tried and tested methods, some of which were even available for purchase at no small cost. Plenty of determined young cultivators were happy to pay.

  Climbing the Sword Mountain was an arduous and exhausting challenge. The peak stood four and a half miles above the desert, a jagged monolith of crumbling holds and overhanging walls. In its upper regions, the turbulent winds were a constant danger. It would take a group of mortals several months to reach the pinnacle, but fortunately, cultivators retained their improved bodies even without spiritual qi. Nevertheless, hundreds of candidates died each year, mostly those who had arrived alone. Sword Dao had no issue with elders rescuing their disciples from falling to death, though naturally, the candidate would be removed from the trial. However, no other means of interference were allowed. If any fights erupted during the trial, outside cultivators were forbidden to take action. Sword Masters were always watching, and with their Law Severing Art, even a Soul Avatar cultivator would need to give them face. Additionally, above the Masters were the four Saints. These were existences close to the peak of the fourth cultivation tier that even Emperor Brightheart wouldn’t dare to offend.

  Each year, some people tried to cheat their way to the top, usually by bringing inconspicuous artifacts based on refined repulsion ore to help reduce their body mass. Cade found it hard to understand, considering that Sword Masters always found out who cheated, or at least that was the rumor. Fighting wasn’t forbidden and would happen occasionally, mostly due to random arguments or robbery attempts. Robbers were instantly banned from joining the monastery, even if they did reach the peak in time, but most weren’t bothered. Those people took part in the trial to get rich by taking from others and didn’t care about anything else. That being said, thieves had to be careful who they targeted. Many young cultivators worth robbing had dao protectors observing the situation on the mountain like a convocation of hawks. Still, the vast majority of candidates preferred to focus on climbing rather than wasting time and energy on conflicts.

  Cade wasn’t concerned about any of it. His cultivation wasn’t based on spiritual qi, so the collar wouldn’t affect him, and for him, climbing this giant wouldn’t pose any challenge. Thanks to Var Du Long’s sincerity, he had enough crystals to afford admission. Failure simply wasn't an option.

  He slowly circled the mountain, navigating between thousands of fliers as he searched for the elder’s signature. He eventually found him on the other side of the mountain in the company of six other cultivators, the princess among them. Once Cade flew close enough to lay his eyes on the group, he first focused on an unknown True Core expert—a middle-aged man with a short, patchy beard and dark hair touched with gray tied into a ponytail. His life fluctuations betrayed an age twice as advanced as his appearance would suggest. The man’s face was pale and expressionless, but the combination of its angular shape, sunken eyes, and uncanny leanness gave him a rather cadaverous appearance.

  The other four cultivators were around Cade’s age, split evenly between men and women. They were all in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, though Jade and one of the youngsters were both a few steps away from breaking through. They all wore richly embroidered robes in the currently popular daoist style: loose for men and a tighter cut for women, stylized after elegant gowns but a lot more practical. The high-quality fabrics suggested the young people belonged to the upper echelon of the Empire’s nobility. Everyone sat in front of a big, lavish tent, either on large cushions or in comfortable-looking chairs, red carpets spread underfoot.

  The young Asura landed nearby, and Jade immediately took notice. “Cade, here!” she waved at him, a smile evident under her dark blue veil from the crinkling lines around her eyes. She wore a set of martial robes matching the color of her veil, cut to closely match her small, shapely figure without impairing movement. It seemed she had already forgotten about her frustrations during their last meeting.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Both True Core cultivators glanced at him. A smile tugged at the old Sect Master’s lips, while the other man remained impassive as a rock. The youths threw furtive glances at him but, aside from frowning briefly, they otherwise ignored him. Both were of medium build with long, blond hair swept to the back, as was currently in fashion. One appeared slightly older than the other, and with their faces sharing a close resemblance, Cade judged them to be brothers or close cousins. The two women were both attractive, each in her unique way, though Cade wouldn’t call them beautiful. Both had long, light brown hair tied into buns. One was dressed in green, the other wore light blue. Outside of their hairstyles, they couldn’t be more different. The green-robed woman was shorter and on the plumper side, her curves barely restrained by her clothes. Her friend was much thinner and taller, appearing very calm and refined. From a distance, she could have been easily mistaken for an elf.

  Cade performed the customary greeting, cupping his fist towards the group and bowing towards the two older cultivators.

  “Come, let me introduce you,” Jade rushed towards him, wrapping her arm around his own. He was so shocked by this unexpected familiarity that he allowed himself to be led towards the group with a slightly bewildered expression. Being so close to her, his nose picked up fresh scents of rose and cinnamon mixed with her natural bodily fragrance.

  “This is Cade Ward, a body cultivator. He’s my new friend!” she lightly pushed him in front of everyone. Hearing this, Cade nearly fell into a coughing fit and cleared his throat to hide his surprise.

  “This is Senior Darkheart,” Jade continued, dragging Cade to face the gloomy, middle-aged man, and Cade cupped his fist once again, bowing slightly as was customary towards an unknown elder. The man offered a small nod but otherwise ignored him. “And here are his four charges: Amelia, Regina, Arthur, and Roland Brightheart. They are my cousins, here to take part in the trial. How great is that?! Soon we could all be training in the monastery together!” she exclaimed, her energetic tone overflowing with carefree joy.

  A real stroke of fortune.

  Cade maintained a straight face, cupping his fist towards the young people, as was expected when greeting someone of equal status for the first time. Mortal ranks didn’t mean much between cultivators. Amelia, the shorter woman, gave him a bright smile, while Regina offered a lighter one, retaining her stoic composure. Both women rose from their cushions and returned the greeting before resuming their seats. The two men apparently weren’t very happy with his lack of deference—to which they were doubtlessly unused—and cupped their fists in a perfunctory manner, barely rising from their chairs. Their eyes moved quickly over his figure, their brows furrowing slightly before they dismissed Cade and resumed their quiet conversation.

  Cade chuckled inwardly. No doubt they judged my coat as completely unfashionable. Which, to be frank, it was. His red, high-collared longcoat resembled an officer’s outfit, especially since it was buttoned up. While the lower half was loose, the snug fit around the chest and narrow sleeves stood in contrast to the broad, spacious garments worn by both men.

  Jade noticed their impolite reaction, frowning momentarily, but then she looked at Cade, and her eyes lit up again. “Why won’t you sit with us?” the princess asked. Standing next to him, she looked like a child, the top of her small head barely reaching the bottom of his chest.

  “Thank you,” Cade offered her a polite smile. He eased into one of the spare chairs, which creaked dangerously under his bodyweight. Back in Kettle, he and Gorgo were wandering around one of the markets when they noticed a large cattle scale. Driven by curiosity, they had decided to weigh themselves. It turned out that despite their difference in size, their bodies weighed nearly the same, close to 500 pounds. Cade was at the peak of Blood Transformation at the time, and he felt that his body had gotten notably denser with his advancement to Flesh Fortification. Luckily, the chair was built of thick hardwood and bore his weight.

  In truth, he’d rather be somewhere else, but seeing how genuinely happy Jade was, he decided to stick around. Being surrounded by many unknown people was something he had never really enjoyed. Growing up, he didn’t have any close friends other than Silk and Peter, who had probably forgotten him already. He knew not announcing himself alive was the right thing to do. He didn’t mind being alone, but occasionally the solitude weighed on his heart. He wished he could storm into Sacrament City and see them without placing their lives at risk.

  Only ultimate power can grant complete freedom. He exhaled slowly. For now, it was just him and Gorgo, but sadly their paths led in different directions, at least for the time being. His gray-skinned brother was now alone in a foreign land. Word of mouth said the dark elves weren’t necessarily vicious, but they weren’t of a kind disposition either. Apparently, they had such limited contact with other races that most didn’t speak Common.

  As Cade’s thoughts wandered, a young male servant came out of the tent, bringing him an empty silver cup and proceeding to fill it with pleasantly smelling wine from a golden pitcher. It carried faint notes of bergamot and, being white, was likely from the south-western part of the Empire. As Cade gave his thanks, the four young people shot him surprised glances. Nobles barely ever expressed gratitude towards their servants, and certainly not for something as trivial as a cup of wine. However, Jade’s eyes brightened even more, and she gracefully lowered herself into the chair next to him.

  “What have you been doing for the last few weeks? You didn’t even visit once.” A trace of disappointment colored her voice, her lips forming a small pout that pushed lightly at her blue veil.

  “I… I was a little busy,” Cade blurted out. Why would I visit? They barely knew each other.

  “Oh. Still, you could have at least checked on how I was doing,” she murmured.

  Cade had no idea how to respond, his bafflement reaching its peak.

  “Jade, rogue cultivators don’t have much time to spare. Unlike us, they don’t have anyone to rely on. They need to earn crystals, seek out resources, find a good place to cultivate and the time for it. It’s far from an easy life,” Var Du Long commented. His words, spoken in a calm, factual tone, spared Cade from having to explain himself. The young Asura took a breath of relief.

  Understanding flashed within the princess's eyes, followed by a flicker of embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I don’t know much about what life is like for other cultivators,” she said quietly, looking down and fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

  “It’s fine. How are you supposed to know? I wouldn’t know the first thing about being a princess; after all, I’m not even a noble,” Cade replied with mild amusement.

  A couple of faint scoffs came from the direction of the two young men. Although they weren’t part of the conversation, it was impossible not to hear the exchange. Cultivator senses were sensitive, and they all sat within a short distance of each other. Cade shrugged internally; he wasn’t bothered by such things.

  “You wouldn’t?” She looked at him, and seeing his easy smile, her eyes brightened. “Of course! How could you know anything about my life? Well, let me tell you—it’s very boring. And the last few weeks were the most boring ever,” Jade declared, crossing her arms over her bosom. Then her brow lifted slightly, as if an idea had suddenly dawned on her. “Can you tell me what your life is like? How did you become a cultivator?” she turned to him, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.