Aaryan slammed the door shut, pressing his back against the rough stone surface as if that alone could keep the madness outside. His breath came fast, and his thoughts raced even faster.

'What just happened?'

Just few days ago, he was just another struggling disciple, minding his own business, trying to secure some resources. Now? Now there were people looking at him like he was some kind of enlightened sage.

He dragged a hand down his face. All I did was throw out some vague words to confuse them. He had only wanted to confuse a few gullible idiots, maybe shake off Varun's grip on them. But somehow, they had taken his words, twisted them, and crowned him a prophet.

Aaryan exhaled sharply.

This had to stop. Now.

He had spent too long blending into the background, working toward his goal. He wasn't about to let a bunch of idiots ruin everything by tying him down with their delusions.

I'll shut this down immediately before it spreads further.

With that resolution, he pushed off the door and strode toward the exit. He would end this nonsense, and if words didn't work—well, he'd find another way.

And if all else failed?

…He could always just run.

Aaryan barely made it two steps outside before he froze.

A small group of disciples was already gathered near his cave, their eyes brimming with unsettling awe. Some looked desperate, others reverent, and one even seemed on the verge of tears.

A scrawny-looking boy stepped forward, fists clenched as if preparing to receive divine judgment. "S-Senior Aaryan, please grant us wisdom!"

Aaryan blinked.

Then, in the flattest tone possible, he said, "No."

Silence.

For a moment, he dared to hope that would be the end of it.

Then a girl with a faraway look in her eyes whispered, "A rejection… how profound."

Someone audibly gasped. Another disciple nodded solemnly, as if he had just witnessed a cosmic truth unfold before him.

Aaryan closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed patience. He needed a plan. He needed these lunatics to leave him alone.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Aaryan stormed toward the most crowded area he could find, his frustration mounting with every step. The sect's training grounds were buzzing with activity—disciples sparring, others trading resources, and, of course, rumours spreading like wildfire.

He caught snippets of hushed conversations as he approached.

"They say Senior Aaryan spoke in riddles so profound, even Varun couldn't refute him."

"I heard he only accepts those fated to understand."

"No, no, he rejects all disciples to test our resolve!"

Aaryan's eye twitched. How had things spiralled this far out of control in mere hours? He took a deep breath, then stomped to the centre of the training ground, planting himself in full view of everyone.

Enough.

"I am not a saint," he declared, his voice cutting through the chatter. "I was just talking nonsense."

Silence fell for a heartbeat.

Then, rather than the clarity he had hoped for, the reaction was worse.

A disciple in the crowd gasped, his eyes widening. "True wisdom lies in rejecting wisdom itself."

Another stroked his chin, nodding sagely. "Even denying enlightenment is a sign of enlightenment."

Aaryan's fingers twitched toward his forehead, barely restraining himself from rubbing his temples. His jaw tightened as he scanned the crowd, searching for even one person who wasn't buying into this madness.

Nothing. Only eager, expectant faces, some looking as if they had just reached a life-altering realization.

His breath came out slow, measured—an effort to suppress the urge to scream.

"…I hate all of you."

Aaryan took a slow breath. Fine. If they refused to listen to reason, he would make them regret ever believing in him. He just had to sound so idiotic, so undeniably ridiculous, that even the most gullible fool would hesitate.

He stepped forward, lifting his chin as if he were about to bestow some great wisdom. "The true path to enlightenment," he said solemnly, "is eating three meals a day and sleeping well."

Silence.

Aaryan braced himself for the laughter, for the outrage, for someone—anyone—to finally snap out of this madness.

Instead, a few disciples exchanged glances. Then, one of them nodded thoughtfully.

"That… actually makes sense," someone murmured.

Another hummed in agreement. "Balance is important in all things. Of course, the mind must be nourished as much as the body."

Aaryan's jaw clenched. He had underestimated their ability to twist anything into so-called wisdom.

Fine. Time to escalate.

"If you cultivate too much," he declared, "you'll go bald."

This time, the reaction was immediate. A sharp inhale rippled through the crowd. One disciple visibly stiffened, his hand flying up to pat his hairline in growing panic. Another turned to his companion, eyes wide. "That would explain Elder Anirudh…"

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Aaryan nearly lost his composure. What was wrong with these people?!

But the worst was yet to come. He needed one final push, something so blatant that it would shatter this nonsense completely. He cleared his throat, speaking with the most solemn reverence he could fake.

"A divine vision told me Essence Stones should be donated to me for safekeeping."

Silence.

Aaryan smirked internally. Surely, surely this would—

A disciple stepped forward without hesitation, reached into his robes, and carefully placed an Essence Stone in Aaryan's palm. His eyes shone with devotion. "Please, Senior Aaryan, accept this offering."

Aaryan stared at the stone in absolute horror, his fingers twitching like he was holding a venomous snake. He instinctively took a half-step back, but the disciple only looked more convinced of his "wisdom."

A gasp rippled through the disciples.

"He hesitates… testing our sincerity!" one whispered in reverence.

"Quick, bring more offerings!" another shouted, already digging into his robe.

No. No, no, no. This was not how this was supposed to go. His fingers twitched, tempted to fling it away like it was cursed. But knowing these lunatics, they'd probably take that as some kind of sacred trial. What was he supposed to do now—open a temple?

Aaryan gripped the Essence Stone like it was a venomous creature that had slithered into his palm. He wanted to throw it far, far away—but knowing these lunatics, they'd probably take that as some kind of divine rejection and start hurling Essence Stones at his feet in droves.

Instead, he stood frozen, watching in horrified fascination as the chaos unfolded around him.

More disciples had seated themselves on the ground, legs crossed, eyes shut, their breathing steady. One of them murmured under his breath, "Eating and sleeping well… such simple yet profound wisdom. We must reflect deeply on this truth."

Another hummed in agreement. "Yes. If one lacks balance in daily life, how can they expect balance in cultivation?"

Aaryan's eye twitched violently.

Movement in the corner of his vision made him snap his head to the side. His stomach sank.

A young disciple was hunched over a stone tablet, chiselling away with meticulous focus. The rhythmic tapping of the engraving tool sent chills down Aaryan's spine.

"…The true path to enlightenment is…" the disciple whispered to himself as he worked.

Aaryan took an involuntary step back, gripping the Essence Stone like a lifeline. His fingers twitched, torn between crushing it and throwing it away. He swallowed hard before forcing the words out.

"What… what are you doing?"

The disciple beamed, wiping stone dust from his hands. "Recording your teachings, Senior Aaryan! Future generations must know of your wisdom!"

Aaryan took a slow, measured breath. He had to stay calm. He had to stay rational.

And then he noticed another disciple pulling out a brush and ink, beginning to transcribe his words onto a scroll with reverent care.

No. No, no, no.

He had to stop this. He had to say something that couldn't possibly be twisted into wisdom. But what? The last time he tried, they started inscribing his nonsense onto stone tablets.

Was this how cult leaders were born?

His denial had only fuelled their delusions. The more he resisted, the more they twisted his words into something profound.

Aaryan pressed his fingers to his temples, exhaling sharply.

A hushed whisper broke the silence. "Senior Aaryan's silence… so full of meaning. Truly, the highest wisdom is beyond words."

Aaryan's eye twitched. He wanted to scream.

This wasn't just a misunderstanding anymore. This was a full-blown, uncontrollable disaster.

Aaryan was on the verge of a breakdown. He had fought beasts, survived starvation, and outwitted scheming cultivators—but nothing had prepared him for this.

He needed a new plan. Something drastic. Something that would—

"Senior Aaryan!"

Aaryan barely had time to react before a disciple sprinted up to him, panting from exertion. The crowd fell silent, eyes turning expectantly.

The disciple straightened, catching his breath, then spoke with reverence.

"Elder Vasun has summoned you."

For a fleeting second, he considered simply accepting his fate. If Elder Vasun wanted him, there was probably no escaping anyway. Maybe it was easier to just give in— No. He crushed the thought immediately. That was exactly how fools met their end.

Aaryan's mind blanked.

Was this it? Was this how he died? Not in battle, not from starvation, but from sheer, suffocating nonsense?

No. No, no, no.

This was officially a disaster. He had no idea who Elder Vasun was, but he knew one thing—elders meant trouble. He wasn't about to march into some grand hall and find himself declared the founder of a new cultivation doctrine.

His pulse spiked. His instincts screamed at him.

His legs moved before he even made a conscious decision—he turned and sprinted away. He ducked under an outstretched arm, vaulted over a low railing, and nearly collided with a stunned disciple. "Out of the way!" he barked, twisting mid-step to avoid face-planting into a prayer tablet.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

A disciple clutched his robes. "Did you see that? He flees from recognition itself… a true master of detachment!"

Another whispered in awe, "Even his rejection of authority is a lesson. We must not wait for enlightenment—we must chase after it!"

A third, eyes alight with inspiration, took a step forward. "We should follow him!"

Some disciples were now debating amongst themselves, their voices oddly reverent. "Perhaps his wisdom is too profound for us to grasp immediately." "Should we incorporate running drills into our training?" One even started jotting down notes, nodding sagely.

Aaryan didn't have time to be horrified.

He did look back at that.

And immediately regretted it.

Several disciples had actually started to move, eyes gleaming with fervor. One had even begun rolling up his sleeves, as if preparing for some arduous pilgrimage.

Panic shot through Aaryan like lightning. He ran faster.

If he didn't escape soon, he was going to have a sect-wide problem on his hands.

Behind him, a disciple clutched his chest in awe. "Such speed…! Even in retreat, he moves with purpose!"

Aaryan's breath came fast and sharp as he sprinted through the sect grounds.

"Senior! Please wait!"

The voice rang out behind him, filled with sincerity—and unrelenting determination.

Absolutely not.

He bolted past a group of outer disciples, their startled yelps barely registering in his mind. His focus was on escape, nothing else.

A turn—another. He weaved through training courtyards, past confused cultivators mid-spar. He vaulted over a wooden railing, narrowly avoiding colliding with a meditation platform.

The disciple chasing him wasn't giving up. Footsteps thundered behind him, closing in.

Aaryan swerved to avoid a stack of training dummies—only to almost crash into a senior disciple carrying a crate of spirit herbs.

"Watch it—!" the disciple snapped.

Aaryan ducked, just as a hand swiped at his sleeve. He ripped free, heart hammering. Too close.

He pushed himself harder. His lungs burned, but his instincts screamed louder.

Not happening. Not today.

A fence loomed ahead. Without breaking stride, he planted a foot on a nearby barrel and launched himself over it, hitting the ground in a roll.

"Senior Aaryan!" The disciple sounded breathless now, but still determined.

Aaryan gritted his teeth. He needed cover.

His eyes flicked to the right—an alleyway between two storage halls. He veered sharply, slipping into the shadows. Dust swirled in his wake as he skidded past crates and sacks of rice. He reached the other end, barely pausing before throwing himself over another low wall.

The open marketplace stretched ahead of him.

People. Cover.

Perfect.

He plunged into the bustling crowd, ducking low, his heart hammering against his ribs. Vendors shouted over one another, the rich scent of grilled meat and fresh herbs thick in the air.

Aaryan swerved between merchants, nearly upending a basket of fruit.

Behind him, the disciple's voice rose again, confused but still searching. "Senior! Where did you—?"

Aaryan didn't wait to hear the rest.

A disciple, watching Aaryan slip into the crowd, clapped his hands together. "He tests us! Only those who can keep up are worthy!"

Another nodded solemnly. "We must not wait for enlightenment—we must chase after it."

Aaryan slipped between two moving carts, used the momentum to pivot toward the outer gates, and disappeared into the treeline beyond the sect's boundary.

Branches slapped against his arms as he ran through the underbrush. The moment he was deep enough in the forest, he dove behind a massive tree, pressing his back against the rough bark.

His pulse pounded in his ears. His fingers curled against the trunk as he forced himself to stay still.

In the distance, the disciple's voice wavered. "Senior…?"

Aaryan barely breathed.

A few more moments passed. Then, rustling leaves. The soft crunch of hesitant footsteps.

Aaryan held his breath.

Silence.

Then, finally—retreating steps.

His lungs burned. His legs felt like lead. He nearly tripped on a tree root, catching himself at the last second, his hand slamming against the trunk. He gulped in air, struggling to quiet his ragged breaths.

He exhaled, shoulders sagging against the bark. His entire body ached from the chase, his chest rising and falling with each exhausted breath. But he had made it.

For now.

Fade to black.

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