Zhu Rhee crashed onto the floor mat, rolling from the force of four shadow punches. Her damaged back burned with pain upon colliding with the ground, but she made sure not to let her weakness show. She reached out a hand to pull herself to a stop.

  “You’re not done already, are you?”

  “No, Grandfather.” Rhee stood up as quickly as she could and lifted her arms into a defensive stance. She used her Shadow Forge technique to conjure two rods of darkness from her shadow. Her foe—her grandfather—stood impatiently on the other side of the training mat.

  “Good,” Zhu Yusheng grunted. “I’d hate to think your vacation left you unable to continue your training.”

  Really? Vacation?

  Rhee knew that Master Guoqiang and Physician Hui had already spoken with her grandfather about her injuries and what had happened out in the Howling Scape Forest. Heavens above, the night she’d returned, she’d immediately gone to see her parents and told them everything. Her parents were both masters at the Eight Oaths Resolve Martial School, having reached the Adept Realm. They had been concerned about their daughter’s injuries, with her father, Zhu Ning, stating that he would have words with her grandfather about postponing her training until after she had time to recover—lest her injuries worsen. The next morning, she’d received a message from her grandfather, instructing her to meet him in the 29th Training Room after breakfast. No reprieve had come.

  Rhee charged at her grandfather.

  She knew that with his meritorious body, her grandfather could easily counter any physical attack, but the terms of their sparring match were fair. The Grand Master had declared that if she could land a single blow against him, she would win the match. Additionally, he promised to restrict himself only to his darkness-aspected chakra. As for Rhee, she would only lose when she was no longer able to continue fighting.

  Upon reaching her grandfather, Rhee swung her conjured rods from different directions. As expected, Zhu Yusheng brought his arms up and conjured two forearm shields to block her attacks simultaneously.

  Try this, Grandfather!

  Using her Shadow Fist Echo technique, Rhee emitted a single large fist from her shadow and launched it at her grandfather’s chest. With his arms occupied by her earlier attack, he had no method to block her strike.

  It’ll hit!

  Right before her shadow fist could collide with Zhu Yusheng’s body, it stopped.

  “How?”

  To Rhee’s disbelief, her shadow fist had been caught in place by a second hand of shadow—this one from her grandfather’s own shadow.

  “Did you really think you’d have a tactic I hadn’t thought of already?”

  Her grandfather’s shadow hand tightened its hold over her own and crushed the fist apart.

  He can break my Shadow Fist Echo technique?

  Immediately afterward, her grandfather’s shadow fist collided with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Zhu Yusheng then knocked her rods aside, causing them to dissolve back into shadows. Showing no mercy, he kicked Rhee square in the chest, flinging her back across the mat.

  This time, Rhee didn’t have the energy to stop herself and continued rolling until she reached the end of the mat. Violent coughs escaped her as she lay on the floor, bruised and exhausted. Each breath was an effort. Her sweat-drenched hair clung to her face, bangs covering half her vision. For the past two hours, she had been fighting her grandfather—only to achieve the same result each time.

  She had to give it to him—he was careful to only bruise her in places her clothes could cover.

  Zhu Yusheng approached her until he towered over her. “Are you done?”

  Rhee pressed herself up with one hand, her arm trembling from the effort. She tried to speak, but only inaudible wheezing came out.

  Dark, critical eyes looked down on her battered form. They didn’t lack compassion; instead, they were filled with a mountain of expectation. Expectations that she didn’t know if she could live up to—or even wanted to.

  “Not yet,” Rhee eventually managed, rising shakily to her feet.

  A single nod of approval was her only response. Her grandfather extended an arm and conjured a spear from his shadow. Rhee examined it with envy. At the Initial Realm, she wasn’t able to conjure any weapon with a sufficiently sharp blade, requiring her to rely on staffs, rods, and shields. Her grandfather’s spear, however, possessed a tip as sharp as Ro Ishin’s.

  Spinning around, her grandfather walked back to his side of the mat. “Dong Jing from the Red Burning Comet Martial School is said to be quite the talent with a spear.” Once across the room, he turned to face Rhee again. “While I don’t pursue that particular dao, I should still be able to serve as ample practice for you.”

  An image of Ro Ishin appeared in Rhee’s mind.

  I wonder how he compares to Dong Jing?

  Dong Jing, herself, and Chu Winxi from the Three Blessed Petals School were all considered prodigies from their respective martial schools. Odds were that one of them would win the Exhibition Tournament.

  Rhee considered the shadow spear in her grandfather’s hand. I wish I could spar against a true spear wielder like Ro Ishin. Should I suggest training against him as practice for Dong Jing? No, Grandfather forbade me from spending any more time with him unless he joins the Tournament Team.

  “Are you just going to stand there?” her grandfather asked.

  Steadying her breathing, Rhee conjured a new rod and a forearm shield. Her best chance was to block his initial thrust and then close the remaining distance quickly. While spears provided an advantage in reach, once inside a wielder’s guard, that same reach became a disadvantage.

  Rhee advanced, ready to execute her plan. It started well enough. She successfully deflected his first thrust and was soon within striking range. What she did not expect was the Grand Master’s speed. Instead of remaining still, he leaped back to avoid her swing, retracting his spear as he did. Caught mid-swing, she was unable to adjust as he launched another thrust, this one striking her right shoulder.

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  “Ah!”

  The pressure from the strike caused her arm to go numb, her shield dissolving instantly. She nearly fell, but adjusted her footing just in time.

  Had he not blunted the spear tip, I would’ve lost an arm.

  It was an alarming thought and made her reassess him with new vigilance. I should’ve anticipated his withdrawal. That was foolish.

  Panting, she was shocked when her grandfather suddenly leapt at her, spear aimed at her stomach. She did her best to block, but it proved to be a feint. He withdrew the spear at the last second, and her block missed entirely. A second thrust came at her left shoulder, drawing another cry of pain and rendering her other arm limp. Like her shield, her rod dissolved.

  She stared back defiantly as he leveled the spear at her head. “What will you do now?”

  “Fight!”

  Four fists of darkness launched themselves at the Grand Master. Zhu Yusheng’s lips curved up ever so slightly. He spun his spear so fast it turned into a black blur. All four shadow fists were deflected with a single sweep, the technique torn apart.

  Rhee felt the tip of her grandfather’s spear beneath her chin. A trickle of sweat ran down the side of her forehead. Despite being conjured from shadow, the faux spear tip had the same cold touch as true metal.

  “Good.” Zhu Yusheng dissolved the spear.

  Rhee let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Thank you, Grandfather.”

  A waterskin appeared suddenly in his hand, summoned from his storage ring. “I was afraid you were going to surrender after your left arm was immobilized.”

  He offered the skin. Her arms still numb, Rhee conjured a shadow hand to accept it and drank greedily. She recognized the cinnamon herbal concoction as one of the school’s recovery elixirs—cheaper than a true healing elixir, it would help her muscles and meridians recover from fatigue over several hours rather than minutes.

  “Our clan’s shadow craft techniques grant us an advantage that few realize,” her grandfather said, pointing at the shadow limb she used to drink. “Most cultivators think that if they can incapacitate or restrict their opponent’s limbs, they’ll be vulnerable. With your Shadow Fist Echo technique, you don’t have that same limitation and can even surprise an overconfident adversary.”

  “I see.”

  Although, if my opponent is agile or strong enough, it won’t matter...

  “Do you think Dong Jing will be as quick with a spear as you were?”

  Her grandfather considered it for a moment. “Probably not. Despite limiting my qi cycling to that of an Initial Realm cultivator, I still possess a meritorious body. Despite my best efforts, it’s hard to compensate for the natural benefits it brings.”

  So I won’t have to worry about such quick feints, then. That’s something, I suppose.

  Again, she wished she could spar against Ro Ishin to see how quick an Initial Realm cultivator truly was.

  “You should know though—Dong Jing has reached the fifth layer.”

  Rhee’s eyes snapped to her grandfather. “He has?”

  Zhu Yusheng nodded. “My sources told me it happened last week. I only learned of it while you were in the forest.”

  Pursing her lips, she replied, “I see.”

  That would prove a problem. To the best of her school’s knowledge, none of the other participants were above the fourth layer of the Initial Realm. It was exceptionally rare for anyone twenty or younger to reach the fifth layer. What’s more, Dong Jing was only nineteen—an unheard-of feat.

  If he’s already at the fifth layer now, I can’t imagine how strong he’ll be during the tournament next year.

  “Grandfather, how did he reach the fifth layer already?”

  “According to the Red Burning Comet School’s Grand Master, through exceptional talent. However, I believe he’s recently benefitted from the use of several alchemic pills.”

  That hadn’t been what Rhee expected. While many cultivators relied on alchemic pills to boost their cultivation, large quantities of pills were expensive. Her own clan could purchase enough to enable her to reach the fifth or even sixth layer, but not without consequences. Only a clan as rich and powerful as the Kurai Clan could afford such luxury regularly.

  “Grandfather, why do you suspect he used alchemic pills?” Unlike her own clan, which governed the Eight Oaths Resolve School, the Dong Clan was a minor clan that did not control the Red Burning Comet School. Had Dong Jing not proven to be an exceptional talent, he would never have been chosen to participate in the Exhibition Tournament by his school.

  “Master Guoqing was able to locate the alchemist shop where the pills were purchased,” her grandfather explained. “Additionally, I recently learned about the Dong Clan’s arrangement with the Kurai Clan.”

  Rhee’s interest peaked.

  Within Yellow Dome City, there were five ranks among the city’s clans. The highest rank, the city’s ruling clan, was held solely by the Kurai Clan. Their clan possessed authority granted by the Provincial Lord of the entire West Falcon Province, placing them above the other regional noble clans.

  Immediately beneath the Kurai Clan were the other noble clans. Unlike their elevated peers, the noble clans primarily lived in the Eastern Quarter. The 11 noble clans were renowned for their own competitions, each hoping to ascend to the position of City Lord or Lady.

  Underneath the city nobles were several prestigious clans—clans that led the Three Martial Schools, the Righteous Mantle Sect, and the City Guard. What they lacked in title, they made up for in strength. The Zhu Clan stood amongst the prestigious clans thanks to efforts of Rhee’s ancestors.

  Below the prestigious clans were the common clans. These clans held little power on their own but were capable of raising skilled cultivators from time to time. Most of the Eastern Quarter’s residents came from these clans. The Dong Clan was one such common clan, and normally not worth the Kurai Clan’s attention.

  Lastly, there were the lesser clans—those not worth the time of either the Kurai Clan or the city’s more powerful institutions. The harsh truth was that everyone in the Western Quarter was categorized as belonging to a lesser clan.

  “What arrangement did they make, Grandfather?”

  “If Dong Jing manages to win the tournament, he’ll be allowed to marry Kurai Lan, a member of the clan’s younger generation.”

  “Really?” Rhee didn’t try to hide her disbelief.

  It was unheard of for a member of a common clan to marry into a noble clan, let alone the ruling clan. At best, most city residents could only hope to elevate their status by a single rank through marriage.

  “Apparently, the two met when Kurai Lan spent a summer training at the Red Burning Comet School. The they were said to have formed an instant connection. And thanks to Dong Jing’s remarkable talent—and Kurai Lan being from a distant branch family within the Kurai Clan—the pairing wasn’t immediately dismissed.”

  “And that’s why Dong Jing’s family invested so heavily in his cultivation this year.” It all made sense now. Even if Dong Jing only married into a distant branch of the Kurai Clan, the Dong Clan’s standing would be significantly elevated.

  “Precisely.” Zhu Yusheng’s expression turned serious as he looked her squarely in the eye. “Listen, Rhee. I’m sharing this with you for two reasons. First, so you know that there is now a cultivator at the fifth layer this year. Second, to make you aware of Dong Jing’s motivation. He’ll be extremely determined to win—and with that determination comes danger. He cannot be underestimated.”

  Rhee clenched her fists, recognizing the gravity of this development.

  No wonder Grandfather couldn’t go easy on me. He thinks I’ll lose.

  A thought occurred to her—one she couldn’t help but voice. “Grandfather, why not use alchemic pills to increase my cultivation? At least to the fifth layer?”

  He considered her question, eyes assessing her carefully. “If need be, we might. If we wanted to, we could purchase enough resources for you to reach the peak of the Initial Realm. However, even our resources have limits.” Her grandfather lifted a finger.

  “We could do that, but only once. It would strain our finances for the next two years, depriving your cousins any support. Even purchasing the pills for you to reach the fifth layer, while possible, is not cheap. After all, you only recently reached the fourth layer.

  “That makes sense,” Rhee admitted. She felt embarrassed for even broaching the idea. As long as she was with her clan and school, she couldn't be selfish.

  “For now, focus on your training and cultivation,” her grandfather instructed. “A single layer difference does not guarantee victory. We’ll rely on your skill and reassess the situation once the tournament begins.”

  Rhee bowed to the school’s Grand Master. “Understood, Grandfather.”