Azreal, Darian, and Xiara are walking down the stone roadway, weaving in between disciples of their Sect, merchants, and residents of the city their Sect walls protect. The city has never been given a formal name, as it's an extension of the Heavenly Root Sect, but most refer to it as Bedrock City. A place where those seeking a new life and sanctuary are blown towards by the winds of fate, similar to seeds blown out of a blooming flower by a rush of wind in search of a new home to put down roots and bloom once more.

The chaos of the streets reminds Azreal of the view from his old apartment, the denizens of his home city would crawl atop each other just to breathe the clear air high above the smog-filled streets. Yet here, the air is perfectly clear, serving to nourish those who have the luxury to breathe it in, and people still clamour on top of each other. Azreal ponders if it's just human nature to use those around you for their own gain or if this Sect is just another corporatocracy, a power in charge that strangles resources and feeds it only to those who they deem as useful.

"You really do live in your own head, don't you? I thought you were exaggerating!" Xiara laughs as she watches Azreal narrowly avoid crashing into a merchant who is in deep conversation with a customer. Azreal, Darian, and Xiara had met over two hours ago, they each came to the meeting with an intention of getting to know each other better and what they can offer for the team. Unsure of what awaits them, Azreal wants to know what skills they could use. Having spent most of his life stuck in a room, Azreal has played a multitude of games and is well aware that team strategy and cohesion are critical for victory in these types of tests. Azreal, waiting for his team to begin speaking, uses his Celestial Gaze on Darian as he speaks.

Darian grew stronger, did Great Elder Lu help him again? Or is this an effect of the Titan Golden Body Arts? Azreal ponders to himself.

Darian is the first to speak. "I am a five Qi affinity cultivator, with only Earth Qi currently refined. I have an incredibly tough body and will act as the main tank or target for our enemy. I've recently mastered a new ability which allows me to turn damage I absorb into my own power. It's only temporary, but the Qi stored via this method is extremely potent and could cause real damage if I can land an attack. Outside of combat, my main use is endurance. My family has been involved in wars and cultivation tracing back our entire family tree. However, unlike my brother and sister, I became geared for being a combatant rather than a strategic thinker." Darian's voice contains a sense of pride that he is gifted for combat rather than strategy. Azreal and Xiara look at each other in an attempt to understand why, but before they can come to any conclusion, Darian speaks again.

"My Father was an Elder at the Heavenly Root Sect, and he was on track to be chosen as the next branch leader of the Crimson Sword Pavilion," a coldness comes over his eyes, "The Crimson Pig, or Great Elder Nilxan as his title is these days, set up my Father, who was a very straightforward and kind person, with a fake distress signal from Mother. That was all it took for my father to gather a few Elders and charge into the trap laid by Great Elder Nilxan. I will take my revenge against that pig of a man, and I will do it how my Father would want me to live, straightforward and honest," he finishes, emotion clear in his voice, yet Darian's face doesn't falter, his confidence in his path clear.

Azreal, staring at his friend who has suffered greatly under the same family that attempted to kill him, is flooded with emotion. Azreal gathers himself and walks up to Darian.

"Darian, I know this is your path, but I want to help you. I will swear from this day forward that when it's your time to rise and fight against the Crimson Pig and his nepotistic cohort, I will be by your side," Azreal says with a newfound goal replacing his aimless goal of self-protection. Having an aim will guide me, until I can crush a Great Elder at the peak of Martial King, I will not stop or rest, his new mindset driving Azreal forward.

"Thank you, Azreal. In that case, I will call you Senior Brother. You've eclipsed my strength, that much is clear from your duel with Junai. But this will not always be the case! I will train harder than ever, and we will crush the Nilxan family into the dust," Darian states, a beaming smile on his face.

"Don't worry about Seniors or Juniors, let's just call each other Brothers. I've never had a family before, this is a good feeling," says Azreal, his happy tone betraying his attempt at remaining calm.

Xiara, standing to the side, knows that this is not the time to intervene and waits for a few minutes as Darian and Azreal have their broment.

Having waited another few minutes, Xiara clears her throat, which catches both Azreal and Darian's attention. "Great Elder Lu asked me not to tell a soul about this, but I want to prove to you both that I am worthy of your trust. Azreal, you've saved my life, and Darian, my family owes an immense amount to yours. I have seven Qi affinities with one being an advanced form of Fire Qi, referred to as the Flame Spring Qi. This Fire Qi is renowned for its healing properties and effectiveness against demonic cultivators. Its only drawback is it loses effectiveness against righteous Sects, those that follow the Heavenly Path."

Wait, wait, wait, why would I need to worry about the Heavenly Emperor? Azreal questions the system inside his head. When no response comes, Azreal feels a small tinge of uncontrollable rage. Before Xiara's words ground him back to reality, 'That was the same anger I felt against Junai, what is this feeling?' Azreal ponders while listening to Xiara.

"Outside of combat, I am attempting to understand the Dao of Alchemy. I spend most of my time concocting pills or alchemical weapons. I find my best fighting style outside of my Flame Spring Qi is the use of small explosives I've created and stored inside reinforced glass bottles," says Xiara, a terrifying expression encroaching on her face, which dissipates quickly upon Azreal's question, "How did you make explosives?" Azreal wants to see if it is the same as Earth.

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"You really want to know?" asks Xiara as her face instantaneously morphs from terrifying to infatuated, as the handsome young man who saved her life is now genuinely interested in her passion. Taking a steadying breath before continuing, Xiara barely manages to speak in a coherent manner, her speech too fast, but Azreal catches the gist of it after ten minutes are spent with her regurgitating information at him and Darian.

"So, essentially you take ambient Qi and Qi of yourself and attempt to condense it into a tiny ball, repeating this process until the Qi is at the precipice of Qi deviation and exploding. Then you use the split second of stability you can generate with your Flame Spring Qi and bottle that, somehow stabilising it until it's thrown or comes in contact with a hard surface?" Azreal's explanation is completely lacking compared to Xiara's, but she has to admit, that is a much simpler way of explaining it. Her mood has soared since, this proves Azreal isn't just giving her lip service like most of the others in her Pavilion. They wanted her for her good looks but wouldn't actually care about her work.

The tiny flame of desire she holds for Azreal begins to ignite, her face becoming redder, and she begins to understand her own feelings and the growing connection to the man standing in front of her. Xiara had often found herself not interested in anyone of the opposite sex, and she often struggled to make friends with other female disciples. Her love for alchemy is not uncommon, but her talent made those who loved it alongside her turn green and begin to remove themselves from her as she rose up the ranks to now being a promising alchemy disciple. Just play it cool, don't scare him off, her thoughts leaning into her new desire rather than pulling away.

Azreal, unsure why Xiara is now staring intently at him, believes it is his turn. "Alright, what am I good at..." he says, a long silence filling the room, causing Darian and Xiara to look at each other. "Go on, you're good at something. I saw it myself," Darian says as he leans over and gives Azreal a pat on the shoulder.

Come on, Azreal, this is behind you! You killed a brute, and you've duelled a skilled asshole swordsman, have some confidence, Jesus! Master Juhee did not want me to become timid, she only wanted me to be wary of arrogance, Azreal curses himself inwardly.

"I am good at fighting and dealing damage. I don't have much experience or real training. In fact, I know very little of the cultivation world, but I have an unnatural ability and fighting sense. I will take the role of damage dealer, and I will be the leader if the competition requires it," says Azreal, his confidence growing with each word. Darian and Xiara smile at him sweetly.

The trio depart for the Outer Disciple Meeting Hall, in the belly of Bedrock City, taking them over an hour to make their way through the mishmash of homes and businesses built atop one another. The scene of inner and outer court disciples passing through a live, breathing cityscape is truly a wonder. It seems the colourful robes lighten the environment and the mood of those who dwell within. As often when disciples descend the mountain, they are either here to fight, fuck, or spend money, and sometimes it's all three.

As Azreal, Darian, and Xiara approach the Outer Disciple Meeting Hall, the atmosphere shifts from the bustling chaos of Bedrock City to a more focused and purposeful energy. The hall itself is an imposing structure, carved into the very base of the mountain upon which the Heavenly Root Sect and Bedrock City reside. Its grand entrance is flanked by towering stone pillars, each intricately engraved with the Sect's emblem and scenes depicting the triumphs of legendary disciples.

Upon entering the hall, the trio finds themselves immersed in a sea of vibrant robes, representing the diverse array of outer disciples gathered for the meeting. The space is vast, with a high, arched ceiling that seems to echo the murmurs and whispers of the assembled crowd. Torches line the walls, their flickering light casting an almost otherworldly glow upon the faces of the eager disciples.

The group weaves their way through the crowd of disciples, Azreal can't help but notice the presence of a few disciples he's seen before in the crowd of hundreds he has not. Azreal's gaze is drawn to a particularly striking figure, a young woman with an aura that shimmers like a blade caught in the sun's rays. This is Kayleen, his Celestial Gaze has given her the title of the Luminescent Blade. Her mere presence seems to command respect and admiration from those around her, with the way the sunlight seemingly bends to illuminate her presence and accentuate her toned figure, perfectly shaped breasts, and round backside. Azreal, losing himself in her elegance and beauty, has to force his eyes away from her, not before Kayleen catches him staring and gives a sly smile.

Not far from Kayleen stands a wild-looking woman surrounded by two uncomfortable-looking female disciples, her stance radiating an untamed ferocity. Azreal, using his Celestial Gaze, identifies her as Lilith Nightbearer, the Barbarian Storm. Darian chimes in and tells him and Xiara that Lilith is renowned for her berserker fighting style and her ability to weather any onslaught. Her cultivation path, the Berserker, is a testament to her indomitable spirit and raw power.

Azreal's attention then shifts to a mountain of a man, his frame as solid and unyielding as the earth itself. Tian Jun, the Grace of the Mountain, stands with a quiet confidence, his heavy battle axe resting at his side. Darian, once again, chimes in, informing them that aside from his loss to Kayleen during the entrance duels, Tian Jun has won fifteen duels in a row since, becoming known for his extraordinary endurance and devastating Earth Shatter Strike. Tian Jun is a formidable presence in any duel.

A few other disciples stand out. Zhan Luo, the young master of the Zhan family, radiates an aura of fire and arrogance. His cultivation, the Blazing Inferno Path, is a reflection of his family's legacy and his own fiery temperament. At his side stands Killion, his bonded guardian, a silent and steadfast presence, ready to defend his master at any cost.

In a shadowed corner, Kong Jie stands alone, his posture and expression indicating that he wishes to be left alone as he seems to blend into the darkness. His cultivation path, the Duskblade, grants him a deadly precision and an air of mystery that sets him apart from the other disciples.

As the trio takes their place among the disciples who have spread out inside the Outer Disciple Gathering Hall, each disciple facing the back of the hall, where a vivid artwork is carved into the wall, a young disciple engaged in a deadly duel with a stone dragon the size of a city, depicting the moment the young disciple pierces the dragon's skull with his sword lit ablaze with a golden fire. The carving makes all new outer disciples gasp in wonder and amazement, the incredible detail and the aura radiating from the sword and dragon truly gripping the heart of all disciples who wish to reach the apex of cultivation.

The anticipation in the air is palpable. Each disciple seems to buzz with barely contained energy, eager to prove themselves and earn their spot to enter the Violet Sanctum. The stage is set, and the challenges that lay ahead promise to test the mettle of every aspiring cultivator in the hall.