Disciples filtered into the main courtyard from the East, West, and South archways. Before they entered the South archway, a voice interrupted Enril and Zelek, "I`m very interested to see you two perform." They both spun on their heels to face the speaker.

　　"Why do you scare us like that? Can`t you just greet us with a bow and smile like all the others? For years you`ve crept up on us, scaring us half to death. We don`t even know your name," Zelek growled.

　　The woman giggled and flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder. "You can learn my name if your performance is adequate. Until then, you`d best focus." With a quick wave of her hand, she vanished.

　　"She always does that. Who does she think she is? Based on her appearance, I`d guess her to be no more than thirty years. Is she a Core Disciple or something?" Zelek shook a fist at the empty space the woman once stood in.

　　Enril placed a hand on Zelek`s shoulder. "We can worry about it later, Brother. Let`s focus." Together, they joined the throng of disciples in the main courtyard.

　　 Vice Master Ling stood on a platform in the center. His voice reverberated throughout the courtyard. "Quiet down and listen to the words of this old man. The Boundless Temple will soon be opened. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. Worry not, for your safety will be guaranteed by the Elders and myself. Put forth your best effort to claim your prize." Ling scanned the crowd. He could see every face: some were red as EmberLeaves, others a sickly mix of green and blue. Teeth chattered and smiles cracked, some grinned while others snarled, hands wrung and feet shuffled side-to-side. Ling hopped from the platform and strode to the courtyard`s northern edge. He retrieved a small, blue crystal globe from his robe and proclaimed, "May Heaven bless you all." He infused riken into the orb. It shimmered in brilliant sapphire light. As the sapphire radiance enveloped them, all eyes glazed over, and a whirling sensation gripped everyone.

　　When Enril and Zelek regained their senses, they stood in a pitch-black cave. Enril`s enhancement didn`t emit enough light to see more than a few centimeters ahead. "We need to move." Zelek activated his enhancement and pulled Enril to his feet and rushed him down a nearby narrow tunnel.

　　"Why are we in a cave?" Enril said as they hurried through the twists and turns of the cave. Zelek gave a wayward shrug as they continued to twist and turn down intricate tunnels. Enril stopped, "Doesn`t this seem strange, Brother?"

　　"It does." Zelek began to tap his foot. "How long could this tunnel be that we haven`t emerged yet? And what of the others? We haven`t seen anyone else."

　　"It could be an array, maybe? Something meant to confuse us or turn us in circles. I`ll see if I can break it by using my Maneuver." Zelek gave a thumbs up, took a seat, and leaned against the tunnel`s wall. Enril blasted away in a rush of wind. Each step brought him to the next twist in the cave. On occasion, he`d bound too far and bump his nose into the wall. He decided it was worth the risk, otherwise, he might not make enough progress. After fifteen WindWard Steps, he returned to find Zelek meditating, and said, "Thirty steps, but no luck. Sorry, Brother."

　　Zelek peeked an eye open, then stood with a chuckle. "Thirty uses of your Maneuver and you`ve not broken a sweat. Gone are the days where just a few uses would exhaust us." Enril shrugged and kicked some loose dirt. Zelek approached him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and held up a finger. "I`ve been thinking. This is the Boundless Temple, right?"

　　"Yes, that is the name, but we already knew this." Enril scratched his head.

　　"What if it`s a hint? Maybe the temple is reached through means other than running at it?" Zelek palmed his fist in hand. "What if the temple were right under our noses and we never knew it?" He waved a hand to the wall behind him. "Place your palm on the wall and infuse riken into it."

　　Enril followed the instructions. After placing his hand on the wall, he pumped riken into it. The wall drank the riken as fast as he could expend it. A passage began to form where his hand once rested. "Woah, you`re brilliant," Enril cried out.

　　"More like lucky. I didn`t know that would happen. As I was meditating, the wall started to tug at me, like it was trying to steal the riken. I waited until you were back, just in case."

　　Enril said, "Regardless of luck or skill, we should hurry. Who knows how many figured this out before us." He and Zelek bounded down the new corridor hewn through the rock. After just forty paces through the craggy corridor, the boys emerged into a shaggy forest. "Oh, look at that, EmberLeaf." Enril plucked a crimson leaf sticking from one of the low branches.

　　Zelek yanked a dry stem from the ground, "And fresh SkyRoot."

　　Enril stashed a few herbs into the small pouch on his hip. "Why is there a medicine garden here?" He brought a hand to shield his eyes. "And where is that coming from?"

　　Zelek pointed a thumb behind him, "It`s like a miniature sun. I`m still seeing spots after accidentally looking at it."

　　"Shall we move on? We`ve got a fair amount. No need to be greedy, right?" Enril asked as he cinched his pouch shut. Zelek groaned and protested, but gave up after Enril brought up the great treasure still waiting. Together they waded through waist-high grass.

　　Once free from the weeds and grass, they found themselves at the rim of a swamp. Knee-high mud met the edge of the marshland grass. A few lily pads were scattered across the mud. "I`m jealous of you, Brother. Your mastery over breathing means you no longer have to think about it. Meanwhile, I`m over here panting like a dog to keep my enhancement. Discipline and training, that`s what I need. I`m lacking compared to you." Zelek brushed some dried mud from his sleeve.

　　"The growth of my Reserve has been at an all-time low, however. I pray to Heaven this isn`t the end of my road." Enril`s face contorted to a bitter frown as he gazed at his palms.

　　"Let`s keep pushing forward. That treasure won`t wait forever," Zelek said as he strode away.

　　The boys trudged through the mud, their feet growing dirtier with each step. When they reached the end of the marsh, they were greeted by a vast desert. Sand as far as one could see, even with riken-enhanced vision. Of the obstacles that challenged them thus far, they found this one laughably simple. Zelek muttered, "No way&" as they crested the peak of a large dune.

　　Slack-jawed and wide-eyed, Enril grumbled, "This defies logic. How could something like this exist? The forest and swamp made sense, but now, as we leave the desert, a sea of flames? Come on&" Enril`s voice trailed off as balls of fire danced among the sea of flames.

　　"Let`s go, I have an idea," Zelek said, leaping from the peak and sliding down the side of the dune. Once he reached the glassy edge where sand and flame met, he flicked both wrists. Two whips jumped to life in his hands. He lashed out, striking deep into the fiery sea. Enril scratched his head but waited, confident that Zelek would produce a result.

　　Zelek`s furious lashings increased in intensity. After sixty seconds, a path devoid of flame formed. With each step forward, Zelek would flick a whip deeper into the sea of flames. "We have to hurry," Zelek called to Enril.

　　Step by step, the two waded through the flame-free channel. The sweltering heat assaulted them but did not impede their progress. They found the ashen earth to be even less stable than the sand of the desert, slowing their progress.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it`s taken without the author`s consent. Report it.

　　Once they emerged on the other side, a small grassy knoll greeted them. Zelek walked out of the fiery sea and embraced the grass. Enril took a seat by his side. "How did you do that? Shouldn`t wind feed the flames?" Enril asked.

　　Zelek rolled over, his breath beginning to steady. "In normal circumstances, yes. With the manipulation of my whips, I pushed the air away. Without air, the flames could not breathe." He gave a sly smile.

　　"I`m starting to notice something about these obstacles we`re facing&" Enril said.

　　"Now that you mention it," Zelek bit his lip. "It`s the five Great Elements, isn`t it?"

　　"I believe so. We`ve been through water, earth, and flame," Enril began.

　　"That leaves air and void," Zelek finished the thought. Zelek brought his fists together with a resounding thud. "Let`s face it head-on."

　　The wind assailed them as they crossed the grassy knoll, but instead of struggling, they were embraced by a sense of familiarity.

　　"Once we enter the Expression Realm, we should pay a visit to the clan. I can already imagine the Patriarch`s expression. Elder Winryu will probably fall over, babbling about luck." Zelek burst into laughter, and Enril joined in.

　　"While we`re in this environment, why don`t we replenish our riken? Shouldn`t take more than a few minutes. Then we`ll be fresh for that." Zelek pointed ahead, and the temple`s pinnacle, crowned by a glowing sphere, came into sight. Enril agreed and together they sat to meditate.

　　"You think we`re in the lead? We haven`t seen anyone else yet. You don`t think&" Enril swallowed hard.

　　"You worry too much. We`re out in front, I can just feel it." Zelek chuckled before he closed his eyes to focus.

　　The riken delivered a slight jolt to both boys as they meditated. It was purer than even the riken in their home territory. Their Reserves were refilled at an unprecedented pace. Zelek`s ears wiggled and his eyebrows furrowed. He felt something he couldn`t explain. "Enril, move to your left, now." Without hesitation, Enril moved. Five seconds later, a small boulder hurtled from the sky and buried itself in a crater where Enril had just been seated.

　　"Thanks for the heads up, but how did you know?" Enril asked.

　　Before Zelek could answer, "You two better not have taken anything from the temple yet." A shrill voice split through the gusting wind.

　　"We took it all. The whole thing is cleaned out. Better luck next time." Zelek shoved a thumb in the direction of the ground as the new faces crossed the knoll.

　　"That better not be true," one of the two guys growled.

　　A young lady flanked by two tall twins stood with disgust on their faces. Enril and Zelek exchanged a glance and nodded. These three were known through the sect. Jiya and the twins, Croll and Crem, hailed from the Phizen clan, a second-rank clan notorious for their territorial ambitions. A recent rumor had been circulating about their attempts to reach first-rank within a decade. Jiya approached Zelek and jammed a finger into his chest, "Stay out of our way and we`ll let you have our scraps."

　　"Yeah? And if we don`t?" Zelek spread his arms wide. "As far as I can tell, anything in here is as much mine as it is yours."

　　She butted her forehead to his, and their eyes met. "What`s a Foon doing in this sect? Shouldn`t you third-rank paupers be tending to the fields or something?"

　　"Bold of you to stay here and abandon your home. Guess the Foons have no honor or loyalty." Crem`s deep voice carried the words to the boys` ears.

　　"Don`t listen to their lies, Brother. They`re trying to distract us. We aren`t to leave the sect until we reach the Expression Realm. Patriarch would`ve sent for us if we were needed before then," Enril said.

　　"Believe what you wish. In two months or less, you`ll hear about your clan`s demise. Maybe that`s what your Patriarch is hoping for, you two to play out some phoenix`s tale of rising from the ashes to resurrect your clan. A bunch of loser-drivel, if you ask me," Crem laughed.

　　Zelek`s fists began to shake as he continued his heated stare. Two whips exploded into his hands. He stepped back from Jiya, and lashed out at the twins, catching each of their ankles. With a forceful yank, the twins met the ground with a groan.

　　"A Foon with guts. Not even your Patriarch would lash out at the weakest Phizen member," Jiya smirked.

　　"I hope he`s ready to lose those guts," Croll spat as he picked himself up. He cracked his knuckles and craned his neck with a wicked grin.

　　"Three on two? A bit unfair don`t you think?" Zelek said.

　　"Life isn`t fair, quit your whin-" Jiya started.

　　"I meant for you," Zelek interrupted. "You should have at least six of you, no? Maybe a dozen?"

　　Jiya`s cheeks flushed, and she rushed to Zelek throwing a wild hay-maker. His fist met hers in a gush of wind and clap of thunder. "You`ll regret those words, Foon scum," she snarled. The two began to flit around the knoll in a spectacular clash.

　　"Guess we get this one," Crem said.

　　"Hopefully this trash can give us a warm-up. The disciples earlier were such pushovers." Croll yawned. Enril held his ground, attempting to calm his fluttering heart as he reached a hand into his pouch.

　　"Keep an eye on that hand. Who knows what he`ll pull out." Crem`s steps slowed as his eyes locked onto Enril`s pouch. Enril smirked and withdrew his hand.

　　"A pebble?" Croll rubbed his eyes.

　　"A nice, smooth pebble. I like how it feels. It`s comforting," Enril said. Crem and Croll burst into a fit of laughter.

　　As cracks from Zelek`s whip echoed amidst the twins` cacophony, Enril grew nervous. Were they so confident they could outmatch him with such a lax attitude? Should he try to help Zelek? His mind raced through the options. His decision came in the form of his Maneuver.

　　Croll`s face planted into the dirt, having received the full impact of Enril`s momentum. "Dammit Crem, you`re supposed to guard me." Crem`s step forward forced Enril back. Without pausing, Enril Maneuvered behind them and struck Croll as he tried to stand. Crem`s punch flew toward Enril, but he had already activated his Modifier. The punch was redirected into Croll.

　　"You idiot, why are you attacking me?" Croll yelled as a vein on his forehead threatened to pop.

　　"He`s tricking us with his cowardly techniques," Crem protested.

　　With a deep breath, Croll declared, "Reset. When the Phizen twins unite, not even Jiya can stop us." Crem and Croll assumed a low stance, mirroring one another. Nostalgia washed over Enril as Xing`s words from before resonated in his heart. New understanding blossomed within him. With a quick step, Enril appeared before the twins. His emerald eyes blazed as he punched at Croll. Crem managed to block it. Croll began his counterattack, but Enril drew the punch forward. The twin`s arms crossed. Enril planted a foot where the arms overlapped. In a bump of heads, the twins were grounded once more.

　　"Strategy two, Crem," Croll shouted as the twins dashed to opposite sides of Enril. They began their furious assault. A flurry of punches and kicks from opposite sides trapped Enril. Even with his Modifier, he was unable to do any more than dodge the onslaught. The twins` punches and kicks grazed him as they intensified their pace. Enril realized he needed to adapt.

　　Fortune smiled upon him as the twins` fists collided after his well-timed duck. With a silent prayer, he infused riken into his palm. An orange glow grew, and he blasted it into Crem`s chest. Crem patted the front of his robe in a frantic panic. Three black lines marred his otherwise pristine robe.

　　"What an idiot," Croll began to laugh, "He`s shown us all three of his techniques, but we haven`t even needed one of ours." He began to roll his shoulders as he walked toward Enril. With an exaggerated wind-up, he punched.

　　Enril let the fist slide by as he prepared to counter. His fist filled with fire once more, but before he could strike, he was sent hurtling away from Croll, skidding to a sudden stop. He rubbed his cheek as stars and dots blurred his vision. He glanced back to the twins.

　　What the hell was that?` he thought. The twins maintained their perfect mirroring, but Crem stood twenty meters behind Croll. The distant cracks of Zelek`s whip brought Enril comfort, reaffirming his resolve. As long as he fights, so can I,` he thought.

　　Croll lunged forward to meet Enril with another punch. Once again, Enril dodged and let the fist slide by. A moment later an invisible force struck him, forcing him off-balance. As he stumbled, he glanced at Crem. Nothing was out of the ordinary and no tell-tale sign of a technique being used.

　　Croll lunged for another strike. Instead of dodging, Enril grabbed the fist and flung Croll over his hip. The phantom force struck Enril once more. Croll laughed from his back, "Always knew the Foon Clan was a bunch of idiots."

　　Without allowing Croll a chance to recover, Enril lashed out at Crem. Squeezing the stone tight, he conjured a green whip in his hand. Enril tugged as soon as the whip ensnared Crem`s ankle, bringing him to the ground. Croll retreated to Crem`s side and aided him. Glaring at Enril, they shouted in unison, "What was that? Wandering Realm Seekers can only learn three techniques, how do you have four?"

　　Enril grinned and gave the whip another flick.