Practice

Multiple POV

***

(Li Lian POV)

'I wonder, why did she want to to this? Going through the hassle of cracking their dantian and asking me about clearing their memories. We could have just easily killed them and disposed of their bodies. Why even let them live when you're stronger then them?'

Leaning on the nearby wall I watched as she finished up her target. I had cracked the other two long ago. These injuries to the dantian will be extremely difficult for these people to heal. Unless they have a strong or rich enough family they won't be able to heal this for at least five years. They looked to be around 16-17 years old. By the time it would of naturally recovered their current golden period of cultivation would be over already.

"So, the memories?" Walking up next to her

"Yeah, but could you just erase our appearances?" she asked, standing up off the man

"I'm sorry, I can't do that. Altering memories is completely different then just getting rid of the whole thing. That takes knowledge I don't have, but we can still erase them if you'd like."

"Hmm.. I guess that'll have to do, we don't want them tell anyone about us."

'We could just kill them and I'll take their bodies for "disposal," but I sure let's see how this goes.'

"..Okay" beginning my process

I grasped one of the unconscious men's' heads. My hand started to glow with a light grey aura as I pulled my hand back with a tearing motion. A small light grey mass was pulled out hovering over the palm of my hand. The center of the mass was a small recording of what happened the last three days.

Times with his two friends, that time he so rudely barged into his room, and what he was doing before we captured him appeared on the little grey mass albeit slightly blurry and each scene never lingered too long.

Bored by the display I crushed it and the grey mass dissipated scattering in the air. I quickly finished the other two while she just stood nearby.

"Thank you for your help I really appreciate it!" She told me once I came close

"See two is better then one isn't it? Well I'm going back to him I'm sure He's woken up by no-" I felt a small change as the mark I set on him gave a little reaction. A smile appeared on my face and slowly widened.

Sensing something happened she asked "What happened? Why are you smiling? Did something good happen?"

I simply gave nod of head to confirm it. "Guess, what it is."

Putting on an excited look she asked "Does it have something to do with Ip Cheng?"

I nodded

"Hmm.. well you somehow sensed it from here so it probably has something to do with his body..... has he reached the second stage?"

"Yup, but how did you know?"

"Lucky guess"

We headed back over together to spy on him and see what would do. When we go back he wasn't in the small room anymore, but out back swinging his sword.

We both sat there peeking at him around a wall while he was unaware of us secretly watching him just a few meters away.

'Aww look at him! He is trying his best practicing those sword swings! Yeah, keep striking that air don't give up!'

Looking down I could see Yao Ya's eyes glued to him. She was starting to drool a little and didn't even notice.

We were at that corner watching him for hours and he didn't even notice. He had changed his swings and styles many times while also training his footwork technique as well.

***

(MC POV)

'Man It's been a while since I had so much time to just train these skills. I wonder where they went to though, this is the first time Li Lian left me alone since I've come back to the sect. I need to be prepared for that selection, wait what else was suppose to happen besides getting to the second stage? Shit, I should have read more carefully. Well it's probably some kind of tournament style fight or something similar. That's what it usually is for novels right?'

"Hah, it's getting pretty late I'll keep practicing tomorrow. Real fights take a lot more stamina and energy then just hitting air so I got to practice." Wiping the sweat off my face.

Turning around towards the gate I entered from I spotted two pairs of eyes staring at me around a corner. I froze for a second before they stepped around the corner showing themselves.

'Oh it was the girls, wait why were they hiding?'

"How long have you two been there?"

"We only just got here were you training or something?"

"Yeah, I was actually just sharpening my skills for that selection event that's almost upon us. I was doing for a long time after I had broken through to the second stage today." I told them with a smile.

"Wow, really? That's amazing!" Yao Ya said with an slightly shocked and excited expression

"That's quite impressive you managed to do so." Li Lian said with a small smile on her face

I moved past them going back to my room to sleep and they accompanied me over. I don't know what happened after I fall asleep, but whenever I woke up the next few days I was in the same or similar position on my bed every time.

…

The days leading up to the examination were mostly the same as the day before. Training the two manuals I've have from the library outside, while training to get to the second level of the second stage. This time the requirements are quite a bit tougher to complete so it might take quite some time before I can keep advancing. I only spent an hour or half working on this while most of the remaining time of the day was spent of just the manuals I had.

…

Today is the day.

The time has come where I prove I can become one of their inner disciples. Although I don't even know what being one even does for me here the novels always talk about it being a lot better then the outer court.

Li Lian jumped into my pocket in her little spider form with her little head poking out as I picked up my sword and made my way over to the testing site that was higher up on the mountain. Quite a number of others come along as the wide central staircase leading up the mountain was fairly packed.

Once I made it over to the testing location I registered as a participant before walking into the waiting area where numerus other contestants were. There weren't as many as when people tried to join the sect in the city, but the room here was still packed with a large amount of people.

I spotted a group of people I hadn't seen in quite some time. Hu Daquan, Qiu Tu, Liang Jia, and Rao Nuan were together against a wall. Heading over to them I felt something grab onto my hand. I turned around to find Yao Ya there smiling back at me.

'Everyone's here, how have they been doing in the sect I wonder. I haven't seen much of them ever since I went into the forest looking for a strong monster to fight. They must have gotten stronger I just wonder how much. If it really is going to be a tournament style fight we might have to beat each other up if worse comes to worse. I don't even know the number of people they'll be accepting into the inner court. Just got to pray we don't go against each other.'