Just as the tension in the room reached a fever pitch, something shifted. The energy swirling around Ying seemed to stabilize, aligning and focusing in an instant. The clenched muscles in his face eased and he opened his eyes, a new spark of resolve glinting within. He exhaled slowly, the release of breath echoing the internal breakthrough he had just experienced.

As the tension ebbed away, replaced by the jovial laughter and chatter of celebration, the atmosphere of the meditation room lightened. The three cultivators, normally serious and driven in their pursuit of strength, found themselves momentarily lost in the joy of success.

Ying beamed, a smile as wide as the Huangshan mountains. He was waving his arms wildly, lost in the thrill of his achievement. "I felt like I was in a hurricane, fighting for my life. But then, it's like the eye of the storm just found me," he chuckled, recounting his breakthrough experience.

Jin joined in the laughter, clapping Ying on the shoulder. "Next time, make sure to give us a heads up before you give us a heart attack, okay?" He jested, only half-joking, "I thought you were going to explode or something!"

Even Zhang let out a hearty laugh. "Well, we wouldn't want our opponents to have an easy time now, would we?" He teased, clapping both boys on the shoulder. "Let's give them a proper fight. Xue Fang and Luo Xin won't know what hit them."

"Luo Xin," Zhang intoned, his voice steady and sure. "He fights like the earth—solid, enduring, and powerful."

Ying considered this, his mind already spinning with strategies. "And my style is water—flowing and adaptable?"

Zhang's chuckle bounced off the walls of the training room, a warm sound amidst the cool echoes of their conversation. "Exactly, but remember, water does more than just adapt. It carves its own path, seeping into the smallest of cracks, it overcomes. It's patient. It endures. Don't just match Luo Xin's attacks, find his weaknesses. Erode his defenses like water shapes a stone."

Zhang's words hit Ying with the force of a wave breaking on the shore, transforming his understanding of his own power. He wouldn't simply be a stream flowing around an obstacle; he would be the persistent water that gradually reshapes the stone.

While they were talking, Jin found himself engrossed in understanding his newfound pathway. He sat cross-legged, his focus turned inward. Inside his body, he could feel the potent energy flowing through his meridians, cascading like a river in spate. It felt like he could draw from this power, queuing up his push or pull abilities, allowing them to be chained together. The realization was like the opening of a door, a sudden broadening of his perception of his capabilities.

The silence of the meditation room was broken only by the faint rustle of leaves outside as Jin delved deep into his newfound abilities. A programmer at heart, he was always searching for patterns, for logic, and now he had found a new syntax to explore. It was like coding, only instead of instructing a machine, he was instructing his own spiritual energy.

Jin opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Ying and Zhang. It was time to share his insights. "My new meridian," he started, "It's like... it's like having a prearranged sequence of moves. Let's call them... ‘functions’, a group of actions which perform a function."

Zhang and Ying, although unfamiliar with the jargon of coding, still managed to follow his explanation. They nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"There's one function I'm focusing on," Jin explained, gesturing with his hands. "Imagine a quick pull at the opponent's legs, followed by a sudden push at the chest. The opposing forces should... well, it should be enough to topple someone. Even if they're bigger or stronger, or have stability that exceeds the norm."

"You know, Jin," Zhang began, his gaze thoughtful as he scrutinized the younger cultivator, "while your new ‘function’ is innovative, it may not be exactly what you need against Xue Fang."

Jin paused, tilting his head in curiosity. "Why not?"

"Xue Fang is a Beast Tamer. She'll have her beasts between you and her most of the time," Zhang explained, his gaze serious. "Your pull-push combination won't help much if you can't reach her."

"Unless you plan on knocking over her beasts! I'm sure that'd make her think twice about hiding behind them," Ying interjected, a grin splitting his face. "Imagine if you could force one of her lions or tigers to do the splits. It's painful enough when Master Ling makes us do it in training, can't imagine it'd be any easier for a beast!"

His words hung in the air for a moment before the room broke out into laughter. The mental image of a ferocious beast clumsily attempting to recover from an unexpected gymnastic move was too much. As the laughter died down, Jin was left with the sobering thought that he would need to come up with a new strategy. Xue Fang and her beasts would not be easy opponents, and a frontal assault wasn't going to cut it. It was back to the drawing board for him, his mind already racing to find a solution.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

At the back of the training area, Zhang and Ying were hunched over, their fingers tracing invisible lines in the dust on the wooden table between them as they spoke in hushed, excited tones.

"Tomorrow's battles are simple, but grueling," Zhang began, his eyes flickering up to meet Ying’s , "It's a ladder of one-on-one matches."

Ying listened carefully, tracing a finger along the grain of the wood as he visualized the battles. "So, each participant must fight through five rounds to become the undefeated champion?"

Zhang nodded, his fingers drumming against the table in an excited rhythm. "Exactly. There are thirty-two entrants in total. But among them, some are just there to even out the numbers." He said, a hint of humour threading its way into his voice, "They won't pose much of a challenge."

Zhang picked up his teacup, swirling the liquid thoughtfully. "My matchup, however, is one of the fill-ins," he admitted, his voice calm, his eyes unreadable. "A young kid. Barely looks old enough to be out of his mother's sight, let alone on a fighting stage."

Ying, caught mid-sip, choked on his tea, coughing as he processed Zhang's words. "A kid?" he spluttered out, a frown pulling at his brows. "Isn't that...isn't that a bit...unfair?"

Zhang chuckled, setting his cup down. "Unfair? Perhaps. But life rarely is, Ying. Besides, it's not like I'm going to go all out on him." He paused, the corners of his mouth twitching into a slight smile. "Instead, I plan to give the young one a lesson from his elder. One way or another, at least one of us will find value in it."

Breaking the silence, Ying let out a soft laugh that carried more nerves than humor. "Me and Jin both got tough opponents right from the get-go. Talk about bad luck."

Zhang shot him a sidelong glance, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Luck?" he echoed, his voice tinged with a hint of mockery. "Or is it a test of our strength? Even the draw is part of the competition. If we can't handle this, we have no business in the later rounds."

His words, though casual, held a weight of truth that settled heavily in the quiet corner of the inn. Ying mulled over them, a glimmer of understanding lighting up his eyes. "You're right, Zhang. Even luck is part of a winner's strength."

Zhang's eyes narrowed in thought. "So, the key is to conserve strength and avoid injuries in the early rounds. And to be prepared for the more formidable opponents in the later rounds."

"Spot on," Ying acknowledged, his eyes reflecting a glimmer of admiration. "It's all about stamina, strategy, and survival."

Meanwhile, Jin sat quietly in a corner of the room, his attention turned inward. The hum of voices and clinking of dishes faded into the background as he dove into the sea of his consciousness. His newly formed meridian glowed brightly, pulsing with energy, the scriptweaving power within it humming like a resonant melody.

Jin could hear the occasional snippets of Ying and Zhang's conversation drifting over to him - something about the rules, the order of the matches, the formidable opponents they were about to face. But his focus remained fixed on his internal world, weaving and unweaving sequences of pushes and pulls, creating chains of movements and reactions.

Later that night, as they all sat in the restaurant at the Inn where Ling and her father were staying, the clatter of dishes and hum of chatter filling the air, Bao's gaze settled on Jin.

"Jin, about this new tactic of yours," Bao began, carefully setting down his tea. His eyes gleamed with curiosity and a hint of playful challenge. "The pull-push maneuver. Clever, I admit, but what good would it do against beasts?"

A knowing smile tugged at the corner of Jin's lips. He responded as he picked at a piece of crispy duck, "Beasts are... different, for sure. But I have something else in mind for our beast taming friend tomorrow."

Bao raised an eyebrow at that, a teasing grin on his face. "Oh, and should we expect a grand show then?"

Jin met his eyes, his own filled with a glimmer of anticipation. "Let's just say it's a move that requires a bit of...energy," he said cryptically, his smile widening. "But I assure you, no one will see it coming."

Ling, with a smirk on her face, chimed in, "Speaking of fights, I wonder how well the prodigy from the Iron Guard faction will do. They are known for their impregnable defense. It will be entertaining to watch."

Bao, leaning back in his chair with a mischievous glint in his eyes, declared, "As for me, I'm interested in seeing the Mountain Splitter school's representative. I've heard he can split a boulder in two with a single punch."

At this point, Ying glanced over at the spectators, Lei and Han, and added, "I bet Lei would love to see the Swift Wind school's fastest cultivator in action. He's always been intrigued by their movement techniques, and I have heard their lead student is a beauty.”

Han, ever the Sturdy man, put down his food and chimed in, "Well, I must admit, the beauty of the graceful combatants is an additional benefit to watching the tournament. One can't help but admire the fluidity of their movements."

Before he could continue, Ying broke in, unable to suppress a mischievous grin. "Indeed, Han, we know how much you appreciate a well-built, sturdy earth technique cultivator. The bigger, the better, isn't it?"

As the table erupted into laughter, Ling's voice cut through, a gentle scolding. "Ying, that's not nice!" She said, her eyes sparkling with restrained mirth.

With a sheepish grin, Ying turned to Han, his voice light. "Sorry Han, couldn't resist. No offense meant." He offered his hand for a friendly shake.

Han, his face a fetching shade of red, nodded and accepted the gesture, "None taken." His bashful response only caused the laughter around the table to grow louder.

As the laughter and playful debates filled the air, Jin remained in the corner, his thoughts tuned inwards. His mind was a calm ocean, focused on the trials that the next day would bring.