The Tournament

The next day Asura went to the Xiao sect where he heard a voice calling his name. That was Fatty, one of his friends whose actual name Asura had forgotten. Like others, Asura called him Fatty since Fatty did not mind people referring to him by that nickname.

'"Brother Asura, Brother Asura...." Fatty called out.'

Asura replied in an annoyed tone, "I am not deaf, Fatty, so there is no need to shout. Calm down and tell me what you want to say in a normal voice."

"Hehe..... I know you can hear me. I'm just too excited," Fatty said with a chuckle.

"What are you so excited about?" Asura asked.

"The Tournament is about to start," Fatty said.

"The tournament? Then why are you so excited? It's not like you're going to participate and win the tournament," Asura said.

"Yes, I'm not participating but with your strength, Brother Asura, you can definitely win the 11th spot or even higher," Fatty said.

"Maybe, but winning a spot wouldn't mean much. Participating in the tournament itself is enough for me," Asura replied.

"But you have a chance to make a bigger name for yourself and show off your skills to the whole sect!" Fatty exclaimed.

"The tournament is not my goal, Fatty. Cultivating my skills and helping my family and friends - that's what matters most to me," Asura said calmly.

"I understand. But will you at least consider participating? It would be so fun to cheer you on!" Fatty said.

Asura smiled softly. "We'll see, Fatty. For now, let's just enjoy the day."

Asura was on his way to attend some lectures when he saw Su Lin and Rose, who were discussing participating in the upcoming tournament.

When Rose spotted Asura, she asked excitedly, "Asura, are you participating in the tournament this time?"

"I'm not sure yet," Asura replied. "I haven't given it much thought."

Su Lin chimed in. "You should join, Asura! With your skills, I'm sure you'd make it far in the competition."

Rose nodded in agreement. "That's right! It would be so much fun if you participated."

Asura smiled at his friends. "I'll think about it. The tournament is not my main goal right now."

"But it's a good opportunity to test yourself and improve," Su Lin argued. "Don't you want to see how you stack up against the other disciples?"

Asura paused for a moment before responding. "You both make good points. I'll consider participating and let you know soon enough."

"Yeah!" Rose exclaimed excitedly. "It'll be so great if you join us."

Su Lin spoke earnestly to Asura, "Be careful of the top 10 geniuses during the tournament. After you gained popularity by defeating Li Cao, they took notice of you. They will likely target you, especially since you have an undefeatable strike against cultivators of the same level. They may try to find a way to counter your technique and break your undefeatable strike, and you also know they are capable of doing that ."

Rose also chimed in, " You're right, Su Lin. Now that Asura has entered the spirit realm, the other top disciples have the right to challenge him. Before when he was in the temper realm, they couldn't bother with him. But now things have changed and they also see Asura as a rival who will compete for one of the top 10 places in the tournament."

Asura nodded contemplatively. "That makes sense. I hadn't considered that my advancement to the spirit realm would make me a target. Thank you both for the warning and advice. I will be on my guard during the competition."

Su Lin replied, "Just focus on your own cultivation and don't worry about the others. If you perform to the best of your ability, that is all that matters."

Rose added, "And we'll be there to cheer you on! You've got this Asura."

Asura smiled at his friends. "Having you two support me means a lot. I'll do my best in the tournament."

The three disciples continued their discussion, providing mentorship and encouragement to Asura as he prepared to face the challenges ahead during the competition. The wisdom and support of good friends could make all the difference in one's cultivation journey.

Asura looked at Su Lin curiously and asked, "Aren't you also in the list of top 10 disciples? Will you target me as well during the competition?"

Su Lin smiled softly and replied confidently, "I can assure you I will not go easy on you like the last time we sparred."

Asura nodded thoughtfully. He believed Su Lin would not hold back during the actual tournament. She was the type to ease up during casual sparring but never during important matches that mattered.

Soon, He realized that Su Lin was speaking to him more freely and giving him advice on her own initiative, which was unusual for her as she typically responded minimally to his questions with just "yes" or "no". This interaction was more in-depth than usual, and it seemed Su Lin was truly looking out for him.

Meanwhile, Rose noticed Su Lin talking with Asura for longer than normal but did not interrupt them. However, Su Lin did not realize herself that she was speaking more with Asura than her usual brevity.

Gratefully, Asura said, "Thank you for the warning, Su Lin. I will be cautious during the tournament. And I look forward to facing your strength in the competition fairly."

Su Lin nodded and replied evenly, "Good luck. May the best disciple win through their own merit." Her words carried subtle encouragement for Asura.

Asura left the interaction with a newfound appreciation for Su Lin's wisdom and discernment, as well as her uncommon concern for him as a fellow disciple.

After Asura left, Rose turned to Su Lin with a mischievous smile and said, "I noticed something."

Su Lin replied warily, "What?"

Rose said teasingly, "You talked with Asura more than usual just now."

Su Lin widened her eyes in realization and exclaimed, "Did I?"

Meanwhile, as Asura was walking to the lecture hall, Fatty suddenly remarked, "Brother Asura, you noticed something?"

Asura replied curiously, "What?"

Fatty said knowingly, "Sister Su Lin talked with you more than usual just now."

It turned out that not only Rose and Asura had noticed Su Lin's unusual behavior, but Fatty as well - though he had not participated in the conversation, he had been present and observant.

Upon hearing Fatty's words, Asura realized his friend was right. Su Lin had spoken more freely and at length with him than ever before. Though it had seemed natural in the moment, in hindsight it was out of character for her.

Rose smiled mysteriously at Su Lin, prompting her to explain why she spoke more with Asura than usual. But Su Lin only shook her head, unsure of the reason herself. While she could not explain the change consciously, deep down she knew her feelings for Asura were growing and she could no longer hold them back. Unconsciously, she tried to talk with him more in order to get closer to him.

Rose, seeing Su Lin's confused reaction, said gently: "It's okay if you don't realize it yet. But your feelings showed through your actions."

Su Lin looked away, unsure of how to respond. A part of her knew Rose was right, yet she was not ready to acknowledge her growing affection for Asura.

Rose continued, "When the time is right, listen to your heart. For now, just be yourself around him and see what happens."

Su Lin nodded silently, pondering Rose's words. While she was not ready to admit her feelings openly, Rose's insight and encouragement gave her hope that one day she may find the courage to do so. For now, she would continue cultivating her virtue and above all, listen to her heart. The future was still unclear, but Rose's wisdom reassured Su Lin that with patience and sincerity, clarity would come.

Su Lin said gratefully, "Thank you for your wise words, Rose. I will reflect on what you've said."

Rose smiled. "We cultivate not just our skills but also our character. Listen to your heart and follow the virtuous path, and all will be well."