Panting,Iasked,

Returningtothepcewhereitallbegan,IfoundtheAsuraDivineLordalreadywaiting.

Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.

“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”

But...twoyearswithoutseeingmyfamily?That’lltakegettio.

“Today,YoungMaster,youshallmeetyourmaster—theAsuraDivineLord.”

“Oh?”

Hetinued:

Isteppedforwardandbowedrespectfully.

Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.

“YoumustetotheAsuraRealmonceperweek.

Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.

Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.

TwoyearshereequalsonedayintheYangRealm.”

“Master,thisdiscipleTianyasyou.”

“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”

Inoddedandfollowedthepathhejured.

So,Icalledforth“me.”

“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”

Thestepedhishaly.

Hecalmlyexpined:

Inunderfiveminutes,myqiwasnearlydrained—butthesummitwaswithinreach.

Sothat’swhyonlyanhourhadpassedierworld.

“gratutions,YoungMaster.Youhavepletedallthreeentrytrials.

Heallowedmeafulldaytorestandreplenishmyqi.

“Tch.”

Themountaiobesappingmystrength.

ThispceistheAsuraRealm.

Thestewardsaid,

Halftheeffort...?

AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?

Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”

tions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”

Withanannoyedclickofthetongue,“I”spriraightupward.

Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout:

Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.

Fromthismomenton,youareofficiallythediscipleoftheDivineLord.”

Timepassed.

“You’retooi

ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.

Breathless,Irecimedtrol.

Bytheday—thoughtimewasstraheskyneverdarkened,evenwithoutasun,andtherewasnosenseofnightorday.

“Sinceyouarenowmydisciple,therearethingsImustcrify.

Inodded.

“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”

Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.

Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowardme.

Trainforoneday,thenyoumayleave.”

Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:

“Ieanytime?etheschedule?”

“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”