The Amulet of Seven Destinies

“Fight! Fight! Fight!" A group of people stood around two brawling boys and chanted, spurring them on. Behind them, a grey-bearded senior stood with a clipboard in his hands. “30 seconds left!" He announced loudly. Ashur felt a tightness in his chest and breathed heavily. The two boys had been fighting for over 2 minutes and they were both covered in sweat. Ashur could tell that Manny, his opponent, was also tired and he seemed to be losing stamina. But all of a sudden, with a burst of energy, Manny nimbly lunged forward and threw a fast uppercut, knocking Ashur to the ground. Seeing a window of opportunity, Manny moved toward him to finish him off. “All right, all right! The fight is over!" The grey-bearded senior interceded before any further injuries could take place. “Manny, you've won. Stop now attacking Ashur now.." “Aww, Master Yin. Why did you stop the fight? I was just about to beat Ashur up!" The small boy protested. “Manny, how many times do I have to tell you. Fighting should be about self-defense, not about violence. There is no glory in fighting a man already down on the ground. Besides, you've already won. That's enough." Master Yin chided him. “Alright then," Manny nodded reluctantly. He was just filled with adrenaline from fighting and didn't really intend to hurt his opponent. “It's time for the magical skills segment now. Everyone, get ready to teleport to the Blue Mountains. Master Li is waiting there for you." Master Yin instructed. It was that time of the year. Every spring, all the young members in the Hon Clan under the age of 25 would take part in the Hon Grand Tests. These tests consisted of two main components - the fighting segment and the magical skills segment. In the Hon Cultivation Style, there were a total of 100 Cultivation Levels. Which level you were at determined where you stood in society. The majority of the people were around Level 20 to Level 30, and those with higher levels than that would be greatly respected. Typically, Warriors were at least Level 30, while a clan leader would minimally be Level 50. As a former Warrior and the Clan Leader of the Hon Clan, Ashur's father was highly ranked at Level 54. There were few people in the Hon Clan with a higher rank than him, and he was a powerful figure in the Clan. Master Yin was one of the people who had a higher level than him, at Level 61. All Masters had a Cultivation Level above Level 60. Those with a Cultivation Level above Level 70 were known as Grand Masters and were rumored to be almost as powerful as God. Grand Masters were extremely rare, almost one in a million, and their Clan did not have any Grand Masters. At a lowly Level 5, Ashur was doomed to a life of manual labor if he did not manage to level up soon enough. He couldn't even become a Warrior, let alone succeed his father as the Clan Leader in the future. “Everyone, get ready, 1, 2, 3, teleport!" Within minutes, the field was empty - except for Master Yin and Ashur. They were the only two people left standing there. “Ashur, what are you waiting for? Why haven't you teleported? Teleport now!" Master Yin said sternly. Ashur forcefully jumped into the air, but just landed squarely on the ground. “Why can't I seem to teleport? Master, I know how to teleport. I just don't know why I can't do it now." Ashur said while struggling. “Try again." Master Yin urged. “In order to pass this test, you need to be able to teleport. Come on, you can do it." Ashur tried again. And again. And again. But he still remained at the same position. Master Yin sighed. “Ashur, I have no choice but to fail you. Until now, you still can't teleport properly, and even little Manny can beat you in a fight. How can I pass you through to Level 6?" Master Yin shook his head and said regretfully. “Please, Master Yin, please pass me. My parents will kill me if I don't pass my Level 5 Grand Test," Ashur desperately begged him. He could already imagine how furious his parents would be once they heard this news. “Sorry Ashur, you know I can't do that. Don't look so worried, it's not the end of the world. You're a smart and clever boy, I'm sure you can find something else that you are good at." Master Yin said, trying his best to assure him. Indeed, while Ashur was not gifted in fighting and magical ability, he was cheerful and good-natured and was generally well-liked by the other Clan members. He was always eager to help others and had a kind soul. Master Yin also secretly had a soft spot for him. Even with limited skills, Ashur had a good attitude and put in effort into his training. He just couldn't perform well in tests. But Ashur was still not convinced. After all, all these didn't matter if he was a mere Level 5. In the Hon Clan, the Cultivation Levels were all that mattered. He would never be able to become the Clan Leader at Level 5. Seeing that he couldn't cheer him up, Master Yin said, “Alright boy, go home and rest now." Dejectedly, Ashur trudged home. On the way, he saw a large rock and kicked it angrily. “Ow!" He exclaimed painfully. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn't let himself cry. 'Real men don't let themselves cry," he told himself. As soon as he reached home, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. What would Father and Mother say when they found out he failed his Level 5 tests? Would they disown him? Would they kick him out of the house? At the very least, a huge scolding was lying in wait for him. Frowning, Ashur allowed himself a moment to wallow in despair. No matter what he did, it seemed like there was no way out of this. What on earth was he going to do?