"What the hell were you thinking?" Darkan stormed into the room without waiting for Nathan to reach the door, his face contorted with rage.

  Nathan flinched, taking a step back as an involuntary chill ran down his spine. Zeryn quickly retreated to a corner, maintaining the position of an observer. His face turned bitter seeing his friend in such a predicament.

  "Master," Nathan's voice trembled slightly, "what's wrong?"

  "You gave up your slot for 'The Shifting Trials' to someone else?"

  Nathan nodded honestly.

  "Heavens!" Darkan threw his head back, enunciating each word. "What kind of dim-witted disciple did I take in? Giving up such a golden opportunity to others."

  "But I can still participate in the coming years," Nathan defended himself. "If I went this year, I wouldn't be able to achieve anything anyway."

  Zeryn shook his head vigorously at those words. But he couldn't intervene in this matter.

  Darkan's eyes bulged, his lips quivering as if he was about to foam at the mouth.

  "Mother of— you absolute fool! Are you even listening to yourself?"

  Nathan furrowed his brows, trying to keep his mind clear while Darkan was gesticulating wildly, looking like he wanted to beat him to a pulp.

  "Who told you to give it away, huh?" Darkan roared.

  It was then that Nathan had his epiphany.

  Even if Nalani had promised compensation, he didn't have to agree. What he should have done was consult his master, Darkan. That would have been the simple and smooth approach. The optimal choice, the one he should have made, was to refuse. Because his actions in the great hall were nothing short of bringing shame not only to himself but also to Darkan. If the ninth mountain had other disciples, he would be smearing mud on everyone's faces.

  His face turned pale as he realized his mistake.

  "Now you understand?" Darkan laughed loudly, his voice self-mocking. "What does Nalani have that I don't? If you need anything, I can give it to you. That woman's wealth is nothing compared to mine. You're making it seem like your master is a beggar."

  Nathan held his breath, eyes downcast, unable to face Darkan. He had been carrying the heavy mentality of an inferior all this time, so he was subconsciously affected. He always chose the safest and least risky path for himself. While a person needs to understand the relationships they have and make choices contrary to what they had in the past. Only then can they change, can they advance.

  His actions not only indirectly labeled himself as a coward, unwilling to try when given an opportunity, but also poured dirty water on Darkan's head. The inner sect elder's bad reputation became even worse, but in a more terrible direction. Before, people feared Darkan, but now they looked down on him. Simply because of his weak disciple.

  "Wake up, Nathan," Darkan said gruffly. "You have support right here. Me. Use it. The title of direct disciple isn't just for show. If this is all you can do with this position, then get back to the outer sect."

  Nathan's mouth went dry, his mind in chaos.

  Unlike his participation in the outer sect tournament under Kyron's threats, this time he had a way out. With that option available, he didn't hesitate to take it, thinking it was the optimal path. He did use his master's backing, but in the worst possible way.

  But what made him contemplate was why he felt this way. Part of it was perhaps because he saw Xander's development. However, it still wasn't enough to completely extinguish the changes he had gained after defeating the powerful monsters in Moirath Forest.

  He still remembered his confidence when facing the group from Azure Lake Academy. His mentality then was ready for battle. In short, it was because he felt he could, even if the odds were low. Of course, it was also thanks to Argentius, but even when alone, he was ready to resist when threatened. Like when he acted as if charging into fire by participating in the outer sect tournament where each battle was a bloodbath. Or when being chased by monsters.

  He wasn't afraid of challenges.

  Why? The question kept popping up in his mind.

  Darkan paused, his eyes blinking, as if realizing something.

  "Damn that Nalani!"

  His curse made both Nathan and Zeryn look up, their eyes nearly popping out at the harsh words they just heard.

  "What do you mean, Master?" Nathan asked.

  Blue veins bulged on Darkan's forehead as he clicked his tongue and spoke.

  "I know you're dense, Nathan! But not this dense."

  Was that a compliment or an insult? Nathan was genuinely confused.

  "I've observed you these past months, and it's enough to know you're just a bit slow, scattered-brained, but not completely mindless." Darkan continued his rambling.

  "Get to the point, Master!" Nathan frowned.

  "Unless you're being influenced, you wouldn't act so rashly like this."

  Nathan's eyebrows drew together, his body trembling at his master's implication.

  "Your psychology has been manipulated," Darkan said gravely. "That damned Sword Intent."

  Zeryn coughed dryly upon hearing this. Darkan ignored him and continued explaining to Nathan.

  "Nalani's Sword Intent is called Soul-Piercing Sword Intent. Long story short, you can understand it as something that cuts through the deepest defenses in the soul, then exposes the emotions that Nalani wants. In this case, according to my guess, it's your self-doubt, indecisiveness, and fear of greater powers."

  Nathan's fists unconsciously tightened, his face scrunching up.

  Negative emotions or disadvantageous feelings are always something people try to hide, or create a defensive layer so they don't intervene with daily life, with decisions that could change their life. Thus, it's terrifying when someone can pierce through that defense, exposing everything. Even more frightening is that this process happens very subtly, somewhat gently, making him unable to sense the change. Only when thinking back did he notice what was strange.

  If Darkan hadn't exploded in anger making him examine himself, even if he lived his whole life, he wouldn't have known about the manipulation of Soul-Piercing Sword Intent.

  "But doing this, wouldn't she still be discovered by you?" Nathan asked curiously. Wouldn't that mean it still didn't lead to the desired result?

  "That's why," Darkan exhaled sharply, throwing him a disappointed look, "I said you're still stupid. Hey, kid," Darkan called to Zeryn, "what do you think?"

  Zeryn walked forward straight-backed, his bearing ten parts proper, and bowed to the one who just questioned him.

  "Greetings, Elder."

  "Cut the formalities," Darkan waved his hand.

  "The issue here is whether you should confront Elder Nalani or not," Zeryn calmly said. "Elder Darkan's reputation isn't good, so making a big fuss about this would only harm the ninth mountain. People will mainly say you're incompetent, unable to protect your own disciple. And that's if they believe what you say. But the other possibility is higher. No one will believe it."

  Zeryn tilted his head to look at Nathan, his shoulders hunching apologetically, but he persisted in speaking.

  "You don't have a good reputation either. To everyone, you're still the unworthy disciple among the inner sect disciples. There's no evidence to accuse Elder Nalani."

  "Just because everyone believes that even without Sword Intent, I'm still a weakling who would make such a choice," Nathan concluded bitterly.

  Only if he had refused the proposal, ready to face the geniuses, would the result be slightly different. Everyone would still continue to underestimate him, questioning why he received this treatment. However, it would stop there, with some admiring his courage. Most importantly, the future was unclear. What if he actually achieved good results?

  "Give him some of your brains, Zeryn," Darkan shook his head in exasperation.

  Nathan bowed his head.

  "I was wrong, Master."

  Darkan went to the table and sat down, as if exhausted from his unquenched anger.

  At this moment, a system notification appeared.

  You got a new quest: 'The Shifting Trials'

  Objective: Successfully join the event held at Maelivar City without Darkan's help.

  Rewards: 2000 credits.

  Penalty when failed: Deduct 2000 credits.

  What the hell? Nathan frowned. That means I'll go negative.

  Unlike previous times, the system immediately responded.

  Your credits can go negative. In this case, all system functions will be completely locked until the debt is fully paid. Passive skills will continue to function normally. However, other items with active effects like [Skill Revealer] will lose their effectiveness.

  Nathan truly just wanted to collapse. Even the system seemed to want to punish something he couldn't control.

  Even with [Mind of Tranquility], he didn't believe he could dodge Nalani's Sword Intent. Its name was Soul, not Mind. Not to mention, with such a difference in cultivation levels, unless he had this skill at level 4, dreaming about resisting would be futile.

  "It's not entirely your fault," Darkan said after grumbling, his mood somewhat calmer, "even geniuses would find it hard to resist. Except for this kid here who also possesses Sword Intent, it's difficult for anyone to stand firm against Nalani."

  Zeryn blinked, catching the meaning in the inner sect elder's words. He held Nathan in very high regard.

  "She did this in front of Alaric, so she must have been confident in her intentions. What a cunning woman."

  Nathan understood that although he hadn't seen him, the Sect Leader must have been somewhere in the palace's great hall. He didn't blame Alaric either. These kinds of power plays were common in places with hierarchical power structures. Let the subordinates handle subordinate matters.

  "But isn't it too much investment just for one participation slot?" Nathan asked offhandedly.

  "Ha, seems your brain isn't completely useless," Darkan smirked.

  "She's trying to win over Xander," Zeryn said. "But at the same time, she doesn't want to miss out on the disciples who have been working hard for the past three years."

  "Greedy devil," Darkan muttered.

  "Ah, I see," Nathan nodded.

  Now he understood everything. Having Xander under her wing was an investment for the future. He didn't have a bad impression of Xander because of this either. Though they had only interacted a few times, he knew Xander was a person with a simple and steadfast mind. Surely knowing that this spear-wielding disciple would reject this approach, Nalani didn't call him to gather with the other disciples.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Darkan raised his hand and slammed it on the table. A loud bang resonated, followed by the innocent table shattering into pieces.

  "Never mind these calculating types," Darkan shouted. "I'll go reclaim the participation slot for my disciple."

  Nathan was stunned by Darkan's protective behavior. Indeed, he didn't need to do this; letting the matter slide was also a viable option. But unlike Nathan, who always thought of taking the easy path, Darkan prioritized what he wanted first. Once able to do that, Nathan wouldn't be affected by Soul-Piercing Sword Intent in his decisions anymore.

  Ashamed at heart, he reached out to grab Darkan's sleeve as he was storming off.

  "Wait..." his words were cut short as his body was thrown through the air, crashing through the wall into pieces, before finally stopping after rolling several times in the courtyard.

  Zeryn's eyes widened, not understanding what had just happened.

  Seeing Nathan's posterior pointing skyward, Darkan forgot what he was about to do and burst into laughter.

  "There's no such thing as the most foolish, only more foolish!" he pointed at Nathan while scolding, his mouth unable to contain his laughter.

  Nathan, his entire body aching, struggled to stand up. He felt like all his bones were about to break. Looking fearfully at his master, he remembered that Darkan possessed a Physical Cultivation level that could defeat a Spirit Cultivation Tier 5. An unimaginable level of destructive power. Understandable how a slight movement could generate enough force to throw him like that. He had just tried to use his hand to stop a giant.

  "You don't need to trouble yourself doing that," Nathan tried to avoid anyone dwelling on the topic of him leaving a massive hole in the wall.

  "What do you mean?" Darkan asked.

  "I'll find my own way to participate in 'The Shifting Trials.'"

  Four eyes stared at Nathan incredulously, as if hearing something earth-shattering.

  "Did you hear what you just said, Nate?" Zeryn asked.

  "Yes!" Nathan tried to make his voice as firm as possible. "I skimmed through PsiLink while we were walking back here. The Kingdom of Caelindor wants talents from across the country to have a chance, so as long as you build up enough reputation, there's a possibility of being invited, right?"

  "Right," Zeryn answered. "But it's just a possibility, you understand? Not completely certain."

  "Then we'll just have to try," Nathan shrugged.

  He didn't want to do it this way, but the system forced his hand. 2000 credits was the result of months of work. He didn't want to fall behind too much.

  "Haha," Darkan slapped his knee, appearing to cheer up, "this is more like the crazy kid I took in. But having the intention is good enough, I acknowledge it. Let's go reclaim your participation slot."

  "No need to do that," Nathan said firmly, choosing his words carefully. "This is how I'll make amends. I know I can't resist Soul-Piercing Sword Intent, but in exchange, others might be able to fight against it."

  Keira and Xander surely wouldn't be as easily manipulated as he was.

  "What do you mean by making amends?" Darkan asked curiously.

  "By showing everyone. Other inner sect disciples need the elders' help to get slots to participate. But Darkan's disciple doesn't need that. Because he can find his own way."

  This time, Darkan couldn't help but show his approval of Nathan. Zeryn was clapping continuously, his mouth grinning from ear to ear.

  "What if you fail?" Darkan continued asking.

  "It can't get any worse than it is now," Nathan confidently replied. "You and I will just keep our bad reputations as they are."

  Hearing this, Darkan laughed loudly, unable to contain himself. His hearty laughter echoed throughout the courtyard without end.

  "Well done," the inner sect elder wiped tears from his eyes, "I'll inform Alaric to let you join the group heading to Maelivar. And here, these are your belongings and rewards."

  Nathan caught the small bag Darkan threw at him. Before he could thank him, the man had vanished, leaving him and Zeryn staring blankly.

  When they opened the bag, both of them gaped for a long while, speechless.

  Nathan strictly disciplined himself, remembering that his master was several times wealthier than Elder Nalani, so there was no need to be particular about it.

  The next day, Nathan stood waiting with Zeryn in a courtyard designated as the gathering place for disciples participating in the upcoming event.

  Twenty-four disciples were participating. So on average, each elder had two to three slots. It was known that Sect Leader Alaric's secret disciple would not be participating. Upon hearing this information, Nathan was very curious, wondering what kind of person would be accepted as Alaric's disciple. This person more or less held the opportunity to become the next sect leader, so it was also a hot topic on the forums.

  Notably, the team leader was none other than Nalani. Perhaps because of this, this elder was directly in charge of up to five disciples, including Xander. Although holding a grudge against this elder, he couldn't help but admire her diplomatic skills. While she might use the worst methods with Darkan, he guessed the other elders received considerable benefits.

  Zeryn and he stood in a corner, waiting peacefully, staying away from the other excited disciples. One was a disciple of the infamous elder, the other was someone who accepted no master.

  "How did you get a participation slot?" Nathan wondered.

  "When I open my mouth, the Sect has to give it to me," Zeryn replied quite provocatively.

  "Want to try one of my punches? It really hurts."

  Zeryn narrowed his eyebrows, remembering yesterday when Nathan was thrown. He could guess how much force Darkan had exerted. Yet, Nathan seemed completely fine now.

  "Learning everything except copying that muscle-bound Roran," Zeryn grumbled. "Seriously though, if the Sect didn't give a slot to someone who survived three months in the Verdant Spire, it would create bad publicity."

  Nathan nodded in agreement. For this, Zeryn just needed to request it from the Sect Leader directly, no need to rely on anyone else.

  "Hey, underdog," a youthful and cheerful voice rang out beside them.

  Nathan turned around, seeing who it was and smiled brightly.

  "Hello Zahra."

  "That greeting was really anticlimactic," Zahra pouted.

  "Your humble servant is overjoyed to meet such a beautiful lady," Zeryn gracefully took her hand and kissed it.

  "Ew," Zahra pretended to gag, but her eyes sparkled.

  Nathan couldn't bring himself to act to that extent.

  "You've gotten stronger," Zahra locked eyes with Nathan, then frowned. "But clearly not Tier 2. How strange."

  Nathan just shrugged at that, not saying anything more.

  "Playing mysterious," Zahra chided. "But I hope we can meet at the upcoming event."

  Hearing someone actually looking forward to his presence, Nathan couldn't help but smile.

  "Just wait and see."

  Zahra responded with a radiant smile. She was a cherished disciple under Elder Galen, so despite opposition from her fellow disciples, she still got to participate. This carefree girl didn't hesitate to accept the offer outright. Clearly, unless unavoidable, geniuses would immediately seize opportunities that came their way.

  "Disciples, gather," Elder Nalani spoke up.

  The disciples gathered together, looking toward Nalani. The elder, whose appearance seemed more suited for the battlefield, scanned everyone with calculating eyes. She paused briefly when seeing Nathan before moving on.

  "I only have one warning," Nalani said in a solemn voice. "Don't bring shame to Verdant Spire Sect."

  Several gazes turned toward Nathan, who shouldn't have been here.

  Knowing this would happen, he paid no mind, maintaining his gaze straight ahead.

  After speaking, Nalani waved her hand, summoning everyone's transportation device.

  A gigantic lotus flower materialized in the air, its petals drooping around tiny fragrant seeds. In the center was a space large enough for a hundred people to sit. Below was a layer of protective vegetation, lush and full of vitality.

  The pink petals pointed upward, receiving a stream of energy from the peak of Verdant Spire. In an instant, everyone could see its colors become brighter, more vivid as if coming alive.

  "Everyone, get on," Nalani ordered.

  All obeyed, lightly jumping up. Nalani was about to help Nathan when she saw him spring high into the air, landing beside Zeryn. She looked down at the ground where Nathan had stood, seeing the cracks he left behind. With a meaningful smile, Nalani flew up, landing beside the disciples already seated on the lotus.

  With a gesture, the giant flower ascended rapidly, disturbing the surrounding air. When it reached a height above the clouds, it shot forward at an incredibly fast speed, many times faster than the ships connecting the surrounding towns. The passengers were protected by a thin mana screen, sufficient to block wind and other minor effects.

  Nathan was marveling at this transportation device. The seating was quite comfortable and cool, not hard and uncomfortable as he had imagined. He knew that different sects, academies, or organizations all had their special transportation devices. It wasn't strange that Verdant Spire Sect possessed flower and tree forms.

  Because the space was quite spacious, the disciples split into groups to sit. Keira was also present and, naturally, she sat alone. She participated under Alaric's orders, as compensation for not being accepted as a direct disciple by any elder.

  Zahra ignored her senior disciples under Elder Galen, sitting with Nathan and Zeryn. Surprisingly, Xander came over too.

  "Not a word," he scowled at the group.

  Nathan chuckled, letting Xander do as he pleased. It seemed he had heard people discussing how Nathan lost his slot. This was his way of showing he didn't approve of that. Truly an interesting person, just lacking in words and communication skills.

  Nathan watched the scenery pass by beside him, his mind wandering back to yesterday's events, about Intent and Aspect. Like how monsters had their own Aspects. He had asked Darkan before leaving, while checking about the remnant soul of the Wood Wraith in his body as well as the Lunar Shadow's sigil. He was quite surprised to learn from Darkan that he had already eliminated the Wood Wraith. As for the Lunar Shadow, his master could do nothing about it. In his assessment, it would be more accurate to say his master was avoiding the matter altogether, and hadn't even bothered to explain anything further to satisfy his eagerness to learn.

  "What's your Aspect, Zeryn?" Nathan spoke up, seeking guidance from elsewhere.

  His question made both Zahra and Xander open their eyes wide in anticipation.

  "Sharp," Zeryn answered without hesitation.

  "Sharp?" Nathan thought he'd misheard.

  He could look it up on PsiLink, but he trusted Zeryn would understand this better. The amount of information Zeryn could access seemed far beyond what he could search for.

  "Yup," Zeryn crossed his arms and nodded. "It's exactly the sharpness you're thinking of."

  Then, Zeryn opened his hand, and mana in the shape of a sphere appeared on his palm. He moved it toward Nathan.

  "Touch it."

  Unable to contain his curiosity, Nathan put his fingertip into the ethereal mana sphere. A tingling sensation immediately responded from his skin, as if dozens of small knives were continuously cutting and slashing. It felt similar to when he circulated essence in his body.

  Seeing this, Zahra followed suit. Her movement was so quick that when Zeryn shouted "Don't!" her finger was already fully inside the sphere.

  The sphere immediately dissolved. Nevertheless, tiny droplets of blood sprayed out.

  Zahra blinked, looking at her index finger covered in cuts. She didn't cry out in pain, just curiosity.

  Zeryn had created the sphere with enough intensity to test his hypothesis about Nathan. Though unspoken, he knew his friend was following the path of Physical Cultivation.

  Xander and Zahra simultaneously glanced at Nathan, noting the information they could gather from this small incident.

  Nathan wasn't too concerned, still in his train of thought.

  "So what's Intent? How do you get Intent? From what I understand, Aspect comes naturally, but Intent doesn't?"

  "That's right," Zeryn confirmed. "Intent is when you practice something enough, or study it long enough, and from that you develop a purpose for how you want to use it, it becomes Intent. That's putting it simply, but it's much more complex."

  "You have to be companions with your spear," Xander spoke up. He paused when everyone looked at him. "Weapon-related Intent like Sword, Spear, Blade, Hammer, Shield, are the most common. The origin is wanting to have a weapon beyond the weapon, something invisible that always stands by your side."

  Hearing such a romantic description made Nathan nod.

  "So when you think about something hard enough, it materializes?"

  Both Intent possessors froze, unsure how to respond. Because it really was like that.

  Zahra was laughing uncontrollably on the side.

  "That's not wrong," Zeryn admitted. "It's called Intent after all, so yes, if you think about it day and night, it's quite possible."

  "So how is your Sharp Aspect different from Sword Intent?" Nathan didn't want to talk more about methods, preferring to understand the effects better. "Aren't both about cutting something?"

  "The two things are similar but still have differences. It's lengthy to explain, but you can distinguish them by putting the Soul factor into the equation."

  Nathan understood Zeryn was trying to clarify some of his questions about what happened with Nalani.

  "For my Sharp Aspect to pierce through current physical defenses is impossible," Zeryn continued. "But even at Tier 2, if I spend enough time practicing and cultivating, I could still reach the level of Soul-Piercing Sword Intent. From there, invade the heart and cut the opponent."

  "So there's still a cumulative effect between Aspect and Intent?"

  "Of course. A cut from me will have higher effectiveness when combining both."

  Zeryn pointed toward Xander, who was also listening attentively.

  "This guy possesses Metal Aspect. Following the logic I mentioned, it has a similar cumulative effect. Metal Aspect is quite common among those with Sword Intent or related Intents."

  "The issue is that Sharp Aspect is purer in terms of attack," Nathan reasoned. "While Metal Aspect can defend better."

  "That's exactly right," Zeryn gave a thumbs up in praise. "Unless I use strength to cut away whatever's coming at me if the Mana Barrier isn't enough for protection."

  Nathan rubbed his chin, thinking about the answer. He had understood more about the relationship between Aspect and Intent.

  "So does Sharp Aspect have any other Intents?"

  "Of course!" Zeryn answered, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Weaving Intent."

  All three others swallowed in anticipation, waiting for Zeryn to continue.

  "When thinking about the nature of Sharp, you have to understand it's not necessarily about swords, knives, or spears. It could be needles too. There was once a Cultivator who, well, as you said, thought hard enough about weaving, wanting to take Sharp Aspect out of the common path of attack. And she succeeded, creating her own path. She applied Weaving Intent in many aspects, including tailoring, creating puppets, or forming formations. Do you know what Weaving Intent created when it reached its peak?"

  The silence made everything tense, as if waiting for the ending of a movie.

  "Weave reality itself."

  All three took a deep breath, their minds unable to keep up with the magnitude of the answer.

  "You didn't hear wrong. This person could use Sharp Aspect to tear a space, then use Weaving Intent like sewing clothes, weaving a separate reality where people could tour and visit."

  "That powerful?" Nathan marveled.

  "Of course!" Zeryn spoke enthusiastically like a teacher. "Yet that's nothing compared to that girl's Aspect."

  Everyone turned their heads to follow Zeryn's finger pointing at Keira. The girl opened her eyes from meditation when she saw eight eyes looking at her.

  All four somehow bowed their heads apologetically and turned back to each other.

  "Illusion Aspect has quite a few legends. At high levels, when the Aspect becomes more powerful, a cultivator can create illusions indistinguishable from reality, trapping enemies inside with no escape."

  "You mean, it goes beyond even mental defense barriers?" Nathan asked shakily.

  "Exactly."

  Zeryn's confirmation made Nathan realize [Mind of Tranquility] wouldn't be absolute. However, he had already guessed roughly with its Rare ranking.

  "But we're talking about Intent based on Aspect. So try thinking about what direction Illusion could take?"

  "Make the false become real," Zahra quickly answered.

  "Bingo!" Zeryn clapped.

  Nathan and Xander gulped, swallowing their own answers.

  "My example earlier was just almost real, not yet real. Because Intent is needed to truly achieve that. Nathan's comment made me notice, it seems the world's will works very strangely, allowing intention to be materialized. Anyway, there was once a Cultivator who went in this direction, pushing Illusion Aspect to its peak. And you must remember Illusion Aspect is a rare Aspect, so you rarely or cannot see events like this in recent times."

  "So what did he actually do?" Zahra couldn't wait, asked.

  "Turned an entire empire from nothing into reality!" Zeryn dropped a bomb.