Stepping out of his room, Lei Ming was greeted by the spectacular view of the towering Heavenly Sky Mountain, with peaks reaching well beyond the clouds.
Now that he was an official outer sect disciple, and his system had finally awoken, he had the time to properly absorb his surroundings.
Rumble.
'Ah, it's been a while since I've had something to eat.' Hearing his stomach argue for food, Lei Ming hurried out of the dorm courtyard and onto the main path.
A common misconception among mortals of this world was that cultivators did not require food. While this was true for those in the later stages of their cultivation, those only in Qi Refining still needed to eat regularly.
Because of their change, from mortals to engaging on the path of immortality, they actually required more food than normal in order to make up for energy lost during cultivation.
As he walked down the main path, Lei Ming realized he actually had no clue where to go to get food.
Heavenly Sky Mountain was massive, and the fact that he skipped out on the basic explanations of where everything was left him as lost as a headless chicken.
Suddenly, the distant sounds of clashing metal and raised voices caught his attention. Curious, Lei Ming turned his head toward the commotion and saw two disciples engaged in what appeared to be a heated fight near the training grounds. A small crowd had gathered around them, watching intently.
One of the disciples, a tall and muscular youth, was clearly dominating the fight, his powerful strikes forcing the other disciple—a slimmer, younger boy—onto the defensive. The younger boy struggled to hold his ground, his face twisted in determination despite the obvious difference in their strengths.
"You think you can just get away without returning my spirit stones!" the taller disciple shouted, his voice full of anger. "I'll take a limb for each stone missing!"
The younger disciple gritted his teeth and blocked another heavy blow. "I didn't take your spirit stones! Ask Hu Feng! He was there when they were taken by the Yellow Wind Gang!"
The crowd murmured in discussion upon hearing the younger disciple's words, though it was unclear who was telling the truth.
Just as the fight seemed to be reaching a critical point, an elder walking by noticed the commotion and approached with a stern expression. The elder's mere presence caused the two disciples to pause, their weapons lowered but tension still crackling in the air.
"What's going on here?" the elder demanded, his voice carrying authority.
The taller disciple, clearly not wanting to incur the elder's wrath, quickly spoke up. "Elder, we have a… disagreement to settle. But we were just about to head to the Martial Arena to resolve it properly."
The elder's eyes narrowed as he glanced between the two. "Very well. The Martial Arena exists for a reason—use it. But remember, no life-threatening injuries are to be inflicted, or you'll answer to the sect's Justice Hall."
Both disciples nodded and bowed, though the tension between them was palpable. The elder gave a final warning glance before walking away, leaving the crowd to murmur among themselves.
Lei Ming, intrigued by the mention of the Martial Arena, made a mental note to check it out later. But first, he needed to satisfy his hunger. He approached a nearby disciple who had been watching the fight with keen interest.
"Excuse me," Lei Ming began, trying to sound casual. "Can you tell me what just happened there? And, uh, what exactly is the Martial Arena?"
The disciple, a stocky youth with a slightly surprised expression, turned to Lei Ming. "You don't know about the Martial Arena? Weren't you here on the first day when the elders explained everything?"
Lei Ming scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Uh, I might have… missed that part."
The disciple chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, you missed an important bit, then. The Martial Arena is where disciples go to settle arguments or test their skills against each other. It's a controlled environment, with elders overseeing the fights to ensure no one gets seriously injured. It's the only place in the sect where you're allowed to duel freely."
Lei Ming couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The Martial Arena sounded like the perfect place for him to get some enlightenment points. Maybe he could even provoke some of the other hot-head disciples and force them to place a wager.
Lei Ming nodded, absorbing the information. "Interesting… And what was that fight about?"
"I don't know either," the disciple replied with a shrug. "Senior Brother Wei must have tried to commission Senior Brother Liu to help with a task or buy something and Senior Brother Liu appears to have lost the spirit stones."
Lei Ming took note of all of this and began to scheme in his head about some tricks he might be able to pull off. Before he could get too carried away though, his stomach growled again, reminding him of his immediate needs.
"By the way," Lei Ming added, trying not to sound too desperate, "do you know where I can get some food around here?"
The disciple laughed. "Ah, you really are new, aren't you? The mess hall is where all outer sect disciples eat. Just follow this path," he pointed down the road, "and take the first left. You'll see a big building with a bunch of people going in and out—that's the place."
Lei Ming thanked the disciple and hurried off in the direction he pointed out, eager to finally get some food.
He wanted to eat quickly and then head over to the Martial Arena to see what it was all about.
…
5 minutes later.
Lei Ming finally made it to the Mess Hall.
'Woah, something smells delicious in there!'
The smell wafting from the hall was aromatic as if one could taste the food just by the smell lingering in the air.
With his mouth beginning to water, Lei Ming wasted no time and sprinted to the hall, ignoring the weird looks other disciples gave him along the way.
The hall was packed with people, so much so that it was almost impossible to find a seat among the long wooden tables and benches inside.
Disciples lined up on the east side of the hall in an orderly fashion, directed by the workers to the counter where each one would receive a portion of steamed rice and the day's selection of meat, usually provided by slain demonic beasts whose meat was high in nutrients.
This was just for the ordinary outer sect disciples, however.
Those geniuses would all have personal chefs provided by the sect that would provide them with spirit-infused dishes which were a great boon to their cultivation.
To Lei Ming, all of this meant little. Right now he was focused on the meal in front of him.
After receiving his portion at the counter, he walked away in search of a place to sit and eat quickly.
Lei Ming scanned the hall for an open seat, but it seemed every table was packed with disciples chatting and eating. Just as he was about to resign himself to eating while standing, he spotted a familiar face in the distance—Bai Yuelin. She was seated with a small group of friends, all of them laughing and chatting animatedly.
Without much care for the decorum or the whispers that might follow, Lei Ming decided to head straight toward them. He didn't care about maintaining "face" in this situation—he was more concerned with finding a place to sit and eat. After all, Bai Yuelin was the closest thing he had to a friend in this massive sect.
As he approached, Bai Yuelin noticed him out of the corner of her eye. Her lively expression shifted to one of surprise, quickly followed by a composed smile. With a subtle gesture, she leaned in toward her friends and whispered something. They all turned to look at Lei Ming, then back at her, before exchanging knowing glances.
"Well, it looks like we'll catch up later, Yuelin," one of the girls teased, a sly grin on her face.
Another giggled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yes, we wouldn't want to intrude on… whatever this is."
Bai Yuelin waved them off, her face maintaining a calm demeanor. "I'll see you all later," she said, her tone casual. The girls, still grinning and whispering among themselves, got up from the table, glancing back at Bai Yuelin and Lei Ming as they walked away.
"The usually icy princess Bai Yuelin is talking to a man for the first time?" one of the girls whispered loudly enough for others nearby to hear.
The other nodded, her voice just as loud. "I wonder what's going on. Maybe there's more to this new guy than we thought."
Their gossiping sent a ripple of murmurs through the hall, and more disciples began taking notice of the unusual sight.
Lei Ming, however, seemed entirely unconcerned with the attention. He casually slid into the now-empty seat across from Bai Yuelin, as if none of the gossip or stares mattered in the slightest.
Bai Yuelin raised an eyebrow at his nonchalant attitude but said nothing, merely gesturing for him to start eating. "You certainly don't waste time," she remarked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Lei Ming shrugged, digging into his food. "Why would I? It's not like I'm doing anything wrong by sitting with the only person I semi-know here."
She nodded, an understanding smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "True. Though you might have just caused quite a stir."
Lei Ming glanced around at the disciples still sneaking glances at their table, but he quickly dismissed it. "Let them talk. I'm here for the food, not their approval."
Bai Yuelin chuckled softly. "You have a point. I suppose it's refreshing to talk to someone who doesn't get all flustered around me."
They continued eating in companionable silence for a few moments before the conversation picked up again. Bai Yuelin asked about his experiences since joining the sect, and Lei Ming shared a few anecdotes about his first day, including the encounter with the fighting disciples and his curiosity about the Martial Arena.
Their conversation flowed easily, and Lei Ming found himself enjoying the rare moment of calm in what had been a whirlwind of a day.
But as they talked, the doors to the mess hall swung open, and a new figure entered—a tall, well-built disciple with a face etched in irritation. His eyes scanned the hall until they landed on the sight of Bai Yuelin sitting with Lei Ming. His expression darkened instantly, a scowl pulling at his lips.
The disciple was Lin Tao, one of the more prominent figures among the outer sect disciples, known for his quick temper and fierce competitive streak. He had long harbored feelings for Bai Yuelin, though she had never shown any interest in return. Seeing her sitting and chatting so casually with Lei Ming sent a wave of jealousy surging through him.
Lin Tao's hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he gritted his teeth as he watched them, barely restraining his anger.
Lei Ming, however, remained blissfully unaware of the seething figure standing at the entrance. He continued his conversation with Bai Yuelin, oblivious to the storm he had caused.