8: Chapter 8: Crash Course in Seal Liberation

After the sound of hooves had completely faded, only the craters from the rolling stones remained at the valley entrance.

Sect Master Di Kun stood before the mountain gate, the edges of his shoes stained with the bloody mud left behind by the Red Snake Sect Cultivator. He pressed his fingers against a wooden post that had been knocked askew; the post shifted inward by half an inch, and the thin soil of the first layer of the pit trap had also collapsed in three places.

"Repair."

He spat out the single word. The Tower Defense Youth already came running with a wooden hammer in hand, the Dark Souls Youth dragged up the collapsed barricade, the Life-Skill Player swept the broken pottery shards aside, and the Chuunibyou Youth raised his wooden sword, intending to deliver a post-battle declaration, but after one sweep of Sect Master Di Kun's gaze, he immediately shut his mouth.

The Sect Protection Elder remained standing where he was, a clump of mud falling from his shovel with a soft plop.

"Sect Master, the Red Snake Sect has suffered a loss; they will not just swallow this."

"I didn't expect them to," Sect Master Di Kun replied. He crouched down, scraping away the soil at the edge of the pit trap to inspect the sharpened stakes inside. "They sent three people today, bringing only their mouths and eyes. The next group to come will bring blades."

The Sect Protection Elder's keys clattered together, emitting a sharp, short sound.

Sect Master Di Kun pulled out a broken snare, a strand of reddish-brown fabric still caught on the barbed wire. He rubbed the fabric between his fingertips, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the mountain gate, the mountain wall, and the Martial Arts Arena.

The mechanisms could make the Red Snake Sect look disheveled, but they couldn't stop a real extermination squad.

No matter how much the five Blue Star Disciples struggled, their Physical Bodies were still too weak. If that Red Snake Sect Cultivator just now hadn't underestimated his opponent, the Dark Souls Youth would have broken at least two bones. If they kept fighting, the useless crossbows and rolling stones would be exposed even more, and the Taichu Sect would only be understood more thoroughly by the enemy.

The back of Sect Master Di Kun's right hand grew slightly warm.

Translucent text, visible only to him, unfurled at the edge of his vision, as fine as ripples on water.

Sect Contribution Panel, initial permissions unlocked.

Disciples can earn contributions through gathering, repairing, training, combat, and patrolling; contributions can be exchanged for Basic Healing Ointment, low-grade Spirit Stone rations, duration of Qi refining guidance, and priority for Sect tasks.

The light in Sect Master Di Kun's eyes flickered slightly.

Just in time.

He looked up at the five Disciples: "From now on, all work in the Taichu Sect will count toward contributions. Moving stones, repairing walls, gathering herbs, patrolling the mountains, training, and combat—everything will be recorded. Contributions are not just for show; they can be exchanged for Spirit Stones, medicine, guidance on Cultivation Techniques, and the chance for you to survive the next time."

The Speedrun Youth immediately raised his hand: "Sect Master, can we set the schedule into a fixed loop? Otherwise, the efficiency is too low."

The Tower Defense Youth added: "Don't fill it up yet; we need to unify the map numbering. The valley entrance is Zone 1, the mountain gate is Zone 2, the crossbow positions on the mountain wall are Zone 3, the rolling stone chute is Zone 4, and we need at least three retreat lines."

The Life-Skill Player held half a pottery jar: "I need a list of Materials. The smoke bombs were usable earlier, but the smell was too pungent, and it affected our own people too. Don't throw away any Demon Rat pelts, Split-Tooth Wolf fat, or poisonous plant roots."

The Dark Souls Youth hoisted the broken barricade onto his shoulder: "I'll teach them how to dodge. Don't think about killing others; think about not getting killed first."

The Chuunibyou Youth pressed his hand against the cloth strip on his right arm, his expression as serious as if he were officiating a sacrificial ceremony: "Then, the Basic Qi Refining Technique initiation—leave that to me."

The muscles on the Sect Protection Elder's face twitched.

"You?" his voice rose. "The Basic Qi Refining Technique is the orthodox method of the Sect, not something for you to make up like some play script!"

The Chuunibyou Youth stuck his wooden sword into the ground, pressed his right hand to his chest, and pointed his left hand toward the cracked stone stele in the center of the abandoned Martial Arts Arena.

"Elder, this method is not called making things up; it's called memory reinforcement. Mortals fear monotony; only rituals can awaken the Soul."

The Sect Protection Elder raised his shovel and looked at Sect Master Di Kun.

Sect Master Di Kun rubbed his brow: "Let him speak. If he gets a single Qi circulation node wrong, you hit him with the shovel."

The Chuunibyou Youth immediately stood in the center of the Martial Arts Arena, tightened the cloth strip on his right arm, and, facing the lingering smell of smoke, lowered his voice until it was deep and heavy.

"Everyone, close your eyes and feel the Gate of the Seal three inches below your Dantian. Qi enters through the nose, passes through the Danzhong, sinks into the Guanyuan, and circles below the navel. Do not let Mortal distractions pollute your first wisp of Spiritual Qi flow."

The Sect Protection Elder's face had already gone dark.

The Chuunibyou Youth, however, spoke more and more fluently. He used charcoal to draw the Qi circulation route on the stone slab, renaming the Meridians nodes into "First Seal Ring," "Second Shackle Point," and "Counter-flow Warning Line." The originally obscure incantation was broken down by him into segments of rhythmic, distinct commands.

"Inhaling is not just inhaling; it is borrowing the key of heaven and earth. Exhaling is not just exhaling; it is purging the Mortal dust from your waste blood. Do you feel that heat inside your body? That is not just Spiritual Qi; it is the proof of you breaking free from mediocrity!"

The Sect Protection Elder supported himself with one hand on a broken pillar nearby, nearly gouging a piece off it.

Sect Master Di Kun stood in the shadows, watching the other Disciples sit cross-legged. The Life-Skill Player was the first to frown, her fingers tapping lightly on her abdomen twice; the Tower Defense Youth was still marking routes with charcoal while his eyes were closed, but the charcoal stick suddenly stopped; the Dark Souls Youth's back was straight, his breathing rhythm changed, and the wood shavings in his palm were blown away by a small current of Qi; the Speedrun Youth was silently counting nodes in his mouth, sweat beading on his forehead.

It was not Foundation Establishment.

It was still far from being a true initiation.

But they were indeed remembering, indeed trying, and indeed breaking down the monotonous Qi circulation route into executable processes.

The Sect Protection Elder slowly put down his shovel, walked behind a Disciple, and pressed his fingers against the Disciple's back. A moment later, he retracted his hand as if he had been burned.

"They actually got it right?"

The Chuunibyou Youth lifted his chin: "The Seal will not deceive those who respond to it."

The Sect Protection Elder's shovel raised.

The Chuunibyou Youth immediately added: "And neither will the orthodox method of the Sect."

Sect Master Di Kun pressed his lips together, turned, and walked toward the broken stone steps in front of the Founders Hall. He opened the panel only he could see, cast the Spirit Gathering Array repair kit obtained from today's check-in into the array eye, and then set aside a small bag of Spirit Stones for the Sect Protection Elder to repair the residual array beneath the Martial Arts Arena.

"There aren't many Spirit Stones," the Sect Protection Elder said, taking the bag and weighing it in his hand. "Repairing the array, practicing Qi, and healing will all drain them."

"If they run out, we'll rob more," Sect Master Di Kun said, looking down the mountain. "First, we must stockpile the capital to survive until tomorrow."

The Sect Protection Elder did not try to persuade him further. He carried the bag of Spirit Stones toward the eastern corner of the Martial Arts Arena, where half of a Formation Plate was buried in the ground. The key ring hung at his waist, clinking softly with his steps; this time, the sound was much steadier.

The day was broken into several segments.

Morning: Qi refining.

The Chuunibyou Youth repeatedly shouted commands on the Martial Arts Arena, while the Sect Protection Elder stood guard nearby to correct the Meridian pathways, his shovel standing by his side; whoever let their Qi flow incorrectly would be tapped on the shoulder with the shovel handle.

Afternoon: Map testing.

The Tower Defense Youth used charcoal to divide the entire mountain gate into seventeen zones, even marking the landing point of every rolling stone with an 'X'. He required everyone to memorize the retreat lines, and whoever answered incorrectly had to go move stones to reinforce the barricades.

"If Zone 2 is lost, where do you retreat to?"

"Behind the White Stone Line."

"What if the crossbow position in Zone 3 misfires?"

"Signal with a red cloth, shift to the Zone 4 rolling stone chute, and don't stand at the bottom of the slope."

"If smoke rises, where do you run?"

"Against the wind, stay low, cover your mouth and nose, and don't curse your teammates."

When Sect Master Di Kun passed by, the Tower Defense Youth was carving the four characters for "Don't curse your teammates" into a wooden board, carving them even deeper than the retreat lines.

Evening: Combat practice.

The Dark Souls Youth held a wooden sword, forcing everyone to practice observation, maintaining distance, dodging, and counterattacking. His strikes were not heavy, but they were accurate. The Life-Skill Player was struck on the wrist three times before finally learning to look at the shoulder before looking at the sword; the Chuunibyou Youth was tripped five times, and on the sixth time, he rolled and stood up, slapping the cloth strip across the Dark Souls Youth's face.

"You count that as a combat special effect," the Dark Souls Youth said, expressionlessly brushing the cloth strip aside.

"This is the manifestation of the Seal," the Chuunibyou Youth said, standing up while clutching his knee.

"Manifest it one more time, and I'll classify your right arm as a terrain obstacle."

When night fell, the Life-Skill Player had set up a row of earthenware jars next to the kitchen. Demon Rat bones were crushed, Split-Tooth Wolf fat was melted in a small pot, and poisonous plant roots were ground into powder and stored separately from the kerosene. Using an old manual to cross-reference the rough hints provided by the System's auxiliary panel, she managed to cobble together three jars of low-grade healing ointment, six packs of beast-attraction powder, and eight kerosene packets.

The smell was very pungent.

The entire mountain gate seemed to have been pickled in herbs, animal fat, and soot.

The Speedrun Youth wrote the day's schedule on a wooden board and hung it at the entrance to the Martial Arts Arena.

Morning: Qi refining; Afternoon: Map testing; Evening: Combat practice; Night: Review; Rotation: Mountain patrol.

He stared at the wooden board for a long time, then added a line at the very bottom.

Sleep in shifts; collective disconnection is not allowed.

Sect Master Di Kun walked to the wooden board and tapped his knuckles against that line of text.

"What does 'disconnection' mean?"

The Speedrun Youth paused for a moment, then immediately corrected himself: "Mental fatigue."

Sect Master Di Kun gave him a look but did not press further.

At midnight, the residual Spirit Gathering Array plate had been repaired by thirty percent. Faint Spiritual mist emerged from the cracks in the Martial Arts Arena stones and spread across the ground. The five Disciples sat cross-legged in the middle of it, their auras unstable, yet all of them had condensed a faint stream of heat in their Dantian.

The Sect Protection Elder stood by the Formation Plate, holding a used-up Spirit Stone. The surface of the Spirit Stone was grey, cracked, and powder leaked from between his fingers. He looked at the five Disciples; the anger from the daytime was gone from his face, replaced only by a suppressed astonishment.

"Sect Master, they are not Geniuses," he said, his voice lowering. "Even Geniuses wouldn't learn things this way."

Sect Master Di Kun withdrew his gaze from the Disciples. "As long as it works, that's enough."

The Sect Protection Elder turned to look at him; the key ring hanging at his waist did not make a sound.

Suddenly, a wolf howl came from outside the mountain.

The first sound was very distant, as if it were squeezed out from the depths of the Black Mist Demon Ridge. Immediately after, the second and third sounds followed in succession, so dense it was as if someone were beating beast bones behind the mountain ridge. The Disciples on the Martial Arts Arena opened their eyes one after another, and the flames in the fire basin were pressed low by the night wind.

The patrolling Disciple came running from the direction of the valley entrance, his shoe soles covered in wet mud, his face pale.

"Sect Master, there is black mist rolling out from the side of the Demon Ridge. It's not just one or two; the forest at the foot of the mountain is moving."

Sect Master Di Kun raised his hand to catch a black withered leaf blown by the wind. The surface of the leaf was damp, its edges stained with the stench of beasts, and it was still trembling gently when it landed in his palm.