CG C120: Wang Lin

The stranger's eyes widened slightly. He took a step back and sheathed his sword. "Hmm, you have some great senses, I didn’t expect you to notice me."

Kai glanced at the black robes the young man wore. "And I guess you're my senior brother."

The stranger nodded. "I'm Wang Lin, the third disciple of the Sect Master."

Behind Kai, his companions reacted with shock.

"T-third disciple?" Chen Wei stammered. "But that means..."

"He's a Legacy Disciple too!" Liu Wei exclaimed, his eyes wide with awe.

"A Legacy Disciple?” Zhi-Zhi frowned. “I thought they were meant to be special. Just how many of them are there?"

Kai simply nodded. He'd already known Wang Lin was returning. They had a mission to do, after all.

"I'm Kai," he bowed, "the fifth disciple of the Sect Master."

Wang Lin glanced around at the training ground, taking in the signs of the recent battle. "I watched the battle. I must say, I'm impressed."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

 "That combination attack you used when you realised that there was no penetrating the tortoise’s shell - the Root Grasping Vine to create an opening, followed by the lightning arrow? Brilliant. It showed great tactical thinking and resourcefulness."

"Thank you," Kai said, inclining his head slightly.

"And your use of the Burning Sky Judgment was quite clever," Wang Lin continued. "Using such a high-level technique to force your opponents into a defensive position, then capitalizing on that with your Lightning Step? Very well executed."

Kai listened carefully, nodding along. He knew praise from someone of Wang Lin's level was rare and valuable.

But then Wang Lin's tone changed slightly. "However," he said, "there were a few decisions I might have made differently, especially if you hope to survive higher-level conflicts."

Kai's ears perked up. This was the feedback he'd been waiting for.

Wang Lin gestured to the training ground. "First, your qi control is inefficient. You're wasting at least 30% of your energy in most techniques. That might not matter in short skirmishes, but in prolonged battles, it could be fatal."

Kai nodded, he didn’t have the qi capacity to spam techniques one after another, he would need to work more on his control.

"Second," Wang Lin continued, "your battle awareness is too narrow. You focus too much on immediate threats and lose sight of the bigger picture. A skilled opponent could easily manipulate your attention and trap you."

Kai nodded slowly, he did feel that the other three were manipulating the flow of the battle and that he was reacting more than initiating.

"For example, during your fight with the spirit tortoise and your other two companions, you became too fixated on countering Zhi-Zhi's root techniques. While you were occupied with that, you almost missed Liu Wei's wind attack from your left flank."

Kai's eyes widened slightly as he recalled the moment Wang Lin was referring to. He had indeed been so focused on countering Zhi-Zhi's roots that Liu Wei's wind attack had nearly caught him off guard.

"If Liu Wei had been a more experienced cultivator, or if Chen Wei had coordinated an earth attack from your right side simultaneously, you could have been overwhelmed and severely wounded. In war, an injured cultivator is a dead cultivator."

"I see.” Kai nodded slowly, he knew this kind of feedback was priceless, coming from someone of Wang Lin's caliber.

This is exactly the kind of insight I need to improve. Wang Lin's battle experience is clearly on a whole different level. I wouldn't be surprised if he has killed thousands of cultivators. Being a Nascent Soul cultivator at 20 must require a certain ruthlessness.

"In a real battle, especially against multiple opponents, you can't afford to tunnel vision on a single threat,” Wang Lin said. “You need to maintain awareness of the entire battlefield at all times. Track the movements of all opponents, not just the ones directly attacking you.”

Kai nodded, already thinking of the map function.

"One technique I find helpful," Wang Lin continued, "is to use your qi sense to maintain a 'map' of the battlefield in your mind. It takes practice, but eventually, you'll be able to track multiple opponents without even looking at them directly."

"That sounds incredibly useful.”

The skill would be something to work on in the future when he wasn’t going into war, for now, he would need to rely on his map.

"The final thing I’ll mention is that you rely too heavily on your techniques. True mastery comes from understanding the principles behind them. You should be able to adapt and create new applications on the fly."

Making new applications in the middle of a battle was usually something only battle freaks and prodigies could do. Whilst Kai may seem like a genius to his senior brother, he knew he was just a normal guy with a system. He wouldn’t classify himself as a genius, at least not yet.

"Thank you for your insights, Senior Brother.” Kai bowed slightly. “I'll work on improving these areas."

“See that you do,” Wang Lin smiled, seeming pleased with Kai's openness to criticism. "Before you get the wrong idea, I should explain," he said, "I wasn't spying on you. That's not how I spend my time, just watching juniors train." He chuckled lightly. "But I needed to find out who my new junior brother was and how you fought if you're going to be joining the mission."

Kai nodded. It made sense that Wang Lin would want to assess a new team member before a potentially deadly mission. Kai found himself reevaluating his initial impressions of his senior brother. The rumors he'd heard about Wang Lin's ruthlessness and cold demeanor seemed at odds with the supportive and friendly cultivator standing before him.

Maybe the rumors aren't true after all. Wang Lin seems like a good senior brother. He took the time to observe my techniques, offer detailed feedback, and even explain his actions. That's not the behavior of someone ruthless or uncaring.

Kai felt a wave of relief wash over him. The prospect of working alongside Wang Lin on the upcoming mission suddenly seemed less daunting. Perhaps they could even form a genuine bond of brotherhood through this shared experience.

I shouldn't be so quick to judge based on rumors, Kai chided himself. Wang Lin has been nothing but helpful and considerate so far. I'm lucky to have such an experienced senior brother looking out for me.

Just as Kai was about to express his gratitude for Wang Lin's guidance, he noticed a sudden shift in his senior brother's demeanor. The warm smile faded from Wang Lin's face, replaced by an expression Kai couldn't quite read. His eyes took on a distant, almost cold look. "I can see why Master has his eye on you," he said, his voice now carrying an undercurrent that Kai couldn't quite place.

The abrupt change made Kai feel suddenly uncomfortable. There was something in Wang Lin's voice, a mix of emotions that set him on edge. Was it jealousy? Suspicion? Or perhaps... pity? The shift was so sudden and complete that Kai felt as if he were talking to a different person entirely.

"I'm honored by the Sect Master's attention," Kai replied carefully, watching Wang Lin's reaction.

Wang Lin's smile widened slightly, but his eyes remained unreadable. "As you should be," he said, his voice low. "It's not every day a Qi Refining cultivator catches Master's interest. I hope you understand what that truly means."

The way Wang Lin said it sent a chill down Kai's spine. It wasn't a threat, but a warning.

Kai nodded, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling. "I'll do my best not to disappoint, Senior Brother."

"See that you don’t. We leave in three days, the weaknesses I pointed out could be the difference between success and failure, work on it. For all our sakes, I hope you're a quick learner."

As Wang Lin turned to leave, he muttered something under his breath that caught Kai's attention. "Interesting junior brothers I have... both able to sense a Nascent Soul cultivator while only in the Qi Refining realm."

Kai's eyes widened slightly at the comment. It seems Wang Lin paid Shen Yu a visit too. I wonder how that interaction went.

Once Wang Lin disappeared, Kai's friends exploded with excitement.

"Senior Brother!" Liu Wei exclaimed, his eyes shining. "That was Wang Lin! The Wang Lin! Can you believe it?"

Chen Wei nodded eagerly. "I've heard so many stories about him. They say he's the youngest Nascent Soul cultivator in the sect's history and that he will become the next Sect Master!"

"He's pretty cool... for a human," Zhi-Zhi muttered, trying to sound unimpressed but failing to hide the awe in his voice.

As their excitement died down, curiosity took over. Liu Wei turned to Kai, his brow furrowed. "Senior Brother, what mission was Wang Lin talking about?"

"Are you going somewhere with him?” Chen Wei chimed in. “Is it dangerous?"

Even Zhi-Zhi leaned forward, clearly interested in Kai's answer.

Kai considered his response carefully. He didn't want to worry his companions, but he also knew they deserved some explanation. "It's related to the Crimson Phoenix Sect and the upcoming war," he said finally. "But that's all I can say. Don't worry about me – you should focus on your own preparations."

He turned to Zhi-Zhi, offering the spirit tortoise a smile. "Good luck with your breakthrough, Zhi-Zhi. I'm sure you'll do great."

With that Kai dismissed them, and made his way back to his quarters. Whilst he walked, his mind was focused on Wang Lin's peculiar behavior. The sudden shifts in mood, the cryptic warnings, the unreadable expressions - it all seemed so... bizarre.

Is this what happens when a cultivator reaches the Nascent Soul realm? Do they all become this... strange?

He'd heard rumors, of course. Whispers among the junior disciples about how the truly powerful cultivators were often eccentric, their behavior unpredictable and sometimes unsettling. But he'd always attributed those stories to exaggeration and awe.

Now, having experienced Wang Lin's mercurial temperament firsthand, Kai wasn't so sure.

Maybe it's a side effect of the cultivation process. All that power, the separation of one's soul... perhaps it changes a person in ways we can't understand at lower levels.

He thought back to other high-level cultivators he'd encountered. The Sect Master, with his enigmatic smiles and piercing gaze. Elder Xiao, with his unhealthy obsession with alchemy. Not to mention, the mysterious old man roleplaying as a homeless janitor.

But Wang Lin is only twenty, Kai reminded himself. He hasn't had decades or centuries for power to warp his mind. Unless... unless the process of reaching Nascent Soul so young is what caused this strangeness.

The thought was both fascinating and terrifying. If this was the price of power, was it worth it? To become so detached, so inscrutable to others?

Kai shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. I'm getting ahead of myself. I've only had one conversation with Wang Lin. Maybe he was just having an off day. Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

But deep down, Kai knew he was grasping at straws. His instincts told him there was more to Wang Lin's behavior than mere eccentricity. Whether it was the result of reaching Nascent Soul or something else entirely, Kai couldn't shake the feeling that he was dealing with a person - or perhaps a being - far more complex and potentially dangerous than he'd initially realized.

I'll need to be on my guard, Kai decided. Not just against external threats, but against the possible instability of my own allies. If this is what awaits at higher levels of cultivation, I'll need to prepare myself mentally as well as physically.

With these sobering thoughts, Kai reached his quarters. He had three days to prepare for the mission, and now he had a new aspect to consider in his training. How does one prepare to work alongside a potentially unstable genius?