When The Gods Descend, Mortals Remain Silent

Talent is innate, but effort is a unique gift' –it is said that these words were spoken by the founder of the Kingdom of the Sunflowers of Fire, and as such, these words are engraved in the hearts of all the inhabitants of his kingdom.

Under such words, the spiritual practitioners of the Kingdom of the Sunflowers of Fire do not consider that there is any injustice in the ceremony of majority of age. If a woman fails, it is not only because of lack of talent, but also because of total lack of effort! As for men, the moment when they are it judged useless or not comes when they reach the age of twenty. A man who fails in the ceremony of majority of age still has five years to make an effort. On the other hand, a woman, if she has failed and can already conceive, why waste time when she can begin to beget the next generation? As brutal as this kind of thinking may seem, it is actually very effective because, when pressed in this way, the percentage of women who fail at the coming of age ceremony is actually much lower than the percentage of men who fail.

With the sun hiding behind the hill behind the territory of the White Brook Clan, almost the entire clan and its prominent four guests were it gathered in the enormous central courtyard of the clan's main mansion. In the center of the huge courtyard, a large platform was it placed, and on top of it, the most important members of the White Brook Clan, as well as the four guests of honor of the Blue Star Clan, were it placed. The place was it illuminated by a great quantity of lanterns fed with spiritual stones.

Around the platform, the anxious glances of the young people close to the test fell on an enormous greyish rock in the center of the platform. Stone of the Ancestors' that is how these peculiar rocks were it called.

"White Brook Clan, we are reunited again today as every year, with the sole purpose of glimpsing the future of our clan" –Lankareto Katro's powerful words resonated all over the place. "Talent is innate, but effort is a unique gift. Backing the words of our first king, today we will test a new generation" – Lankareto Katro's gaze travelled the length and breadth of the place.

The nearly five hundred members of the White Brook Clan were it almost gathered there, only a couple of empty seats on the same platform stood out before the eyes of present.

Feeling the target of a large number of glances, Nefil and Eranda shuddered slightly. Both were next to the only two empty seats; they were the seats of their father, the third great elder, and the little sister they did not even know!

"Probably he has found an excuse to avoid showing his spawn in public" –not far from the pair of siblings, someone murmured those words that provoked a large number of mocking laughter.

That kind of thinking was in the minds of the vast majority of those present. Only the four guests seemed very disinterested in the subject, particularly Luatelo Rilua had an apathetic look over his eyes. She only wanted all this to end at once so she could leave!

"However, to no one here is a secret that this ceremony is unique, and of course everyone knows about the great honor awaiting the greatest genius of this generation.

Before those words of the clan leader, the issue of the absence of the third great elder became a second term. The glances of all the members of the White Brook Clan focused on the four members of the Blue Star Clan.

Being the target of glances Luatelo Rublanda waved a faint smile as he nodded silently.

"Being this way, let us no longer delay this important event which will remain engraved in the history of our clan. Second great elder, please.

Following the words of Lankareto Katro, the second great elder stood up to take control of the ceremony. It was not the first time he had done so.

Full of frustration and possibly anger, Lankareto Katro returned to his seat next to his son. Whatever the outcome today, someone else within the clan would end up acquiring a degree of influence that could undoubtedly overshadow him. Particularly, if things ended as predict many it, with Lankareto Ronevara being it taken as a disciple by the Blue Star Clan, the ambitious fourth great elder, with such support, could even replace him as the leader of the clan.

"With the permission of our clan leader, and in the presence of our honored guests, let us begin the ceremony of majority of age"

The words of the second great elder caused the hearts of several young people to accelerate. Even though many were aware of how difficult, it would be to surpass Lankareto Ronevara, deep down they all expected some sort of miracle to happen, something like a lightning bolt falling suddenly on Lankareto Ronevara could not be ruled it out at all!

"Lan Nelua!" –the second great elder pronounced the name of the first person to perform the test.

The present generation of the White Brook Clan, did not exceed twenty persons, and of these, there were only four women. However, two of these women were part of the family of two of the great elders. Surprisingly, the first person to be it called was precisely one of these two women, Lankareto Nelua, the daughter of the first great elder!

After taking a big breath of air to calm her nerves, Lankareto Nelua, who was sitting on the platform next to her father, stood up and advanced to the front of the great greyish rock. With the enormous weight of her future on her shoulders, the young woman climbed the steps of the platform and stood in front of the rock of her ancestors.

"Spirit initiated fifth sub-realm that is the basic standard of our White Brook Clan to consider a young entering adulthood as a true spiritual practitioner"

The statement of the second elder made Lankareto Nelua's heart tremble. As for the rest of those present, they simply nodded in silence.

The first five realm of spiritual path have ten sub-realms. The penultimate realm, Master Spirit, has fifty sub-realms, while the last realm, King Spirit has one hundred sub-realms!

"Lan Nelua concentrate all your spiritual energy on your dominant hand and touch with it the rock of the ancestors"

Lankareto Nelua nodded to the instruction of the second great elder, and after giving a new deep breath, he began to accumulate as much spiritual energy as possible on his right hand.

"Lan Nelua, may the ancestors judge you"

Pressed by the words of the second great elder, Lankareto Nelua carried her right hand towards the great grey rock. Immediately, the young woman could feel the rock absorbing all her spiritual energy. Alarmed by the situation, Lankareto Nelua hastily withdrew her hand, but it was too late, the rock had already absorbed all the spiritual energy she had concentrated in her hand.

The gaze of the second elder, as well as that of all the members of the clan concentrated on the rock of the ancestors. Blue lines began to shine over the center of the enormous rock and some words were it formed.

"Spirit initiated fourth sub-realm!" –the result was it announced with a loud voice by the second elder.

Some derisive laughter emerged from the crowd, while the first elder bowed his gaze in shame. As for Lankareto Nelua, his heart shrank and because of the commotion in his mind, he was unable to hear those mocking laughter.

"Lan Nelua you've lacked effort, retreat!"

Nelua's body it shuddered at the words of the second great elder, his mind was still lost. He looked up at his father who evaded his gaze with shame. With heavy steps, in total silence and wrapped in an aura of misfortune, Lankareto Nelua did not return to her father's side, she was already unworthy of such a privilege! Therefore, he simply got off the platform and hid in the crowd with shame.

Despite their mockery, some felt sorrow for the first great elder, while a few rejoiced internally at the new possibility that had arisen. As a rule of the clan, Lankareto Nelua, when the test failed and being a woman, she would it be given as incubator to the most outstanding young of the present generation. Few of the past generations did not snap their tongues with envy, in fact more than two hundred years had passed since a clan woman had become an incubator. Perhaps Nelua was not as remarkable as it Luatelo Rilua, however, her childish facial features and clumsy personality endowed her with a unique charm that made her a reality in the most desired of young women among the recent generations, and this only increased the desire among the young to become the number one of the present generation.

On the platform, sitting beside his grandfather, Lankareto Ronevara was barely able to contain his twisted smile. To him, it was as if the very heavens were totally favoring him. In his mind, he could already imagine the kind of twisted games that he would subject the lovely Lankareto Nelua.

Feeling target of countless lascivious glances, Lankareto Nelua shuddered.

The fate that awaited the lovely Lankareto Nelua was a tradition that had been disappearing with the passing of time in most of the clans of the kingdom. The most common thing in these times was that those women who failed, they it were used to improve the ties or reputation of their clan, given them in marriage to other clans or wealthy merchants.

Conscious of that, Luatelo Rublanda let out a faint sigh as he shook his head slightly. 'These barbarians' –in his mind he despised the stagnation of the White Brook Clan.

As for the White Brook Clan, that old tradition was not the only thing that had not changed from the remote past. The ceremony of majority of age that this clan performed year after year, the four members of the Blue Star Clan could only describe it as archaic.

"Lan Ronevara!"

Hearing that name, silence took over the place. The eyes of all fell on Lankareto Ronevara.

Pretending humility, Lankareto Ronevara stood up and walked to the rock of the ancestors in front of the second great elder.

"Lan Ronevara, may the ancestors judge you"

Repeating the same steps as other young people before him, Lankareto Ronevara carried his right hand wrapped in spiritual energy towards the rock of the ancestors.

Before the expectant glances of all, the blue lines on the gray rock began to form the result.

"Spirit initiated tenth sub-realm!"

Several 'eh' of full surprise escaped it of the lips of many present and many others were simply speechless. Among the four guests of honor, from the mouth of Luatelo Rublanda an imperceptible 'oh' escaped his lips. Even Luatelo Rilua's fine blue eyebrows shook slightly.

"It's... It is a Nan! Lan Ronevara will become a Nan!" -Among the crowd, someone let go of those words that ended up taking many out of their daze.

Not a few were those who felt their souls be it shaken by that cry.

Glances full of envy and suspicion fell on the figure of Lankareto Ronevara, only the small body of a young woman shuddered with fear, Lankareto Nelua!

'Nan' literally 'number one genius of the Clan' is a title that, in every clan was it given only to the young genius who manage to surpass by far not only the results of his generation, but to those of several previous generations. With the 'sixth sub-real spirit domain initiated' being at standard, and the 'seventh sub-realm' being something extraordinary not only for the current generation but for the last five hundred years of Clan history! For no one it was be exaggerated to say that Lankareto Ronevara with his 'tenth sub-realm spirit initiated' was deserving of the title 'Nan'.

"N-Nan Lan Ronevara... no doubt that's what we should call it from now on" –overwhelmed by that, someone in the crowd let his thoughts escape.

The clan leader could only give the title 'Nan', as long as not one of the great elders disagreed. As a permanent part of the name of the spiritual practitioner, the title 'Nan' would bring prestige to the spiritual practitioner not only within his own clan but also vis-à-vis other clans!

As the commotion reigned beneath the platform, over it, the fourth great elder smiled with great satisfaction. Nefil and Eranda sharpened their glances in awe, while Lankareto Katro could not help but tremble. Lankareto Ronevara was in the same domain as his own son! Moreover, most shocking of all, he was six years younger than his son was!

"Your talent and effort have borne fruit, return to your place, Lan Ronevara!"

The commotion did not stop, Lankareto Ronevara are like his grandfather the fourth great elder had described him, a genius who only appears every five hundred years!

An endless number of sighs full of defeat escaped from the mouths of many of the young people, it was impossible to think that anyone could surpass such a shocking result. Not a few were those who, although the ceremony was still far from over, already bestowed the laurels of victory on Lankareto Ronevara, a true genius not seen in five hundred years of history of the White Brook Clan!

Filled with an air of mostly defeat, the ceremony continued until almost the end.

"Lan Karma!"

Suddenly, a name that everyone had forgotten because of the shock caused by the result of Lankareto Ronevara, was it pronounced by the second great elder.

Finding an escape from the frustration of the overwhelming defeat, several mocking laughter echoed throughout the place. Nefil and Eranda shrugged their shoulders with faces full of shame.

"Lan Karma!"

In the absence of an answer, the second great elder made a second call. The derisive laughter only increased.

"Lan Kar...!"

"I am sorry for the delay"

A quiet voice interrupted the third call of the second great elder. Immediately everyone's glances turned to the origin of that voice.

An absolute silence took hold of the place, it was not like the silence provoked by Lankareto Ronevara, this was it a silence that seemed provoked by the collapse of time. It was really as if time had stopped! The breathing of men and women stopped equally, and the only audible sound was the one provoked by two pairs of steps advancing calmly towards the platform.