Chapter 36 – Senior Brother Jun is a Cultivation Fanatic!

  In a quiet part of the Outer Sect training hall where Disciples could hone their fighting skills, the clash of Qi resounded like faint thunder through the trees that ringed the area.

  Me Lian moved with swift precision; her sword flashing with faint silver light as it arced toward Lin Yue. Her strikes were fast and fluid, refined by weeks of determined practice since she had reached the 3rd Level of Qi Condensation.

  Each of her attacks was tempered by intense control, but her passionate offence left no doubt that she was fighting to win.

  Across from her, Lin Yue danced backward to avoid a quick thrust while throwing out a paper talisman that shimmered with a golden script.

  A plume of fire erupted from the ground, driving Mei Lian back and allowing Lin Yue to gain some distance from her. Raising her hand, she summoned a small alchemy furnace from her storage bag that floated in the air, spinning slowly as it pulsed with spiritual energy.

  When Mei Lian sped around the flames and renewed her assault, she was met by another line of fire shooting toward her from the floating furnace as Lin Yue directed it with a flick of her fingers.

  Deflecting it with a sweep of her sword, Mei Lian charged.

  The battle lasted several more minutes until Lin Yue’s final defensive talisman shattered under a decisive strike. With her defences gone, Mei Lian pressed forward and tapped her sword against Lin Yue’s shoulder, ending the match.

  Both women were breathing heavily as they sat down on the benches nearby. Despite their intense match, they were smiling.

  “You have gotten a lot stronger. That last talisman almost caught me off guard.” Mei Lian said, wiping her brow with the sleeve of her robe and resting her sword across her knees.

  “I had to do something, Sister Mei. The last time we trained together, I was bruised from head to toe!” Lin Yue replied with a laugh as she brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

  “The Tower of Tempered Will is opening soon, and I need to be as prepared as I can be. I’ve been making my own talismans, and I’ve even begun to practice refining pills.” Lin Yue said proudly.

  “That’s good! Even though the Elders say we won’t be in any danger, it’s best to be as prepared as possible so we can claim as many rewards as we can.” Mei Lian replied in encouragement.

  They chatted for a few minutes more about their training before their conversation shifted to their families.

  “My grandparents sent me a letter; they can’t believe my cultivation is higher than theirs now.” Lin Yue stated happily as she thought about them.

  Her family lived in a modest house a few weeks journey outside of Tranquil City. Her grandparents were loose cultivators who hadn’t made it past the 1st and 2nd Levels of Qi Condensation. Her grandfather was a talisman-maker, while her grandmother was a herbalist.

  Lin Yue’s parents had been Disciples of the Tranquil Mountain Sect, but they had died in an incident when she was still a child. She only remembered a few things about them, but it was because of them that she had chosen to enter the Tranquil Mountain Sect.

  “You’ve worked hard. I’m sure they are incredibly proud of you.” Mei Lian replied sadly, thinking of her last conversation with her father.

  He was a cultivator working for the City Lord of Nan Ao City and had reached the 2nd Level of Qi condensation, while her mother didn’t possess the talent for cultivation.

  He had taught her how to use a sword, but he had wanted her to stay and join him in the City Lord’s service before marrying into one of the local clans.

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  “Your father will be happy once he hears about your progress, Sister Mei. The opportunities here in the Tranquil Mountain Sect are far beyond anything you could find in Nan Ao City.” Lin Yue assured her friend as she noticed her shift in mood.

  “You’re right.” Mei Lian said, banishing her dark thoughts and focusing on the present. She would travel back to Nan Ao City someday, and she could already imagine the look on her father’s face as she showed him her cultivation.

  The topic of conversation naturally shifted toward the looming challenge ahead, the Tower of Tempered Will.

  “I heard there are nine floors. Each one is more difficult than the last. They say it will test more than just strength.” Mei Lian explained.

  “That’s what I heard as well. It will be mental as well as physical. Ren Qiu said that it changes based on who enters, that it finds our weaknesses in order to temper us.” Lin Yue added quietly. She was unnerved by the prospect of all her weaknesses being exposed.

  “The rewards will be worth it.” Mei Lian assured her.

  Lin Yue nodded, and there was another lull in their conversation, and she began to bite her lip. She hesitated to bring up the next subject, but it had been on her mind for a while.

  As the breeze rustled through the leaves of the trees around them, Lin Yue toyed with the hem of her sleeve as she continued to hesitate. After a moment, she finally spoke.

  “Sister Mei, do you think Senior Brother Jun dislikes us?” Lin Yue asked, and Mei Lian glanced over at her in surprise.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Well…” Lin Yue hesitated and looked down at her hands.

  “He never talks to us in the Sect. He’s always in his courtyard, cultivating. It’s like we don’t even exist.”

  Mei Lian chuckled softly and shook her head at the statement.

  “He obviously likes us. Do you think he just hands out bottles of high-grade Qi Gathering Pills to everyone he meets? Even Ren Qiu doesn’t get special treatment from Senior Brother Jun.”

  Lin Yue looked unconvinced. Ren Qiu might not have received gifts from Jun De, but they were seen together in Tranquil City, and the rumour was that he had met Jun De in his courtyard a few weeks ago.

  “Senior Brother Jun is a cultivation fanatic! I don’t think he even realizes how distant he comes across. But he gave us those pills because he cares. That was his way of showing it.” Mei Lian added.

  “I hope Sister Mei is right.” Lin Yue murmured, and a blush crept across her cheeks.

  “I am hoping to do well in the Tower…in order to impress him. I want him to notice me more.” Lin Yue admitted, her face turning scarlet.

  Mei Lian looked at her for a long moment, her own thoughts filled with Jun De and how she would also enjoy more attention from him. She smiled gently and nodded to her friend.

  “I think he already notices you, Sister Lin. Both of us. He’s just too obsessed with his cultivation to do anything about it. We’ll have an opportunity to impress him in the Tower.” Mei Lian said confidently.

  Page Break

  The two young women weren’t the only ones hoping to distinguish themselves in the Tower of Tempered Will. Across the entire Outer Sect, a wave of urgency had taken root.

  Disciples who had once loitered around the training grounds or sought out the easiest tasks on the task board were now sparring with renewed determination or seeking out missions that tested their resolve.

  The clang of weapons, the roar of Qi techniques, and the smell of pill refinement filled the air from dawn to dusk as even the laziest cultivators found new motivation.

  The Elders observed this shift in attitude with approval. For years, the Outer Sect had descended into a more relaxed pace and stagnant progress, but now the Disciples pushed themselves harder than ever.

  The sudden rise in diligence was fueled in part by rumours of the rewards that could be obtained in the Tower: rare treasures, cultivation pills and resources, martial manuals, spiritual artifacts, and even recognition by Inner Sect Elders.

  However, another rumour began to circulate through the Outer Sect, igniting a fresh surge of urgency amongst the Outer Sect Disciples.

  It was said that Jun De had entered intense, closed-door cultivation in the Ninefold Refinement Array in preparation for the Tower of Tempered Will.

  The idea that someone like him, someone calm, composed and seemingly untouchable, who had retrieved the inheritance and clearly had the favour of the Elders, was training with such seriousness lit a fire in the hearts of many.

  If Jun De was pushing himself to improve, then everyone else would have to push even harder just to keep up with him.

  But not everyone was inspired out of admiration for Jun De.

  There were still lingering whispers of resentment from the Inheritance Site. Some Disciples had never fully accepted Jun De’s authority or liked the way the Elders favoured him.

  To these prominent Disciples, the Tower represented a rare chance to show their true strength and talent on a public stage.

  Some were making bold statements that they would surpass Jun De in the Tower, that their talent were better than his and that their experience would carry them further, or their backgrounds were better and that would give them an edge.

  The reason they chose Jun De to compare themselves with was simple: The Elders had taken notice of him, and if they surpassed Jun De, the Elders would likely take notice of them as well.

  What began as scattered discontent in the Outer Sect soon became a rising wave of challenges. Jun De had unknowingly become the benchmark against which everyone sought to measure themselves.

  The Tower of Tempered Will was quickly becoming a source of competition unlike any other in the Outer Sect.