The morning came with cold light. Li Fan woke up on the floor of the main hall. He had let Su Ling'er have his bed in the new barracks. She needed it more.
His body ached. Using the 'Unbreaking Hold' on that guy's technique had taken more energy than he thought. The little flame in his dantian was dim, like a candle after a long night.
He got up and went outside. The air was crisp. Zhang Tie was already awake. He stood in the middle of the clearing, his eyes closed, his hands on the ground. The faint brown glow from last night was back around his arms. He was practicing.
Good kid.
Li Fan checked the perimeter. The trip wire was broken. The big rock was still in the path. The three 'Whispering Sticks' near the fight scene had stopped humming. The Fierce Tiger Sect was gone. For now.
[Scanning... No hostile spiritual signatures within 500 meters. Temporary peace achieved.]
[New Daily Mission: Recovery and Growth.]
[Goal 1: Gather herbs for 'Spirit-Knitting Poultice' (Blue Root, Sun Grass).]
[Goal 2: Improve basic defenses. Reinforce the gate.]
[Goal 3: Begin disciple Su Ling'er's foundational training.]
[Reward for all goals: 'Simple Warning Array' blueprint, Spirit Stones x10.]
"Zhang Tie," Li Fan called.
The big boy opened his eyes and stood up."Master! I was practicing. The earth feeling is stronger today."
"Good.First job. We need herbs. Blue Root and Sun Grass. The system says they grow on the south face of the mountain. Can you find them?"
Zhang Tie nodded hard."I will find them, Master!"
"Be careful.Go fast, come back fast. The Fierce Tiger Sect will return. And they will be angrier."
Zhang Tie took off running toward the south slope, his steps heavy on the ground.
Li Fan walked to the broken gate. The cracked stone archway looked sad. It was the first thing anyone saw of the Heavenly Dao Sect. It needed to be more than broken.
He looked at the piles of leftover stone and wood. He had an idea. Not a new gate. Not yet. But he could make the path to the gate… tricky.
He spent the next hour moving stones. He built low walls, not to block the path, but to funnel it. He made anyone coming up walk a narrow, twisting route right under the gaze of the main hall. At the turns, he put more loose rocks, ready to be pushed.
It wasn't a great defense. But it would slow people down. It would give him time.
"You are building a maze for rats."
The voice was weak, but clear. Su Ling'er stood in the doorway of the barracks, leaning against the frame. Her good arm held her bad one. Her face was pale, but her eyes were sharp. She was watching his work.
"Rats with claws," Li Fan said, not stopping. "You should be resting."
"I have rested enough.I cannot just lie there." She took a few slow steps into the sunlight. She looked at the twisted path he was making. "They will just jump over it."
"Maybe.But jumping takes effort. And in the air, they are targets."
She thought about that.A small nod. "You think like a swordsman. Using the enemy's momentum against them."
Li Fan looked at her. "The Fierce Tiger Sect said you had no sword talent."
Her face tightened."They broke my wooden sword. They said my spirit was crippled like my arm. That I could never hold a real sword." She looked down. "They are probably right."
"They were wrong about my disciple Zhang Tie,"Li Fan said simply. "They are probably wrong about you too."
He walked over to a pile of leftover wood. He picked up a straight, strong piece about the length of his arm. It was smooth. He walked to her and held it out.
"Your sword."
She stared at the piece of wood."That is a stick."
"Today,it is a sword. Your arm is broken. You cannot hold it. So you will not hold it."
He walked to a clear patch of ground. He placed the stick on the dirt. "Sit. Look at it. Your first lesson is not to swing. It is to see. A sword is not just a thing you hold. It is a line. A decision. A point that separates one thing from another. Look at this line of wood. Understand its beginning. Its end. Its purpose."
Su Ling'er slowly sat down in front of the stick. She looked confused, but she did as she was told. She stared at the wood.
[Disciple Su Ling'er has begun foundational sword intent training. Method: Unorthodox. Success rate: Unknown.]
"Keep looking," Li Fan said. "I have to fix the gate."
He went back to work. Time passed. The sun got higher. Su Ling'er didn't move. She just stared at the stick on the ground. Her face was very still.
Zhang Tie returned. His arms were full of plants. He had big blue-colored roots and bright yellow grass. "Master! I found them! There was a big snake near the grass, but I stared at it and it left!"
[Herbs acquired: Blue Root (Grade: Low), Sun Grass (Grade: Low). Sufficient for poultice.]
[Initiating automatic recipe synthesis. Host knowledge updated.]
Li Fan now knew how to make the poultice. Crush the roots and grass together, mix with a little water, apply. It would help bone and meridians heal faster.
"Good work," Li Fan said. He took the herbs. "Now, help me with the gate. We need to make this arch stronger. Lift that big flat stone."
They worked together. Zhang Tie lifted the heavy stones. Li Fan used 'Unbreaking Hold' to seal them together at the weak points. They didn't make the gate new. They made it solid. They filled the crack in the 'Heaven' character with stone dust and energy, making it look like a scar.
It was almost noon when the system buzzed.
[Alert: Group of five spiritual signatures detected at base of mountain. Cultivation: Four at Qi Condensation Layers 6-8. One at Foundation Establishment, Early Stage. Composition matches Fierce Tiger Sect. Estimated arrival time: 30 minutes.]
They were early. And they brought a Foundation Establishment expert.
Li Fan's heart dropped. Zhang Tie couldn't handle that. Not yet.
"Master?" Zhang Tie asked, seeing his face.
"They're coming.More of them. Stronger." Li Fan's mind raced. They had the twisted path. The loose rocks. It wouldn't be enough.
Su Ling'er stood up. She still held her broken arm, but her other hand pointed at the stick on the ground. "Sect Master. The line."
"What?"
"The stick.The line. I… I see it." Her eyes had a new light. A focused light. "A sword's purpose is to cut. To decide. Our purpose is to protect the sect. So we must cut their advance. We must decide where they fight."
She was right. They couldn't defend the whole mountain. They had to choose the spot.
Li Fan looked at the twisted path he built. It ended right in front of the gate. A killing zone.
"Zhang Tie, get all the loose stones you can carry. Pile them here, at the last turn in the path. When I say, you drop them all. We will bury the path. They will have to climb over a wall of rock to reach the gate."
"Yes, Master!"
Li Fan looked at Su Ling'er. "Can you do anything?"
She looked at the stick on the ground.She focused. Her good hand twitched.
The stick trembled. Then, it lifted an inch off the ground. It wobbled in the air.
It was just a stick. It wasn't sharp. But it was in the air, controlled by her will.
[Disciple Su Ling'er has manifested basic spiritual control. Sword affinity confirmed. Meridian damage is severe, but intent is strong.]
"Good," Li Fan said. "When they are stuck at the rock pile, you make that stick fly at their eyes. Not to hurt. To distract. Understood?"
She nodded,sweat on her brow from the effort. The stick dropped to the ground.
They had a plan. A stupid, desperate plan. Five against three, and one of them was a girl with a broken arm who could barely lift a stick.
Li Fan went to the main hall. He took out his last four spirit stones. He placed them at the four corners of the room, linking them to the existing array.
[Augmenting Basic Spirit Gathering Array. Output increased by 50%. Temporary effect: 12 hours.]
A stronger hum filled the hall. Energy washed over him, feeding his tired flame. It wasn't much, but it was something.
He walked back out to the gate. Zhang Tie had made a huge pile of stones. Su Ling'er stood behind it, her eyes on her stick.
Li Fan stood in front of the repaired gate. He waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
Voices. Angry voices. The sound of feet on the stony path.
"—around here somewhere! The coward set traps!"
"Brother Feng said the big brute hit like a demon.And the master has a weird technique."
"Quiet!Senior Brother Hei is here. He's Foundation Establishment. He'll break them."
Five figures came into view at the start of the twisted path. Four disciples in brown tiger robes. And one in black robes at the front. He had a sharp face and cold eyes. Senior Brother Hei. Foundation Establishment, Early Stage.
Hei looked at the twisting, narrow path with its low walls. He sneered. "Child's play. Follow me. Slowly."
They moved in. They were more careful this time, watching their feet. They made it through the first turn, then the second.
They were now in the final funnel, right below the gate.
Li Fan took a deep breath. This was it.
"Zhang Tie!" he yelled. "NOW!"
From above, behind the rock pile, Zhang Tie roared. He pushed.
The mountain of stones tumbled down the path with a sound like thunder. Rocks crashed and rolled, filling the narrow way, piling up into a messy wall taller than a man.
The Fierce Tiger disciples yelled, jumping back. Senior Brother Hei's eyes flashed with anger. "Pathetic! We will climb over!"
As the first disciple started to climb the rock pile, Li Fan looked at Su Ling'er.
"Now."
She focused. Her face went pale with strain.
The stick on the ground shot up. It flew, wobbling, through the air. It didn't hit the climbing disciple. It smacked right into the face of the disciple behind him.
Thwack!
"Ah! My eye!"
It was just a stick. It didn't do real damage. But it caused confusion. The climber lost his footing and fell back into his friends.
Senior Brother Hei looked up, his gaze locking on Li Fan at the gate. "You!" He kicked off the ground, jumping high over the rock pile. He landed in the clearing, right in front of Li Fan. His spiritual pressure pushed down, heavy and sharp.
"You hurt our disciples. You hide behind tricks. Now you face me."
Li Fan felt the pressure. This was a real Foundation Establishment expert. Not a beginner like him. The man's energy was solid, aggressive.
Li Fan's energy felt hollow in comparison. But it was also… deep. Like a well with no water.
[Warning: Direct combat disparity high. Host's foundation is unstable. Recommend non-direct engagement.]
Too late for that.
Senior Brother Hei's hands glowed with dark red light. "Tiger's Maul!" He swung his clawed hand at Li Fan's head.
Li Fan moved on instinct. He didn't block. He stepped inside the swing. He used 'Unbreaking Hold,' but not on the technique. On the air between them. He grabbed the space and shoved.
The air rippled. Hei's perfect strike was pushed an inch to the side. It missed.
Hei's eyes widened. "What?!"
Li Fan didn't stop. He couldn't win a power fight. So he wouldn't fight power. He fought position. Every time Hei struck, Li Fan moved the wrong way, nudged the energy, disrupted the flow. It was like trying to grab smoke.
Hei grew angrier. His attacks got wilder.
On the rock pile, Zhang Tie was throwing stones down at the other four disciples, keeping them pinned.
Su Ling'er's stick flew around, poking and annoying.
But Li Fan was tiring. Fast. His hollow foundation was draining. Hei was wearing him down.
One powerful strike finally got through. Li Fan blocked with his arm, but the force threw him back. He hit the repaired gate, the stone scar of the 'Heaven' character digging into his back.
Hei smiled a cruel smile. "No more tricks. You lose."
He gathered energy for a final blow.
Li Fan looked past him. He saw Zhang Tie, fighting bravely. He saw Su Ling'er, her face fierce despite her pain.
This can't be it, he thought. Not already.
A voice, clear and arrogant, cut through the noise from somewhere above the clearing.
"Tch. What a boring fight."
Everyone looked up.
A young man in fine blue traveler's robes stood on a high rock, looking down. He had a handsome, bored face. He held a single, long blade of grass in his hand.
He flicked the blade of grass.
It shot through the air like an arrow and smacked Senior Brother Hei right on the forehead.
Snap.
It didn't hurt. But it was an insult. A huge insult.
The young man jumped down, landing lightly between Li Fan and Hei. He looked at Li Fan, then at the broken-but-repaired gate, then at the two struggling disciples.
"So this is the 'Heavenly Dao Sect.' One guy with a weird empty foundation, a big ox, and a girl with a broken arm. And you're losing to this?" He thumbed at the furious Senior Brother Hei.
"Who are you?!" Hei snarled.
The young man ignored him. He looked only at Li Fan, a spark of challenge in his eyes. "I was passing by. Saw the energy. It was pathetic. But interesting. You fight all wrong. I want to see how you fight when you're trying."
He turned fully to Li Fan, his back to the Fierce Tiger Sect expert as if he were nothing.
"My name is Cang Tian. I challenge you. Right now. For this mountain."