A significant amount of time had passed since Shoneyi joined the sect, and with it, his life had changed. Everything was different. His path toward immortality, though distant, had already begun. Many had failed, but everyone knew of someone who had succeeded: the immortal god Heyosin. An individual who managed to conquer the heavens and the earth. No one knew how long he had been an immortal, but legend has it that he has spent over five thousand years in the world.
It is no secret that as you increase your spiritual cultivation, you gain years of life. Therefore, the most valuable thing for anyone on the path to immortality is their vitality. Many resort to stealing, murdering, or simply seeking a slightly more tranquil life that allows them to continue cultivating.
Once you reach a certain level of cultivation, you earn the right to enter the Heaven of Resurrection. This allows you to be reborn with some memory of your past life, but your spirit rises at a somewhat accelerated pace. Normally, when someone enters the Heaven of Resurrection, they are lost among endless souls. Those who are lucky enough carry the Will of the Heavens with them, and a great sect helps them develop to become its pillars.
Some Outer Circle members were beginning to think that perhaps Shoneyi was someone who bore the Will of the Heavens. This caused jealousy, envy, and the desire to beat him to grow much stronger. Faanao and some of his henchmen decided to use Yuiji as bait to draw Shoneyi out of his cave.
A talisman with a strange rune that formed the word XinXi floated in front of Shoneyi's cabin door. He infused the talisman with his spiritual energy, and a voice abruptly entered his mind.
"My dear fellow, you are cordially invited to the Duel Arena atop the Fifth Master's mountain…" Faanao's laughter could be heard.
"Don't come!..." Yuiji cried out amidst groans.
"Shhhh! Quiet, you greasy scum," one of Faanao's henchmen replied.
As the voices mixed in his head, Shoneyi's expression changed in an instant. His life, which was supposed to be without worries other than achieving immortality, was changing second by second.
Yuiji, he thought to himself.
It was the only thing his mind could focus on. Shoneyi walked from the center of the sect, past the Second Heaven Master's mountain, to finally reach the Fifth Master's Duel Arena. Everyone knew what could happen once you stepped up there; the options ranged from total humiliation to, worse, death.
Upon arriving, Shoneyi could see Faanao in the middle of the Duel Arena. All his henchmen were on the sidelines. The person acting as judge was none other than Dakun Rao.
Also on the arena was a slightly plump boy. Yuiji only looked at Shoneyi as if apologizing, and Shoneyi returned the gaze as if to say that everything would be alright.
"Fine, here I am… let him go now," Shoneyi said in a commanding voice.
Dakun Rao nodded, and Faanao signaled his henchmen to take Yuiji down from the platform. While this was happening, Shoneyi finished entering the Duel Arena. The action accompanying everything that was happening at that moment involved ten individuals, each with more than four spiritual cores.
A brutal beating was about to begin: a blow to the ribs, another to the head, kicks below the legs, hits from behind. Everything they could think of, these individuals did without even taking a breath. Shoneyi blocked blows left and right, but he was not strong enough to fight ten people at once.
Incessant whimpering could be heard from outside the platform. Yuiji couldn't stop, but at the same time, he couldn't do anything either. Every blow that landed on Shoneyi's body was as if he felt it himself.
Faanao, seeing Shoneyi's body bleeding, said: "Don't you dare challenge me again in your life," he finished, spitting at the boy on the ground.
One, two, three, four, and a final fifth core illuminated in Faanao's body as he prepared to kick the dying boy with all his might. Shoneyi was sent flying off the platform, unable to react, move, or even breathe.
Dakun Rao's head moved in a gesture of negation. He knew he had missed his chance to end the life of his former disciple.
"I told you not to take him off the arena!" he yelled furiously as his energy soared. "You worthless piece of shit!"
Dakun Rao couldn't control his anger and grabbed one of the henchmen who was still in the arena, telling him: "You'll do." The spiritual energy within Rao surged to seven cores. "If you survive, I'll give you a reward."
An incredible wind formed behind the powerful kick of the Heaven Sect's Inner Circle disciple. Faanao, unable to react, looked at Lord Rao with terror. He knew it could have been him if it weren't for the Blessing of the Heavens.
A lifeless body was sent flying, almost touching the edge of the arena. The faces of the other nine individuals showed a terror that could only be instilled by death itself. Faanao gave a signal with his right hand to make the others understand to let go of Yuiji.
"Shone… Shone, tell me you're alright," Yuiji stammered while checking his friend's body for fatal wounds. "I'll help you!"
The boy grabbed the youth, bruised from the blows, by one arm and, with a strange maneuver, managed to hoist him onto his back and began the long journey to Shoneyi Wen's cave. Along the way, Yuiji began to speak out loud. No one knew if it was to himself or for an unconscious Shoneyi to hear.
"You know something, Shone?" With tears in his eyes and extreme exhaustion, he could be heard in little more than a whisper. "You are my only true friend."
Unable to wipe the tears from his face, he continued: "I promise I won't let something like this happen again." As he exhaled his last words, the Will of the Heavens took it as an unbreakable promise. "I accept!"
The determination of Shoneyi's friend was something few would have seen in their lives. In a world where you only worry about yourself and how to continue developing, it is a world where friendship is not nurtured, unless there is a mutual benefit.
Upon reaching Shoneyi's cave, the latter began to wake up. His degree of consciousness was extremely low, but enough to understand and evaluate his situation.
"Bed, qui… ckly," he was heard softly while coughing up a liter of blood. "Bed."
As Shoneyi finished expressing his idea, Yuiji walked as quickly and delicately as possible so as not to cause his friend more harm.
"It can't be!" A look of surprise and disbelief filled Yuiji's face. "How the hell did you do this?"
A faint blue glow shot out from Shoneyi's bed and could only mean one thing.