As I fumbled my way through the battlefield, I started to notice that the place is starting to get more and more desecrated as time goes on. I would glance in one direction and see a small mountain of boulders then gape. I would glance at another, see a valley of metal spikes, gape, then walk around it. On one occasion, I even managed to spot another ice user throwing out spears made of ice, I'd watch as these spears would land and explode into a blast of frost and ice that turned the surroundings frozen.

I stared at that ice user for far longer than I would've liked before walking away. I felt pretty inspired when I saw them throw those spears around and I thought that maybe I should start doing that too. A surprise AOE from one of my swings doesn't sound that bad.

I looked at my bat, I'm using it to support myself right now so the view isn't exactly good but the bit of ice that I can see got me thinking about how I can possibly cause it to explode after a failed hit. Or maybe when I'm stuck in a stalemate because my opponent likes to parry. The more I think about it, the more I feel like making my own ice explode is a good idea. Wait, no, it's a great idea.

I turned back to where I last saw the ice user. One day. I thought as I continued stumbling through the battlefield.

I found a spot, it is secluded, has walls for cover and more importantly, it isn't one of the huts that we outer disciples consider our home. Instead, it is a simple shed, one that's actually made of wood instead of dirt. Just by looking around, I can tell that it's important to the Pavillion, with several empty glasses sitting on shelves and a few alchemical ingredients here and there, it's obvious that the place I found myself in is a lab of sorts. I looked around to see if I can find the method of creating the Talismans in hopes of finding more but found nothing.

I felt disappointed as I took a seat in the center of the room, the place is small, with the size being that of an actual shed but even with all the tables and other things around me, I found out that I had plenty of space to get comfortable in. I closed my eyes and started cultivating. Sadly, even after two kills, I didn't get enough Qi to get a breakthrough to another stage but even without the System, I can tell that I'm close.

I hummed. I should probably get a breakthrough before I go back out there.

I let myself fall deep into my trance until the world became muted and all I felt is nothing other than the Qi surrounding me. Cultivating for me has always been odd and every time I do it I'd always expect that I'd be aware of everything while meditating but that oddly isn't the case. If I'm asked if I could describe it, then I'll say that cultivating is the closest thing I can have to lucid dreaming.

I'm half awake while meditating, sure, but I'm also asleep and my sense of time is based on it and hours feel like seconds whenever I'm cultivating. Also, I know instinctively that I'm collecting Qi sure, but I'm only ever really aware about it when I've gotten enough Qi that can it influence me physically.

A little bit of meditation later and I'm ready to refine my bones for the second time after I went up another Stage.

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I dusted myself off. Briefly, I wondered how in the hell did I manage to cultivate in the middle of all the fighting but I guess depending on just much time has passed while I'm under the trance of meditation then potentially, the invasion could've ended at some point. A large boom echoed out from somewhere and I sighed, Well, I guess people are still fighting outside then.

And as it turns out, I was right because the first thing that I see when I got out of the lab is a bright yellow explosion going off a hundred feet to my right. I looked up at the night sky, the moon is still up there, as bright as ever. Guess the amount of Qi I needed for a breakthrough is less than I thought.

I started tapping my foot and thought of things that I want and needed to do, I'm on the Seventh Stage of Body Refinement now so I'm feeling pretty confident that I can fight other cultivators on my realm. I have a... damaged body sure but the damage only goes up so far before it evens out with my own physical toughness.

I started circulating Qi and as I expected, I felt fine. Guess this is an option again, too.

Having a body as strong as the one that I have can make someone feel a whole lot more confident about getting into fights and it just so happens to be that I do have that body.

I lifted my bat and glared at the spot where I last saw the explosion. Definitely avoiding that.

I did a few jump and jacks before running out.

Quite frankly, now that I actually refined the parts of my body that help with going physical, I am feeling pretty eager for a fight and I jumped into the first thing that I came across- a battle between two cultivators, one wore a bright white robe and the other had the same thing, just colored in an opposite manner. Both of them carried weapons, two swords for the black wearing bandit and nun chucks for the disciple.

I didn't even try to hide and just popped in front of the bandit and swung. He dodged, of course, because why wouldn't he? Then he started talking. Because why wouldn't he.

"You're the traitor everyone's been talking about!" I swung and he dodged it easily, "H-how could you when we're fighting for a just cause!" it was my turn to dodge because he stabbed me with one of his swords, I dodged again when he slashed with the other one. I hit him with my bat, it got blocked. "We're supposed to free the Patriarch and reclaim our place as a rightful Sect! Don't you see that?!"

So the Sect that I'm helping did kidnap the guy who owned the blood moon sword after all. Wonder when he's gonna pop up? I thought briefly, my mind going out and imagining a deadly fight between two clan leaders. One weak, and the other strong. There's something wrong with the image I formed in my head and I frowned before I remembered the usual way fights like that usually go.

The Sect leader won't die, won't he?

I swung my bat in a crescent arc, it flew overhead of the bandit's skull. He swung at me with a Qi empowered sword in retaliation, "HA! TAKE THAT!" he yelled when I was forced to block with my bat because the edge was close to grazing my shoulder. The bandit swung with his other sword and I jumped away, "COWARD!"

I didn't reply and instead, charged at him. I was only a few steps into my run when I got stopped by a black clad figure landing violently in front of me, causing the stone path to get ruined and me to block the resulting debris with my hand.

I didn't even get to look at the newcomer when a sword is suddenly upon my throat.

By some luck, I reacted fast enough and I managed to block the attack with my bat. I pushed the sword sideways and moved forward, then, with the sword still locked underneath my bat, I pulled my fist back and punched the ninja in the chest. He took it in stride and gave me a kick that sent me flying back. He did what I've been doing all night and didn't even wait for me to recover before rushing me with his sword already raised.

I placed my bat above my head and blocked it. Chunks of ice flew from the exchange and I channeled Qi into my weapon.

The Ninja then did the same.