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Astrallis pivoted off his left foot and sent a spinning round-house kick in the direction of the adorable duo, just as Astrallis’ foot was about to reach Baihu a long red rod reached him first and mitigated the force of Astrallis’ kick. Baihu used the weakening velocity of the kick and dodged towards Astrallis’ flank.

Astrallis rapidly vaulted towards a trunk of a nearby blossom tree and rebounded off the tree shattering the wood in the process. Using the exploded trees remains as cover, Astrallis astutely faded into the cloud of wooden shrapnel evading the flanking Baihu.

“I’ve got you now Astrallis!” A clarion cry of a Phoenix echoed throughout the orchard.

A bright conflagration followed the disappearing Astrallis burning the remains of timber.

“Wait! Azui stop!” Screamed Azalea as her face went pale.

The entire party stopped in their tracks, cold-sweat forming on their backs thinking of their dear friend getting hurt.

"Why would you do that Azui, you know he can't form Qi to defend himself yet! All he has is his mortal body," Azalea screamed in rage.

"Ah ah ah, I got carried away, he's so strong. I'm sorry!" Azui, the Phoenix, said weakly eyes glistening with tears.

“Don’t worry little Azalea, he can’t hurt me like that.” A soft voice whispered in her ears.

Azalea quickly spun around her large pink eyes staring panic-stricken at the opposite party's magenta coloured eyes, she then threw herself forward into Astrallis, a mischievous light flashed through her pink eyes going unnoticed by Astrallis.

Surprised by her actions, Astrallis stiffened, but then lent forward to embrace her, but as Azalea’s hand was about to reach Astrallis’ back her dainty hand flashed with opaque pink Qi rooting Astrallis in place.

“Now everyone!” Shouted Azalea.

Before Astrallis could even figure out he’d been deceived by her, he was covered in a pile of bodies.

A large pile of juvenile beasts and children wriggled on the ground, all signs of Astrallis’ imperial air withdrew replaced with a bright smile showing his pearl white teeth.

“We told you Astrallis. Today was the day we’d defeat you,” Imperiously declared a hairy yellow figure in a joking tone.

“That you did Wukong,” Laughed the now dirty white-robed Astrallis turning towards Azalea humour in his eyes.

“I’m sorry Big Brother Astrallis, we thought we’d be able to defeat you now that we had broken through to the Qi Gathering Realm," Weakly said Azalea.

"When I realised that you were still so powerful, I knew I had to do something else,” She continued, as she shifted her head downwards to look at the ground, not daring to make eye-contact with Astrallis.

“So now you call me Big Brother," Astrallis gently chided.

“Do not worry, you won that’s all that mattered. As long as the way you won was not morally ambiguous, a win is a win. Also, I know you meant no harm Aza’er.” Astra gently rubbed her hair, her pony-tails flowing in the wind.

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“En”. Azalea immediately lifted her head, with a broad smile on her face, her eye’s clearly indicating her relief.

Astrallis became breathless gazing at her standing between the rows of orchards, surrounded by falling pink blossoms, harmoniously fitting in with the artistry of the blossom trees.

“Come now, look at your face Astra’er, you’re just as beautiful as Azalea,” A sweet yet mature voice, with a hint of youth in it, spread around the surroundings.

“I’m not a girl Big Sister Amelia! I am a masculine man just like my father.” Indignantly replied Astrallis, striking a manly pose, towards a beautiful young girl closely resembling his mother.

This young girl, Amelia Ether, was, in fact, Astralis’ third older sister. At the age of fourteen, she was a budding beauty sure to cause the downfall of cities in the future, not that she wasn’t already creating young male disciples of the sect to fall head over heels for her.

All members of Ethereal Grotto Sect, if born within the grotto receive the surname Ether. Astralis himself shared the surname Ether as the son of the current patriarch, the Rising Sword Cestra Ether and his wife, Vita Fairy Jasmine Ether.

“He is sure to make many males question their sexual identities in the future - much to Astralis’ dismay if he ever found out; not that he actually understands this currently.” Inwardly thought Amelia.

“I’m just playing with you Aza’er. Come now everyone, I have come with Senior-Brother Ira, to inform you that my father, the Patriarch, has called for all of you to prepare for the Awakening Ceremony later this week," Amelia declared.

“With the closure of the Ethereal Cataclysm Array last week, the Sect has reintroduced itself into the world. Allowing for all disciples under the age of seven to leave the sect and travel to Mt. Evanescent, to compete against the other Holy Lands of Augustin at the Awakening Ceremony.” Declared a muscular young man with a straight appearance, as he stared meaningfully at Astrallis.

“My great-grandpa told my grandpa who told my father who told my brother who told me, that the Awakening Ceremony is a crucial part of a Holy Land’s disciple’s life!" The shrill voice of Wukong spread to everyone's ears.

"If said disciple performs markedly during the Awakening Ceremony some of the past ancestors, who left their inheritances at the mountain, may receive that disciple as a Soul-Disciple and pass their martial arts to them!” The golden ape continued.

Some shuffled in excitement listening to Wukong’s monologue, while the others scrunched their faces in exasperation after hearing to the first part of Wukong’s words. But one commonality shared by all the youths was the rising battle intent, an intent formed by chance to compete against contemporaries from the three other Holy Lands.

Once a cultivator reaches a high enough realm without any further chances of improvement, they will start to search for a disciple. If that cultivator hasn’t reached the Realm of Immortality in the legends; they will hunt even more fervently for a disciple, lest their legacy be left forever alone never to be passed down to adequate hands. Although these cultivators may leave their legacies behind in their sects, there is an extremely high chance that no one in their past faction will manage to ever cultivate the legacy. Therefore, to prevent this from happening many seniors leave their legacies within Mt. Evanescent in hopes of finding predestined friends.

Mt. Evanescent is a natural formation formed between Heaven and Earth, each plane holds a natural structure created during the Primordial Era. There have been no beings strong enough to besiege these natural formations yet. Therefore all inheritances placed within are safe from those with nefarious attentions.

One is counted as a Soul-Disciple when they receive an inheritance from an imminent deceased senior. There have also been rumours of Immortal Seniors who have reached a high enough realm to leave a strand of their essences within Mt. Evanescence, waiting quietly for the predestined friends.

It is not frowned upon to receive multiple masters throughout one’s lifetime, a cultivator’s life is long and tedious; there can be all manner of events that may transpire, one cannot stay static and conservative in their thoughts lest they are left behind by their contemporaries. Therefore, it is to the advantage of a cultivator to have more avenues open in which to study from.

“Everyone, please go to your parents and masters to prepare for the Awakening Ceremony to the best of your ability.” Senior-Brother Ira ushered everyone to leave.

Once everyone left, Astralis was left with his sister Amelia.

Astralis’ fists were clenched together, a fire in his eyes, “Big Sister, I’m going to go to Master and see if there is any way he can help me comprehend the runes in my pericardium.”

Without waiting for a reply, Astralis rushed towards the Ancestral Hall Secret Realm.

Amelia watched the elegant small back disappear over the horizon, anticipation in her eyes.

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