“What did you do to our daughter?” Ning Jing sobbed, crashing to her knees. “What did you do to my Yinzi?”

Yinzi sighed and looked away, wiping away her own silvery tears. “He did nothing, Mother. Nothing except save our lives and give us a path forward that won’t leave us as broken cultivators.”

Jidihu shuddered, wiping away very human tears of her own. “You say that, daughter mine, even as you leave mortality far behind, striding as carefree as you like upon death’s own waters.”

“I know!” Yinzi gushed. “Isn’t it great? I can taste the howls and cries of so many desperate fallen souls being scrubbed free of all their sins! Or at least I could, before Alex scared them all away! And look at this, I can skate now!”

Jidihu’s eyes practically bulged when Yinzi began skating atop the deadly waters, doing pirouettes, jumps, spins, and backflips very much like Olympians of a lifetime ago.

“What madness is this?” Ning Jing whispered.

“Figure skating!” Yinzi gushed. “It’s something I saw in one of Alex’s visions! You know, the first life he ever lived before my father brought him to this world?” She winced at Panheu’s exasperated smirk. “Or, well, one of my fathers. I guess I have two?”

Hao Chan chuckled softly in Alex’s arms. He shuddered, choking back a sob and squeezing her so very tight, relieved that she was finally strong enough that she could accept his hugs without any risk of her breaking before his inhuman strength.

For now her Vitality was the equal of his own.

“I love you, Hao Chan.”

Amber eyes smiled into his own. “Not as much as I love you, Alex Hammer.” Soft lips caressed his with desperate hunger. “Thank you again for saving my life.”

It was a kiss that was both torment and happiness, only the needs of their twisted path forcing them to break it off, the fierce surge of power still singing through their veins all that had allowed them to safely dare so much.

She squeezed his hand and he refused to wince, feeling only pride for the jewel of his heart, now glowing with Tier 4 Silver Strength, and a Finesse that easily surpassed his own.

Alex smiled apologetically at the friends they would have to leave behind. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to halt our group ascension.”

Panheu snorted. “No surprise there, Eternal Disciple. You and your chosen have managed the near unthinkable, slaying a powerful Gold and ascending in ways it’s best that no one not sworn to you catch sight of.”

“Not to mention that the basin is now a death trap,” Ning Jing hissed.

“That too,” Panheu added.

Tan Wu shook his head, his look of awe replaced by a frustrated groan. “And one of us will have to descend to the lower levels and warn every pawn and disciple that if they wish to live to see the dawn, they’d best abandon both basins and steps as if their life depended upon it. Because it does.”

Jidihu frowned. “Even now I see the mercury waters of oblivion saturating this pool of spiritual energy completely. I fear it will already be too late, even if you should make it down without blowing your cover and getting yourself killed.”

Here, Alex gave curt shake of his head. “Not true. The gods above already filled the first of the Divine Basins that should have been the pathway to ascension and had been, for the first family to successfully ascend… before being corrupted for countless thousands of years with the waters of death.”

Alex flashed a bitter smile at the horrified looks this revelation earned him.

“That’s right, the gods above are nothing more than power-mad cultivators who unlocked the secrets to divine ascension countless thousands of years ago, and have since then done their damnedest to make sure absolutely no one could follow in their footsteps.”

“Except you,” Jidihu whispered.

Alex nodded. “That’s right. Except me.”

“WiFu’s eternal disciple.”

“Something like that. The point is, the water doesn’t spread from basin to steps. Since each step is, metaphorically at least, a world away. And metaphor seems strong enough that the water should stay just where it is.” He frowned at the looks of awe and relief he received. “But then again, the border between heaven and earth is a lot different from steps and basin still firmly tied to the mundane world, where you can still use shortcuts through the mountain to reach the various basins. At least until you hit the Gold plateaus, which really are a world away. So on the off chance I’m wrong? Yeah, maybe someone should alert all the celebrants below that now would be a great time to carry on their festivities in the rather large and spacious chambers kept for just such purposes adjoining the basins.”

Ning Jing smirked. “And somehow you just happen know that.”

Alex nodded. “Of course. This isn’t my first time here.”

Tan Wu groaned and shook his head. “In the struggle between kings and thrones, it’s always the weakest players that are ground to dust in the crucibles from which empires are formed.” He gave Alex an exasperated glance. “And nothing’s more terrible than finding yourself in a dispute between gods.” The man visibly shuddered, before flashing Alex a rueful smile. “Thank you a gain for not taking my life, and doing to me what you did to Li Jaw Long, my former master’s favorite killer.”

Alex bowed his head. “I too will always be grateful to know that the burden of your soul’s regrets won’t be mine to bear.” He chuckled softly at the man’s sudden pallor. “Besides, do you have any idea how rare it is to find a real friend in this insane world? If nothing else, the fact that you’re a half-step Gold means your both strong as hell, and far less likely to break your oath to me than a Gold at Li-Jaw’s level would have been.”

Tan Wu blanched, before solemnly kowtowing before Alex. “This humble student of the way swears on the talisman bound to his soul within this school that I will never deliberately oppose or seek to make an enemy of WiFu’s eternal disciple.”

He flashed a bitter smile at Alex’s look. “I see you also know what it means to make an oath in this school.”

Alex swallowed. “An oath that would slowly corrode a lesser cultivator’s foundation and strain even a Gold’s outside of this school can equal instant destruction if you break your talisman-linked oath here.”

“True. A strong enough binding that the Red Prince finally realized he doesn’t need to risk imperial ire by infernally binding half the student body. All he needs is sworn oaths made at this school. Almost as binding, and far, far safer.” The man gave a bitter chuckle. “Too bad he only realized how badly he can abuse a headmaster’s status only after he had infernally bound all his former troops stationed here, along with so many hapless students that he nearly destroyed the entire school.”

Alex stared at the man for long moments, before giving a rueful chuckle. “You’re just a fount of information, aren’t you, Tan Wu? Our enemies so confident in their dark binding oaths that they happily shared all their plans and secrets with the Golds under their command.” He locked gazes with the man. “Anything else I should know before I finish my ascension?”

Tan Wu sighed and shook his head. “All I know are snippets and pieces heard here and there, peripheral to my own mission. A mission I am now forever free of, thanks to you. And even in his overconfidence, he made sure never to reveal the true secrets of these golden stairs, no doubt not wanting to risk their cleansing power somehow severing the dark oaths still binding so many.”

Alex’s eyes twinkled as his mind raced with sudden possibilities. “It would be a darn shame if word got out to any imperial inquisitors that Dongfang Hong’s been an awfully naughty boy.”

This earned a bitter snort. “Fat chance of that, lad. This entire province is now seer-locked, and no one’s leaving this school alive who isn’t already bound by infernal contracts or just a simple oath to their headmaster.”

Alex furrowed his brow. “But I thought this place was going to be flooded with Silvers and Golds from ruling families throughout CuiJing Province and maybe both ZhengTu and YanTu kingdoms.”

“Indeed it will. But they’re coming here expecting noting more than an exciting competition for grand prizes, and perhaps admittance for their own progeny into the academy’s vaunted halls.”

Alex frowned thoughtfully, before gesturing to the freshly forged gate now before the surprised cultivator, filling the chamber with the sharp tangy scent of the sea and a perfect view of the ocean from Panheu’s wind-swept grounds. “One path has closed, but I’d be a poor friend indeed if I didn’t make sure another was open. Open with the promise you’ll all have the chance to refine your souls in these waters again, from this very basin, once the water turns with dawn’s first light once more.”

Tan Wu furrowed his brow. “Would that we could have a second chance a these magnificent waters. Unfortunately, that permission isn’t yours to...” His words cut off when Alex flashed his trump card at all those gazing is way, even Jidihu’s eyes widening with surprise while Panheu roared with laughter. “You never fail to surprise me, disciple. Or should I say… fellow?”

Alex winked. “Yidushi is just a single step away. And if the headmaster of Dragon Academy can’t get off a message warning the imperial powers that interesting things are happening here in Baidushi from a city well out of any seer lock… then we really are in perilous times, aren’t we?”

Panheu flashed a sad smile. “If only I could, disciple. But sadly the seer-lock isn’t limited to this school.”

This caused even Tan Wu sigh and nod. “He is going forward with the annexation, of course. He did send me to Yidushi to secure both Dragon Academy and keep a tight reign on the administrator, after all.”

Panheu’s gaze hardened. “It seems that our crown princess has, for whatever reason, conceded at least a portion of her authority to another. As to why, or what it implies… you would know far better than I.”

Alex froze, jaw clenched, heart racing at the implications when a sudden fierce smile caressed his features. “That’s okay,” he slowly said. “I can think of another way to get the word out that interesting things are happening here in Royal Phoenix Academy, and maybe throughout the rest of the province as well.” He turned to his queens. “Are you girls ready?”

Hao Chan and Yinzi exchanged exuberant nods, still riding their incredible wave of revelations, looking the farthest thing from tired or on the verge of any sort of collapse.

“Good, then we’re off.”

He turned back around to lock gazes with Yan Tu. “Warn who you must, and feel free to bring anyone that you can trust along with you… assuming Panheu doesn’t object.”

Panheu rolled his eyes and sighed. “Of course not, Alex. But that’s disregarding infernal curses that...”

“That will be broken the moment they jump through,” Alex assured, enjoying the looks this earned him, as if they hadn’t quite been able to believe what had been implied just days ago, and only now was it finally sinking in.

“Then I will gladly do so… Eternal Disciple,” Yan Tu assured. “And a final word of warning… Li Jaw wasn’t the only Gold tier assassin Dongfang Hong keeps on a tight leash.”

Alex froze, heart lurching in his chest under the cold grip of icy dread he did his best to shake away.

To no avail.

The giant half-step Gold flashed Alex a sympathetic smile. “Two of them, actually, and they will both be on high alert, once they figure out that one of their own has fallen, which, thanks to the amulet you severed from your foe’s neck, they no doubt already have.”

Alex swallowed and dipped his head. “Well then I am definitely closing my gate before first light. So if you want to play hero and bring some lost souls through the portal, feel free. But it will close, and soon.”

Panheu chuckled. “Enjoy your hunt, disciple! And if you would do me the grace of opening a gate when the competition is about to start in earnest...”

Alex laughed. “Sure. Why not hone yourself in the crucible of combat and earn Jade tier goodies for Dragon Academy? You’re on.”