ALL NOVEL To Survive and Grow Together
Zhao Yunxiao split up with Gu Qiansi and Lu Zhiying after leaving the Outer Disciples Hall.
While the latter two returned to their residence, Zhao Yunxiao headed for the Monolith Square which, according to Qi Jiesheng, was not far from the Outer Disciples Hall.
And Qi Jiesheng was right.
To make it convenient for everyone, the Monolith Square had been set up just about ten minutes’ walk away from the Outer Disciples Hall.
It was a spot that used to be an empty patch of grassland, but it looked completely different now.
Even from afar, Zhao Yunxiao noticed an enormous stone monolith that towered over everything in the vicinity.
Standing at least twenty storeys high, the stone monolith was bound to become a landmark of this area in the future. Its surface was smooth on three sides, with only one side engraved with runes all the way from top to bottom.
Yet despite its size, it was not difficult for the sect administrators to plant such a structure here overnight.
However, Zhao Yunxiao could not help but wonder about the use of the stone monolith.
From what he knew of the sect administrators, it was unlikely that they would go to such lengths for no good reason.
As Zhao Yunxiao got nearer, he could see that facing this engraved side of the stone monolith was a huge open area, with seats erected to form a semicircle in front of the monolith. It was like a theatre of sorts, with the stone monolith being the sole point of attention.
Both the ground and the seats were covered in tiles that bore a similar texture to that of the stone monolith, giving the entire place a feeling of congruence.
Behind the monolith remained the same open grassland, untouched since before the development of the Monolith Square.
“Junior Martial Brother Zhao?” Liang Wenshao raised an eyebrow when he noticed Zhao Yunxiao. “Aren’t you quite the busy man? How did you find time out of your busy schedule to visit us today?”
It was obvious that he was unhappy about how Zhao Yunxiao had taken the past few days off, while the rest of them were slogging away to complete the arrangements here.
“Haha, you sure love to jest, Senior Martial Brother Liang,” Zhao Yunxiao ran up to greet him. “I’ve only just heard that there has been a change in the location of the monthly cultivation lecture, so I immediately rushed over to see if there is anywhere I could help!”
“Don’t think I don’t know that you are trying to claim credit just so that you can reap the benefits tomorrow,” Liang Wenshao rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, I will let you and your two pretty companions enter ahead of the others. Anything else?”
“Senior Martial Brother Liang is all-knowing. It really is impossible to hide anything from you!” Zhao Yunxiao scratched his cheek in embarrassment. “Still, I will feel bad to only receive benefits without giving. Why don’t I help out a little too?”
“What do you want to help with? Can’t you tell that things are mostly done by now?” Liang Wenshao scoffed. “All that’s left is to perform a last round of checks before the lecture tomorrow.”
“Isn’t that better? I can just pretend a little. That will make it easier for you to justify saving those seats for me tomorrow as well, won’t it?” Zhao Yunxiao replied.
Everyone knew that Liang Wenshao liked to feel important.
But at the same time, Zhao Yunxiao knew that Liang Wenshao also loved to be seen as someone who would reward his followers.
And Zhao Yunxiao’s suggestion would allow everyone to see just that – that it was worth being close to Liang Wenshao.
In fact, Zhao Yunxiao was only asking for the sake of it.
He knew that Liang Wenshao would agree to it for sure!
“You shameless brat,” Liang Wenshao remarked before pushing a scroll into Zhao Yunxiao’s hands. “Fine, go complete this check at the left end of the square. Make your presence felt.”
“Thank you, Senior Martial Brother Liang!” Zhao Yunxiao clasped his fists before getting right to work.
The scroll that Liang Wenshao handed him contained the blueprint for the setup required. With Zhao Yunxiao’s experience in such things, it did not take long before he understood the task at hand.
At the same time, he also gained a deeper understanding of the Monolith Square as a whole after examining the blueprint.
The area in front of the stone monolith might look rather plain apart from being carved into steps, but there was actually a grand array that had already been setup beforehand, just that it was well concealed underground.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the stone monolith acted as the foundation of the entire location, acting as a core node for the grand array.
Zhao Yunxiao’s task was to test that the flow of energy within the grand array had not been disrupted – a relatively easy task considering his experience in the field of arrays.
Even then, Zhao Yunxiao made sure not to complete his task too quickly. Instead, he took his time with it, making sure to socialise in the meantime to let everyone realise that he was there helping out with the work as well.
It was only when everyone was dismissed that he finally left the Monolith Square, heading for the Lightwind Pavilion to have dinner – his first meal after returning to the sect grounds.
By then, Gu Qiansi and Lu Zhiying had already started on their dinner, freshly prepared by Gu Qiansi.
They were not the only ones there, either.
“Junior Martial Brother Zhao!” Nie Hanchang stood up upon noticing Zhao Yunxiao’s arrival.
“You are here as well, Senior Martial Brother Nie?” Zhao Yunxiao waved casually. “Smells good! Save me some of that too!”
However, Nie Hanchang immediately stood in front of Zhao Yunxiao to block his way.
“What were you thinking, Junior Martial Brother Zhao?” Nie Hanchang questioned in a solemn manner. “How could you have done something this dangerous by yourselves?”
“Hmm?” Zhao Yunxiao blinked blankly before glancing over at Gu Qiansi for clues.
“We told Senior Martial Brother Nie about the encounter with the members of the Vermilion Bird Sect,” Gu Qiansi said with an awkward smile.
“So, that’s why...” Zhao Yunxiao nodded in understanding. “You weren’t there at the time, so you might not understand how things went, Senior Martial Brother Nie. However, it was the members of the Vermilion Bird Sect who started it. It’s not like we went to taunt them or anything like that.”
“You’re right. However, why was I not there with you at the time?” Nie Hanchang questioned.
Zhao Yunxiao: “???”
What was he saying?
“Next time you do anything dangerous like that, make sure to include me as well!” Nie Hanchang continued. “Don’t worry about the rewards. In fact, I don’t need to receive any part of the rewards. Just make sure that you ask me along so that I can be there to help you out in times of need as well!”
“I appreciate your kind intentions,” Zhao Yunxiao finally understood that Nie Hanchang was just genuinely worried about their safety. “However, how can we ask you to come along with us without giving you a share of the rewards? That will be too selfish of us.”
He knew that Nie Hanchang had been undergoing intense training after obtaining the Grand Annihilator, and things had been progressing really smoothly for him as well.
How could he disrupt Nie Hanchang’s rise in the ranks just because he was afraid of potential dangers?
Wouldn’t he just be a burden to the latter in that case? That was something that he absolutely hated the most!
And rationally speaking, would Nie Hanchang even be able to do anything in that situation?
After all, there was no way that he would be a match for Quan Hui, a core disciple of the Vermilion Bird Sect.
His presence there would only mean that there would be one extra casualty!
“I have yet to repay my debt to you. If something were to happen to you before that, do you think that I will still be able to focus on my training in the future?” Nie Hanchang said.
“Is it just me, or does this sound like a conversation between lovers?” Gu Qiansi felt the corner of her lips twitch.
“Shh! Don’t interrupt, Senior Martial Sister Gu!” Lu Zhiying hushed. “I still want to keep watching the show!”
Zhao Yunxiao: “...”
Nie Hanchang: “...”
We can hear you!
“Ahem!” Zhao Yunxiao tidied his robes. “Since you have kindly offered, I will let you know next time we go on a mission. However, we will definitely have to share the overall rewards. On top of that, please don’t disrupt your own training just to accommodate us.”
“Don’t worry, I know what is considered appropriate and what is not,” Nie Hanchang answered. “Honestly, all I wish is for us to survive and grow together in this harsh cultivation world. Of course, it will be good if we can all grow as quickly as possible. But if it means that some of us might have to risk falling for the others to advance at a faster pace, then that is definitely not the kind of growth that I am looking for.”
Zhao Yunxiao looked at him in surprise.
From what he just said, it did not seem like Nie Hanchang was simply concerned about repaying his debt for forging the Grand Annihilator, but was genuinely concerned about their well-being instead.
They had always known of each other’s existence in the sect all these years, but it was not until the end of last year that they started interacting more.
Did that mean that just from spending time together during this short period of a month or so, Nie Hanchang had already considered them to be important companions on his cultivation path?
How soft!
That was definitely not the mentality that someone who was on a meteoric rise within the sect should have!
After all, there were countless who would fall on the path of cultivation. It would be never ending if one had to halt their steps every time they were worried about those around them!
However, that was only when one thought about it rationally.
Sentimentally speaking, Zhao Yunxiao could not help but feel glad that he was being considered an important companion as well.
Even though he could not enjoy such great fortunes himself, once Nie Hanchang grew to become an established cultivator in the future, Zhao Yunxiao could at least take pride in having played a small part in the journey of such an individual.
And that was the case with Lu Zhiying as well!
“Senior Martial Brother Nie is right. Let’s survive and grow together!” Lu Zhiying repeated in agreement.
“That’s right, let’s do just that,” Zhao Yunxiao nodded with a smile.
Upon seeing that, Gu Qiansi could not help but let out a smile as well.
Since the trio were still nursing injuries from their encounter with the members of the Vermilion Bird Sect, they did not stay out for too long.
In fact, to ensure that there would not be any lasting injuries, they even made plans to visit the Medicine Pavilion the next day, where Zhao Yunxiao would try to help them get a discount for their treatment.
Back in his residence, Zhao Yunxiao decided to temporarily put aside the tasks that he had at hand.
There was plenty of work to do after every mission, with equipment maintenance comprising the bulk of it.
But since the monthly cultivation lecture was just tomorrow, Zhao Yunxiao wanted to keep himself in good condition instead of tiring himself out with all the mundane tasks.
After washing up, Zhao Yunxiao lit an incense and popped a Winterwarmth Pill before sitting cross legged on his bed, allowing himself to enter a state of deep meditation.
The night passed uneventfully.
And with the arrival of dawn, the outer disciples of the Black Tortoise Sect woke up far earlier than usual.
Even though it had already been announced that the venue of the monthly cultivation lecture had been changed to accommodate the attendance of all outer disciples, nobody wanted to take their chances.
After all, the monthly cultivation lecture was far too important, especially to outer disciples like them, who hardly had any other opportunities to learn directly from the sect elders.
Who knew if the new venue would really be able to accommodate everyone?
Since this was their first time gathering at the Monolith Square, it was better to be safe than sorry.
In the case where the Monolith Square failed to accommodate everyone, nobody wanted to be one of the suckers who blindly believed that there would surely be a seat for them, only to arrive late and end up being unable to enter!
Zhao Yunxiao’s group shared those sentiments as well, though they were not as worried thanks to their connections.
After meeting up with the rest for breakfast at the Lightwind Pavilion, Zhao Yunxiao promptly left for the Monolith Square with Gu Qiansi, Lu Zhiying, and Nie Hanchang in tow.
Even though the Monolith Square was built to accommodate everyone, disciples still had to queue up for registration before entering in an orderly manner.
And this line to enter was already rather long by the time Zhao Yunxiao’s group arrived.
As always, Lu Zhiying’s arrival instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
But unlike other times, no one stepped forward to approach her.
Despite how much they wanted to get to know her better, they were unwilling to sacrifice their position in the queue.
Not just that, but they also realised that Lu Zhiying had some sort of connection that gave her a free pass into the venue when they saw Zhao Yunxiao’s group blatantly walking past the entire queue.
Leaving the queue to go up to Lu Zhiying right now would clearly reveal the fact that they were inferior in that aspect, and nobody wanted to show such an embarrassing side of themselves.
“Greetings, Senior Martial Brother Liang,” Zhao Yunxiao walked to the front of the queue to speak to Liang Wenshao who was overseeing the registration. “We are here for the cultivation lecture.”
However, Zhao Yunxiao was confused to see Liang Wenshao furrow his brows at him in response.
They had already agreed on this the day before, so why was Liang Wenshao acting all angsty all of a sudden?
But when he followed Liang Wenshao’s gaze, Zhao Yunxiao immediately understood the reason for Liang Wenshao’s reaction.
Liang Wenshao had agreed to let Zhao Yunxiao, Gu Qiansi, and Lu Zhiying enter early.
However, Nie Hanchang was there with them as well this time!
This was a situation that Zhao Yunxiao had not thought of yesterday, especially since Nie Hanchang had always attended the cultivation lecture separately from them in the past.
“Are you going to bring an additional person with each passing month?” Liang Wenshao questioned unhappily.
There was a Lu Zhiying last month, and now there was a Nie Hanchang.
Who knew which other disciple Zhao Yunxiao would add to the party next month?
“No, no, this is all,” Zhao Yunxiao quickly shook his head. “There won’t be any more people with me next time.”
“That’d better be the case. Otherwise, you can queue up like everyone else!” Liang Wenshao cautioned. “Go on in!”
“Thank you, Senior Martial Brother Liang!” Zhao Yunxiao beamed before ushering the rest into the location. “Let’s go, let’s go. Senior Martial Brother Liang might change his mind anytime, so quickly enter before he has the chance to do so!”
Liang Wenshao: “...”
Damn brat, do you think that I can’t hear you?