The Fourth Test Part 1

Wei could not believe what she heard, those two were married? How could that be? Were they married before the tournament?

"When did they get married?"

"Last year"

"By the Celestial Dragon…"

Xia nodded his head to Wei reactions. It was unheard of for a warrior stage cultivator to break through to the next stage in less than a year. Even more surprising it's to hear that those two cultivators are married to each other now. They would soon be a force to be reckoned with.

"So much has happened the last time since the last time I saw them"

"You saw them before?"

"Yea, they participated in the Foundation Tournament that is held every year in the Free City of Quhai, Zhihui winning first place and Ming winning second place"

"Wow, what place did you get in the tournament?"

"Oh, I did not participate, the tournament is only for those of the warrior stage and between 20-25 years old"

"What kind of prizes those the tournament has?"

"It depends on what my dad can get his hands on- have you really never heard of the tournament before?"

"Sorry- I am not someone who pays much attention to news"

Xia said with a face color in shame. Because of his upbringing, he did not have the luxury to know much about the outside world. Kathako isn't much help either, the old ghost soul, while very smart and knowledgeable, knows even less about the current world situation than Xia.

"Well now you know about the tournament, you better participate when you reach the warrior stage"

"Ha. That will take me two to three years, I am not as talented as Ming or Zhihui"

"No one will be if they compared themselves to Zhihui and Ming"

Xia nodded his head to Wei statement, and the two of them waited in silence for the test to start. As the room fills itself up with cultivators, Zhihui smiles as she claps her hands together and started to channel her Qi.

"Hey- what it's happening?"

A random cultivator asks the question everyone had in their heads. Zhihui ignored the confused cultivator as she started to channel her Qi into the array beneath her. Different color lights started to come from the array. Unholy whispers bounce off the walls of the room.

"Hey! Miss Zhihui! What it's going!?"

Wei asks as she stood up from her spot. Her eyes dart around the room as the whispers become louder and clearer. Zhihui smiles more as separates her hands chanting something as she places her hands on the array. Channeling the last bit of Qi.

The next second clear crystal walls made a box around all the cultivators. Some try to break the walls, but their strength proves not enough as multiple colors of light enter their eyes. Blinding them to the outside world and turning their world black.

Xia panic heartbeat heavily against his chest as he is surrounded by endless darkness.

"Kathako! Are you there!?"

"Yezz! I am here, no need to scream, you are about to make me deaf!"

"Phew.. Thank the Celestial Dragon that you are still here with me"

"Well, not like I can leave you or anything. I am in your brain"

"I knew you were in my brain!"

"Of course, I am! But now aint the time to worry about this"

"Sorry sorry."

Xia said as he looks at the still-present and all-consuming darkness.

"Any-"

Before he could finish a blinding white light pierced through the darkness, Xia moves his arms to his face, trying to block some of the light from entering his body. The light washes away the darkness and replaces it with different scenery. Piercing and numbing cold started to hit Xia from the back, as he lowers his arms and sees the new scenery.

With a dark and cloudy sky, the ground was covered in a blanket of dirty and ugly snow. Large jagged and sharp-looking rocks protrude from the snow. The howling winds all flowed towards a distant place.

"It's---Freezing cold!"

"I see what this is about"

"You do-"

Before Xia could finish a cold and shilling voice whispered in his ear, at first in incompressible language. Before changing to the common tongue that all in the plain's continent speak.

"Succumb to cold, leave behind the warmth of cities, and bathe in the coldness of winter."

The whisper repeated the same phrase repeatedly. Its chilling voice made the winds colder and the snow harsher.

"I figure as much; this is the test of the mind. They are trying to see if you can hold out against outer world corruption"

"I----see---I need---warmth!"

"No shit, let's find a cave or something to hide in"

Xia nodded his head as he tries to walk, but the heavy snow made it difficult to move his numb and cold feet. His body did not want to move but he knew he need to move. The longer he stays still the more the cold will get to him.

"AHHHHH!"

Xia screams out as he moves his right leg forward. The second step became easier after the first one, and the third after the second. Each step, he takes it made walking in the snow easier. But not free of struggle. As the snow will enter his show and melt, creating cold water that covers his feet.

The cold winds made the back of his head wet with cold water. His ears became ice cold, his teeth hitting each other as he could not stop his body from shivering. His arms were close to his body as he channels his Qi around his body. Making his body heat stronger to combat the cold.

But since he has no experience with fire, his consumption of Qi is enormous.

"Alright kiddo! Time for your first lesson in forging. Try to create a bright and strong fire within your stomach. Gather your Qi and body head in your stomach"

"I-----don't think-----I have th----the time----to try and learn!"

"Any time is a good time to learn, especially one like this. Focus, make a fire that will melt metal"