Zhang Lifen released He Yu from his training shortly after their talk of the Sunset Court. He Yu made directly for Li Heng’s new home.

The Li scion had mentioned his family’s extensive historical records several times previously. Although He Yu had spent some time searching the sect archives for information on this Sunset Empress, he’d never found anything. Perhaps the Li family archives would yield better results.

As He Yu made his way through the paths and gardens of the inner sect, he kept his head up and his eyes forward. The attention of the other inner disciples was noticeably different, now that he wasn’t in Zhang Lifen’s company. As much as he was eager to test himself and potentially increase his rank, he had more important things to do right now. He only relaxed once he arrived at Li Heng’s home and was admitted inside.

“Everything alright?” Li Heng asked as he set about to opening jars of wine for the both of them.

Much like He Yu, the noble had benefited greatly from time spent developing his presence with Old Guo. Even now, his movements seemed like they weren’t entirely there, as if they were tiny approximations of his movement technique.

Unlike He Yu, Li Heng had gained a physical marker of his advancement to the Third Realm. Twin streaks of silver ran the length of his hair, beginning at either of his temples. Li Heng had fully accepted the change now, as he wore a robe adorned with embroidery of an identical color.

“Remember how you mentioned your family archives to me?” He Yu asked, taking a seat and then leaning against one of the pillars in Li Heng’s courtyard. “Would you be able to make a request from them? Regarding the Sunset Empress?”

Li Heng joined He Yu and handed him his wine. “I’d have to send a message via construct, and it would take some time to get a response, but I don’t see why not. I believe that only the imperial archives in the capital and the Ministry of Information have more extensive records than my father. So I’m certain that we’ll at least have something. Why now though?”

He Yu filled his friend in on what Zhang Lifen had told him. He also recounted the conversation they’d had after he’d fought Sha Xiang and forced her to use the Four Demon Fists. Li Heng remained silent throughout, listening attentively and nodding along.

“Well, that certainly explains a thing or two,” he said once He Yu had finished. “ At the very least we know where all the advancement resources they’d been using had come from. Xiao Jun never seemed like he was the type to afford so many elixirs, let alone simply give them out.”

“Zhang Lifen said we needed to gather our strength. Sha Xiang will be doing the same. Now that she’s part of the inner sect, she’ll try and expand the court’s influence.”

“Why don’t the elders simply put a stop to it? It seems dangerous to simply allow something like that to make inroads to the sect.”

He Yu shrugged. “The only thing I managed to gather from what Zhang Lifen told me was the Court itself is difficult to root out. By allowing them to insert members within the sect itself, it makes them easier to track or something.”

“Sounds like the sort of idea the Ministry of Information would come up with,” Li Heng remarked. “Anyway, how is your training going?”

He Yu was thankful for the change in subject and for a chance to vent his frustrations a bit. He’d spent nearly a week training with Zhang Lifen, and he didn’t feel any closer to landing the strike she claimed would represent success in the exercise she was forcing him to practice. He didn’t feel any faster, nor did he feel as though his proficiency with the guandao had increased in any substantial way.

Li Heng listened patiently while they drank and He Yu vented. The wine was good, and spiritually fortified so that it would actually affect immortals. By the time he’d finished complaining, He Yu felt better for the chance to unwind a bit and unload some of his pent-up frustrations.

“Still,” Li Heng mused after a lengthy silence, “what she told you about belief was important.”

“I thought so, too.”

“And the Wayborn Seed, too.” A flicker of several different emotions played across his features as he said that.

It was so fast that He Yu wouldn’t have noticed if he’d not only known Li Heng for the better part of a year. He still couldn’t determine what the display meant, however.

“I’d be lying if I said I weren’t envious,” Li Heng said eventually. “Forming a Wayborn Seed is an important step for advancing to higher realms. Doing so as early as you have bodes well for your future.”

“I’m sure you’ll form one before too long,” He Yu said. He meant it too. Li Heng had always been head and shoulders above him in his eyes. It was strange to think that, in truth, they’d been on more or less equal footing since training with Old Guo. And that now it seemed He Yu had surpassed him. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that as he recalled those early visions of standing solitary on a mountaintop.

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Li Heng smiled at him, but it seemed forced. “Well, nothing helps one advance better than a good fight or three. Want to go stir up some trouble?”

“I’ll come along,” he said, “but I’ll let you keep the duels to yourself.” He still wasn’t entirely comfortable simply beating people up and stealing their things. It felt far too close to banditry for his taste.

“Have it your way,” Li Heng said, shaking his head as he stood. “Let’s go. I, for one, want to test out these inner sect disciples before I start issuing formal challenges for rank. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do if I want to keep company with the likes of you and Princess Tan.”

Given how many inner sect disciples there were, He Yu didn’t think a difference of sixteen ranks was all that much, but he didn’t say anything. He could tell that Li Heng’s pride was already stung by the difference, so there was no need to risk making it worse.

They had just reached the central square of the inner sect’s lowest peak when an unfamiliar disciple planted himself in their path. He had the arrogant expression of someone who was used to always getting their way and the telltale expensive clothes of a noble. Dressed in green and blue robes, he looked a bit silly in He Yu’s eyes. Being a full head taller, the other disciple sneered imperiously down at He Yu as he shifted to prevent He Yu from going around him.

“I find you lacking, Sect Brother He,” the noble said. His voice was just as arrogant as his expression.

He Yu sighed, afraid that he knew where this was going. “If you’ll pardon me Sect Brother, I’m afraid I don’t know your name. Sect Brother Li and I are about business of our own, so if you would kindly move out of our way, we’ll be along.”

“I am Mo Zhiqiang,” the newcomer announced. “My rank is six hundred ten. Close enough to yours that it might be instructive for you to receive my techniques.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Li Heng said, stepping up beside He Yu.

“I have no business with you, six hundred thirty,” Mo Zhiqiang sniffed.

It didn’t take the judgment of an emperor to see what was happening here. As several disciples trickled over to watch, He Yu knew he needed to put a stop to this right now. With his victory over Sha Xiang in the outer sect tournament, he’d thought that he had bought himself some reprieve for this sort of thing.

He didn’t know if this challenge had anything to do with Zhang Lifen’s reputation in the inner sect or not, but he did know one thing—he needed to make an example of this Mo Zhiqiang here and now. He was an inner sect disciple now. He was firmly in the Third Realm, he’d spent the past winter developing his presence, and he’d already formed a Wayborn Seed.

Although Mo Zhiqiang was in at late Body Refining, He Yu had managed to press Tan Xiaoling during the tournament. She had also been in the late stage of the Third Realm. The Cloud Emperor’s Peerless Judgment didn’t give him any indication that Mo Zhiqiang would be as tough as she was.

Most importantly, perhaps, this wasn’t the first time he’d faced down an opponent with a stage advancement on him. In fact, he was more or less used to it at this point. If he’d ever once had the notion he’d be given any fair fights, that notion was dead and buried by now.

“It would be an honor to exchange techniques, Sect Brother,” He Yu said.

“At least you’re not a coward,” Mo Zhiqiang said as he adopted a combat stance. An ornate spear with a vermilion tassel fell into Mo Zhiqiang’s hands as he unleashed his presence. Mo Zhiqiang’s spirit gave the impression of wind and rain.

He Yu blinked, then double-checked his initial impression with the Cloud Emperor’s Peerless Judgment. Observing Mo Zhiqiang’s spirit with the technique gave him a bit more information. It told him that Mo Zhiqiang’s presence was still far less developed than his own. He wasn’t sure what that meant exactly. He kicked himself for not asking Zhang Lifen more about a cultivator’s presence during their training sessions.

As his own weapon fell into his hands, He Yu’s spirit broke over the square. He could almost hear the distant rumble of thunder from gathering clouds. Winds tugged at the hem of his robes, as both the cultivators’ unleashed spirits impressed themselves on the world. A slight tingle prickled at He Yu’s arms as his heaven-aligned qi added itself to the mix of wind and water.

Zhang Lifen’s earlier lesson from that day returned to him then. If you train at half-strength, you learn to fight at half-strength. While this certainly wasn’t training, He Yu knew well enough how she would tell him to handle something like this. And for once, he didn’t need her to teach him the obvious lesson here. He was already in agreement, if for his own reasons.

He’d been pushed around enough. How would any of his heroes respond to something like this? How would any of his friends respond? How would his master respond? He barely needed to ask.

The stories were record enough. The heroes would rise to meet the challenge. Although they would always win—stories being stories, as he was coming to learn—the important part was that they wouldn’t back down. He Yu’s Wayborn Seed thrummed with agreement as his resolve aligned with his Way, much as it had back during the tournament.

Likewise, he knew exactly how Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng would answer such a challenge. Li Heng had sought to fight for him, likely for his own reasons more connected to pride than anything else. He Yu could tell well enough that Li Heng wasn’t satisfied with his placement in the tournament. And Tan Xiaoling? Well, she’d told He Yu exactly how she would respond. In the year since meeting her, He Yu had never seen her hold back. Even when she was facing down four cultivators at once in a cowardly ambush, she had managed to stand and hold her own.

Finally, there was Zhang Lifen. He Yu recalled how she had simply obliterated whatever sort of abomination King Hao had become. While he couldn’t say if she had fought at full strength then, she certainly hadn’t given any quarter to a foe far beneath her. Then she had faced down whatever that second presence had been—the one she’d told He Yu and the others to run from.

He Yu had spent far too long holding back. Far too long underestimating himself because he had been weak. But he wasn’t weak anymore, and he’d proved it to himself during the tournament. Certainty settled over him as he pointed his guandao at Mo Zhiqiang and activated the Empyrean Ninefold Body Tempering.

He Yu wasn’t going to allow another Sha Xiang to arise and make his life miserable.