A Waste of Time

Chapter 137: Fractured Zenith

The hush that fell over the Applicants carried all the way up the slope, like the mountain itself had stolen their voices. Even the restless ones, the hot-blooded eager to test their new strength, clenched their jaws and held their tongues under the oppressive weight rolling off the army of ash-robed disciples.

Cuifen glided forward, her figure light as drifting mist, and rose above the crowd with a single step onto a hovering globe of Water Qi. The copper bell from before dangled in her hand, its surface glinting faintly in the pale morning light.

She let it ring.

The clear, piercing chime cut through the tension like a blade. Every head turned toward her, every breath stilled.

“Applicants,” she began, her voice bright, almost musical, yet carrying easily over the vast expanse. “You have survived the sieges. You have endured the struggles of your former ranks, and in doing so you have earned your place in this next trial.”

Her green eyes swept the sea of white-robed figures below. “Before you stand the Outer Disciples. They are your seniors, your betters in station, but not untouchable. From among you, those who prove themselves worthy may climb to take their place. For every one of you who rises…” She paused, and her voice softened with a cruel kind of cheer, “…one among them must fall.”

A ripple ran through the crowd, part fear, part exhilaration.

“This stage will not be decided in single duels, nor petty squabbles,” Cuifen continued. “It will be a trial. A test of will and endurance, not of armies clashing. Before you rise the steps of this mountain—thousands of them, carved into stone and guarded by the weight of our Sect’s will. Your task is simple: climb.

She lifted the copper bell, letting its surface catch the light. “There is only one rule. No flight, no shortcuts, no tricks of talismans or treasures. You may use your bodies, your strength, your Qi, and your Cultivation Base—but nothing else. Every step must be taken with your own power.”

Her tone sharpened, bright as the bell’s ring. “Those who reach the summit will stand as victors who passed this trial. Those who falter along the way will be cast down. The Mountain does not care for excuses—the strong ascend, the weak descend.”

The bell chimed again, a clear note that echoed up the slope of endless stone stairs.

“Prepare yourselves. This is the stage where slaves prove their steel, where Applicants prove their worth, and where Outer Disciples prove whether they deserve to keep their place. The steps await. Climb, if you have the courage.”

With that, Cuifen descended gracefully, alighting at the foot of the staircase, her expression unreadable save for the faintest spark of interest flickering in her forest-green eyes.

The silence after Cuifen’s final words lasted only a heartbeat.

Then the ash-robed Outer Disciples surged forward, their discipline carrying them as one up the first flight of stone. Their steps struck the mountain like drumbeats, their aura a wave of confidence that pressed down on those behind.

The newly promoted slaves and hesitant Applicants lingered, caught between awe and dread. Some shuffled forward in twos and threes, their faces pale, their breaths already ragged before they even touched the first stair.

Daemon stood among his group, hands loose at his sides. He gave them a faint smile that carried no burden of worry. “Good luck to you all. Meet you at the summit, guys.”

Then, without waiting for their reaction, he ran lightly toward the staircase. His stride slipped easily through the swelling crowd, his black-and-white robe fluttering as though it had never borne chains. His eyes fixed ahead—not on the faceless mass of Disciples or the endless climb, but on one figure. The girl he knew best in this Mountain, the one who had sat with him through days of silence in the Azure Lock Chamber. Su An.

The staircase answered their advance.

At first it was only weight. Spirit Pressure rolled down like an invisible tide, dragging on every joint, turning each step into a battle of will. Those without firm foundations buckled early, knees hitting stone as sweat poured in sheets.

Then came the whispers. Illusions seeped from the cracks of the ancient stairs, painting visions into their minds—memories of failures, specters of fears, desires that twisted into taunts. Some faltered, clawing at their heads, unable to tell stone from dream.

And higher still, the mountain’s elements awakened. Fire licked across the steps in sudden bursts, testing endurance. Blades of wind cut at exposed skin. Sheets of ice glazed the stairways without warning, while arcs of lightning cracked through the mist.

The timid screamed and clung to the railings. The bold pressed on, their teeth bared against the Mountain’s gauntlet.

And through it all, Daemon climbed with unshaken steps, his path carrying him steadily toward Su An’s figure in the haze above.

Daemon climbed at an unhurried pace, his steps light, deliberate. He kept himself just behind Su An, his black eyes never straying far from her back. If she stumbled, if her footing faltered, if some hidden trap of the Mountain threatened her, he would be close enough to intervene.

The Spirit Pressure pressed down harder with every step, but to him it was no more than a steady breeze. Compared to the crushing weight of ten-thousand Cultivators he had endured earlier, this was child’s play. His physique, reinforced by vitality and marrow like tempered steel, shrugged it off without effort.

Not so for the others.

Outer Disciples, Applicants, and freshly promoted slaves staggered higher, their strength steadily bleeding out of them. Breaths came ragged, chests heaving. Their protective Qi, once bright, flickered thin as Elemental lashes struck from every side—sheets of fire that licked their robes, blades of wind that sliced through defenses, sudden shocks of lightning, patches of treacherous ice. Each strike threatened to pierce their weakening barriers and carve into flesh.

And worse than the elements were the whispers. Illusions bloomed within their minds, shadows and phantoms dragging them into worlds of doubt and despair. Some saw loved ones calling them to lay down and rest. Others heard promises of comfort if they surrendered, the seductive hiss that resistance was futile.

Daemon’s sharp gaze swept behind him. At the far end of the long stair, he saw the stragglers—most in white robes, a smaller few in ash. Their steps were unsteady, but they still climbed.

Seems like my gift of Life-Blood is keeping those sixty-six in the game.

He shook his head faintly when his eyes found Kang Lai and Wei Shun. The old brute’s robe was still grey, stained beyond repair, and he stalked Wei Shun like a predator savoring the hunt. The younger man in white ran ahead, sweat pouring in rivers, begging for delay. But Kang Lai’s grin was sharp as a cleaver, his words biting, taunting, chipping away at Wei Shun’s will with every step.

Further down, Fa Mei and Ai Biyu fought harder than the rest. Their faces were pale, shoulders trembling under the pressure, while Luo Han and Sun Kai weathered the climb with steadier rhythm. Yet all sixty-four who had accepted his blood stuck together, moving as one tight knot. Their unity made the ascent easier, each watching the other’s back while the scattered climbed alone and faltered.

Up ahead, Su An surged. Her strides carried urgency, each step powered by grit and silent desperation. Her teeth clenched, her Fire Qi erupted in sharp flares, the heat curling off her body like bursts of her own struggle given form. She was forcing her way forward, climbing past disciple after disciple, her eyes fixed on the heights.

Daemon’s lips curved faintly. So you’re rushing to keep your word, silly girl. You promised me you’d enter the top one-thousand, fight for your Promotion to the Inner ranks. I would have helped you… any way. You didn’t need to bear it all yourself.

But he didn’t move to stop her. He simply followed, shadowing her ascent step by step, the guardian she didn’t know she had, letting her Will prove itself against the Mountain’s judgment.

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