I spent hours in the trance, deeply absorbed in the rhythmic flow of Qi. When I finally emerged, my body, mind, and Qi were all attuned to the highest level. My muscles felt invigorated, my thoughts sharper and more focused, and my Qi flowed with newfound clarity.

Song Song sighed when she saw me come out of my trance and said, "Finally! Anyway, do you want to know which of the major sect's disciples from the other great sects are easy to bully?"

Was she serious or joking about this? Though she said it jokingly, this was Song Song, so I was almost 100% sure she was serious. Knowing her, she was probably bullying the other Sects' biggest, toughest, and most influential people from the younger generation. I didn't even want to think about who she had offended over the years. It sounded like she had a knack for stirring up trouble with all the wrong people.

"No, not really," I answered, trying to keep my face nonchalant. I had enough on my plate without adding a list of potential enemies to it.

There were too many books to read in the Song Clan Library and not enough time to read and deal with enemies simultaneously.

Whatever, she had already made those enemies, and there was no changing that now. We would have to deal with the consequences as they came, whether head-on or through behind-the-scenes scheming.

Song Song continued rambling about her exploits, recounting how many people and famous youngsters she bullied last year.

Her voice faded into the background as I resumed my cultivation, her words blending into a distant hum. My spiritual roots no longer felt strained, even after hours of channeling Qi.

I knew exactly how to guide the energy to avoid overburdening them, feeling them stabilize and grow stronger with each passing breath. As her stories droned on, my focus deepened.

...

Four days passed in the blink of an eye, and spring became even more apparent as flowers bloomed in the mansion's yard. Time seemed to fly when I was cultivating.

Early in the morning, I stepped out of the mansion and inhaled the crisp, chilly morning air. The scent of fresh blossoms filled my lungs.

I made more progress in these four days than I would have previously achieved in weeks. Sure, it was nothing compared to Song Song, who could cultivate all day long without any issues, but it was still a big improvement.

I was ready to cultivate from morning until lunch, giving my spirit roots the rest they needed afterward. This schedule worked well because Song Song would start getting bored by lunchtime. Every day, we either sparred or discussed the arrays I was learning, analyzing their lethality and potential uses. Afterward, Song Song would return to her cultivation, and I would read until evening—or sometimes until the following day if I decided to forego sleep.

It might sound like a boring and stressful routine to most, but I enjoyed it. Even quelling Song Song's bloodlust during our discussions on lethal arrays was something I found engaging. This balanced blend of cultivation, learning, and spirited debate made each day fun in its own way.

But as I sat down, I knew today was going to be different when I heard someone knock on the metallic gate of the mansion grounds. I glanced toward the gate and was met by Liu Bo's bright smile as he waved at me.

"Hey, cousin! How have you been?" His friendly smile widened as he met my gaze. "Anyway, can I come in? The arrays here feel kinda scary."

"Sure," I nodded, using the motion to send a precise pulse of Qi that activated an array near the metallic gate, causing it to swing open.

Song Song had insisted on setting up this array one day when we were discussing a seemingly useless array I had learned. Initially, I wasn't sold on the idea either, but an array that opened doors like they were haunted was pretty cool.

Liu Bo's smile didn't falter when he saw the door open on its own. He just walked right through without questioning it. This was the difference between me and someone who had grown up in this world. To him, a door that opened by itself through roughly magical powers was not impressive.

I had been in this world for a while, but somehow, these small things hadn't lost their charm. Even though I understood the "logic" behind arrays, there were still many things I was eager to discover in the future.

As he walked across the grass toward me, I manually deactivated some arrays with a thought, ensuring they wouldn't suddenly burn, pierce, melt, or rip him to shreds.

"My bookish cousin, I have some messages for you," Liu Bo said, sitting cross-legged before me.

I raised a questioning brow at his posture and just shrugged. My cousins never visited unless they had to, and I always assumed it was because they were afraid of Song Song. Seeing him getting comfortable signaled that he might stay for a while.

Perhaps people were finally getting over their fear of Song Song, which was good for us. That would bring us more allies.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"As an inner disciple, you now have some duties. You must appear in a gathering to welcome our guests from the other great sects. The Blazing Sun Sect will be hosting the Grand Sect Tournament this year," he explained.

"Aha," I nodded. This was going to be a pretty formal event. "Should I wear my usual uniform or change it up?"

"Just your usual uniform. You should really try not to stand out," Liu Bo warned. "I came here to tell you about the tournament because Song Song might not have gotten the news, and you… well, you never go outside much."

I don't go outside much?—He was being polite. The truth was that I only went outside to check the Song Clan Library. Not that I couldn't, but what would I really do outside? Reading was much more fun.

Wait, was I becoming the xianxia version of a shut-in?

I quickly dismissed such thoughts and asked my cousin, "Do you want some tea? I could brew you a cup or two, learned from a professional."

Liu Bo opened his mouth looking like he was about to respond, but then he closed it, glanced around, and leaned in to whisper, "Don't take this the wrong way, cousin, but Song Song absolutely terrifies me."

"She hasn't killed anyone in a while," I tried to defend her.

But my cousin stared at me, and my words didn't seem to reassure him at all, "So she hasn't had someone to kill to quell her bloodlust? Then that's more reason for me to get out of here before she returns."

He stood up, dusted his pants off for any grassy debris, and quickly jumped over the wall in one leap, running off into the distance.

"I'm going to have to tell Song Song about this," I sighed.

Well, it was okay. Unlike most people, I enjoyed Song Song's presence.

...

A day passed after I met with Liu Bo, and I shared the news with Song Song. She was rather nonchalant about it, having predicted it would happen around this time based on previous years. However, she didn't know the exact dates.

Song Song and I followed the crowd as we walked through some inner sect roads. The greenery was a beautiful sight, though the path we tread was worn and overgrown with weeds, indicating it was not frequently traveled. The quiet, almost forgotten trail contrasted with the bustling inner disciples around.

Even though we were following a crowd, the people around us avoided Song Song at all costs, ensuring our path remained unobstructed. Conversations hushed as we approached, the distant chirping of birds louder than the murmurs of the crowd. Song Song had shed her usual smile I had grown familiar with recently, replacing it with a cold mask and a dangerous edge in her gaze. Walking beside her, I could feel the tension in the air, a reminder of the fear she caused within the sect.

No, perhaps this was her showing more of her true emotions.

I tried to replicate Song Song's look, showing no emotion. However, I smiled at the few people I knew, as I didn't need to maintain the same cold demeanor she did.

We eventually arrived at our destination, a cliff-edge stage overlooking a steep fall into a ravine below. The inner disciples gathered in a square formation, guided by one of the many inner elders. The air was thick with anticipation, the sound of the wind and distant rushing water filling the silence left by the subdued conversations. The sheer drop beyond the stage added an element of danger and gravity.

The inner elder in charge of us was an old man with a bald head and a thick white mustache. He must have had quite an intimidating presence if he was dealing with anyone other than Song Song.

"Come this way," he told our group of inner disciples. However, it was clear that he was pretty unnerved as he kept glancing toward Song Song. His palms twitched, and his Qi fluctuated as if he were ready to defend himself in case of an attack.

As far as I knew, Song Song had never killed an Inner Elder or Elder of any kind. So, this was a bit of an overreaction on his part.

What did he think she was going to do? Cut off his head with so many Core Elders watching?

Song Song was placed in the front row of the sea of blue uniforms from the inner sect. I ended up in the second row, just behind her. Song Song glanced at me and smirked with a knowing look in her eyes.

I nodded but didn't say anything since we had so many people around us with superhuman hearing, and putting up a silencing array might be taken the wrong way.

Song Song was wearing a simple inner disciple blue uniform. It might not visually stand out as much as the Core Disciples wearing their purple robes. Among the Core Disciples was Ye An, who came as a surprise.

How did she gain that position?

But on a second look, Song Song also stood out in her own way. The inner disciples standing close to her looked pale, like hogs beside a cleaver. This highlighted Song Song's presence in a more eye-catching way than just wearing a different uniform.

"Blazing Sun Sect disciples!" called out a Core Elder I knew nothing about. She looked relatively young, with long purple hair and her dark uniform cut short, barely reaching below her thighs. "We shall welcome our allies and fellow great sects that have lived through these turbulent times and helped us survive against many monstrous beast waves and demonic cultivators!"

After my disillusionment with the cultivation sects, I knew she was doing nothing more than paying lip service. I had seen what cultivators do to those from the same sect. I could only imagine what a "creative" mind might come up with to do to a rival sect's disciple.

Suddenly, an invisible pressure settled upon us. A palpable tension gripped the inner disciples, causing some to audibly grunt in discomfort. In that charged moment, a shadow materialized in the clouds, taking the form of an immense sword. Its silhouette loomed against the sky, surpassing even the towering peaks of the Blazing Sun Mountain.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the air, parting the clouds as if by command, and unveiled the colossal sword in its entirety. The hilt gleamed with a vibrant red hue, contrasting sharply against the ominous darkness of its blade, which seemed to absorb the very light around it, casting an eerie shadow over the gathered disciples.

"We welcome the Titan Blade Sect!" announced the purple-haired Core Elder, her short skirt not even fluttering despite the strong winds.

As the titanic sword descended from the skies, its enormity became starkly apparent. Slowly, it lowered itself, dwarfing everything in its path. The sheer scale of the sword was staggering; it surpassed even the lofty peaks of the Blazing Sun Mountain, which itself was enormous. As the sword got closer, it cast a shadow that seemed to stretch endlessly across the mountain's upper reaches, leaving an impression of insignificance upon all who saw it.

I had not been too worried about the tournament since I was not one of the stronger disciples of the sect. Most of the participants were going to be the Core Disciples.

But despite my lack of interest in the tournament itself, all powerhouses from the four great sects were going to gather here. That meant that many of the powerful people in the Western Continent were going to be here!