After Cultivator Willow agreed to become my partner for this part of the test, everyone else followed our example and started making groups of their own. Some paired up, like Cultivator Willow and I, while others formed groups of three or four.

While I was confident in my chances of succeeding on my own thanks to my current level of physical refinement, working with Cultivator Willow would increase those chances by a significant margin. I’d be a fool not to take advantage of that. Besides, I liked Cultivator Willow. Something told me that the two of us had great affinity for each other.

Just as Cultivator Willow and I were about to head down, one of the other exam participants approached us. He was a short and skinny young man who was a year or two younger than me. It was difficult to tell, given his small frame. He had pale skin, short brown hair, and dark brown eyes. A soft smile adorned his lips, which reminded me of Cultivator Jasper for some reason. This young man wore a set of simple white robes, which I found brave of him. Considering what we were all about to go through, the chances of him keeping his robes clean were almost zero.

From what I could tell from his aura, this young man was at late Qi Condensation. I couldn’t glean anything other than that. It seemed that he had some kind of concealment technique, similar to Cultivator Willow’s.

“Excuse me, fellow cultivators,” the young man said in a soft voice. “My name is Harlow. Would you mind if I joined you two?”

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at Cultivator Harlow, only to remember that I was wearing a mask and he couldn’t see my face.

“Why should we let you join us?” I asked.

While I wasn’t against working with others, Cultivator Willow and I had at least formed some kind of relationship before this point. Cultivator Harlow was a complete stranger to me, which made me reluctant to work with him.

“With the three of us working together, we’re all but guaranteed to pass this final test,” Cultivator Harlow said. “I also believe that the three of us have some affinity for each other. Wouldn’t you agree?”

As he spoke, Cultivator Harlow brushed his hair back. In doing so, he revealed a simple leather bracelet that adorned his wrist. A token was tied to the bracelet, one that depicted a seven-pointed rainbow star. I narrowed my eyes at him. Like Cultivator Willow and myself, it looked like Cultivator Harlow also had ties to the Dawn and Dusk Sect. Based on the token he wore, it was clear which hall he belonged to.

When Astra and Cultivator Raphael told me about this custom, they gave me the impression that it didn’t happen all that often. Most people who already had ties with the Dawn and Dusk Sect didn’t go through the entrance exam because they didn’t need to. Yet, for this entrance exam, there were at least three of us.

Still, Cultivator Harlow had a point. If the three of us worked together, the chances of us failing this final test were low. Plus, if Cultivator Harlow did belong to Rainbow Healer Hall, that meant he was proficient in the healing arts to some degree. Having a spirit doctor in our group could prove vital.

“I have no objections,” I said, before turning to my companion. “What do you say, Cultivator Willow?”

She studied Cultivator Harlow for several more seconds before nodding.

“I have no objections either,” she said. “My name is Willow, Cultivator Harlow.”

I opened my mouth to give Cultivator Harlow my name, but mocking laughter rang out before I could.

“Why should I let a country bumpkin like you join my group?” a female voice said in a condescending tone.

I turned to find Clarissa Wind Dance facing a group consisting of three other exam participants: one woman and two men. The woman was small and dainty. She had pale skin and long red hair, which she wore in a complicated arrangement atop her head. I couldn’t see her face since she was facing away from me, but I guessed she was close to my age or a bit older. The woman wore a set of emerald robes that were simple in design, but made from expensive looking silk.

The two men beside her were similar in appearance. Both were tanned, with short dark hair, and plain features. I wasn’t sure if they were related to each other or not, but it was possible. They both wore identical green robes, which looked like uniforms now that I thought about it. From the way they flanked the woman, they looked like bodyguards protecting the young mistress of a prosperous clan. In fact, I suspected that this was the case.

It was clear that the laughter and the insulting words had come from the red-haired woman, and that the target of her mockery was Clarissa.

“You!” Clarissa said, her face red and twisted with anger. Despite this, I could see the hurt in her eyes.

“It’s clear that you’re nothing more than a leech looking to benefit from the strength of others,” the red-haired woman said with a sneer. “I mean, look at you. With your cultivation base, you’ll just slow us down.”

Now that was unfair. Clarissa Wind Dance was at late Qi Condensation, which put her on par with most of the other exam participants. She was also a Wind Dance, a clan that specialized in sword dancing. Unless Cultivator Clemont neglected her training, Clarissa was adept with the sword. Any group would be happy to have someone like her.

That said, the red-haired woman’s words did have some merit. Like Clarissa, her two companions were both at late Qi Condensation. However, their auras were a little more powerful than hers. I guessed they were both a small realm above her. As for the red-haired woman herself, she was at the peak of the Qi Condensation realm.

That made her the most powerful cultivator among the exam participants. Bringing someone like Clarissa along might slow her group down, but not to a large degree, if at all. Even so, the red-haired woman’s insulting words were cruel and unnecessary. For some reason, they angered me.

“I-…” Clarissa started to say, but the red-haired woman cut her off.

“You should just give up,” she said. “Everyone else has already grouped up, and I doubt you’ll make it very far on your own. You should save yourself the trouble. It’s as Cultivator Euphemia said earlier, you should acknowledge your limits and remember your place.”

By this point, Clarissa looked like she was on the verge of tears. I felt someone touch my arm, and I turned to find Cultivator Willow standing next to me.

“We should go, Cultivator Darian,” she said in her raspy voice. “We have until sunset to reach the end of the valley, and we don’t know how long it will take us to get there.” She nodded towards Clarissa and the red-haired woman. “It’s best not to get involved in business that doesn’t concern us.”

I agreed with her words, yet I couldn’t bring myself to leave. A part of me felt reluctant to just abandon Clarissa. I didn’t understand why. After how they treated me, I despised Clan Wind Dance. If anything, I should have felt happy that a Wind Dance was suffering the same kind of treatment I endured for years.

“Cultivator Willow is right,” Cultivator Harlow said. “There isn’t any point in bringing unnecessary trouble upon ourselves.”

Despite his words, he looked unhappy with how the red-haired woman treated Clarissa. However, that didn’t mean he would intervene. No one would. There were more than a dozen cultivators still here, excluding Cultivator Thurstan and Cultivator Euphemia, yet not a single one of them would intervene for Clarissa’s sake. Most pretended like nothing was happening, and talked amongst themselves.

And I couldn’t blame them. Not really. They had no ties to Clarissa. Why would they help her? In doing so, they would end up offending a peak Qi Condensation cultivator who looked like the young mistress of a prosperous clan. It wasn’t worth it.

That didn’t stop my heart from clenching when I saw Clarissa standing there alone.

“You’re pretty enough,” the red-haired woman said, continuing her tirade. “If you’re lucky, maybe one of the male inner disciples will pity you and take you as one of his concubines.”

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Silence fell over the meadow. Cultivator Harlow’s expression turned ugly, and Cultivator Willow sucked in a breath. Despite her obvious status, the red-haired just crossed the line with those words. I felt something inside me snap.

In that moment, I understood why I was reluctant to leave and abandon Clarissa to the red-haired woman. She reminded me of myself, back when I still lived on Mt. Wind Dance. I endured countless insults and endless humiliation at the hands of my kin. No one did anything about it. No one stood up for me. No one, except for Lucius. He defended me as best he could, though he was limited by the circumstances surrounding us. How could I do anything less, even if it was for a Wind Dance?

I marched towards Clarissa and the woman, tearing the mask off my face and tossing it aside. The only way I could justify intervening in this scenario is if I revealed my blood connection with Clarissa. While this meant risking Sidra realizing who I was and possibly getting angry about my presence here, it was a risk I would take.

“Cultivator Darian!” Harlow said, calling out to me.

I ignored him and continued forward. Cultivator Willow remained silent and didn’t try to stop me.

“What are you waiting for?” the red-haired woman said to Clarissa. “Give up-…”

I stepped between the two of them, facing the red-haired woman. In a word, she was gorgeous. I had heard the term “jade beauty” before, but I never understood what it meant until this moment. The red-haired woman had smooth and clear skin, with delicate features and large green eyes. She wore a small amount of make-up, which further enhanced her beauty.

Right now, those eyes were staring at me with a mix of disdain and confusion.

“That’s enough,” I said.

The red-haired woman’s face twisted with anger, and the two men beside her stepped forward, exuding menacing auras.

“How dare you?” the red-haired said. “Who do you think-…?”

She glanced at my hair tie, or rather the token hanging from my hair tie, and stopped mid-way through her sentence. When she realized I had ties to Flame Fiend Hall, her eyes gleamed and a wide smile stretched across her face.

“Oh, you’ll do,” the red-haired woman said. “Your cultivation is even more lacking than the country bumpkin’s, but you’ll do. Very well, I shall grant you the privilege of accompanying me across the valley.”

Her offer caught me, and everyone else around us, by surprise.

“Young Mistress,” one of her guards said with a concerned expression on his face “Are you sure this is a wise decision?”

“You dare doubt me?” the red-haired woman snapped.

The guard looked panicked at this.

“Of course not, Young Mistress!” he said.

“What my brother means to say, Young Mistress,” the other guard said. “Is that we don’t know who this man is or what he is capable of. What if he-…?”

“Enough!” the red-haired woman said, cutting him off. “I have made my decision. Don’t question me further.”

The two guards bowed to her.

“Yes, Young Mistress.”

The red-haired woman faced me again and smiled.

“My name is Diana Verdant Lotus,” she said. “May I know your name, fellow cultivator?”

As she spoke, Cultivator Diana pressed her hand against her chest, drawing attention to the necklace hanging around her neck. Hanging from the necklace was a token that depicted a celestial young maiden in the middle of a dancing pose. She had ties to Divine Dancer Hall, one of the Dawn Halls. No wonder she dared to act so arrogant.

Four. There were four cultivators who had ties to the Dawn and Dusk Sect participating in this entrance exam. Either this was more common than Astra and Cultivator Raphael led me to believe, or this entrance exam was more special than most. Regardless, it didn’t matter to me.

I ignored the woman’s words, and turned to face Clarissa. She looked at me with tears in her eyes, her expression a mix of gratitude and wariness. Her eyes widened when she saw my face.

“Would you like to join my group, Junior Sister Clarissa?” I asked.

Clarissa sucked in a breath.

“You’re Darian,” she whispered. “But how are you here? Why?”

“It doesn’t matter right now,” I said. “Would you like to join my group?”

She looked torn, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why. She didn’t want to go through the final test alone, and she was grateful for my help, but I was also demonkin and a demonic cultivator. Given Clan Wind Dance’s attitude towards my kind, I could understand her hesitation. If she rejected my offer, I wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it. I already helped her enough by intervening. Whatever happened next was up to her.

“How dare you ignore me?” Cultivator Diana asked in an outraged tone.

I glanced back and gave her a derisive look.

“I have no interest in associating with someone who would insult and mock my kin,” I said with a sneer. “Given your lack of manners, it’s clear that your parents did a poor job of raising you.”

Cultivator Diana’s face turned red. Not from shame, but from anger and embarrassment.

“You’re courting death!” she yelled, before turning to her guards. “Kill him!”

Her guards drew weapons from their storage rings, and moved to attack me. One wielded a pair of sabers, while the other wielded a pair of hammers. Cultivator Diana herself started making hand seals. However, before they could do anything, Cultivator Euphemia intervened.

“Enough!” she said in a thundering voice.

A burst of pressure accompanied her words, almost bringing me to my knees. I wasn’t the only one affected either. Cultivator Diana and her guards struggled to remain standing as well.

“Stop wasting time arguing with each other and save your energy for the final test,” Cultivator Euphemia said, glaring at all of us. She then turned towards Cultivator Diana and her guards. “I don’t care who you are or who is backing you. Attempt to harm one of the other exam participants again, and I will teach you a lesson.”

Cultivator Diana opened her mouth to say something, but fell silent and turned pale when Cultivator Euphemia pressured her again.

“As for you,” Cultivator Euphemia said, turning towards me and Clarissa. “Is this girl really your kin? If not…”

She trailed off, though it was clear that I would face punishment if I had lied.

“Yes, she is,” I said with a nod. “We both come from Clan Wind Dance of the Myriad Rivers province.”

Cultivator Euphemia gave me a skeptical look. Meanwhile, Cultivator Thurstan floated towards us with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I believe him,” he said. “You can see it in their eyes.”

“Very well,” Cultivator Euphemia said. “You can go now.” She turned to everyone else. “Stop wasting time and go. Remember, you only have until sunset.”

With that, the exam participants started heading down the path leading to the mist and the valley beyond. Cultivator Diana threw me an ugly look, before going down the path herself. I walked back over to Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Harlow. Clarissa hesitated for a moment before following me.

“I apologize, fellow cultivators,” I said with a sigh. “Not only did I make a decision for the group without consulting you two, but I also made an enemy out of a peak Qi Condensation cultivator with a powerful backer. If you wish to go on ahead without me or Junior Sister Clarissa, I won’t blame you.”

Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Harlow glanced at each other and nodded, before looking back at me.

“Why would we do something like that, Cultivator Darian?” Cultivator Harlow said with a smile. “Anyone with the courage to stand up to a young mistress of Clan Verdant Lotus for the sake of their kin is someone I want to become friends with.”

I stared at him.

“Is Clan Verdant Lotus highly regarded?” I asked in a strained voice.

“They’re one of the founding clans of the Dawn and Dusk Sect,” Cultivator Harlow said. “When it comes to power and influence within the sect, few match them, and even fewer surpass them.” He tilted his head and gave me a questioning look. “You didn’t know?”

My expression fell.

“No,” I said.

Cultivator Harlow’s eyes widened, before he burst out into laughter.

“Well, no matter,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes. “From what I’ve heard, Cultivator Diana is from a branch family of Clan Verdant Lotus. You shouldn’t suffer too much when this is all over.”

I sighed and slumped my shoulders.

“If you are a Wind Dance,” Cultivator Willow said in her raspy voice. “Why did you wait so long before intervening?”

While I couldn’t see her face, I had a feeling that the answer to this question was important to Cultivator Willow.

“My relationship with the rest of Clan Wind Dance is…complicated,” I said. “I’d rather not discuss it if at all possible, especially out in the open like this.” I nodded towards the path leading down the mountain. “In any case, we should go now. We only have until sunset.”

Cultivator Willow studied me for a few seconds, before nodding.

“Cultivator Darian is right,” Cultivator Harlow said, still chuckling. “Let us go.”

The three of us turned to leave, but we stopped when Clarissa called out to us.

“Um, thank you for taking me in,” she said in a small voice. “I’ll try my best not to slow everyone down.”

She looked down at the ground, fidgeting in place. If one didn’t know any better, one would assume we were the ones who bullied her earlier.

“See that you don’t, Junior Sister,” I said in a cold voice.

While I had stepped in and rescued her from Cultivator Diana, that didn’t mean I held any kind feelings towards Clarissa. Considering my relationship with the rest of Clan Wind Dance, it was best if I remained aloof and distant with her. That way she wouldn’t get the wrong idea. I wouldn’t treat Clarissa with any cruelty, but neither would I treat her with kindness.

Clarissa looked up at my words, confusion and hurt in her eyes. I ignored her and continued heading down the mountain path. After a moment, Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Harlow fell in behind me. With my spirit sense, I saw Clarissa hesitate for a few moments before she rushed over to join us. It didn’t take us long to reach the mist. I plunged in without hesitation, and the others joined me.