“Xun! Xun!”
Xun woke up to a scent of jasmine with a hint of lilac. Probably one of his maids. It smelled of safety. He was glad that the zhen elemental and lightning bolts were all just a bad dream.
But a part of his mind asked if that was true. There were some clues nagging at him that it wasn’t. For one, his body felt like it had just been battered by a thousand punches. He felt sore, numb, and in pain all at the same time. And second, he didn’t recognize the voice calling out to him.
Xun opened his eyes with a start. What met his eyes weren’t silk curtains or soft female faces. Instead, he saw a boy with skin as dark as coal mere inches from his face. It took all three centuries’ worth of control to not scream.
“Xun? Thank the heavens, you’re awake. We have to go now. I’ll help you get through the Wood Path,” the boy said.
“Where am I?” Xun asked as he struggled to sit up.
“In front of the Lightning Path. You got out. You’re safe now. But if we don’t get to the top of the mountain, then we’ll have failed,” the boy responded.
Xun creased an eyebrow as he scanned through the memories left behind by the previous owner of his body. “You’re… Dashan?”
“Of course, who else would I be? Don’t tell me the lightning elemental fried your head,” Dashan said as he reached for the side of Xun’s head.
“I’m fine,” Xun quickly said as he blocked Dashan’s hand. “Weren’t you on one of the elemental paths and almost at the top earlier?”
“I was,” Dashan admitted as he quickly launched into an explanation. “But that was only because the elders stopped us from taking the Lightning Path. I would have come to help you otherwise. I thought that maybe if I reached the top, I could convince one of the elders to help you. I wasn’t thinking about abandoning you. I promise.”
A distant memory bobbed up to the front of Xun’s mind. He saw two kids kneeling side by side in an open field with bowls of rice wine in front of them. They raised their bowls high as they said their vows. “Xun and Dashan. We swear that we’ll share wealth and misfortune alike. We’ll climb the path to eternity together.”
Xun blinked as he pieced the fragments of information into something coherent.
Dashan pulled on Xun’s arm. “I know you’re tired Xun. But I’ll help you pass the Wood Path. We still have a chance of entering the sect.”
“Wait.” Xun needed more time to think. His mind was trying to figure out the best path forward for him. He had no need for scriptures or technique scrolls, which were the usual rewards to sect disciples. “Let me think about this for a second. The sect might not accept me as a disciple.”
“We’ll solve that problem when we get there. Anything is better than staying a mortal for the rest of your life.” There was a directness in Dashan that reminded Xun of his younger self, where everything was either right or wrong with little room for nuance. This was back when he was called a sword prodigy. “I’m sorry Xun. We don’t have time right now. The entrance exam is almost over and if we don’t make it, it’ll all have been for naught.”
With strength far beyond what his frail frame should have been able to provide, Dashan slung Xun over his shoulder.
“Hold on,” Xun said. Dashan’s steps didn’t slow. Xun curled his hands into fists and beat against the boy’s back. “I’m going to die.”
Dashan immediately put Xun down. “Where are you hurt? I thought you were okay since Disciple Zeran checked over you and gave you a pill.”
Zeran, she’s the one who saved me? Xun filed the name away for later.
“No, it’s not that. It’s my spirit channels. They’re damaged. If the wood elementals even touch me, I’m dead,” Xun answered.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Dashan said. “I have a plan; I’ll distract the souls while you climb.”
“And what if one slips through?”
“That’s just a risk we’ll take. I’ll do my best to keep them away.”
“What if I don’t want to take that risk?”
Dashan stared into Xun’s eyes. “Xun, are you really going to give up here? Your family died so you would get a chance to become a cultivator. Are you turning your back on them?”
Xun answered by struggling to his feet and walking over to the path on the far right. Unlike the other routes, there were no elemental souls lining the sides of his new path. It was just a simple set of stone stairs to the top of the mountain.
“I’ve decided,” Xun said. “This is my path.”
“Are you sure, Xun?” Dashan followed as Xun hobbled up the steps, taking a single step every time Xun took two. “This is the Spiritless Path. If you take this path, you’ll become a laborer. It’ll be nearly impossible to become a disciple or advance your cultivation. You won’t be happy.”
“There’s an old saying. If you’re not a fish, how could you know if a fish is happy?” Xun said. “This is the path that I’ve chosen. And I’m happy with it.”
At that moment, a gong reverberated across the mountain. Dashan’s face showed a struggle between convincing his friend otherwise and looking out for his own future. “Sure, alright, whatever you say. We don’t have much time left. Make sure you reach the top, Xun.”
Xun nodded and took another shaky step to climb higher on the Spiritless Path.
About a quarter of the way up, his legs began to spasm from the exertion. Xun had to take longer pauses between each step and catch his breath. Before long, he was spending more time resting than climbing.
What happens if I don’t make it into the sect? Xun’s mind began to wander. Could I get enough cultivation resources as a mortal?
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
There were stories of mortals who got lucky and stumbled upon an inheritance and became cultivators. But those were the rare exception. There were also mortal families with close ties to cultivators that would sometimes be gifted resources. Once again, these were not the norm.
If I can’t get into this Nine Thunders Sect, it’ll be hard to try for another cultivation sect, and likely take years to get the right cultivation resources. Time that I can’t afford to lose.
That thought gave Xun new strength. He stared at the peak of the mountain and climbed higher and higher.
About halfway, Xun was exhausted. There was still so much to climb and he was so weak after both reincarnating and battling the zhen elemental. He wanted to give up. Maybe life as a mortal wouldn’t be so bad.
Right as Xun’s spirit flagged, he felt a hand lift his arm and help him climb. He turned his head and found Dashan next to him.
“We made a promise that we’d share the fortune and suffer the misery together. I couldn’t let you become a laborer by yourself now, could I?” Dashan said with a smile. He heaved, and Xun felt his body launch through the air.
Perhaps a family and sect were distractions. But friends might not be. The path to eternity is a lonely journey. Having someone with me, it might just be worth it.
“Thanks Dashan, I owe you,” Xun said. He meant it.
—
So my spirit channels are completely destroyed.
Even with Dashan’s help, Xun barely reached the top of the mountain in time. His half-burnt robes were soaked in sweat and he laid face-up on the patches of grass that grew between the rocks. Around him, about three-quarters of the students had finished the exam, and the elders seemed content to just watch them from afar for the moment.
Taking advantage of this rest, he began to look inside himself again.
A long time ago, Xun’s master described spirit channels as the product of heaven. They rested somewhere between the real and imaginary. And they were also the foundation of every cultivator. In order to take in the zhen from the outside world, a cultivator had to cycle zhen through their spirit channels, gradually molding the energy so that it could be used like a muscle.
The problem was that Xun’s spirit channels were a sorry sight.
My spirit channels aren’t chalk-tier anymore. It’s below that. Xun thought as he surveyed the wrecked walls of his channels. The silver hue was barely visible amidst the carnage. The average mortal probably has a better spirit channels than me. The only people who have worse spirit channels are those born with blocked spirit channels. And I barely beat them.
“The universe runs on fifty rules. Forty-nine of which have been cemented by heaven’s will. The last one is known as the path to eternity. It’s luck, a chance for all living beings to become eternal.” A young woman stood at the front of the students. She wore a simple white dress with very few ornaments.
“You all have taken the first step on the path to eternity. That’s why the final test of our sect entrance is a mountain climb. Cultivation is not just the simple pursuit of strength. It’s the journey of finding yourself in the shadow of hardship and not being afraid. For without adversity, there can be no triumph.”
None of the students really understood her words, but Xun did. Whoever this woman was, she was wise. Xun was suddenly jealous; to have such a deep insight at such a young age was a blessing.
Noticing that the students weren’t responding, the woman paused and began a different approach. “Congratulations! Two years of learning and honing your spirit channels for this moment. And it’s all paid off. Welcome to the Nine Thunders Sect.”
A weak but happy cheer went through the crowd.
“Before you enter the sect, I’ll tell you a bit more about your future life.” She waved her left hand at the mountain range while her right hand was tucked between the folds of her dress. “Behind me is the famous Seventeen Mountains. Does anyone know why we chose such a site?”
One of the boys closest to the front raised his hand and said, “Disciple Zeran, is it because it has more zhen than elsewhere?”
“Correct, and you can also call me Sister Zeran or Sister Ze if that’s easier. Everyone here is now my junior brother or sister, so there’s no need to be so formal,” the disciple said with a sweet smile. “Zhen is the foundation of all living beings. Cultivating in an area with high zhen density has many benefits. That’s why we live in the Seventeen Mountains. We share this mountain range with two other sects, the Twin Beast Sect and the Purple Flower Sect. Your first lesson as a member of the Nine Thunders Sect is to never lose face for the sect when dealing with the other two sects. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Second, right now, none of you are cultivators. We’ve intentionally stopped you from opening your aperture in order to give your spirit channels time to develop and grow. But now that your channels have matured and have been tempered by the zhen elementals, it’s time for you to become cultivators.”
“Wait!” a red-robed man called out. “Before we get to this next section, perhaps Elder Hetain should announce the results of the entrance exam.”
Zeran glanced to her side and found Elder He stroking his beard in agreement. “Of course, Elder Pidao. Elder Hetain, the stage is yours.”
“Remember that twelve of your peers perished in this exam,” Elder Hetain began as he walked to the front, his voice echoed through the mountain. “Cultivating is not meant for the faint-hearted. If you can’t accept that, it’s better for everyone if you leave now.”
No one moved.
“Good. You all have done well to get to this point, but one of you did better than the others. Fangqiu was the first to reach the top of the mountain in this year. I have an offer for you, Fangqiu. While the sect accepts students who pass an elemental path as outer disciples, I see your talent and heart. I’d like to take you as a personal disciple, my third disciple, when you graduate into the Inner Disciple ranks. In the meantime, you’ll be an honorary disciple of mine. What do you say?”
In a smooth motion, Fangqiu stepped forward and bowed low. “Of course. I would be honored to have you as my master, Elder Hetain.”
“Master Hetain now.”
“I apologize, Master Hetain.”
“Good, good.” The old man laughed as a cloud appeared beneath his feet. “My good disciple, you and I have lots to talk about. Why don’t we head to the sect first?”
Neither of the other two sect members moved to stop Fangqiu from stepping onto the cloud. Together, the new master and disciple sped away.
The moment Pidao saw that Hetain was out of earshot, he spat at the ground. “Thank the skies. Zeran, don’t waste time teaching them. Your time is precious. In another few years, you’ll also be an elder. You need to get rid of the kindness you’ve developed as a disciple. Just announce the results, and we can all be off.”
In the back, Xun looked at the woman and committed her face to his memory. Zeran, the person who saved me. I’ll find some way to repay her one day. He searched the previous Xun’s memories to see if anything would pop up. Nothing did.
The female disciple bowed. “Yes, Elder Pi. Fangqiu, Yifan, Hongdao, Luotu, Linghao, and Zhanghan. You six are now Outer Disciples of the sect. The rest of you chose the Spiritless Path and are now sect laborers. But the path to eternity is long and wide, becoming a laborer doesn’t stop you from becoming cultivators. In our sect history, many laborers have become disciples through hard work.”
“Hold on,” the red-robed elder called out. “I remember seeing that two people cheated when they came up the Spiritless Path.”
Zeran paused and looked at the elder uncertainly. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand Elder Pidao.”
Pidao looked through the crowd, his eyes jumping from person to person. “There, you two.”
Xun kept his face blank as Pidao pointed at him and Dashan. Where his friend was frozen in apprehension, Xun found the strength to stand up and bow at the elder.
“Elder Pidao, I’m happy to take any punishment for anything I may have done wrong,” Xun said.
“That’s not what Elder Pidao meant,” Zeran hurriedly said as she saw Pidao’s hand reach for his storage ring. She put herself between Pidao and Xun. “Elder Pidao, perhaps we can overlook this. Xun was valiant in his attempt to climb the Lightning Path. And Dashan simply wanted to help his friend. They would be great assets in the sect.”
Pidao stared at Zeran.
“And I will report what Hetain did,” Zeran said after holding the elder’s gaze for a few seconds. “As soon as we bring them to the sect, I’ll go directly to the sect leader.”
“For you, Disciple Zeran, I’ll take a step back,” Pidao grunted.