The journey to the apex was a ladder with infinite steps. Stories told that cultivators lived for thousands of years. Some even claimed to be immortal.

Today, Dante did not dream of immortality. His goal was simple. He just needed to pass the trial and become a Slayer. He had to, for the sake of his family. The young cultivator was as prepared as he could be. For the past week, he had cultivated diligently, consuming all the cultivation materials he had received as a gift from his family.

So, facing the crowd, Dante felt his Qi flicker. There were so many people, so many types of Qi. The pressure in the air was tangible. It was as if, with each step, he had to pass through an invisible substance. He felt like he was in a storm.

If the cause of this was the Qi of other competitors...he knew his chances were low, but now he was becoming terrified.

Dante deepened his concentration, and sought the region of his core. The energy that hovered there gave the young cultivator reassurance. His Qi was in the purest state possible, after Dante had been cultivating for the past week with the help of his family's gift.

One thing was undeniable. His life after the trial would never be the same.

The arena in which the test would take place was circular. The building had two floors, surrounded by enormous stone walls. On the ground floor, dozens of participants waited for their long-dreamed-of chance to become Slayers. The upper floor housed the elite, the Slayers. Dante felt a sense of uneasiness rise as he looked at the cultivators. The aura emitted by the Slayers was frightening.

In the center of the arena was a circular wooden structure, raised above the ground level. Scrapes showed that the structure had long withstood the test that would ultimately determine entrance to the sect.

Cultivators with clothes adorned in blue were everywhere. Not every cultivator became a Slayer. There was no place for everyone at the top.

On the stone walls, banners marked the symbol of the sect, displaying a dragon's head with a blue stone engraved on it.

Faced with such undeniable wealth and power, Dante could not help but dream of success. His dream of becoming a Slayer was closer than ever. He was so close to finally being able to restore his clan. So close to giving Lou a real chance to become a cultivator and for Skal not to have to work incessantly.

As Dante walked to the center of the arena, he surveyed the surroundings. The attendees wore clothes of all colors. Some, like Dante, came from far away.

With quick steps, Dante made his way to the heart of the building. The closer he got, the greater the flow of people. Knowing that no one knew him calmed the cultivator. The ignorance of his abilities by others was one card up Dante's sleeve.

With a shrill sound, stairs came down from the raised platform. Dante felt the use of Qi, allowing the wooden steps to multiply until they hit the ground. At the end, several staircases formed, each leading to one end of the platform. A slayer waited at the entrance of each of the paths.

"All right, everyone. All eyes on me now." A stout-looking man appeared above the platforms. Beyond his alien musculature, the man held a look of authority. From his look and strength of his aura, he was certainly a Gold level cultivator at least. Perhaps even stronger.

"Today, as you all should know, there will be a trial to recruit Slayer disciples. If you pass the first phase, we will take you to one of the Sapphire Sects schools. You don't have to be a Slayer to be a cultivator. But frankly, it is much easier to be a cultivator having resources at your disposal. To be sponsored by our institution means to have resources. It means having agency."

Dante's full attention was on the Slayer's words. He was unaware of the details about the path to becoming a slayer. He had no money to buy such information.

"The trial will be one-on-one. Each of you will get a chance, so take your time. Remember, we conduct the test every year. Don't see the potential failure as something permanent, but as only one more obstacle on the way. Heaven smiles on the most faithful. Good luck to all," the man said, as he stared at the crowd. "You'll need it."

Dante felt an immense pressure coming from the cultivator. Gathering a yellow aura around his body, the Slayer formed two large wings on his back, like those of an eagle. Effortlessly, he jumped up and disappeared from sight. Dante was speechless. After so long, he had seen an Oversoul. A real Oversoul, from someone who had mastered a monster core.

Oversoul was the technique that leveled the fight between cultivators and monsters. It meant mastering the Monster Core, and absorbing physical characteristics of the monster present there. It was what differentiated the pretend cultivators from the real ones.

Like mice looking for cheese, the disciples went to the lines, eager for the test. Eager for the opportunity that could lead to power, glory, and wealth. To be a Slayer was every young cultivator's dream. And now, everyone there would have a chance.

As the people went to the rows, Dante noticed that the diversity went far beyond the variety of clothing or skin color. There were manifestations of Qi of all kinds and colors. Sparks flickered in the air, a rainbow of colors that made Dante's eyes burn.

Dante went to one of the nearest rows. Since he didn't know anyone, any would suffice. The cultivator closed his eyes and visualized the region of his core. The flow of Qi calmed his body. It was easy to notice that the aura of the environment was chaotic, with a cacophony of energies competing for the ambient Qi.

Joining one of the great sects was a guarantee of a resourceful life. Even if the Sapphire sect was not as famous as Diamond, or as feared as Onyx, prestige rewarded the cultivators who became Slayers. For Dante, this was just one more reason why he couldn't fail. The choice for the Sapphire Sect was, above all, rational. Limited funds would not allow Dante to go very far to hold the trial, and the Sapphire Sect arena was the closest located.

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It didn't take long for the first candidates to make their way up the stairs. Determined to absorb as much information as possible, Dante stared at the platforms closest to where he was standing.

A dark-skinned boy with oddly shaped hair was climbing the steps confidently. Dante thought he saw some kind of green aura, but he wasn't sure.

"Candidate, demonstrate your skill by using your best technique against the orb. The evaluation will consider all aspects of your performance. There will be no second chances." The mysterious voice seemed to have come from within the arena itself. Before long, a small dome of energy cut the air around the boy.

Observing the rest of the arena, Dante noticed that other domes also formed guarded areas around the other candidates. On each platform, Dante could see a gemstone, which flickered with Qi. Although blue like a sapphire, a steady flow of Qi formed an aura around it.

The first candidate, who was now protected by the Qi dome, did not seem surprised. He bent down as if to stretch his legs, and after a few seconds, jumped. When his legs parted from the ground, Dante saw that an earth-colored aura engulfed the boy's legs. Now, there was no doubt about it. The participant used earth Qi.

The cultivator stretched his hands forward, stopping in mid-air. It didn't take long for the force of gravity to act. This time, however, the greenish Qi concentrated on the boy's arms.

The cultivator descended like a green comet, tearing through the sky with great speed.

When the attack hit the orb, Dante strangely heard no sound, nor did he feel any pressure. Attacks imbued with Qi usually could be felt by those in the vicinity. It was as if the artifact had absorbed the power of the technique.

For a few seconds, tension hung in the air. The energy orbiting above the gemstone flickered, as if it were reorganizing itself. After a few more moments, the silence ended. The words appeared above the gem, in the air.

"Congratulations, candidate Yajeel. You have reached the cut-off. Proceed to the sapphire booth," said the scary voice.

Dante looked at the boy using green Qi, amazed. He had a funny topknot and green hair. Yet, faced with his showed ability, Dante felt only jealousy. He knew his limits, and was afraid he wouldn't make it.

"Adequate?! That was fantastic!" shouted a short boy in front of Dante.

"Fantastic, Asta, really? Only if by a Bronze," said a blonde-haired woman.

"Don't be jealous, Nadia, I'm sure with a little luck you'll get there too," Asta retorted.

"I find it hard to fail with that amount of Qi," said Dante. The cultivator had succeeded, but Dante could clearly see flaws in his technique. One privilege of watching others fight for so long was that Dante could identify the quality of the techniques.

With a shrug, they returned their focus to the arena when it was the next cultivator's turn.

The next candidate was a young cultivator with a shiny bald head. Although he displayed less raw power than the other participant, the technique seemed more elegant. The cultivator attacked the gem with a large ice spike.

"Congratulations, candidate Hector. You have reached the cut-off. Proceed to the sapphire booth," said the mysterious voice again.

The line was getting smaller, and Dante was getting more nervous by the second. He took a deep breath and tried to internalize his core, feeling the energy floating there. Feeling his Qi always calmed him down.

Asta and Nadia passed the test without difficulty. Nadia used a blow imbued with a pink Qi– which Dante had never seen–while Asta used his fists embedded in a kind of blue flame. Both of them waved at Dante as they walked down the stairs.

When he reached the stairs, a presence startled him.

"Hey, kid," said Marco, the man from the night before.

The cultivator was wearing the same clothes. A large kimono housed the elder's muscles.

"What? Why didn't you tell me you were a Slayer?" asked Dante, incredulous.

"You didn't ask," said Marco, laughing uncontrollably. Worrying about other people's reactions was not his strong suit. "Good luck, kid. Remember, stay calm. Give it your all, remembering that losing isn't the end of the world. It makes it easier to move on without the weight of responsibility."

Dante thanked him, and moved on. He was confused, but he couldn't shift his focus now. After a few more participants, Dante's turn had finally come.

As he climbed the stairs, he looked more closely at the platform. His hands were shaking. When he reached the stage, he felt a sudden change of energy. The orb of Qi seemed alive, flickering with sapphire blue energy.

"Candidate, demonstrate your skill by using your best technique against the orb. The evaluation will consider all aspects of your performance. There will be no second chances," said the mysterious voice once again. Now that he was closer, Dante wondered what the gemstone was. Theoretically, it should be an artifact–certainly powerful–but the aura it emitted was different. It was like Qi, but along with something...more.

The sensation was like when Dante first held his Monster Core in his hands. An artifact was an object imbued with Qi, but both the sapphire gemstone and the core seemed to govern Qi strangely.

Dante left the questions for later. Now it was time for action.

He looked at the energy orb, which flickered Qi like a charged cloud flickered thunder. The cultivator cried out for help from his Core, for help from his Flaming Falcon. A flow of red energy took over the Dante's meridians, giving him needed strength.

He visualized his technique. During the entire week, Dante trained incessantly. Just as in training, Dante assumed a combat stance and closed his eyes. Internalizing his senses, he visualized Qi flowing through his meridians. Bound by the cultivator's willpower, the Qi flowed into Dante's hands like a stream.

Dante opened his eyes. His hands were glowing a crimson color, ready to be used. He picked up momentum on the ground, and leaped toward the enemy. At that moment, all of Dante's memories surfaced, serving as fuel for the cultivator technique. Dante brought both hands forward, releasing all the Qi he had accumulated. After the attack, he was afraid to look at the target. Exhausted, he had given it his all. That would have to have been enough.

When he lifted his head, a somber countenance took over the cultivator. The orb had already absorbed his attack. There was no more red energy in sight. Now, he was at the mercy of the unknown.

"The heavens love the devotees. You have heard those words from Slayer, haven't you?"

The voice caught Dante by surprise. He looked around, trying to locate the caller, but without success. The orb of energy flickered, almost as if it were watching him.

Not knowing what to do, Dante answered. "I heard it. Not for the first time, either. But it's not like I could believe it. No matter how much I ask the heavens, I have never experienced divine providence. Only tribulations."

"Then bear witness, child, that from now on I shall be your God."

The sphere of Qi leaped out of place, heading straight for Dante. Before the cultivator could react, tentacles of energy embraced his entire body, rendering him immobile. That Qi was unlike anything Dante had seen before. His skin generated static energy while in contact with the external life force.

"You asked, I answered. Power, strength, freedom. Before, you looked at the sky from your bedroom window. Now you will have the stars within your reach."

Dante didn't know what to do. The disciples outside were ignoring him, as if they couldn't see what was happening. Maybe those were the consequences for those who had failed.

Dozens of sapphire blue tentacles came out of the object and headed toward Dante. When the energy beams contacted his skin, he felt as if something sharp was cutting into his chest. He tried to resist, but his attempts soon proved ineffective.

The sapphire tentacles glowed. When the Qi was so strong that it was tangible, Dante felt an overwhelming pressure invading the region of his chest.

"Don't be afraid, disciple. This is only the beginning of your path of pain."

Dante tried to regain his senses, but the pain was winning. Unsuccessfully, he fell into the sweet arms of sleep.