I woke up feeling better than I had any right to feel after nearly being murdered yesterday.
The bruises were gone. The internal pain had vanished. Even the exhaustion that had plagued me since the duel had completely disappeared. I sat up, stretching experimentally, and felt nothing but strength flowing through my limbs.
"Okay, I admit it," I said aloud. "Having an automated system that heals me while I sleep is pretty amazing."
[FLATTERY WILL GET YOU EVERYWHERE, BOSS.]
[AUTO-HEALING COMPLETE: 100%]
[BONUS: AUTO-CULTIVATION CONTINUED OVERNIGHT]
[CURRENT PROGRESS TO STAGE 5: 34%]
[AT CURRENT RATE: 4 DAYS UNTIL BREAKTHROUGH]
I paused. "Wait. Four days?"
[YEP! WHICH MEANS YOU'LL BREAK THROUGH RIGHT BEFORE THE INVASION!]
[PERFECT TIMING, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF.]
"That's... actually concerning," I muttered. "Breaking through right before a life-or-death situation sounds like a recipe for disaster."
[OR DRAMATIC POWER-UP MOMENT!]
[DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE.]
I was about to argue when someone pounded on my door, not knocked, 'pounded', hard enough that I heard the wood creak.
"Lin Tian! Open up!"
I recognized that voice. It was Chen Wu, one of the outer sect's senior disciples. Stage 7 cultivation, if I remembered correctly. What did he want with me?
[DETECTING: HOSTILE INTENT - MINIMAL]
[MOSTLY JUST ANNOYED]
[PROBABLY HERE TO YELL AT YOU ABOUT SOMETHING]
I opened the door to find Chen Wu glaring at me. He was tall, muscular, with a scar across his left eyebrow that made him look perpetually angry. Behind him stood two other disciples I didn't recognize.
"Chen Wu," I said carefully. "What can I—"
"Elder Hu wants all outer sect disciples at the main courtyard in one hour," Chen Wu interrupted. "Emergency assembly. No exceptions." His eyes narrowed. "That includes you, despite your recent... antics."
"Antics?"
"You nearly caused Zhang Wei to cripple himself permanently," Chen Wu said. "Now we're down a Stage 6 disciple right when we need every cultivator at full strength." He leaned in closer. "I don't know what's going on with your sudden advancement, Lin Tian, but you'd better not cause any more trouble. Understood?"
[HE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE INVASION]
[BUT HE KNOWS SOMETHING'S COMING]
[INTERESTING...]
"Understood," I said, keeping my voice neutral.
Chen Wu grunted and walked away with his two companions, already moving to the next room to deliver the same message.
I closed the door and leaned against it.
"Emergency assembly," I muttered. "This is about the invasion, isn't it?"
[PROBABLY. THOUGH THEY MIGHT NOT ANNOUNCE IT DIRECTLY.]
[SECTS LIKE TO KEEP DISCIPLES IN THE DARK UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT.]
[PREVENTS MASS PANIC AND DESERTION.]
"That's messed up."
[WELCOME TO CULTIVATION WORLD, BOSS.]
[WHERE HUMAN LIFE IS CHEAP AND FACE IS EVERYTHING.]
---
The main courtyard was packed with outer sect disciples by the time I arrived. There had to be at least three hundred people crammed into the space, all wearing various expressions of confusion, worry, or irritation at being summoned so early.
I spotted Yun Xia near the front and made my way toward her. She saw me coming and smiled in relief.
"Lin Tian! You look much better."
"That medicine you brought worked wonders," I said, which was technically true. "Do you know what this is about?"
She shook her head. "No one does. But the elders look serious. More serious than usual."
She was right. A platform had been erected at the front of the courtyard, and five elders stood on it, all wearing grave expressions. Elder Hu was among them, his arms crossed and his face carved from stone.
[ANALYZING ELDERS...]
[ELDER HU: CORE FORMATION STAGE 7]
[ELDER FENG: CORE FORMATION STAGE 5]
[ELDER CHEN: CORE FORMATION STAGE 6]
[ELDER LIU: CORE FORMATION STAGE 8]
[HEAD ELDER ZHANG: NASCENT SOUL STAGE 2]
[COMBINED POWER: FORMIDABLE, BUT...]
"But what?" I whispered.
[IF THE BLOOD MOON SECT BRINGS THEIR FULL FORCE, THIS WON'T BE ENOUGH.]
A chill ran down my spine. Head Elder Zhang stepped forward, and the courtyard fell silent immediately. He was an older man with white hair and a long beard, dressed in elaborate blue and gold robes that marked his status as the outer sect's leader.
"Disciples of Azure Peak," Head Elder Zhang began, his voice carrying easily across the courtyard through Qi amplification. "I have summoned you here to deliver important news."
The crowd leaned forward collectively.
"In three days' time, our sect will face a trial. Intelligence has reached us that the Blood Moon Sect is planning an... aggressive expansion into our territory."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some disciples looked confused. Others looked terrified. A few, the more experienced ones, looked resigned.
"Aggressive expansion?" someone near me whispered. "That's just fancy talk for invasion."
[CORRECT. THEY'RE SUGAR-COATING IT.]
[CLASSIC SECT LEADERSHIP MOVE.]
"The Sect Master and inner sect elders are already preparing defenses," Head Elder Zhang continued. "However, we will need every disciple to contribute. The outer sect will be mobilized to support defensive operations."
"Support operations?" Yun Xia whispered beside me. "That means..."
"Cannon fodder," I finished quietly. "We're going to be placed on the front lines."
Her face went pale.
Elder Hu stepped forward. "All disciples Stage 4 and above will be assigned to combat teams. Stages 1 through 3 will assist with logistics, medical support, and evacuation protocols." His eyes swept across the crowd, lingering briefly on me. "This is not optional. This is your duty as disciples of Azure Peak Sect."
[WELL, THERE IT IS.]
[YOU'RE OFFICIALLY BEING DRAFTED INTO WAR.]
[CONGRATULATIONS?]
"Those who distinguish themselves in the coming battle will be rewarded handsomely," Head Elder Zhang added. "Contribution points, cultivation resources, even potential promotion to inner sect status. The sect rewards courage and strength."
He was dangling carrots to keep people motivated. Smart, if a bit manipulative.
"You have three days to prepare," Head Elder Zhang concluded. "Train hard. Check your equipment. Make peace with whatever you need to make peace with. Dismissed."
The assembly broke up slowly, disciples clustering in groups to discuss what they'd just heard. The atmosphere had shifted from confused to anxious. Some people were already heading toward the training grounds. Others looked like they wanted to run.
Yun Xia turned to me, her eyes wide. "Lin Tian, this is serious. The Blood Moon Sect... they're one of the demonic sects. They don't take prisoners. They kill everyone and absorb their Qi for cultivation."
[SHE'S NOT WRONG.]
[BLOOD MOON SECT PRACTICES: EXTREMELY BRUTAL]
[SURVIVAL RATE FOR DEFENDING DISCIPLES: HISTORICALLY AROUND 30%]
Thirty percent. Those were terrible odds.
"We'll survive," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "We just need to prepare properly."
"How?" Yun Xia asked. "Three days isn't enough time to—"
"Then we make the most of what we have," I interrupted. "What's your cultivation stage right now?"
"Stage 4. Same as you."
"Good. We train together. Pool our knowledge. Watch each other's backs when the fighting starts." I looked at her seriously. "I'm not planning to die here, Yun Xia. And I'm not letting you die either."
She stared at me for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay. Together, then."
[HEROINE FLAG +2]
[PARTNERSHIP ESTABLISHED]
[SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: UPDATED TO 47%]
'Only forty-seven percent?'
[YOU'RE STILL BOTH STAGE 4 CULTIVATORS FACING AN ARMY OF DEMONIC CULTIVATORS.]
[BE REALISTIC, BOSS.]
---
The next few hours were a blur of activity. The sect's training grounds became packed with disciples desperately trying to improve their skills before the invasion. The weapons hall distributed basic weapons, swords, spears, shields, to anyone who needed them.
Yun Xia and I found a relatively quiet corner of the training grounds to practice. She demonstrated her technique, Flowing Water Palm, a defensive martial art focused on redirecting attacks. It was elegant and efficient, perfect for her style.
"Your turn," she said. "Show me what you know."
I hesitated. "I... don't actually have a martial technique."
She blinked. "What? How have you been fighting?"
[GOOD QUESTION. WHAT SHOULD I TELL HER?]
[THE TRUTH? THAT I'VE BEEN LETTING AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM PUPPET MY BODY?]
[PROBABLY NOT IDEAL.]
"I've been... improvising," I said. "Relying on instinct and Qi reinforcement."
"Improvising?" Yun Xia looked horrified. "Lin Tian, that's incredibly dangerous! Without a proper technique, your Qi circulation is inefficient and your movements waste energy. You need structure!"
"I know, I know," I said quickly. "Do you know any techniques I could learn? Quickly?"
She thought for a moment. "The sect library has basic techniques available to all disciples. We could—"
"Library. Perfect." I grabbed her hand without thinking. "Let's go."
[SMOOTH, BOSS. VERY SMOOTH.]
[HAND-HOLDING INITIATED.]
[YUN XIA'S HEART RATE: ELEVATED]
I realized what I'd done and quickly let go. "Sorry, I just—"
"It's fine," Yun Xia said quickly, her cheeks slightly pink. "Come on. The library closes at sunset."
---
The outer sect library was a surprisingly large building, three stories tall and filled with countless scrolls and jade slips. An elderly librarian sat at the entrance, barely glancing at us as we entered.
"Basic technique section is on the first floor," Yun Xia said, leading me through rows of shelves. "You'll want something that complements your style. Since you have strong Qi reserves, maybe something that focuses on overwhelming offense?"
[ACTUALLY, BOSS...]
[I HAVE A BETTER IDEA.]
"What kind of idea?" I whispered.
[FIND ME A TECHNIQUE MANUAL, ANY TECHNIQUE MANUAL.]
[I'LL ANALYZE IT, BREAK IT DOWN, AND SYNTHESIZE SOMETHING CUSTOM FOR YOU.]
[THINK OF IT AS... TECHNIQUE HACKING.]
'You can also do that?'
[I'M AN AUTOMATED CULTIVATION SYSTEM.]
[I CAN DO LOTS OF THINGS.]
[MOSTLY THINGS THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED CHEATING.]
"Here," Yun Xia said, pulling out several jade slips. "These are all basic techniques suitable for Stage 4 cultivators. Iron Body Fist, Lightning Step, Whirlwind Blade..." She paused. "Actually, this one might be perfect for you. Tyrant's Advance, it's an aggressive style that uses overwhelming Qi to break through enemy defenses."
[PERFECT. HAND IT OVER.]
I took the jade slip and pressed it to my forehead, the traditional way to read cultivation knowledge. Information flooded into my mind, stances, movements, Qi circulation patterns...
[ANALYZING: TYRANT'S ADVANCE]
[COMPREHENSION: 100%]
[BEGINNING SYNTHESIS...]
[ESTIMATED TIME: 6 HOURS]
[I'LL HAVE A CUSTOM TECHNIQUE READY BY TONIGHT.]
"Got it," I said, handing the jade slip back.
Yun Xia looked surprised. "Already? Most people need days to memorize a technique."
"I'm a fast learner?" I offered weakly.
[OR YOU HAVE A CHEAT SYSTEM.]
[SAME DIFFERENCE.]
We spent the rest of the afternoon in the library, with Yun Xia helping me understand Qi circulation theory while ACS worked in the background synthesizing my custom technique. By the time the sun began to set, I actually felt like I understood more about cultivation than I had since arriving in this world.
"We should head back," Yun Xia said, glancing at the darkening windows. "Tomorrow, we train properly. With only two days left before the invasion, every hour counts."
"Agreed," I said.
As we left the library together, I couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. Three days until the Blood Moon Sect arrived. Three days to get strong enough to survive.
[CUSTOM TECHNIQUE SYNTHESIS: 73% COMPLETE]
[YOU'LL HAVE IT BY MORNING, BOSS.]
[THEN THE REAL TRAINING BEGINS.]
I looked up at the sky, where dark clouds were gathering in the distance. Storm clouds, maybe. Or just my imagination seeing omens everywhere.
Either way, time was running out.
And I still wasn't strong enough.
---
[TIME UNTIL INVASION: 3 DAYS, 2 HOURS, 17 MINUTES]
[CULTIVATION PROGRESS: 34% TO STAGE 5]
[SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 47%]
[RECOMMENDATION: SLEEP, TRAIN, REPEAT]
[AND MAYBE SAY GOODBYE TO PEOPLE, JUST IN CASE.]
[YOU KNOW. MORBID BUT PRACTICAL.]