“I want to hunt a certain beast. Can you assemble a small team for me? Five of your disciples will do.”

When Feng Yan spoke of their guest’s request, the sect elders immediately summoned their disciples in a frenzy. Neither the outer sect nor the inner sect were good enough for the lord; it was decided that only the best of the best, the core disciples, would participate.

The reverend asked for two days to prepare. During those two days, the sect elders argued, debated and even came close to blows on deciding which of their direct apprentices would accompany the lord on his hunt.

It was finally decided to hold a very quick tournament to decide the members of the team. Aryon, meanwhile, had no idea that his request had caused quite the stir in the sect.

In the end, four core disciples waited outside Aryon’s cave residence on the day of the hunt.

The fifth spot belonged to his “assistant”.

Feng Yan could not help but be humbled before his seniors.

Just as the outer sect looked up to the inner sect disciples, who were afforded better resources and training, the inner sect admired and aspired to be one of the core disciples. These were inner disciples who displayed such genius and talent that they were taken in by a Soul Core elder to be trained under them personally, in the hopes of raising them faster to the Soul Core realm.

He, too, had a master. But his master, Guo Xin, took him in as one of many apprentices who showed aptitude. He had yet to exceed his expectations to be accepted as a true core disciple.

So when he saw these four disciples arrive at his post near Aryon’s cave residence, he gave clasped his hands and bowed. “Junior disciple Feng Yan greets his seniors.”

Three of the four returned the greeting while the last, Ye Kang, snorted and placed his gear on the ground.

‘So it’s that Ye Kang, huh?’ he thought. Ye Kang was a member of the Ye Clan, who had a reputation for being arrogant and meddlesome. The Ye Clan didn’t like Green Blade Forest Sect, but each side kept their misgivings private.

“Where is the lord?” asked one of the core disciples. Her name was Ming Guo, one of the prettiest girls in the sect and an idol to many.

“Inside.” he replied. “He will be ready soon.”

“What is the lord like?” said Guan Feng. He was a tough, smiling youth and the largest of the four. “Master only had praises and conjectures when he talked about him.”

“From what little I saw of him, he is a very disciplined and refined person.”

Aryon rarely, if ever, showed any slack to his step nor any form of casual appearance during his time with him. And though his accent was strange, his words were always intelligent and carried authority and wisdom.

A youth even younger than Feng Yan came up. It was Liu Wong, the personal disciple of one of the Nascent Soul masters and a fifth-level Foundation cultivator. “I heard he had strange mystic arts that could deal with Soul Core cultivators with a twist of a hand. Is it true?”

There was a snort from the side. “He should have killed those bandits.” said Ye Kang.

“Perhaps.”

Feng Yan turned around, interrupting his reply to Ye Kang. He clasped his hands and bowed before the approaching Aryon. “Disciple greets lord.”

The four followed suit. Even Ye Kang didn’t dare slack on his greetings.

Aryon nodded at the five, the looked at Ye Kang. “You think I should’ve killed them?”

Ye Kang bowed once more. “Disciple was impudent to speak out his mind.”

“It’s fine.”

Aryon looked up to the sky, continuing. “Perhaps they did deserve death on the spot, but I cannot play judge and executioner in a foreign land. When you are in another’s house, you must follow their rules, as they say.”

The five disciples nodded at his words.

“And there were other reasons. But never mind that, are you prepared?”

“ “Yes!” “

“Good. I won’t take part in the actual fight, for I wish to see your sect in combat. But worry not; if things go bad, I shall come to aid you.”

Aryon had good reasons for this trip.

Experience, research and gauging the strengths of the local wildlife here was one reason. Another was his desire to see these so-called cultivators in combat (without him being punched and tossed around).

He also needed some magical beast blood, fresh. When he heard of ‘spirit beasts’ lurking around the forests, he had an inkling that those would fit the bill. Magical beasts were rare in his land, existing only in places of high magic. But this place had high magic everywhere.

The last reason was that he was bored.

‘Who knew that death could be so boring?’

So off they went into the heart of the forest for fun and profit. Five youths, full of energy and vigor, and a devilishly handsome and kingly abomination to life. He'd play a supportive role and stick to the sidelines, watching how these disciples fight and act in combat.

‘Curious how these questers for immortality have so many ‘techniques’ and ‘arts’ for cutting lives short. But then again, my own scholarly pursuit for knowledge has killing spells, too.’

Somewhere deep within Green Blade Forest.

‘Try and make a good impression on the lord.’

Liu Wong held the words of his master close to his heart, even during this battle.

Surrounded by his compatriots, the Flamefur Tiger warily prowled around its encirclement, its golden-red fur flickering in the dim forest light. Ye Kang and Ming Guo closed in slowly from the sides when it was turned away.

ROAR!

The tiger turned around pounced like lightning at the approaching duo, aiming for Fang Mingxiu first. Yet both were prepared for this, quickly stepping back to dodge. The other three knew this to be their cue and struck.

Liu Wong executed his master’s Earth Sundering Cut technique, which he had trained to the third level and was capable of leaving cuts on a cliff-face. Feng Yan and Guan Feng also executed martial techniques of their own.

‘Watch this, lord!’

His Earth Sundering Cut found its target, leaving a bloody gash on one side. Guan Feng’s Tidal Fist Eight Strikes landed soon afterwards, pummeling the now-wounded side with iron blows.

Only Feng Yan lagged behind. By the time his Dancing Blade technique struck, the tiger had already turned around and dodged.

“Stop slacking, inner disciple!” said Ye Kang as he moved in with Ming Guo to take advantage of the tiger’s turnaround. “Do not shame us before the lord!”

“Sorry!”

Ye Kang’s spear lunges at the distracted tiger, its tip wreathed in metal Spirit Energy. With exquisite precision, the strike landed at one of the tiger’s back legs. Ming Guo followed suit, taking advantage of the tiger’s immobility to unleash her Blazing Sun Sword technique.

Slowly but surely the tiger was whittled down. Crippled and wounded, it finally fell from one last strike from Feng Yan who rammed his blade up the tiger’s chin.

Liu Wong and the rest stepped forward while Feng Yan sat down just next to the tiger’s corpse.

“That was a good fight.” he said.

“Had our junior been more competent, it would’ve been a short fight.” spat Ye Kang. Feng Yan, breathless from the fight still, didn’t bother to reply and began meditating.

“Can you be less of an arrogant idiot for once?” said Ming Guo. Both he and Guan Feng nodded in agreement.

“Bah. Can’t help it. I get annoyed when I’m forced to carry a burden.” replied Ye Kang. “Where is the lord?”

“Here.”

An armoured figure materialised from nowhere and approached their team. “Well done, all. Your skills in battle are as good as a senior knight in my lands.”

All five, even the prone Feng Yan, gave a bow. “Great thanks for lord’s complements.”

Aryon nodded and approached the beast. Picking one side of the tiger’s carcass that wasn’t as cut up as the rest, he tore off a large cut of skin and fur, then tapped on it with a finger as he spokein some strange tongue

“ [Fabricate] ”

Liu Wong’s eyes sparkled as he saw the torn skin undergo changes. The fur fell off, the uneven edges straightened and the colour changed from a blood-stained pink to a light brown. It had transformed into a beastskin scroll.

‘Wow…’

The lord then dipped a finger in the tiger’s blood, drawing a pattern he’d never seen before on the new scroll.

“There. All done.” he said after finishing. He tucked the scroll away and wiped the blood from his finger. “We should- Look out! [Telekinesis]!”

An unseen forced threw Liu Wong and his companions to the side. Just in time, for a great shadow fell upon the spot they and the lord were standing on. Before he landed on the ground, he saw the armoured figure of lord Aryon vanish under that falling mass.

“LORD ARYON!”