Chapter 39: The Four Courts Of The Sect
The sharp, sterile scent of crushed Blood leaf herbs was the first thing that drifted into Evan’s consciousness.
Slowly, agonizingly, his eyelids fluttered open.
The glaring, sun drenched arena sand was gone, replaced by the soft, whitewashed ceiling of the academy’s primary healer house.
He tried to sit up, but a fierce, white-hot spike of pain shot directly through his sternum, forcing a sharp gasp from his throat.
His chest was tightly wrapped in thick, linen bandages layered with cooling medicinal pastes.
As his vision cleared, he glanced toward the side of his bed. A faint, tired smile touched his lips at the sight.
Two wooden chairs had been pulled close to his mattress. Santiago and Hannah were fast asleep. Hannah’s head was resting softly on Santiago’s shoulder, her breathing light and even, while Santiago sat remarkably upright.
The fierce, terrifying cultivators who had just braved the blood arena looked incredibly human, completely worn out from days of constant vigil.
The rustle of Evan’s bed sheets broke the silence.
Santiago’s eyes snapped open instantly, his sharp gaze locking onto Evan. The movement gently woke Hannah, who blinked sleepily before her eyes widened in pure relief.
’Evan! You’re finally awake!’ she whispered loudly, sitting up quickly.
’Keep your voice down, Hannah, this is a hall of healing,’ Santiago chided softly, though the immense weight lifting off his own shoulders was visible in his posture.
He leaned closer to the bed.
’How is your aperture?’
’Like it was trampled by a charging bull,’ Evan rasped, his voice dry and hollow.
He looked at them, his dark eyes focusing.
’How long was I out?’
’Seven days,’ Hannah said, her face turning serious.
’Seven whole days, Evan. You had us terrified. Bruce’s final stomp completely fractured your sternum and disrupted your Qi flow. The head healers had to use three different Healer path worms just to stitch your internal vessels back together.’
Evan let out a weak grunt, memories of the mechanical system warnings flashing in his mind. He had failed the quest, and his strength had been thoroughly turned against him.
’The tournament... it’s over, then?’
Santiago nodded, a proud, stoic expression returning to his face.
’It is. The selection concluded three days ago. Only three people from our entire batch managed to successfully advance to the prestigious rank of Outer Disciples.’ Santiago paused, his eyes flashing with dark pride.
’Those three... are Hannah, myself, and Bruce.’
Evan looked at Hannah, a brow raised in genuine respect.
’You made it.’
’Barely,’ Hannah sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.
’After you fell, the matches got chaotic. But honestly, you should know about Bruce. He didn’t gloat after your match, Evan. In fact, in the First Court, he openly expressed his admiration for you. He told the people he had never seen a fledgling with a resolve like yours, to look into the eyes of a monster holding all your strength and still strike from the shadows. He said he genuinely looks forward to working with you when you inevitably climb to becoming an Outer Disciple, he left the academy killing streak of his in your respect, after being in the academy for five years... he chose this one out of respect.’
Evan remained silent, processing the strange sportsmanship of Bruce. He was a beast, but a beast with a code.
’And what about your match, Santiago?’ Evan asked, turning his gaze to the young noble.
’Who did you have to go through?’
Santiago’s face darkened slightly, his fingers unconsciously tracing his own knees beneath his robes.
’My final Match was against the Fu clan’s prodigy, Fu Zheng. The man is a fanatic. He cultivates the Ice Path and possessed a terrifying asset.’
’An awakened, permanent weapon called the Eight Ice Arrows Blood Worm. Upon one activation, it conjures eight crystalline, freezing projectiles that shoot toward the target simultaneously."
Hannah shuddered beside him.
’It was horrifying to watch, Evan, and I am not kidding.’
’He unleashed them in a perfect, suffocating grid,’ Santiago continued, his voice dropping to a low murmur.
’I managed to dodge some of them, but the pattern was too precise.’
’I got hit by two of them. Both arrows pierced cleanly through my knees. The rest whizzed just inches above my head. If my reaction had been a millisecond slower, my skull would have been shattered.’
’How did you survive?’ Evan asked, leaning forward despite the dull ache in his chest.
’An eye for an eye,’ Santiago replied, a fierce smile breaking through his noble composure.
’I willed the activation of my Flame Throwing Mouth Blood Worm, that three time use awakened worm I purchased. I unleashed its scorching, concentrated blast just once, catching Fu Zheng completely off guard and melting his ice defenses in a single strike.’
’He tried to retaliate, but because of my heavily conditioned, muscular physique, I forced my frozen legs to move. I ignored the frostbite, closed the distance, and broke his guard with pure physical endurance.’
’One use of my flame worm, one use of his ice arrows... it came down to who could take more pain. And the Fu clan cannot match my training.’
Evan nodded slowly.
Santiago’s sheer dedication had saved his life.
’You’ve missed a lot of visitors, too,’ Hannah added, her tone turning slightly awestruck.
’While you were out cold, some of the highest authorities in the sect actually stepped into this humble healer house just to check on your recovery.’
’Lord Elder Xuan, the Adept Vampire Harry with that creepy mask of his and even Elder Levi came by. They didn’t stay long, but their presence alone proved that they are watching your progress. You made a massive impression, even in defeat.’
Santiago stood up, smoothing the wrinkles of his robes, followed by Hannah, who checked the lingering warmth of the sun setting through the window.
’The healers checked your vitals right before we woke up,’ Santiago said, placing a reassuring hand on Evan’s uninjured shoulder.
’The internal damage has completely stabilized. They said you will be officially discharged tomorrow morning.’
’Get some rest tonight,’ Hannah smiled, her eyes warm.
’The First Court is waiting for us, and we are going to need you at full strength.’
As the two of them walked toward the heavy wooden door of the infirmary, leaving him to the quiet, healing shadows of the room, Evan closed his eyes.
He had lost the match, but the fire in heart was far from extinguished.
Tomorrow, a new academic life would begin, the one without Santiago and Hannah.
