"Just how long is this?"
Asked fatty Ling, as he gasped for breath while putting his hand on his knees.
He was exhausted, much like the other challengers, if not more.
Silver himself was getting tired but he just blamed Yifan's untrained body for it.
It had been quite some time since they started climbing the stairs, thinking that it'd be easy to reach the destination.
And they were so wrong.
Initially, they expected this to be a straight climb but it was more of a spiral way around the mountain foot.
Strategically, this was a good choice as if under attack, the enemy will find it difficult to climb the mountain, giving the sect enough time to prepare a countermeasure.
"This reminds me of my younger days when I first climbed the mountain. Ha ha."
Said Biao while laughing.
For some time now, he was acting much like an amicable senior brother instead of a revered immortal.
But the people here didn't seem to hate it, why would they? An immortal was talking to them as if they had known each other for a long time. This made them feel like they were immortals themselves. Even if it was just a small feeling.
"Not much distance is left, make haste or we will just leave you behind."
Said the immortal woman as she went ahead, not caring anymore.
The challengers picked up their exhausted bodies and followed her with their shoulders slouched.
Fortunately, after just thirty minutes more, they had reached their destination.
The final step led to a flat surface, at the end of this surface was a humongous gateway.
'Azure Order' was written in a dominating stroke and one could feel the fierceness when looking at it.
All the challengers had finally made it here.
All gazed at the plaque with different untold emotions.
The gateway opened to the outside, which was once again a strategic placement, and they entered it.
Grand!
This was the only word that would come to their mind.
The whole area behind the gate was grandly expansive.
A single paved road led through the center of a massive courtyard. The sides of this courtyard had various buildings with people going in and out of them. There were martial grounds with what looked like training dummies.
There were stone pillars everywhere on the left while ponds and bridges on them lay on their right.
It was a mesmerizing sight for most of them, even the brother-sister duo.
The immortals stopped once they reached an intersection in the very middle of the courtyard. It was a four-way intersection.
"Follow me."
Raising her hand, a subordinate of the immortal woman came forward and asked the others to follow her.
"She will lead you to the living grounds. Rest all you want today. Make sure to assemble in the training ground in front of your residence before moonfall."
All the challengers nodded and bowed before they followed the subordinate. They were clearly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to get wasted on a bed.
Silver, who was standing at the very end, was also the last to follow the group but it looked like the immortals had other plans for him.
"You."
The voice was not loud so only Silver heard it as he turned around to look at the Immortal woman who had just called out to him.
All the seven immortals were currently looking at him.
"You follow me."
Said the woman, solemnly as she started walking deeper into the courtyard.
Silver was a little shaken, having no idea what they wanted to do.
'I shouldn't have pulled that stunt…'
Cursing his earlier actions wouldn't work now, he decided to follow her. Not doing so would only end up making him seem suspicious.
It's not like he had any other choice. He was in their territory. He couldn't run, and forcing his way through against people with strange powers he knew nothing about?
As if that would ever work.
It was only her and Silver. The others did not follow.
"Do you not have anything to ask?"
Without turning around, the woman asked him.
She was a woman of few words, Silver understood that.
"Any mortal would surely panic if they were in your shoes."
"Am I in a situation where I should panic?"
Asked Silver tersely.
"Not really."
Answered the woman before she continued.
"An elder would like to meet you."
"Why?"
For a person to be called an elder by the outer elder meant that the person who wanted to meet him was an even higher immortal.
Silver hadn't thought that a mindless stunt of his would elicit a reaction from such people, he was regretting it a little right now.
"You don't have to worry, we mean you no harm. The elder wants to ask you something and confirm it directly. You have nothing to worry about."
Not waiting for his reply, the woman continued.
"After all, If the speculation turns out to be true. We will have to protect you with everything we have got."
Silver froze.
'What?'
Looks like things went deeper than Silver had initially anticipated. He was just worried about his life but these people were talking about protecting him.
Silver didn't quite understand the placement of this situation.
"Alright…"
Said Silver while sighing.
What did he have that was worth protecting if he observed it from their perspective? Was there something peculiar? It couldn't be the dilapidated house, right?
The woman nodded, expecting that but still slightly surprised by Silver's calmness.
Silver may look calm on the outside, but inwardly, he was very uneasy.
His mind was in overdrive, thinking of various possibilities but nothing was helpful.
He decided to just go with the flow right now and hold back a little in the future, at least until he had the power to decline things he didn't want to follow through.
Any thoughts of escape or the like were already suppressed by him. It would only end up making things go south.
They soon began climbing another set of stairs leading above. This time, the stairs led straight up and didn't spiral around the mountain.
As he was following her. Silver asked the immortal to probe a little information out of her.
"Where are we going, err–"
"Shi Delan."
"Hm?"
"That's my name. I am an outer elder. Me, along with the other six are responsible for all those who pass the trials, in other words; Outer disciples."
"Elder Shi, where are we going right now?"
After a brief pause,
"The Legacy Hall. That's where we are going right now."
Silver nodded.
"Will I be free to go once you confirm whatever it is you want to confirm?"
Silver asked the main question.
"You should be able to. As I told you earlier, you have nothing to worry about. The elder there will only ask you some questions. You just have to answer them to the best of your ability. Once you're done with it, you are free to go."
Said Shi Delan before continuing.
"This is good for you as well."
She paused,
"Your life could depend on it."
Silver was a little scared to ask, the solemn and condescending voice of Elder Shi didn't make it any better.
What was the thing that could endanger his life he had no idea whatsoever about?
He didn't speak anymore and continued to follow behind her under faint moonlight and heavy silence.
***
"We are here."
Eventually, both of them stood before a tower-like structure.
It looked about thirty meters tall with a bell on the very top of it. The structure was made of stone and there were visible stairs in the open windows of the structure. It didn't look like any structure Silver had seen before.
Just above the entrance, a board was hung.
'Legacy Hall.' Was written on the board.
"Let me first introduce it to you."
Said Elder Shi as she pointed her hand towards the building, a gesture to invite him in.
"This is the Legacy Hall. One of the Six Factions of the Azure sect looked directly after by Inner elders."
"The one you are going to meet right now is the Faction elder of Legacy Hall, in other words, its head. She is an Evolutionary Realm expert, although you wouldn't know what that means."
And she was right, he didn't understand anything, only taking note of the terms he heard.
Entering the building, Silver looked at the inside. There was nothing. Only a circular column directly in front of them, leading towards the higher floors.
He tilted his head in confusion. Expecting an answer but it never came.
He thought that they would be going upstairs but instead, the Elder led him behind the circular column.
There, he spotted a single door.
The Elder stopped in front of this door and half-turned around.
"Here we are."
She said as she opened the door and held, waiting for him to enter.
Silver gulped as he looked at the faint light coming through the door, he looked at Elder Shi once and entered the room.
Creak–Thud!
Elder Shi closed the door behind her as she entered the room after Silver.