Sky Pride

”Think about the tests so far. Follow the path without deviating. If there is a river of fire before you, go where you are bidden and walk through it. If there is a gate before you, even if there are no walls, you go through the gate. Sometimes the masters may entrust you with a treasure. If you consume the treasure, you will die horribly. Use it as your masters will, and do not dare try and snatch benefits. Understand how the world should be ordered, accept suffering to fulfill your role, and in the end you shall have your true reward. Deviate even slightly from the will of the masters, and perish.”

Wang took her point, his own smile turning ugly. ”There is no solution, or rather, there is no trick. We just need to walk over there, enduring the cold and, Iʼm betting, the burning heat from the tree. If we lose focus and fall, we die. But so long as we keep moving forward, we will live. Probably.”

Could it really be that simple? Tian considered it for a minute. It really might be that simple. The actual test wasnʼt easy for a lower tier Earthly cultivator, but it was probably manageable when the test was first created.

”Sounds plausible.”

Tian felt a hand grab the back of his collar. ”And where do you think you are going?”

”What? That sounds like a reasonable explanation and I donʼt have a better one.” Tian tried to brush Lirenʼs hand off, but she wouldnʼt be budged.

”Brother, do you want to lose your feet? Did you enjoy being in a wheelchair?”

Tian felt her ”reasonable” voice was entirely unbelievable. She was being unreasonable about this.

”Look at the things that touched the ice. None of them froze instantly. So long as you keep moving quickly enough, you wonʼt freeze. Besides, who is going to be better at managing yin qi infiltration than me? Except possibly Sister Lin. Sister?”

”I could try it, but itʼs not like I have any special knack for managing yin qi, beyond the fact that I cultivate a water aspected cultivation art. I am with Sister Hong on this, though. At the very least you should be seeing how long it takes for something to freeze when it touches the ice.” Lin handed him a wooden pole from her storage ring. Brother Wang and Sister Su nodded right along with her.

Four to one, and none of the four were foolish. It seems he had been too hasty. Hilarious thought, given everything. He must be healing more quickly than expected. No matter. He would test, time things, and make a plan. All so he could race across the ice. He could almost taste the fruit from the lakeʼs edge, and his mouth was watering.