The morning bell rang loudly in the outer courtyards of Thunderpeak Citadel.
Lei Tian opened his eyes. He stretched, his newly forged Earth Grade physique reveling in the movement.
He washed in the communal basin, splashing icy water over his face and neck, then dressed in his soot stained leather apron and heavy trousers.
He stepped out into the corridor. He joined the flow of apprentices heading toward Forge Sector Four.
"Have you heard?" a gangly youth ahead of him murmured to his companion. "A whole excavation team didn't return from the Whispering Pines."
"I heard it was worse than that," the other replied. "They say Captain Lei Feng's entire squad is dead. And... and they can't find Elder Lei Shan."
"Elder Shan? He's Golden Core!"
"They say his wife is missing too. The inner courtyards are in turmoil. The Patriarch has ordered a full lockdown."
Lei Tian kept his expression perfectly blank, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. He listened to the speculation, the ridiculous theories of beast tides and demonic cults. It was a comforting white noise. They had no idea the monster they feared was walking right beside them.
He reached his designated anvil in Sector Four. He picked up his hammer and pulled a fresh iron blank from the furnace.
Clang.
The strike was perfect.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
He continued working, the rhythmic sound of his hammer a stark contrast to the nervous silence that had fallen over the rest of the forge.
Thirty minutes later, the sector's heavy iron doors opened.
Overseer Ma strode in. His scarred face was unusually serious. The moment he crossed the threshold, the scattered whispers among the apprentices died instantly.
Ma walked in a straight line until he reached Lei Tian's anvil.
Lei Tian paused his hammering and bowed respectfully. "Overseer."
Ma reached out and picked up the sword blank Lei Tian had just finished shaping. He held it up to the light of the furnace, his eyes narrowing as he examined the edge, the fold lines, and the structural integrity.
He turned the blade over, running his thumb along the flat of the metal.
Ma stared at the blade for a long moment. Then, with a swift motion, he slid the sword blank into his own storage ring.
He looked at Lei Tian. "As I told you yesterday, if you maintained this quality, I would make a recommendation. You are coming with me."
A collective gasp echoed through Forge Sector Four. The silence was broken by an immediate buzzing.
"He's taking the mud scraper to the inner forges?"
"It's a mistake. He must have cheated."
"Did he bribe the Overseer?"
"With what? Dirt?"
The jealousy was palpable. These were main family disciples who had trained for years, and they were being passed over for a branch family nobody who had been here for two months.
Lei Tian ignored them. He carefully placed his hammer on the anvil, wiped his hands on a rag and stepped out from his station.
"I am ready, Overseer," he said.
Ma nodded.
They left the sweltering heat of the outer forge, passing through a series of heavily guarded gates. The guards, seeing Overseer Ma's token, waved them through without question.
The inner courtyards of Thunderpeak Citadel were another world. The air was scented with refined spiritual ores rather than raw coal smoke. The architecture was grander, with sweeping roofs and intricate ironwork decorations.
Ma led him to an imposing pavilion marked with the crest of the Inner Forge elders.
"Wait here," Ma instructed, gesturing to the antechamber.
He disappeared through a set of sliding doors.
Lei Tian stood silently, his hands clasped behind his back. He could hear the low murmur of conversation from the other room, though the thick wood muffled the words.
Minutes later, the doors reopened. Ma gestured for him to enter.
The room was a spacious study. Behind a massive desk sat a man with a stern face and a neatly trimmed gray beard. He wore the dark purple robes of an Inner Forge elder.
His aura, unconcealed, pressed down on the room. It was the aura of an Initial Stage Golden Core cultivator.
Lei Tian mentally scoffed. He was an entire stage higher than this man. He could crush him like a beetle. But he maintained his submissive posture.
"Elder Lei Kuang," Ma introduced. "This is the apprentice I spoke of. Lei Tian, from the southern branch."
Elder Kuang looked at Lei Tian with an unimpressed eye. "A branch family background. It is a highly irregular recommendation, Ma."
"I ask only that the Elder examine his work," Ma said, stepping forward and placing the sword blank he had taken earlier onto the desk.
Elder Kuang picked it up with a sigh. He ran his hand over the metal. His expression shifted. He squinted, holding the blade closer to his face. He tapped it with a fingernail, listening to the resonance.
"The structural integrity is... flawless," Kuang muttered, genuine surprise coloring his voice. "The Qi pathways are perfectly aligned. This is the work of a journeyman, not a mud scraping apprentice."
He set the blade down and looked at Lei Tian. "How did you achieve this level of control?"
"I have been practicing my internal circulation diligently, Elder," Lei Tian lied. "I focus on the flow of Qi before I strike."
Kuang hummed thoughtfully. He reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a black stone sphere, roughly the size of a melon. It sat on a small wooden pedestal.
"This is a Talent Appraisal Orb," Kuang said. "It is more precise than the crude stones used in the branch families. Place your hand upon it and channel your Qi."
Lei Tian stepped forward.
He placed his hand on the cold stone and pushed a small fraction of his Qi into it.
The black stone remained dull for a second, then began to glow. A deep brown light bloomed from its center, radiating outward until the entire orb was illuminated.
Overseer Ma gasped.
Elder Kuang stared at the orb.
"Earth Grade," Kuang whispered. "A solid Earth Grade talent. This is... this is exceptional."
He looked up at Lei Tian, a mixture of disbelief and growing excitement in his eyes. "You have been here for two months?"
"Yes, Elder," Lei Tian said.
"And you underwent a talent appraisal before you arrived at the Citadel?"
"Yes, Elder," Lei Tian replied. "They told me my talent was only Mortal Grade. I do not understand why the result is different now."
Overseer Ma slammed a fist into his palm. "Those incompetent fools at the southern branch! They must be using defective appraisal stones. Or they purposefully miscategorized him!"
"It is a disgrace," Elder Kuang agreed. "To leave an Earth Grade talent languishing in the outer forges... it is a staggering waste of the family's potential. I will personally file a formal complaint against the southern branch examiners."
"I will accompany you, Elder," Ma said, his scarred face twisted in anger. "I will not have my sector treated as a dumping ground for misjudged talent."
"Go, Ma," Kuang waved a hand dismissively. "You have your duties. I will handle this matter. You will be compensated for bringing this boy to my attention."
"Thank you, Elder." Ma bowed respectfully and left the room.
Elder Kuang turned his full attention back to Lei Tian. The stern gaze was replaced by a welcoming smile that looked unnatural on his harsh features.
Lei Tian knew that look. It was the look of a man who had just found a valuable tool he intended to exploit.
"Lei Tian," Kuang said. "You have suffered an injustice. But heaven has a way of correcting mistakes. You have talent. Rare talent. I need a personal disciple to assist me in my private forge."
He leaned forward. "Would you accept me as your master?"
Lei Tian kept his face perfectly still. He had no desire to bow to a man weaker than him. But he knew the politics of the Citadel.
If he refused, Elder Kuang, known for his petty vindictiveness, would see it as a grievous insult. He would ensure Lei Tian's life in the inner forge was a living hell.
To rise, he had to play the game. For now.
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