Panting,Iasked,

Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.

“Oh?”

Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.

“YoumustetotheAsuraRealmonceperweek.

“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”

Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”

Trainforoneday,thenyoumayleave.”

Fromthismomenton,youareofficiallythediscipleoftheDivineLord.”

Halftheeffort...?

“Master,thisdiscipleTianyasyou.”

Inunderfiveminutes,myqiwasnearlydrained—butthesummitwaswithinreach.

“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”

Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowardme.

“Tch.”

“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”

Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:

Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.

AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?

Heallowedmeafulldaytorestandreplenishmyqi.

TwoyearshereequalsonedayintheYangRealm.”

Thestepedhishaly.

“Sinceyouarenowmydisciple,therearethingsImustcrify.

Timepassed.

“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”

Withanannoyedclickofthetongue,“I”spriraightupward.

Breathless,Irecimedtrol.

Returningtothepcewhereitallbegan,IfoundtheAsuraDivineLordalreadywaiting.

ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.

Thestewardsaid,

Inodded.

Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.

“Today,YoungMaster,youshallmeetyourmaster—theAsuraDivineLord.”

Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.

Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.

Bytheday—thoughtimewasstraheskyneverdarkened,evenwithoutasun,andtherewasnosenseofnightorday.

tions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”

Inoddedandfollowedthepathhejured.

Isteppedforwardandbowedrespectfully.

But...twoyearswithoutseeingmyfamily?That’lltakegettio.

“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”

“Ieanytime?etheschedule?”

Hetinued:

“You’retooi

Themountaiobesappingmystrength.

Sothat’swhyonlyanhourhadpassedierworld.

So,Icalledforth“me.”

ThispceistheAsuraRealm.

Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout:

“gratutions,YoungMaster.Youhavepletedallthreeentrytrials.

Hecalmlyexpined: