Day 23 Night 23 Getting what lays before you

Liang Yu sat to the side meditating. He used Astral Sense to try and detected anyone that may have come near them. So far nothing. They were right outside a cave that had some resources that he was determined to get. Just had to plan it just right.

Ye Xinghe decided for himself to go explore and get some food to eat. A few of the students joining in the search to hopefully obtain something good to eat. An Xueyun tried to speak with Liang Yu a bit to mend fences.

"Liang Yu," she called out sweetly. He opens an eye looking at her a bit. Just to let her know he was listening but didn't say anything. "I think we got off on the wrong foot really. You, Ye Xinghe and myself all have the same master. It would be best if we get along better to solve this situation. The trouble with you and Ye Xinghe..."

"Haa!" Liang Yu exhaled as he stopped cultivating. "That is really impossible. I am sure you have figured some things out about the current situation that you have not shared with the others. Which makes sense. But you are misinformed. Most of the trouble with him is that he will bring the Dark Moon family trouble. Not any they cannot handle mind you right now, but issues accumulate."

"If that is the case.." An Xueyun gave a small nod happy a little with what was said. "..can you help Ye Xinghe a little with his martial arts?"

"Say what now?!" Liang Yu was a little taken back by that. Having know real idea where that came from. "With what time do you think I have to help him?"

"You helped the other students earlier. And I heard how you tried to change your cousin Liang Jian before his death." An Xueyun watched him intently for any change in his behavior. A small look of distaste had her confused about something. That was not the look she was expecting. "I think a little talking from you and some teaching about fighting will help him."

"Pass. Hard pass." Liang Yu stood up. "Right now, physical work should be kept to a minimum. Never know when an attack will come. Besides, he is a Star Martial Cultivator. His progress will start to come from what's "inside" him more than what others teach him."

An Xueyun gave him an odd look of not understanding.

"Let's just say his progress is not entirely from what he does himself. One of the reasons his kind were hunted down so much. That and the benefits they give to others cultivation." Liang Yu walked up to her stopping to her side. His eyes looking out at the students gathered around. It was odd how most of them were no longer worried about the situation. 'Is it because they are caught in Ye Xinghe's main character halo or they were just this careless?'

"A big understanding of his character, are you like that with all those who are in the Dark Moon family?"

"Pft, only those who are a problem." Liang Yu scoffed. "You will see changes in his personality soon. Try to keep track of what he says. Will give a lot of insights into his character. No matter how... frail it happens to be. You could blame it on his cultivation if it makes you feel better when it happens."

"You know quite a lot about Star Martial Artist, why is that?"

"One must know their enemy." Liang Yu gave her a sidelong glance. "How about this, you tell me everything about that Lin Hong boy and his family, and I will help Ye Xinghe a little."

"Lin Hong?" An Xueyun looked away pretty quickly. Fingers fidgeting just a little.

"He is after all a vassal family of yours." Liang Yu didn't like that look away she did. The girl knew something. Or just wanted to protect her family in some way maybe. "Do speak. Before you are implicated later anyway."

"I will find someone else to help him." She said after thinking things over. Moving away she only spares a reluctant look at him. 'He knows about Lin Hong as Xia Yuning suggested. But what else is that he knows?' As she ran away she thought about what other things Liang Yu had spoken about with her friend.

'I wonder if Xia Yunning planted the right seeds in her mind or not?' Liang Yu spared a glance that way before moving to sit back down and cultivate.

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Later that evening-

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As Ye Xinghe and Xia Yuning dueled like idiots, murders are happening and the two decide to spar. The other students looking in anticipation to see who would win.

'What in the fuckery were the idiots thinking.' Liang Yu hadn't the foggiest. Perfect time to get some stuff anyway. So he didn't try to intervene. Xia Yuning had her own reasons anyway for conducting the spar he suppose.

Slowly he pulled at the boulder blocking the way. Sending concentrated qi into several points to lodge it free and weaken it overall. No way would he pour a bunch of qi and attack it. That is how the enemy finds yah easily.

Then again a whole duel was taking place outside. So there was that to.

As time passed, enough of the boulder was broken that he could slip into an opening. Once on the other side Liang Yu circulates his energy and shot into a sprint to cover the distance fast. Time was of the essence. Fire Body was circulated to prepare for the next bit of trouble.

"Damn it, is a bit cold!" Liang Yu was hit by a cold draft pretty quickly. But he held fast as he spotted the first bit of the Cold Snow Stone around the place. They look know different than crystals really. The Cold Snow Essence in the pool of water could wait for later. "There is more of this stone than that stuff anyway!"

Releasing Liang Jian from his Internal Space, he told him what to do. It took a minute before the chill went away for the latter. He wouldn't last long at this rate. But two hands were better than one to gather the material.

Liang Yu was ignoring the weapon in the room since it was trouble that someone else could handle.

"What's that?" Liang Jian asked as he broke some of the stone up with a concentrated Flame Blade strike. His qi slowing down from just touching the stone with a little concentration lost. He was speaking about the halberd that was visible after the mist cleared a little. "Are we taking that to?"

"Nah, leave it for now. Besides, it is booby-trapped." Liang Yu struck with precision knocking some of the pieces up top down. The good news the ceiling didn't give way any. It would suck to get buried in the place afterall. They fell down quickly but were swept into his Internal Space. "We get this stuff first, then come back later. Right now I need more strength. You do as well, in case you haven't notice still."

"No, I am aware!" Liang Jian felt afraid thinking back to how he was brutally beaten. The craving for power pushing that fear away quickly enough. His qi pushed harder as he gathered more of the stone. "Later, is better!"

As the two gather all the stone available, Liang Jian could feel the Flame Vortex Core spinning on its own. The bodies of the dead students were getting refined even faster now. In moments it was finished. The bodies burned away leaving just the souls behind.

'Gonna have to do what I did to the original Liang Yu it seems to acquire whatever I can from that.'

The qi left overflowing down into his dantian. With only a bit heading to his Internal Space.

"Whew!" Liang Jian was out of qi and was starting to freeze up. His face covered in frost from the close contact. Didn't help he was close to the water. "I am all tapped out cousin!" Liang Yu moved over and prepared to place him back into his Internal Space. "I think I will enter deep meditation to help keep the air inside more from burning out."

"Alright, just make sure you cultivate a few of the stones diligently. DO not bite off more than you can chew."

*Woosh!* Liang Jian vanished instantly into qi. He immediately followed the advice and started to cultivate diligently inside.

"The cave is completely empty besides the halberd and whats down below in the water." Liang Yu moved over to the lake and touched the water out of curiosity. "Tch!" His finger immediately turned numb freezing his fire around his hand. "Let's try this then."

*Chish!* The water surface evaporated on touch. The forces repelling each the more he moved his hand into the water. It would take to much effort to get down there and grab the Cold Snow Essence down below.

A small evil plan forming on how to get it later for himself. As well as his cousin if he continued to listen more. He needed some in his corner after all.

'Later then.' Liang Yu turned to leave. His Flame Vortex Core qi the only thing keeping him safe at this time. 'Well guess we can't have everything easy. But have enough to push us up higher I hope.'

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Nightfall-

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The spar ended with Ye Xinghe having been knocked out the same as before Liang Yu found out. However, Xia Yuning had a cut on her brow. It seems the boy was able to land a solid hit on her. Instead of being completely dominated. As they brought him in to recover, An Xueyun looked at Liang Yu who was deep in cultivation once again.

"He seems to not care about what happened."

"Maybe. We should get some rest. There is still a killer out there. Or killers for that matter." Xia Yuning answered. She was still thinking over the spar with Ye Xinghe. 'His fighting style was vastly different than when he fought against Liang Yu and the fight against the demonic beast previously. Someone gave him pointers it seems.'

Her eyes looking boring into Liang Yu as he had told her this before. But a talk with An Xueyun earlier let her know it was somewhat different than what he told her entirely. Different responses to questions asked by them and information he told them in different ways.

Everyone was gathered in the cave to prepare to finally get some rest. Nerves finally spent after the sparring and the small meal they had.

Ye Xinghe was striking some rocks togethor to start a fire. The oddity of not using his technique to light it or one of the others to use fire was lost on a few of them.

"Wait, don't light a fire." Xia Yuning said lowly. After a few mentions about the noise earlier attracted beast over, everyone was a little quieter. "The fire will also attract animals over."

"You think we will be safe here still?" A student asked. He was huddled up with the others. A slight chill around most of them. "She would we set up a watch?"

"Yeah, that is the best idea." Linlin said. She eyed Liang Yu. "Liang Yu, we should take the first watch. I have some things to talk with you about. He didn't mind since it gave him a chance to check something out.

"Sure, I have the energy for it." The two moved to the front of the cave. The rest breaking off to finally get some rest. It wasn't till an hour later that most were asleep. "So.."

Turning to Linlin, Liang Yu paused as she had a very provocative look about her. If she was a little older he would have defintely jumped at her. But jailbait was not something that he wanted. A young body did not mean jump at what was before you.

No matter how tempting. Now if this was Xia Yuning that was a different story. She was of age afterall if memory served correctly.

"I am willing to do whatever it takes to survive. The others might not have realized how dangerous everything happens to be, but I do." She grabbed Liang Yu's arm trembling. Words and action slightly in conflict. "I do not want to die here."

"Right.. that is perfectly understandable." Liang Yu blinked at her. "If you do exactly as I say the next few days I can make sure you have a better chance of survival." She nodded eagerly. "Good, you are a Flame Martial Artist correct?" She nodded like a little bird. "Then take this fire and use it to cultivate."

*Fwish!* A small flame appeared in Liang Yu's hand. Inside a little spark of lighting was moving. THe moment she took it into her dantian pain wracked her body. Liang Yu moved just fast enough to cover her mouth.

"Forgot to mention it would hurt." Liang Yu said quickly. He received a look of anger but Linlin kept it togethor and continued to circulate her qi with the flame. Her face softening just a bit as time passed. 'Hmm?' A slight stirring in Liang Yu's cultivation drew his attention. 'The Flame Vortex Core was spinning a little again. He pulled away immediately to keep from getting pulled in. 'Just in case.'