Shambhu stormed into the back courtyard of the dormitory, flanked by Tirtha and Ujwal on either side. Judging by their disheveled appearances, it was obvious they had all just woken up—most likely after oversleeping.Without a word, Shambhu marched straight up to Keshab, grabbed the collar of the chubby man’s robe, and yanked him away from Miralda with force.“You disgusting creep! How dare you bother Miralda? You want me to smash that ugly face of yours, huh?!”“Brother, it’s not what you think,” Keshab replied, trying to keep calm despite being nearly thrown off balance by Shambhu’s rough handling.This wasn’t the first time Shambhu had treated him this way. On the contrary, Shambhu had made a habit of bullying him—just like he was doing now. And yet, Keshab had always held back, choosing to stay quiet and yield. Compared to Shambhu, he was a nobody.“I wasn’t trying to do anything to Miss Miralda.”Ptui!Shambhu spat on the ground and glared daggers at Keshab.“Besides your pig bod

Shambhu kept insisting that he only did it to protect Miralda. Even though he hadn't followed up with another attack on Keshab, his body remained in a state of alert.“Master Shambhu, I appreciate your concern. But can you trust me?”Miralda’s voice was firm, though her tone was calm. Her gestures radiated patience.Had Shambhu done this three days ago, she might’ve punched that loudmouth right in the face without a second thought.Miralda couldn’t stand it when someone acted like they had to protect her—especially when that someone was clearly weaker than she was.She had never relied on anyone to survive, and she certainly didn’t want to start now. More than anything, she hated it when people tried to force that dependence on her.Still, Miralda was trying to build better relationships with the other students and masters at the temple. So she held back her anger and made an effort to speak gently.“Please, let’s end this misunderstanding so we can carry out our punishment. Sound goo

Unbeknownst to the two in question, Bersena had been secretly watching them from a hidden vantage point the entire time.When she saw Shambhu nearly slam his fist into Keshab’s face, her fingers instinctively unfolded the sleek black steel fan in her hand. She was just about to hurl it to stop Shambhu when—much to her surprise—Miralda beat her to it.The girl's swift and precise movement made Bersena narrow her eyes, caught between shock and admiration."So Miralda possesses cultivation energy too?"Bersena hadn't expected to find someone else with the same rare gift she herself possessed.Typically, cultivators didn’t develop their mental strength in tandem with their cultivation energy. One often advanced while the other lagged behind. It was rare—almost unheard of—for both to grow simultaneously.But Bersena was one of the very few exceptions.Every time her cultivation energy increased, so did her mental power—and vice versa. It was an unusual trait, one she had believed only she

The three young men likely had no idea someone had overheard their plan.But Bersena, having caught every word of their scheming, couldn’t stay silent any longer."Absolutely unforgivable! How could they be so blinded by ambition that they'd come up with such a vile plan against their own friend?"She shook her head, both furious and deeply disappointed. If she didn’t intervene soon, there was no telling what might happen to Keshab.“I have to do something. Now.”Bersena tucked the folding fan in her hand back into the pocket of her long robe. She had to stop this punishment from being carried out. She couldn’t let them leave the temple.But just as she was about to take a step, a voice called out from behind her.“Bersena, hold on.”A deep, gravelly voice, laced with authority and power, echoed from behind. Before she could even turn around, the voice continued.“Don’t do anything to stop them. Let them go.”She didn’t need to see who it was to recognize the speaker. The moment she h

“I pray that every step you take becomes an act of devotion, and that your hard work brings more good into the world.”Gon Vulaj spoke those words as he finished blessing the five young ones, placing his palm gently on each of their heads. Afterward, the master clasped his hands in front of his chest and began reciting a prayer.Three days ago, he had agreed with the other three senior masters not to interfere with the youths’ journey—not even from a distance. But that didn’t mean his heart was free of worry.The forest ahead… it was like a living being. As if it had eyes that could see who carried good in their hearts—and who did not.“And before you go,” Master Gon continued, “I hope you’ll always remember this one small piece of advice: you are brothers and sister now. No matter what happens, help one another without expecting anything in return. That is the only path to salvation.”Those words struck a chord in Keshab, as if a light had been switched on inside him. Even without Ma