Once a year, the path to the Immortal Realm is opened at the West Wind Academy. It was created by the Immortal who founded the school many years ago. Within the Realm lies may treasures, but there is a limited amount of time that one can spend inside it. That time is when the fog within the Realm lifts.

"I can't believe it is finally time for the Immortal Realm to open," said Serph.

"What is so great about the Immortal Realm?" asked Akiza.

"The Immortal Realm is rich with Internal Energy and numerous valuable plants and elixirs can be obtained," explained Serph. "The school relies on these to make the elixirs needed to improve the cultivation and development of students. A single elixir can be worth hundreds of gold!"

"We must go!" said Akiza.

"All students can enter," said Serph. "But it is dangerous in there."

"It is worth the risk," said Akiza.

"Will you work with me?" asked Serph. "We should team up in case someone attacks us."

"We can fight each other in the Immortal Realm?" asked Akiza.

"While we are there, we are cut off from the school," explained Serph. "Some people take advantage of this chance to get rid of people they do not like or people they have a disagreement with."

All students of West Wind Academy were called to the center of campus early in the morning. There were many people. The Ten Masters of the school were all gathered today to make an announcement about the Immortal Realm. There were also about fifty other people. Akiza recognized one as Cixi. The others were all Senior Disciples.

"Today is the day the Immortal Realm will open!" Master Pai Mei announced. "For a short period of time, the Immortal Realm is safe for all of you to enter. Take this chance to get as many cultivating resources as you can, but you must return before the fog returns and be careful of the monsters that roam. Weapons will be allowed on campus, but you are not allowed to fight anyone with them while you are here."

"Why must we return before the fog returns?" asked Akiza.

"It is believed that when the fog lifts, the strongest creatures within the Immortal Realm are in hiding," Serph explained. "When the fog returns, so do the strongest monsters, and you will be stuck in there as well."

"Stuck?" Akiza said with shocked. "We can never leave?!?"

"You have to wait until another person opens a Gate into the Immortal Realm, which is done once a year when the fog has lifted," said Serph.

"Students will be entering from the most senior to the most junior," Master Pai Mei continued. "Senior Disciples will go in first to make sure it is safe, then the Juniors, then Apprentices."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"So we go last," Akiza said.

"Do not forget, you must return, before the fog lifts," Master Pai Mei announced. "You have until sundown to get ready. At night, we start going in."

Akiza and Serph took what supplies they could. Serph had a storage ring and took a sword with him along with some medicine for injuries.

"You're not bringing a weapon?" Serph asked.

"I told you I don't use one," Akiza replied.

"At least bring medicine, there's such a thing as being overconfident," Serph countered.

"I have medicine," said Akiza.

"But you don't have a ring, how do you carry it?" Serph asked.

Akiza removed a River Spirit Grass from her Dantian to show Serph. "See," see said.

"How?" Serph was surprised.

"That's a secret," said Akiza.

Serph took some extra swords in his ring, just in case.

The two ate together before heading to the center of the school again. There was something new. On the stage where the Ten Masters were, there was a large pool of silver water. It was a Gate. Someone in the school had created a Gate to the Immortal Realm. This was probably how others could not get in. It required someone skilled enough to make one and to know where to send people.

Akiza watched as a few of the Senior Disciples started going in. Then the Junior Disciples went in. Finally, it was their turn, the Apprentices. Akiza and Serph stepped into it along with several other disciples.

It Immortal Realm was a forest! The sky was grey and in the far distance, they could see a haze of grey, it was fog. However, they could still see a far distance away. Akiza could feel the strong Internal Energy present in the area. It was much stronger than where she stayed to train with Akira. There were powerful Internal Energy sources in every direction. This was the Immortal Realm filled with treasure!

Many of the Apprentices started running off in random directions. Some were putting random things into their storage rings. In order to make the most use of this place, you had to be able to sense Internal Energy.

"Where do we go?" asked Akiza.

"I don't know, I can't sense Internal Energy," said Serph.

"I can," said Akiza.

"Really?" said Serph with surprise. "You're full of tricks."

"It was one of the first things I learned, isn't it basic knowledge?" asked Akiza.

"It is difficult for people to sense Internal Energy and requires practice to tell where it comes from, it takes a long amount of time that I have not had to train it," Serph explained.

"Let's head for the strongest one then," said Akiza.