Under the Stars

A while later

The sun started setting as the first round of competitions ended.

Mu Yu stood on the arena, holding a cleaver on her shoulder as the arena was separated in half along with the viewing area in front of her. The Disciples from the Ice Palace Sect looked at Mu Yu in fear.

Mu Yu grinned at the girls from the Ice Palace, "A bunch of emotionless trash, scram for me!" The girls swallowed and got off the arena on their own, Mu Yu sneered and looked up at the Elder of the Ice Palace, asking "You got something to say, trash?"

The Elder looked at Mu Yu emotionlessly, saying "You've won."

Mu Yu sneered at her, "Good eye, bitch. How long did it take for you to figure that out? When you go back to your sect, tell the Sect Master that I'll come and destroy your sect when I'm free." she waved her hand dismissively, turning to walk away before the Elder frowned slightly, "Why?"

Mu Yu stopped and looked at her with disgust, "Because you're ruining all these poor girls with your garbage. Freeze your emotions? What's the difference between you and a puppet without emotions? Honestly, you make me sick. Strength for the sake of strength, when you lose all your emotions and desires why did you even cultivate in the first place? Are you braindead or am I braindead?"

Mu Yu laughed at the Elder, giving her a thumbs down, "Idiot. You can't even understand common sense, what's the point of living?" she turned to Jin Wu and shouted "Clint!"

Jin Wu woke up and yawned, "Hm?" Mu Yu pointed at the Ice Palace Elder, saying "Should I freeze my emotions and join the Ice Palace Sect?" Jin Wu smacked his lips and looked at the Ice Palace Elder, making her freeze over, before saying "Who cares about a bunch of brainless women? Hurry up and come back so we can go home, I'm bored."

Mu Yu's lips twitched and she threatened "I'll join! I swear!" Jin Wu rolled his eyes and sneered "Go ahead, who cares about you? Brainless woman. Everyone knows that the idiotic sects who sever emotions are always destroyed." he sighed and spread his hands, "After all, you can't break through to the Tribulation Realm if you cut your emotions."

The temperature dropped to a freezing point and an Ice Palace disciple was dumbfounded, asking "Is that true?!" Jin Wu looked at her and curled his lips, "Of course. You're not human at that point, you're no different than a machine. The Heavenly Dao doesn't approve of you anymore."

Jin Wu spread his hands and explained "When you create an artifact, to become a Heaven Ranked Artifact, it must cross a tribulation. A tribulation created for an artifact is 15x stronger than one for Cultivators in the Tribulation Realm." He looked at the girl teasingly, leaning forward as he added, "You can't even survive the normal tribulation. How are you going to survive 15x stronger?"

He waved his hand and laughed, "But you all deserve it. Separating from Mortal Affairs, Severing Emotions, what a bunch of bullshit. We're all human, just because you are stronger doesn't make you a superior species. Denying your roots, means that you're an ungrateful piece of trash that deserves to be killed."

He laughed and yawned, not paying attention to the girl anymore, saying "Sarah, come on. I'm tired and hungry." Mu Yu grumbled as she jumped to the stands, Long Zi looked over and smiled, "Perhaps steak for dinner?"

Jin Wu and Mu Yu's eyes lit up as they said in unison "Long live Bro Zi!" before leaving as a group. The disciples and Elder Tu felt disconnected from the trio. They were apart of the same sect but it felt like they lived in different worlds, it was so strange.

Only one person didn't care at all, actually longing for their world…

Yu Linling ran after them, saying "Wait! What's a steak!?" Mu Yu shouted "Go away!" Yu Linling sneered, "No!" as she stayed with the trio forcefully, snorting smoke.

Jin Wu waved, "She can come, who cares?" Mu Yu glared at him while Yu Linling smiled happily, "Thank you, Junior Brother~!" She was a lot more lively than before. Jin Wu looked at her strangely, from his perspective Yu Linling was the Heavenly Fairy or whatever, very cold and distant.

This girl seems very bubbly and cute!

How could Jin Wu understand? Yu Linling broke her shackles and separated from the archetype she was set in. She actually hated being fawned over, she was very interested in the phone. She wasn't as annoying as everyone thought, but she sure asked a lot of questions…

Before they left the arena, a young man rushed over on a Speedster, waving "Wait wait wait!" The group looked over and the young man jumped off the sword, landing in front of them, letting out a breath, wheezing "I-I-I'm Li-Lin Meng! Phew!"

Everyone looked at Lin Meng, his hands were on his knees and he panted.

Jin Wu's lips twitched and he asked "Are you good, bro?" Lin Meng waved and took a breath, "The Sword… So exhausting!" Mu Yu's eyes twitched and she explained "The faster you go, the more Qi you use…"

Lin Meng nearly collapsed, how was he supposed to know?! He straightened out and said "I'll take you to a restaurant!" Long Zi refused simply "We're not going to a restaurant…" Lin Meng was stunned and asked, "Huh? Can I come?"

Yu Linling looked at everyone else, Jin Wu shrugged and walked away, "Whatever you want, man." Lin Meng waved a fist and followed along as the group left.

Lin Wushang watched as Lin Meng joined the group, his lips twitched and he shook his head. Hopefully his son doesn't do something stupid again…

A bit later

The group was eating steak, sitting around a fire as Lin Meng asked 1082 questions about the Hover Sword. Jin Wu continued answering, telling him that there would be Races in the future.

Lin Meng's eyes lit up with excitement and he continued asking questions. Yu Linling asked about Mu Yu's outfit, liking it very much. Mu Yu was very short and to the point with her answers, making Yu Linling pout and complain to Long Zi, who shook his head with a smile.

All in all, the dinner was lively enough. Lin Meng went home when he was finished, waving goodbye while Yu Linling went to her room. Long Zi went to his while Mu Yu and Jin Wu went to theirs.

Yu Linling looked at the duo going into the same room before covering her blushing face with her hands, scurrying into her own room.

Jin Wu yawned and Terry jumped up on the ground, complaining that he was left in the room today. Jin Wu squatted down and sighed, "Come on, Terry. It was SUPER boring today, I fell asleep 17 times. If you really want to come, I'll bring you tomorrow."

Terry folded his front legs on his abdomen, as though he put his hands on his hips, complaining as he squeaked.

Jin Wu held his hands out, "Alright! Alright, already! I get it… It's time to sleep." Terry squeaked and turned around as though to say, 'I'm ignoring you!' Jin Wu sighed and pointed at Terry, "I'm starting to think you're not a man, Terry!" Terry jumped and squeaked angrily.

Jin Wu was stunned and gasped, "You're a female spider?!" Terry put up his- no, HER legs, ready to fight Jin Wu to the death. Jin Wu covered his mouth and chuckled, "S-Sorr- Pft. Sorry for M-Misgendering you… PFFTTTT! HAHAHAHA!" as he burst out laughing.

Mu Yu's lips twitched from the bathroom as she brushed her hair.

Terry bit Jin Wu but his skin was too thick, literally! Terry cried on the spot, Jin Wu turned around and picked her up, chuckling as he said "Alright, don't cry… Come on… I'll change your name to Terri with an I, how about that?"

Terri wiped her eyes, squeaking.

Jin Wu rolled his eyes and said "Yeah, yeah… Now go to sleep." as he brought her to a web-hammock. Terri got in the hammock and laid on her back, spreading her legs out like a person.

There was even a mini sleep bubble from her…

Nose hole?

…

Anyway!

Mu Yu came out of the bathroom and looked at Jin Wu, rolling her eyes, "Why do you keep that thing?" Jin Wu sneered at her, "At least Terri listens to instructions. I taught her all kinds of tricks, what about you?" Mu Yu tackled him to the bed, rolling around, "I'll show you a trick!" as she throttled him.

Jin Wu flailed "Empress! Empress! Let me go!" Mu Yu loosened her hands before being pinned down with her hands above her head.

Jin Wu sneered at her, holding her wrists together with one hand, "You're finished today, bitch!" Mu Yu struggled as Jin Wu grinned evilly, tickling her armpits. Mu Yu shrieked "Stop! I give! I give! Oh God! AHHHH! HAHAHAH! STOP! AHAHA! IT HURTS! HAHAHAHA!"

Jin Wu let her go and she turned over, looking at him resentfully, "Bastard! Low blow!" Jin Wu laughed and laid down next to her, looking at the ceiling. She rolled onto her back next to him, sighing.

Jin Wu chuckled, "Really. It be nicer to see the stars." Mu Yu turned to him and smiled, "Wanna go to the roof?" Jin Wu turned to her and smiled, "Okay."

They got out and carried the sheets and pillows, climbing to the roof, laying down next to each other under a sheet with pillows behind their heads, staring at the sky full of stars.

Jin Wu nudged her and chuckled, "You can't see a sight like this in the city." Mu Yu laughed softly, "No kidding. Everytime I thought I saw a star, it was a helicopter." Jin Wu sighed and said gently "Well, you don't have to worry about helicopters anymore."

Mu Yu fell silent for a moment before asking "Did you have any family? You know… Before." Jin Wu fell silent, looking at the twinkling stars before replying "I did. Parents, siblings, grandparents… The whole shabang… You?" Mu Yu looked at the stars and said softly "Almost… My mom was a teenage pregnancy, she gave me up and I was adopted into a new family. My foster dad died of pancreatic cancer after my foster mother gave birth to another kid. When I passed… She was in the hospital."

Jin Wu looked at her and Mu Yu smiled slightly, turning to him, "Sorry for the sad story." Jin Wu grabbed her hand under the sheet, replying "It's alright, I don't mind." Mu Yu looked at him, she opened her mouth, but didn't say anything.

She only smiled shyly, turning away. Jin Wu turned to the sky and they got a little closer, looking at the stars while holding hands.