17 No time for petty squabbles (1/2)

It was an overcast day, the dark clouds looming on the horizon gave the mountain a dreary grey atmosphere.

For the past month on the Stellar Mountain, Hartley had made intermittent trips to the main building at the foot of the mountain.

He wasn't expecting it to be as peaceful as it had been, but that was mainly because he was on a secluded part of the mountain and had not explored the surrounding, so he had not run into the other 5 core disciples on stationed there.

He made his way down the mountain wearing red robes, his hair was loose and framing his face in an unkempt manner.

Entering the main three-story building, he headed towards the 2nd floor, on the second floor there was a mission board where core disciples could choose a mission to undertake, earning clan points and gaining real world experience in the process.

There he met the inner disciple girl that had poured him tea when he had arrived , her name was Zhang Shisu and she was somewhat of an assistant to Lou Chang, she had a curvy body and her robe seem to hug her curves showing them more vividly, she had hair the color of straw, and dark obsidian eyes and an almost perfectly white smile.

From what Hartley could tell she was around 20 and at the peak of the houtian realm, one step away from the xiantian realm, if someone didn't reach the peak of houtian realm before 22 it was unlikely for that person to move into the xiantian realm.it has been done before but it was very rare.

The houtian realm was the preparatory stage on the journey to immortality.

This was where one would make their physical body a vessel for elemental essence.

Hartley had only recently learned these things on his regular trips to the library.

Zhang Shisu made a habit of staring at him whenever he came to the building, Hartley being someone with no prior experience of female relations made nothing of it. Hartley greeted her politely and addressed her as Sister Shisu which made her blush and look away in shyness.

There was another person on the second floor looking at missions on the board, he couldn't help but frown when he saw the ineraction between Hartley and Zhang Shisu.

He was one of the five core disciples on Stellar mountain and he too was in his twenties with green eyes, dark hair and a mouth full of donkey-like teeth, even with his lips completely closed his teeth would protrude out visibly.

Being a 3rd layer xiantian realm expert with strong wind elemental affinity he rarely put people of his age-group in his eyes...

But right now Hartley was a real eye sore in his eyesight..

His name was Lou Lee and ever since Zhang Shisu has been assisting Lou Chang, he had made regular trips to this building to have conversations with her. In her mind these were just innocent conversations but in his mind he was on the road to marriage.

Lou Lee made his way over visibly annoyed and grinding his overgrown teeth, ”Are you the new provisional disciple?” He barked in an aggressive manner, ”Yes so what?” Hartley answered.

Lou Lee pointed his finger at Hartley then said

”You haven't earned your spot on this mountain, you haven't been tested, no one knows what rock you crawled from under, on this mountain strength is king. How about a duel on the Martial Stage to prove you are more than a dolled up warrior.”

Hartley waved his hand dismissively like he hadn't taken anything said by Lou Lee seriously, then said.

”I have no time for petty squabbling with shallow people, if it is not a life and death battle then what's the point, just be on your way.”