Asher sat on the wooden chair inside his small hut, a leather pouch before him filled to the brim with spirit stones—so full it looked as though it might burst at any moment. He rolled each stone slowly between his fingers, as if he were weighing the entire world with every one he touched.
"Fifteen more spirit stones added to our pouch…" he murmured softly, a faint smile forming on his lips. It carried a hint of satisfaction, but revealed only a fraction of what churned within him. "What a productive day."
Il burst into a childish, excited laugh:
"We're rich… we're rich! Hehehe!"
His eyes gleamed like two burning embers, as if every spirit stone promised a future completely different from the one he knew.
For the first time, he felt that the money in his hands truly belonged to him—earned through his own effort and sweat, owed to no one.
Asher lifted the pouch.
"It's getting late… let's buy some Gut-Softening Pills before heading home."
He placed his prepared schematics and formations into small wooden boxes, then began clearing the hut of anything that could be traced back to him.
He walked toward a dark corner of the hut and activated a hidden mechanism carved into a complex formation only he could see.
A faint creak rose from the wooden floor as a stone door slid open, revealing an underground passage.
Asher stepped in first, closing the door behind him in one smooth motion before activating the defensive formations.
Lines of spiritual energy lit the walls with a dim blue glow, then faded—making the hut seem as though it had vanished from existence.
The tunnel was narrow, dark, and damp… but it was his true home.
A place unreachable by human eyes or a cultivator's senses.
He walked with steady steps, avoiding each branching path he knew by heart, until he reached the end of the passage.
He placed his hand on another formation, causing the air to tremble before a stone door materialized and slowly opened.
He stepped out into an old abandoned house with crumbling walls and a partially collapsed roof.
He had bought it three months ago as a secret exit—an unmarked point known to no one.
Breathing in the cold night air, he began his journey through the tangled alleys.
He changed his clothes three times and altered his appearance using a simple concealment formation of his own making.
With this, even if someone were tailing him, nothing would link back to his true identity.
After a long while, he finally returned to the Ren Clan grounds.
The old walls, dirt paths, wooden buildings… all places he knew intimately.
Despite the clan's weakness, being here gave him a strange sense of grounding.
---
The next morning, Il sat with his father, Hawk, in their small living room.
Sunlight seeped through the cracked wooden window panels, warming the room with a gentle glow.
His father spoke with a voice that carried the weight of the years:
"The tournament is held only once every five years… and only two years remain until the next one.
The main requirement to participate is being under twenty years old… and at least in the Spirit Energy Realm."
Il clenched his fists tightly, as if holding onto his dream.
"I'll do my best, Father… I won't disappoint you."
His voice was steady, though his body trembled slightly.
Asher's gaze sharpened, analyzing Il's depths—measuring his strengths and weaknesses.
Later, Il sat alone in his room, the dim lantern light flickering across the walls.
He stared into the empty air, speaking to Asher who appeared beside him within his consciousness.
"So? What now? And which sect should we choose if I earn a spot?"
Asher smiled—an expression blending mockery with cunning.
"Before choosing… you must first understand the sects."
He stepped closer, his voice gaining an unusual heaviness…
as though he were speaking about ancient beasts sleeping atop distant mountains.
---
"The Eastern Sky Region has five great cultivation sects, and each one of them can alter the fate of an entire continent."
Asher explained this quietly, yet his voice carried a depth that seemed to echo within the soul.
"First is the Radiant Sword Stream Sect, said to possess a sword intent capable of slicing mountains.
All their techniques revolve around swords—purity, speed, and overwhelming force.
Every step they take is like a sword preparing to strike.
They are the current rulers of the region."
"Second is the Crimson Blood Moon Sect, a demonic sect with a terrifying reputation.
Its cultivators use blood as a source of energy—whether their own or that of others.
Their techniques are brutal yet swift and effective.
Some elders are said to turn entire battlefields into crimson seas."
"Third is the Nine-Paths Eye Sect, masters of formations and spiritual engineering.
Everything they do is built on knowledge, precision, and depth.
A single formation of theirs can trap dozens of cultivators who fail to grasp its intricacies.
They create living formations—ones that shift and evolve during battle as though they can think."
"The fourth sect is the Clear Wind Voice Sect, a blend of wind arts and botanical cultivation.
Their speed is unrivaled, making them nearly impossible to catch.
It is said they can control the breath of the wind itself.
Their fighters appear like shadows… and vanish like smoke."
"And the last is the Everstone Body Sect, specialists in refining the physical body beyond imagination.
Their bodies become like metal, and some can withstand lethal blows without weapons or formations.
Facing them is like going against a moving mountain."
Asher paused for a moment, then spoke in a low tone:
"Any one of these five sects can change the life of whoever joins them.
But reaching them… and being accepted… is a path drenched with blood, sweat, and trials.
They accept only the seven strongest."
Il stared at the wall, his eyes narrowing as determination flared within them.
"The seven strongest… I'll be one of them."
A faint, unreadable smile curved Asher's lips—a mixture of mockery and admiration.
"We'll see… if your fate has what it takes."
Then he shrugged lightly and added:
"Besides, all of that is still two years away. For now, let's focus on our current situation."
---