ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.

Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.

Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.

Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”

“YoumustetotheAsuraRealmonceperweek.

“Oh?”

Withanannoyedclickofthetongue,“I”spriraightupward.

“Ieanytime?etheschedule?”

Inoddedandfollowedthepathhejured.

Halftheeffort...?

Inunderfiveminutes,myqiwasnearlydrained—butthesummitwaswithinreach.

Sothat’swhyonlyanhourhadpassedierworld.

Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.

Isteppedforwardandbowedrespectfully.

Fromthismomenton,youareofficiallythediscipleoftheDivineLord.”

Themountaiobesappingmystrength.

Panting,Iasked,

“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”

Bytheday—thoughtimewasstraheskyneverdarkened,evenwithoutasun,andtherewasnosenseofnightorday.

Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowardme.

Inodded.

“Sinceyouarenowmydisciple,therearethingsImustcrify.

Hecalmlyexpined:

Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:

But...twoyearswithoutseeingmyfamily?That’lltakegettio.

Breathless,Irecimedtrol.

Hetinued:

“Tch.”

tions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”

So,Icalledforth“me.”

“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”

“You’retooi

Trainforoneday,thenyoumayleave.”

TwoyearshereequalsonedayintheYangRealm.”

“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”

Thestepedhishaly.

Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.

Timepassed.

Returningtothepcewhereitallbegan,IfoundtheAsuraDivineLordalreadywaiting.

Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.

ThispceistheAsuraRealm.

“Master,thisdiscipleTianyasyou.”

“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”

“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”

Thestewardsaid,

Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.

“gratutions,YoungMaster.Youhavepletedallthreeentrytrials.

Heallowedmeafulldaytorestandreplenishmyqi.

“Today,YoungMaster,youshallmeetyourmaster—theAsuraDivineLord.”

AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?

Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout: