The mountains surrounding Iron Root Sect were dry and quiet.
Long ago these mountains had been covered with thick forests and rich spiritual vegetation. Records from the sect described spirit trees growing along the cliffs and streams of clear water flowing through the valleys.
Now most of those forests were gone.
Bare stone slopes stretched across the mountainside, and only scattered patches of stubborn shrubs remained. Even the streams that once flowed from the peaks had become thin trickles.
At the base of one of these mountains stood the remains of Iron Root Sect.
The sect buildings were built along a wide stone terrace carved into the mountain. From far away, the structures looked ancient and weathered.
Some rooftops had collapsed.
Several training platforms were cracked.
The outer walls of the sect showed signs of long neglect.
Still, faint traces of spiritual energy could be felt here. Compared to the empty plains outside, the mountain still held a slightly richer environment.
Kael reached the stone gate of the sect just as the ash storm began to grow stronger behind him.
Two wooden pillars stood on either side of the entrance. A faded wooden board hung above them with the words Iron Root Sect carved into the surface.
The letters had once been painted bright red.
Now the paint had almost completely peeled away.
Kael stepped inside the gate.
The courtyard of the sect was quiet.
A few disciples were practicing techniques on the training ground, though their movements were slow and careful, as if they were trying to conserve energy rather than push their limits.
One of them noticed Kael entering and raised a hand.
"Back from the plains already?"
Kael nodded and walked toward them.
The disciple who spoke was a tall young man with short dark hair and a broad build. His name was Ronan, one of the older disciples in the sect.
"You went to the Ashwind Plains again?" Ronan asked.
Kael untied the small pouch at his belt and opened it.
"I found a few herbs."
Ronan leaned closer to look inside.
"Ash Spirit Grass?"
Kael nodded.
"Five plants."
Ronan whistled quietly.
"That's not bad for a single trip."
Another disciple nearby stopped practicing and joined them. She was a young woman named Lira, holding a short practice spear in one hand.
"Did you run into any beasts out there?" she asked.
"Just a few ash lizards," Kael replied. "Nothing dangerous."
Lira relaxed slightly.
The plains outside the sect were mostly empty, but small spirit beasts still survived in some areas. Even weak beasts could be troublesome for low-level cultivators.
Ronan crossed his arms.
"You should still be careful out there," he said. "The storms have been getting worse lately."
Kael glanced back toward the mountainside.
The gray wall of the ash storm was now creeping across the lower plains. Thick clouds of dust rolled slowly across the land.
"I noticed," Kael said.
Lira tilted her head slightly.
"Why do you keep going out there anyway?" she asked. "Most people avoid those plains."
Kael shrugged.
"There are still herbs."
Ronan chuckled.
"Sure, but that's not the real reason."
He looked at Kael with a faint smile.
"You just like exploring."
Kael didn't deny it.
Iron Root Sect had very limited resources now. Most cultivation materials had been used up long ago.
Disciples often had to search the surrounding regions for herbs or useful materials just to support their training.
But Kael's interest in exploration went further than that.
While other disciples stayed inside the sect to cultivate, Kael often spent days traveling across the nearby lands.
Ronan picked up one of the herbs from the pouch and examined it.
"These will help Elder Darius make more recovery pills," he said. "He's been complaining about running out of ingredients."
Kael tied the pouch closed again.
"I'll bring them to him later."
The three disciples stood quietly for a moment as the wind outside the sect gate grew louder.
Eventually Lira sighed.
"Cultivation is getting harder again," she said.
Ronan nodded.
"I noticed that too."
He stretched his arms slightly before continuing.
"The spiritual energy on the mountain feels thinner than last year."
Kael looked toward the training ground.
Several disciples were still practicing basic techniques, slowly circulating spiritual energy through their bodies.
But their progress was clearly limited.
Astra Minor's declining spiritual energy affected everyone.
Even simple cultivation sessions required long hours of effort just to absorb a small amount of energy.
Ronan kicked lightly at a loose stone on the ground.
"My cousin sent a message last month," he said.
"He left the planet two years ago."
Lira looked up.
"How is he doing?"
"Pretty well apparently," Ronan said. "He joined a sect on Velkar Prime. Said the spiritual energy there is so dense you can feel it just walking outside."
Lira let out a quiet laugh.
"That sounds nice."
Ronan nodded.
"Yeah."
He looked around the courtyard.
"I heard their disciples reach Spirit Gathering in a few years."
On Astra Minor, reaching that realm could take more than a decade.
The difference between planets was enormous.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
The wind howled outside the sect walls.
Finally Lira glanced at Kael.
"Have you ever thought about leaving?" she asked.
Kael was silent for a moment.
Leaving Astra Minor wasn't impossible.
Every few years, small transport ships still passed through nearby star routes.
Sometimes they carried travelers looking for work on other planets.
But most sect disciples didn't have the resources to relocate easily.
Kael shook his head.
"Not really."
Ronan raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
Kael looked toward the distant plains beyond the sect walls.
"I grew up here," he said simply.
Lira studied his expression.
"You really think the planet will recover someday?"
Kael didn't answer immediately.
The wind outside grew louder as the ash storm finally reached the mountains.
Dust swirled across the entrance of the sect.
After a moment, Kael spoke.
"I don't know."
He turned back toward the inner courtyard.
"But I still want to understand it better."
Ronan laughed quietly.
"You and your mysteries."
Kael smiled faintly.
Then he began walking toward the inner buildings of the sect.
He still needed to deliver the herbs to Elder Darius.
Behind him, the ash storm rolled across the mountains of Astra Minor.
And the struggling Iron Root Sect continued its quiet existence on a dying world.