The YuFeng Pavilion's Training Pagoda. A towering structure, divided into three distinct levels, each with its unique purpose. The first and second levels, bustling with activity, served as proving grounds for aspiring disciples, where they could hone their combat skills and test their mettle against ferocious beasts, earning precious cultivation points along the way. The third floor, however, was shrouded in an air of quiet intensity. It was a sanctuary for those seeking to master the intricacies of martial arts techniques, a place of solitary refinement, where distractions were few and dedication was paramount. It was here, on this hallowed ground, that Xing Jue sought to transcend his current limitations.
Stepping into the crowded hall of the Training Pagoda, Xing Jue felt a palpable shift in the atmosphere. Whispers followed his every move. He'd become something of a celebrity since his recent string of victories in the Outer Sect tournament. He offered a polite smile to those who dared to meet his gaze, acknowledging their curiosity without encouraging unnecessary interaction. His goal lay elsewhere.
The third level, as he'd anticipated, was far less chaotic. It had a serene, almost sacred, atmosphere. Most of the cultivation rooms, indicated by glowing green lanterns above their heavy, black iron doors, were unoccupied.
This was his first time venturing to the third floor. He felt a surge of anticipation as he surveyed the available rooms. He selected one at random, his fingers closing around the cool, metal handle of its heavy, black iron door.
Before he could enter, however, a chilling aura washed over him, sending a shiver down his spine. The air crackled with energy, a palpable wave of….killing intent.
The door across the hallway swung open.
Emerging from the room was a young man. His Outer Sect robes, pristine and white, did little to disguise the aura of lethal grace that clung to him like a second skin. He moved with the fluid grace of a seasoned predator. But it was his eyes… Framed by long, dark lashes, they held a chilling emptiness, as if the very concept of compassion were alien to him. A shiver ran down Xing Jue's spine.
Bai Yunfei. The strongest of the Outer Sect's Four Heavenly Kings. And Xing Jue's most formidable opponent in the upcoming Inner Sect考核.
Their gazes met. Bai Yunfei's lips curled into a humorless smile. A silent challenge passed between them, unspoken but unmistakable. Then Bai Yunfei turned and strode towards the staircase, his bearing proud, his presence...unnerving.
Xing Jue watched him go, a strange mix of apprehension and excitement stirring within him. "He must cultivate some truly fearsome techniques," he thought, chills still dancing on his skin. This was no ordinary opponent, no mere stepping stone on his path to glory. This was…different. He'd faced formidable opponents before, but none had evoked this… visceral unease.
He entered his chosen cultivation room, closing the heavy iron door behind him. Unlike the lower levels, whose cultivation rooms were simple, utilitarian spaces, this room was… different. Its walls weren't crafted from cold, unforgiving iron but shimmered with a subtle energy. A bounded space.
Three translucent talismans, each inscribed with a single character, hovered in the center of the room. Gong, Ji, Shen. Power. Technique. Body. The three pillars of cultivation. Each talisman represented a different path of refinement, a unique training ground tailored to a specific aspect of martial arts mastery.
He reached out, his fingers brushing against the talisman inscribed with the character Shen - Body. The talisman dissolved into a plume of emerald-green mist, which then swirled and pulsed before being absorbed into the surrounding walls. The room hummed with barely restrained energy. And then, everything began to spin.
Dizziness overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes, willing himself not to be sick. When he opened them again, he found himself staring out at… an endless expanse of sand.
He was standing on a dune, a sea of rippling gold stretching out before him as far as the eye could see. The air was hot and dry, the silence broken only by the whisper of the wind, a constant, unrelenting presence that seemed to mock his very existence.
Floating before him, their characters now transformed, were the two remaining talismans. Xiu - Rest. Tui - Retreat. The choices were clear.
He took a deep breath, ignoring the urge to turn back, to choose the comfort of retreat. He hadn't come this far to back down from a challenge. Even one conjured from thin air.
He ventured into the heart of the desert, the sand shifting and swirling beneath his feet. He could feel the heat bearing down on him, the air growing heavy and oppressive. He He pushed onward, his steps growing heavier, the wind, now a raging tormentor, whipping at him, trying to force him back.
As he journeyed deeper into this desolate realm, the desert seemed to conspire against him, testing his resolve. The sand beneath his feet turned to quicksand, threatening to swallow him whole with every step. He stumbled and fell, the taste of grit and despair filling his mouth. This… this was no ordinary desert. This was…
He laughed, a short, sharp bark of defiance. He'd faced worse.
Closing his eyes, he focused his will, drawing upon the depths of his True Qi. It flowed through his meridians, guided by his intent, following the intricate pathways outlined in the Gale Force Steps technique. A faint white glow enveloped his form, growing in intensity until it surrounded him in a whirlwind of pure energy.
He opened his eyes.
And moved.
He moved like the wind itself, his feet barely touching the ground, his body a blur of motion. The oppressive weight of the desert lifted. He was no longer bound by its rules, its relentless gravity. He moved with newfound freedom, his every stride carrying him effortlessly across the shifting sands. He He could teleport. Short distances, yes, but enough.
He reached the heart of the desert, the wind howling like a banshee around him, a testament to its fury. Here, even the most seasoned desert travelers, their camels laden with provisions, dared not tread.
And yet…here he stood, untouched, unmoved, the very air around him bending to his will, a small pocket of tranquility amidst the raging storm.
Half a moon had passed since Xing Jue had entered the secluded confines of the Training Pagoda's third floor. His provisions were long gone. The once-teeming bag of provisions lay empty now, a testament to the relentless passage of time. The Gale Force Steps technique… well, he wouldn't claim complete mastery. He had, however, managed to tame its unpredictable nature. At least within the confines of the bounded space. He could now traverse the simulated desert at incredible speeds, his movements a blur, his steps barely disturbing the shifting sands.
He wondered…what would happen if he unleashed this newfound speed in the real world? A tantalizing, and slightly terrifying, thought.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and touched the Tui talisman. The world spun, the familiar sensation of disorientation washing over him.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the training room. The desert was gone. The talismans had vanished. He was exactly where he'd been all along. Sitting cross-legged on the cold stone floor, not a single grain of sand clinging to his clothes.
So that was the secret of the Training Pagoda's third floor. A masterfully crafted illusion, a test of both body and mind. He'd been running in circles this entire time, his perception of distance, of progress, skillfully manipulated by the bounded space. He had to hand it to the YuFeng Pavilion elders. They knew how to train their disciples.
He exited the room, his muscles stiff, his stomach grumbling in protest. Time to find something to eat. As he stepped out into the hallway, the cacophony of the Training Pagoda washed over him. The shouts of sparring disciples. The clash of steel against steel. The air buzzed with a frenetic, almost frantic, energy. Strange, he realized. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be…surrounded.
A familiar figure caught his eye.
Xiao San, one of his former dormmates, his face etched with worry, was frantically scanning the faces of the disciples milling about the third-floor training area.
"Xiao San!" Xing Jue called out, making his way toward him. "What's going on?"
Xiao San's head whipped around. Upon seeing Xing Jue, his worried expression morphed into one of profound relief. "Xing Jue! You're alright! We were getting worried! You…you have to come quickly. It's Siyan. Something's happened. "
Xing Jue's blood ran cold. Of all the things he'd expected to hear upon emerging from seclusion, "something's happened" wasn't one of them. Siyan, his loyal friend, his confidante… he pushed the thought away, refusing to consider the possibilities.
"What happened? Tell me everything," he demanded, his voice tight with controlled panic.
They'd been through a lot together, he and Siyan. He'd walked through fire for that scrawny, bespectacled scholar. He wasn't about to lose him now. Not without a fight.
"Two days after…after you went into seclusion," Xiao San stammered, "Siyan...he received a letter. From his family. He said….he said he had to go home. For a few days. Said he'd be back in a week, tops." He ran a hand through his hair, his voice cracking slightly. "But…it's been half a moon, Xing Jue," he whispered, his eyes pleading for understanding. "He's not back, and…we fear the worst. We thought…we thought you might know what to do."
Xing Jue placed a reassuring hand on Xiao San's shoulder, forcing a smile. "Hey, it's probably nothing. Maybe he's just…delayed. You know how families can be." He prayed that he sounded more confident than he felt. "Tell you what, why don't I swing by his family's estate tomorrow? Check on things. How does that sound?"
He had a bad feeling about this….
Jinhua City.
A sprawling metropolis, its streets teeming with merchants hawking their wares, its air thick with the smells of exotic spices and the cacophony of a thousand conversations. The very air seemed to hum with wealth and prosperity. Even amidst the grandeur of the YuFeng Empire, Jinhua City stood out, a shining testament to the boundless entrepreneurial spirit of its inhabitants. Compared to Yunzong City, his hometown, Jinhua was...well, it was like comparing an ant hill to the Imperial Palace. One was functional. The other…breathtaking.
As he navigated the bustling streets, his gaze fell upon a series of elegant pavilions, their roofs adorned with intricate carvings. "So, this…this is the Xia family estate?" he murmured, impressed despite himself. Siyan's insistence on discretion now made a lot more sense. The boy had been downplaying things. A lot.
The Xia family, it seemed, were major players.
Unlike those of Yunzong City, the families of Jinhua City weren't known for their martial prowess. They were merchants, investors, and innovators. They cared little for the brutal reality of physical strength. Their true power, it seemed, lay elsewhere. But the Xia family…they were an anomaly. They had their fingers in every pie imaginable. And they were led, rumors claimed, by a council of elders, each more ruthless than the last.
"Excuse me, kind sirs," he said, approaching the two guards stationed outside the imposing gates of the Xia estate. They were no ordinary guards, these two. Each possessed the aura of a mid-stage Warrior, their bearing sharp, their gazes alert. Clearly, the Xia family spared no expense when it came to security. "I'm here to see…to see…" What was Siyan's real name? He mentally kicked himself. This was not the time for such oversights. "I'm a friend of…of your young master. I believe he's expecting me." As he spoke, he willed his Outer Sect robes to be more prominent. Desperate times, desperate measures.
He needn't have bothered.
The guards' stern expressions melted into something akin to relief. The one on the left bowed deeply. "Please, honored guest, forgive our intrusion. You are a friend of Young Master Xia, yes? From the…YuFeng Pavilion?"
"Indeed," Xing Jue said cautiously. "A friend, and a fellow disciple."
"Please, wait here a moment," the guard said, bowing again. "I'll inform the steward of your arrival immediately." He gestured towards a nearby pavilion. "May I offer you some refreshments while you wait?"
Xing Jue nodded, his gaze following the guard as he hurried towards the main house. Siyan…what had you gotten yourself into?