If I wanted my ambitious ideas for this life to come to fruition, I had a lot of work to do. Designing the cultivation technique I had in mind was far beyond anything I had done before, and it would require all the time and effort I could give it.


    Still, one of my main reasons for returning to the sect was to spend more time with my friends. I had work to do to achieve my goals, but I couldn’t let that consume me entirely.


    So, after talking with the girls for a while, we agreed on a schedule. Once a week, we would all stop whatever we were doing and go out for dinner together. With that plan in place, we separated out to our individual cultivation chambers and got to work.


    <hr>


    Returning to the diagrams I had made for my cultivation technique, I carefully scanned them. There were problems with the design, I didn’t doubt that, but I needed to try it out to learn what needed to be fixed.


    The technique used twelve acupoints in the upper right arm. To figure out how to make the technique work properly, I needed to experiment with filters and other ideas, and that would take qi that my body didn’t have. So, I cultivated the Writ of True Earth in my upper left arm to advance to Martial Disciple 2.


    Then, I tried cultivating my experimental technique in my upper right arm.


    The backbone of the technique was the complex qi vortex from the Writ of True Earth.


    As for filters, two acupoints only needed basic qi filters, so they weren’t a problem.


    Three acupoints used qi-plus-metal-essence filters and three used qi-plus-lightning-essence filters. For these, I had only needed to modify the qi portion of the filter. I was familiar enough with the Writ of True Earth and earth qi filters that this didn’t pose too much of a problem. The final filter designs might not have been optimal, but I was confident they would work.


    Three of the acupoints needed two-essence filters. The designs I had come up with for these were questionable. They were essentially crude versions of the qi-plus-essence filters cut up and stitched together. Worse, there were two versions of the qi-plus-essence filters for each element, and I wasn’t always confident which one to use where. Still, I gave these filters good odds of working properly. They might not be ideal, but they should work.


    The final acupoint required a qi-plus-two-essence filter. I had no idea where to even start in designing something like that since none of the essence techniques had anything like it. After flipping through my vast library of cultivation techniques, I found a single three-element qi cultivation technique that used a type of triple filter on certain acupoints. My own design was loosely based on the structure of this filter with the details added from filters in the three essence techniques.


    Overall, the ‘technique’ I had created was a mess.


    Using qi from my left arm, I put all the filters in place and started cultivating my new technique in my right arm.


    Impurities flooded into me.


    While the pure qi and pure essence filters held, a large number of impurities leaked through the qi-plus-essence filters, and the qi-plus-two-essence filter collapsed entirely.


    I didn’t stop. Even as impurities poured into my body, I kept cultivating. As I did, I carefully inspected how both the energy entering my body and the energy being blocked by the filters were being affected by my creations.


    Once I learned everything I thought I could learn from the experience, I ceased cycling the technique. Then, I took an Energy Expulsion Pill from my storage space and swallowed it. All of the energy I had absorbed, including the cultivation base I had built in my left arm, was expelled from my body.


    Experiment #1 was a near-total failure, but I had learned from it. With that new knowledge in hand, it was time to start over from the beginning.


    <hr>


    After a week of research, as planned, I put everything down and went to have dinner with LiTing and JiaQi. We didn’t leave the manor together, though. Instead, for some reason, they arranged to meet me in the city.


    I made sure to arrive at the correct restaurant on time, and everything seemed to be going well, but when the waiter led me to a private room, opened the door, and ushered me inside, the sight that greeted me made my blood turn cold.


    LiTing gave me a seemingly beatific smile. “Fang, why don’t you sit down.”


    I awkwardly stumbled forward and grabbed a seat, but there was no way I was going to start this death trap of a conversation.


    Across the table from me, sitting shoulder to shoulder, were three young women. LiTing was on the left, and JiaQi was on the right. Sitting between them was an attendant from the Blue Wind Pavilion whom I was all too familiar with at this point, Meng LuYao.


    While Meng LuYao looked a bit uncomfortable, LiTing smiled happily, and JiaQi gave me an evil grin, enjoying my discomfort.


    “So, Fang, guess who we met.”


    I stared at JiaQi. What was I supposed to say? Was there even a proper response to that?


    LiTing put an arm around Meng LuYao.


    “Sister Yaoyao is so pretty, isn’t she? She really is the perfect image of a first disciple. I can see why you would have chosen her.”


    While LiTing’s voice was playful, I felt a deeper longing behind it that worried me. This situation was dangerous for more than one reason, and dealing with it was completely beyond me.


    In this setting, Meng LuYao lacked the confidence that I had associated with her in the past. That confidence had been built on her position as a Pavilion attendant. Here, she was just a young mortal sitting at a table with cultivators.


    LiTing’s face turned serious. “Fang, I want to ask you for a favor.”


    I held up a hand to stop her. “Wait till we get back home.”


    She nodded happily.


    After an eternity, the waiter arrived and brought us our dishes. As we ate, LiTing and JiaQi talked about trivial things and discussed how their progress had been going while Meng LuYao and I just sat there, silently taking it all in.


    Once we were finished, as I expected, LiTing pulled Meng LuYao back to our manor with us. After we were safely hidden away behind its formation, LiTing pulled me to the side to ask for her favor.


    “Fang, I want to bring LuYao with us. I feel I owe her, and she… I don’t know. I felt a connection with her the moment I saw her. She’s like the sister I never had.”


    There was no connection between the two girls. LiTing literally only knew her skin deep. Creating a deep attachment over her memories of using Meng LuYao’s appearance as a disguise for several years couldn’t be healthy. How could I diffuse this situation? Was there a way to turn her down without it causing even more issues?


    “I know, but… she’s a mortal. I don’t think she has any affinities, and even if she did, she doesn’t know anything about cultivation. She would never be able to catch up with us.”


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    LiTing bit her lip. “Can you… Can you give her my memories?”


    I immediately turned serious. “What?”


    “Give her my memories from the last cycle. That will tell her everything she needs to know. As for her affinities… we just need to find some essence for her, right? If we can get her into the sect, with my memories, she shouldn’t have any problems with the Metal Peak Trial. Not as a Grandmaster or Lord.”


    I gave her a long look.


    “If something goes wrong, it will mean the immediate end of this cycle. If she says or does something to let others know what’s going on, it’s too dangerous for all of us. Are you okay with that?”


    Tears welled up in LiTing’s eyes. I wanted to think it was an act, but I could tell that it wasn’t.


    I put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m willing to try it out, okay? Just know that this comes with a lot of risk.”


    We walked back to where JiaQi and Meng LuYao were waiting for us.


    “Miss Meng, do you know why LiTing brought you here?”


    “She… she said there was a chance I could become a cultivator.”


    “Did she tell you anything else?”


    “N… No.”


    I pinched the bridge of my nose as I felt the beginnings of a migraine. This was one of the problems with bringing people into the time loop. They would each have their own dreams and aspirations. LiTing’s desire to include Meng LuYao would only be the beginning of the problems I would face from this, not the end.


    Still, this was what I had wanted. I wanted others to take this journey with me. There would be hiccups along the way, but it would be far better than spending an eternity alone.


    After a long look at LiTing, I took a deep breath. There wasn’t a good way to handle this, so I took the best one that I could think of. If this situation was going to cause the loop to fail, better it happened as soon as possible to mitigate the fallout.


    “Miss Meng, let me explain the situation.”


    I proceeded to give her all the details about how I was looping, how I brought back LiTing’s and JiaQi’s memories, and even about how I had used her appearance as a disguise for LiTing.


    She looked at me in disbelief, but quick looks at LiTing and JiaQi confirmed my story.


    “That’s the situation. Now, LiTing wants to give you her memories from her last life. This will teach you to cultivate, and I can help you improve your affinities so that you will be able to do so. However, I will only give you her memories this one time. At the end of this life, I will store your memories of this life for you to use in the future. You won’t have anything you gained from LiTing to rely on, so you need to use her memories to practice and learn things yourself.”


    I reached into my storage space and brought out LiTing’s memory orb.


    “You need to make a choice. You can pick up this orb and accept the memories inside, or you can leave. If you wish to leave, you will not be harmed. I will ensure you are protected. However, I will erase any memories of this conversation from your mind. What do you wish to do?”


    I held the orb steady before her eyes. I could see that JiaQi and LiTing wanted to urge her to pick it up, but I shook my head slightly at them.


    Meng LuYao''s eyes were fixed on the orb.


    “This will let me become a cultivator?”


    I studied her and evaluated those words. She wanted to become a cultivator, and she might agree to anything to make that happen. That wouldn’t be good for her, and it definitely wouldn’t be good for us.


    Quickly considering my options. I returned the orb to my storage space. When it disappeared, panic crept onto Meng LuYao’s face.


    “Miss Meng, this is an important decision. You shouldn’t rush it. And even if you wish to, you cannot absorb these memories without qi.”


    I turned to JiaQi. “Take her to a side room and teach her the basics. She doesn’t need to advance, she just needs a bit of energy in her body, but the more the better. Talk with her and answer any of her questions honestly.”


    JiaQi smiled softly and moved forward to guide the other girl away, but Meng LuYao’s words caused her to stop.


    “But… I can’t cultivate. I don’t have any affinities. It’s impossible…”


    I walked forward, placed a hand on her shoulder, and subvocalized.


    “System, give Meng LuYao a peak seven-star metal affinity. Use the cheaper, temporary option.”


    There was no reason to pay ten times the price when it wouldn’t remain after this loop anyway.


    Purchase confirmed. Cost 17,760 credits. 640,049,150,650 credits remaining.


    I smiled at the girl. “There. I’ve given you enough essence to raise your metal affinity to a decent level. No matter if you choose to join us or not, it is yours. You can now become a cultivator whether you choose to join us or not.”


    This time, fear blossomed in full on her face. “What’s the cost? There’s always a cost. Especially for something like this.”


    “Don’t worry. The cost has already been paid. I used your image to disguise LiTing without your permission. That incurred a debt. I gave you this essence to repay that debt. I consider us even. Now, you can freely choose what happens in the future. Go with JiaQi, talk with her, and think carefully about your decision.”


    I motioned to JiaQi, and she led the girl away. Once they were gone, I looked at LiTing.


    “This could cause a lot of trouble, you know? If she doesn’t agree, we’re going to have to restart the cycle.”


    LiTing closed her eyes to stop tears from forming. “I know. I’m sorry. I just… The moment I met her, I felt like she could be my twin sister. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”


    I walked forward and wrapped an arm around her to comfort her.


    “Don’t worry. We’ll figure things out.”


    <hr>


    I quickly scribbled down a Low-Yellow metal cultivation technique and delivered it to the girls. It wasn’t anything amazing, but it would be enough for what they needed to do. An hour later, the two of them left their secluded cultivation and came back to talk with us.


    Meng LuYao still looked nervous, but a determined look had appeared in her eyes.


    “I want the memories.”


    I nodded silently and held the orb out to her. Following JiaQi’s guidance, Meng LuYao inserted the qi into the orb, and the memories flowed into her.


    The struggles the young woman faced when absorbing decades of memories from an unfamiliar mind were far greater than what my friends had dealt with. These memories were completely foreign to her, and they didn’t completely mesh with her psyche.


    When she was able to open her eyes and look at me, she gave me a half-smile. “Thank you, Teacher.”


    LiTing quickly stepped forward and guided Meng LuYao off to a side room.


    As I watched them go, I could only sigh. “That may have been a mistake.”


    JiaQi laughed. “So what? You’re an immortal time traveler. If anyone is allowed to make mistakes, it’s you. Don’t worry so much about it. This will make LiTing happy, and if it doesn’t work out, at least we’ll know for next time.”


    I snorted and returned to my cultivation room.


    <hr>


    Putting the situation out of my mind, I returned to working on my cultivation technique.


    Over the next month, I iterated on the filter designs several times, but making everything work properly was giving me far more trouble than I would have wished. I was making progress, but it was slow.


    It got to the point where I was considering just buying the technique I wanted from the System, but I held back. One of my main reasons for designing it myself was to receive the burst of enlightenment from creating a new technique. I wouldn’t get that if I just bought the thing.


    During this time, I kept up my appointments with the three girls. Once a week, we went out to eat together.


    At the dinner table, LiTing and JiaQi dominated the conversation. I was out of my element, and Meng LuYao was still slightly uncomfortable around us. LiTing was treating her as a sister though, and she was slowly coming around.


    This made me chuckle silently to myself. It was a difficult situation, but there was one advantage to it. Even with LiTing’s memories, Meng LuYao would need time to adapt to being a cultivator, absorb what LiTing had known, and apply it to herself. That was enough of an excuse to allow myself slightly more time to develop my technique. After all, I didn’t need to be ready until everyone else was, right?


    I felt that core piece of my soul rebel at this logic, but it couldn’t outright refute it. That meant I could delay things until JiaQi, LiTing, and Meng LuYao were all ready.


    <hr>


    At the end of our first month in the manor, Yan finally arrived and joined us.


    After meeting with the girls and introducing him to Meng LuYao, he pulled me aside for a private conversation.


    “You’re bringing her into the loops?”


    I winced slightly. “I’m going to try it. As JiaQi said, if it doesn’t work, at least we’ll know for next time.”


    Yan smirked. “Well then, I have another proposal for you.”


    A twinge in my head indicated my migraine was about to return.


    “Ning ChenKun. Consider pulling him in as well. His position makes him dangerous to keep in the loop continuously, but this would be a perfect time to bring him in. He can be a solid ally, and he has the power to back us up.”


    “Yan…”


    He held up a hand to stop me. “You’re looking to rush your advancement, right? That means you don’t intend to stick around forever. This is a good chance to bring ChenKun into the fold. Make him your subordinate, help him reach Heaven City alive, and then let him make a memory orb to store some fond memories of us. If nothing else, it will be a useful tool to have in the future.”


    He… made some solid arguments. I had told everyone that this was the life to try things. Maybe this was just one more item to add to that list.


    “I’ll think about it. I can’t make any promises.”


    “Don’t worry. ChenKun is currently focused on his time in the Academy. Let him enter the sect and see how hard it is. Without your pills, he’ll have a much harder time of it this cycle.”


    I grinned wryly in response, and we rejoined the others to discuss the merits of Yan’s idea.


    Once the meeting broke up, I returned to my room to focus on perfecting my cultivation technique. I felt like things were starting to spiral out of my control, and if I wanted to survive the fallout, I needed to be prepared.