Cultivation is Creation

I burst into the dining hall, slightly out of breath from running. The familiar scent of steamed buns and rice filled the air as I scanned the crowded room for my friends. Even at this late hour, the hall was bustling with disciples finishing their evening meals or simply gathering to talk.

"Over here!" Wei Lin's voice called out from our usual spot near the windows. He and Lin Mei were already halfway through their meals, several empty plates stacked between them.

"Sorry I'm late," I said, sliding onto the bench across from them. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since morning.

Wei Lin pushed a plate of dumplings toward me. "We ordered extra, figured you'd show up eventually."

"Thanks." I grabbed my chopsticks and started eating, trying to ignore their expectant stares. After a few moments of silence, I looked up to find them both watching me with varying degrees of amusement and curiosity.

Lin Mei spoke first. "So... are you going to tell us where you've been?"

I glanced around, noticing Liu Chen's absence. "Where's the kid?"

"Nice try changing the subject," Wei Lin smirked. "But Liu Chen's fine. He's getting settled into his new quarters. We'll see him after dinner."

"New quarters?" I raised an eyebrow, momentarily distracted from their interrogation.

Lin Mei nodded. "You missed quite a bit while you were... wherever you were." She gave me a pointed look.

I sighed, knowing they weren't going to let this go. "I was learning formations," I admitted between bites of dumpling. "From an elder."

Wei Lin choked on his tea. "An elder? Which one?"

"Elder Chen Yong."

Lin Mei frowned slightly. "I don't think I've heard of him..."

"That's because he usually stays to himself," Wei Lin cut in, his eyes wide. "There are rumors he just entered the Life Realm." He turned to me with a grin, slapping my back hard enough to make me almost drop my chopsticks. "I always knew you'd become an elder's disciple!"

"I wouldn't go that far," I said quickly, remembering Chen Yong's complaints about taking on disciples. "He's just giving me some pointers about formations."

Lin Mei's eyes narrowed. "And how exactly did you catch an elder's attention?" From her accusing look, I could tell she already had a pretty good idea.

I focused very intently on my bowl. "I might have gotten into a small fight..."

"Ke Yin!" Lin Mei's exasperation was clear in her voice.

"It wasn't my fault!" I protested. "I tried to walk away, but this guy was determined to 'teach a first-year disciple a lesson.'" I made air quotes with my chopsticks. ⱤÃꞐ∅ＢĚṦ

"Let me guess," Lin Mei said dryly, "you taught him one instead?"

I shrugged, trying to look innocent.

"I'm just glad you didn't get hurt," Lin Mei sighed. "But you need to be more careful." She shook her head. "Boys and their need to show off..."

"Actually," Wei Lin cut in, "it might have been for the best." When Lin Mei turned her glare on him, he held up his hands defensively. "Hear me out! I was talking to some older disciples about the tournament. Supposedly in the group stages, the weak teams usually get targeted since the strong teams tend to avoid one another."

"That... actually makes sense," I said thoughtfully. "By the way, did you hear what I registered our team as?"

"Oh right, our team name," Wei Lin perked up. "Please tell me it wasn't something embarrassing."

"Three Paths."

"Really?" Wei Lin raised an eyebrow. “Sounds kind of basic…”

"Would you have preferred 'The Dual Cultivators Plus One'?" I asked innocently.

The chopsticks he threw at my head were probably deserved, but I decided it was worth it just to see Lin Mei's face turn that particular shade of red.

"Speaking of the tournament," I said, ducking a third missile, "I checked out our competition when I was signing us up."

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I told them about the strong teams I had encountered: Chen Feng's Shadow Wraith Squad, Ming Yue's team with their poison and sound techniques, the mountain Earth Fist Lieu, and of course, Yuan Zhen's seemingly invincible team.

"So there really is an eighth stage cultivator," Lin Mei muttered, shaking her head. "How are we supposed to compete with that?"

"We don't," I said flatly. "Remember, we just have to get through the first round. After that it's one-on-one, and none of us have to fight Yuan Zhen unless we make it to the finals…or have really bad luck and end up in the same bracket as him."

"Which won't happen," Wei Lin added cheerfully. "No offense, but I plan to get eliminated the moment I face someone above the fifth stage. I'm not dying for glory."

Our conversation was interrupted by a sudden hush falling over the dining hall. I turned to see what had caught everyone's attention and found Earth Fist Liu walking in. He was alone, his massive frame making him stand out even more than usual. To my surprise, he started heading directly for our table.

I tensed, wondering if I was about to get into my second fight of the day, one that I likely wouldn’t be winning. But Liu's expression wasn't hostile, if anything, he looked... amused?

He stopped at our table, nodding to Wei Lin and Lin Mei before focusing on me. "Nice work putting that arrogant disciple in his place," he said, his voice a low rumble. "It's about time someone taught him that cultivation stage isn't everything."

I blinked, caught off guard by the praise. "Thanks?"

He smiled, an expression that transformed his usually blank face. "Hope to see you in the one-on-one battles. It's been a while since I've had an interesting opponent." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving a wake of whispers behind him.

"Did... did Earth Fist Liu just compliment you?" Wei Lin asked, sounding dazed.

"I think he did," I replied, equally surprised.

"Great," Lin Mei muttered. "Now you'll be even more impossible to keep out of trouble."

***

After we finished eating, we headed towards Liu Chen's new quarters. As we walked, Wei Lin and Lin Mei filled me in on what I'd missed while I was with Elder Chen Yong.

"You'll never believe who picked Liu Chen as their disciple," Wei Lin said.

"Elder Song," Lin Mei answered before I could guess. "She's one of the sect's foremost experts on earth element cultivation."

That made sense. A stone guardian would naturally attract the attention of an earth element specialist. "How's Liu Chen handling it?"

"Better than you might expect," Lin Mei said. "Though I think having Rocky there helps. It's hard to be too intimidated by anyone when you have a fifteen-foot stone guardian backing you up."

Wei Lin nudged me with his elbow. "Oh, and guess what else? We each got two thousand contribution points for recruiting them."

I couldn't help but smile at that. The points would definitely come in handy – maybe for tournament preparations, or perhaps...

We entered the core disciple area, and I had to admit, the difference was striking. The paths were wider, paved with spirit stones that gave off a soft, ambient light. The buildings were larger and more ornate, with formation arrays visible in the walls and roofs. Even the air felt different – cleaner somehow, more charged with spiritual energy.

Liu Chen's new quarters turned out to be a small compound rather than a single room. The main building was clearly built to accommodate Rocky's size, with high ceilings and reinforced floors. A training yard took up most of the space, already showing signs of use – there were several impact craters that looked suspiciously Rocky-sized.

We found Liu Chen in the yard, practicing with the training sword I'd given him. He was wearing purple disciple robes that looked a bit too big for him, though someone had clearly tried to adjust them. Rocky stood nearby, watching his friend's movements with what seemed like pride.

The stone guardian noticed us first, letting out a grinding sound that might have been a greeting. Liu Chen spun around, his face lighting up when he saw us.

"Brother Ke!" he called out, running over. "Did you see? Elder Song said I have talent for earth element techniques! And look at my new robes!"

I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. It was good to see him settling in so well. "They suit you," I said, ruffling his hair. "Though you might want to roll up those sleeves before you trip."

"Elder Song says she can teach Rocky how to compress his form," Liu Chen said excitedly. "So he won't break things as much. And she's going to teach me how to form my inner world too! Though..." his expression fell slightly, "I have to learn to read and write first."

"That's not a bad thing," Lin Mei said gently. "Knowledge is just as important as power."

"I guess," Liu Chen sighed with all the drama of a pre-teen being forced to study. "But Rocky gets to start training right away!"

The stone guardian made another grinding sound, this one somehow managing to convey smugness.

We spent the next hour catching up, Liu Chen excitedly showing us around his new home while Rocky followed like an oversized pet.

When the sun finally began to set, we said our goodbyes and headed back to the outer sect. I found my thoughts turning to the future. The tournament was approaching quickly, and I needed to make the most of every moment.

My schedule was already taking shape in my mind: weekly formation lessons with Elder Chen, team practice with Wei Lin and Lin Mei, and any spare time in this world devoted to studying formations and manipulating plants.

But the real key would be the Two Suns world. I had a strong feeling that I could enter and leave at will – I didn't need to die to return. Unfortunately, I hadn't had a chance to test that theory last time, what with being vaporized and all.

Still, the time difference between the worlds could be invaluable. I could gain more battle experience there, learn more runes, maybe even find ways to combine them with formations. And while in that world, I could enter my inner world to develop it...

My thoughts drifted to the vine I'd left behind, and my smile turned slightly sad. Maybe I could use some of these new contribution points to research soul bonds, find a way to bring it back with me next time. After all, if Liu Chen and Rocky could form such a powerful connection...

"You're being awfully quiet," Lin Mei observed, falling into step beside me.

"Just thinking about training plans," I replied, which wasn't entirely a lie.

"Don't think too hard," Wei Lin called from ahead of us. "We've got eight weeks – plenty of time to figure things out."

I didn’t feel like eight weeks was actually that much time, but with access to a different world along with the time dilation effect..., it would probably be more than enough.

Well, I hope it will.

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