Erwin's performance left Sunny Finch speechless, her mouth hanging open in shock. She was completely stunned.
"No way," she stammered. "You mastered it all? In just three days?"
Erwin nodded casually. "The transitions between elements still need refinement, but I've grasped the fundamentals."
Sunny Finch swallowed hard. "You're a monster."
Erwin rolled his eyes, too pleased with his progress to take offense.
"But you're right," Sunny Finch admitted, "there's nothing else for you to practice. It's fortunate I got out today, or I would have missed your attempt!"
"Are you done eating?" Erwin asked. "If you are, take me there."
Sunny Finch stuffed the last soup dumpling into her mouth and mumbled, "Let's go!"
Erwin shook his head, amused. He felt surprisingly comfortable around Sunny Finch, an ease he rarely experienced.
Sunny Finch led Erwin away from the courtyard, heading toward the center of Kunlun. Disciples they passed bowed politely to Sunny Finch, their eyes lingering curiously on Erwin.
Erwin's reputation in Kunlun had skyrocketed recently. Everyone knew about the Western wizard who had defeated Sunny Finch, the strongest among the younger disciples. Erwin was accustomed to such attention; it didn't bother him.
Sunny Finch laughed. "Erwin, you've become quite famous in Kunlun!"
Erwin shrugged. "You're still more famous. After all, people only know me because I defeated you."
Sunny Finch's face fell. "You really know how to deflate a compliment."
Erwin smirked. He had hit a nerve.
The other students watched them, whispering. They saw Sunny Finch and Erwin heading past the plaza, toward the back.
"Is that the direction of the Celestial Path?"
"There's nothing else back there but The Celestial Path!"
"Is Sunny going to attempt it?"
"I heard a foreigner, Erwin, is planning to try it!"
"What are you waiting for? Let's go watch!"
The crowd quickly followed, eager for a spectacle.
Sunny Finch noticed the followers but ignored them. "For Kunlun students," she explained, "the Celestial Path is a major challenge. Many get stuck. There's even someone who didn't pass until they were thirty. That's why everyone watches attempts; they learn from observing."
Erwin asked, "Is there a pattern? A strategy?"
Erwin wasn't arrogant. If there was a shortcut, he'd take it. That wasn't stupidity; it was pragmatism. Results mattered, not the path taken to achieve them.
Sunny Finch shook her head. "No. I haven't tried it, but seniors say the trials are different for everyone. No one knows what they'll face until they enter."
"Then why are the others coming?" Erwin asked.
"To see how people survive," Sunny Finch said. "You don't think the trials are simple, do you? While deaths are rare now, legends speak of fatalities in the past. There used to be rewards for reaching higher levels, which encouraged students to overreach their abilities with fatal consequences."
"So they challenged what they couldn't handle?" Erwin asked.
"Yes, for resources," Sunny Finch confirmed. "Kunlun abolished that system after too many casualties. Now everyone receives the same reward for passing, which discourages reckless attempts."
Erwin nodded. It made sense. The history of cultivation sects was often brutal and competitive. It wasn't surprising that Kunlun had once operated on such harsh principles.
Sunny Finch looked at Erwin seriously. "Erwin, if you feel you can't handle it, don't be stubborn. You really can die. Once you enter, even the elders can't help you. You're on your own. Most students bring protective items. Since you haven't prepared any, you must be extremely careful."