"The Thunderous Sky Sect."

A man wearing a robe with a crest resembling the yin and yang pointed at the Longquan mountains on a map residing on a table.

Many elders wearing the same robes as him were surrounding the table.

The Wudang Sect.

They were the elders of the Wudang Sect, one of the 10 great sects. Some said that they could rival the Shaolin in strength.

They were a sect known throughout the land, but now, the elders were glaring at the Thunderous Sky Sect with a disgusted look.

The man who was sitting on an elevated chair than the others spoke.

"We had long been supporting this crumbling sect. No, it is something that couldn't even be called a sect."

From the opposite of him, there was an elder who had a calm expression.

The man who was sitting on an elevated chair stood up and walked down the stairs leading to his chair.

"As the sect leader, I could suggest that we break ties with the Thunderous Sky Sect."

He pointed at the elder opposite of him.

The other elders nodded as if they already knew why. There were no objections.

The sect leader glanced at the elders and continued.

"This sect doesn't practice our teachings, and yet, we have been giving them provisions for years. Don't you think that's strange, Elder Wang?"

There was silence and everyone waited for Wang Zhenwu to speak.

Even though he was not a sect leader, he was older than everyone present in this room, the eldest of the elders.

That status gave him the authority to speak his mind in the elder council. He had gathered wisdom in the many years he had been alive, and his role, along with the other elders, was to support what the sect leader lacked: experience.

He holds power amongst the elders, but everyone is against him.

Wang Zhenwu knew that himself.

For most of his life, even when the time the Thunderous Sky Sect was booted out of the Ten Great Sects, he had been supporting them.

The sect leader continued, his voice growing more forceful. "We've drained our resources for a crumbling sect that no longer holds the honor it once did. They cling to a broken legacy, Elder Wang. The time has come to sever our ties."

Another elder with a thin, sharp voice spoke up. "We could be using those resources to further strengthen our own disciples, to ensure the Wudang Sect's future. The Thunderous Sky Sect offers nothing in return."

A murmur of agreement swept through the room, but Wang Zhenwu raised a hand, silencing the whispers. He finally spoke, his voice calm and measured.

"You speak of honor and legacy, yet you discard them so easily." His gaze swept across the gathered elders. "The Thunderous Sky Sect may be in ruins, but does that erase the centuries of brotherhood and alliance we shared with them? Do you all believe that when they needed our strength the most, we should simply turn our backs?"

"But, Elder Wang, we're feeding a worm, hoping it would grow as big as us. Don't you think that is worse for us?"

"That sect has lost its roots. Nothing more than beggars swinging a sword while clinging to their past."

Wang Zhenwu’s expression darkened at the elder’s biting words, but he remained calm. His voice was steady, though there was an edge to it now. "You speak of them as beggars, but remember—every great tree starts from a seed buried in dirt. The Thunderous Sky Sect’s roots may be weakened, but they are not entirely dead. Their spirit remains, though you refuse to see it."

The elder with the sharp voice scoffed.

"Spirit? What good is spirit without strength? What good is loyalty to a sinking ship? We need to secure our own future. Every coin, every grain we send to them weakens our own disciples. We cannot afford sentimentality."

The sect leader, who had been listening in silence, spoke up again, his voice firm but not without a trace of understanding.

"Elder Wang, your loyalty to them is admirable, but times have changed. We cannot base our decisions on history alone. The Thunderous Sky Sect has failed to uphold the values that once made them great. We have carried them long enough."

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"And what values are those? Is it not loyalty, perseverance, and honor that defines us as a sect? You say they have lost their way, but abandoning them would mean we, too, have lost ours."

A silence followed his words, the room growing heavy with tension. The sect leader’s jaw tightened, but he did not immediately respond.

"Elder Wang, we knew you lived in the time when the Thunderous Sky Sect has its glory. You also experienced the war. But sentimentality will be our ruin."

The elders' murmurs grew louder. And they seemed to be siding against Wang Zhenwu.

They were wasting their resources on a crumbling sect that could have been spent on their disciples.

Wang Zhenwu knew that speaking of honor wouldn't cleanse these corrupted individuals that had been clinging to their little power.

The Wudang Sect was located where it was surrounded by the members of the Ten Great Sects, namely; The Mount Hua Sect, Shaolin Sect, and The Southern edge. Not to mention that the Zhuge family and Dang family were near them too.

They can't expand their power beyond their own sect because of this. That's why they clung so hard to their own authority.

The murmurs of the elders became louder and louder, filling the room with angry voices against the Thunderous Sky Sect.

Wang Zhenwu couldn't bear to listen to the elders and opened his mouth wide.

"Silence!"

The murmurs went quiet and they all turned to the one who shouted.

"I have a proposition, sect leader."

His voice carried a weight that silenced even the most outspoken of the elders. The sect leader raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued, though his patience was wearing thin.

"A proposition, Elder Wang?" the sect leader said, his tone measured. "Very well, speak."

Wang Zhenwu straightened his back, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

"You claim that the Thunderous Sky Sect has lost its strength, that they no longer deserve our support. But what if we provide them with a trial? A task that will prove whether they are still worthy of the Wudang Sect's aid."

The sect leader crossed his arms, his expression neutral but his eyes narrowed in thought.

"A trial? And what sort of trial do you propose?"

Wang Zhenwu glanced around the room, ensuring he had the attention of every elder before continuing.

"Ten of the greatest disciples of the Longquan mountains will prove that their sect hasn't lost its martial arts."

"I don't quite understand, Elder Wang."

"Those ten disciples will come to our sect and fight the ten best third-class disciples we have."

The elders' eyes widened at the words spoken by Wang Zhenwu. The sect that is not even comparable to that of third-class sects fighting their disciples? The very sect that has lost its name, and got kicked out of the Ten Great Sects?

They turned to the sect leader with a lopsided smile as if they were expecting a reply from the sect leader.

"If the Thunderous Sky Sect wins, we will continue helping them until they can rise to their feet."

Wang Zhenwu proposed. This is the last solution he could think of. He knew that the Thunderous Sky Sect stood no chance against the Wudang but he also knew it was their only hope to prove their worth.

The sect leader, after a long pause, narrowed his eyes at Wang Zhenwu.

"You are asking us to pit our disciples, trained in the finest martial arts, against a crumbling sect's so-called best? You know the outcome as well as I do, Elder Wang. Why bother with this farce?"

Wang Zhenwu met the sect leader's gaze steadily.

"Perhaps. But this will put an end to the argument once and for all. If the Thunderous Sky Sect has truly fallen beyond repair, then it will be evident in battle. If they surprise us, if their disciples show strength and resolve, then they may still have hope. This will test their spirit, not just their skill."

"And what happens when they lose? We waste time and resources preparing for a pointless match."

"Maybe, being so old is causing your judgment to deteriorate. Hah!"

One of the elders bluntly stated.

Wang Zhenwu bit his lip and looked around the room, meeting everyone's eyes. Finally, he spoke as he met the sect leader's eyes.

"If the Thunderous Sky Sect loses, I will quietly step down from my position."

The room fell into stunned silence at Wang Zhenwu's declaration. His calm yet unwavering gaze held the attention of every elder, including the sect leader, who now regarded him with renewed interest.

"You would stake your position, your honor, on this?" the sect leader asked slowly, his tone tinged with disbelief.

Wang Zhenwu nodded.

"Yes. If the Thunderous Sky Sect fails this trial, I will resign from my role and accept that they are beyond saving. But if they succeed, if their disciples can show even a spark of the strength they once possessed, then we will continue to support them."

The sharp-voiced elder leaned forward, smirking.

"So, you're betting your future on beggars swinging sticks? Fine. I'll gladly accept such a wager."

The elders glanced at each other with a grin. They all might oppose Wang Zhenwu but because he held his position as the oldest, the sect leader still considers his suggestions.

If Wang Zhenwu stepped down from his position in this elder council, the sect leader will be on their palms.

'Your wisdom might be so great, but you haven't thought of this thoroughly, Wang Zhenwu.'

The sect leader took a long, measured breath, eyes narrowing as he weighed Wang Zhenwu’s proposal. The tension in the room was palpable; every elder was keenly awaiting his decision.

Finally, the sect leader spoke.

"Very well, Elder Wang," he said, voice calm but carrying the finality of a decision made. "We will accept your proposition. The Thunderous Sky Sect will have their trial, and if they succeed, we will continue to support them. If they fail, you will step down as an elder."

The murmurs of satisfaction rippled through the room as the other elders exchanged smirks and knowing glances. The sharp-voiced elder sneered.

"This should be entertaining."

Wang Zhenwu, however, remained unmoved, his face a mask of determination. Deep down, he knew this trial was their last chance, and it wasn’t just the Thunderous Sky Sect’s fate that hung in the balance—it was his own.

Days passed since then and a messenger was sent to the Longquan mountains.

The messenger rode swiftly toward the Longquan mountains, the scroll bearing the Wudang Sect's seal clutched tightly in his hand.

"This must be it."

The messenger muttered to himself before approaching the wooden gate and knocking on it.

"Who is it?"

A voice came out from the other side.

"I'm sent here to deliver a message."

After a while, the gate opened, revealing In-su.

Observing the clothes the messenger wore, In-su's eyes widened.

"Wudang?!"

The messenger nodded and held the scroll outward.

"I've been sent here to deliver this message."

In-su reached out cautiously, his hand trembling slightly as he took the scroll from the Wudang messenger. He stared at the seal—an unmistakable symbol of authority from one of the Ten Great Sects. The weight of the situation sank into his mind.

"A message from Wudang..."

The messenger, sensing In-su's hesitation, nodded curtly.

"It is of great importance. Ensure this reaches your sect leader immediately."

In-su swallowed, his throat dry.

"I will."

He hurried through the courtyard, the weight of the scroll heavy in his grasp. What could the contents of this scroll be? He wanted to peek but he knew that the sect leader must be the first to bear the news.

"Sect leader!"

He called as he hurriedly rushed to the sect leader who was quietly drinking his tea in a broken cup.

"In-su? What is the matter? You've found more light orbs?"

"No, sect leader! It's a message... A message from Wudang!"

The sect leader, who was sipping his tea, choked at the word and spat out the liquid he had drank.

"Wudang?! It has been a few weeks since they reached out to us. What could they have sent us?"

The sect leader placed his cracked cup down, his expression turning serious.

"Let me see that."

In-su carefully handed over the scroll, and the sect leader broke the seal with trembling hands. He unfurled the parchment, his eyes scanning the contents rapidly. As he read, his face paled, and his grip tightened on the scroll.

In-su stood anxiously, waiting for a reaction.

"I see..."

The sect leader closed the scroll and sighed heavily.

"What is it, sect leader?" In-su asked cautiously.

The sect leader rubbed his temples before speaking.

"In exchange for their support, we must send our ten greatest disciples to Wudang and make them fight with their disciples... It's two weeks from now on..."

"W-What?! But we had just recovered our martial arts!"

"I understand... Supporting a crumbling sect will only hinder their development..."

"Gather the disciples," the sect leader finally said, his voice weary but resolute. "We must prepare..."

He knew that refusing would confirm what everyone already believed—that the Thunderous Sky Sect was finished. But accepting the challenge meant risking everything in a fight they were almost certain to lose.

"Elder Wang must have made this proposition... He had helped us for years... We can't decline."

They had recently recovered one of their lost martial arts. But, would this be enough to take on the Wudang disciples who had been training for their whole lives?

He could only hope.