We spent a week enjoying the festival, eating and drinking around town while watching the martial arts tournaments and other entertainments, but eventually, our short vacation came to an end.

Mei, SuYin, and I arrived at the arena early on the day of the exhibition for non-fighter Grandmasters. We wanted to see what the competition would be like and get a feel for how likely it was for SuYin to be selected by the Verdant Forest Sect.

Each of the three major factions had a single observer present. All of them had reached Peak Grandmaster and, if judged by mortal standards, appeared to be in their early twenties, but as Grandmasters, this meant that they could be anywhere from 20 to 60 years old. Being recruiters for this event showed they possessed some level of authority in their factions, so they would be on the shortlist for positions to ascend to Martial Lord. This festival would be one of their last duties before that happened.

The recruiter for the Verdant Forest Sect was a tall, beautiful woman who was wearing a light green hanfu. Her poise and posture displayed the elegance of a noble. Her face had a light coating of makeup on it, and her hair was done up in a tight bun that was decorated with a large wreath of colorful flowers.

The Rising Sun Empire had sent a young man who looked like a peacock. The base color of his hanfu may have been red, but it was covered with so many colorful embroideries of various mythical beasts that it was hard to tell. His face bore a constant smirk, and he never strayed far from the woman from the Verdant Forest.

The man from the Flowing Mountain Sect gave off the feeling of a master craftsman. His hands were rough and calloused, and his eyes glinted with a deep intelligence. He stood back as the other two talked and carefully observed his surroundings.

After a lengthy introduction to the day’s events, the Grandmaster demonstrations finally began.

I expected some jostling as everyone competed to be the first to go on stage, but everyone was quietly deferential to an older man who walked onto the platform with confident steps. He was a Peak Grandmaster and had to be at least 250 years old. Unless he advanced, his life would soon come to an end, but would any of the powers present be willing to give karmic energy to someone whose qi had long since calcified? Even if he could step into the Lord realm, it would be nearly impossible for him to take even a single step further.

The old man walked to the center of the arena, faced the judges, and gave a martial arts salute.

“My name is Murong NaYun. I am 273 years old. In my youth, I traveled the world in search of a path of advancement that did not require the use of karmic energy, but I never succeeded. If you grant me this opportunity, I will serve you loyally for my remaining days, no matter how long that is.”

At the end of his short speech, he gave a deep bow to the judges and straightened into a firm stance with both hands balled into fists.

“My blessing has benefited me greatly.” Sparks of lightning began to emerge from the old man’s arms. “I am no longer sure exactly how high my lightning affinity is, but I know that it is at least six-star.”

He began to juggle a bolt of lightning, showing his adept control of the erratic element. “However, that is only the merest fraction of my blessing. Each time I have ascended a realm, I have been granted a legacy in the art of talisman crafting. I can currently be considered a Peak Rank 3 Talisman Artist.”

Saying this, he dispersed the lightning, took a small piece of paper from a bag at his waist, and threw it into the air to his right. It burst into a bolt of lightning that arced over the stands. Following that, he threw another talisman to his left, and small crags of earth exploded from the ground in a line straight away from him.

“While I only cultivate lightning qi, with the help of others, I have been able to infuse any of the five basic or four secondary elements into my talismans. When certain elements are needed, and I do not have access to them, I have found ways to simulate them through combinations of the other elements, such as combining fire and lighting to create light.”

He threw out another talisman that burst apart in an incredibly bright light that was accompanied by the loud buzz of an electrical arc.

He gave a final bow and planted his feet as he waited to hear how he had been judged.

The woman from the Verdant Forest Sect was the first to speak. “You are indeed skilled, Grandmaster Murong, but my sect cannot provide a proper place for someone with your talents.”

The man from Rising Sun gave a contemptuous smile. “You may join my empire. We will allow you to craft for us, and if you do a suitable job, we may allow you an opportunity to ascend in due time."

The old man cupped his hands and bowed.

The final man tapped on his armrest and then nodded. “The Flowing Mountain Sect will offer you a position. As long as you teach our disciples well, we will grant you a temporary position as an elder that will allow you to advance. Whether you can keep this position will be up to you.”

The old man began to bow deeply, but the recruiter from Rising Sun interrupted him.

“I have already claimed this recruit.” His voice carried a hint of malice as he glared at the Flowing Mountain’s representative. “Are you trying to steal a subject from the Rising Sun Empire? Know your place.”

The man shook his head wearily. “We are equals here. The Flowing Mountains do not bow to the Rising Sun.”

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“Good, very good.” The peacock turned his angry glare toward the Talisman Artist. “Make your choice, craftsman.”

Bowing to both men, the old man spoke carefully. “I respect the Rising Sun Empire, but my fate is with the Flowing Mountain. Thank you for your consideration.”

The Rising Sun’s representative huffed but didn’t continue to argue.

Following this, a series of unimpressive cultivators made their way to the stage, and none of the representatives showed any interest in them. The candidates were simply waved away.

The next person to catch my eye was a mature woman who was wearing sickly green robes. After entering the arena, she placed a variety of plants around the stage.

“Honored recruiters from afar, my name is Na YunJie. I have prepared a wonderful demonstration of my blessing to show all of you.”

She held both hands out to her sides. Nothing visible was happening, so I turned on my qi vision. Thick streams of wood energy were gathering around the plants and spreading out, slowly approaching the spectators. I wasn’t sure what effect this energy would have, but it didn’t look like anything good.

The recruiters just watched as this happened. None of them made any move to intervene. As the energy approached our small group, I used my wood affinity to forcibly divert it, protecting us.

When the energy touched the low-level cultivators in the stands, they instantly began coughing and collapsing. After over a dozen people fell, the woman from the Verdant Forest Sect raised a hand and gestured toward the stage. Two large men appeared as if from nowhere and rushed the woman. Before she could react, she was swiftly taken away.

The female recruiter smiled grimly at the other two. “We’ll keep her for now. Though, if one of you wants to deal with her instead, you are welcome to do so.”

The two men just snorted.

The demonstrations began again, and another couple of unimpressive cultivators showed what they could do. Eventually, the stage remained empty. The announcer called for the next person to step forward, but no one did.

The younger man stood and grinned happily. “The Rising Sun Empire welcomes you. Join me, and we can discuss your benefits. I assure you that they will be to your liking.”

Neither of the other representatives spoke, they just shook their heads.

Worried about what was going on, I flipped on my qi vision again and was astounded. In the middle of the stage, there was an unidentifiable mass of qi. It was formed of two energies that I didn’t recognize, but they swirled around each other in a mesmerizing fashion. Looking again in normal vision, there was nothing on the stage.

I couldn’t help but let out a muttered curse. “Damn, Illusions.”

How was I supposed to protect myself from someone who could become invisible? This person could walk up to me and stab me in the heart without giving me the slightest chance to respond. The only way I could prevent it would be to constantly look at the world through qi vision, but that wasn’t something I was capable of. It was far too taxing on my eyes.

I began to take out my journal to make a note of this new threat, but I realized that the stage was now truly empty. No one else was walking forward. It was time for SuYin’s audition.

I looked at SuYin. “Are you ready? Remember, just go up there and tell them what you can do. At worst, you will just come with us to Eight Flower.”

SuYin nodded but didn’t speak. She silently stepped forward onto the stage.

She gave the recruiters a nervous martial salute and a short bow.

“My name is Ye SuYin.” She flared her cultivation, showing her status as a Martial Grandmaster 2. “I am 28 years old. My blessing is a nearly perfect memory. My master has requested that I join the Verdant Forest Sect to learn more about herbalism. Please allow me to fulfill this command.”

She gave a deep bow to the Verdant Forest recruiter. After a group discussion, we had decided not to have SuYin give any kind of performance of her abilities since anything she could do would pale in comparison to the more seasoned Grandmasters. She hadn’t had time to learn any special techniques, and her blessing didn’t have any flashy effects. Instead, we would rely on her having reached Grandmaster at such a young age to secure her a spot in the sect.

The female recruiter looked at SuYin for a long while but didn’t speak. She simply rolled her fingers on the arm of her chair in thought.

Taking advantage of this opening, the younger man gave SuYin a lascivious smile. “The Rising Sun Empire welcomes you. If you serve me well, you will not need to worry about studying in some paltry sect. Plenty of people in the empire can teach you to farm.”

A panicked expression appeared on SuYin’s face. “Sorry, sir, but my master has requested I join the Verdant Forest Sect.”

He smirked at her. “Don’t worry about your master, girl. I am the young lord of the Yangfei clan. It is your honor to be chosen by me.”

SuYin took a step back in fear, but the female recruiter finally spoke up. “I will accept you as a nominal disciple. You have not demonstrated any skills, so I must assume that you do not have any. This is unacceptable for a Grandmaster of our sect, but I will allow you the opportunity to learn.”

The young man’s head shot toward the woman, and he glared at her fiercely. “What?”

“I accept her as a disciple of my sect.” She waved the young man away and looked back at SuYin. “Join my retinue. They will discuss the details with you.”

The young man gritted his teeth. “She has already been accepted as a member of my empire. Are you opposing the Great Rising Sun as well?”

The woman snorted. “If your personal desires can represent the will of the Rising Sun, then you would find that many people oppose the Rising Sun.”

The young man gripped the arms of his chair so hard they snapped. “Very good. The sects will soon learn the price of your arrogance today.”

Without waiting for a reply, the young man stormed out of the stands.

After the others had left, SuYin and the Verdant Forest recruiter approached Mei and me.

The recruiter gave me a look of disdain. “You are SuYin’s master?”

I shook my head. “No, not any longer. I was able to help her reach her current level, but I am unable to help her any further. I hope that your sect helps her develop to her fullest.”

“You know your place, at least.” When speaking to me, her voice was cold as ice, but when she turned to SuYin, it rapidly thawed. “SuYin, a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime. Do not forget your debts, but understand your new position. As a member of the Verdant Forest Sect, you must not treat an outsider as your master.”

She gave a nervous bow. “Yes, senior sister.”

The recruiter looked back at me. “You should have stepped forward, too. With your wood affinity and the ability to control that woman’s poison attack, you could have a future in our sect. Now, it’s too late. By the time of the next Festival, you will be too old. You will never be able to step out of the Wastes, and your potential will amount to nothing.”

Was this a tactic to try and recruit me? By putting me down, was she hoping that I would beg for a position in her sect? If so, the tactic was laughable.

“I am already associated with the Blue Wind Pavilion, and I am not looking to join a different force at this time.”

She shook her head and sighed. “A shame. Do not bother Disciple SuYin in the future. You are now people from two different worlds.”

‘Associated’ with a Pavilion was far different from being a member, so her disdain might be warranted, but it made me wonder… How did a member of the Pavilion compare to a disciple of one of these sects?

Without another word, the representative of the Verdant Forest turned and led SuYin away.

SuYin tried to turn her head and look back at us, but the recruiter kept her facing forward the entire time.