Chapter 102: Team Training
Week 1 of Training
The crisp, clear morning air was tinged with the faint scent of spirit herbs wafting from the nearby gardens. I stood with Wei Lin and Lin Mei before the great iron gates marking the entrance to the outer disciples' beast grounds, watching the early morning mist curl around our feet.
My plan was to spend the morning doing some team training before heading to the sect archives to research soul bonds in the afternoon, and if I find something useful there, then tomorrow I’ll return to the Two Suns world.
"You know," Wei Lin said, breaking the comfortable silence, "when you suggested team training, I was thinking more along the lines of sparring in the practice yards." He eyed the gates warily. "Not, you know, potentially getting eaten."
Lin Mei elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't be dramatic. The truly dangerous beasts are kept in the inner disciples' grounds." She paused, then added in a slightly less confident tone, "Right?"
I nodded, though privately I was wondering if I should mention the rumors I'd heard about an eighth-stage beast that supposedly wandered the deepest parts of these grounds. Probably best not to bring that up right now.
"Azure," I thought inwardly, "what can you tell me about the layout?"
"The grounds are divided into rough concentric circles," Azure said. "The outer ring, where we will be staying, usually has beasts between the fourth and fifth stages of Qi Condensation. The middle ring hosts sixth and seventh stage beasts, while the inner ring..." he trailed off meaningfully.
"Let me guess – that's where our theoretical eighth-stage friend lives?"