Hetinued:

Isteppedforwardandbowedrespectfully.

“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”

“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”

Withanannoyedclickofthetongue,“I”spriraightupward.

tions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”

Fromthismomenton,youareofficiallythediscipleoftheDivineLord.”

Thestepedhishaly.

Hecalmlyexpined:

Halftheeffort...?

“gratutions,YoungMaster.Youhavepletedallthreeentrytrials.

Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.

Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.

“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”

“Today,YoungMaster,youshallmeetyourmaster—theAsuraDivineLord.”

Breathless,Irecimedtrol.

Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout:

Inunderfiveminutes,myqiwasnearlydrained—butthesummitwaswithinreach.

Inoddedandfollowedthepathhejured.

“Tch.”

Thestewardsaid,

“You’retooi

AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?

Trainforoneday,thenyoumayleave.”

Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowardme.

“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”

But...twoyearswithoutseeingmyfamily?That’lltakegettio.

Returningtothepcewhereitallbegan,IfoundtheAsuraDivineLordalreadywaiting.

Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”

Inodded.

Panting,Iasked,

Heallowedmeafulldaytorestandreplenishmyqi.

“Sinceyouarenowmydisciple,therearethingsImustcrify.

Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.

“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”

Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:

Timepassed.

Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.

Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.

ThispceistheAsuraRealm.

So,Icalledforth“me.”

“Ieanytime?etheschedule?”

“YoumustetotheAsuraRealmonceperweek.

“Oh?”

Bytheday—thoughtimewasstraheskyneverdarkened,evenwithoutasun,andtherewasnosenseofnightorday.

ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.

TwoyearshereequalsonedayintheYangRealm.”

Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.

Sothat’swhyonlyanhourhadpassedierworld.

Themountaiobesappingmystrength.

“Master,thisdiscipleTianyasyou.”