The Mission Hall stood at the heart of the inner grounds—a squat, imposing building with walls etched in glowing contribution point tallies. Disciples streamed in and out, tokens in hand, faces a mix of determination and fatigue. The air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and faint qi residue from returned slips, voices drifted together in a low, endless murmur beneath everything else.
Lin Wei entered quietly, his seventh-rank token granting him access to the outer and inner disciple boards. Missions were grouped by difficulty: Low for beginners (simple herb gathering, minor patrols—low points, low risk); Medium for steady progress (beast subjugation, escort duties—decent points, moderate danger); High for the bold (exploration of forbidden areas, clearing threats—high points, high mortality).
Core disciples had their own sealed board, missions tied to sect secrets and realm-shaking tasks.
Lin Wei needed points—urgently. The breakthrough to Middle Qi Refining demanded better fuel: high-grade spirit stones from the academy exchange, elixirs to refine his qi, perhaps even rare materials to nurture the Celestial Frost Fox Egg's bond. Low rewards wouldn't cut it.
He scanned the Low board first: "Collect 10 Spirit Grass bundles from the outer woods." 50 points. Safe, but trivial.
Ignored.
Medium: "Escort caravan to Jade Sparrow Town." 250 points. Group effort, predictable threats.
Not enough.
The High board loomed at the back, guarded by an elder attendant who eyed him with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
"Seventh rank," the elder rumbled. "Ambitious. But High missions are group-rated for a reason—outer and inner disciples team up. Lone attempts... end poorly."
Lin Wei nodded politely but scanned the slips anyway.
As he browsed, a cluster of outer disciples nearby huddled around the board, their voices carrying in hushed tones. One, a lanky boy with a fresh scar across his cheek, pointed at a worn slip near the top.
"Look at that one—the Blackthorn Ravine serpent nest. Still up there after all this time. 1500 points? That's a fortune."
A girl beside him, her robe marked with inner disciple embroidery, snorted. "Fortune or funeral. Luo Chen took it last season—peak Qi Refining, top of the inner ranks. Came back half-dead, raving about venom that eats your qi from the inside. Said the serpents move like shadows, strike without sound. And that orchid in the core? Guarded by a queen beast at Foundation Establishment."
The lanky boy shuddered. "Heard the ravine's cursed too—natural formations trap you in mist, make you relive your worst fears. No one's touched it since. Even teams won't go; they say the serpents' aura poisons the air, turns your own qi against you."
Another disciple, shorter and stockier, leaned in. "Remember when that group of five inners tried a similar ravine mission last year? Only two came back, and one lost his cultivation entirely. Blackthorn's worse—full nest, hundreds of the things. The Guardian Spirit Orchid's valuable, sure—refines poison resistance, boosts qi purity—but worth dying for? No way."
The girl nodded. "Rumors say the queen's venom can dissolve meridians in seconds. Luo Chen only survived because he had a family heirloom talisman. Without it... gone. And now with the rankings fresh, everyone's too busy scheming alliances to risk it."
Lin Wei listened without turning, filing away the details. The whispers painted a vivid picture: Blackthorn Ravine wasn't just dangerous; it was a graveyard for the overconfident.
The elder attendant caught his gaze lingering on the slip. "Thinking about that one, boy? Listen to them—it's no joke. Luo Chen's still recovering in seclusion. The serpents are cunning; they lure you in with illusions, then strike from the dark. The ravine's fog alone can disorient a Qi Refining cultivator for hours."
Lin Wei reached for the slip anyway: "Clear the Venomous Shadow Serpent Nest in Blackthorn Ravine. Retrieve the Guardian Spirit Orchid at its core. Reward: 1500 contribution points. Note: Senior Inner Disciple Luo Chen aborted due to severe poisoning—near-fatal."
Untouched for months.
The elder snorted. "That one's a death trap. Luo Chen's a prodigy, peak Qi Refining, and he came back half-dead. No team's touched it since. You thinking of going solo?"
Lin Wei took the slip. "Yes."
A hush fell over the nearby disciples as he registered it. The elder stamped his token with a shake of his head. "Your funeral. Seven-day limit. Return with the orchid—or don't return."
Gasps rippled from the cluster.
"He's taking the serpent nest?"
"Suicide for an outer disciple. Seventh rank or not, that's madness."
The lanky boy whispered louder. "Blackthorn Ravine? That's suicide. The serpents aren't just beasts—they're like ghosts. Venom that rots your flesh, nests in twisted caves where the mist chokes your qi. And the queen... Foundation Early, they say, with eyes that hypnotize. Luo Chen lost three meridians to her bite."
The girl crossed her arms. "Heard the orchid only blooms under the queen's guard—absorbs the venom aura, makes it a top-grade treasure for poison cultivators. But getting it? Impossible alone. Last team that tried got wiped out by the pack's coordinated strikes. They hunt like wolves, but silent as death."
The stocky one nodded. "Rumors say the ravine was an ancient battlefield—residual resentful qi makes the serpents mutate, grow smarter. Luo Chen said he saw illusions of his dead family, distracting him long enough for the bite. No wonder no one's claimed those 1500 points."
Lin Wei pocketed the slip, ignoring the stares. The rumors were useful—venom, illusions, pack tactics, a queen at Foundation Early. He would need countermeasures.
But 1500 points—enough for top-grade spirit stones, elixirs to solidify his realm.
He left the hall, whispers trailing him like smoke.
Outside, the sun climbed higher, but a chill lingered in his thoughts. Blackthorn Ravine wasn't just a mission; it was a test of everything he'd built so far.
First, though: preparation.
Footwork. Speed. Survival.
The library called.