The ten outer disciples that held amulets were the elite of the elite. Not only had their talent gotten them invited to the main temple of the Great Wind Sect, but they’d proven themselves the strongest among all their peers there. They were thus the young geniuses the sect was most interested in supporting, so they were lavished with extra resources to support their cultivation, on top of the support they got form their families. Highcloud and Fang’s mistress, Selesta were both amulet holders, but they weren’t Verus’s target. He’d been ordered to take out Fortex.

Thankfully, Fortex was considered a middling amulet holder and weaker than Highcloud. Verus had seen Highcloud fight, and knew he stood no chance against the young prodigy. He had no way of dealing with a cultivator that could fly and throw lightning. However, from what he’d learned from Fang, it seemed like Fortex had some weaknesses. It wouldn’t be easy, but Verus thought he could win.

Thus, Verus spent his next few days plotting and practicing. He couldn’t ignore the upcoming deadline though, so he left a note at Fortex’s door asking him to meet him for an official challenge.

The two disciples met in one of the gardens outside the outer dormitory and scrutinized each other. Fortex was a tall young man with slicked back brown hair, and he was the very image of a noble. His posture was straight and proud, and his red robe was an expensive silk that shimmered in the light and was adorned by images of leaping tigers. There were even hints of makeup on his pale face, although it was subtle. All this combined with his hawkish features to give him a thin aristocratic look.

There was a clear difference between him and everyone else Verus had ever fought. This was the sort of presence and status that Tellus and the other family scions had craved, that of a true noble whose family produced great elders and held not insignificant power on this world.

Verus wasn’t impressed though. Perhaps Fortex’s image was supposed to be intimidating, but Verus simply found it to be prideful and vain. In his eyes, these were nothing but weaknesses. True strength came from discipline and adversity.

“I was told to expect a challenger from another faction, but this is surprising. An unknown temple ward? Crawling ants truly cannot appreciate the heights of mountains! You are the one I was warned about, correct?”

“It is so.” Verus said as he gave a slight polite bow. Ignoring the man’s offhand arrogance was easy enough and there was no point being bothered about it. That would be a small defeat.

The mention of sect politics and of his place in them was more troubling though. He was still completely ignorant of the subject. He had no idea what his faction even was.

“And you believe you can defeat me?”

“I am here to officially challenge you to a match,” Verus replied calmly.

Fortex snorted disdainfully. He seemed to find this situation amusing and beneath him. “Foolish, but it’s your choice. I won’t be the one choking on blood.”

The other disciple then grinned maliciously. “I’ll be setting the base stakes at twelve ki shards.”

Verus simply nodded. Disciples that held amulets couldn’t refuse challenges, but they could demand high stakes as a way of discouraging unworthy opponents, although they’d be seen as cowards if they demanded and unreasonable amount. Thankfully, Verus had no shortage of ki shards, and he’d been expecting this.

“I’ll match those stakes. Is a week from now an acceptable date for the match?”

“Very well. I will see you then and show you the vast gulf between you and true genius,” Fortex agreed. He was the picture of confidence.

With the terms and details of the duel decided, the two outer disciples parted ways. Undoubtedly, Fortex would be looking into Verus, but he wouldn’t be able to find much. Verus’s ki attunements and techniques were all secrets. Learning about his other official duels or accomplishments during the event in the Reaches wouldn’t tell Fortex anything of value. Meanwhile, Verus knew a lot about Fortex’s style and Way since it was famous and passed down in his family. That was the disadvantage of inheriting powerful attunements and Verus planned on taking full advantage of it.

In preparation for the duel, Verus continued his solo training over the next few days, but he also sparred with Escora. Techniques were useless unless he could land them in a real fight, and Verus knew from experience that pulling off a complicated bit of ki cycling was much more difficult when someone was trying to punch you in the face.

Sparring with Escora proved to be fruitful and Verus quickly began to improve, even if it made him very aware of the void left by Warin’s passing. After several bouts, he eventually managed to get a grip on her and pin her using his new martial arts. This victory surprised them both.

“You really do learn way too quickly. It’s unfair!” Escora told him as they sat down on the edge of the training ring. The sun was shinning overhead and they were both sweating from the heat and exertion.

“Unfair? I disagree! You know how much trouble I’ve had to get through to gain even the basic things that other cultivators here take for granted.”

Escora rolled her eyes. “True, I’m not disputing that you’ve got terrible luck, but that’s not the whole story. You’re always staring at the horizon so you don’t truly realize the value of the treasures at your feet. The way your techniques have improved and grown stronger over the course of our training is unreal. You’re leaving me behind.”

“Because I won one sparring match?”

Escora let out a melancholy chuckle. “Yes, you’ve managed to catch up to me despite my head start. If that’s not talent I don’t know what is. Like many others, I came here with my Way already chosen. That meant all I had to do was cultivate and practice the techniques handed down to me by my tribe. My path was thus clear and easy for me to travel. You not only started out well behind me, but you’ve had to overcome many roadblocks and dead ends as you searched for your true Way. Yet here you are, at the Tempered Realm, right behind me on the road!”

Verus shrugged. “My gambles have paid off and I’ve worked very hard.”

Honestly, he knew he was blessed by some small measure of talent, but he was far too shy and humble to ever brag about it. He also wasn’t sure how much was his own talent and how much of his growth was a result of the Warrior’s instincts. When he fought, Verus could feel the mysterious entity subtly guiding him, like he was slowly absorbing its skills. This process was very obvious now that the Warrior had grown stronger, but it had probably been happening all his life.

“Everyone here works hard. You’re a true genius, just like Warin always said. Don’t forget that.”

Verus sighed. “I won’t ever forget my brother’s words. He was wise beyond his years.”

“He was, and he certainly knew how to enjoy life,” Escora agreed before putting a hand on Verus’s shoulder. “But don’t let loss distract you. You’re a genius. I can see you improving your understanding and usage of ki as we fight. It’s crazy. Then there’s your martial art skills. If anything, you’re picking those up faster than your ki techniques. Didn’t you just start training that Coiling Serpent Style? Well, I’d say you’re already more proficient at it than I am at my tribe’s style, and I’ve been practicing it for years.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me from someone as talented as you,” Verus replied as he blushed. He wasn’t used to getting compliments from women, and his fascination with the princess had reminded him that Escora was an attractive young woman. During their last spar, he’d had to use the Faithful Soul Ward to prevent his body from embarrassing him when he’d pinned her to the ground.

Leaning sideways, Escora put her arm around Verus and hugged him tight. As he squirmed uncomfortably, she laughed. “Don’t get all glum on me now. That’s the last thing that Warin would want.”

Verus could only nod in agreement as he recited a quick prayer under his breath and tried not to look down Escora’s shirt.

Unfortunately, Verus didn’t have forever to train. The day of the duel eventually arrived.

Leaving his dormitory, the young disciple headed to the chosen duelling field. When he got close, he noticed that a large crowd had gathered around the ring. Verus hesitated for a moment as he gazed at the crowd apprehensively, but then he resumed his approach. He should have predicted this. He was challenging an amulet holder after all. He hated being the center of attention, but it couldn’t be helped anymore. Obscurity might be comfortable but an ascetic strove to challenge himself and couldn’t let fear and sloth control him.

It looked like thirty or forty outer disciples had come to see the fight, and several of them were familiar to Verus. He saw Fang and Escora among those present. There was also a group of three elders standing off to the side. Two men and a young woman, and one of the men was Elder Caligo. His unofficial master had come to make sure Verus did as he was told. Verus met the gloomy man’s sunken eyes. They revealed nothing. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be disappointed about the results of the match.

Escora and Fang both headed over to greet Verus.

“You look worked up. Relax,” Escora told him as she gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “If you fight Fortex with the same skill that you showed against me then you’ll win. Just go over there and do your best. A wolf doesn’t fear the shedding of blood.”

Verus gulped and gave her a shaky nod. This was exactly the sort of situation he was terrible at. He could already feel the crowd pressing in on him and the weight of their expectations on him. If he was his past self, a dark mood would have already crushed his spirit and sent him running to hide somewhere, but he wasn’t that kid anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Verus cycled void ki through his body. The cold and calm energy helped him keep his nerves thanks to the insights within it. To him, the void was peace and refuge. The truths within it shielded him as it reinforced his will and his spirit.

“Verus! There you are,” Fang laughed as reached Verus’s side. “It’s quite the show you’re putting on. I hope you know what you’re doing!”

“Greetings, sect brother Fang. I’m happy to see you again, but don’t all these other disciples have anything better to do?” Verus replied as he scowled at the crowd.

“Not really. It’s been a while since any of the top ten fought, so everyone has come to see your bout.”

Verus frowned. “I thought that there would be lots of fights as the deadline approaches. Don’t they want to get into the inner sect and join the tournament?”

Fang laughed again. “They’re cowards, not fighters like you and me. The top ten are strong. Rather than fight them, everyone is waiting for them to join the inner sect and leave the amulets behind. Then, they can fight among themselves for the spoils and graduate at the end of the year during the normal selection.”

Ah. That made sense to Verus. Honestly, it was probably what he would have done if he hadn’t been ordered by Lady Nightclaw to defeat Fortex. He didn’t know why Fang thought he was a fighter though. He was an ascetic and rejected violence for its own sake. Embracing wrath and pride were self-destructive.

“I fight only to better myself and fulfill my duties as a cultivator of the empire,” Verus told them.

Fang laughed. “I have no idea if you’re being serious when you talk all stuffy like that. I want to say you’re joking, but you were raised in a temple.”

“He thinks he’s being wise, but he’s just lying to himself,” Escora added with a roll of her eyes. “He fights like a starving man that has stumbled into a feast hall. Anyone can see how thrilled a good fight makes him.”

Verus glared at them. “Enjoying fighting doesn’t mean that I fight for enjoyment.”

“Sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself, temple brat,” Fang replied with a grin. “Now, go out there and beat the stuffing out of your opponent, but try not to enjoy it too much.”