No cliffhanger this time. Two shorter chapters instead this morning.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Akiza stepped out of the brushes.

"Good you came out," said the man.

"I don't know if I can trust you," said Akiza.

"Of course you can, if you're a member of West Wind Academy," said the man.

"How did you know?" Akiza asked.

"Only members of West Wind Academy can come inside the Immortal Realm," said the man. "But shouldn't you have left already?"

"My friend and I was stopped by someone who wanted to trap us here," Akiza replied.

"Oh that happens a lot," said the man. "Those people think that they can do anything when they are not on school grounds, but I know everything that goes on."

"Who are you?" Akiza asked.

"I'm Kongming, Grandmaster of West Wind Academy," the man said.

"Grandmaster?!?" said Akiza. "How come I've never seen or heard about you?"

"I don't make public appearances," Kongming said. "My job is mostly to maintain the Immortal Realm."

"But how, you don't have any Internal Energy," said Akiza.

"So you can't sense it?" Kongming asked.

"Sense what?" Akiza asked.

"Divine Energy," said Kongming.

Akiza had heard about Divine Energy from Kongming, but she had never seen or felt it. Nothing she found even had Divine Energy in it. "No, I cannot," Akiza replied.

"That's fine," said Kongming. "It took me many years to do it myself and the results are what you see here."

"You mean this dragon?" Akiza asked.

"No, I mean the Immortal Realm," Kongming said.

"I don't understand," said Akiza.

"An Immortal Realm is created as the result of someone trying to or succeeding at reaching the Immortal Stage," Kongming explained.

"You're an Immortal Stage expert?!?" Akiza said with shock. "But how did you do that without any Internal Energy?"

"Like I said, I have Divine Energy," said Kongming. "The Divine Energy begins to hide your Internal Energy because it is overwhelmed by it. Eventually, all your Internal Energy combines with Divine Energy to become a Divine version of that Energy, such as Divine Yin or Divine Elemental."

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"I see," said Akiza. "But how does that create the Immortal Realm?"

"When we meditate to become an Immortal, we are trying to find that Divine Energy," explained Kongming. "The rest of the Internal Energy we gather and find are useless, so we do not absorb it. The Internal Energy then spreads in the area around us and the environment absorbs it. That is why the Immortal Realm is rich with so much Internal Energy and why there are so many treasures here."

"No wonder there are so many treasures in the Immortal Realm," Akiza said.

"But as I promised," said Kongming as he threw the Dragon Spirit Core to Akiza. "You can have it."

"Thank you Grandmaster," said Akiza.

"Come over to my place," said Kongming. "It is much safer and I have something to show you."

"I will Grandmaster, but I have to get my friend too," said Akiza.

"Then let's go together," said Kongming.

Kongming followed Akiza to Serph.

"So this is how you survived," Kongming said while looking at how Akiza and Serph covered the cave. "Very impressive."

"Oh you're back," said Serph. "I could sense you coming."

"That means you can sense Internal Energy! That's great!" said Akiza.

"Umm.. wait I don't think so," said Serph. "I can't feel him," Serph said pointing at Kongming.

"He's the Grandmaster," said Akiza. "I can't feel him either."

"He's the Grandmaster?!?" shouted Serph. "The one who runs the school."

"I don't run it," said Kongming. "That is left to the Masters, I just handle this place."

"But how can someone who have no Internal Energy survive here?" asked Serph.

Akiza had to explain everything to Serph before he understood.

"We're going to my place," said Kongming. "Just follow me."

"Okay," Akiza and Serph said together.