The first morning as an official Azure Sky Sect disciple began earlier than Axel had anticipated. Liu Feng woke before dawn, moving with practiced silence through their shared room as he prepared for morning cultivation. Despite the quiet, Axel's enhanced Foundation Establishment senses detected every movement, pulling him from the light meditation he'd been maintaining instead of true sleep.
"Sorry," Liu Feng whispered when he noticed Axel's eyes open. "I tried not to wake you."
"It's fine. I was mostly cultivating anyway." Axel sat up, stretching muscles that no longer ached from his breakthrough. Five days of stabilization had left him fully adapted to his new power level. "What's the morning routine?"
"Most serious disciples gather at the Eastern Training Ground for group cultivation at dawn. It's not mandatory, but it's a good way to make connections and the ambient Qi is strongest there due to formation arrays the sect maintains." Liu Feng fastened his outer robe. "You don't have to come today—most new disciples take a few days to settle in before joining group activities."
"I'll come," Axel decided. Hiding in his room wouldn't help him build the alliances Lian Fei had advised forming. Better to start making impressions immediately.
The Eastern Training Ground was impressive—a massive open space carved into the mountainside, with formation arrays inscribed into the stone that concentrated ambient Qi to several times normal density. Already two dozen disciples had gathered, most sitting in meditation postures, drawing in energy with practiced efficiency.
Axel extended his spiritual senses carefully, assessing the cultivation levels present. Most were Foundation Establishment Early or Mid, with a few Peak cultivators scattered among them. One presence stood out—a young woman at Foundation Establishment Peak radiating spiritual pressure that suggested she was close to breaking through to Core Formation.
As Axel and Liu Feng entered the training ground, conversations paused. Heads turned. Spiritual senses swept over the newcomer with varying degrees of subtlety.
"That's him," someone whispered, not quietly enough to avoid Axel's enhanced hearing. "The one who triggered tribulation lightning."
"Foundation Establishment Early? That's it? I expected him to be stronger after all the rumors."
"He's concealing his true level. Look at how controlled his spiritual presence is—that's not natural for someone who just broke through."
Liu Feng led them to an unoccupied section of the training ground, settling into a meditation posture. Axel followed suit, finding a spot with good Qi circulation and beginning his morning cultivation routine.
The Primordial Pillars made the process almost effortless. Where other disciples had to consciously draw in ambient Qi and circulate it through their meridians, Axel's foundation did most of the work automatically. He simply had to maintain the meditation state and his cultivation base would absorb and refine energy with remarkable efficiency.
The difference was stark enough that Axel had to consciously throttle his absorption rate to avoid drawing attention. If he cultivated at full capacity, he'd create a visible vortex of Qi flowing toward him that would make every disciple in the training ground take notice.
An hour passed in peaceful cultivation. The sun rose over the eastern peaks, bathing the training ground in golden light. Some disciples began transitioning from meditation to technique practice, filling the air with the sounds of Qi-enhanced movements.
"Axel King."
The voice was pleasant but carried an edge of challenge beneath its surface politeness. Axel opened his eyes to find a young man standing before him—mid-twenties, Foundation Establishment Peak, with aristocratic features and robes that suggested wealth and status. His spiritual pressure was controlled but distinctly aggressive, pressing against Axel's concealment formation like someone testing a locked door.
"That's me," Axel replied, standing slowly. Liu Feng tensed beside him, clearly recognizing the newcomer and not happy about his presence.
"I'm Zhou Ming, senior outer disciple and ranked seventh on the Outer Disciple Power Rankings." The young man smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I heard there was a new direct admission, thought I should introduce myself. Welcome to the Azure Sky Sect."
The Outer Disciple Power Rankings—Liu Feng had mentioned them during yesterday's tour. An unofficial but widely recognized list of the hundred strongest outer disciples, determined by challenge matches and demonstrated capabilities. Being ranked seventh meant Zhou Ming was among the absolute elite of the outer disciples.
"Thank you," Axel said neutrally, unsure where this conversation was heading.
"Direct admissions are rare," Zhou Ming continued, his tone conversational but his spiritual pressure steadily increasing. "Usually reserved for prodigies from powerful families or disciples who've demonstrated exceptional talent. You don't seem to be from an important family, which means Elder Shen must have seen something remarkable in you."
Other disciples were gathering now, sensing potential drama. Training ground conversations were apparently entertainment for cultivators with little else to do in the early morning.
"Elder Shen was kind enough to recognize my potential," Axel replied carefully, refusing to be baited into boasting or defensiveness.
"Your potential. Right." Zhou Ming's smile widened. "I heard you triggered tribulation lightning during your Foundation Establishment breakthrough. That's certainly unusual. But tribulation just means heaven took notice—it doesn't necessarily mean you have real combat capability."
Ah. There it was. This wasn't a friendly introduction—it was a challenge, delivered with enough politeness that Axel couldn't call it out directly without seeming paranoid or hostile.
Liu Feng stepped forward slightly, his voice tight with warning. "Senior Brother Zhou, Disciple Axel only joined the sect yesterday. Perhaps challenges could wait until he's had time to settle in?"
"Challenge? I'm not challenging anyone." Zhou Ming's expression was innocence itself. "I'm simply offering friendly sparring. New disciples often benefit from testing themselves against more experienced sect members. It helps them understand their true level and what areas need improvement."
The gathered disciples murmured with interest. A sparring match between Zhou Ming—seventh-ranked outer disciple—and the mysterious new direct admission would be excellent entertainment.
Axel assessed the situation rapidly. Refusing would make him look weak or cowardly, damaging his reputation before it was even established. Accepting meant revealing capabilities he'd been planning to keep hidden for at least a few more weeks. But refusing to spar with someone who'd issued what was clearly a challenge disguised as friendly advice would mark him as either afraid or arrogant.
The politics of sect life were already proving as treacherous as he'd feared.
"I appreciate the offer, Senior Brother Zhou," Axel said, buying time to think. "Though I'm curious what you hope to learn from sparring with someone who's only been at Foundation Establishment for five days."
"I want to see if the rumors are true," Zhou Ming replied bluntly, apparently tired of pretense. "Everyone's talking about the new disciple who demonstrated Stage 5 power at Stage 3, who triggered tribulation lightning, who has Elder Shen's personal attention. I want to know if you're genuinely talented or just lucky."
The crowd was growing larger now, drawn by the spectacle. Axel recognized this for what it was—an attempt to establish dominance, to put the new disciple in his place before he could become a threat to established hierarchies. Zhou Ming wanted to defeat him publicly, ideally humiliate him, and establish that direct admission or not, Axel was just another outer disciple subject to the same power structures as everyone else.
Refusing would confirm weakness. But accepting meant revealing capabilities that would attract even more attention.
Unless...
"Alright," Axel agreed, watching Zhou Ming's expression shift from anticipation to satisfaction. "Friendly sparring. To first clear hit or until one of us yields. No lethal techniques, no permanent injuries."
"Standard sparring rules," Zhou Ming confirmed. "Shall we use the dueling platform?"
The dueling platform was a raised circular area with formations designed to protect spectators from stray attacks. It also had recording formations that would preserve the match for later review—meaning everyone in the sect would eventually see whatever happened here.
This was a trap, but Axel had no choice but to walk into it and hope his capabilities were sufficient to avoid disaster.
They took positions on opposite sides of the platform. The gathered disciples spread out around the perimeter, spiritual senses extended to observe every detail. Someone—Axel didn't see who—activated the protective formations, causing a shimmering barrier to rise around the platform.
Zhou Ming settled into a combat stance, his Qi flaring as he prepared techniques. "I'll even give you the first move, junior brother. Show me what made Elder Shen take such interest."
Axel didn't respond verbally. Instead, he extended his spiritual senses, analyzing Zhou Ming's stance and energy distribution. Foundation Establishment Peak, close to Core Formation. Probably had at least two years of sect training, access to proper techniques, combat experience against other talented disciples.
But Axel had advantages Zhou Ming couldn't see. The Primordial Pillars gave him Qi purity far exceeding normal Foundation Establishment. His enhanced comprehension meant he could read techniques more clearly than cultivators at his nominal level. And most importantly, Zhou Ming was expecting Foundation Establishment Early capabilities—anything beyond that would catch him off-guard.
The question was how much to reveal.
Axel made his decision. He would fight at Foundation Establishment Mid level—a full stage above his apparent cultivation, but not so overwhelming that it would seem impossible. Let Zhou Ming and the watching disciples think he'd progressed faster than expected or had concealed his true level. It would be impressive without being threatening, hopefully.
He activated a flowing energy loop through his right arm—not the full technique that could output Stage 5 power, but a moderate version that would double his normal strength. To external observation, it would look like a standard Qi reinforcement technique, nothing special.
Then he moved.
Foundation Establishment Mid speed was significantly faster than Zhou Ming expected. Axel crossed the platform in three steps, his fist blazing with golden Qi as he executed a Qi Strike aimed at Zhou Ming's center mass.
Zhou Ming reacted with the reflexes of someone who'd been in dozens of duels, bringing up a defensive technique that created a barrier of condensed Qi between them. Axel's strike hit the barrier with enough force to crack it, sending spiderwebs of fractures through the defensive energy.
But it didn't shatter completely. Zhou Ming was at Peak, his techniques backed by years of proper training. His defense held, barely, and he used the moment of contact to counterattack with a palm strike wreathed in blue lightning.
Axel dodged sideways, the lightning Qi crackling through the space where his head had been a moment before. He could feel the residual energy—that technique carried genuine power, probably enough to knock out a normal Foundation Establishment Early cultivator in one hit.
They separated, circling each other on the platform. Zhou Ming's expression had shifted from confident superiority to focused concentration. He'd realized Axel was stronger than expected.
"Foundation Establishment Mid," Zhou Ming said, more statement than question. "You concealed a full stage. Clever."
Axel didn't confirm or deny, simply maintaining his guard position and watching for openings.
Zhou Ming attacked next, launching a combination of strikes that forced Axel onto the defensive. Palm strikes, kicks, Qi blasts—each technique executed with precision and backed by Peak cultivation power.
Axel used the Flowing Water Palm defensive technique Wei Chen had taught him, redirecting attacks rather than blocking them directly. The circular Qi movements worked well, turning Zhou Ming's aggressive assault into wasted motion that left the senior disciple slightly off-balance.
The crowd murmured with interest. Apparently Axel's defensive technique was good enough to impress even experienced disciples.
Finding an opening in Zhou Ming's combination, Axel countered with another Qi Strike, this one aimed lower, at the legs. Zhou Ming jumped to avoid it, launching himself into the air with Qi-enhanced strength—
And Axel was ready. He'd been waiting for exactly this. When your opponent left the ground, they sacrificed maneuverability for height. It was a common mistake, one that training could eliminate but that even experienced fighters sometimes made under pressure.
Axel's second Qi Strike came from an unexpected angle, his left hand having gathered energy while his right hand attacked. The blow caught Zhou Ming in mid-air, striking his side just below the ribs.
The protective formations flared as Zhou Ming was sent flying across the platform, crashing down hard enough to crack the stone surface. The senior disciple rolled with the impact, coming up in a defensive crouch, one hand pressed against his injured side.
First clear hit. By sparring rules, the match was over.
Silence filled the training ground. Every disciple watched with expressions ranging from shock to calculation to outright hostility. Zhou Ming, seventh-ranked outer disciple, had just been defeated by someone who'd joined the sect yesterday.
Zhou Ming stood slowly, pain evident in his movements but controlled. He straightened with visible effort and performed a formal bow.
"Well fought, Junior Brother Axel. Your combat instincts are excellent, and your techniques are more refined than your cultivation level would suggest." The words were gracious, but Axel could see the humiliation and anger in Zhou Ming's eyes beneath the polite facade. "I look forward to future exchanges when you've had more time to adapt to sect life."
It was the correct thing to say, maintaining face despite the loss. But Axel had just made an enemy, one with connections and a ranking that gave him influence among the outer disciples.
"Thank you for the instruction, Senior Brother Zhou," Axel replied with matching politeness. "I learned much from observing your techniques."
The crowd began to disperse, disciples breaking into small groups to discuss what they'd just witnessed. Axel caught fragments of conversation:
"—Foundation Establishment Mid at minimum, maybe higher—"
"—defeated Zhou Ming in under two minutes—"
"—has to be a special physique or hidden bloodline—"
"—should report this to Senior Sister Chen—"
Liu Feng approached with an expression mixing congratulation and concern. "That was impressive and also probably a mistake. Zhou Ming has connections to the Modernist faction leadership. You just humiliated someone they were grooming for inner disciple promotion."
"He challenged me," Axel pointed out. "Refusing would have made me look weak."
"You're not wrong. But winning made you look threatening." Liu Feng sighed. "Welcome to sect politics. You're going to get a lot of attention now, and not all of it friendly."
They were proven right within the hour. Before noon, Axel received three separate invitations—one from each major faction, all requesting "informal conversations" about his future in the sect.
The Modernists sent an inner disciple named Chen Yue, a Core Formation Early cultivator who smiled pleasantly while radiating spiritual pressure that made Axel's skin crawl. "We're always looking for talented disciples who understand the value of innovation and adapting to modern cultivation methods. Your victory over Zhou Ming was impressive—such combat instincts could be further developed with proper guidance."
The Traditionalists sent a stern-faced disciple named Wu Jiang who spoke of honor, proper technique, and the importance of respecting established methods. "Direct admission is a privilege, not a right. Those who wish to thrive in the Azure Sky Sect must understand that our strength comes from traditions passed down for centuries."
The Pragmatists were the most direct—an outer disciple named Ling Mei who simply stated that power was power, politics was politics, and smart disciples aligned with factions that could provide resources and protection. "You're talented enough to be valuable. The question is whether you're smart enough to recognize opportunity when it's offered."
Axel gave each recruiter essentially the same response: he was new to the sect, needed time to understand the landscape, and wasn't ready to commit to any particular faction. All three left with polite smiles and eyes that promised this wouldn't be the last conversation.
"You handled that well," Liu Feng commented after the third recruiter departed. "Polite refusal without insulting anyone. They'll keep trying, but at least you haven't made immediate enemies by choosing one faction over another."
The rest of the day brought more complications. Disciples who'd previously ignored Axel now approached with varying degrees of friendliness, curiosity, or hostility. Some wanted to be friends with someone who'd defeated a ranked disciple. Others wanted to test themselves against him. A few made veiled threats about what happened to disciples who "got too ambitious too quickly."
By evening, Axel was exhausted—not physically, but mentally. Navigating this many social interactions while constantly assessing threats and opportunities was draining in ways that pure cultivation never was.
"It gets easier," Liu Feng assured him as they ate dinner in the dining hall. "Give it a week and people will lose interest when the next dramatic thing happens. Sect life has a short attention span."
"What's the next dramatic thing likely to be?"
"The monthly evaluation exercises in three weeks. All outer disciples compete in various categories—combat, cultivation speed, technique mastery, formation knowledge. Rankings shift, resources get redistributed, and everyone gets reminded where they stand in the hierarchy." Liu Feng smiled wryly. "You'll probably place well given your combat capabilities, which will cause another round of attention and recruitment attempts."
Wonderful. More politics to navigate.
That evening, as Axel settled into meditation in his quarters, the system interface flickered into view—the first time it had appeared since his breakthrough.
[SECT INTEGRATION: 15%]
[SOCIAL CONNECTIONS ESTABLISHED: 3]
[RIVAL CULTIVATORS IDENTIFIED: 5]
[FACTION INTEREST LEVEL: HIGH]
[RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE MEASURED CAPABILITY DEMONSTRATION]
[WARNING: BLOODLINE RESONANCE DETECTED BY 2 CULTIVATORS]
[CONCEALMENT FORMATION HOLDING BUT UNDER OBSERVATION]
[SUGGESTION: AVOID UNNECESSARY SPIRITUAL PRESSURE DISPLAYS]
Two cultivators had detected something unusual about his bloodline? That was concerning. The auto-concealment was supposed to hide his foundation quality completely.
Unless there were detection techniques beyond what the concealment could block. Or unless some cultivators were simply that much more perceptive than he'd anticipated.
Axel filed the warning away carefully. He would need to be even more cautious about revealing power, even more careful about who saw him cultivate at full capacity.
The system disappeared, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the steady pulse of the Primordial Pillars.
His first day as an official sect disciple had been exactly as complicated as everyone had warned. He'd made an impression—hopefully the right kind—but he'd also attracted attention from factions, rivals, and cultivators whose interest might be dangerous.
But he'd also proven he could hold his own against ranked disciples. He'd demonstrated capability without revealing his full power. And he'd begun building the reputation that would define his sect experience.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. In two days, he would meet with Elder Shen and discover what the Formation Master wanted. In three weeks, the monthly evaluation would test his capabilities against the entire outer disciple population.
The path forward was treacherous, but it was also full of opportunity.
Axel closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink into deep meditation. The Primordial Pillars hummed with contained power, ready to support whatever cultivation challenges awaited.
His rival had appeared. More would follow.
But Axel King had survived worse than sect politics. He would adapt, as he always had, and turn every challenge into an opportunity for growth.
The Foundation was complete. The rival was established.
Now came the real test of whether he could thrive in a world where power, politics, and cultivation were inextricably intertwined.
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