"What!? You wish to join Warrior of Spring?"
Silver Extreme remarked that as his composure faltered, he beckoned to Sun for his reasoning.
"To be honest with you, senior, I am not proficient in defensive Dao Arts. I am much more attuned to offensive Dao Arts, or, at least, healing Dao Arts."
"I would serve little purpose in a defensive role; therefore, the expedition to Corpse Mountain is better suited to my prospects."
"Also... I wish to further my experience and skills, I want to become stronger. Fighting against the tides would serve me much better than resisting them..."
Silver Extreme seemed troubled; he didn't care too much about this Junior, but considering Immortal Union's order, he seemed to be connected to Dawn.
Warrior of Spring had wide eyes, appearing surprised, but he was inwardly glad on the inside.
'There is still hope!'
'This Junior! I don't know what relationship he has with Junior Dawn, but they are connected to some extent. Immortal Union assigned them to the same group personally.'
'If I successfully rope this Junior onto my side, maybe I can use him to entice the other to join my side!'
Capitalising on that thought, Warrior of Spring let out a hearty laugh and patted Sun on the back.
"Well spoken, Junior! I will gladly welcome you with open arms, I respect someone with ambition!"
Sun smiled awkwardly. He didn't understand this closeness, but chose to play along meekly.
Silver Extreme caught on and rebuked the two of them.
"Junior! This can't be! We have already formed groups on fair terms!"
"Hahaha, why so bitter, friend Silver Extreme? Junior Sun here wasn't given a choice, and this is the choice he is making. You even asked for his decision!"
"..."
He was unable to retort. Warrior of Spring was right, but Silver Extreme understood his scheme and still tried to retaliate.
"Don't forget, these choices are not definite, we do not understand Lord Immortal Union's intentions."
"Hmph! I believe we can get this appealed! We shall wait!"
Warrior of Spring's confidence soared. Silver Extreme refused to give up, too.
Dawn's sudden reveal about possessing a Qi Trait shook their worlds.
It was more than simply a unique effect of one's Qi.
Qi Traits are seldom seen in the Cultivator World, especially below State Cultivation.
Usually, when someone breaches their Second Breakthrough and steps into the world of State cultivation, they can refine their Qi and produce a unique property.
However, not every State Cultivator has developed a Qi Trait yet, due to its difficulty and the profundity behind it.
It requires a fundamental understanding of Qi, especially of Human Qi, and the concept behind Dao Arts and transmutation.
Dawn is a wielder of a Qi Trait, despite not being a State Cultivator.
Her talent is not only tremendous, but her understanding and application of Qi is equally incredible.
Silver Extreme and Warrior of Spring are both State Cultivators, yet they haven't refined a Qi Trait yet.
The former is a Disciple of Union Settlement, one of the few Disciples of the Settlement, and a specialist in metal-related Dao Arts.
The latter is a member of the Veil Forest Settlement's Four Seasons Cultivators, one of the two State Cultivators of the group, and a specialist in plant-related Dao Arts.
Yet among Union Settlement and Veiled Forest Settlement, neither of them has a Cultivator with a Qi Trait.
They have been struggling to refine a Qi Trait with their own methods, and had no one else to rely on.
Dawn was the first wielder of a Qi Trait they had met, besides the Immortals.
They wouldn't dare ask an Immortal for aid, nor could they; their presence was too meagre to be paid attention to.
Yet, they could request aid from Dawn.
With her aid, they could finally break through this bottleneck and refine a Qi Trait.
This is what made them so competitive.
Refining a Qi Trait was a lengthy process, usually taking months to refine.
Dawn, with the guidance of Immortal Defiance, was able to refine her Qi Trait after two months. Although achieving this as a Second Foundation Cultivator was no less than incredible.
There was no way for Silver Extreme or Warrior of Spring to shorten the refinement time; it would be impossible to shorten it to three nights.
Due to the tides of beasts and Spirits, they would be separated for weeks, neither party was willing to wait this long to rejoin.
With such a significant benefit before them, how could they not be competitive?
Silver Extreme and Warrior of Spring were fighting for their own cultivation prospects.
Dawn had long since caught on, but was now distracted by something else.
"Sun, what are you doing...?"
For the first time, even through her sparring match, Dawn's expression subtly fell.
She wasn't expecting Sun to make this decision. He solemnly met her questioning gaze.
Warrior of Spring did not overlook the nuance in Dawn's voice and expression and laughed inwardly.
'So there is some sort of connection! This is good news, good news indeed!'
Before he could speak up, Dawn calmly asked the two State Cultivators to give them some space.
The other two nodded, with different emotions and thoughts swirling through their minds. Golden Eagle also took the hint and moved away.
They backed away and decided to attend to the rest of the Cultivators.
Dawn led Sun to walk deeper into the courtyard, secluding themselves.
The gentle starlight began to dim. The end of Early Hour had finally come to pass.
Falling Hour commenced.
The soft rustling of leaves and the whispers of the winds fill the air, granting them a mask of privacy in this otherwise silent courtyard.
Dawn simply addressed Sun in her usual, calm voice.
"Why have you made this decision, Sun?"
"..."
He thought for a moment before replying, a subtle emotion laced his voice.
"Don't you remember what happened when we fled our home? The first night after we left, the beasts that attacked us savaged our people."
"The night after, I only came to realise just how many people we had lost. Fifty-two lives lost, and another sixty-five on the fleeting border of life and death."
"I worked hard to save as many of them as I could. The night after, the third night, it was all for nothing... We lost one hundred and seventeen people in an instant."
Dawn felt a little poke at her heart. Of course, she cared deeply for those people, but she was also the one who put each of them down.
That fact lingered in her mind, but it was pushed far back in her mind.
Sun continued, looking through a teary veil which belied his firm tone.
"I... I don't hate you or Selene for what happened to them. I hate myself for not being strong enough to fight back... If I were strong enough, if I could fight, would I not prevent people from being injured?"
"If I were powerful, we would not lose anyone. If I were an Immortal, would I not be able to fight off those Demons? It all lies in strength, the capability to attack."
"This expedition... it feels like a chance for redemption. I couldn't take action the last time. I couldn't stop them from taking the lives of our people."
"But... this would also be a chance for redemption for you, too, right?"
Dawn shook. Sun understood her intentions and emotions as deeply as she understood his. Still, she rebuked.
"Joining Silver Extreme on the expedition to Iron Mountain Quarry Settlement, we can redeem ourselves together, no? Why must you join Warrior of Spring?"
"...That is because of the differences between our expeditions... Defending, opposed to attacking. I don't think I could spare a single beast I come across..."
Sun did not like the idea proposed by Immortal Union, which focused on salvaging the beasts to preserve their population and rehabilitate the affected environments.
These tides of beasts and Spirits threaten human life; if they haven't already harmed human life, how could Sun let them go?
His hatred might be unrightly exacted against the 'innocent' beasts, but that was not something he was concerned with.
Dawn paused for a moment, silently understanding Sun's choice.
Sun broke the silence and addressed the main issue that both of them were concerned with.
"Dawn, I understand what you said to Warrior of Spring, but... would you reconsider? You could join me, we could still fight against the tides and redeem ourselves."
"..."
Dawn's expression fell solemn. She didn't want to separate from Sun, especially after Selene separated from them. Eventually, Dawn spared a gentle smile.
"I think you know what my answer is..."
Sun merely chuckled in response.
"I still had to try..."
"..."
"Even if we are apart, I will survive. I won't be taken down so easily."
Sun also did not want to separate, but their 'Ways' led them down different roads.
There was a chance of losing each other, nothing promised that they would meet again, especially after this tide of beasts of Spirits.
They understood that, but they couldn't stop themselves.
Dawn consoled him.
"I understand, just don't leave me waiting for Selene alone, okay?"
...