76 Those at the Peak III

The Hellblaze Trials did not require strength. It had never been about combat, and that was a well-known fact since centuries ago. There were some slight changes to the Trials from time to time, but their purpose had always been the same.

The Trials were deeply personal, so telling someone how to act in a few of the common situations in the Trials would be counter-productive. Most of the Elders and High Elders of the Five Sacred Sects even went out of their way to avoid giving detailed information to the participants of their sect.

Even if someone got detailed information, however, it would not be of great help. The Guardian was not someone easy to fool. He would know when people were following a script rather than thinking on their own. Their rewards would be decreased and the participant would not get any personal benefit at all. It would be waste.

Getting rewards was good, but knowing yourself was far better. With this mindset, it was rare for any information about the Trials to be passed on, except what the purpose of the Trials were. This was a consensus of sorts.

That being the case, it was expected that the smart people in that collapse building would know that this was a trap set up by the Guardian. It was a deliberate choice of words on his part that give space to an interpretation of the Trial of the Heart that would lead to unnecessary competition.

The Trial of the Heart was made to peer into the psyche and mindset of the participants. In truth, it was fair to say it had started from the moment they set their foot on the gateway to the Hellblaze Secret World.

Jake Meyer knew that all of that, as did Anna Hale, Alden Bren and Reynard Stark.

This fight was pointless, or it should have been.

In the world of cultivators, however, such things were the norm. As long as one person chose a path of conflict, others would inevitably be dragged into it.

Their world was all about strength, after all. The weak had no place in such a world so, when someone decided that something was worth a fight, others would have to fight too and be sure to not fall behind. A single spark could light a wildfire.

The Trial of the Heart should not have been a race, all things considered, but it was open to interpretation. That opening was enough for it to become a race. All because a single person chose the path of conflict, as the other three knew he would. Worst of all, neither of the three were confident in stopping him.

Reynard Stark had been the first to attack, and he had not stopped attacking since his first charge towards Jake and the members of the Abyss Sect.

The earth would quake and rumble at each step Reynard Stark took. His steps seemed to be incredibly heavy, but were also fluid and nimble. He slid through the battlefield, as if the earth itself was aiding him, giving him a dangerous combination of sheer strength and agility.

He had a wild smile on his face as he promptly dodged a wisp of fire thrown at him and slammed into the cultivator that had thrown it, sending him tumbling back. He turned around and saw Alden and the Southern Flame Sect disciples all as composed as they were before, simply defending themselves and not striking back. A surprisingly cool-headed decision made by Alden.

Reynard frowned slightly as he saw it. Of all people, he did not expect Alden to be keeping his calm in such a situation.

"Stop wasting time!" Anna shouted as she waved her hands. The air turned colder, and the mist that was taking over the crater turned even denser. More than that, it seemed to contain substance, as if it was some kind of viscous barrier.

"Disperse and go to mountain!" She instructed with authority. The clashing sounds seemed to diminish somewhat, and the mist slowly started to fade away. The Noan River Sect's disciples were nowhere to be seen.

Jake clicked his tongue twice before turning around and leaving, followed closely by Joshua and Karen. Their job had been done. They were somewhat haggard and their clothes were a mess, but they were all unscathed. They rushed to the mountain at full speed, not wasting time looking back.

"I'll give a special prize to the first one to reach the top!" Alden shouted to the members of his sect as they too left the fight and sped up to the mountain. If Reynard wanted competition, Alden would gladly give it to him.

The two disciples of the Storm Peak Sect were long gone, disappearing with the wind as soon as Anna made her move. Only the Roaring Mountain Sect members remained in the remains of the battlefield.

"You all know what to do." Reynard said in an indifferent voice. All of the remaining eight disciples gave him a slight nod before speeding off to the distance.

Reynard Stark knew very well that his actions were not considered 'ideal' by the Guardian or Arthur Royce. Nevertheless, it did not matter. He never cared about the Hellblaze Trials in the first place.

As he remembered the burning look of rage in the eyes of the Southern Flame Sect's disciples as they left, he couldn't help but smile. He couldn't see the expressions of the others, but he knew his task was done, even if Anna had ended his fun earlier than he thought.

Reynard Stark had a few things to take care of in the Hellblaze Trials, and one of them was to disrupt the competition. This show he started had been nothing but a way to disturb all of the present. A way to affect their mood, their mindset.

Even if Alden had made a good decision in sparing the strength of his group during the fight before by simply defending, he had still gladly taken up the challenge Reynard had set, and his companions were surely very enraged at Reynard.

Jake Meyer too, had taken up the challenge. All of the decisions he had made, considering the context, had been right, but Jake taking up his bait was itself a mistake. He was still too green, too prideful.

Alden had been that way his whole life, and would hardly change. In fact, his mindset was most likely not affected at all, simply stimulated. Jake, on the other hand, had lost his cool and let the emotions make the call for him. He did not want to lose to Reynard again, so he accepted the challenge, even if he knew it was wrong.

Anna too, had most likely taken the bait. Reynard had taunted her before, and given their own circumstances, there was no way she would let him show himself superior to her in any way, no matter how meaningless it might be. She too, had probably fallen in the trap because of her pride.

Pride was without a doubt one of the strongest sparks one could use to start a wildfire in the world of cultivators.

The Storm Peak Sect's members were simply irrelevant. If Derek Tyrell was not involved, Reynard had no interest at all in them. He was, however, interested on the reason he and the other three did not show up. Something on Derek simply did not click.

Reynard never managed to understand him the way he understood the others. He couldn't see the lines that divided him.

Such thoughts, however, had no importance right now. All that Reynard was concerned about was if the stance of the Roaring Mountain Sect would affect the others throughout the duration of the Trial of the Heart. His companions constantly pressuring the others would surely help the effects last, but it all depended on the inheriting disciples, after all, and how much they were affected.

Even if it disrupted their mindset just a tiny bit, even if the end result was meaningless in the Hellblaze Trials, it was worth it on the long run. Reynard was planting a seed, nothing more. What was lacking, however, was the event that would make the seed germinate.

After that, no matter how many years it took, a flower would eventually bloom.

Reynard looked up at the gigantic vortex of clouds that overshadowed the mountain range. That vast expanse of pure white reflected in his dark iris, and he gave a savage smile. He couldn't see it, but he set his eyes in the position where he imagined the peak would be. Even if it was meaningless, he would get there first.

Not only because he wanted to, but also because he had to.

His master had ordered him to do it, after all.