Departure

"Achooo!.. Sniff... Damn old fogeys, backstabbing me again." Gram mumbled to himself after sneezing, making him stop on his tracks.

"Are you okay grandfather?" Ashenn asked as he too stopped walking.

"I'm okay, just a sneeze... Anyways, here we are already. But before I leave, I'll warn you already. Sect management is not a strong side of mine, so if I go with you, we'll have a rough journey." Gram warned.

"It's okay grandfather." Ashenn assured while smiling.

"I see... Well, goodbye now. I still need to arrange my stuff." Gram said as he too smiled. After the two bade farewell to each other, Ashenn noticed that the servant that is always following Lily is standing right beside his room.

From his memories, her name is Regina and she has been Lily's servant for 6 years now. When Ashenn got near her, she talked...

"Young Master Ashenn." She said while bowing. Ashenn then beckons her to stand up, which she immediately does. Ashenn is actually getting quite used to this young master stuff.

"The Young Mistress craves your presence. She said you can have lunch with her instead." The servant then said.

"Is that so. Then... lead the way." Ashenn said as he gestures his hands to lead the way. The servant then started walking and is soon followed by Ashenn.

*****

8 Hours Later

Slaammm!.. The sound of a book being shut close echoed within Ashenn's room. The now closed book uncovers and reveals Ashenn's depressed face.

After eating with Lily, Ashenn spent 4 hours talking and telling stories with her, this time however, Ashenn can now also tell 'his' own adventures. And after their get together, Ashenn bade farewell to Lily and went straight back to his room.

But when he got there, he saw the Rules and Requirements Manual mentioned by the grandmaster in the meeting laying on his bed. And after arranging the stuff he is gonna bring for tomorrow, Ashenn is left with nothing to do.

Having nothing to do, Ashenn decided to try and finish reading the manual today as it doesn't seem to be that thick anyway.

But he regretted it immediately. Because to his depression, he found himself way out of the manual's standard league. Leading him to this very moment.

'The creator of these requirements is a sadist... He wants to see the contestants suffer as many times as he possibly can.' Ashenn thought, his face, quite ironically, ashen.

'Is it even worth it? To fight in this competition?' He hesitantly thought to himself. He then looked at a big leather backpack sitting on the reading chair. Inside it are the stuff that he prepared and are going to be brought to 'his' sect. It contained mostly of clothes and also other necessities.

After looking at the bag for an awkward amount of time, Ashenn fell on the bed, and looked at the moonlight entering his room, from the window just almost beside the bag. After a few seconds, he rolled and lied on his stomach before taking a pillow and stuffing his face onto it, before irritatingly saying;

"Urrrgghh!! I'll just leave it to myself tomorrow." He said. He then turned around, making him lie on his back again, and closed his eyes. And after a few minutes, there he is again, wandering in the land of dreams.

*****

Outside Ashenn's Room

The fancy door slowly opened as Ashenn emerged from his room. He is currently wearing a plain light blue robe and has an oversized leather bag hanging on his back.

It is respectively the next morning already, Ashenn had to wake up early, for all of the teleportation gates will open early and close early at the same time regardless of those who are late. So after taking a bath and eating a requested breakfast, Ashenn was finally ready to compete in this fiery competition, leading him to this moment.

As he stepped out of the room, he glanced at the servant stationed on his room. The servant only bowed to him as she caught sight of his presence. It is a different servant from yesterday, nonetheless Ashenn continued walking.

After reaching a certain hallway on the ground floor of the main building of the sect, Ashenn caught sight of a figure walking opposite of him who appears like his business has something to with Ashenn himself.

'Wait is that-? Oh yeah, tis he my cousin, Rennault Rutherford. Wait, come to think of it, he wasn't present at the meeting yesterday.' Ashenn contemplated to himself, this made him to not realise that Rennault is already in front of him.

Rennault is a bit thin in build. He is also pale white and looks frail, but everyone knows that one mustn't underestimate a cultivator. Rennault also has a long and straight blonde hair and has a weird aura enveloping him. He is also wearing a long, plain and white robe. But apart from his seemingly handsome face that weirdly makes a good look with his frail looking and pale body, the rest were normal.

"Good day to you cousin!" Rennault said in a carefree manner without having the thought that his closest cousin, almost to the point that they're considered brothers, is now strolling in the cycle of reincarnation and that the person in front of him was all but a complete stranger. On the other side, Ashenn was startled by Rennault's sudden appearance as he stuttered when he replied.

"Oh-oh yeah, wha- what's up?" He said, but Rennault couldn't help but have a confused face as he looked above him.

"Uhhmm, the ceiling I guess?" Rennault innocently answered without any idea what this cousin of his truly mean. Ashenn couldn't help but facepalm in his mind as he thought;

'Right, I totally got caught off guard there.'

"I- It's just an expression, don't mind about it much." He then said while smiling, trying to suppress his urge to cringe.

"Oh, okay... How are you now? It's been a long time. I just got here last night actually. I've also been briefed about the competition." Rennault said, casually changing the topic. He seems to be used to such awkward conversations.

"Yeah I know, this competition stuff is too stressing so I tried to decrease it by taking a rest. Sorry I wasn't able to to attend to you when you arrived." Ashenn explained.

"It's okay cousin, you should take it easy and slow down. Don't let the competition get in your head." Rennault advised as he tapped the other party's shoulder.

"Yeah I know, I actually think me resting was effective. Slept like a log..." Ashenn subconsciously said as he daydreamt about his good night's sleep.

"A... log?" Rennault asked with extreme confusion written all over his face yet again.

"Ohh aaahh yeah... An immortal... log." Ashenn said as he snapped back to reality and tried to ease the confusion and awkwardness.

'What the frick is wrong with me today? I'm suddenly so... carefree.' Ashenn worriedly thought in his mind.

"Ding! It seems that you are being affected by a foreign force. It also appears that the source of the force is that guy." Veronica butted in, with the answers with her.

'Really? Sigh... I actually thought for a moment there that something is wrong with my body.' Ashenn thought as he heaved a sigh of relief.

'Wait, does that mean he is like attacking me mentally?' He then asked worriedly as he realised he could be potentially being attacked right now.

"No. It is unintentional, and you're just inside the force's range. From the looks of it, the person doesn't even know he has this kind of unique aura." Veronica explained and reassured.

'Oh, okay. That's good then.' Ashenn said.

"I-I see... Anyway, I would be straight to the point then, or else we'll be both late." Rennault said as he swiped the air in front of him and a small wooden box materialised and dropped on his palm. The mesmerising event was obviously the work of a storage ring. During these events, Ashenn couldn't help but attentively watch, amazed, his eyes brimming with amazement from the new and exciting sight before him.

"This is for you." Rennault added as he handed the small wooden box to the other party.

"This is..." Ashenn was shocked at what unfolded when he opened the box. It was a... storage ring!

The ring shined beautifully with it's topaz-brown color. But it looked as though it is unfinished due to the hollow circle on it which is where a print or gemstone is supposed to be. Nonetheless, Ashenn was touched by this to the bottom of his heart. It's so good to have... a family.

"Yes, it's a storage ring, I invented it myself actually. A storage ring that can be used by people who doesn't or cannot cultivate. And it has a 30 cubic meter of space! Consider it a reunion, parting, and a competitive gift." Rennault explained tapping his counsin's shoulder once again. This made Ashenn remember that Rennault actually has almost the same advocacy as his, only different in a way. Rennault's advocacy is actually helping all of those in need and making their lives better, while Ashenn's advocacy only covers those who cannot cultivate.

"Tha-thank you so much cousin." Ashenn stuttered as he wholeheartedly accepted the invaluable and very useful gift.

"Well, why don't you try-" Rennault was about to finish saying something when a strong green light glowed inside his chest area under his clothes. Only by looking at the light did Ashenn noticed that Rennault is actually wearing a pendant, and that it is the source of the light. After about a second, a voice can be heard come out of the pendant.

"Young Master, you need to hurry, the gate is gonna open in a few more minutes." A middle aged man's voiced reverberated out of the pendant. After these words came out of the pendant, the light now disappeared.

Upon hearing this, the cousin duo were shocked, even Ashenn had no time to admire the magical pendant and was also shocked, for he know that all of the gates will open at the same time.

"Already? Uhh... I guess we should be going now." Rennault said.

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks again for this." Ashenn replied, thanking again for the wonderful gift he was given.

"It's nothing cousin. Anyway, goodbye now." Rennault said as he left. Waving as he walked farther and farther, which Ashenn also responded with a wave.

When Rennault was now out of sight did Ashenn explosively sprinted in the direction of the teleportation gate room designated to him.

*****

Inside Ashenn's Designated Teleportation Gate Room

The door slowly opened and Ashenn, who now isn't wearing the bulky leather bag came inside. As he did so, he caught sight of a circular mat on the middle of the floor with intricate inscriptions on them. After that, he redirected his gaze onto five people, one standing beside the mat, three on the corner, one of them is holding a wooden box, and finally one approaching him. The person approaching him is his grandfather Gram.

"Thought you'd never make it." Gram said once he got near Ashenn.

"Yeah, got a bit sidetracked." Ashenn reasoned while scratching the back of his head.

"Where are your thi-" As Gram was about to ask where Ashenn's stuff was, he caught sight of a shiny crystalline brown ring on Ashenn's finger.

"Where did you obtained such a ring?" He then asked. Considering Ashenn not carrying his things, coupled with his personality that rarely wear jewelry and him not being able to cultivate, he had connected the dots and came to a conclusion that Ashenn has a rare and convenient storage ring.

"Oh, it's a gift from cousin Rennault." Ashenn answered.

"I see... Anyway, let's proceed." Gram said signaling his hands to Ashenn to go first, which Ashenn did.

After a few steps, Ashenn stopped at the side of the mat. There, is a bearded old man standing still, with his eyes closed. Ashenn remembered from his memories that this old man is actually one of the Elders.

"It's time... The slaves go first." Said the Elder who until now, has his eyes shut. Upon hearing this as he arrived, Gram looked at the three people on the corner of the room. After that he nodded at them making the nervous looking people step closer to the mat.

Once the three people got near, the Elder opened his eyes and did some weird hand signals. As he did so however, the intricate inscriptions written on the mat glowed a glow of light blue. After a few seconds, noticing the lights on the inscriptions become stable, the Elder raised his hands. And at that moment, the circular form of inscriptions shot up a pillar of a radiant light blue light to the ceiling, though radiant, the light does not pain the eyes even after staring at it for a long time.

After these events, countless beads of sweat started to rapidly form all over the Elder's face. It was obvious that this formation is taking a lot from him.

But at this moment, Ashenn is currently caught in a haze.

'Slaves? There is no such thing written on the manual. What the hell are they doing here anyway?' Ashenn contemplated in his mind. After seeing the dazzling spectacle made by the Elder, he was taken back to confusion about the slaves.

But Ashenn was pulled back to reality when he felt a hand hold his shoulder. It was actually Gram.

"I'll explain later." He said as he signaled his hands to Ashenn to step inside the pillar. He clearly noticed the confused look of his grandson.

Back to reality, Ashenn noticed that the three people holding the big wooden box were nowhere in sight.

'They're probably at the other side already.' Ashenn thought, regretting that he wasn't able to notice them enter the pillar of light because of him suddenly contemplating on the spot.

After that, Ashenn looked at Gram who only nodded at him and signaled him to go and enter the pillar of light already, in which Ashenn did.

As his body got completely engulfed by the pillar of light, Ashenn felt absolutely... nothing. And all that he can see was, well, light.