Musnuf turned around to find a youth with a bright red bandana on his head. He was wearing a different set of robes compared to the outer disciples.

His heart was beating so fast, it felt like a river was gushing past his ears. “What’s your name?” He needed to stall for time. Every second he wasted was a second closer to the fifteen minute mark. “That won’t work.”

Musnuf blinked and the bandana disciple was right in front of him. His back was covered in flames. He was using it to propel himself forward. A solid punch landed on Musnuf’s face. He was sent hurtling to the ground.

The bandana disciple turned around and grabbed his legs. Musnuf knew what was about to happen. He formed ghost chains and used them to bind his torso to the ground. He had no intention of giving up this mountain. Losing here would mean he was going to be demoted or worse the talisman would be activated sending him to an early grave.

He used his staff to smack his hands away and summoned a set of chains for the bandana disciple. The disciple let go of him and formed a ball of flame in his hands. Not again!

Musnuf used a chain to pull himself out of the way just in time. A flaming pit was left where his head was going to be. He felt nauseous. The idea of his brains splattered on the ground was not flattering.

He was exhausted but he pulled himself up and drew out his dagger. He’d dropped his staff. Bandana disciple smiled. It was the smile of a victor. He could see that Musnuf was exhausted and it was a matter of time.

Except time was on Musnuf’s side. Time’s up! Green chains descended from the sky and pulled the bandana disciple away. He resisted against them but it was futile.

Musnuf sighed in relief and collapsed on the ground. Except, it wasn’t time for him to rest. You wards are going down. It was five minutes into the second ‘round.’

The disciple with the banada was rushing back up the mountain with a vengeance, he had another disciple along with him.

Musnuf started chewing his lower lip. He had to deal with them once and for all. A head-to-head confrontation wasn’t it. He was exhausted.

…

..

.

Black Mountain

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Souls rotted and burned in the miasma crying out to the sky for salvation. The ground was muddy, black and covered in small black maggots. They would crawl into a cultivator’s feet, feed on their blood and form giant balls of pus.

Every now and then a zombie hand would burst out of the soil threatening to swallow men whole, yet they cowered beneath the ground for the creature above them was beyond their comprehension. Even zombies feel a primal fear when confronted with the base of their existence.

A man in snow-white robe’s with long back hair was walking on the ground. His feet sank into the soil, however, the soil wouldn’t cling to his feet. The maggots gave him a wide berth, the tiny shards of instinct guiding them away.

His skin was flawless, his gaze deeper than the abyss and he turned it upto the sky.

A strange beast floated in the air. It had the face of a human with a tiger’s body. A woman in crimson robes sat on it. She swallowed, her throat was parched.

The army of cultivators floating in the air behind her, did nothing to soothe her fears. She descended down to the ground. Negotiation, appeasement, anything to get this creature to turn his back. The world wasn’t prepared for his actions and it never would be.

She could feel her soul in turmoil. It felt like a blade was leveled at her very existence. “S-senior.” She stumbled over her words and someone placed their hand on her shoulder. It steadied her. “I, Spring Justice, call for the Rite of Boar, Serpent and Eye.” Her gaze was firm now, she had to turn him away.

The walking man stopped. The people around Spring brought out a table and placed it on the ground. A boar’s head, a serpent and the eyes of a hundred men were placed into three separate bowls. They moved with the quick efficiency of men aware that no mistake would be tolerated.

The bowls were the size of a man’s torso. They were bright red along with the table.

Spring picked up the serpent’s bowl and picked it up. She was offering it. Her heart churned and coiled up on itself at the thought of those eyes. They belonged to someone. Her father had assured her that they were extracted from the vilest of criminals but it didn’t make her feel better.

The man grabbed the serpent and bit off its head. It took him less than five minutes to swallow the serpent whole. Through the entire ordeal, not a single drop of blood landed on his robe. They were pristine.

She picked up the boar head and offered it next. The creature placed his index finger on it and the head burst into flames.

She waited, the dim flickering of the flame cast shadows on her face. It burned her sleeves and skin but she didn’t move.

Next were the eyes. She offered them up and the creature ate them one by one. Even his hands moved with grace. He covered his mouth when he chewed. It was bizarre.

“Speak, child.” Spring flinched at the sound. It sounded too…normal. Yet, she was prepared for this.

“I request that you leave this mountain.” She bowed. Her status allowed her to not bow in front of anyone but there was always a mountain behind a mountain. Something her father repeated a lot.

“That is not possible.”

Spring sighed. Her mood was deflated. She hadn’t wanted to do this but here she was.

“Then I request that you not use your sword.”

On the Seventh Day of the Udain Age, The Great Hegemon of the Black Jade Sect was released.