It took only a few minutes for Maelik to finally open his eyes. When he woke up, he quickly got to his feet, and his gaze immediately met a figure at the back of the dark cave.
’A human? An ogre? Both?’ he thought, quickly taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.
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"Finally, you’re okay..." the whale murmured, and the demon youth remained silent. "Malieka and Rhug lived their last days happily. They spent a lot of time together, stuck in that place. After they were freed, they still had many children. You don’t need to blame yourself for anything."
Maelik clenched his fists, his face twisting in anger. "You read my memories! Who do you think you are?!"
The whale snorted, and his eyes glowed a bright celestial blue. The entire cave was filled with wild winds. That night, the whole mountain seemed to radiate its own intense light.
Inside, Maelik froze, his whole body trembling. He saw the distant whale slowly rise. Behind it, the shadow of a terrible, gigantic two-headed cerberus stared at him.
"Our connection is much deeper than you think, but that’s not the point. You did well to survive; now, I found you and brought you with me."
The whale spoke, and the young man trembled from head to toe at the sight of that mythological two-headed figure. He was the one who saved his parents, and it was thanks to him that Maelik was alive today; everything he had came from him.
"I told you not to blame yourself for your parents’ death; but I didn’t say you should bow your head and accept what the heroes did at the queen’s command. Do you want revenge? Are you willing to live your whole life on the edge, one step away from death?"
The whale’s voice was like a celestial thunder in the half-demon’s ears. His wings drooped, and he immediately knelt, hitting his head on the ground.
"Sir! I’m sorry for not protecting them... I, I want to fight. My brothers are still alive; I must create a future for them. No matter the cost, I will go to the end. I promise, I won’t disappoint you."
The whale nodded, and then all the phenomena faded. "Good, I’ll give you the chance to prove your resolve."
Alm and Bruno briefly explained where he was, who the heroes were, and who the enemy he was facing was. They spent a few hours talking, and during this time, the group members came to introduce themselves.
Later, Alm and Bruno transformed him into an Empyrean; and finally, the time for the test arrived.
***
It was early morning in the central area of the Yinblood Sect, where a grand arena stood. Disciples and elders from all Fey clans had gathered, each accompanied by young Fey from their clans. Everyone was registering, ready for the disciple admission test.
This was a unique and highly significant event for the once-grand sect. All the seasoned members had somber expressions given the situation. It wasn’t the time for recruitment but rather for seeking solutions; however, they followed orders, trusting the leadership.
Suddenly, near the arena, an elder appeared through a teleportation portal. Shortly after, a gigantic figure appeared, causing all the Fey present to turn in shock.
"Is that an ogre?" whispers echoed in unison.
Immediately after, a dozen people appeared behind the giant, and he, a round and colossal figure, advanced, making the ground tremble.
"Sir," three female voices sounded in unison, approaching the humanoid whale.
Behind them, a human advanced calmly and looked at someone in the group behind the whale. Kaiyka smiled slightly, and at that affectionate smile, Venjio sighed, feeling a flutter in his chest.
"Let’s go," the whale said curtly, moving forward.
An elder designated by Mistie accompanied the whale and his group, helping to register his allies. Everyone moved as Maelik was introduced to the four. When they reached the line, the five proceeded to registration, while the elder led the whale’s group to a private area in the arena.
Everyone watched, perplexed. Who were these figures? The elder seemed extremely cautious, as if the ogre was someone of great importance.
The registrations didn’t take long since it was just the young Fey clans, totaling only a few thousand. The arena was completely packed by mid-morning when everything was concluded. A Fey elder, very similar to Mistie, appeared in the arena and announced the admission test.
"As you all know, this admission test for new disciples is special. But that doesn’t mean we’ll accept just anyone," she said, and all the seasoned members took a deep breath. "The test will be conducted in one day, divided into two stages. First, we will use the ’Field of Truth’ to test your wills. In one hour, those who remain will pass."
After the Fey elder’s announcement, the arena fell silent and somewhat tense. Most of those present were senior disciples and elders, all aware of the sect’s precarious situation, some more than others. Hearing this, everyone was astonished.
The whale and his group looked perplexed, so the elder guiding them explained: "In the central area of the sect, disciples can trade resources to enter one of the fields. One of them is designed to help disciples overcome the fear of danger and death, called the ’Field of Truth.’ It’s a place where only the youngest disciples choose to enter, but it’s definitely one of the most important for beginners. There is a cost to using the power of the fields, so the sect charges the disciples. But sending so many like this indicates that the sect is investing considerably in this test... something that shouldn’t be happening at this moment."
Alm and Bruno nodded. Mistie had placed all her bets on them and didn’t hesitate to spend the sect’s internal resources. It was an investment to have more capable disciples.
After snorting at the arena’s reaction, the Fey elder continued: "The final test will be held in this arena. It will be a fight between those of the same realm, chosen randomly. Each will fight three times, or until they achieve two victories. Anyone who loses twice will be eliminated."
She paused briefly to explain, then waved her hand, and the space in the center of the arena distorted. It was as if a window opened, allowing everyone to see a distant place: the ’Field of Truth.’
The whale’s group saw a simple meadow, covered by a dense white mist that extended for a few kilometers. All the candidates to be evaluated appeared within it. Then, the Fey elder waved her hand.
"The density of the field will be at level 10, the maximum possible. Those who remain conscious after 60 minutes will pass this first test."
The entire place trembled, and the mist became even denser, reaching an incredible level. Everyone in the arena looked at it, scared. Using the maximum level for a few minutes was astronomically costly. An entire hour? The leadership was crazy to spend so much?
The test began immediately, and within the first seconds, almost a third of the candidates fainted and were teleported out.
Those who remained sat on the ground in a meditation pose. The mist invaded their minds, creating images and illusions of their worst fears. Every few seconds, several were eliminated.
’Are those... water laws?’ Corin asked thoughtfully through the array.
’Yes,’ the whale replied calmly, and everyone listened. ’There’s a saying that wind cannot exist without movement, and water is constantly flowing and changing. The essence of water laws is this constant change; these laws can take various forms and adapt to combat. Ice, mist, and liquid are the simplest and purest forms, but each seems like a completely different law. This mist is a method to confuse and attack the mind, something that, in battle, can allow a weaker cultivator to easily defeat someone more powerful.’
Everyone understood, and the whale continued with a more straightforward explanation. The mist could be quick and fierce, like wind laws, or invade the mind and body similarly to mental powers; but in the end, it was weaker than both in comparison.
Ice can freeze, sealing enemies’ powers, while having extreme defensive power; earth laws are superior in these aspects. Meanwhile, liquid can attack in a slicing or powerful and devastating way, something that fire and lightning laws are certainly better at.
But all of this was just within a single law, and these abilities could be used together or separately, adapting to any situation. A powerful cultivator of water laws was extremely versatile, able to exploit and adapt to the enemy’s weaknesses with ease.
As they watched the people meditating with focused expressions, everyone in the arena noticed something intriguing within a few minutes. Five figures remained calm, as if they were...
"What?!" exclaimed a Fey in the arena, noticing something surprising. "That human is absorbing the mist!"
Everyone turned to the indicated human and widened their eyes. Indeed, Venjio was not only fine but was also absorbing the mist and water laws.
’He’s a water law cultivator. Very good,’ Alm and Bruno said, satisfied.
The test was almost a joke for the five new group members. Venjio stood out significantly in that environment; the others simply remained still, undisturbed.
After an hour, the end was announced. To everyone’s surprise in the arena, only a thousand people had passed. The test had been extremely harsh, with an absurd failure rate of almost 95%.
The thousand who passed were transported to the arena. It was a gigantic structure, capable of easily accommodating a hundred thousand people in its center.
The Fey elder waved her hand, and spatial runes immediately divided the center into a hundred spacious areas. She waved again, and in each of these areas, runes united at the top, forming two names.
"All those whose names are written, enter and fight. Killing is prohibited; I advise everyone to conserve as much energy as possible and seek quick victories. Those who win twice will pass; those who lose twice will be disqualified," she declared.
All whose names were written jumped into the designated areas and began fighting. The whale’s group waited while Lansha and Rivine were called to fight in the second round.
Rivine triumphed with unmatched speed, using her slender legs and wind laws in an unbeatable way. The opposing Fey had no chance, but she didn’t hurt him much.
Lansha, on the other hand, faced her opponent without drawing her weapon. When the enemy Fey attacked, her red eyes pulsed with an intense glow. She took a deep breath... then snorted, and in an instant, a wave of devastating flames enveloped the opponent.
She was a fire law cultivator, but everyone in the group who knew her was aware that her true power lay in the Yang flames of the Yangta. She controlled the flames gently, without the intent to kill; the enemy Fey expected to be burned until he could no longer fight, but the flames stopped as soon as he surrendered and dropped his weapon. The flames receded, and he escaped with few injuries.
The group watched in admiration. Lansha mastered her flames perfectly, despite being primarily a close-combat warrior. It was evident that the flames were a secondary ability, yet she was still formidable.
Next, it was Venjio and Maelik’s turn.
Venjio drew his sword and, with a smooth gesture, surrounded himself with water circulating around him. Facing a Feral Fey female slightly shorter than Kisala, she used her bloodline to the fullest, displaying terrifying speed.
However, in an instant, she was hit by a water strike and fell lightly injured. Venjio avoided using his sword, knowing he could slice the Fey in half if he did.
Maelik, on the other hand, defeated his opponent easily by flapping his wings, causing feathers to fall on a male Fey. The victory was quick and uneventful, but Alm and Bruno recognized his origins in the bestial race. Maelik had inherited from his father the blood of the Bloody Feather Sparrows, creatures known for their offensive abilities.
The Bloody Feather Sparrows could manipulate their feathers like flying blades; Maelik also had a central feather with extreme attack power. This race specialized in quick, long-distance attacks, similar to cultivators who used bows and arrows.
His bestial side perfectly complemented his otherwise mediocre combat power from his demonic bloodline. According to Mistie, the Maras had no individual attack power, were fragile and ridiculous for combat, only depending on demon allies. But Maelik possessed the offensive capability of the Bloody Feather Sparrows and could fight easily.
Finally, Nixis was the last to fight. Alm and Bruno were curious to find out what kind of power she had developed. She entered the combat area with a serious look. She, along with everyone, knew he was watching. Everyone had to show their abilities, especially their control over their powers.
When her Fey opponent roared, Nixis made a smooth gesture and something that wasn’t a weapon appeared from her spatial ring, and she held it.
Nixis floated lightly, leaving Alm and Bruno stunned. A seven-stringed zither appeared before her. Her purple dress was flowing along with her long hair; she looked like she had stepped out of a painting.
When her hands began to pluck the zither, all the energy in the world seemed to respond to her music. The sound of the zither resonated like a manifestation, filling the heavens and earth with a stream of divine music. The notes touched people’s hearts, purifying them and making them forget the desire to fight.
Nixis sighed and plucked another string. A wave of light spread out; another sound followed, and another wave spread equally fast. The two waves combined and hit the Fey opponent with impressive speed.
There was no explosion or bloodshed; he was simply thrown against the barrier, coughing up a bit of blood. It was clear that Nixis hadn’t used even 1% of her power.
"That... is the power of a... A BARD?!" murmured Bruno, shocked.
Alm ignored Bruno and responded calmly. "This is the birth of the Dao of Music... we’ve never seen anything like it before, but we provided the necessary conditions for people to develop these talents in our city. We are seeing the fruits of something rare, which almost never arises easily in the infinite universes."
Nixis won easily and left the area, then glanced at the stands and saw a round figure watching her. She let a slight smile appear on her face and clenched her fists tightly.
At the exact moment that happened, all the lights in the arena went out. In fact, all the light on the planet Gloom seemed to have been swallowed by a terrifying force. Suddenly, everything was enveloped in a grim darkness.
Alm and Bruno closed their eyes and looked up, where they saw numerous powerful auras covering the planet. They were demons.
"YINBLOOD SECT! HAND OVER THE ONE WHO BLASPHEMED AGAINST THE SHADOW GOD!!!"