1 After the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of the Crimson River, my senior, Zera, searched through ten thousand corpses before she found me, clinging to life in a sea of blood. I thought she was moved by my years of devotion. Instead, as I lay helpless, she carved out my Core of power. Zera looked down at me, her gaze imperious. “You were born with a divine essence. Forming a new Core is only a matter of time for you. But it took Kael a thousand years to reach this point.” “When we return to the Order, I will help you reform your Core. Don’t be ungrateful.” It had all been her plan from the start. I watched as she fused my power into Kael’s body. Eight hundred years. And in that moment, I finally admitted to myself: her heart was a stone I could never warm. … “Senior, your medicine for the day.” My junior acolyte tossed the bowl onto the table with cold indifference. The hot broth sloshed over the side, scalding my arm, but she didn’t even glance my way. Ever since I returned from the Crimson River, the acolytes who once begged me to teach them swordsmanship now treated me with nothing but contempt and scorn. I weakly called out to her as she turned to leave. “Please, ask Zera to come see me. I have something to discuss with her.” The acolyte scoffed, her words a torrent of abuse. “Senior Zera is at the Celestial Pool, helping Brother Kael heal! She has no time for you! I don’t know how you have the gall to even ask for her! The battle was lost because of you. Saving you was more than you deserved!” She stormed out, but her words echoed in my mind. Zera had taken Kael to the Celestial Pool. Everyone in the Order knew what that meant. A man and a woman, healing together in the Pool, could only be done through dual cultivation—a deeply intimate act. The defeat at the Crimson River… it wasn’t my fault. It was Kael who had foolishly trusted the Demon Lord’s lies. But to protect Kael, she had pinned all the blame on me. My heart felt like it was being battered by her words, the pain so sharp I could barely breathe. Despite her venom, the acolyte must have delivered my message. Zera returned to my chambers, but she brought Kael with her, leading him directly into the main bedroom. My vision turned red. “Zera! That is our bed! How can you let him sleep there?!” She ignored me, her brow furrowed in annoyance. She gently helped Kael lie down, her voice softening as she spoke to him. “You can rest here tonight. The Azurefall Palace is close to the Celestial Pool. It will be easier for me to take you for your treatments tomorrow.” That warm, gentle smile of hers was a rare sight. A sight Kael seemed to enjoy constantly. He took her hand. “Will you stay with me tonight? After the battle… I’m scared at night…” “Of course. I’ll stay.” She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, then turned to face me, her expression instantly hardening into a cold mask. “Be quiet. If you wake Kael, I will place a silence spell on you.” I stared at her, my eyes blank, the fury slowly curdling into self-mockery. This was my palace, yet since she’d “saved” me, I’d been relegated to a crude servant’s cot. She had taken Kael, who had only lost some of his cultivation, to the Celestial Pool for intensive healing, while I, who had lost my very Core, was left here to rot. “Zera, the defeat at the Crimson River was not my fault. Go and make it clear to the Order. I will not bear the blame for Kael’s mistake.” Her brows drew together, her voice like ice. “Kael was looked down upon his whole life because he was born without a spiritual root. He was bullied relentlessly in the Order. If this news gets out, what do you think they will do to him?” “You were by his side when he first joined. Have you no empathy?” My body trembled, a pain like a knife twisting in my heart. “So I’m supposed to endure the scorn and hatred of my juniors?” “Yes,” she said, her voice casual, dismissive. “You are.” The ache in my chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. I broke into a violent fit of coughing. Zera waved her sleeve in front of her nose, a look of disgust on her face. She cast a silence spell on me without a second thought. “I told you,” she snapped, “don’t make any noise and wake Kael.” As our eyes met, the pain in my chest suddenly erupted, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from my lips. There was no pity in her eyes, only a deep-seated revulsion. “Disgusting. Clean it up yourself.” A faint cough came from the inner chamber. Her face immediately softened with worry, and she hurried back to Kael’s side. “Are you still uncomfortable? I’m here. I won’t leave you.” Her voice, so gentle for him, was like a razor blade to my ears. I closed my eyes, exhausted. I tossed and turned, but sleep would not come. Zera, this time, I am truly giving up on you. I wrote a letter to my parents, informing them of my decision to return to the Aethel Clan. Then I went to the back mountain to see my Master. He poured me a cup of tea, offering no resistance to my plan. “You were never truly meant for Spirit Mountain. I support your decision. But wait three days. Leave after the Grand Cultivator’s Assembly.” “I will.” Returning to the Azurefall Palace, I was met with a barrage of glares and whispered insults. This was the scorn Kael should have endured, but Zera’s favoritism had redirected it all to me. So this was what it meant to love someone. To bear the weight of their pain. Eight hundred years was a long time. Long enough, finally, for my heart to die. The journey back to my palace, once a simple flight on my sword, was now a long, arduous walk. Without my Core, I could no longer summon it. The image of Zera, her face a mask of ruthless determination as she tore my Core from my body, was seared into my mind. I was just a child when it happened. My parents and I were on a night hunt when we were ambushed by wraiths. Zera appeared, a vision in azure robes, her sword a blur of silver as she saved me. She stroked my hair, asking if I was hurt. Before she left, I grabbed the corner of her robe. “Sister, which Order are you from?” “Spirit Mountain. Zera.” The image of her, robes billowing as she walked away, was forever etched in my memory. I dedicated myself to my training, my only goal to one day join Spirit Mountain. When I first arrived, my Master saw the way I looked at Zera and chuckled. “Your Senior Sister is a solitary soul. It will take more than a little effort to win her favor.” He wasn’t wrong. Zera was cold and proud, barely deigning to look at me. To earn even a sliver of her attention, I trained relentlessly, winning first place in every disciple competition. The day I formed my Golden Core, the entire Order celebrated. I was the youngest to ever achieve such a feat. Zera finally started to notice me. I redoubled my efforts, baking her favorite osmanthus cakes, repairing her palace, taking on any task related to her. During a great battle against the demon race, I rushed to her side, saving her when she was on the verge of defeat. She fell gravely ill afterward, and I was the one who scoured the lands for rare herbs, the one who kept vigil by her bed. From that day on, her gaze softened from indifference to something akin to pity. It took four hundred years, but she finally agreed to be with me. Not out of love, but out of pity for my one-sided devotion. Even when we shared a bed, she remained distant. “I feel nothing for you, Joric. I will never love anyone in my life.” Her words didn't deter me. As she slept, I would secretly hold her hand, whispering so softly the words were lost in the air, “I’m not greedy. Just being by your side is enough.” Slowly, her attitude toward me softened. Just as I was beginning to believe my persistence was paying off, that she might finally be falling in love with me, Kael appeared and shattered my illusions. Zera fell for him. The cold, distant woman I knew became warm and attentive to someone else. I confronted her, my eyes burning. “You said you would never love anyone!” Her face was etched with guilt, but she didn’t deny it. She had once told me she could only be attracted to someone stronger than herself. That’s why it hurt so much when she favored Kael. I had groveled and fought for a single glance from her, yet Kael had it all without lifting a finger. Four hundred years to get close to her. Another four hundred to be utterly disillusioned, to force myself to let her go. Kael was sitting in my usual meditation spot. When he saw me enter, he smiled, his voice dripping with malice. “Brother Joric, thank you for your Golden Core. It has helped me reach a level I never could have achieved on my own.” His tone shifted, becoming boastful. “Of course, I have Senior Sister Zera’s favoritism to thank for all of this.” I scoffed. “Something that isn't yours can never truly be yours. What do you think will happen when the Order finds out the battle was lost because of you? How will the acolytes who already despise you treat you then?” His eyes narrowed, and he snarled, “You wouldn’t dare! Zera would never let you!” “Watch me.” A flicker of panic crossed his face, and he scrambled out of the room. I knew where he was going. To Zera, to cry and complain, to have her fight his battles for him. Finally, some peace. I sat down and began to cultivate. Without my Core, my body healed at a glacial pace. The wounds from the battle were a constant, throbbing ache. Zera came in with a bowl of medicine. “Drink this, Joric. I went to the Apothecary Pavilion myself to find these celestial herbs. They will help you reform your Core.” Her voice was gentle, making my heart tremble. But this time, it was useless. I kept my eyes closed. “I don’t need it.” She scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to my lips. “Be good,” she cooed. “Let me feed you.” I slowly opened my eyes and met her tender gaze. “I spent all morning searching for these herbs. Now, drink up.” Under her coaxing, I opened my mouth and swallowed the medicine. She then produced a piece of candy from her sleeve and popped it into my mouth. “Such a good boy, my Joric,” she purred, smiling. “Kael told me you were planning on telling the Order the real reason for our defeat.” “If you let me feed you like this every day, you won’t say anything, will you?” It was the same smile, but this time, I saw the ice in her eyes. It was always for Kael. For him, she would endure anything, even this reluctant show of affection. The sweet candy suddenly tasted bitter. I turned my head away. “Zera, I can’t.” Instantly, her smile vanished, replaced by a storm of fury. “If you won’t be persuaded by kindness, then don’t blame me for being cruel.” 2 The Grand Cultivator’s Assembly proceeded as planned. After today, I would leave Spirit Mountain forever. The disciples gathered in the main hall, awaiting our Master. Zera presided from her high seat. “Our losses in the Battle of the Crimson River were severe,” she announced. “But we can take solace in the fact that, in our darkest hour, Kael saved the lives of many of our junior disciples.” The acolytes erupted in cheers, chanting Kael’s name, calling for him to come forward. Zera familiarly made space for him at her side, in the spot that had once been mine. They looked like a perfectly matched couple. She took his hand and declared, “Since his return, Kael’s cultivation has improved dramatically. I propose that Joric step down from his position as Sword Master, and that Kael take his place, leading our disciples in their training from this day forward.” The position of Sword Master… Zera had begged our Master to give it to me. He had thought I was too young, but she had knelt in the back mountains for half a month, pleading for him to give me a chance. She had said she couldn’t bear to see my talent wasted. Now, she was ruthlessly tearing it away from me. Kael shot me a triumphant smirk. “Sorry, Brother Joric,” he whispered. “Zera was worried you’d spill the beans about the battle. She had to make sure everyone would despise you.” Zera walked toward me, her face a cold mask. “To convince everyone,” she said, her voice devoid of emotion, “you will duel Kael.” The disciples roared their approval. It was a perfect trap. Whether I fought or not, I was doomed. To be defeated by Kael without my Core would be the ultimate humiliation. I forced a tight smile. “I will give him the position voluntarily. There is no need for a duel.” “That won’t do,” Zera said, raising her hand. With a flick of her wrist, a spell sent me flying onto the dueling platform. Kael landed opposite me on his sword, bowing with false sincerity. “My apologies, Senior Brother.” My Core had supercharged his power. He came at me with killing intent. I had no way to defend myself. The duel was a one-sided slaughter. I was left broken and defeated on the platform. The disciples looked at me with contempt. “He’s the reason so many of us died! He’s finally getting what he deserves!” Kael raised his sword in victory. “I am the victor!” The hall erupted in cheers. Zera, her face beaming, announced, “Good! Then the position of Sword Master now belongs to—” Before she could finish, I forced myself to my feet. “There’s no need to humiliate me further. I am leaving the Spirit Mountain Order. I will never set foot here again.” As my words echoed in the silent hall, the main doors swung open. Our Master strode in, his voice a sharp rebuke. “Enough of this foolishness!”
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