“Bytheway...whatisaLife-BoundTeique?”

“Tch.”

But...twoyearswithoutseeingmyfamily?That’lltakegettio.

“YoumustetotheAsuraRealmonceperweek.

Inodded.

“Ieanytime?etheschedule?”

Heonlymuttered,“ain.”Butdespitehispint,hebeganclimbingwithfulleffort.

Timepassed.

AmIsupposedtoclimbthat?

“gratutions,YoungMaster.Youhavepletedallthreeentrytrials.

Idon’tknowhowlongI’dbeenclimbing,butexhaustionstartedsettingin.

“Oh?”

Notimetowaste.Iimmediatelyleaptandbeganclimbing.

“Halfanhourremaining.Interferencewillnowbegin.”

Returningtothepcewhereitallbegan,IfoundtheAsuraDivineLordalreadywaiting.

“Youmustreachthesummitwithinhalfanhour.Succeed,arialisplete.”

Heallowedmeafulldaytorestandreplenishmyqi.

Fromthismomenton,youareofficiallythediscipleoftheDivineLord.”

Inoddedandfollowedthepathhejured.

Halftheeffort...?

Hecalmlyexpined:

Inunderfiveminutes,myqiwasnearlydrained—butthesummitwaswithinreach.

Igaveaweaknodandcolpsedontheground.

Thesteward’svoiceechoedagain:

Thestepedhishaly.

“Master,thisdiscipleTianyasyou.”

Islowedslightly,curiouswhetherthisso-calledinterferencecouldaffect“me.”

Suddenly,themountaioshake.Atreetoppledtowardme.

Trainforoneday,thenyoumayleave.”

“I’mready.Let’sbeginthefinaltrial.”

ButIdidn’tdwellonit.Irested.Afteraboutanhour,Ifeltrecoveredenoughandstoodup.

Sothat’swhyonlyanhourhadpassedierworld.

Panting,Iasked,

Breathless,Irecimedtrol.

“Sinceyouarenowmydisciple,therearethingsImustcrify.

Thestewardsaid,

“Itmeansateiquethatisfatedtomatchyouperfectly.Trainingityieldsresultswithhalftheeffort.”

Themountaiobesappingmystrength.

Thegroundtrembled.Atmountainrosebeforeme.Injustafewbreaths,thesummitwashiddenbyclouds.

Isteppedforwardandbowedrespectfully.

TwoyearshereequalsonedayintheYangRealm.”

“Today,YoungMaster,youshallmeetyourmaster—theAsuraDivineLord.”

ThispceistheAsuraRealm.

Then,fromfarbelow,Iheardthestewardcallout:

tions.You’vepassed.Restfornow.Thefinaltrialwillbegininhalfanhour.”

Bytheday—thoughtimewasstraheskyneverdarkened,evenwithoutasun,andtherewasnosenseofnightorday.

“You’retooi

Sofar,I’veohalf-dead.

Withanannoyedclickofthetongue,“I”spriraightupward.

Hetinued:

So,Icalledforth“me.”