Erwin nodded, feeling no disappointment. In fact, he was secretly delighted. Spells were important, sure, but Sunny Finch had taught them to him without hesitation. Physical training methods, however, required an elder's approval. That told him everything he needed to know: in any magical tradition, true physical cultivation was highly valued.
He had always dreamed of being a melee mage—someone who could hold his own in close quarters. He'd been lifting weights, thinking he was at his peak. Then he saw Sunny Finch. She made him realize just how fragile he really was.
If he could master Kunlun's physical techniques, he'd have a significant advantage. The combination of Western magic and Eastern martial arts would be formidable.
Just then, hundreds of miles away at Hogwarts, a chill ran down Albus Dumbledore's spine. He looked up sharply. "What is that boy up to now?"
He shook his head, pushing the thought away. Things were going smoothly. Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban, right on schedule. With Erwin absent, his plans were proceeding smoothly. The longer the boy stayed away, the better.
Sirius's imprisonment had served a purpose in Dumbledore's plans. Harry needed challenges to mature, and everyone played their role in shaping the boy's development. Erwin was supposed to be another piece in the game, but he'd proven impossible to control. The boy had become an independent player, and worse, he was formidable enough to disrupt Dumbledore's plans.
Dumbledore needed to speed things up. He had seen Erwin's destructive power firsthand, and he wouldn't be caught off guard again.
He didn't know that inside the school, Charlotte was reporting every detail to Erwin. The plot was moving, but Erwin was watching from the shadows.
Erwin had just finished his call with Charlotte. He did the mental math. Sirius was in Hogwarts. According to the timeline, Peter Pettigrew would flee in half a month, maybe a month. That meant Erwin had a strict deadline: he had to be back in Britain within two weeks, or he'd miss the chance to settle the score for his godfather.
Tom had messaged him—the travel arrangements were approved. He'd arrive in the East the day after tomorrow. The Shushan press conference was imminent.
Everything was accounted for.
"Alright," Erwin said. "It's time."
In the afternoon, Sunny Finch arrived at Erwin's quarters. She was carrying two massive sledgehammers.
Erwin's eye twitched. "Must you carry those things everywhere?"
"Sure," she said. "But you live here. To get here, I have to cross the training square. If I don't carry these, people don't move. If I carry them, they scatter like mice."
Erwin was speechless. He finally understood why everyone in Kunlun feared her. If he were a high-ranking member, he'd have exiled her ages ago. She was a menace to society.
"How did it go?" he asked impatiently.
Sunny Finch looked down, feigning sadness. "I'm sorry, Erwin."
Erwin's eyes lit up. "They agreed?"
"Huh?" She blinked, her act crumbling instantly. "How did you know?"
"Your acting is terrible," he said dryly. "You said 'sorry,' but you're smiling."
She rolled her eyes. "You're no fun. Fine, the elder agreed. But there's one condition."
She leaned in. "You have to walk the Celestial Path."
Erwin frowned. "the Celestial Path?"
"Right," she nodded. "You know the legends? How high-level cultivators break through to higher realms?"
"I know they form Golden Cores," Erwin replied, "and that those cores turn into little people who get struck by lightning."
Sunny Finch froze. "Have you been reading Kunlun's classified archives?"
"No," Erwin said. "I read about it in cultivation stories."
She slapped her forehead. "Great. So those stories weren't entirely fiction. Look, Golden Cores and lightning don't happen in reality. The ancient lineage was severed long ago. The 'Celestial Path' was created by our founder. Its full name is the 'Ascending Immortal Path,' but we call it the Celestial Path. It's usually our graduation exam. If you reach the seventh step, you graduate."
"How many steps are there?" Erwin asked.
"Nine," she said. "The elders said you only need to reach the fifth."
"Let's do it," Erwin said immediately.
"You don't even know what it is!" she warned. "Don't you want to think about it?"