He’s a spirit beast?
Rhee was not unfamiliar with spirit beasts. Far from it. Her grandfather’s Spirit Parrot had been a constant presence at the Eight Oaths Resolve School, perched near the training grounds or gliding lazily overhead during lectures. Besides, Long now had his own spirit beast companion as well. Those cases were normal—expected even—for powerful cultivators. But seeing an amphimorphic Spirit Beast dressed in sect robes, standing in a position of authority, was something else entirely.
“You wish to join the Combat Hall?” Elder Long Tusk asked in his deep baritone, his voice reverberating across the central platform like distant thunder.
He can speak like a human and walk just like one.
She had heard stories—half legends, half instruction—that as spirit beasts progressed in cultivation, they could assume increasingly humanoid traits. Speech, posture, even refined mannerisms were said to come with enlightenment. Still, Rhee had never actually seen one like Elder Long Tusk before, let alone spoken to one.
What realm is he?
The question echoed in her mind, unanswered and unsettling.
“We are, Elder,” Ishin answered from beside her, his tone steady despite the pressure radiating from the spirit beast’s presence.
“Yes, Elder,” Rhee added hastily, realizing a heartbeat too late that she had nearly forgotten to respond at all.
Thank goodness Ishin is here.
Elder Long Tusk stroked his long trunk with thick grey fingers, the gesture strangely thoughtful. “Excellent!” Rhee practically winced from the sheer volume of the elder’s voice. “Not enough of our disciples embrace martial paths, but all should. Strength is truth, and truth is survival. What are your names?”
“Disciple Zhu Rhee,” Rhee offered, bowing deeply and forcing herself to fully regain her composure.
“Disciple Ro Ishin.”
“Welcome,” Elder Long Tusk said. His dark eyes shifted toward Ishin. “You are a spear cultivator?”
Ishin straightened instinctively and momentarily glanced at his new spear, resting against his side. “Yes, Elder.”
“And you?” Elder Long Tusk inquired, turning his massive head toward Rhee once more.
Rhee hesitated. She didn’t know exactly how to respond—not because she lacked confidence, but because her path had never fit neatly into a single label. “I employ unarmed techniques,” she said carefully, “but I can also conjure constructs from shadows.”
Disciple Jiang Yu, who stood silently beside the elder, lifted a delicate eyebrow, her interest clearly piqued.
“Show me, Disciple Zhu Rhee,” Elder Long Tusk instructed.
Rhee obeyed at once. She extended her hand and summoned her Shadow Forge technique, drawing condensed darkness into the shape of a simple rod. The construct solidified smoothly, its surface matte and faintly absorbing the surrounding light. Her grandfather had told her that once she reached the Adept Realm, she would be capable of forging bladed shadow constructs—but she had yet to fully practice incorporating sharp edges into her manifestations.
Elder Long Tusk’s dark eyes studied the construct with clear scrutiny. “How many different types of weapons can you create with your shadows?”
“I can create rods, staffs, and shields,” Rhee replied. “With further training, I think swords or other weapons may be possible. Perhaps axes and spears with sufficient practice. My experience with forging bladed weapons is very minor, Elder. Furthermore, I need to be extremely familiar with any weapon I attempt to recreate.”
“Hmm. Versatile, but it requires consistent training and discipline,” Elder Long Tusk summarized. “Which weapons have you actually trained with?” He waved a massive grey hand dismissively. “Not those you can forge—those you were trained in properly.”
The shadow rod in Rhee’s hands evaporated into nothingness. “Only the staff, rod, and shield, Elder.” She noticed Ishin watching her closely and felt a sudden need to clarify. “My clan believed I should limit my focus to weapons I could forge while in the Initial Realm.”
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“I see.”
Rhee expected further questions—perhaps probing ones—but instead the elder shifted topics entirely. “Look over there,” Elder Long Tusk commanded, pointing toward a massive black slate board hanging across the eastern wall of the Combat Hall.
Rhee followed his gesture and quickly noticed that the board contained a list of names, each paired with a number. The first row read:
- Du Wei
Her eyes skimmed downward until she reached the bottom.
- Deng Hai
Names? Is that a ranking list?
The echoing ring of a loud gong swept through the Combat Hall, the sound vibrating through the stone beneath her feet. Rhee had heard it twice since arriving in the Outer Sect and knew exactly what it signified—another disciple had escaped Desolate Island.
“Sister Rhee,” Ishin whispered, drawing her attention back. “Did you see row thirty-eight?”
She searched for it, curious now. Then she found it.
- Bai Hao
“Our most recent addition,” Elder Long Tusk supplied. “He made quite the impression during the Gauntlet. I am curious how the two of you will fare.”
There it is again—the Gauntlet.
“If I may ask, Elder,” Rhee began carefully, “what is the Gauntlet?”
Elder Long Tusk’s laughter boomed across the hall with such force that Rhee instinctively covered her ears. Through her strained vision, she saw Ishin do the same.
“The Gauntlet is your rite of passage,” the elder declared. “Consider it your assessment.”
“Is it a combat test then, Elder?” Ishin asked, lowering his hands. His spear had slipped from his grasp during the sudden noise, and he retrieved it from the stone floor.
“Yes. You will fight the hall’s disciples, beginning with the lowest-ranked. How far you advance determines your initial ranking.”
Rhee understood immediately. It differed from how the Eight Oaths Resolve School evaluated its disciples—but in many ways, she found this approach better.
No ambiguity. No politics. Just strength.
Perfect. This structure left no doubt about who was strongest. It would be easier—cleaner—for her to prove herself once again, just as she had at the Eight Oaths Resolve School and during the Exhibition Tournament. The familiar fire of her martial spirit stirred, excitement coursing through her veins.
Perhaps the Alchemic Hall’s rejection was fated.
Her gaze drifted to Ishin. He was still staring at the ranking board, his expression sharp and hungry.
Like a predator identifying a new hunting ground.
Her lips curved upward. Good. This is my favorite side of him.
“Honored Elder,” she said, stepping forward, “when may we undergo the Gauntlet?”
Jiang Yu smiled faintly, but it was Elder Long Tusk who answered. “Now. Disciple Deng Hai! Come forth!”
He is so loud, Rhee winced internally. How do the other disciples survive this?
One of the disciples who had previously observed Jiang Yu’s demonstration stepped forward. He appeared to be around twenty, his bald head wrapped in a red dragon tattoo. Three brutal scars stretched across his scalp—wounds that reminded Rhee uncomfortably of Ishin’s own scars. But what truly caught her attention was the halberd strapped to his back. A rare weapon, but devastating in the right hands.
“These two will undergo the Gauntlet,” Elder Long Tusk announced.
Deng Hai nodded. “Understood, Elder.”
He’s strong, Rhee noted calmly. Anyone who survived the Culling would be.
Her third eye flickered open, revealing early Adept Realm cultivation. One chakra aspected to metal qi—expected. The other…
Mist qi?
“Which one will I be fighting?” Deng Hai asked.
“A good question,” Elder Long Tusk said. “Who wishes to go first?”
Disciples from surrounding platforms began to gather, sensing the imminent battle. The air buzzed with anticipation.
Rhee glanced at Ishin. “Preference?”
Ishin smiled knowingly. “A question, Elder. Will the one who goes second have the chance to face the first if they reach their ranking?”
Elder Long Tusk chuckled approvingly. “Yes.”
“That assumes you defeat me,” Deng Hai snapped.
Ishin ignored him. “Then you go first,” he said to Rhee. “You beat me last time. This way, I earn the rematch.”
Rhee nodded. “Very well.” She crossed her arms. “You had better reach me, Brother Ishin, or I will be very disappointed.”
“I would hate to disappoint you, Sister Rhee,” he replied with a smirk.
This man.
Rhee turned back to Elder Long Tusk. “I am ready, Elder.”
“Excellent! Everyone else, clear the central platform.”
The crowd obeyed swiftly until only Rhee and Deng Hai remained. Ishin stood beside Jiang Yu, eyes fixed on her.
“You will fight until surrender or unconsciousness,” Elder Long Tusk declared. “Try not to kill one another.”
Such minor restrictions, Rhee thought. Nothing that prevents severe injury—or worse.
Her eyes returned to Deng Hai’s scars.
Were those earned here, too?
“Fight!”