The Three Suns Palace was a place reserved for the elite, located at the summit of a mountain, high above the clouds. Its name came from the fact that, when seen from the city below, three grand buildings, commonly called the three palaces, appeared to hang in the sky like suns.

  The three palaces: the Green Sun, the Red Sun, and the White Sun, the one she was to visit today. White Sun Palace was the youngest of the three, built less than a century ago, and the only palace that could, under certain circumstances, be accessed by those who were not among the Elders. The complex of these three structures was one of the great symbols of the entire sect, representing its strength and authority.

  May was dropped off by a horse-drawn carriage belonging to the Yun estate just below the entrance to the summit. No one but her was allowed to enter without an invitation. She had to climb up on her own. Just before the mountain, a man named Li Xiuyuan, who was in charge of the entire complex, was waiting for her.

  With great respect, he bowed to May and seemed friendly. He was to lead her to the very top.

  While access to the three palaces themselves was restricted, those at the very top still had a lot of work, and therefore, many people of lower rank stayed there, mainly in the guise of monks. There was a small temple there, inhabited by Buddhist monks, whose purpose was to look after the complex itself.

  They climbed the mountain without resting even for a moment. The peak was extremely high, so it was impossible to climb it in one day. They expected the journey to take about three days.

  The first day was full of enthusiasm for May. The climb wasn’t too difficult at first, so she enjoyed the views. From time to time, she picked wild berries and fruits that Xiuyuan showed her.

  The dense forest, with its scent of damp earth and pine, reminded her a little of her hometown in Outer Court.

  The nights were the worst. Cold and slightly lonely, as her guide was not very talkative.

  The second day differed from the first. The forest had ended, and only rocks remained. Paths became a challenging ascent over rocks. The vegetation had disappeared, leaving only moss and lichen on the stones.

  She drank some water after dipping her hand into the icy stream. Then she sat down and admired the view of the city from the mountain. She could see hundreds of kilometers in all directions. She didn’t know how high she was, but she was sure it was already a few thousand meters.

  Then the last day came. It was the most difficult stage, as the temperatures at the top had dropped significantly and the rocks were already covered with snow. They entered a place above the clouds.

  From below, The Three Suns Palace was rarely seen, only on cloudless days. However, their power and size made them dominate the entire city with their view. May had no idea how they were built.

  I don't even know if something like this would be possible on Earth?

  The size of these structures on such a high mountain was absurd. It was an architectural and engineering feat. Although in many ways this world was backward, it could not be ignored.

  Finally, they were at the very top, standing in front of the three palaces themselves. Nothing at the bottom was visible anymore, hidden beneath the clouds. The three great palaces stood proudly.

  The Island Mountain Sect was not the most powerful sect in the region, but its strength could not be ignored. These three buildings were a testimony to that.

  “That's all,” said Li Xiuyuan, bowing. “I will now take the Honorable May Shang to the White Sun Palace.”

  “Thank you for everything,” May replied respectfully and followed the man.

  With one movement, he opened a solid door over three meters tall, made of some kind of black metal. She entered and gasped at the beauty of the building's interior.

  “Follow me,” he said indifferently, and May followed him despite her shock at the beauty of the building.

  White Sun is considered the least important of the buildings... I can't even imagine what's hidden inside the others.

  May wasn't entirely sure what the function of these buildings was. It was a mystery, and people generally avoided talking about it.

  Unofficially, however, it was said that the Red Sun Palace was a library containing all the knowledge of the sect, which held all the secret techniques of each clan collected over the hundreds of years of the sect's existence.

  The Green Sun Palace, however, was the biggest mystery. Only the sect leader had access to it. There were many theories: a repository of artifacts, the sect's secret weapons, but no one knew the truth for sure.

  The White Sun Palace was an exception. It was the meeting place of the High Elders of the sect, but it also had other unofficial functions that were not entirely known to the public.

  “This is it. My role is complete.” Having said that, he left May and walked away.He led her to a room where she found familiar faces: the twins, but also... Yifan Wu?

  What the hell is he doing here?

  The last time May fought him, he was only at the fifth stage of Qi Refinement, and this was a gathering only for those at the sixth stage. He shouldn't be here.

  “Why are you so surprised?!” he said angrily, noticing May's gaze. “Did you think I would sit idly by? I also reached the sixth stage a few days ago!” He said with a dose of anger towards May.

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  The twins sat several meters away from him. Hearing his words, Peng laughed.

  “Stupid people are always lucky,” Peng Chen snorted.

  May couldn't believe it. Just a few years ago, one person reaching the sixth stage in a single year was a rare occurrence.

  And now, not even three, but four people? Even May knew that this was abnormal.

  “What did you say?!” He raised his voice and stood up from his seat.

  Peng also stood up, but Zu suddenly grabbed his sleeve and whispered something in his ear. He sat down. Then he apologized to Yifan.

  “Ha! Just as I thought. All you can do is bark.” Hearing the apology, he quickly calmed down. He probably didn't want to look for trouble in the current circumstances.

  This came as quite a surprise to May.

  “Congratulations. A breakthrough just a few days before the academy? That's very impressive.” she remarked to in his direction.

  “You're making fun of me too, aren't you? You think I got lucky.”

  May shook her head. “No, I was being honest.” She looked at him and noticed that he seemed physically exhausted. Losing the fight must have been quite a shock to him.

  He must have been training constantly since then. He didn't give up, but it motivated him to work harder, and I respect that attitude. Ultimately, his hard work paid off and he became the fourth genius. Although he barely made it.

  May intended to avoid confrontation with Yifan Wu. There was no reason to get into a conflict with him, especially since he had now proven his worth.

  She headed toward the twins, with whom she had a a little better relationship.

  Yifan is nothing compared to them... Neither am I, for that matter.

  Being at stage six made May a genius, but those two were already close to stage seven. In the Outer Court, they could even become instructors at the academy. The pace of their progress was intimidating even to May.

  And I thought that having the system made me the protagonist, but compared to them, I'm still nothing special.

  She sat down next to Peng, who smiled when he saw her.

  At least he's not offended that I rejected his request last time...

  “Hey Peng, do you know what today's ceremony will be like?” she asked curiously.

  The boy shrugged and replied that he had no idea. Zu pretended not to notice her.

  Unexpectedly, Yifan spoke up from a distance: “According to tradition, we will be able to choose one thing from the sect leader. This is proof of the sect's expectations for talented young people.”

  May didn't expect to get an answer from him. However, she didn't mind.

  “I thought it would be more of a test, but I don't mind receiving some items!” She replied enthusiastically.

  Yifan snorted. “I'm seated with idiots.” He turned his gaze toward Peng. “I can understand her. She's trash from Outer Court, but you? How can you not know anything?”

  “Huh?! What did you say to me!?” Peng was agitated, but May grabbed his arm and told him to calm down.

  Meanwhile, Yifan continued. “A test? To what end? We’ve already proven our worth through cultivation alone.”

  May was slightly surprised by these words, as she had heard something different at the Yun residence.

  Suddenly, Zu Chen came back to life. When it came to showing off her knowledge, she was no longer quiet and shy.

  “You're wrong,” she said softly and calmly. “The stage of cultivation is one thing. A person's character is another.”

  The boy frowned. He didn't like that Zu Chen dared to speak up and contradict his words.

  “Character? What's there to check, it doesn't matter.”

  “On the contrary. People like us will be at the forefront of the sect in the future. Four of the eight current Elders were once in the same position as us. What use is talent if the person who possesses it would use it for evil goals?” She said, looking straight at him.

  “Are you implying something?” He clenched his fist.

  “No.” She replied, looking away. “I'm just saying.”

  Then there was silence.

  May understood Zu's point well. They were valuable, but what good would that do if their character was hopeless? The arrogant Young Masters, face-slapping, and shady deals. That is exactly what the sect wanted to avoid. A cultivator should have a good heart. It was ironic because May knew it was bullshit.

  “Do you know when it will all finally begin?” she asked inquiringly.

  “We’ll have to wait a little longer,” Peng replied. “The sect’s Elders aren’t particularly known for their punctuality.”

  “When you can live for hundreds of years, you're not in a hurry,” Yifan replied.

  “Wait, will all the sect elders be here?” May was surprised, thinking that the mere presence of the sect leader was incredible.

  “Not that they have a choice...” Zu Chen whispered.

  Unfortunately, Peng Chen was right, and they were indeed forced to wait for many more hours.

  May only had Peng Chen to talk to, as Zu Chen remained silent the entire time, and Yifan, although he seemed to want to join the conversation, refrained from doing so because his honor did not allow him to engage in friendly conversation with people he considered enemies.

  Despite this, everyone in the room was bored. No one brought anything for entertainment. They were going to climb a mountain, and any unnecessary baggage would make it harder to reach the summit.

  Unexpectedly, the huge doors they were waiting in front of began to open. In the middle of them stood a short woman with snow-white hair and a huge wound that cut her face in half diagonally.

  She moved aside without a word, signaling them to enter. For a moment, everyone stood stunned. Suddenly, Ze Chen stood up and walked confidently inside. Seeing this, Yifan Wu also hurriedly stood up and followed right behind her.

  Peng Chen and May Shang looked at each other and went inside together. The woman sealed the door right after they entered.

  It was a strange room. There were a total of nine chairs, all occupied except for one. They were arranged in a semicircle on a raised platform. The four children approached closer.

  May recognized a few people sitting at the table.

  Ze Yun, who had brought her to the Inner Court, was sitting in the farthest chair on the right. As usual, he had his indifferent gaze, which, as it turned out, was quite common among the elders of the sect.

  She also recognized Wo Shi Hao, on the grounds of her estate her talent had been tested in the Spiritual Qi River. May had the impression that they were watching her closely. She felt a slight shiver at the thought.

  Fan Qi...

  She also saw a person she had met some time ago. He introduced himself as Fan Qi, but she already knew that it was probably a false name.

  “Hello!” Suddenly, the same person she had just been observing stood up from his seat. “My name is An Fuqi, and I am the High Elder of our sect. This year, I have been chosen as the chairman in charge of handling ceremonies for your accomplishment!” he said.

  May’s gaze suddenly met his, and she noticed that the little boy was smiling. A chill ran through her. There was something disturbing about him.

  An elderly man sat in the middle. May guessed that he was the leader of the sect and Ze Yun's uncle. He looked strong and was surrounded by an aura of power. Unfortunately, as she had heard in the rumors, he was old and did not seem to be in full strength.

  Elder An Fuqi suddenly clapped his hands. “All right, let's get down to business!”