Several hours later.
Xin was working on isolating his cauldron. Wu Xiaoyun distributed her stash of combat medicine, which included some stimulants and blood stoppage pills. Everyone was idling around, helping with filtering water or sharpening their weapons. The whole squad was bracing for the impending battle, and the morale was mixed.
"Xin, am I doing it right?" Wu Lei was manipulating the energy in his belly to activate the isolation materials. They would help him nullify the elemental conflict of fire and metal.
"You've practiced it a hundred times, of course you are. It's not a hard technique. Go bother master Taowei, I am busy boiling the elemental essence."
"Oh, sorry for asking you how to improve my chances! It's not like we will all die if I don't break through!" Lei rolled his eyes as he sat on his bedroll in the lotus pose.
"Oh! Fuck off! You and your protagonism again!" Murong Zhan got irritated. "Just do your thing with your mouth shut."
"I feel like your negativity is disrupting my human qi, reducing our chances of survival. Aw!" Lei twisted a meridian on accident, and his stomach ached.
"Stop talking, you brat!" Master Taowei intervened. "We'll correct your behaviour later, focus on planting the reinforcement materials. Why aren't you in that root room?"
"I am waiting for Xin to finish boiling the essence. We still need to activate the root to create a more favourable environment. And I need his advice here, as he refused to boil the crystals in that room."
"I'll pour this cauldron on you at this rate." Xin said. "I am not carrying the boiling liquid through the tunnels, you'll have to wait. Almost done, anyway."
Wu Xiaoyun raised her hand:
"Think all you need to do now is just stir, can I overtake the process? In the meantime, you could lead disciple Lei to the breakthrough room."
"Fine." Xin handed her his pestle, which he used for stirring. His metal spoon would be dissolved in seconds. "Make sure not to breach the buffer, the liquid will destroy the cauldron in seconds."
"Don't worry, brother Xin. You can go."
Xin nodded.
"Wait a second, people! Let's go through the breakthrough checklist!" Master Taowei said.
"Fine. Lei, go on." Xin pointed at his friend, who just finished activating the supporting materials.
"So, my elemental conflict is temporarily suppressed. I feel like my qi pool is larger now, but this effect won't last long if I don't break through. Oh, checklist. Right. Time of the year — late spring is good for metal, a bit bad for fire. What else..."
Xin understood how overwhelming keeping track of two elements was when breaking through. In the case of contradictory elements like fire and metal, the process was even more complicated.
"Physical state?" Xin helped him.
"Yep, so I took the medicine for my lungs, and I'll use Molten Heart during the breakthrough. Should be enough."
He is stressing his vessels severely with this approach, Xin thought. He's young, he can afford it. The earth qi gains should be substantial, though.
"Metal element powder for the skin, syringe with fiery lingzhi extract for my veins — ready. The compound materials for my core — ready. Consumption order checklist — ready."
"Good, student. Go on." Master Taowei nodded.
"Ehhh..." Lei scratched his temple. What next?
"Spare glass flasks to refine the bodily fluids." Xin reminded him.
"Yeah, I borrowed some from the lab when we sold it, hehehe. What's next in the list? Food? Sadly, no qi active foods. No special sensory stimuli either. No enchanted music, no specialised pavilion. Will make do with that room."
"You will. I made do outside, while fighting." Rui Ming said. Xin scowled. It's harsh to measure people by your standards, Windsplitter.
"Well, it was a storm, probably a qi active one, I'd say you got lucky, that whole manor was like a breakthrough pavilion." Xin pointed out. "Whatever. Next?"
"Time of day." Lei answered. "No fucking idea what time it is, with these gods forsaken caves, and there is no good time of day for contradictory element breakthroughs anyway. Anything I'm forgetting?"
"Feng Shui." Xin reminded him.
"Let him figure this out. Back off." Master Taowei warned Xin. He was worried that Xin's overprotectiveness would inhibit Lei's confidence.
"We can't afford to waste time. I am reminding him. He makes his own decisions."
"Xin, I am fine, thanks. Feng Shui... The directions of the rooms, the tunnels, it's all a mess, but I hope the qi active room makes up for it. The cave itself is earth element, and feeds my metal element. The forest above and the root are wood, and feed my fire element. That's pretty good, given the circumstances."
"Your verdict, disciple?" Master Taowei asked.
"Think my breakthrough is average at best. Add the feather, and it's a high quality breakthrough, though. Think we can improve my circumstances somehow?"
Tu Qiang raised his hand.
"Look, it's just a wild idea, but it could work, in theory. Dual cultivation."
"What?" Lei chuckled, slightly nervously. "The fuck are you on? Xin said it's a joke."
"Not necessarily. See..." He looked at Yao Nang, then turned back to Lei. "When I and Nang were together, I looked some of this stuff up. There are some techniques that can replace proper nutrition, and the lack of stuff like Feng Shui and the correct environment can be compensated through some sex positions..."
"This is weird. I am always down to fuck, but are you sure?"
"Look, in normal circumstances, the effect is almost negligible, but in our suboptimal case, this could slightly contribute."
"How slightly?" Lei furrowed his brows.
"Well, you'd need a donor anyway..." Everyone was confused as Tu Qiang spoke. "I don't know how it works with dual element breakthroughs, but with fire element, it would be optimal if you were reinforced by wood." Wu Xiaoyun's stirring of the liquid slowed down.
"Eh... okay? So, for my metal element, it's earth? What are the gains? Will it work?"
"Wait, does it mean that Lei will have to have sex with sister Xiaoyun if we use this method? And Nang, as she's earth element?" Murong Zhan asked.
"To be precise, Xin, Tu Qiang and master Taowei also fit the description." Rui Ming commented.
"The fuck? I am dual element, not wood! And you won't make me fuck Lei!" Xin was agitated.
"In this method, you'd be penetrated..." Tu Qiang corrected him.
"Hey, are you suggesting that I become a fag? Windshitter, are you crazy?" Lei gestured expansively, irritated. Rui Ming just shrugged.
"I am not sure if you are genuinely grasping for straws or just want Lei to fuck your ex-girlfriend, Tu Qiang." Xin said. "This whole idea is stupid! The other potential 'donors' aren't breaking through, did you account for that? Lei's body will be toxic, and you'll also exhaust everyone involved. No one trained for this, and we don't know a lot of the specifics of this method. You still haven't stated what the gains are, since you don't know for sure. You've only made your research for two earth path masters, not this extremely complex situation. Forcing people into having sex will also destroy the squad's morale. This is weird and wrong on many levels, we aren't doing it. End of story."
"Thank you, brother Xin." Yao Nang said. "I can't believe we even considered this for a moment."
"I... I am just trying to help! Didn't you say we have to use every option we have? I gave you this option. You don't like it? Fine. Fuck off." Tu Qiang looked offended, his calm facade was finally cracking.
"Way to go, Xin! You ruined my threesome with these beautiful girls, at least I could have had some fun before I died. Don't worry, girls, I'll court you properly once we are done with this gig. You'll be free to decline, of course! I am a true gentleman, I won't use saving your lives as an excuse to pressure you into anything!"
"It's not like anyone seriously considered this, you idiot. You are too creepy anyway, go and break through, you buffoon." Wu Xiaoyun said without even looking at him.
"Ha, you're alright. Why do I get all excited when women insult me?"
"Attachment issues, caused by an unhealthy childhood. Scram."
"Alright, alright! Sorry!" Lei laughed and went away. Xin followed him.
"Can't believe we spent our time on this shit." Xin was still irritated.
"Whatever, it was fun seeing Tu Qiang exposed as a degenerate. So, got any thoughts on how to 'milk' that tree?"
"Talked to Wu Xiaoyun, she says I'd have to tickle it, give it a cup of sugared water to drink and stick my finger inside."
"Ha, make sure it doesn't jizz that fire element liquid all over you. Can you do it?"
"I can, but I don't like this method. Too long to explain why. We'll burn the root. You'll extract the juices yourself."
"Deal."
Some time later, the pair entered the root room again.
Xin approached the ancient tree root, then gave a wooden bowl to Lei:
"Don't spill a drop. Shit's valuable. Hold it below the root. Here." He kept it around his chest's height.
Lei nodded.
Xin grabbed the root, and pulled it towards himself, stretching it as far as possible.
Woodcutter's Downswing!
A small dent emerged on the root.
"Damn, it's durable..." Xin was annoyed.
"Do you even have enough qi?"
"Shut up, it gets better if I hit the same point again."
Woodcutter's Downswing!
Woodcutter's Downswing!
The root was cut off, and the stump started leaking potent qi active juices.
"Hahaha, that's some liquid gold!" Lei was delighted.
"Let me." Xin dipped a finger into the wooden bowl and licked it. "That's some potent stuff. Wish I could use it, but fine, you can boil it all. Make sure not to inhale too many fumes, the material can get toxic. Place the fire with the root a bit further away from you."
"Sure. Anything else?"
Clang. A muffled sound, but still too familiar. The mantis was destroying the barricade again.
"Heh, we're on borrowed time now." Xin looked into Lei's eyes. His friend looked as determined as ever.
"I've got the thingie." Lei pulled out a Vermillion bird's feather out of his bag of holding. "I'll be fine. We'll be fine. You can go."
Xin attuned to the qi flow in this room again. The energy that spread around it felt rather potent.
He nodded and disappeared into the tunnels. Xin wanted to say something friendly like "I believe in you" or "please take care", but felt too embarrassed, so he just left.
Clang.
Clang.