After quickly changing into a fresh set of robes and putting away his spear, Ishin journeyed to the front gate of the Eight Oaths Resolve School. Bo was already there waiting for him, and a few minutes later, Rhee appeared. Ishin noticed she wore sapphire earrings—an accessory he had never seen before.

  “I’m glad we’re all here,” Rhee said upon seeing her friends. She peered up at the sky. “If we hurry, I think we can be back in time for dinner.”

  “I’ll have to pass,” Bo said. “My uncle is in town, so my family is throwing a celebratory dinner tonight.”

  Rhee’s expression didn’t falter. “Very well.” She turned to Ishin. “Just you and me again, then.”

  Ishin offered a reassuring smile. “That sounds great.”

  Over the last week, Ishin had discovered that while Bo and Lei lived with their families elsewhere in the Western Quarter, Rhee lived at the Eight Oaths Resolve School like him. Since her parents were both masters at the school, her entire family resided in quarters reserved for staff. As a result, Ishin and Rhee had shared multiple meals together without Bo and Lei.

  At first, Ishin had felt awkward during their private meals—mainly because of his attraction to the team captain. But over time, he’d grown used to conversing with her and had come to view her as a genuine friend. In turn, Rhee had shown him an authenticity he realized she sometimes kept hidden from their other team members. Being an outsider, Ishin was someone she could share her true thoughts with—without bearing the weight of being the prodigy of the school and the Zhu Clan.

  “Let’s hurry, then,” Rhee insisted. “Bo, would you mind leading the way?”

  “Sure.” The older disciple began leading the group southeast.

  Despite the late afternoon hour, the streets were still alive with activity. Residents bustled about on errands, vendors hawked wares at their stalls, and Ishin noticed other young disciples in robes of various colors. A squad of city guards ran down the street, prompting pedestrians to step aside, as a large golden and silver structure soared overhead. Ishin recognized it as a sky chariot. He wondered what it would be like to fly through the air in one.

  “Have you ever been in one of those?” he asked Bo and Rhee as they walked.

  Bo shook his head. “Never.”

  “Me neither,” Rhee replied.

  “Really?” Ishin had expected Rhee to have flown in one, given the prominence of her clan.

  One of Rhee’s eyebrows lifted at his obvious surprise. “You’re that shocked I haven’t?”

  Ishin’s mouth felt dry. “I just thought, given your clan’s prominence, that you would have,” he said awkwardly.

  A cute laugh escaped Rhee. “We’re not that rich.”

  Bo coughed from ahead of them.

  Rolling her eyes, Rhee added, “Don’t get me wrong. We aren’t poor by any means and are one of the prestigious clans—but still…” She looked back up at the sky chariot as it began its descent somewhere in the Northern Quarter. “Typically, only the noble clans and the Righteous Mantle Sect can afford to travel in one.”

  “So the person inside that one is from a noble clan?” Ishin asked as they continued walking southward.

  “I think it was the representative from the Radiant Spear Sect,” Bo answered, glancing over his shoulder.

  “Probably,” Rhee agreed.

  “How can you tell?” Ishin asked.

  “The colors,” Bo replied. “That sect’s colors are gold and silver.”

  Ishin considered that. That makes sense. I’ll need to remember the colors of the relevant factions in the city and province. “I see.”

  “There’s no way you would’ve known that,” Rhee said reassuringly. “You’re new here.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not embarrassed,” Ishin said. “It’s just good to know. Are there any other prominent groups with distinctive colors I should be aware of?”

  Rhee started listing them, counting on her fingers as they walked.

  “The Righteous Mantle Sect traditionally wears blue and purple. The Sea Farer Sect wears blue and green. The Flame Devil Sect wears red and orange. The Void Wrath Sect, who never participates in the Exhibition Tournament but is worth knowing about, wears black and white.”

  She took a breath before continuing.

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  “Then there are the three martial schools. We, of course, wear blue and orange. The Three Blessed Petal School wears green and yellow. The Red Burning Comet School wears orange and red robes.”

  “Try not to confuse the Red Burning Comet School disciples with those of the Flame Devil Sect,” Bo added. “They look similar, but the Comet School robes are more prominently orange.”

  “That’s not confusing at all,” Ishin remarked.

  “It’s very confusing,” Rhee replied. “But what can we do?”

  “So the Red Burning Comet School and the Flame Devil Sect look similar…” It was a lot to keep track of, but Ishin was glad to learn it all before the tournament next week. It would be bad if I accidentally offended someone from one of the Notable Sects. If I ever want to avenge my mother and travel to Spear Shore, I’ll probably need to join one of them.

  “Any others I need to know about?”

  “There’s the Kurai Clan,” Rhee said after thinking. “Their colors are yellow and white.”

  Having been so focused on the martial schools, Ishin had forgotten about the noble clans’ role in the tournament. “Does the Kurai Clan field a team?”

  “They don’t. Neither do any of the other noble clans—unless they have members enrolled in one of the martial schools.”

  “The tournament is a way for commoners to showcase their talents while the noble clans watch,” Bo explained. “If a competitor proves themselves, a noble clan might recruit them as a servant. That’s about it.”

  “Or try to marry the victor to a distant relative,” Rhee added sourly.

  Bo glanced back at her. “What do you mean?”

  “My grandfather told me that Dong Jing of the Red Burning Comet School has been promised marriage into the Kurai Clan if he wins.”

  Bo stopped in his tracks. “Truly?”

  Ishin looked between them. “Is that important?”

  “It’s unprecedented,” Bo said.

  “More importantly for us,” Rhee added, “his clan helped him reach the fifth layer just for this year’s tournament.”

  Fifth layer!

  Bo frowned. “That’s… unfortunate.”

  Ishin examined his friends with his third eye. Both seemed to be midway through the fourth layer.

  “Do you think you can beat him?” he asked both of them.

  “I don’t know,” Rhee answered honestly. She began walking again, prompting the others to follow. Ishin didn’t know how she knew which direction to go, but he didn’t question her. “We’ll find a way,” she added. “We have to.”

  “The number of layers doesn’t always decide the outcome,” Bo explained. He smoothly stepped ahead. “We need to go this way,” he said, pointing left down another street.

  Rhee let him take the lead again. “True, but I’ve seen Dong Jing fight. He was formidable six months ago. I’m sure he’s only gotten stronger.”

  “What type of Immortal Path does he walk?” Ishin asked.

  “He’s primarily a… spear… cultivator…” Rhee trailed off.

  Ishin turned toward her, noticing her sudden hesitation. She stood frozen, staring down at her shadow. “What’s wrong, Rhee?”

  Hearing him, Bo stopped too.

  “Something’s wrong,” Rhee murmured.

  “What do you mean?” Ishin followed her gaze. His eyes widened. Her shadow was shaking.

  Looking down at his own, he saw the same thing.

  “What is going on?” Bo asked. He had seen it, too.

  Ishin watched in stunned silence as his shadow stretched northwest—then, without warning, was ripped away and pulled skyward.

  Across the city, countless other shadows did the same, including Rhee’s and Bo’s. The entire city fell silent as all eyes turned upward, watching the shadows merge into a massive black mass.

  Over the next sixty seconds, the mass morphed into a single enormous black sword of darkness, floating high above the city.

  It has to be over a hundred feet long. How… what… who in the world is doing this?

  He glanced at his companions. Bo stared upward in disbelief. Rhee, however, wore a different expression—one of awe.

  “I want that,” Ishin heard her whisper.

  Silently, the dark blade drifted westward. After a few minutes, it halted, adjusted its angle—then launched away at incredible speed.

  Ishin heard the impact at the same time he felt it. The distant sound of crumbling stone and crashing rubble echoed through the city as the ground beneath his feet trembled. A dust storm raced down the streets, accompanied by the panicked screams of tens of thousands.

  He covered his face. “Rhee!” he called, coughing. “Bo!”

  “Here!” Rhee shouted from within the haze.

  “Me too!” Bo replied.

  A second gust swept through the city, clearing the dust. Ishin opened his eyes—his friends were safe. The crowd around them buzzed with alarm and fear.

  “Our shadows are back,” Rhee said, looking down.

  Ishin saw his had returned, too.

  Bo ran over. “Are you two alright?”

  “Yes,” Ishin said. “But what was that?”

  Before Bo could reply, a gentle breeze carried a powerful voice through the city.

  “Attention Yellow Dome City! I am Lady Kurai Xue. Hear my decree. Do not be alarmed. What you just witnessed was an authorized strike against the criminal organization known as the Iron Mantis.

  “All residents will immediately return to their homes and remain inside for the remainder of the day. The Western Quarter is off limits. Any attempts to enter will be met with severe punishment by the City Guard.”

  The wind and the voice faded.

  Ishin looked around. Though concern lingered in their eyes, the people were calming, speaking now in hushed tones.

  “We better head back,” Rhee said. “Bo, I take it you’re going straight home too?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I need to check in on my family. I’ll stop by the school tomorrow unless something comes up.”

  “I understand. Please wish them my best.” Rhee grabbed Ishin’s arm. “We need to hurry back.”

  Ishin quickly bid Bo goodbye before allowing himself to be tugged away. “What was that?”

  Rhee kept her eyes forward as they pushed through the frantic streets. “I don’t know!” she shouted over the clamor. “But whoever did that… they’re definitely above the Merit Realm!”