"I'm sorry..." At a loss for words, An Jing offered an apology, to which Bai Qinghan acknowledged with a soft, noncommittal "hmm."

Bai Qinghan was anything but stupid. On the contrary, she was the most gifted of the 108 children after An Jing. So why would she let these secrets slip? In fact, she would have kept her lips sealed if he hadn't also seen through the demonic cult's facade. What prompted her earlier thanks was the way An Jing handled himself, his ease and efficiency.

He’s confident he can take me down without hurting me. Fighting doesn't always have to end in death.

After An Jing’s three solid strikes knocked her to the ground, an unexpected sense of relief washed over Bai Qinghan. Her aggression was born entirely of fear, the belief that it was "kill or be killed." The thought was so overwhelming it made her shiver and lose all control.

Ironically, losing to a peer like An Jing was exactly what she needed to wake up from the survivalist nightmare. She could finally approach her sparring partners with a level head for the first time. After that, she started seeking him out more and more, if only to talk.

Most of her questions revolved around An Jing's martial techniques and the mastery of controlled force. This non-lethal style fascinated her. Much like a diner who had known only a steady diet of rice suddenly biting into a dumpling, she was hooked on the novelty of this alternative form of sustenance.

Since An Jing was the only one capable of truly reining in Bai Qinghan, and no one else was eager to spar with her anyway, the group didn't think twice about their interactions. They simply admired An Jing’s prowess and the sense of responsibility befitting a senior disciple, save for Gu Yeqi, that is.

"Be careful, Big Brother An! I don’t think she’s up to any good."

She distrusted Bai Qinghan deeply and was convinced the bad girl had ulterior motives. Truth be told, everyone else thought the same. They were sure she was only hanging around him to find an opportunity to settle the score. But they were reading too much into it. There was no way An Jing would lose.

As time passed, Bai Qinghan became a frequent fixture in An Jing’s group, joining their conversations and practice whenever possible despite being from another group. Eventually, even Gu Yeqi stopped objecting to her training alongside them. Although she still kept up a steady stream of complaints, calling Bai Qinghan a "gloomy, quiet, two-faced porcelain doll with a hidden agenda," their relationship warmed up noticeably when Bai Qinghan actually let her braid her long, straight black hair.

These uncharacteristically peaceful days flew by. During this time, An Jing attempted to enter Direlife Canyon in search of the sword soul's second shard. However, security at the manor had tightened significantly for some reason. While he could still roam the grounds, slipping out was impossible.

An Jing and the sword soul sensed mounting instability within Grand Chen as provisions to Direlife Manor began to dwindle. Even his personal rations were cut, not by choice, but because they had nothing left to give. However, this was a potential opportunity.

He practiced relentlessly and focused on building his strength, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. An Jing knew all too well that he couldn't save every disciple who considered him their senior brother. Many had already succumbed to the demonic path, their bodies tainted by evil and their eyes burning with an unmistakable madness.

Had he been the person he was before meeting the sword soul, he might only have been able to look after himself. But now, he might have the power to save Cang Linzu and Gu Yeqi, perhaps more.

Rescuing them all from dozens of Aura Realm instructors and a vice apothecary of the Fortification Realm was impossible. This task required more than mere power; it required a miracle. Still, An Jing would do everything in his power. He would save anyone he could, as many as he could.

The final days arrived all too swiftly. One day, Bai Qinghan once again found An Jing, who was in the middle of practicing combat drills with his group.

"Hey, Qinghan, can’t you see we’re busy here? Are you trying to steal our tactics?" Gu Yeqi stepped in front of An Jing with a scowl, her annoyance mirroring the sentiment of the entire group. Direlife Manor’s focus on combat formations and joint attacks could only mean that an evaluation was coming. Everyone was pushing themselves harder than ever in anticipation of future competitions.

While the instructors were aware of the children's misconceptions, they saw no reason to reveal the truth since it motivated them to train hard without supervision. Under their silent approval, a fierce competition began to brew among the twelve groups.

Bai Qinghan led group three, Zuozi.[1] Unlike their sparring sessions, her leadership was reassuring to her group members. After all, who wouldn't want a fearless leader who charges in first?

Aware of this, Gu Yeqi stopped Bai Qinghan with a hint of irritation. It was one thing for them to socialize and play around together, but her frequent visits during training was a blatant attempt to glean their tactical secrets.

"I just want to speak to our senior brother." Bai Qinghan simply shook her head at Gu Yeqi, then moved past the confused girl to address the solemn An Jing.

"They're hungry, Senior Brother. Every single one of them."

"Now?"

Unlike his bewildered peers, An Jing reacted with a stony frown, offering Bai Qinghan a single, knowing nod. "I see."

Once Bai Qinghan had departed, An Jing stole a cautious glance toward the top level on the edge of the training ground.

"Keep going!" An Jing let out a slow breath, his voice dropping low as he gestured for the group to keep up. "Stay sharp!"

From the highest floor of the apothecary, the manor lord and Instructor Li gazed down at the training ground in the distance.

"This batch is a significant step up from the last one."

While the training ground looked like nothing more than simple packed dirt, its construction was surprisingly intricate. It was composed of five compressed layers—a foundation of soil, followed by gravel, more soil, sand, and a final layer of soil. It was known as the "fivefold earth."

The training ground was both sturdy and designed for longevity while also providing a safe environment where beginners could fall without fear of injury. It was clear the Heavenly Demon Cult had spared no effort in constructing this manor and its facilities deep in the mountains.

Watching the children spar in their padded armor, their spirited shouts echoing across the training ground, even the manor lord’s habitually stone-cold expression softened into a rare smile. "I wonder how many of these 'raw materials' will actually turn out to be one of our own."

"A full assembly of the 108 Heavenly Rectifiers and Earthly Lethalizers at last. We now have the twelve stations and nine luminous bodies in their entirety, a vast improvement over those previous batches which were limited to either the Heavenly Rectifiers, Earthly Lethalizers, or sixty heavenly cycles. They're disaster survivors too, far superior to the common filth we used to buy from the local gangs."

Behind him, Instructor Li scanned the training ground, his voice filled with quiet confidence as he said, "Never mind the mixed or miracle arcs, this batch should yield at least one lifestar-associated arc or ruinous arc. And with the five formal disciples who have already awakened their lifearc... The Lord Inspector of the North will be pleased!"

1. In ancient Chinese astrology, the celestial circle was divided into twelve sections called the Twelve Stations, which were used to track the position of Jupiter. 娵訾 (jū zī) is one of them. The author specifically mentioned that it's pronounced "zuozi." ☜