The carriage creaked as it moved along the dirt road, trees passing by on both sides while sunlight filtered through the leaves. Isshin leaned forward slightly. "How long until we get there?"
The driver glanced back. "About a day We will take a stop around noon."
Rune stretched. "Feels weird being out again."
They stopped near a small stream at midday. A fire was set up, and soon the smell of cooked meat filled the air. The four of them sat around it quietly for a while.
Rune broke the silence. "So… where are you from?"
The driver nodded ahead. "It is the same place you're going. ShenLou Sect."
All three of them paused.
Karin looked up. "You are part of the sect?"
"Used to be," the man said. "Not anymore."
Isshin leaned forward slightly. "What's it like there?"
The driver stared at the fire for a moment. "The southern sects don't play around. You either keep up, or you don't last. If you rise, you become part of their force. They send you wherever they need you."
Rune frowned. "Doesn't sound that great."
"They don't care about outsiders either," the driver continued. "If you're not useful, you don't matter."
Isshin nodded. "We're not there to make friends anyway."
The driver gave a small nod. "Then you'll be fine. Just don't expect anything easy."
The rest of the trip was quiet.
By the time they reached the mountains, the sky had darkened. The peaks stood tall in the distance, and between them sat a large compound surrounded by walls and gates.
They stopped in front of the entrance.
"This is it," the driver said as he stepped down. "I'll head out now."
Isshin frowned slightly. "Wait… aren't you from here?"
The man didn't answer.
Before he could say anything else, voices came from inside.
"You brought strangers again?"
A group of cultivators stepped out, dressed in blue robes with silver sashes. The one in front looked directly at the driver.
"You think this works twice?"
More people gathered behind them.
Karin looked confused. "What's going on?"
"That man is a traitor!" someone shouted.
The driver clenched his fists. "I did what I had to do," he said quietly. Then he turned and ran into the forest without looking back.
Silence followed.
Now everyone was looking at Isshin, Rune, and Karin.
Rune muttered, "Yeah… this isn't great."
An older man stepped forward, his presence calm but firm. His robe marked him as an elder.
"Who are you?" he asked. "And why are you here?"
Isshin stepped forward and bowed slightly. "We're not with him. He just brought us here."
The elder didn't react. "Why come here at all?"
Karin answered. "We just wanted to learn some things from you guys."
The elder studied them for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Everything here has a cost. You earn your place."
"We understand," Isshin said.
"Then sleep outside," the elder replied.
Karin blinked. "Seriously?"
"You're not members," he said, already turning away.
Rune raised a hand. "Is there a way to get a place now?"
The elder stopped. "Sigh...Follow me."
They were led inside.
The sect was active even at night. Disciples were training, sparring, or meditating. As the three walked in, people started noticing them.
The elder stopped at a large open area.
"Pick somebody from here," he said. "if you can win, you will get a room to sleep in."
The three of them exchanged looks.
Isshin stepped forward. "I'll go first."
The system activated.
Opponent selected: Inner Disciple – Tahir.
A disciple stepped forward. Red sash. Black sword.
People around them reacted immediately.
"Tahir?"
"He's serious?"
Tahir narrowed his eyes. "You picked me?"
Isshin walked into the ring without answering.
Tahir drew his sword. "You think i am weak?."
He moved first.
Fast.
His strike came straight in, but Isshin blocked with a Thunder Qi Palm, redirecting the force and sending a shockwave back.
Tahir stumbled but recovered quickly.
His qi surged.
"Inner Technique: White Frenzy."
Multiple qi blades formed and shot forward.
Isshin used flash step, moving through them without slowing down.
Then he appeared above.
A spear of thunder formed in his hand.
He brought it down.
The impact echoed across the area.
Tahir dropped.
Unconscious.
The area went quiet.
Then people started reacting.
The elder raised his hand. "Winner: Isshin."
Now it was Rune and Karin's turn.
It was Rune and Karin's turn to secure a place for the night, but neither of them moved right away. They stood there, looking around at the disciples, trying to decide who to challenge.
Isshin watched the crowd carefully. He paid attention to their auras, posture, and how they carried themselves. After a moment, he leaned slightly toward Rune.
"Take the one with short hair," he said quietly.
Rune followed his gaze and nodded. He stepped forward.
The man he approached stood still, hands behind his back, eyes steady. They gave a slight nod to each other before drawing their swords.
The fight started immediately.
Their blades met again and again, sparks flashing with each clash. Rune's movements were controlled, steady, while the other man's style was precise and sharp.
After a few exchanges, the man stepped back and activated a technique.
"ShenLou Dragon Technique."
A dragon made of qi formed behind him and rushed forward. The crowd reacted.
Rune didn't move back.
He raised both hands, forming a barrier of mana. The dragon hit it but didn't break through. Instead, Rune shifted his stance and rotated the barrier, redirecting the force.
The dragon turned.
It struck its own caster.
The crowd went quiet for a moment.
Rune followed up immediately, firing several condensed mana shots. They hit, not enough to finish the fight, but enough to force a decision.
The man paused.
Then lowered his sword.
He gave a small nod.
Rune accepted it and stepped back.
Now it was Karin's turn.
Isshin had already chosen her opponent.
A female disciple stood across the area, calm and composed. Her presence was steady, her focus clear.
Karin walked toward her without hesitation.
The moment she got close, the woman attacked first.
Close range.
Fast.
Their swords clashed repeatedly, the sound sharp and constant. Karin tried to control the pace, wrapping qi around the woman's arm to restrict movement, but she slipped out of it easily.
Karin stepped back and switched to her threads.
They shot forward, unpredictable and fast, but the woman moved around them without wasting motion.
Then she spoke.
"Mirage Blade."
Thin sword auras moved through the air, hard to see, even harder to track.
Karin barely avoided them.
She tried again, forming her threads to trap her opponent—
But the woman didn't give her the chance.
She raised her sword.
"Illusions of ShenLou."
A wave of qi spread outward.
It wasn't physical.
Karin felt it directly in her mind.
Her vision blurred.
Her balance broke.
Then everything went dark.
She collapsed.
The medics moved in immediately, checking her condition.
"She's fine,one of them said. "It just overwhelms the mind."
Isshin stood there, watching.
He didn't say anything.
Later that evening, Karin woke up in a quiet room.
She slowly sat up.
Rune was near the door.
Across the room, the girl she fought sat calmly.
"You're awake," she said.
Karin nodded slightly.
"You'll be fine," the girl continued. "There wasn't any damage done."
Karin hesitated. "…Did I lose?"
Rune didn't answer.
The girl did. "Yes."
There was a pause.
"I have a room," she added. "You can stay there."
Karin didn't argue.
She followed quietly.
Later that night, they lay in the same room.
Facing opposite directions.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't easy either.
Karin didn't sleep.
She stared at the wall.
"I thought I could win...." she said quietly.
"I trained… and it still wasn't enough."
Her main disappointment came from the fact that Isshin thought she was strong enough, but she let him down. While Isshin thought that his evaluation was wrong and that he got her in trouble.
She turned slightly, pulling the blanket closer.
The other girl didn't speak.
Not because she didn't care, but because there wasn't anything to say.
In another room, Isshin was awake too.
Looking at the ceiling.
The fight kept replaying in his mind.