Chương 95: Team Meeting

"Did we…" Wei Lin began.

"Just agree to compete in the tournament?" Lin Mei finished.

"Yes," I answered, already planning how many time loops I could cram into eight weeks without raising anyone's suspicions. Wei Lin ran his hands through his hair.

"This is crazy! Eighth-stage cultivators will be there!"

"There's only one eighth stage cultivator," Lin Mei said, though she didn't sound any more confident than him.

"Well," I said, turning around to face them both.

"It doesn't matter. We only have to survive the first stage. And Senior Sister Liu admitted that she doesn't expect us to advance past that point."

"I guess we should create a plan for our training schedule," Lin Mei said.

"Tomorrow," declared Wei Lin.

"Now I'm starving, I'm dirty, I need at least twelve hours of sleep, and not necessarily in that order." At exactly that moment, my stomach let out a loud growl. So engrossed were we in Senior Sister Liu's sudden visit that I forgot that it had been such a long time since we ate anything other than rations on the road.

"First, food," I agreed.

"After that, we'll have plenty of time to worry about eighth-stage cultivators."

"And a bath," insisted Lin Mei, running her fingers over her robes to brush away dirt and grime from the road.

"I am not going to plan our tournament strategy while I smell like a horse pen." With that, we walked toward the dining hall. Even as we discussed the merits of different training methods, I couldn't help but grin despite the enormous hurdle in front of us. This wasn't the deliberate and isolated route to immortality that Senior Sister Liu recommended. But maybe, there was room on the Dao for cultivators who achieved enlightenment through working together as a team rather than by themselves.

"Master," I heard Azure's voice sound gentler than usual inside my mind.

"Your cultivation rate is already greater than what your friends can keep up with. Over time, the distance will increase." My grin disappeared immediately when I realized what Azure was saying. I turned back to watch my friends begin to argue over what dumplings to get. In reality, I knew Azure was right. The rate at which I could cultivate with the use of time loops along with my own unique method would allow me to cultivate at a significantly faster rate than average disciples.

Of course, no matter how much I wanted it to be otherwise, eventually, our paths would diverge. But not today. Today, we were simply three friends eating together and making plans for a tournament that would likely kill us. The future could wait.

Late afternoon sunlight came through my windows and cast shadows across Wei Lin as he lay across my bed as if he owned the place, while Lin Mei and I sat across from him in chairs.

"I feel terrible for dragging you two into this mess. All the stuff outside of the sect and the tournament," I gestured broadly.

"Everything!" Wei Lin tossed my pillow at me.

"Seriously? Are you kidding me? After everything that happened?!"

"But—""No," he cut me off.

"There's nothing to apologize for. If you hadn't been at the Wei Compound." He grew serious and continued.

"…who knows what would've happened to my dad."

"Still…"

"Enough of this kind of talk," interrupted Lin Mei.

"When we left the sect, we knew what we were doing and got some valuable 'real world' experience and even managed to recruit a couple of new friends to join the sect."

"Friends?" Wei Lin murmured, "I don't know if I'd call those former bandits my friends…"

"How's your cultivation going?" I decided to change the subject.

"We need to be in peak shape for the tournament." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Wei Lin and Lin Mei exchanged a look that could only be described as bashful. A faint pink flush crept up Lin Mei's cheeks.

"What?" I asked, looking back and forth between them.

"Have I missed something?" They simultaneously chimed in: "We're close to reaching the fourth stage." I blinked. That didn't make any sense.

"But when did you have time to…" The words were swallowed by my jaw dropping open as I took in their embarrassed smiles. Oh. Oh.

"You…you guys…" I pointed at them accusatorially.

"You actually…" My spare pillow sailed through the room and slapped me right in the nose for daring to ask such a question.

"See?" Wei Lin called out.

"We really were focused on cultivating!" Lin Mei hid her face behind her hands, but I could see her shoulders trembling with stifled laughter.

"Dual cultivating," I muttered, shaking my head.

"I should have guessed that."

"It's a completely legitimate cultivation method!" protested Wei Lin as he turned redder than Lin Mei's face.

"And it's very effective," Lin Mei whispered, though she couldn't bring herself to meet my eyes.

"Hey," I raised my hands in defeat.

"As long as it gets results. If we're competing against an 8th stage Qi Condensing cultivator, we need all advantages we can get." I'd always relied on myself in battle, but true teamwork means knowing and using each member's strengths.

"Let's decide our roles," I suggested.

"And see what everyone brings to the table." Lin Mei straightened at this suggestion.

"My Flowing River Method makes me a good supporter," she said quickly.

"I could begin studying healing techniques… but after what you did with Wei Ye, maybe I shouldn't…"

"Don't worry," I cut in.

"That was special," I tried to find a way that avoided explaining how most of my healing abilities involved channeling energy from an otherworldly blue sun.

"As for my healing ability…that still needs a lot of work as well. Besides being able to heal myself there isn't a lot of healing potential."

"Okay then," exclaimed Lin Mei, brightening.

"I'll study support techniques…between my water circulation principles and the herbal knowledge from the garden…I think I could develop some helpful supportive techniques."

"What about me?" asked Wei Lin, pushing himself backward against the wall.

"I was thinking you and I could serve as our main attack force," I stated.

"Create opportunities for one another and keep opponents guessing." I hesitated for a moment before adding: "Also, I can handle stuff like scouting." They both looked surprised at that. Wei Lin raised an eyebrow.

"Since when were you a scout?" I shrugged, trying to appear mysterious.

"The World Tree Sutra lets me detect danger through sensing the plants in the area."

"Detect danger through plants?" repeated Azure's voice within my mind.

"Is that what we are calling my comprehensive environmental scan now?"

"You'd rather I told them about the AI living inside of my inner world instead?" I retorted mentally.

"Point taken," said Azure.

"However you might want to practice your cover stories; that was barely believable."

"What about that equipment you bought for formations?" asked Wei Lin pointing toward the box still sitting next to my bed.

"Don't you think you should also be practicing that?"

"Yes," I said nodding.

"While most of the disciples will have higher levels of cultivation than us, I doubt there's a lot that specialize in formations or something like it. It might give us an edge." But in my mind, I was already considering how fast I could use my knowledge from other worlds to accelerate learning formations. The Two Suns' rune system contained some basic principles that applied directly here.

"We're done then!" shouted Wei Lin as he jumped off of my bed and sprang onto his feet.

"Everyone understands what they need to work on!"

"Also, we should plan to meet up every week for team training practices," I suggested.

"That way we can work well together as a group."

"Before that can happen," interjected Lin Mei looking back and forth between me and Wei Lin, "don't we need to sign up for the tournament first?"

"Yes," I said standing up as well.

"Why don't you two go see how Liu Chen and Rocky are doing? Make sure they're alright. And I'll take care of registering us for the tournament."

"Fine by me," Wei Lin stretched, yawning.

"By now Rocky is probably enjoying better accommodations than either of us. They won't turn down a chance to provide proper housing for their new stone guard."

"As long as they keep them together, I don't care," I said.

"The relationship between them is special."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," said Lin Mei as she rose from her chair.

"Just please try not to get into trouble before the actual tournament starts."

"Get into trouble?" I feigned outrage, placing my right hand over my heart.

"Me? Never."

"Right," deadpanned Wei Lin, "just like you wouldn't antagonize Zhou or Wu Kangming."

"Zhou picked on me!" I protested.

"And technically Wu Kangming's issue isn't with me; it's with Wu Lihua…"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," chuckled Wei Lin, patting my back as he made his way to the door.

"Come on, my beautiful cultivation partner. Let's go make sure Rocky hasn't tried to eat any of the sect's decorative stones." Lin Mei flushed at being referred to as "beautiful cultivation partner".

"Be careful," she said softly to me.

"The tournament registration area will be full of people trying to size up the competition. Don't show too much." I nodded, touched by her concern.

"I'll be good. Probably."

"That's not reassuring!" she called back as she hurried after Wei Lin. I waited until their footsteps faded before speaking to Azure.

"What do you think our chances are?"

"The first round should be manageable, especially if we can expand on your formation techniques." He was silent for a short while before responding again.

"After that, it depends on who we're matched against, and how much we're willing to reveal." I nodded, already thinking about how to display enough during registration to gain attention from an Elder while hiding our true power. It would be a delicate balancing act, but wasn't everything in this world like that?

"Well," I said, rising from my chair and moving toward the door, "Might as well get started." It was time to see who else was crazy enough to enter the tournament.