At this moment, a large number of people was congregated at the front gates of the Cedar Sect. Two figures in gold-trimmed robes stood sternly before them. They were academic staff.

The taller figure was a woman with her silver tied neatly in a bun. Tutor Lumia's age was hard to determine. Her cultivation was in the 1st level of Sea Establishment.  Her grey eyes silently a.s.sessed the crowd before them.

The figure standing beside her appeared to be in his mid-30s. He was slightly shorter than her but equally slender. With sharply glinting green eyes, he gave of a crafty and sinister air. Desire his thin frame, this person was in the 6th level of Sea Establishment which placed him in the upper echelons of the sect. This green-haired man was known as 'Elder J.'

…Why was his name simply the letter J, you ask?

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Legend told that this elder hated his full name so much that anyone who dared call him by his full name was immediately targeted by pranks and tricks so unbearable that by the end of the week they'd run home crying for their mothers. What kinds of pranks? Teeth falling out, pustules on their b.u.ms, warts all over their faces, uncontrollable gas and erectile dysfunction. No, no one enjoyed crossing Elder J.

Regardless, all the sect disciples knew that Elder J was a bit odd and unpredictable. To face his notorious wrath was to experience a fate worse than death. They were immensely glad he was being accompanied by the much more reasonable Tutor Lumia, who was a stickler for the rules.

a.s.sembled in front of Tutor Lumia and Elder J were neat columns adding to two hundred outer disciples from the 5th to 7th rank of Qi Distillation. Each column held ten disciples, and at their head was a battalion captain. Amongst these twenty captains were a few familiar faces, namely w.a.n.g Hao, Mystra and Mad Horse.

Elder J lifted a brow and eyed the crowd. He raised his palm.

The gathered crowd of outer disciples hushed. They looked at him with cowed, wary eyes. The Elder nearly rolled his eyes. Really, how dull! It seemed like no one these days appreciated a good joke!

A strong pinch to his side caused Elder J to yelp. Tutor Lumia glared at him with her brown eyes.

Pouting, Elder J slicked back his green hair and pulled a fake smile onto his face. The effect was gruesome enough to cause several students to look away.

"Okay, here's the deal, you lot. Don't embarra.s.s me, don't embarra.s.s the sect, and we'll be golden. Do you hear me?"

There was a smattering of quiet 'yes's in the crowd. Elder J blinked. The green-haired Elder stuck his pinkie finger in his ear.

"Is it just me, or is it a little QUIET, around here!?" He said dramatically, as if fearing he had become deaf.

"Yes, Elder J!"

Frightened, the outer disciples hurriedly shouted their agreement.

Elder J settled back onto his heels, smiling a Ches.h.i.+re-cat smile. He rubbed his pinkie nail on his gold-trimmed robe.

"If we are in agreement, then let's be off – Ow!"

Elder J rubbed his side indignantly. Tutor Lumia looked at him coolly. The green-haired Elder wilted like a spinach plant left in the sun.

"Yes, yes. Ok!"

"Ahem, this trip to the Monster Mausoleum will be a great learning experience for you lot. Make sure to utilise your time inside the mausoleum to its greatest extent as the disciples who can remain within the longest are rewarded handsomely.

The Sect Master believes that we can, as a sect, achieve first place. You know as well as I that the other sects think we are merely greenhouse flowers who will be trampled within. I'm not su- Ow! Okay, fine, I AM sure that you lot can do what you set your mind to. Besides, you have w.a.n.g Hao."

Elder J smiled wanly at the dark-haired disciple who was standing quietly in front of him. In his heart he was counting how many times had he been pinched already. The green-haired man was near tears. Why was he being bullied this way? Why was the Sect Master being so mean as to stick him with this boring stone-statue, Lumia?

The outer disciples looked at their top outer disciple with some warmth. Everyone knew by now that w.a.n.g Hao had reached the 8th rank. If not for bad timing, he would be in the inner sect already!

Tutor Lumia smiled spoke up.

"All disciples are now to be issued their signal talismans. If you encounter trouble during this journey, either me or Elder J will be alerted. Once inside the Mausoleum, we cannot follow you. At that time, a special token will be given to each of you that will teleport you outside of the mausoleum. It is activated when you are dealt a fatal blow by a demon beast within the mausoleum. Do not worry, the talisman will transport you out safely and without sustaining any harm."

Tutor Lumia suddenly frowned; what was that chatter in the background?

Her dark brown eyes zeroed in on two battalion captains standing some columns away. Really! As captains chosen by the Sect Master, she expected better from them.

"You two, your lack of respect for my authority and insistence on conducting your playground squabbles here is childish and will not be tolerated!"

______

Van folded his arms across his chest with a scowl on his face. Next to him on the giant flying bird, w.a.n.g Hao was looking at him with puffed cheeks.

Van squinted his eyes. And no, it wasn't because of the wind streaming past their faces.

"Do you have something to say to me, Senior Brother?"

w.a.n.g Hao shook his head, cheeks still puffed. His glittering eyes told a different story. Mystra couldn't help herself; she burst out laughing. Mad Horse snorted.

"How is your b.u.t.t-pfttt!" Mystra guffawed.

Van sank deeper into his seat.

"It's fine," he ground out. The giant bird's movement through the air gently jostled them and the red-haired youth winced.

It was not fine.

Van's b.u.t.t was on fire.

On fire.

Tutor Lumia has a strong hand, okay? She's in the 1st level of the Sea Establishment realm, Van was like a small puppy being held up by a giant G.o.dzilla. All he could do was hang his head and take the spanking.

Jet's loud giggling in Van's head was not helping the situation.

[Heehee! That was the most entertainment I've had in the last few weeks!]

Van saw w.a.n.g Hao looking like he was about to pa.s.s out and clapped his Senior Brother on his shoulder. It's okay, just laugh, he said with his eyes.

w.a.n.g Hao finally wheezed; not able to decide if he should be laughing or breathing.

Mystra wiped the tears from her eyes, "Oh G.o.d, I love Tutor Lumia!"

Van shook his head, "You guys don't understand. Klaus is a complete and utter p.r.i.c.k. Once I saw his face, all I wanted to do is smash it in. I couldn't help myself!"

"Starting a cat fight in front of Tutor Lumia was the absolute worst thing to do, though," Mystra pointed out, "She's a real stickler for the rules. Seeing you guys hissing at each other really rubbed her the wrong way."

Van flattened his lips.

Mystra looked at him sympathetically, "A public spanking is still better than being put in detention for a month. They make you sweep the cellars until you drop – for a month. You know how much cultivation time you are wasting if you are in detention for a month?"

"I'd take the sweeping," Van said darkly.

w.a.n.g Hao patted Van on the back.

Having finally regained his coolly handsome visage, the older disciple finally questioned him.

"Tell me about Klaus."

Van recalled the first day he had stepped into the grounds of the Cedar Sect. At the end of his tale, w.a.n.g Hao was frowning and Mystra downright furious.

"That jerkwad!" Mystra hissed, "If he didn't have the support of his incredibly wealthy family, he wouldn't be s.h.i.+t!"

Van was taken aback, Mystra was the first he had met who was so…vocal. He was unused to it; slightly charmed, nonetheless.

Mad Horse was silent.

______

Flying at the apex of the formation, Elder J sensed something in the clouds ahead and turned to Tutor Lumia, communicating with his eyes. The female tutor nodded and whistled lightly.

The giant birds that were transporting the students on their backs warbled a reply. They began to dip beneath the clouds. Streams of cold mist pa.s.sed them. Eventually, the land came into sight.

Except, this was not a type of landscape that any students had set eyes on before. Where there was usually green, was a dark grey matter. The sky was gloomy and overcast below the clouds.

In the distance, a strange sight appeared. Amid the bleak, empty landscape, a giant open-air coliseum had been built. It was truly ma.s.sive, dwarfing anything the sheltered disciples had ever seen before. It seemed that its diameter could be as wide as one kilometre.

 It seemed like it could fit half the population of Dragon City. After all, the inter-sect compet.i.tion was an event that the cultivators of Dragon City looked forward all year to spectating. The tickets to view the event in person were sold out in a matter of seconds, leaving most people having to watch live mirage-casts of the events in the pubs and taverns in Dragon City.

As the Cedar Sect disciples watched, various flying creatures or artefacts filled with people landed near the coliseum and streamed into the grand structure. It was nearly at full capacity.

From their aerial view, the Cedar Sect disciples could see the inside of the coliseum.  Five stone gateways stood in a circular shape. Each of the gateways was crudely made and filled with strange markings. Between them was an empty s.p.a.ce hundreds of metres wide.