Mi Rang and Ju Daiyu contemplated what this senior brother was telling them not even for a second. They knew he was always looking out for them. This event was just another one of his grand designs to increase their strength.

Ju Daiyu knew, with her roots, she could have easily surpassed her current Nascent Soul cultivation. She only knew that due to her senior brother’s meticulous notes for her cultivation. However, in his notes, were also other paths that she wouldn’t have even known how to get started. And yet she did. Her foundations were incredibly sturdy: she had reached a high level of sword intent, her combat skills were high even without facing life or death situations, and she was on the path to becoming a swordmaster. She had absolute trust in her senior brother and thought nothing wrong of him giving them this opportunity. She even appreciated his thoughtfulness in providing this experience to their other sect member - Gong Chang.

Gong Chang was aggrieved. He had to make such a painful decision. One that wracked every fiber of his being. A decision so monumental it could shake his path, his cultivation. And to find out, that decision, that momentary weakness, was not actually reality. Reality had never been so disappointing to Gong Chang. He couldn’t even fully enjoy the haughty disciple kowtowing. Not only that, but he couldn’t say anything because the other two were clearly in awe of him and were encouraging their senior disciple to stand and were actually thanking him. Gong Chang was aggrieved, but he held it in and went with the group.

Mi Rang had no doubts about his senior brother. He also did not have many thoughts. He made a decision and he did what he was told. And he always came out stronger, as long as he followed his senior brother’s instructions. Even now, he could feel his qi control becoming finer as he carried that giant 2-handed sword. Mi Rang had had many life and death experiences being raised in that forest. He mused that they should just be called life experiences because having death experiences would have been impossible because after death there were no more experiences.

Tian Lu was a man that already had a death experience, at least that’s what he thought. And now he was currently having what he believed to be a near death experience. He didn’t know if he transmigrated or if he died in his previous life. If he had died, then maybe death wasn’t so bad. The past was murky and keeping reality and memory was getting tougher. However, he believed this was a near death experience because he wasn’t sure how these protagonist characters would react. He remembered small moments that seemed unimportant could lead to immediate execution and deception was rewarded with a sword to the neck. Or worse, a sword to his whole body and only realizing he had been cut after he died. He wasn’t sure if that was possible, but in this world, he had no doubt he would run into that situation. He was just hoping it wasn’t going to be soon. He was worried.

Elder Wei didn’t believe in these fancy formations or these new-age teaching disciples how to cope with the outside world. No, he believed in going out there and working harder than anyone else and experiencing things. His incredible work ethic got him to the Unity Realm and he got there by facing real life and death situations. Obviously it was all life situations but he did it and so could everyone else. He disapproved of this tricky and fake method but could only bite his tongue. Not literally as that would have been extremely painful and really pointless at this time.

Elder Fang was helping Mei Ahn understand the formations. She could see her talent but it still needed to be nurtured. These moments made becoming a master to her disciple worth it.

Mei Ahn was absorbed in the formations. She had never seen something so intricate, so complicated. She asked questions, wrote notes, and reviewed her formations book. There was just so much information. She had never been more impressed by her master and the sect leader. Mei Ahn was happy.

And with these thoughts, the group carried on their journey.