Chapter 277: Creepy Crawlies
Zou Tian sighed. In the five days since the expedition had departed, he’d been hard at work preparing for his eventual mission. Cultivating. Working on his Shadow Perception technique. Getting his Knowledge of Spycraft technique to Small Success. Sparring with his dagger.
Everything but entering the Trial Pagoda.
Brother Peng Zhen had given Zou Tian permission to use it any day he wanted. He just needed to run by the Contribution Points Shop first thing in the morning and make the reservation.
For three days, he’d tried to psych himself up for the trial but unfortunately ended up psyching himself out—one of Master’s phrases—instead.
His fear wasn’t exactly the same as last time. Before he’d generally been afraid of failure just because he didn’t want to be the first to be put in that position.
Instead, his current fear was much better grounded. The mission was important to him and to the sect, and he didn’t think he could achieve what he needed to accomplish without upgrading his affinity with his aspect.
Of course, he could try again if he failed. And he would try again. It was just that he felt that the lack of success might destroy all his confidence, making the next try that much more difficult.
He sighed again. Regardless, he had to try at some point. Soon. He needed to know.
Tomorrow. He’d do it tomorrow.
Yang Ru had spent the previous five days watching Jin LiJuan slowly, very slowly, improve her techniques, finally getting her plant manipulation ability to Small Success the previous afternoon. Due to her being assigned to his processing group after the beast tide, he’d spent more time with her than his sister or Kang Lin had. He’d actually been there when Jin LiJuan had found the wolf pup that would become Ganzou.
It was really ironic how embracing the thing she hated most—a beast—had become the path to power she so desired. Yang Xiu had gushed about it being like something out of one of the novels she read. Yang Ru didn’t say anything, but his opinion was that an author who came up with such a stupid plot device must not be very good.
He had to admit, albeit begrudgingly, that he envied Jin LiJuan’s easy advancements. She hardly cultivated at all, instead only having to feed Ganzou spirit beast cores. But he didn’t feel that he had any right to complain. Kang Lin told him all the time that her fellow sect members would weep blood to hear someone with his talent whine about someone else’s advantages.