Ren stood beside his friends as they waited for the comet to approach the moon. The brilliant streak of red had blazed a path across the sky, visible even during the day. Now the moon was rising, and the hour drew close.

  They were close to the rear of the large crowd. Amongst the last to become inner sect disciples, they had been stationed by strength and seniority. Only qi-gathering realm disciples were behind them.

  Xi Yuan should be somewhere in the front. Surrounded by her doting senior brothers and sisters. She had come to wish him well but had to return to her place soon after. Beside him, a pale and wan Bao Hua asked him, “What’s the deal with you and that little sister? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry when you become so meek in front of her. Were you two engaged or something?”

  Mei Ling overheard and began teasing him as well. “I’ve noticed that too! Like a fish amongst dragons. A broken engagement would explain it! How scandalous!”

  He knew his friends were just anxious and joking to lighten the mood, but he needed to make sure they didn’t accidentally spread rumors.

  “Hey! Don’t just make up stories! Our families are friends, and we just grew up together as friends," Ren protested.

  He refrained from mentioning that they might have been engaged if circumstances had been different. But the Zhao family’s halcyon days were past, and his family knew their place. His defense even felt nostalgic, as he hadn’t used it in a very long time.

  He was used to being called a toad lusting after swan meat many times in the past for just this reason. He had picked many fights and, as a young master, slapped plenty of faces to defend his pride. Until one day, some fool said something, but this time, Ren was beaten instead. Xi Yuan had happened on the scene where he lay with a smashed limb. That was the day I learned what true genius was and his ego had been pulped. Like that other boy’s body had been.

  He still vividly recalled the scene where the tiny and delicate girl, two years his junior, turned towards him, blood flecking her smiling porcelain face, almost as if seeking his approval. Recalling the incident had never failed to make him shiver. The look of the boy’s parents, filled with grief and hate as they sought revenge at the Zhao family compound, had been unforgettable. They were promptly beaten and thrown out by Xi Yuan’s guardian. This was considered just in the martial world, where strength trumped all and where the Xi family was untouchable.

  As a young Zhao Ren watched those parents swallow their hate helplessly, he felt the ache of his broken arm pale in comparison to their pain. Since then, he had sworn to change. He learned that insults were harmless and slapping faces wasn’t fun when you knew the person behind it had feelings and a life of their own. That defining moment had changed the course of his life.

  “The Xi family ancestor was supposedly friends with my ancestor. But they thrived, and our family didn’t. She’s just my little sister now.”

  Feeling that he may have brought the mood down too much, he instead teased them back, “With how quickly you jumped to fiancés, you two must have matches of your own! Do tell!”

  Mei Ling, caught off guard, sputtered, “I did, but it was called off once I was found to have spirit roots. It was fortunate. He was a brat. My parents had been considering it because it would have been beneficial for the family business, but even they had started to dislike the boy in time. But his parents agreed to break the contract in exchange for some other benefits.”

  She looked a little embarrassed as though she had shared more than she intended.

  They simultaneously looked at Bao Hua. He just smiled and shook his head.

  “Who would want to marry the second son of a poor farmer? I was just lucky that cultivator happened to pass by our village and found me. Now I can make sure that my family and all my younger siblings are well taken care of.”

  Hearing that, Ren resolved to make sure his friend survived the trial. Mei Ling had broken through smoothly, condensing 9 drops since Ren had managed to warn them both before they went into seclusion. But Bao Hua had finished not 2 days ago with 8 drops, and his dantian was still damaged. Knowing that the start of the trial was expected to be the most dangerous as they faced the unknown, the two of them had decided to guard Bao Hua until he could stabilize his foundation. They may lose out on some benefits, but that was completely acceptable.

  As they charged past the trees and the corpses of decimated beasts, weapons in hand, the moon grew increasingly red. The dim red glow was reflecting through the mist that had started to rise. As they advanced, Ren realized it was no ordinary mist, and the blood-colored haze kept getting thicker. The three of them drew closer and advanced more cautiously. It had become difficult to discern anything more than a hand's length away.

  The sounds were muffled so they could barely hear the cultivators around them, and the atmosphere grew more oppressive and grim. Even his improved qi sense failed to penetrate far. They huddled close, and their advance slowed considerably. After an unknown amount of time had passed, the haze started to thin. There was nobody else around them.

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

  The disciples had been warned about such a possibility. This was indeed a subspace, a lower dimension that followed different rules of space and time. It might have scattered them as part of the trial’s initial stage to prevent them from forming large groups. Even the rules of how time passed were different in lower dimensions.

  Ren only knew what little the sect elders had warned them about. These differences also made the whole dimension more fragile, which is why higher realm cultivators couldn’t enter without destabilizing it. Cultivators used that flaw as a way to ensure their inheritances weren’t robbed by the powerful. The elders could only clear the way and couldn’t enter to protect their charges.

  As the haze thinned further, they realized that there were signs of battle all around them. Corpses of large four-legged hyena-like beasts with dark red fur were everywhere. Occasionally there was an unmoving form of a cultivator. They could tell from the robes that the Hidden Sea sect had taken the worst of it despite their lesser numbers, but the other sects had also seen losses. Ren turned away, hoping he didn’t see anyone he recognized.

  If it had been them that had been charged when they could barely see, Ren knew how unlikely it would be that they survived. This time it had been the senior disciples who had borne the brunt of the damage. But they hadn’t lingered around to wait for others. They would have been charging towards the inner regions, where the best rewards tended to be found.

  The trio kept quiet in case more of the beasts were around and began moving forward. The trees around them were twisted and strange with red leaves. The undergrowth was full of unfamiliar plants. Sounds were still muffled, but they could hear eerie wails from time to time. It didn’t sound like a human, and they knew better than to approach unfamiliar sounds.

  Their goal for the initial stage was to find a safe place in the outer regions and set up defenses. That way, Bao Hua could stabilize in relative safety, and the other two could gain bearings. If the outer regions were too tame or the treasures were too sparse, then they would move further inwards. If the outer regions were too dangerous, then they wouldn’t carelessly risk their lives for unknown rewards and focus on making it back alive.

  The forest surrounding them thinned, and they eventually made it out. The landscape was still covered by a thin haze restricting their sight and qi senses. The little sky they could make out above them was full of roiling red clouds. The terrain was rocky and seemed to slope upwards as though they were on the side of a mountain.

  With a few whispered words and gestures, they decided to skirt the sides and explore their surroundings first before making camp. After a while as they scaled the increasingly rocky terrain, a large hyena sprang toward them from a short distance before them. It was almost as if it had swum through the rocks!

  Used to fighting together, they only hesitated for a single breath before taking positions. Bao Hua would normally be the vanguard, but they had agreed to temporarily let Ren take the front. Unsure of the beast's strength, he acted defensively, letting Mei Ling focus on attacking.

  Ren’s blood was pumping furiously as he fended off the claws with his sword, interrupting its lunges with well-timed throws of small throwing knives. He had forged them himself and knew their balance well. Behind him, Mei Ling threw two needles and then used her whip to open large cuts on its flanks. The slavering beast grew frustrated, and its swipes became more frenzied, but it was also weakening.

  Just as Ren was sure they would win, Bao Hua called out a warning. He had been watching their surroundings for any more ambushes, and he spotted another of the beasts charging their way.

  “I’ll handle this one, Ling! Buy me some time!”

  She ran back with a nod. Ren faced down the beast before him. It was strong, but it definitely wasn’t at the foundation stage. Also whatever poison Mei’s needles had inflicted on it was definitely having an effect. He shouted out his observation so Mei Ling could adapt to the next foe.

  Needing to finish it quickly, he used an earth striding leap to jump to its flank and sunk his blade deep into its side. The technique felt completely different when he powered it with the more dense liquid qi. He could activate it faster and more efficiently. He even gained more control over the distance and could chain a few leaps together. A few moments later the beast sank to its feet, and he ran towards the second beast. Bao Hua noticed him and fell back to once again watch their surroundings. The beast had already been poisoned, and Mei Ling had managed a lucky strike at its hind leg.

  The lamed beast was far easier to dodge, and they slew it quickly. They paused to catch their breaths and then looked around to see if the noises of their battle had brought unwanted attention. Once they judged they were clear, Ren retrieved his knives and tried to find the beast cores to harvest. Most beast cores were found in either the heart or the head.

  After retrieving the two cores, they briefly exchanged their insights from the battle. Ren pointed out that once lame, the beasts couldn’t lunge well and were easier to finish off. Bao Hua noted that the beasts were protective of their eyes and avoided those attacks the most. They shouldn’t waste their attacks on a well-defended weakness.

  Mei Ling pointed out that she needed to use more poison or use a different one. She had brought a large stock, but it was still limited. They had no idea how long the inheritance trial would last. It could go on for months. They would have to adapt to their surroundings and replace their supplies.

  From their inspection of the cores, they could tell the beasts had a blood attribute, and their meat was likely edible, but Ren insisted on some tests first. Overall they had performed well, and the beasts weren’t beyond their means. The smiles were starting to break out. If they hunted just these beasts in their time here, then they would still earn plenty.

  Just then Ren remembered how the first blood beast had appeared almost as if from the rock and went to examine the area. Hidden behind a ridge of rock was a thin but deep cave opening. His discovery led to him calling out to the others.

  They had a short discussion about whether they should explore the cave or their surroundings first. They needed to understand more about where they were before they went hunting for treasures. They took the leap to explore the cave before them. They had most likely already slain the beast that called the cave home, and most importantly, it could serve as a defensible location to let Bao Hua stabilize his cultivation.

  They entered the dimly lit cave and were instantly rewarded for their decision.