Chapter 8

A guard showed up – armored, with a spear on his hand – scrutinizing him.

As though looking at his soul the soldier and Ares went into staring contest – and finally the token withdrawn from Ares' spatial ring.

"Follow me," the guard said after returning the token back.

The guard led him to stairs going up the walls.

And, there he could see everything.

There were stores, inns and restaurants of varying shapes and colors on the sides. Alleyways enough for a person or two to walk side by side.

It had five kilometers length and three kilometers width.

It was like –

–no, it was a rectangular city at the top of a mountain with four watchtowers at the edges, guards on armor observing him carefully as he walked above the walls.

To his left was the city and to his right is death, where upon should he fall he wouldn't survive, chilling winds billowing, his robe fluttering and the sun shining at an angle.

Like the rectangular field where the pavilions located below, it was awe-inspiring.

The mountaintop turned into flat land then built the city. There were no pillars to speak of, to support the massive weight of such thing.

In fact, the Supreme Sect was the first to create a city on a mountaintop. An idea by one of the Nine Colored Masters.

Many called them fools, but ironically those who called them that, followed it.

His eyes noticed something.

In the center – of this so-called city – there sat five arenas with flight of stairs connected to it. The crowd surrounds it, with their booming cheers and applause. There were about a two hundred-meter distance from establishments, letting the people to spectate the on-going fight.

In front of the five arenas was a huge building with a huge tablet above inscribed in golden color the words "Cloud Peak" with stern faced guards holding their spears.

That might be his destination.

After going down the steps, the guard – who stayed silent at the very end – gestured him to enter and left him on his own devices.

Upon entering the hall, an elderly man battling his sleep deprivation sways his head every now and then.

"Oh…"

He grunted, wiping off his drool.

"Welcome," he said in lazy manner.

Black circles, sunken eyes with his beard giving off pungent smell, assaulted Ares.

"Mn? Oh, you just arrived?"

The grey robed elder asked trying to find something and "Oh, it's here." he said.

Ares nodded.

"Your name?"

"Ares Lou," he answered.

"Ares Lou… I see, I see…"

Then–

"If you want to officially enter as an outside disciple you must do two tasks or trials," the elder started to say.

"In these tasks you don't have to worry about time and you can do it in any order you want."

"The first task is about collecting contribution points. The contribution point is about getting assignment and finishing it."

"The second is what you see outside."

Outside were two people trying to beat each other with their fist and some showy techniques.

"If you won ten times consecutively at the four arenas at the side then your eligible to officially became an outside disciple."

"What about the center?" Ares asked.

"That's called the Warrior's Arena," the old man replied reaching out his teapot.

"Warrior's Arena?" He echoed.

"En."

In addition, he poured the steaming hot tea to his cup, blowing then slurping it to his throat.

"If you don't want to defeat people ten times then you can try it. All you need to do is to take out anyone who tries to enter inside for three days as minimum and you win. Moreover, if you want to extend your stay in there you may do so."

Ares brows knitted pondering for a moment.

"Is there some kind of reward?" He was curious.

"Greedy, eh," the bony old man, told him.

"Anyone who would want to defeat the person inside must pay the same amount the person paid before defeating the previous champion."

"Oh, about the assignments, you could choose anything from there."

And, he gestured towards the large board hanging over the wall with papers nailed.

Ares moved closer to look and noticed that every assignment do not have same amount of contribution points.

"Before I forget, you need to collect five thousand contribution points."

The old man, saying as he looked at him then stretched out his hand seemingly asking "Where is it?"

Ares showed his token.

"Give it to me and once you completed your task you can get it back."

Then finally minding his own business doing what he shall do after he took the token.

In gathering contribution points one needed to finish the assignments he took, but the old man never said the consequences of not finishing it.

However, the consequences were probably to return below and try again.

Ares, quickly, was able to tell those since he had seen those people who probably failed before.

But, there were those who were unfazed by it.

Well, it doesn't concern him anyway.

…

Facing the wooden board, he took his time to choose his mission.

Finding a plant, delivering some goods, slaying a beast and bringing its corpse, guarding a village, such were the tasks written in the papers. The more difficult the mission is the higher it is on the board.

Ares thought for a moment then grabbed a certain paper from the top, some from the middle and some below.

A hand slapped across the table with the young and old both eyes met.

"Are you sure, you can do all that?"

The old man set aside his brush and asking him seriously.

"…"

"Well, that's your decision."

And, he took the papers and stamped it with a seal.

Later on, he made a list of task Ares took and handed the paper. The tasks numbers over fifty, all about finding plants, if one would total all points, it was exactly five thousand just like what he needed.

"Those plants could be found in the Howling Mountain Range, to the east. And, you should be careful," he warned pointing the paper where he got from the top of the assignment board – then piling it up together with the other tasks Ares took.

"As for how you need to get those plants, ask the Head Guardian," the old man added.

'That person?'

Yes. The person who gave him the token.

'So, he was the Head Guardian.'

Ares who stood there in silence, nodded and set off with the old man looking at him.

'What a strange boy', he thought playing his beard.

'Interesting and terrifying…'

Indeed, that's how Elder Kiel saw him.

His face was calm and composed, unwavering.

He had seen that kind of face many times, yet most of them died not knowing how high the heaven is.

But, somehow Elder Kiel know he would survive and he was sure of it.

'I hope you don't crush my expectations…'

…

Two hours later…

A group of three entered inside the hall to flee from the clamouring sound outside.

"Greetings, Elder Kiel," the group said cupping their fist, bowing.

"En, so did you finish your task?" Elder Kiel asked.

"Thanks to your guidance we were able to," a green-garbed young man step forward and said politely, while the other two followed suit.

With a thought, large animal came before their presence, dead and fresh.

"Oh, yeah," the one on the left remembered and summoned a jade box from his space ring and opened it.

"We managed to find this Azure Forest Orchid," he said, proudly grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh? But, you hadn't taken that task isn't it?"

"Please, Elder Kiel, we only needed fifty points to enter and this is already past that, isn't it?" Darin said, the leader of the group.

"Since you had done things smoothly before, I could at least make exceptions to the three of you," Elder Kiel said, yawning once again. "But, you would need to wait for another two people to officially enter in the outer sect."

"Another two? If it's only another one then it would be okay, but two?" Darin turned to his sworn brothers with dismay, his squared shoulders goes down.

"Don't worry," Elder Kiel told them, "That lad outside had already been reigning inside the arena for three days. So just wait for four more days and she'll be together with you to enter."

"I'm sure the fifth person would also complete his contribution points sooner than you expected. In minimum you could at least wait for ten days to enter," he added gesturing the board few feet away.

—————???!!!!

"What?! The Wild Vine Nectar task is gone!" Tran shouted, with mouth agape.

"Elder Kiel, have you told to the person what kind of beast is guarding it," Grino questioned him.

"No, but I'm sure he could do it," Elder Kiel said in calm manner.

"That's…" The three became speechless, frozen in their place.

They had once wanted to try that mission before but because of their extensive knowledge of beasts, they had known that doing it is impossible.

Zeal Lightning Lion Tiger.

A beast on that could reach the realm of Beast King or even Beast Emperor once in its adulthood. Since the three never knew what exactly the tier of the beast was, they did not take chances.

They were no cowards, they just made the right decision.

Trying to defeat a beast whose strength was unknown, was suicide.

Then, one day a group decided to take it but never returned — that was nearly a month ago. But the truth is they followed them, and saw the scene of flesh being ripped apart traumatizing the three of them. They tried to gather information, to see how the beast fight, but instead what they saw was carnage.

That, then, surpassed the hundred deaths, who had taken the task.