Bai Jian stepped into the mission hall, the familiar buzz of disciples discussing completed tasks and new missions filling the air. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the hall, he spotted familiar faces — Shen Liang, Li Feng, and several other disciples from their recent mission, all gathered by the mission board.
Shen Liang noticed him first, eyes widening in surprise. "You made it out alive?" he exclaimed, a hint of shock in his voice.
Bai Jian gave a slight nod, his gaze steady. "It was… a close call," he replied calmly.
Li Feng stepped forward, his expression shifting from surprise to mild relief as he looked at Bai Jian.
"What about Lian Huaixin?" he asked, a note of concern evident beneath his usual composure.
"She's safe," Bai Jian responded. "She returned to her quarters first to recover."
Li Feng nodded, a flicker of relief passing through his eyes. His jaw tightened, however, and he clenched his fists.
"Good. I'm glad you both made it out." His voice turned hard as he continued, "We lost a few disciples to those from the Ironwood Sect. They were lying in wait… ruthless as ever."
Bai Jian could feel the anger radiating from Li Feng, and for a moment, he shared in the resentment. He thought back to the ambush, the Ironwood disciples' cold smiles as they attacked without hesitation, and the lives they had taken.
"The cultivation world truly is ruthless," he thought, the weight of the realization settling in his mind.
"Strength is the only thing that matters here. Without it, you're nothing but a stepping stone for others."
With a final glance at Li Feng and the others, Bai Jian gave a respectful nod and took a step back, letting the intensity of the moment wash over him as he considered his next move.
Bai Jian walked up to the counter where Elder He sat, the elder's sharp eyes lifting from his ledger as Bai Jian approached. He retrieved the Twilight Orchid from his satchel, carefully placing it on the counter.
Elder He inspected the orchid, nodding approvingly as he assessed its vibrant, faintly glowing petals.
"The Twilight Orchid — in excellent condition. Well done, Bai Jian." After a brief pause, Elder He looked up, his gaze more solemn.
"The sect is aware of the ambush you encountered. We mourn the loss of your fellow disciples, and we acknowledge the risks you faced. As compensation, the sect is providing additional rewards to those who made it back."
Bai Jian nodded, his expression respectful as Elder He continued.
"For the mission itself, you've earned 300 contribution points. But given the circumstances, the sect has decided to grant an additional 100 points, as well as a some high-quality qi gathering pills."
Bai Jian took a slow, deep breath as the weight of this reward settled over him. "400 points…"
It had taken him years of ordinary missions to amass half as much before. This one mission had not only brought him closer to the resources he'd been coveting, but it had also solidified his determination to grow stronger, to be able to handle the dangers he now knew lurked around every corner.
"I thank the sect, as well as you, Elder He," he said with a respectful bow.
Elder He gave a small nod, returning to his ledger as Bai Jian turned to leave.
….
As Bai Jian made his way back toward his cave dwelling, a sense of satisfaction settled within him. Yet, as he rounded a bend near a secluded section of the outer disciple quarters, he was stopped by a familiar, unpleasant presence.
Lin Fang stood there, flanked by a few of his lackeys, a smirk plastered across his face as he regarded Bai Jian with disdain. He took a slow, deliberate step forward, eyeing Bai Jian from head to toe.
"Well, well," Lin Fang sneered, "I heard you made it out alive from that ambush by the Ironwood Sect disciples. I'm honestly surprised. How does a weakling like you survive when better disciples didn't?"
Bai Jian's hand instinctively shifted toward the hilt of Cloudsong hanging by his side, but Lin Fang's eyes caught the movement, and his smirk deepened.
"A new sword, is it? Why don't you hand it over? Along with those pills the sect gave you. Clearly, a weakling like you doesn't deserve them."
Bai Jian clenched his teeth, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes. Lin Fang laughed at his expression, as if amused by his resistance.
"You wonder why the sect isn't stopping this?" Lin Fang mocked, folding his arms.
"In the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme. What the sect wants isn't a pack of weaklings, but real masters. So what if I'm robbing you? What can you do about it?"
With a lazy wave of his hand, Lin Fang motioned to one of his lackeys. "Go take it from him."
The lackey, emboldened by Lin Fang's command, strode forward confidently, reaching for Bai Jian's belongings. Bai Jian's eyes narrowed as he shifted into a defensive stance, his mind calm, focused.
With a swift movement, he sidestepped, activating the White Mist Step with newfound precision, then struck back, his fist landing squarely in the lackey's chest. The lackey staggered back, clutching his ribs as he gasped for breath, the shock clear in his eyes.
Lin Fang's smirk faltered, replaced by a look of surprise.
"Seems like you had some lucky encounters in the Yinwu Forest," he said, his voice dripping with irritation.
"No matter. I'll handle this quickly myself."
Lin Fang stepped forward, his aura flaring as he prepared to attack. Bai Jian steadied himself, feeling his qi flow smoothly, the White Mist Step's movements coming naturally now that he'd reached Initial Mastery.
Lin Fang lunged, his fists charged with energy, but Bai Jian dodged each strike with fluid movements, gliding just out of reach as if carried by the mist itself.
Lin Fang's frustration grew with every missed strike. Finally, Bai Jian saw his opening. Channeling his qi, he summoned all the strength he had into his fist, launching into the Heaven-Shattering Fist. The impact hit Lin Fang squarely in the chest, sending him staggering back with a harsh gasp.
Lin Fang coughed, blood staining his lips as he stared at Bai Jian, a look of shock and disbelief in his eyes.
"Eighth Level of Qi Condensation?! How…? How could a piece of trash like you suddenly reach the same level as me?"
Just as Lin Fang regained his footing, rage flashing in his eyes as he prepared to lunge at Bai Jian again, a quiet yet commanding voice cut through the tension.
"Enough."
A figure appeared behind Lin Fang, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. The man was tall and composed, his expression calm, yet there was an unmistakable arrogance in his gaze. He looked down at Lin Fang with a faint hint of disdain.
"Bai Ming!" Lin Fang stammered, freezing under the man's grip.
He straightened, his earlier bravado dissolving into unease as he took in the presence of Bai Jian's cousin, a well-known figure within the sect.
Bai Ming's expression was cool as his eyes flicked to Lin Fang, his tone dripping with condescension.
"Is this the best you can do, Lin Fang?" he asked, his voice a mix of disappointment and mockery.
"You can't even handle someone of his caliber? What's the use of you?"
Lin Fang's face flushed with embarrassment, and he averted his eyes, muttering an apology under his breath. Bai Ming barely acknowledged it, his gaze shifting to Bai Jian, a hint of surprise crossing his face as he noticed the newfound strength in his cousin's stance.
"Hmmm," Bai Ming murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"So you've managed to improve? Eighth Level of Qi Condensation, I see."
Bai Jian held his cousin's gaze, meeting it with silent defiance. He half-expected Bai Ming to follow up with a challenge or a taunt, but instead, Bai Ming simply scoffed, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Whatever," Bai Ming said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.
Without another word, Bai Ming turned away, giving Lin Fang and his lackeys a curt nod. "Let's go."
Lin Fang shot one last resentful glare at Bai Jian before following Bai Ming, his lackeys scrambling to keep up. Bai Jian watched them leave, the fading sound of their footsteps echoing in the quiet.
As they disappeared into the distance, Bai Jian released a slow breath, his pulse gradually steadying. The encounter had reminded him, once again, of the unforgiving nature of the cultivation world — but it also served as a reminder of his progress. He was no longer the defenseless disciple he once was.
Turning away from the empty path, Bai Jian continued toward his cave dwelling, his resolve solidified. He had faced his first true tests of strength, and he had endured. But he knew there would be many more trials to come, and only through persistence would he rise to meet them.