Second Time

Chapter 48 - Tournament

Six months passed without any major incidents. Everyone focused on their own tasks.

The medicine garden had expanded slightly with herbs that Sun Anrou needed for the monster beasts. It didn't take much daily care thanks to all the arrays, so Xu Mingzhi and Lin Xifeng took turns going through it once a week.

Zhu Jiao left the peak once a month and returned with everyone's monthly supplies. As direct disciples, everyone received a large amount of pills as well as a hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Shao Yue received even more, along with all the herbs she'd requested as part of their agreement.

Shao Yue turned the herbs into pills, but it took a decent chunk of time. She meditated on the Dao of Time every day, hoping to raise her proficiency to the point where she could quicken her alchemy, but such results couldn't be achieved overnight.

Sun Anrou had built several homes for all of the monster beasts. She also purchased some cows and chickens that produced milk and eggs. She enjoyed reliving her childhood as a farmer.

Liezhu visited Shao Yue almost weekly to have her human form's height measured. There was barely ever any change. Sun Anrou had said it would take a hundred years to heal, a few weeks wouldn't affect anything. Shao Yue didn't mention how childish the excitement made Liezhu look.

Shao Yue didn't accept any more disciples. They had enough to be self-sufficient already and none of the trash Law Bodies who returned from their missions ended up having a Time Body.

She did consider going off to fetch Ren Meili, but the trip would take at least five months and she had to be present for the upcoming tournament, the day of which had finally come.

One of the smaller outer peaks was dedicated to such events. The top had been completely flattened and a hundred stone stages built on top. Each one was reinforced to the point that even Heavenly Realm experts couldn't easily scratch them. All tournaments within the sect would be held there. Disciples could also use the stages for spars if there wasn't one going on.

Cai Fei placed arrays on twenty of the stages that would restrict the participants' power, then took a seat next to Shao Yue in the stands. Quite a crowd had gathered, mostly males.

"Two hundred participants is more than I expected," Shao Yue said.

"The rewards are very attractive," Zhu Jiao explained. "Since you're awarding the best prize not to the winner, but to the ones you like the most, many people will come even if they're not confident. I'm sure many of these pairings have only been formed in the past few months."

Shao Yue nodded. "That makes sense."

Shao Yue left all of the tournament proceedings to Zhu Jiao, merely watching. All of the participants had their cultivation verified to make sure they complied with the rules, then were given a number.

Shao Yue sighed. "If I'd known this sect had people like that, I wouldn't have bothered arranging a tournament."

"Hm?" Cai Fei tilted her head. "Have you already decided?"

"I still need to see them in combat, but I'm eighty percent certain that this tournament will not change my decision," Shao Yue replied.

"Who is it?"

"Look around, I'm sure you can come to the same decision," Shao Yue said, gesturing to the crowd below. "Two people who have clearly spent most of their lives together, to the point where they're more comfortable together than apart."

Cai Fei slowly scanned the participants. "The twins?"

"Very good."

"I'll watch them carefully, then."