~~~

  “Did you hear? Brother Ku had to be rushed to the Medical Pavilion and be beheaded again last night.”

  “What? Don’t be ridiculous, he’s an Inner Disciple of the Armoury, and I just saw him yesterday in the compound! No one here is dumb enough to mess with the group that maintains our weapons, who would want to hurt him?”

  “Well… you know that older girl from the other Sect he was always bragging to us about? The one he claimed to have managed to ‘charm’ into promising to sleep with him the next time she comes around?”

  “You mean one of those female Core Disciples that always accompanied the Young Miss of the Chen Clan? What about it… Oh.”

  “Yeah. There was just barely enough of his head and neck left to be recovered. I heard the Outer Disciples cleaning the mess couldn’t even find a single organ or pound of flesh left to harvest below the collarbone. Even the spine was partially devoured.”

  “Idiot… What was that fool thinking?! I didn’t think he would be stupid enough to do it! Everyone knows you don’t lay with the female Disciples of the Split-headed Carnivores!”

  “Not a bad way to go, however. Did you catch a glimpse of how they looked when they came in? Jade beauties, every single one of them… Maybe we should visit Brother Ku in the infirmary later; ask him how it went. It couldn’t have been that bad if she still had enough restraint to leave his head and neck intact for the medical acolytes.”

  “Jing, as your Senior Brother in cultivation—”

  “We are at the same Step, moron.”

  “As your Senior Brother in wisdom, then. No woman is worth having your entire body eaten over! Maybe one organ, maybe one pound of flesh, but your whole body?! That’s just obscene!”

  “Perhaps I simply seek to emulate the courage of our Young Master, then.”

  “Junior Brother, I admire our Young Master, as every Disciple of the Beheaded Phoenix Sect should. But if that man survives his wedding night with his sanity intact, I will praise him as the second coming of our Flesh-Grafted Emperor.”

  — Conversation between two Inner Disciples near the Sparring Halls of the Beheaded Phoenix Sect, a few hours before the Young Master’s arrival

  It did not take Hei Feng too long to reach the training halls of the Sect. Located at a stark elevation and of considerable distance away from the rest of the main compound for reasons of safety and fire control, merely getting to the place itself can be a hurdle on its own.

  Once again, the Young Master was grateful for the existence of the Fiery Comet Step. Living on the mountain would have been far more taxing without the movement technique.

  Despite its simplicity, the importance of the Fiery Comet Step could not be overstated. Such was its significance that it was even used as one of the deciding metrics of a cultivator’s standing within the Sect. An Outer Disciple needed to be able to traverse a distance of at least twenty metres with a single step to perform their daily allocated grunt work. Failure to do so would see them swiftly expelled.

  An aspiring Inner Disciple must be able to traverse a hundred metres before they are even considered for the promotional test. A Core Disciple regularly uses the technique to traverse lengths of two to three hundred metres with each step in their daily routines.

  Feng could travel distances of up to six hundred metres with a single application of the technique.

  It wasn’t simply a matter of standing or cultivation. As the Young Master of the Sect, he possessed a far deeper understanding of the Arts provided by the Cultivation Path of the Beheaded Phoenix. Moreover, his exposure to the Sect’s Divine Corpse outstrips the other disciples and even most of the Elders. The only other who could challenge him in this was his father, the Patriarch of the Sect.

  But inborn talent and a wealthy upbringing were not the sole determining factors of a cultivator’s worth. There were as many Paths to advancing one’s existence as there were stars in the sky. While some options may remain out of reach due to a lack of means or fear of consequences, there will always be one that is freely available to all.

  The brutal trials of combat. To feel the pulse of a raging heartbeat as fear and anger boiled in one’s veins, to savour the warm blood of another dripping from one’s fists, to taste the flesh and organs of a fallen opponent — well-earned and sweet enough to remind oneself why cultivators indulge in their hunger so often.

  If a man sought to cultivate himself through such primal and primitive means, there was no better place to do so than within a Sect’s Sparring Halls. An arena to gamble one’s flesh and soul, for a chance to cultivate using violence and bloodshed.

  An arena which he has finally arrived at.

  ~~~

  At a glance, an outsider might question the suitability of the Sparring Hall for its intended purpose. That was understandable — for one, the structure looked to be made entirely out of wood.

  In a Sect that heralded the corpse of a creature called the Beheaded Phoenix, and one where the use of deadly fire techniques was not only common but even required for the performance of mere everyday tasks, this would no doubt appear to be an odd and questionable decision.

  Yet, asking something like this only showed an insulting depth of ignorance. To merely even imply that the architect of the Sect would be foolish enough to use mere, mundane wood for the construction of its Sparring Halls was an unforgivable insult. More than one foolish initiate had been punished for the mere utterance of such statements upon their first training sessions, with some even going so far as to question the lack of stone foundations in the building’s construction.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  In the first place, regular stone walls and supports could not hope to withstand the sheer might of the Sect Disciple’s technique. Even for an Outer Disciple, their use of the Beheaded Phoenix’s Arts could produce heat hot enough to melt rock. A training hall made of mundane stone was no more sustainable than one made of wood.

  Besides, appearance can often be deceiving. The material of the training hall may look ordinary, but they were anything but. The components used for the hall’s construction were harvested from the very forests that inhabit the lower valleys of the monastery’s mountain. The ambience of rich Yang Qi in the region means that the resources of the valley all possessed strong fire-resistant properties.

  The aptly — if somewhat unimaginatively — named Phoenix Mountain made for a very convenient source of building material. Indeed, most of the structures within the Sect compound were built from timber and clay harvested from that very forest. The Sect also often exports the materials out as lucrative trade.

  But Feng wasn’t interested in the building’s architecture. His attention was more focused on its occupants.

  As he approached the Sparring Hall’s entrance, the sound of combat became clear. A cacophony of furious insults, agonised screams, and the occasional explosion rang out. A pair of Inner Disciple guards were stationed outside the enormous doorway. Upon seeing him, their eyes widened, and they immediately bowed.

  “We greet the Young Master!” They cried in unison.

  Hei Feng nodded. “Is Elder Jun within?”

  “The venerable Elder of the Sparring Halls is overseeing the training of the Inner and Core Disciples inside, Young Master,” one of the disciples eagerly replied before the other could respond.

  The statement made him frown. “Elder Jun is supervising both the Inner and Core disciple’s training at the same time? That is unlike him.”

  Within the Beheaded Phoenix Sect, the majority of Inner Disciples were at varying stages of the Second Realm, while the Core Disciples were within the Third. The wide disparity in strength between the Core and Inner Disciples means that allowing them to spar together was problematic.

  Given the unique nature of their Divine patron, sparring sessions within the Beheaded Phoenix Sect tended to be chaotic and violent, with multiple duels taking place simultaneously and lethal blows being exchanged with reckless abandon. A stray hit from a Core Disciple to a nearby Inner Disciple could have very permanent consequences.

  “Ah, well…” The Inner Disciple before him hesitated in his reply, carefully choosing his words. “With the Young Master’s wedding approaching, many disciples hope to prove their worth before Elder Jun, such they may be selected to perform in the duelling tournaments that are expected to be hosted in your honour during the ceremonies.”

  “I’m sure you can understand their eagerness to be chosen, Young Master,” the other Disciple added. “You are the pride of the Beheaded Phoenix Sect, a figure all disciples within the Sect look up to. No one would be foolish enough to pass up the chance to perform in your honour and show their devotion.”

  Left unsaid were the boons that could be earned from obtaining such an opportunity. With the majority of the Elders from both the Beheaded Phoenix Sect and the Split-Headed Carnivores Sect showing up, the recognition gained from being chosen to perform at the wedding would be immense. A single good display of their combat prowess before such venerable cultivators could see them showered with resources, maybe even chosen for direct mentorship.

  Another person might be insulted that their wedding was being taken advantage of in such a manner, but Feng did not mind. In fact, he was glad something good for the Sect’s disciples could be gained from his dreaded nuptial.

  “Please be at ease,” he reassured them. “I am gladdened, not insulted, to hear that my fellow Disciples would suffer such trials for my sake.”

  The two disciples relaxed. Feng continued. “But my earlier concerns still stand. Even Elder Jun, powerful and wise as he is, cannot oversee the combat of so many disciples at once.”

  “Of course, Senior Brother. The venerable Elder has already considered this and has taken steps to prevent casualties,” one of the guards explained. “The disciples of the Medical Pavilion and the Apothecary are already standing in reserve to attend to any serious injuries, and a fair number of Core Disciples have been held back from participating so that they may focus on damage control should the worst occur.”

  “Senior Brother Dai has also unexpectedly taken a temporary reprieve from his duties as Temple Guard to assist with the training inside,” the other disciple added.

  Brother Dai was here? Feng felt a smile crept up his face. “I see. That is good to hear. If Brother Dai is also inside, then I do not doubt that the situation is well under control.”

  “Would you like us to pass a message?” One of the guards asked.

  “No need.” Feng chuckled as he walked past them. “I’ll see the ape myself.”

  Perhaps an opportunity to release some pent-up stress would soon present itself. After that thoroughly one-sided beatdown he had received from Lianshi earlier in the morning, a proper duel was in order.

  The ape would make a good opponent.

  The Four Mountain Sects Group

  During the early days of the Flesh-Grafted Empire, when the officials of the Imperial Court were in the midst of establishing the Imperial Borders and dividing the Emperor’s territory into Provinces for administration purposes, it was decided that each Province must, at the bare minimum, have at least one Divine Corpse in the region. This was done to ensure that the Spiritual foundations necessary for a Sect were present. The monastery would then govern the Province in the Emperor’s stead.

  The Four Mountain Sects Group is notable because not only was it rare for four Sects to exist within the same Province, but these four Sects were also built in shockingly close proximity to each other. For four Divine Corpses to be found adjacent — even if they are only ranked as Divine Carrion — is nothing short of miraculous. Whatever event had led to such circumstance is long lost to history, for even the Imperial Court hold no record of what bizarre disaster could have laid low four Divine Gods in the same place at once.

  Regardless of whatever surreal incident created such a peculiar arrangement, the denizens of the 103rd Outer Province undoubtedly benefited from it. With the four Divine Carrions' decaying presence combined, the surrounding land has become significantly bolstered with Spiritual Energy. The qi density found in those mountain valleys surpasses the average of what one would find elsewhere in the Outer Provinces. This makes the Sects and their cultivators of some actual worth to the Inner Province. It also helps that the Four Mountain Sect Group is located relatively close to one of the four Border Gates that allow passage between the Inner and Outer Provinces, making trade and Sect Relations a more feasible affair.

  The names of these four sects are:

  The Beheaded Phoenix Sect

  The Split-headed Carnivore Sect

  The Decaying Greyroots Sect

  The Inverted Monk Sect

  Under Imperial legislation, these four Sects are all considered subsidiaries of Noble Kang Xuli, Duke of the North Gate; a great honour for those in the Outer Province.

  The four Sects share natural rivalries, competing not only for the Duke’s favour but also for the scant local cultivation resources to be found. For many years, the Sects were of equal strength, until the Patriarch of the Decaying Greyroots somehow broke into the Sixth realm a decade ago. This unprecedented ascension disrupted the balance of power within the Province, and hence prompted two of the other Sects to join together in union via the marriage of their Young Heirs: the Beheaded Phoenix Sect’s Hei Feng, and the Split-headed Carnivores Sect’s Chen Lianshi.

  — Excerpt from A Citizen’s Guide to the Flesh-Grafted Empire