“Before you, lies two paths: continue to be a timid, weak and pitiful sickly child who couldn’t protect a single person from harm or embrace your burning desire for revenge on the world. In this life or the last, you’ve been cursed by the heavens; your hatred of the world gives you the power to change. You were once a Prince, now you're bound to be an Exile. Either rise and use the flames of anger to fuel your burning desire for revenge or fall into the abyss of worthlessness,” the powerful voice, again so familiar—similar to his own yet deeper—each word carries a power far beyond his reach.

‘Why does everything in life require a decision or sacrifice! FUCK! Can’t I have both! Fuck you universe, you’re nothing but an excuse people use to trample on those they deem beneath themselves,’ Azreal screams internally. Bea notices his expression becoming extremely dark, devoid of the previous light he was exhibiting.

“Azreal, are you okay?” asks Bea, her concern growing as they continue walking with no response from Azreal.

‘In the real world, I have nothing, I am nothing. My body is useless, I am full of greed and envy, I waste my life living in trash. All I ever wanted was to be normal, to live a happy life but that would never happen. Now I am in a new world with a freedom unattainable in the real world, and this voice in my mind is making me yearn for revenge against the heavens and to take what I want,’ Azreal declares in his mindscape.

“So, anger and revenge are closely linked to Heaven’s Exile, or is my emotion causing this powerful voice to stir within me? Either way, Void Qi is dangerous, and I shouldn’t show this to anyone before I discuss it with the Master. For now, all I desire is to get my revenge on Junai and squash this nepotistic bug underfoot for trying to kill me and bully others with his unearned status,” says Azreal under his breath, causing Bea to become even more confused.

“That is the correct decision; you’ve taken your first step, and for that, I am incredibly proud. But this is just one of many steps on the never-ending journey of cultivation and our battle against the heavens. If you consider increasing your comprehension from minuscule to basic by taking a single step, the next level of comprehension is more than two thousand steps. The power to sunder the heavens will unveil itself to you when you're ready,” the powerful voice fading from his mindscape as the inferno consumes Azreal’s younger self, and the Azreal of Heaven’s Universe replaces the younger version as the true Azreal.

Bea, who is still guiding Azreal through the city towards the Garden of Taiyang, is concerned she might be following this man to her death or worse. If they anger Junai, especially for her, it will end terribly. “Calm yourself, Bea, I can go alone if required,” Azreal says with a warm smile.

Her nerves settle after hearing his voice, yet she can’t shake this ominous feeling that her leading Azreal here is a mistake. The duo continues their walk before the sprawling city gradually gives way to the serene and orderly expanse of the Garden of Taiyang. This garden, a revered sanctuary within the Sect, is designed to enhance one’s spiritual connection and link to one’s Soul Sea. Waterways, clear and meandering, weave elegantly through the lush gardens, their gentle movements reflecting the vibrant colours of the blooming flora.

Scattered throughout the garden, various disciples from the Sect’s different Pavilions gather in small groups. Some are seated in meditative poses under the shade of ancient trees, deep in contemplation and seemingly drawing energy from the very trees that give them shade. Others engage in quiet discussions, sharing insights and debating nuances of their respective cultivation practices. The air is filled with a subtle energy, a testament to the garden's sanctity and its role in the spiritual life of the Sect.

Neither Azreal nor Bea can understand why Junai would ever want to be here; he stands for everything this place stands against. Azreal’s only thought is that Junai loves to dirty anything he deems as clean. A moment later, his thoughts are affirmed by the sounds of a young man's voice, which stirs fear in Bea and rage in Azreal. “Spirit Heaven Pavilion, you are nothing but a joke before my Crimson Sword Pavilion! I’ll be gracious and give you three seconds to remove yourself from my Garden,” Junai screams, his voice dripping with venom.

“Bea, stay behind me. I know you're strong enough to defend yourself, but I do not want you to get hurt unless necessary, okay?” Azreal whispers to Bea before straightening his back and walking with clear and determined steps towards Junai’s voice. Azreal’s brilliant blue crystalline eyes fade to a dim grey blue as he follows the stone pathway and gets a vision of Junai.

As Azreal approaches, the arrogance etched into Junai’s face makes his desire to fight him soar to new heights. Junai’s stark black hair and deep green beady eyes lock onto a male outer disciple of the Spirit Heaven Pavilion. Junai stands there, clad in the robes of the Crimson Sword Pavilion, surrounded by a group of his lackeys who smirk, equally confident in their perceived superiority.

Junai’s posture is that of a predator, ready to kill his prey the moment the disciple misspeaks or doesn’t flee, his gaze dismissive before a brief flash of recognition morphs into an evil smirk. Kicking the outer disciple who's on the floor, “Leave now, much better food has delivered itself to me,” Junai sneers at Azreal. “Oh, you’ve delivered yourself to me, Bea come here,” Junai’s twisted smile softens as he addresses Bea.

Azreal glances towards Bea, she’s holding herself well, but Azreal notices the corner of her mouth and nose were twitching, “Bea, step back, just make sure one of his lackeys doesn’t stab me in the back,” Azreal says while summoning his new sword Calista, a sword of ethereal white metal, the hilt of the sword wrapped in leather, Azreal’s hands grip the hilt and a sense of familiarity washes over him.

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Azreal, during his long ride on his way to the Unbound Pavilions training grounds, learned Calista is his soul-bound sword, and he can summon or store it within his Soul Sea at will. Azreal activates his Celestial Gaze, as he can feel the tension in the air become thick as Junai and his lackeys' eyes go wide in shock and disbelief.

‘His strength has grown leaps and bounds since he almost killed me in the Entrance Examination. Is this what having abundant cultivation resources can do for you? I will ask Master Juhee for resources later,’ Azreal thinks, his eyes never leaving Junai.

“A pathetic grunt like you, leaching an untold amount of resources from the Sect, managed to raise his cultivation base a little? Is that why you're so confident?” Junai sneers as his lackeys laugh.

Azreal’s stride doesn’t falter; his expression remains calm, yet his eyes reveal a storm brewing within him. The dimming of his eyes is like the calm before a tempest, a sign of his gathering focus and the inner strength he is channelling. “You’re pathetic!” a chubbier disciple shouts, causing Junai to erupt into laughter, “Yes, Brother, this man is truly pathetic,” Junai says between fits of laughter.

“Junai, I challenge you to a life and death duel. If you refuse, I will spread the word of the cowardly Nilxan family and their refusal to fight a newborn cultivator,” Azreal’s tone becomes harsher with each word spoken. Junai’s laugh stops immediately, his posture altering before Azreal’s eyes. “Are you aware of what you have just requested?” Junai says, his tone determined, “One of us will die, and it will not be me,” he continues.

“Yes, either accept or don’t. You should enjoy your last few breaths without spewing bullshit, you're nothing but a coward who hides behind his grandfather's achievements. Junai The Disappointment, the title suits you, I do admit,” Azreal’s tone is purposefully antagonistic.

“You fucking cur. I accept. We will walk to the lower duelling grounds and request the Elder to oversee the life and death duel. I cannot wait to remove your head from your shoulders,” Junai’s previous mockery vanishes, his tone deliberate and measured.

“Finally, I thought you’d cry to your family first, lead the way,” says Azreal, lowering Calista to his side, choosing to keep his sword ready.

Azreal and Bea walk behind Junai’s group, their destination the Lower Duelling grounds where Azreal had participated in the entrance examination duels. Azreal’s mind is clear, and his expression is confident as he looks towards Bea. “Are you okay?” he asks, noticing her mouth twitch hasn’t stopped.

“I’m nervous that I just walked you to your death. I don’t know you. Yet here I am, enlisting you to fight a man whose connections run to the peak of this Sect,” says Bea, her expression sorrowful.

Azreal, unsure of how to respond, just nods and contemplates his next words. “I am nervous as well, I am usually someone who hides from the world and lets my anger fester and destroy me from the inside out. I’ve recently had my mind opened but a few situations I’ve dealt with, and I came to the conclusion that I need to act the way I want rather than bend to those who do the same. And I am not here for you, I am here because he attempted to kill me within minutes of entering the Entrance Examination,” his words are genuine and ring true within Bea.

“Okay, I’ll choose to believe you, try not to die okay?” replies Bea, whose twitch stops and her expression lightens.

As the two groups enter the Lower Duelling grounds, Azreal sweeps the location in search of an Elder. What he sees surprises him, Kayleen Lu, adorned in the robes of the Spirit Heaven Pavilion, catching her breath after triumphing in a duel against a male disciple from the Unbound Pavilion. Her presence is both authoritative and agile, with her golden blonde hair and clear ocean blue eyes enhancing her commanding aura. Although petite, her form is gracefully contoured, drawing admiring glances from those around, marking her standout even further atop the duelling platform. Their eyes meet, and Azreal is certain he saw a fleeting smile cross Kayleen Lu's face before she spotted Junai and clear confusion took root. Azreal assumes she would try to think of any reason why he would come to the duelling grounds together with Junai.

Junai, moving to the duelling platform, which had a crowd of disciples surrounding it due to the fighting of Kayleen and her opponent, walks and jumps onto the duelling platform. He looks towards the Elder of the Spirit Heaven Pavilion who was presiding over the duel that just occurred. “Are you of high enough level to officiate a life and death Duel?” His words are loud enough for everyone to hear, as the crowd gasps and murmurs spread from disciple to disciple.

The Elder, slightly stunned but far less surprised than the crowd, as his role was an Elder of Lower Duelling grounds and while life and death duels aren’t common, they also aren't extremely rare. The only reason he was slightly stunned was that he recognised Junai and Great Elder Nilxan’s grandson. Gathering his thoughts, the Elder replies, “Yes I am. But does your grandfather know about this?”

As Junai and the Elder begin to talk, Kayleen's slight confusion turns into bewilderment. She jumps down and the crowd parts to allow her to move towards Azreal. Stopping only a few steps before him, her eyes showing genuine concern, “Azreal, is he forcing you to do this? I can stop this if you need me to,” her words touching Azreal’s heart. He knows that Kayleen is concerned he is being bullied or forced into this, but the truth is that Azreal is itching for a fight.

“Kayleen, it’s okay. I was the one to challenge him. I want revenge for his unwarranted attacks on me and the other disciples during the Entrance Exam,” Azreal moves his hand to wave off her worries. He moves past Kayleen as she's stunned he is the aggressor.

“Just watch, I am not the broken child you saved only two weeks ago,” said Azreal, without looking back towards her or Bea. As he walks towards the duelling grounds, the crowd begins to make way for Azreal, a much larger distance between the disciple and Azreal compared to Kayleen. After hearing Azreal confirm he was the aggressor, the crowd went wild with gossip.

"Who is he?"

"What a fool, he will definitely die"

"Argh! I can’t believe I get to witness two amazing duels like this"

The disciples couldn’t contain their excitement, a life and death duel involving the grandson of a Great Elder was an extremely exciting event within the Sect. Soon word of their duel had spread which caused an uproar across the entire Sect, many of the higher ranked disciples and Elders know of Junai and pay respects to him due to his grandfather's position.

Azreal, who had just jumped onto the duelling platform, suddenly felt a crushing presence bearing down upon him. Feeling this immense pressure, he drops to one knee and lets out a grunt of pain, as the pressure increases Azreal clenches his jaw and strains himself in an attempt to keep his fading consciousness.

“How dare you attack a disciple who is about to undergo a life and death duel! Present yourself now or I will kill you myself!” The Spirit Heaven Pavilion Elder shouted.

A man with jet black hair and similar deep green eyes as Junai appears on the duelling ground, clad in core disciple robes of the Crimson Sword Pavilion. The Elder’s attitude does not change, “Give me one reason I don’t give you punishment befitting your crime? Just because you suckle the teat of your grandfather, does not mean you two brothers can break the rules as you please,” the Elder shouted as he slammed his foot and released his aura.

“That's Shon, Junai’s older brother, what is he doing exposing himself like this?” a disciple shouted before hiding in the crowd.

The confidence and arrogance that was seen on the core disciple's face faded, “I-I uh, I wanted to protect my brother, is that a crime?”

“You damaged a disciple who is about to undergo a life and death duel. I will call the Head Elder of the Lower Duelling grounds, he will advise punishment before all of us here. Your family name will not save you here,” the elder said as he gets a communication token out of his spatial ring.

The tension escalates rapidly as the gathered crowd murmurs and speculates on the potential fallout from this confrontation. Azreal, regaining his footing, stares across the platform at Junai, who seems momentarily distracted by his brother's intervention. This momentary lapse allows Azreal to regain composure, gather his thoughts, and prepare for the impending duel, which promises to be as much about mental fortitude as it is about martial prowess.

Azreal’s focus sharpens, understanding that the emotional stakes of this fight have escalated beyond personal revenge; it's now a battle that could shape his standing within the Sect and define his path forward. He readies himself, his grip tightening on Calista, as he awaits the official beginning of the duel. As the Elder waits for the Head Elder’s guidance, the platform’s atmosphere thickens with anticipation and the gravity of the situation. Every eye is fixed on the two young men, whose destinies are about to unfold dramatically on this stage of conflict and confrontation.