17: My friend Fatty Wang

Ten days had passed since the announcement of the Minor Competition within the Sect.

The panic and anxiety brought about by the “expulsion of one hundred people” did not diminish with time; instead, it intensified and became more pungent, like a sealed and fermented strong liquor.

The entire Outer Sect had completely transformed into a high-pressure crucible.

Everyone was thrown into this crucible, scorched by the flames of “survival,” frantically squeezing every bit of potential from their bodies.

The former infighting, schemes, and factionalism were temporarily put aside in the face of an absolute survival crisis. Everyone became each other’s enemy. Old friends now only nodded warily when they met, then hurried past each other, afraid the other might discern their true capabilities.

Amidst this frenzy that was almost driving people mad, Lin Ye remained the most unique existence.

He still maintained his unshakeable routine: chopping firewood, carrying water, eating, and sleeping. His calm, almost numb demeanor made him seem like a fallen leaf in the eye of a storm, appearing so out of place, yet so… perplexing.

This evening, Lin Ye had just finished his day’s chores and was sitting in his familiar corner of the dining hall, bowl in hand, slowly eating his dinner.

His meal was still that bland, watery soup. But his heart was incredibly full.

Deep in his consciousness, the data on the System panel was undergoing rapid, day-to-day changes.

【Task One: Iron Sand Palm (Minor Achievement). Current Proficiency: 150 / 500.】

【Task Two: Golden Bell Shield (Not Yet Initiated). Current Proficiency: 40 / 100.】

Ten days, a full ten nights of dual AFK Cultivation, had brought about another leap in his strength. The Iron Sand Palm was a big step closer to Major Achievement, and the Golden Bell Shield was about to be initiated! He could clearly feel that a tough, thin membrane seemed to have appeared under his skin, and his Qi and blood were much more vigorous than before.

Just as he was immersed in the joy of this secret strengthening, a series of hurried footsteps, like a rolling gourd, came from afar and finally stopped in front of him.

“Lin… Lin Ye! My good brother! I finally… I finally found you!”

A crying, breathless voice rang out.

Lin Ye looked up, and what greeted his eyes was a round, plump face, now flushed red from anxiety and running.

The person’s name was Wang Defa, but because of his physique, everyone called him Fatty Wang.

Fatty Wang was one of the few friends Lin Ye could talk to in this cold Outer Sect. He entered the Sect around the same time as Lin Ye, had equally mediocre Aptitude, but his personality was completely opposite. He was naturally optimistic, a bit of a chatterbox, and often suffered losses in the past due to his inability to control his mouth. Lin Ye had once inadvertently helped him out of a predicament, and they had formed a decent friendship since then.

But at this moment, this naturally optimistic Fatty had a look of doomsday panic on his face.

He braced his hands on his knees, panting heavily like a plump wild boar chased for eight hundred li, beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his chubby cheeks, creating wet spots on the ground in front of him.

“What’s wrong, Fatty? Has the sky fallen?” Lin Ye put down his bowl and chopsticks and asked calmly.

“The sky… isn’t the sky about to fall!” Fatty Wang finally caught his breath and plopped down on the long bench opposite Lin Ye, causing the entire bench to groan under the strain.

He grabbed Lin Ye’s arm and shook it hard, almost spilling the thin porridge from Lin Ye’s bowl.

“My dear brother! What time is it, and you… how can you still eat!” Fatty Wang’s voice was full of the meaning of ‘disappointed in someone who doesn’t live up to expectations.’ “Don’t you know, it’s all over the Outer Sect, saying that you, Lin Ye, have given up completely and are just letting things go!”

Lin Ye heard this and merely smiled faintly: “Eating gives me the strength to Cultivate, doesn’t it?”

“Cultivate? You call this Cultivating?” Fatty Wang instantly jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He pointed at Lin Ye, then pointed outside, spitting as he spoke: “Look outside! Li Ergou only sleeps one hour a day to squeeze out more time, his eyes are redder than a rabbit’s! Zhang San pawned his ancestral dagger to buy the lowest quality Qi Condensation Grass! Even that bastard Zhao Tian has been practically living in the testing ground these past few days, like he’s gone mad! The entire Outer Sect, besides you, who else is as leisurely as you?”

As he spoke, his tone softened again, and a look of genuine worry appeared on his face.

“Lin Ye, I know that what happened between you and Zhao Tian last time made you feel wronged and upset. But… but you can’t just give up like this! That guy is a mad dog, the more you act like this, the more triumphant he’ll be! Can’t we… can’t we fight for it?”

Fatty Wang paced anxiously in circles, like an ant on a hot pan.

He fumbled in his embrace for a long time, pulling out a small, oil-paper-wrapped package. He carefully opened it; inside was a dark, dried Yao Beast meat, emitting a faint meaty aroma.

“This… this is for you!” He shoved the dried meat into Lin Ye’s hand, his face showing a pained yet resolute expression, “This is my treasure that I’ve saved for several months, preparing to break through to the second level of the Qi Refinement Stage! You… you take it and eat it! Eat it to replenish your Qi and blood, and at night… don’t sleep tonight! Like me, go find a place in the back mountain and properly seclude yourself for Cultivation! Every little bit of improvement helps!”

Looking at the dried meat in his hand, still warm from Fatty Wang’s body, and then at his friend’s anxious face, which looked somewhat comical due to its sincerity, a warm current flowed through Lin Ye’s heart.

He knew that in this time when everyone was in danger and regarded each other as enemies, it took immense courage and friendship to offer one’s most precious possession to help a friend.

This favor was heavy.

Lin Ye did not refuse. He silently put away the dried meat, then looked up at Fatty Wang, a reassuring smile on his face.

“Fatty, thank you.” His voice was soft, yet unusually steady, “But, seclusion is not suitable for me.”

“Not suitable for you? The house is on fire, what’s suitable or not suitable!” Fatty Wang stomped his foot in agitation.

“I have my own way of Cultivating.” Lin Ye looked into his friend’s eyes and said earnestly, “Don’t worry, I won’t be expelled in the Minor Competition a month from now.”

His gaze was so calm, so confident.

It was a kind of inner strength, emanating outwards, enough to soothe people’s hearts.

Fatty Wang was stunned by his appearance. He opened his mouth, and the large pile of persuasive words he had prepared suddenly got stuck in his throat; he couldn’t utter a single word.

The Lin Ye in front of him seemed… different from before.

Although he was still as thin as ever, the numbness and despair of the past were gone from his eyes, replaced by a deep composure that Fatty Wang couldn’t understand.

“You… you kid, you weren’t stimulated into madness, were you?” Fatty Wang scratched his chubby back of the head and asked uncertainly.

Lin Ye was amused by him. He shook his head: “I am perfectly clear-headed. Instead of worrying about me, you should think about yourself. Your Cultivation is also on the danger list.”

“Oh my! I almost forgot if you hadn’t mentioned it!” As soon as he mentioned himself, Fatty Wang’s face instantly fell again, “I… I’m going to Cultivate right now! You… you take care of yourself! Anyway, I’ve given you the dried meat. If you don’t work hard and get expelled, don’t blame me for not warning you!”

He dropped these words, no longer lingered, turned, and ran like a gust of wind towards the direction of the mountain exit, muttering to himself: “It’s over, it’s over, I’ve wasted another stick of incense time, my heavens…”

Watching his plump yet energetic retreating figure, Lin Ye’s smile grew even warmer.

In this cold and cruel world of Cultivation, to have such a pure friendship was truly precious.

This also added another layer of meaning to his determination to become stronger.

He looked down at the half-bowl of thin porridge remaining in his bowl, then drank it all in one gulp.

“Don’t worry, Fatty.”