The Skytooth Mountains, Lu Chang decided, deserved their name wholeheartedly. The peaks were unlike the low green mountains of his homeland. Instead, they were tall and imposing, like the sharp teeth of a vicious beast poised to bite the heavens. In addition, as if drawn to the remains of a beast deity, the mountains were crawling with spirit beasts of all kinds, all of them savage.
Their expedition had been travelling through the mountains for two weeks, and they finally had closed in on the location of the minor realm’s entrance. It was in a cave at the highest reaches of one of the mountain peaks, and the paths to it were treacherous to say the least.
Lu Chang had never been so high up before, and he exhilarated in the feeling of the mountain wind blowing through the peaks. He was not alone; many of the Feng clansmen felt similarly, and for the first time, he and they seemed to find some common ground.
As the clan best fit for the task, the Feng clan was given the duty of protecting the expedition from the myriad flying beasts that harried them. The mountains boasted a vast population of Two-Headed Viperhawks, and Lu Chang learned the strengths and weaknesses of them intimately over the weeks.
Currently, they were just about to crest the last ridge before the cave. Lu Chang was eager to get a look at the entrance, having never seen anything similar before. As the group filed into the rocky plateau next to the cave, Lu Chang’s attention was caught by the magnificent view.
They were near the top of the mountain peak, and Lu Chang could feel the wind that blew through the mountains had a special fondness for this place. He stood there, transfixed, as he immersed himself in the wind that swirled around the peak, then fell down, down, down, through the mountain range. He was drawn from his mental journey by the gentle touch of Mei.
“Are you alright, Lu Chang? You’re staring at nothing. We’ve arrived you know?”
He blinked, unsure of what had just happened.
“Yes, I’m fine, just lost in thought. When will we enter? Tonight?”
She shook her head.
“No, I think we’ll camp here tonight, then enter in the morning, well-rested.”
He started to follow Mei to their resting site, but turned back to look at the mountains again. He felt there was some importance to what he’d experienced, but couldn’t make out what. Putting it out of mind for the moment, Lu Chang started to set up his and Mei’s tent.
The next morning they woke, well-rested, and joined the throng of cultivators swarming the cave entrance. The cave was larger than expected, easily allowing all the departing members of the expedition inside, along with the elders.
In the center of the cave was a massive stone arch that seemed like it had merely sprouted from the mountain itself rather than having been carved. Ancient runes were inscribed all over the arch, and the stone platform it stood atop. The inside of the arch glowed with spiritual energy. Mei pointed that out as the barrier that stymied their progress.
Several elders from each clan gathered before the arch, discussing amongst themselves about the method to open the barrier. Reaching an agreement, they each took up a position surrounding the arch, equidistant from each other. The cave descended into silence, as the gathered cultivators paid attention to the barrier.
One by one, each of the families’ elders worked together and sent a stream of spiritual energy into the arch:
First: Blue, the Long clan, their energy flowing like drops of rain.
Second: Yellow, the Huang clan, the viscous energy seemed like fertile yellow earth.
Third: Red, the Shang clan, whose energy felt tough and bold with a metallic sharpness.
Fourth: Green, the Zhou clan, energy brimming with vigorous lifeforce reminiscent of aged wood.
Fifth: Violet, the Feng clan, the sharp gales of their energy carried a heavy weight.
Sixth: Black, the Ouyang clan, whose energy held a ghostly tinge, seeming like a flame from the nether realm.
Seventh: White, the Ming clan, their energy inspired awe as it crackled live heavenly lightning.
Eighth: Crimson, the Situ clan, dark energy seeped from their elders like a river of blood.
Ninth: Grey, the Shen clan, with a diffuse energy like motes of ash, but underneath a few crackling embers.
Tenth: Orange, the Yan clan, savage and merciless energy like a roaring wildfire.
Eleventh: Brown, the Ye clan, their energy felt decayed, like treading on dead bramble and hearing the dry crack.
Twelfth: Gold, the Jin clan and the empire’s slavers, Lu Chang was very familiar with their energy. It seemed righteous and pure with a vigorous metallic sheen, but underneath it twisted and corrupted all it came into contact with.
Each of the beams of spiritual energy hit the arch and intertwined to form a kaleidoscope of color. The cave around them started to shake, and they all looked around in a panic. As quick as the shaking started, it abruptly ended as the arch made a sound like a ringing gong and the spiritual energy emanating from it turned clear.
The crowd began muttering amongst themselves, unsure of the effects of what happened. The elders seemed as if they’d exhausted themselves, though some were better off than others. The presiding Long clan elder stepped up to address the group.
“Attention! The barrier has been lowered for a brief time. Please gather by your clan members. Each clan will enter one after another. The order has already been decided by the patriarchs, so I’ll brook no complaints.”
There were some vaguely mutinous whispers during his speech, but they died down after the elder mentioned the patriarchs.
“The entrance can only handle ten of you at a time, so organize yourself into groups of that size. Be aware, even though you might enter alongside nine others, where you enter the realm will be random. Some of you might enter near a high rank spirit beast, others near a precious treasure. You can only blame your lack of luck if something happens to you.”
Mei gripped Lu Chang’s arm tightly at that information, her fears being realized. Lu Chang grimaced and assured her he would be fine. The elder continued.
“Make sure you keep track of the jade slips you’ve been given. You can crush those at any time to return here. They take about a minute to work, though, so don’t think they’ll save you from certain doom. The spiritual energy in them will only last for a month, so be sure to leave before that time. Good luck!”
The Long clan went first, of course, followed by the Huang clan. When it came to the Feng clan’s turn, Lu Chang and Mei were in the first group of ten to use the entrance. Mei subtly grabbed his hand as the spiritual energy of the arch hooked onto them and his vision exploded in color.
Lu Chang felt like he was being forced through a tunnel much too small, and he could barely focus because of the flashing colors everywhere. There was wind here, and Lu Chang latched onto the feeling of it to stabilize himself.
The wind itself felt as strange as everything else, though, like an upside-down, reversed, stretched out facsimile of the wind he knew. He stretched out his senses to try and glean more about this strange wind, when he was abruptly shunted back to reality.
Bright sunlight assaulted his eyes that had adapted to the darkness of the cave. Looking around, Lu Chang found himself in a vast, grassy plain. To the north, he could see a foreboding mountain range. To the east, several dozen feet away, was a thick forested area. The plains continued on seemingly forever to the south and west.
A constant breeze blew through the plains, bringing with it an ancient feeling, as if this wind had blown since primordial times. The spiritual energy here felt ancient, too; it was especially potent, nearly burning with power as Lu Chang breathed it in.
As Lu Chang wondered which direction to pick, something caught his eye a few feet away. A beautiful red flower grew over the tops of the grass, and below it hung a bright red fruit. Lu Chang recognized this as a Visceral Essence Flower. He’d seen pictures of it in the scrolls of Mei’s library.
It was supposedly extinct in the outside world, and its fruit had astonishing healing properties when consumed or crafted into a pill. Lu Chang walked over to pluck it, holding it up to the light as he examined it. He was about to put it away in his pack, when an arrogant voice called out.
“What a lucky find, a Visceral Essence Flower!”
Out of the forest came a swaggering fellow with dull orange robes, a Yan clan member. He disregarded Lu Chang entirely, staring at the fruit with a greedy gaze. After a moment he turned his gaze to Lu Chang.
“You did well finding this for me, slave. Now, hand it over and I’ll let you keep your life this time. I am a generous man.”
He spoke imperiously, clearly used to being obeyed. Lu Chang raised a single eyebrow. Mei had explained to him that one could tell how highly a clan favored someone by the brightness of their robes. This Yan clansman had very dull robes, so he shouldn’t be a core family member. Making a quick decision, Lu Chang tossed the fruit at him.
“It’s all yours.”
Lu Chang watched closely as the man’s eyes traced the arc of the fruit upward. At the apex of his toss, Lu Chang drew his dagger and sent out a slicing wind as quick as he was able.
As if unable to fathom a threat coming from a slave, the man had let his guard down completely. He was only able to open his mouth to scream, or more likely to curse Lu Chang, before he was cut clean in two.
Shaking his head, Lu Chang walked over to the dead man’s body. He’d truly died an undignified death, without even a chance to fight back. Lu Chang felt no remorse, though, only a bit of amusement.
He picked up the fruit where it had fallen, then searched the man’s body. There was one thing in particular he was looking for, and he found it on the man’s waist. It looked like a small unassuming pouch outwardly, but Lu Chang knew better.
It was a Myriad-Treasure-Pouch, a bag with an inside bigger than it should be. Nearly all of the clan members carried one, though not a slave like Lu Chang. Inside the pouch was a paltry collection of minor healing pills, along with a fire-attributed technique scroll.
Very satisfied, Lu Chang tied the pouch to his waist. It would be much more convenient to gather treasures in the future with this. Looking off into the distance, Lu Chang decided to make for the mountain range to the north. The wind seemed to blow in that direction, so it seemed the place to be.
Lu Chang set off for the mountains. He encountered many others in the plains as he travelled, though they were mostly much more cautious than the Yan clansman he killed. They kept their distance in the absence of any treasures to fight over, though Lu Chang did have to kill a few more chickens to warn the monkeys.
His trek across the plains lasted about a week, without any real obstacles besides a few people greedy for his treasures. He’d seen less and less of those, though. As he was passing by a small group of Shen clan members, Lu Chang happened to hear their conversation.
“-can’t believe they found something like that. Not that they’ll be alive to enjoy them. Those poor Feng disciples. They won’t last too long against all those people.”
The mention of the Feng clan caught Lu Chang’s attention, so he approached the group. One of them saw him coming and sneered arrogantly, only to pale as he got a good look at Lu Chang. Lu Chang paid it no mind, too interested in the news of the Feng clan.
“You there, what were you saying about some Feng clansmen?”
One of them started to tell him to fuck off, but was interrupted by an elbow to the gut by the fellow that paled when he saw Lu Chang. They turned to whisper amongst themselves, though Lu Chang could still hear them with a bit of wind manipulation.
“Whats the big deal, Bolin? I was about to tell that slave off.”
“That’s the thing, senior brother. I think that’s that slave that’s been killing people all over the plains. They say he only needs one move to kill you in an instant. He’s got the dagger, and the same robes. And think about it; how would a slave get a Myriad-Treasure-Pouch unless he killed someone to get it?”
Lu Chang smiled bemusedly; he didn’t think he’d killed that many people to earn such a gruesome reputation. The senior brother of the group looked back at Lu Chang thoughtfully, then turned back to his group.
“You may be right. Thank you for the help, junior brother.”
They all turned back to Lu Chang and the senior brother stepped forward, hands clasped in a respectful greeting.
“Pardon me, senior brother. I was not aware of your identity. I am Shen Peizhi”
Lu Chang raised an eyebrow incredulously.
“My identity is that of a slave. Calling me senior brother is a bit…”
Shen Peizhi shook his head.
“It has nothing to do with being a slave. Strength is worthy of respect regardless of its source. Even if what my junior brother told me is untrue, the fact that you’ve approached the three of us alone tells me that you are either very confident of your strength, or you are arrogant beyond belief.”
He scrutinized Lu Chang carefully for a moment, then shook his head again.
“I do not think you are the arrogant type.”
They both fell silent. Lu Chang was pleasantly surprised. These Shen disciples were much less arrogant than most of the clan disciples he’d met.
“Alright then. I’d still like to hear about the Feng disciples you mentioned before.”
Shen Peizhi nodded and told him.
“A day ago, word went out that a group of Feng disciples had discovered a precious Ninefold-Qi Tree. I heard from a senior brother of mine that a group of Huang, Shang, and Ming clansmen were going to kill them and take it.”
Lu Chang was alarmed; Mei could be with that group.
“Do you know where this tree is?”
Another nod.
“It should be a few hours travel that way. If you hurry you might be able to reach them before the fighting is over, senior brother.”
Lu Chang thanked them and turned to leave, before remembering something.
“Your Shen clan is fire-aligned, yes?”
At their affirmative nods, Lu Chang reached into his pouch and pulled out several Vermillion Ember Fruits he’d obtained in his trek through the plains. They were full of fire spiritual energy and useless to Lu Chang.
“Take these as thanks. I’ve no use for them.”
All three of them looked greedily at the fruits he’d given them. Lu Chang paid them no more heed, however, and started to run in the direction he’d been given. There was a convenient tailwind that he leaned into, increasing his speed exponentially.
After a couple hours of running, he started to feel a heavy presence ahead, and could smell the scent of blood on the wind. He strained to speed up, afraid he might be too late. Cresting the top of a small rise, he got his first look at the battle.
There was a magnificent tree in the middle, with golden shimmering leaves and bright white bark. In front of the tree was a group of about a dozen Feng disciples, though they were all heavily injured. Further away was the group of Huang, Shang, and Ming clan members. They outnumbered the Feng clan by about double. The fighting was fierce, and quite a few dead bodies littered the ground.
Lu Chang immediately exploded into action, dashing at the backs of the attacking group. He carved through several of them before one had time to yell out a warning. Lu Chang jumped back to make some distance after he’d been discovered.
The fighting fell into a lull as the leaders of the three-clan group turned to look at him. The defending Feng clan took the opportunity to catch their breath. One of them, a Ming clansmen in pristine white robes, called out.
“A Feng slave? What do you have to gain here? Go on your way or we’ll kill you first. This is none of your business.”
Lu Chang said nothing, just tightening his grip on his dagger. The leader shook his head in faux disappointment.
“So be it. Kill him first, then we can break the rest of these Feng bastards.”
Seeing the group about to attack Lu Chang, the Feng clansmen counterattacked, forcing half of the tri-clan group to break off and defend. As the rest of them charged at Lu Chang, he started to use his newest technique.
Lu Chang closed his eyes, spiritual energy contorting in the manner required by the technique. He raised his hands and spoke.
“Heavenly Wind from the Mountain!”
For a moment, as he executed the technique, Lu Chang remembered back to the view that had drawn him in outside the cave. He felt something was just outside his understanding, but he’d benefitted somehow regardless. Behind his back, the visage of a heavenly mountain struggled to manifest, looking hazy and incorporeal.
A massive gale swirled around the hazy mountain, climbing high into the sky, then descending with incredible force toward the ground. Several of the charging cultivators produced defensive techniques of some sort. They were of limited use. The divine wind slammed the group of attackers to ground violently.
The sickening cracks of breaking bones could be heard from many of them. Some unlucky few had been pulverized into paste. Regardless of any luck, none of the cultivators attacking Lu Chang were still able to continue.
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Cheers rang from the beleaguered Feng disciples. With the renewed morale of the Feng clan and Lu Chang’s help, they drove away the rest of the attackers eventually. As the last of them scurried away, the Feng disciples collapsed to ground in exhaustion.
Lu Chang looked at them, simultaneously glad and worried as he didn’t find Mei among them. After a moment of rest, the leader of this group of disciples got up to greet Lu Chang. She was familiar to Lu Chang, a lower level clan member named Feng Xiaotong. Lu Chang had come to know some of the lower rank clansmen well on the journey to the minor realm. Feng Xiaoling walked over to Lu Chang and bowed deeply with clasped hands.
“Your arrival was most timely, Lu Chang. Thank you.”
Lu Chang merely waved her off.
“I heard of your predicament from some Shen disciples, so of course I had to come take a look.”
Feng Xiaoling smiled courteously at him.
“Regardless, you have our thanks. Of course, a share of the Ninefold-Qi Tree will go to you.”
At her statement, several shouts of protest came from the resting Feng disciples.
“But senior sister, he is a slave! That’s-”
Feng Xiaoling turned to them, her face now thunderous.
“Enough! Have you no shame? If Lu Chang had not come to assist us, we very well might have all died! If any of you think otherwise, speak up now, so that I know who not to call my brother or sister in the future.”
Shameful silence reigned over the group. Lu Chang coughed awkwardly.
“Ah, I don’t want to make a fuss…”
The disciples who’d disapproved of him looked up hopefully. Feng Xiaoling snorted and glared them back down.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve more than earned a share.”
She walked up to the tree.
“Here. There are sixteen fruits on the tree, and fifteen of us here, including Lu Chang. Each of us will get one, and the last you can take to Lady Mei, Lu Chang.”
The dissenting clansmen looked mollified at that, and Lu Chang silently praised Feng Xiaoling’s leadership ability. He nodded in acceptance. The fruit of the Ninefold-Qi tree truly was a priceless treasure. Once eaten it would catalyze one’s spiritual energy to deepen in potency, becoming more dense. The advantages of such could not be overstated.
“In that case, I accept. I’ll be certain to mention all of your contribution to Mei.”
That addition had the rest of them looking brighter, though they did scowl a bit when Lu Chang addressed Mei so casually. He’d forgotten how much the rank and file of the clan worshipped Mei.
Lu Chang joined Feng Xiaoling for a quick drink, to recuperate. They swapped stories of their experience so far in the minor realm. Feng Xiaoling seemed amused by the reaction of those Shen disciples to Lu Chang.
She told Lu Chang about how she’d gathered this group of disciples together from the forest. Strong spirit beasts were rampant in the forest, so she said. They banded together to fight their way out. Finding this tree had been their lucky break, but unfortunately a Ming disciple had seen them approach it and went to find accomplices.
Lu Chang gave his condolences for the half a dozen or so dead Feng disciples, then asked about Mei.
“Have you heard any news of Mei, or other Feng disciples?”
Feng Xiaoling thought carefully, then nodded.
“Yes, I think I heard that Lady Mei had grouped up with some of the other core disciples to explore the mountain range. That is said to be where the actual sect remnants are.”
Lu Chang nodded, unsurprised.
“I’ll have to head that way, then. Thank you for your hospitality.”
Feng Xiaoling smiled at him, standing up to see him off.
“Good luck, brother. We hope you can help Lady Mei with whatever she needs.”
The sentiment was echoed from the other disciples, to Lu Chang’s amusement. Really, Mei had never even met most of these people and here they were, wishing wholeheartedly for her success. He would never understand these clans.
Saying his goodbyes, Lu Chang set off for the mountains once again. Several days of travel later, he’d come to the foothills of the mountains. Up close, the mountains were even more foreboding. Black storm clouds obscured the upper third of the range, and an ominous wind blew threw them.
There was only one path that led into the mountains, fortunately. As he walked through the wooded path, though, two people leaped from the trees to block his path, wearing nondescript tan robes so as not to give away their clan.
“Halt! This path was cleared by me!”
The one on the left proclaimed.
“These trees were planted by me!”
The right one continued.
“If you want to pass, you must pay our toll!”
They finished together, a righteous look on their faces.
Lu Chang was stunned. These people from prestigious clans had come out here to play bandit? Perhaps taking his stunned silence as fear, the two buffoons swelled up in pride.
“Brother I think we’ve scared this slave witless.”
“I think you’re right, brother. I’d feel bad killing this one. Perhaps we just take his bag and leave him be?”
“That sounds just. We are merciful after all.”
Returning from their own world, they looked back at Lu Chang, who was still flabbergasted.
“Don’t worry, slave. We won’t kill you; we are merciful people. Drop your treasure pouch and you can leave.”
Now they looked at Lu Chang expectantly. Lu Chang had long grown tired of the ridiculousness and said flatly.
“No.”
Eager to get on his way, Lu Chang flashed forward, ground cracking beneath his feet explosively. He caught the two idiots by the throat, slamming them to the ground. They gasped for air, and he walked right on past them.
As Lu Chang walked into the distance, he could hear them recover and start to argue about what had happened. He rolled his eyes at their antics and continued on. He continued up the mountain, bypassing or killing the many spirit beasts that roamed the path. About halfway up the mountain he came to a stop outside a massive stone gateway, its actual gates twisted and torn apart by whatever ancient calamity befell the sect.
The gate was hewn from the same stone as the mountainside and glowed with black spiritual energy. Past the gate, Lu Chang could see a whole compound of buildings built further up the mountainside. The top of the gate had characters on it, written in an ancient script.
On further inspection, Lu Chang was excited to find that he could read it. It was a script commonly used by some ancient cultivators that his father used to study; Lu Chang had learned it growing up. The script read: Temple of Limitless Paths - Outer Sect.
So this ancient sect was called the Temple of Limitless Paths, thought Lu Chang. This outer sect must be for the lower ranking disciples. If Lu Chang were a betting man, he’d bet that the inner sect lay beyond the dark storm clouds further up the mountain.
Stepping into the outer sect, Lu Chang found that most of the buildings were in poor shape. Something had clearly devastated this place long ago. He was not alone here; Lu Chang could see many core clan members picking through the buildings and searching for treasures.
This outer sect was vast, though. It took up the whole mountainside from halfway up to just below the clouds, and extended in a chain from mountain to mountain with magnificent stone bridges linking them.
Looking around at his surroundings where many dozens of people were searching the same area, Lu Chang decided to head straight to one of the bridges. He crossed the stone bridge to another area of the outer sect, this one much more intact and much less inhabited.
Looking through the ancient buildings, Lu Chang felt like he was connected with his father in a way. He would love this, and Lu Chang felt he better understood his father’s fascination now. He could make out from the various signs and carvings that this area was the outer sect’s storage area. Unfortunately, most of it was either picked clean by whoever had razed the sect, or had decayed over time.
As he wandered, Lu Chang noticed that set in the side of the mountain were several dozen decoratively carved tunnel entrances. They were all fashioned into exquisite renderings of the heads of legendary spirit beasts. Lu Chang could spot several kinds of dragons, a phoenix, qilin, a golden crow, a kunpeng, and many others. Carved into the mountain above the doors was a line of text that read: Legacy Trials.
Lu Chang’s heart suddenly pounded with excitement. Did that imply that one could gain a legacy related to the legendary beasts carved into the door if the trial was passed? A legacy inheritance of any of those beasts would be the kind of thing that emperors would war over.
Upon closer inspection, Lu Chang was disappointed to see that just inside each of the doors was a caved in tunnel, one that he had no way of clearing. Most likely whatever was within had been taken and then the tunnels collapsed after.
As he descended the stairs from the doors, Lu Chang noticed something he’d overlooked in his prior excitement. Below the platform hosting the trials, there were many smaller doors, also carved in the likeness of spirit beasts. These lesser entrances had correspondingly lesser beasts carved into them, but anything related to these beasts would still be precious beyond belief.
Lu Chang giddily searched each entrance, though grew more and more disappointed as he found they were blocked. Nearing the end of the line of doors, Lu Chang grew despondent, thinking his luck was lacking.
The last door in the line was carved in the image of a regal winged lion. Lu Chang looked in the doorway just to check, but found himself elated as this tunnel was open. With barely another thought, Lu Chang walked through the tunnel and into a pitch black room.
Only one thing was visible in the room, a glowing sign in the same ancient script that read:
“The gentle zephyr blows, claws wrapped in velvet. When uncovered, zephyr becomes the tempest.”
In the darkness, Lu Chang pondered silently on the meaning of the writing. Was it a riddle, or a clue to the trial? What was the trial anyway. He was abruptly torn from his thoughts by the sound of the door shutting behind him. At the same time, the glow of the sign faded into nothingness, leaving Lu Chang in true darkness.
Lu Chang was still on edge when several strong winds began to blow through the room, seemingly conjured from nowhere. Lu Chang was blown about, fighting to keep his feet. He tried to use the Wind-Chasing Steps to ride the wind just as he always did, but could not settle into one stream of wind before he was buffeted by the others.
He was blown around the room for a while before he had an epiphany. Closing his eyes, Lu Chang tried to only feel the wind, not join with it. Eventually he opened his eyes, satisfied. The three strong winds had acted like distractions, drawing his attention from the dozens of other gentler winds that blew through the room.
Now that he could feel both the strong and weak winds, Lu Chang was able to safely let his body be carried by them. Lu Chang was luxuriating in his progress when all of a sudden the winds changed.
Several of the winds changed from just blustery, to slicing gusts. Lu Chang desperately threw himself away from them, though he felt their barest touch on his skin as the slicing gusts went by. Lu Chang paled; if any of those hit him, he’d be dead in an instant.
A minute of desperate dodging passed, feeling like hours. Lu Chang felt like screaming. How was this a trial? This was just cold-blooded murder! Hoping for a clue, or anything, he thought back to the sign that had been present when he entered the room. The former zephyrs had certainly changed to tempests now.
He stopped still for a moment as clarity struck him, then had to hurriedly dodge another slicing wind. The clue was in the sign. The zephyrs had the potential to be tempests the whole time, it was a matter of perspective. Perhaps he had to sense the moment of transformation?
He thrust out his senses, hoping to feel the moment the gentle zephyrs turned to tempests. Lu Chang could feel that instant of transformation, and was enlightened. The zephyrs and tempests were the same, two sides of the same coin.
The zephyrs blew, gathering wind to themselves as they gently rolled through the room. Once they’d accumulated enough, they naturally turned to slicing tempests. This was the principle of yin and yang; once there was too much yin, it would form yang, and the opposite. Lu Chang felt like he’d learned a fundamental principle of wind spiritual energy. It could blow gently, but it could also slice with ease, these were not opposing natures, but complementary.
At the moment of his comprehension, the winds buffeting him fell stagnant. Only the gentlest breeze remained, ruffling through Lu Chang’s hair like a fond mentor. The blackness began to lift, as torches sprung to life on the walls. Ahead, Lu Chang could see a small dais, upon which rested a small saber, and a scroll.
He walked up to the dais, glancing at the blade for a moment, before picking up the scroll. Inside was a manual for some kind of technique called “Claws of the Zephyr” and an ancient note. Intrigued, Lu Chang opened the note and read.
To whichever disciple passes my trial. I am Xiao Yun, called by some Lion of the Tempest. I am neither an illustrious elder of the Temple of Limitless Paths, nor even a disciple, merely a wandering cultivator.
I once saved the life of the Temple Leader in my younger years, and so have been granted the opportunity to leave a legacy of my own here. I am not long for this world, and have no heirs or disciples. A wandering monk told me that if I left my legacy here, an inheritor would eventually take up my technique and saber, though not a disciple of the temple. I know not how that could be; I can scarcely imagine the temple ever falling, but here I have interred my legacy all the same.
You who have passed my trial should now understand the cycle of zephyr and tempest. Take my saber, and the Claws of the Zephyr. It is my own saber technique, crafted from a lifetime of understanding. I don’t claim to be a wise, learned sage, but of the wind I have some insights. I only lament that I could not travel further toward my own dao, but I hope you will travel further than I, inheritor.
The note ended there, and Lu Chang contemplated the contents. Whatever monk had divined the future for Xiao Yun had done so accurately. Lu Chang was about as far from a disciple of this temple as could be.
He put the technique scroll away in his pouch, taking a look at the saber next. It was a short-saber, a duandao, with a twenty inch blade. It was not all that much longer than Lu Chang’s preferred daggers, to his relief. It had no sheath, with a plain, undecorated handle and pommel. The blade itself was made of a light green metal of some kind, with gusts of wind intricately engraved on one side of the length of the blade. The other side was engraved with characters that read: Tempest.
Lu Chang picked it up and experimentally swung it. He almost dropped it in surprise as he felt his spiritual energy flow through the blade itself. It was a spirit weapon! Lu Chang had read ancient legends that mentioned spirit weapons, but had never thought to see one in person.
Spirit weapons were enchanted weapons that could take in the user’s spiritual energy to enhance their toughness and cutting ability. The least of such weapons were worth kingdoms, and Lu Chang could tell this was no lesser spirit weapon.
Marveling at his luck, Lu Chang put the saber away for now. Before practicing with it, it would only hinder him. He exited the trial, only to find that many people had moved onto here while he’d been inside.
Lu Chang could see a small crowd of people gathered at the upper reaches of this area, where a path lead further up the mountain. He approached someone in the crowd to ask what was going on.
“Excuse me. Why are you all gathered here?”
The person he’d stopped was a Feng clan member that he’d seen before, but never spoken to. She turned to look at him and shot him a disdainful look.
“Oh my, even a slave dares come this far into the ruins? I’ll answer since you’re so brave. The heirs and several of the strongest core disciples from each clan have departed for the inner sect. We’re waiting here to see if they can open the barrier.”
Lu Chang was immediately intrigued.
“All the heirs? Is M-.. Lady Mei there?”
He asked, careful not to cause a scene with his casual address of Mei. The woman nodded, clearly uninterested in him now. He quickly thanked her, then took off up the mountain path. A few minutes of running brought him to the group of heirs and core disciples. Mei caught sight of him almost immediately, and called out to him.
“Lu Chang! Up here!”
At her shout, the whole party turned to Lu Chang, the other clans showing disinterest after they realized he was a slave, but several of the Feng core disciples beside Mei scowled at the sight of him. Leaving aside petty clan politics for Mei to deal with, Lu Chang went to stand beside her where she’d made space.
“You made it, Lu Chang. I’m so glad. I’ve been worried for you. How has your experience been?”
Wary of the eyes and ears on them, Lu Chang held back a bit.
“Well as can be, mistress. I’ve not had many lucky chances, but I did assist some of the clan members and procured a gift for you.”
He handed over the extra Ninefold-Qi fruit, to the greedy eyes of all around them. She accepted the fruit decorously, putting it away from the envious gazes of the group.
“Thank you, Lu Chang; that was thoughtful.”
At that one of the Feng core disciples interjected, a young man with high aristocratic cheekbones who was reputedly next in line for the heir position if something were to happen to Mei, Feng Rong.
“A very precious gift. Were there any more fruits remaining, slave?”
Lu Chang went to respond, but Mei beat him to it, her tone low and furious.
“Even if there were, they are not yours, Feng Rong. I’ll thank you to keep silent on the matter of my attendant. I won’t remind you again.”
Feng Rong stepped back, a thunderous look on his face. Lu Chang appreciated Mei’s defense of him, but really someone calling him slave was nothing as far as he was concerned. It would have been better to keep the peace. It’s not like Lu Chang was stupid enough to hand over whatever Feng Rong wanted him to.
He and Mei conversed lowly about what they had experienced as the group walked to the inner sect barrier. The path continued up the mountain, then to another stone bridge. As they closed in, Lu Chang could see that the dark storm clouds covering the mountain thickened to the point of solidity at the edge.
Ahead, at the end of the bridge, was a stone arch, around which the storm wall seemed more like a physical barrier. The arch hung suspended in the air in between the largest of the two mountains. Below them Lu Chang could hear the squalling of tempestuous winds.
The clan heirs simultaneously decided to approach the arch, their attendants and clan members following behind. On the top of the arch there were some words written in the same ancient script, and Lu Chang was surprised to find that none of the gathered cultivators could read it.
He leaned over and whispered to Mei that he could read it. She whipped her head around to stare at him, wide-eyed.
“Are you sure, Lu Chang?”
She whispered at him. He nodded. He saw her breathe in, then affect the facade he’d come to call ‘Princess Feng.’ She interrupted the brain storming with her proclamation.
“My attendant can read this script.”
She was suddenly subject to a cacophony of questions, to which she merely held up a hand for silence.
“Yes, I am sure. He would not say something like this without any confidence. What would be the point? It would be easily seen through.”
The other clan heirs nodded their understanding, and Long Junjie spoke up courteously.
“Then would your.. Lu Chang was it?”
At her nod, Long Junjie beamed at them.
“Excellent, I knew I’d remembered correctly. Would he translate the text for us?”
Mei looked at Lu Chang. He nodded then cleared his throat.
“There are two separate lines of text. One reads, ‘Temple of Limitless Paths - Inner Sect.’ The other, ‘Limitless paths to the heavens exist, even through the hells. Devoid of blessings, one must pass countless battles to find their path. Ye who seek the heavens, call out for tribulations. Aspirants, ware the unobstructed path.’”
At his translation, the group went silent in contemplation. After a few minutes thought, Long Junjie spoke up again.
“Clearly the second text is a riddle of some kind. Could ‘the heavens’ refer to the inner sect?”
Many people spoke up in support of his interpretation, and, thinking back to his trial, Lu Chang agreed. On further contemplation, Lu Chang thought he’d solved another piece.
“Could this ‘blessing’ refer to whatever the core disciples of this temple would use to bypass the barrier?”
Mutterings erupted at his supposition, not all of them complimentary, though the twelve heirs looked pensive at his suggestion. The Shen clan heir, Shen Fang, looked as if he’d had an epiphany.
“Feng Mei’s attendant is correct! The text is saying that without a key to the sect, you must pass countless trials, and if you seek the inner sect, to cry out for tribulations. That part is the key!”
The crowd seemed excited at that, cheerfully suggesting how to trigger the trials. After a while it was Mei who came up with the correct method.
“Perhaps this part is literal? We should shout at the barrier, and plead for tribulations?”
Long Junjie shrugged.
“Worth a try.”
He approached the archway, then yelled.
“Long Junjie requests a tribulation!”
His voice echoed down through the mountains, and there was a pregnant pause as nothing seemed to happen. Just as everyone relaxed disappointedly, though, the mountainside began to shake violently. A booming voice, like that of a deity, rang out from the peaks.
“Long Junjie, along with….”
It paused, as if thinking.
“..fifty-nine accomplices. Challenge accepted. Calculating combined battle-strength. Trial commencing.”
As they all stood still with shock, long tendrils of storm shot out and impacted the ground just in front of the arch. The group leapt backward to make space, weapons and techniques at the ready. The tendrils of cloud writhed and twisted, then formed into a dozen shapes resembling gargantuan humanoid figures holding equally sized weapons.
After they had fully formed, the cloud-figures seemed to solidify into grey stone. They advanced all at once, and the battle began. By some unspoken agreement, each of the twelve clans separated to take on one colossus each. Lu Chang shadowed Mei as she led the Feng clan members against one of them, their violet wind eating into the stone of the giant unimpaired.
For a minute it seemed as though they would take care of the colossus with ease. Abruptly, though, it made a howling sound, then swung its blade with thrice the speed it had before. They scattered, desperately avoiding the now enhanced giant.
They slowly adjusted to the increased speed of the thing, with no injuries so far, when Lu Chang saw that the Yan clan’s colossus had turned its attention to their group. It swung its blade toward Mei, who was next to the cliff and not paying attention.
Without even a thought, Lu Chang dashed at her, grabbing and throwing her toward where the rest of the clan stood. Afterward he narrowly avoided the blade, standing on the edge of the cliff.
He suddenly heard a crumbling noise, and the ground beneath his feet gave away. Lu Chang would have been fine, but for the ill-timed gust of wind that blew in his direction as the ground crumbled.
He looked up in a panic, and could only see the gleeful face of Feng Rong, his hand still outstretched from throwing the wind.
The last thing Lu Chang heard as he fell was a bloodcurdling shriek from Mei.