Inside the Thousand bamboo immortal sect, sect leader Chang jumped from his seat. He'd been giving a lecture to his personal disciples a moment ago, but the next moment, he was standing in the space over the sect. The first and second elders joined him momentarily.

'You also felt it?' He asked by way of greeting.

'Yes, it came from the direction of the Purple Wind sect. I've sent a message to grand elder mu.'

'No need. This is not worth disturbing her. Let's go.'

'The three men flew toward the forest. Those Purple wind sect fanatics are becoming more and more impudent with each passing day. Do they think our Thousand bamboo immortal sect is a pushover?' 

Qi rong fei was more incensed by the actiins of the newly established sects. He'd left the sect to roam the continent more than fifty years ago. This was his first time experiencing what had become a normal occurrence for the sect leader and the first elder.

Not a minute after they'd left the sect, the sect leader of the Purple wind sect also stood up. 

'I see. Those bamboo sticks still want to put up a fight? Elder Ke, follow me to go and see what those people are up to?'

The two groups met halfway over the forest. Even though the Purple wind sect leader and Elder Ke we're outnumbered, he wasn't intimidated in the least.

'Let me ask you, Chang kong. What do you mean by this sudden provocation? Don't think that my Purple wind sect will accept this insult without retaliation.'

'Hmpf! Purple wind sect? How pompous can you be! Do you think just anybody can be associated with the Purple wind from the east? Are you sure it's not the smelly fart from the Purple glow worm that you saw?'

Qi rong fei met the agression with his own. 

Sect leader lei prided himself on being the most sharp tongued among the sect leaders in the province. However, he'd just met one person more sharp tongued than himself. He didn't know the newcomer. If he was the company of sect leader chang kong and could speak for him, he had to be the rumoured second elder of the Thousand bamboo immortal sect, Qi rong fei in the flesh.

'Second elder Qi, is it? I didn't know you had returned. Did you return in the middle of the night to avoid people seeing you entering a dying sect?'

'At least you admit i belong to a sect. Lei xiao yu, aren't you ashamed to be the founder of the purple fart sect. Oh, sorry! that's what we call your sect where i came from. I coined the name out of outrage when i heard how ambitious ypu were. Swallowing our sect? Make sure you don't choke to death on it. Now that i have seen you, i realise i'm a genius. the name suits your sect perfectly. Lei xiao yu, we don't have time to waste on you. We have matters to investigate. Don't disgrace yourself any longer and be warned: I'm not as tolerant as my senior brothers to your childish antics.'

The rant was everything Lei xiao yu hated. He'd left his old sect and built a new one but he was still considered a child doing childish things.

Sect leader Lei, was known for his poisonous tongue. Sect leader Chang kong and first elder Zhao li ming weren't a match for his tongue so he was able to run roughshod over them and get his way. With Qi rong fei, he'd met his match. The man was worse than him. His tongue was a blade. Right now it was cutting his flesh and drawing blood. He regretted starting a fight he couldn't win.

First elder Zhao li ming smiled at Qi rong fei and Lei xiao yu's face blackened. 

'Explain yourself, Chang kong!'

'Shouldn't we be asking you for an explanation instead?' The second elder returned the question to him.

'Qi rong fei, are you now called Chang kong?'

'As an aspiring bamboo immortal, why should i allow the sect leader to waste his breath on unimportant people? Lei xiao yu, are you deaf? Didn't you hear me say we have something to investigate? Hold on! Are you behind this? Is that why you are purposely delaying us?'

In one breath, he had turned the Purple wind sect into the culprit. Sect leader Lei's mood worsened. 

Why did i have to step in poop today? 

He couldn't refute it since denying the accusation would just give them a weapon to use against him. He had always been ambitious and proud of it.  Making the first and oldest provincial institution his target was his natural instinct. The new devoured the old. It had to if it wanted to be respected. He had never bothered to hide his intention from anybody; often using provocation to instigate clashes between their two sects. It stood to reason that no one would believe him. 

If Bai li yue knew that the shields she'd put in place to prevent Grand elder Mu's break through from becoming public knowledge had instead brought the two rival sects into conflict, she might have given more thought to her actions. She might delayed the breakthrough until a more appropriate time or moved it to a safer, more inconspicuous place instead of smack in the middle of a territory simmering with dangerous tension.

'Elder Ke, when we return, lead a group of scouts out to investigate the matter.'

He glared at the three men in front if him and left.

'You did well today, Rong fei.' 

Sect leader Chang patted him on the shoulder. 

' Mmhm. How did you come up with purple fart sect? It completely deflated him.' 

The first elder snickered at the departing Lei xiao yu. The Purple wind had been a constant and worrying thorn in their side fir decades. it felt giid to see their leader taken down a peg or two. And they witnessing his defeat made it all the more delectable.

'Don't worry. With me here, let's see if he dares to open his mouth in public. I'll make sure everybody in the whole province calls them by that name.' 

He grinned like a cat preparing to play with a mouse. It was a promise he intended to keep.

Crack!

An audible crack resounded in a secluded part of the forest. In a nearby grove, the long bamboo stems swayed in the wind and rained down their leaves on a still body half covered by the leaves.

Grand elder mu landed softly next to the unconscious Bai li yue and turned her over and checked her breathing. She sighed in relief. Bai li yue was still alive. Her heart was beating regularly. Grand elder Mu didn't know how to feel about Bai li yue's condition. She was in this state because she'd ran out of spiritual energy. Her body was completely drained. It was slowly recovering but it will take some time for her to recover. 

With the breakthrough into the sage realm, Grand elder Mu had undergone a drastic if not dramatic change. Not only did she look younger than before, she was stronger and faster too. The first three realms were all about cultivating the body and and the dantian. The next three realms after those were the realms of the mind. Kings, venerabkes and sages were more focused on understanding the world. In short these were the dao realms. The sage realm, last of the dao realms was also known as the threshold realm. Reaching the sage realm gave one the limited ability to condense energy from the earth and the heavens. Grand elder Mu could now absorb pure spirit energy from her surroundings to a limited capacity. It was a boon for sages and an enticement for them to advance further. 

In the time it took to light a fire, she had already arrived in her private courtyard. She lay Bai li yue gently on the stone bed in one of the rooms.

A ball of energy condensed in her palm and she injected it into Bai li yue's body. The ball disappeared as her body greedily absorbed it.

She condensed another ball of energy and repeated the process.

The sun was setting, when Grand elder Mu condensed yet another ball of energy. She had injected several balls of energy into Bai li yue's body since finding her. Fortunately, her body was no longer absorbing spirit energy like a hungry demon. This eased her worry despite Bai li yue still showing no signs of waking up.

'As long as it's just sleep and she isn't in danger, she should wake up eventually.'

Grand elder Mu checked her condition once more and stood to leave. At the door she paused and returned to Bai li yue's side. Her eyes grew solemn as she bowed in reverence.

'Little ancestor, I will take advantage of your condition to say what i have to say. You might have only helped out of consideration for Ancestor chu but I acknowledge your kindness.   I, Mu li cheng, owe you a debt of gratitude. I will do be dutiful with my responsibilities and protect the sect with my life as thanks.'

Her humility disappeared when she stood up. She returned to her quarters to stabilise her realm after the shocking breakthrough. 

Bai li yue lay unconscious in the semi dark room lit by a lone lamp. Unbeknownst to her or anyone, she had just taken the first step on the path of the fated. It was a path trod by a rare few. The seed was sown and was already taking root. A golden sphere of energy floated over her and the golden light within bathed her body. Little by little, it sank into her body and into her bones. 

Somewhere, in the stars in a place outside of time, a bell tolled. Inside a large hall a pristine skeleton, wearing a crown and dressed in kingly robes sitting upright on a throne, creaked. Its empty eye sockets filled with golden light as it took a deep breath, returning to life. Flesh and skin regrew. Warm fresh blood began to pump through the still heart.

Dum! D-dum!

The paleness of death retreated slowly out the silent hall until the skeleton was a man once more. 

The crowned man stood up from his throne and looked at around him. There were seven coffins surrounding his throne; all made of seven different materials. The first coffin was formed from molten gold. Next to it was a coffin of warm green jade followed by coffins made of petrified wood, glacier ice, rough stone and still water. The last coffin made of whirlwinds closed the circle. 

He looked behind each coffin where a crowned skeleton sat on a smaller throne. Those seven guardians were his brothers. They were kings, heroes and legends lost in the obscurity of time. They were the paragons of the bygone ages.

How long had it been since they'd accepted this duty? To guard this august hall and oversee the trials herein. This was his second time awake since he swore the oath. Eons had passed since the last soul came before him. He remembered her even now. A woman. Strong willed and unbending. 

She had failed in the end. 

His awakening was a sign that another soul had appeared. He'd been chosen to watch and slowly guide them on their journey to reach the gates of the hall where he sat. The image of a young girl appeared in front of him when he returned to his seat. His eyes flickered for an instant before retuning to their usual state. For a second he'd thought... it was her. But he was mistaken. The feeling this girl gave him was entirely different. 

He cleared his mind and made his edict. His voice was soundless to all of creation, but Bai li yue's heart thumped in cadence with his words:

'Long have we kings slumbered

In eternal sleep,

Waiting

For one of the cursed.

At last

The bell of ages tolls

As one such soul appears

The hall of a thousand fates

Opens

Awaiting thy arrival.

Art thou ready to enter?

Art thou ready 

to stand and fight?'