Kimarya was among the last people to leave the building. Everyone congregated together near an open field. While she looked around trying to find Dara and Leerum, she suddenly froze in shock. Right above of everyone on the field floated over a dozen elders in the sky! The one who seemed to hold a more prominent position was the Elder Shamaner, who was in the center with most people orbiting around paying attention to him.
She suddenly felt her body lean to the side as a surprised Dara’s hand narrowly missed Kimarya’s shoulder that she just now tried to playfully tap in an attempt to surprise her.
“Wow, you really do have amazing instincts! Are you sure you haven’t started cultivating?!”
Kimarya smiled at the playful Dara before saying, “Not yet. I’m preparing to start soon!”
A gentle but resplendent voice interrupted, Kimarya recognized it as Shamaner’s voice.
“Little ones, you have all survived a very important coming of age tradition of our sect.”
“I would like to once again congratulate all of you! You have maintained the honor of your houses and this sect.” he continued “Many of us elders have candidates in mind as to whom we are interested in accepting as a personal disciple, but the final challenge you must face will be what helps us make our final decision.”
Kimarya, for some reason, felt as if he was directing his words towards her even though he was talking to the small crowd here.
“For the last challenge, I first will have to explain a certain phenomenon of this world that happens in every epoch of this world. There is a moment that has happened once in every era when this world merges with another dimension. We refer to it as The Veil Terminus Era or the Fall of the Veil.” “The veil is an adjacent world with its own population of beings. In every era of this world, there comes a moment where both our worlds become one for some time, be it a few days or thousands of years before the Veil comes up and we are separated once more.”
Shamaner continued,” This phase almost always devolves into a pandemonium, of mass casualties, war, disease and strife till a balance between all life is eked out.” Many people in the small crowd had astounded and even terrified looks on their faces. A disciple shouted, “Will the sect be safe? What about smaller villages?!” Dara whispered “He used to be a vagabond cultivator that was accepted into our sect, he was a Fox spirit that gained enlightenment from the Dao and transfigured into human form after cultivating before being adopted by a small village.”
Shamaner patiently responded, “As cultivators, we never shirk and hide from danger. You all know that wherever there is a challenge and difficulty, there are also treasures and opportunities. The falling of the Veil inundates the world with energies that are extremely beneficial to cultivation, many unique kinds of momentums are revealed to the world, materials, creatures and phenomena that make these eras a golden age for cultivation.”
“Almost all major sects were purposely built near special zones connecting to the Veil and in these sacred areas grow Veil Crystals.”
Shamaner explained further that these crystals are very special and allow an easier connection to the Veil. These crystals become more pure and powerful the closer you get to the center, so everyone must try to reach their limit before selecting their crystal. These zones release a special and painful resonance that hampers the cultivation levels and strength of participants, so you would have to depend on your talent as well as fortitude. When you choose your crystal, there is an opportunity of catching a glimpse of your future! At the center lies the Prime Crystal Embryo, the center most crystal of this sacred ground.
“All the candidates should go as far as they can withstand and no further. It is recommended to be very aware of your limit or you may rush to your doom. Now go little ones, may your path in the Dao be eternal and profound!” After he said this, multiple people rushed out in excitement to try and pick the best crystals or to compete with one another in who can reach the furthest depths of the field of glowing crystals.
Almost immediately, multiple kids dashed forward with glowing auras surrounding them. Some even fully activated their Ancestral spirit Beast skill and turned into a wide array of large, lumbering animals.
But shortly those that transformed immediately reached their limit before they even reached 1/3rd of the way to the center.
Someone in a bird form that tried to fly to the center dropped like a stone and when their Ancestral beast form dissipated, it was a thin teenage boy with black hair and a long but thin nose writhing in pain as if being electrocuted by some mysterious energy. After he vomited 3 mouthfuls of blood, he moved no more. People finally realized that the warnings of the Elder Shamaner weren’t said lightly. It seemed like everyone stopped rushing towards the center and began to advance and some even retreat as they realized where their limits were in this challenge.
Kimarya saw Alastair and Zeal walking past the warm corpse of the kid who overestimated themselves. They walked at a measured yet fast pace. It seems they didn’t make the mistake of everyone else and never rushed towards the center with their full strength.
Alistair had a golden, regal aura wrapping around his body, his hair moving free from the burden of gravity because of his detonating energy. Zeal had a fierce blood-red aura rampaging around him, as he only gazed forwards, seemingly no one getting into his sights. Alistair maintained his head high, basking in the attention of everyone else till he noticed someone walking behind both him and Zeal.
Leerum! He walked with powerful and confident steps. Around him was his dark green aura, rippling around him like a thin shell of armor. There were bright azure spots flitting on the surface and a baleful aura of wildness pulsing from him.
Kimarya heard her name being mentioned by Dara, “Be careful, you haven’t yet cultivated, so don’t push yourself too hard. Big sister is going to go ahead, ok?” She smiled and a bright silver light was borne from her spine and surrounded her, an aura of oppression and violence sprung out from her, a few of the stragglers immediately noticed her as she broke into a strong jog.
“It’s my turn, I guess.” Kimarya stepped forward into the field of crystal outcrops and almost immediately felt a pressure weighing down all her limbs as if gravity immediately increased. She felt an uncomfortable sensation on her skin that seemed to invade deeper and deeper into her flesh. She trudged along thinking she wouldn’t be able to make it any distance with this bizarre sensation. As she continued, she no longer could pay attention to others in her surroundings. All she could focus on was not letting the weight of the sky crush her into the ground.
Soon it felt like she was carrying another person as she started perspiring. The invasive feeling only grew worse into a dull pain as it pulled at her muscles, nerves as it sought to reach into her core.
She could only shuffle forward, agonizing over every step as if she carried the weight of the entire world. The invasive feeling now felt like electric glass growing into her bones and nerves. She had to pinch her numb arms to make sure her blood wasn’t turning into crystals; the pain was almost overwhelming.
She heard a voice past her foggy eye as two people walked past her. “Activate your cultivation or you’ll die before you make it to any decent crystals!”
“Idiot, can’t you see that the dumbass doesn’t even have a cultivation base? It’s already amazing enough she’s not dead. Girl, stop and choose an outer crystal before you die. Hmph!”
That’s right, Kimarya has yet to do any cultivation. Everyone else has been cultivating for several years already! She smirked and asked in her head, “Sunny status update.”
**Sunny** Body status is 9% cell damage
She smiled and kept on one step at a time as the pain grew more agonizing. It felt like her skin was on fire, her bones ached. She was almost only 11 meters into the field and it already felt like as if she had boiling water in her bones. “Sunny”
**Sunny** Body status is 19% cell damage.
“What percentage of cell damage is the upper limit where I’d be able to walk back from?”
**Sunny** 36% of cell damage is the absolute most you can work with to ensure a safe return from this hazardous zone.
“Ok, I’ll choose a crystal then. I noticed that my steps haven’t gotten any heavier, so the weight I’m experiencing isn’t physical weight or an increase in gravity, it’s something else!”
She continued on in her impossible and torturous trek. Suddenly, she saw a flashing light right in front of her. She saw a bloody figure swaying unsteadily on their feet as they held onto a large outcrop of crystal. Green energy poured into his body. It looked like some mystical baptism of radiant green light before dimming.
The boy yelled, “Elders, I have finished the trial, please help me out of this field!”. No response. “Elders, I can’t make it back out of the special zone, please!”
As Kimarya slowly walked past, the boy coughed up blood, and his knees hit the floor.
“Please!” a voice spoke up at this moment. “It is forbidden for us to interfere in this process. Your fate lies within your hands. Please make every effort to return. You have only completed half of your final trial.”
He puked up blood right when he almost stood up. Kimarya could tell that if he didn’t stand up again, he would not be able to make it back alive. It’s still a question of him making it back even if even if he stood up.
“Please, I already got the stupid crystal, just help me out of here!! PLEASE!”
No voices responded to him.
Suddenly he felt an arm grab underneath his should and he was awkwardly lifted to standing on his feet.
It was Kimarya.
“If I can help you walk and take you a few steps, do you think you can make it back?”
The boy wiped off blood from his lips as his eyes spoke of how grateful he was. He caught his breath and let out a weak, “Yes.”
**Sunny** 23% cell damage Kimarya!
She ignored Sunny and helped him a whole 3 meters till she felt a noticeable change of the pressure on her.
“This should be good enough!” gasped out Kimarya as she was drenched in sweat and blood trickled down the side of her mouth.
**Sunny** 27% cell damage
The boy walked forward wheezing, spittle colored in blood painting the floor, “Thank…y-you senior sister!"
