Days passed one after another, and Lian fell into a steady routine.
Martial training with Instructor Lin.
Cultivation instruction under Master Maung.
Occasional spars to earn contribution points.
Every now and then, he would train with Bo Yung in flight techniques, though those sessions proved especially difficult. At most, Lian could only manage short bursts of flight before losing balance and control.
Balancing point-earning, exploring the sect, and enduring Bo Yung's training was exhausting—but he pushed through it regardless.
Yet something bothered him.
To his surprise, the last time he had seen Bo Yung was the day he entered the sect. From that point onward, his master had been completely absent.
"Big brother… when is Master coming back?" Lian would ask from time to time.
And every time, he received the same answer.
"He's out on a top-tier mission," Bo Yung would reply.
"But he'll be back soon."
But soon never seemed to come.
Then, at last, the day arrived for Lian to make his first official contribution.
During practice one morning, Instructor Lin called out sharply.
"Bo Lian. Wang Gu. Bo Ming. Xiao Bao. Dong Feng."
The five of them straightened immediately.
"I've received a mission from the elders," Instructor Lin said, tossing each of them a jade slip.
"Prepare yourselves. You depart tomorrow."
Lian pressed the jade against his forehead, absorbing the briefing.
Mission Location: Yùzhàn
Task: Investigation
Details: Residents in the area have been disappearing. Determine the cause. If possible, locate and recover the missing individuals.
A spark of excitement lit in Lian's eyes.
"So, this is it…" he thought.
"My first mission outside the sect."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"I finally get to go outside, I wonder how different the outside world really is."
Later that evening, Lain spent all his remaining time cultivating when, suddenly, he heard a knock on the door.
"Younger brother, it's me, open up." A familiar voice demanded, knocking heavily on the door. Lain stood up, walking towards the door.
"HA, Brother Bo, what—" before Lian could even finish his sentence.
"Here—take this," Bo Yung said, shoving something into Lian's hands.
"What's this?" Lian asked, turning the small box over.
"Open it," Yung urged, his eyes practically gleaming.
"What's he so excited about? It is making me nervous," Lian thought as he lifted the lid.
Inside lay a silvery vest.
He picked it up carefully. It was soft to the touch, yet firm beneath his fingers—flexible, but unmistakably resilient. Lian fully unfolded it, the faint sheen of tough leather catching the light.
"It's inner armour," Bo Yung said proudly.
"It's made from a sixth-tier Shalom Beast. I commissioned it from the Alchemy Pavilion."
Lian's eyes widened slightly.
"It can withstand a single full-force attack from a Martial Sovereign," Yung added.
Lian held it up, feeling its weight—or rather, the lack of it.
"Thank you, brother," Lian said sincerely.
"But… why such a gift all of a sudden?"
Bo Yung scratched the back of his head, smiling awkwardly.
"Well… I just received news that you're heading out on your first mission today. Consider it a congratulatory gift."
Then his expression darkened.
"But I've also heard some worrying rumours," he continued, lowering his voice.
"The Wang brothers have been talking about you."
Lian's brows knit together.
"I think they're plotting something," Yung said grimly.
"So be careful out there."
"Thank you for the gift—and the warning, brother. I'll keep what you said in mind. And… thank you again for the armour. I will cherish it."
Lian took a short bow. Bo Yung waved his hand dismissively and turned away.
"Huuu…" Lian exhaled slowly.
"Wang Gu said something similar…" he thought.
"So they're finally beginning to make their move."
"I was wondering why nothing had happened yet.
They must have been waiting for the right moment."
And a mission outside the sect…
"If something happens, they can easily chalk it up to an 'accident'."
Lian walked over to the mirror and removed his robes, slipping the inner armour beneath them.
It was cold against his skin at first, but the feeling quickly settled into something firm and reassuring—like a quiet layer of protection wrapped around him.
"I'll have to properly thank Brother Yung someday," Lian thought as he adjusted his robes back into place.
"He's helped me more than once.
If there really is an ambush waiting…
Then I need a trump card."
He reached into his Spirit Book, flipping through its contents.
"Back when I was organising everything, I remember seeing some array panels…
I wonder if they could be useful."
That night, Lian buried himself in research, studying the array plates in detail and preparing countermeasures.
He didn't even get a chance to rest.
"Brother Lian," a soft voice called out.
"Ahh… damn. It's already morning," Lian muttered.
"Lately I've been losing track of time."
He stretched lightly.
"But still… now that my preparations are complete, as long as there aren't more than two Martial Sovereigns with domains, I should be fine."
Lian stood up, returning everything neatly into his Spirit Book before heading for the door.
When he opened it, he found Bo Ming standing there. Her hands were clasped behind her back, one leg swaying slightly from side to side.
"Brother… It's time to leave," she said softly. "The others are waiting for us at the gate."
Her gaze kept drifting away from him.
"So scary… just like the first time I saw him, she thought to herself."
"T-thank you," Lian replied, stuttering slightly. "Let's go."
"Damn… this is awkward, Lian thought as he walked ahead of her.
I don't think I properly acknowledged her last time. I was just pissed."
This time, using his blade, they managed to descend the mountain much faster than before.
"Brother Bo, over here!" Wang Gu called out, waving energetically.
"Good morning," Lian greeted everyone with a short nod.
The others returned the gesture in the same manner.
After a brief exchange enough to reacquaint themselves, they finally passed through the massive sect gates.
And with that, their first mission in Jangsu began.