Lu Yong reached his hand out, and Wu Chen grasped it to rise. As he came to his feet, Wu Chen reached up and removed the silver mask. Lu Yong stiffened as he gazed on the face of his new charge. He tried not to let his excitement show, but his hands trembled just a bit as he slowly removed his own dark mask and handed it to the servant hovering beside them. Both turned to the Leaders and bowed before taking their seats at the Table of Honor.

Wu Chen had wanted to watch the last battle, but his eyes kept returning to the powerful man sitting next to him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had met this man before. However, the rumors had stated that he had only recently left seclusion. One which had lasted for 300 years, no less! There was no way he would have ever had the opportunity.

Through lowered lashes, he glanced at the man's profile. He had a strong jawline, a high nose bridge, and dark eyes that burned whatever they gazed upon. No hair dared to be out of place on that head. Even his topknot appeared dangerous, its obsidian cap refracting light like a sword flare whenever he moved his head. He watched as the man tilted his cup of wine and took a light sip.

'Seen enough?' the man asked quietly.

Wu Chen swallowed hard and looked away. His face reddened at being caught rudely studying the man. He couldn't help it. Lu Yong was quite striking and so damn familiar!

Lu Yong chuckled. He'd forgotten how easy it was to make Wu Chen blush. 'Not to worry, young ward. You will soon get sick of this face.' The man brought his hand up, still chuckling softly, and drank down the rest of the wine.

Wu Chen actually found himself quite speechless. It was a rather uncomfortable feeling, and one he was certainly not used to. He glared at the infuriating man and hoped the banquet would hurry up and start. If they were eating, they wouldn't need to talk.

As if on cue, Leader Wu Bao once again stood before the excited crowd. It had been a wonderful ceremony, and he was pleased that his son had been gifted such an extraordinary Guardian! He felt much better about Wu Chen's chances on this quest. It was known to be the most dangerous on the list.

'What an amazing group we have to honor today!' he beamed as he nodded respectfully towards the Table of Honor. Turning once again to the large audience, he continued, 'I am quite humbled to have so many guests in our clan today. I hope you all stay and are able to participate in the Festival of Elements! My clansmen are eager to experience the battle prowess of our visiting clans, and perhaps, share some of their own wisdom in return.' He winked at Wu Ying, and his eldest son snorted quietly in response, his arms crossing in barely veiled arrogance.

It was understood that the Wu Clan, known to just about everyone as the Sword Clan, had very little respect for the battle capabilities of most other clans. The Lu Clan was one of a select few they were willing to give face to. Those hidden weapons were not to be taken lightly, nor was their ability to wield ice qi. More than one Wu clansman had been taken to the infirmary to defrost a sword arm, remove vicious darts, or stitch up holes caused by razor-sharp ice shards.

'If you're done puffing yourself up like a puffer fish, perhaps you would be willing to start this banquet?' chuckled Lu Chan, as he took a small sip of his wine. He grinned widely at the slight reddening of his host's face and waved the serving girl behind him to refill his cup. This festival was already turning out to be a lot more enjoyable than the last few had.

Wu Bao shot a glare at his guest, who was trying hard not to choke into his wine, and returned to being the benevolent host once more. 'Let the banquet begin!' he waved towards the servers and settled down to enjoy the extravagant meal that had been prepared.

Wu Chen was still struggling with the uncomfortable feeling he was having towards his new Guardian. It was like an itch he couldn't scratch. He picked at his food, his usual cheery mood dampened by his troubled thoughts.

He decided that worrying about it was not getting him anywhere, so he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He instantly felt calmer and decided to try making friends with his new partner. Their quest was destined to be a long one, and it would be much better if they were comfortable with each other.

'So, you are the one everyone is talking about. Elder Lu Yong, right?' he asked, genuinely curious about the man.

Lu Yong casually set his chopsticks over his bowl and wiped his mouth carefully. Then he took a breath and finally turned towards the face he hadn't seen in 300 years.

He had forgotten just how beautiful this man truly was! He schooled his expression, but his soul was shaken, and his throat felt dry. He nodded in response as he didn't trust his voice quite yet. Then, thoroughly disgusted with his inability to control his emotions, Lu Yong forced words through his constricted throat.

'And you are the young man known for his dazzling swordplay and lightning ability. The one known as Wu Chen, correct?' he asked, hiding his hands within his heavy sleeves to disguise their slight shake.

'You've heard of me?' asked the young man, his face reddening only slightly. 'I'm honored. Truly! But I must admit to some curiosity,' he tilted his head, his eyes glittering in the lantern light, 'what cultivation were you able to achieve after 300 years in seclusion?'

'I was aiming for Transcendence, but was only able to achieve Mid-Nascent Soul. I failed...spectacularly.' Lu Yong sighed in frustration and took another gulp of wine. Though his Guardian's face had darkened, Wu Chen's face had frozen in shock! Mid-Nascent Soul was nothing to complain about, he thought wildly. He couldn't be serious?

Many thought Wu Chen to be a prodigy because of his quick rise to the upper levels of Foundation Building. At just 18, reaching as high as the 8th level was extremely rare. Most cultivators could get to the earlier levels of Foundation Building by their late teens, perhaps as far as the 2nd level. Even fewer could get beyond mid-Foundation Building before the age of 50...if they could make it at all. The truth was that most never reached further than the 3rd level. Wu Chen's father had gotten as far as the 7th level, but he was 75 when he'd reached it. He hadn't broken through since.

A cultivator who worked hard, got lucky, and found the right opportunities might reach the next level, Core Formation, within 100-200 years,  Nascent Soul within 400-500 years, and Transcendence within 1000 years. There were higher levels, but they were mostly considered myth.

It wasn't just the physical aspects that caused the bottlenecks, nor was it the manipulation of qi. The need for enlightenment was the key. Simply put, without knowledge, cultivation was pointless. Without power, you couldn't gain knowledge. It was the balance of the universe, and it only got harder the higher you climbed.

For Lu Yong to reach mid-Nascent Soul within a 300-year span was beyond the imagination of any cultivator, let alone Wu Chen's.

'I...I don't think you should be so hard on yourself. Mid-Nascent Soul is quite an achievement, especially within such a short period of time!' he enthused, his respect for the man's achievements grew exponentially.

Lu Yong gazed at the earnest young man next to him, and suddenly his eyes softened, and he smiled. Wu Chen was stunned. How could someone so cold suddenly seem so warm, he thought vaguely. His face reddened once again, and he glanced at his bowl desperately trying to school his thoughts. How inappropriate! That is your Guardian, Wu Chen berated himself.

'You know...you are right, my young ward!' Lu Yong suddenly threw back his head and laughed. His laugh was warm, and many eyes turned toward the boisterous table where, arguably, the two most handsome men in the building sat dining together. 'Transcendence is no longer a necessity. So, I will quite happily be your Guardian instead, hmm?' He cocked an eyebrow at the youth, a devilish grin on his face, and raised his cup in a mocking toast.

Wu Chen smiled stiffly and returned his toast. The wine burned going down, but it was not enough to rein in his thoughts. What kind of dangerous Guardian had he been saddled with, he wondered. He picked up his chopsticks woodenly and attempted to keep his mind on the feast before him.

Although he had always felt more attracted to men, and Lu Yong was certainly an extraordinary example of such a creature, there were just some things that were not appropriate. He knew this. He had successfully kept his feelings to himself all these years, even his brother didn't know, so he was certain he could do so now.

Neither man said another word for the rest of the banquet. However, there were many times that Wu Chen would sneak a glance at his dark Guardian and instead found his burning gaze watching him. He was certainly not making it easy.