The morning fog hanging over the inner terraces parted to reveal a landscape not of shared martial discipline, but of rigid economic segregation.
Caleb Conway walked the winding marble pathways of the upper peaks, his plain gray coat unadorned, the emerald jade medallion of an Inner Court disciple hanging securely at his hip. Over the past three days, while ordinary newcomers spent their hours courting senior disciples or attending celebratory banquets in the central courtyards, Caleb had spent his time reviewing the public lease records in the administrative registry. The reality of the upper mountain was far removed from the romantic tales peddled in the mortal districts below.
The high tier training peaks, rich in spiritual springs and natural gathering arrays, were not allocated by m
