Six years had passed since I first set foot in the White Mist Sect, thought Zhou Yuan as he walked steadily over the smooth stones of the path leading to the mission hall. "Six years of ridicule, hard training, and endless challenges. I'm still an outer disciple, like many others, but internally… I've become something else."
He paused for a moment in the outer courtyard, where students gathered around mission boards. The mission hall, a large wooden building with shiny black tiles, was bustling with students seeking tasks suited to their strength and status. The papers posted on the walls categorized missions by their level of danger: white for simple tasks, green for moderate tasks, and red for dangerous missions rarely undertaken by outer disciples.
Zhou Yuan entered quietly, silently avoiding the crowds as was his habit. His eyes moved slowly over the mission boards attached to the walls. Each board had different colored papers, each indicating the level of the task.
Zhou Yuan leaned towards the tasks with green paper. Not too easy to elicit mockery, nor too difficult to attract attention. He knew that staying out of the spotlight was the best way to survive in a world governed by the strong. Over the past six years, this principle had become his guide for survival. "Staying in the shadows is better than becoming a target for others," he reminded himself as he selected his first task in the sect.
As he reached out to grab one of the green papers, he heard a friendly voice behind him:
"Zhou Yuan, as usual, you're choosing your tasks carefully."
He turned to find himself facing the elder in charge of the mission hall, Luo Kai. The man was middle-aged, with a round face full of vitality and a neatly trimmed short beard. His calm smile added a sense of warmth, but Zhou Yuan, with his acquired wisdom, was not deceived by appearances. Luo Kai was a mysterious figure within the sect, and few knew the depth of his cultivation or his true intentions.
"You don't seem to be looking for a white paper this time either. What do you plan to choose today?" the elder asked, his tone friendly.
"Elder Luo Kai, I'm just looking for a task that suits me. Something simple, but not a waste of time," Zhou Yuan replied with a slight smile, hiding his usual caution behind it.
Luo Kai chuckled lightly and shook his head. "You have always been different from the others here, Zhou Yuan. But may I ask you a question?"
Zhou Yuan paused for a moment, expecting that there might be more behind his words than mere curiosity. "Of course, Elder Luo."
Luo Kai took a step closer, clasping his hands behind his back, and looked at Zhou Yuan with a gaze that seemed to delve deep into his core. "Why do you always choose tasks that neither highlight you nor obscure you? You're a clever person; I see you're playing the long game. Is that not so?"
Zhou Yuan smiled lightly, a cool glint shining in his eyes. "I plan to live another day, Elder Luo."
Luo Kai let out a loud laugh. "Good answer. I see you know your place well." But suddenly he pulled a red paper from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Yuan. "But what about this one?"
"This is a task that might suit someone with a cool mind like yours," the elder said with a mysterious smile as he handed him the red paper. "A fifth-level Qi Flow beast—called the Mist Panther—has appeared in the nearby forest. Outer disciples usually don't take on such tasks… but I believe you might consider it. Perhaps you see something the others do not."
Zhou Yuan took the paper calmly. He examined the details of the mission, then raised his head slightly to look at the elder.
"Why are you giving me this task? Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked in a half-serious tone.
Luo Kai replied with a mysterious smile. "I have a feeling you won't refuse it. And if you think it's beyond your level, you can decline. I won't force you."
Zhou Yuan didn't speak at first, but his eyes carefully scrutinized the elder. Why was this man showing interest in him? What did he really want?
But instead of rejecting the mission, he quietly folded the paper and put it in his pocket. He bent slightly in respect and said, "Thank you for your trust, Elder Luo. I will do my best."
Luo Kai smiled and said lightly, "Be careful, boy. I don't want to lose a disciple like you that quickly."
As Zhou Yuan was preparing to leave, a tall, muscular young man suddenly entered the room. His sharp eyes and arrogant features made it clear to everyone in the outer section who he was: Lin Feng, the strongest disciple in the outer sect, already at the eighth level of Qi Flow, waiting only for the test to transition to the inner sect.
"Oh, look who we have here. It's Zhou Yuan himself!" Lin Feng taunted, provoking a few laughs from nearby disciples.
Zhou Yuan stopped at the entrance without turning to him entirely. Lin Feng's tone was full of mockery. "Are you still looking for trivial tasks? Oh, maybe the elder gave you another cleaning task in the cage?"
Zhou Yuan slowly turned, his eyes as calm as ever. He showed no sign of anger or embarrassment.
"Zhou Yuan stopped at the entrance, but his eyes expressed nothing but his usual calm. He slowly turned and said, 'At least I know my limits, Lin Feng. You're the type who overestimates yourself. I hope you don't misjudge your next task.'"
Lin Feng's expression shifted for a moment before he stepped closer with heavy strides. "Is that a challenge?"
Zhou Yuan smiled, but his smile was cold. "No, just advice." Then he leaned slightly to Elder Luo Kai again and left without saying another word.
Behind him, Lin Feng and the outer disciples exchanged enigmatic glances.
But before he left, for a brief moment, Elder Luo Kai watched his back with a mysterious smile… as if something in his mind had been realized.
Minutes later, Zhou Yuan approached the outer gate of the sect. The guards standing beside it glanced at him, but he ignored them and continued on his way toward the nearby forest.
He paused for a moment at the edge of the dense trees, with mist surrounding the area as if the forest concealed more secrets than it revealed. He pulled out the red paper and stared at the mission details once more.
"A fifth-level Qi Flow beast, huh?" he murmured softly. His blue eyes were filled with confidence. "Perhaps it's time to try something riskier."
Then he stepped into the forest, heading into the unknown, while the trees engulfed him in their shadows.
The forest before him resembled a living entity pulsing with life, enveloped in thick fog that made it difficult to discern the path. Each tree appeared like a standing ghost, its branches stretching out like arms waving in the dark. This was not an ordinary forest but one of the most dangerous areas surrounding the sect.
The forest was divided into areas based on the levels of monsters. The outer edge was the least dangerous, filled with weak beasts, while the middle area was home to stronger monsters. The inner core was shrouded in dense mist and teeming with deadly creatures that disciples were forbidden from entering.
Using the sect's basic movement technique, "Hidden Mist Step," Zhou Yuan moved lightly between the trees. The technique, though simple compared to what disciples in higher sections learned, allowed him to channel his Qi within his body to enhance his agility and minimize the sound of his footsteps. It was effective enough to make his movements resemble that of a shadow.
As he walked, memories of the past six years began to surface in his mind, especially his early days in the sect. He had been the youngest and slowest in cultivation, making him a target for ridicule. While Lin Feng advanced rapidly, he remained stuck at the first level of Qi Flow for years. But he learned not to respond to insults and instead focused on developing himself in other ways.
"Lin Feng, your arrogance won't last long…" he murmured to himself before shaking his head to dispel the thoughts. "There's no time for memories now. The mission is a priority." He whispered to himself as he quickened his pace using the "Hidden Mist Step." But soon enough, he pushed those thoughts away. It wasn't the right time to dwell on foolish memories.
Zhou Yuan focused on the mission given to him by Elder Luo Kai. He had carefully read its details when leaving the mission hall:
- **Objective**: Kill a beast called the "Mist Panther."
- **Location**: The outer edge of the White Mist Forest, near a small pond between two giant willow trees.
- **Level**: Fifth-level Qi Flow.
- **Reason for killing**: The beast attacked a group of outer disciples last week, resulting in two injuries and one missing. The sect issued an order to eliminate it to protect the disciples.
- **Reward**: 5 low-quality spirit stones and 10 contribution points.
- **Proof required**: The beast's corpse or its fangs as evidence of the kill.
"Its fangs, huh?" he muttered as he repeated the word. Bringing the beast's corpse back would be nearly impossible due to its size, so the best option was to cut off its fangs to prove the completion of the mission.
He heightened his focus as he neared the designated location. The Mist Panther was no ordinary beast. Although its level was at the fifth stage of Qi Flow, it was infamous for its speed and elusive movements, especially in a fog-filled environment.
Zhou Yuan halted for a moment at the edge of the path, then took a deep breath. "This is the place."
Before him, the small pond surrounded by the willow trees looked as if it belonged to a serene painting, but Zhou Yuan wasn't deceived by appearances. The surrounding mist was unnaturally thick, indicating that the Mist Panther was nearby. He tightened his grip slightly around the small dagger he had obtained from one of his previous tasks.
"Now the mission begins," he quietly said before starting to move cautiously toward the pond, ready for any sudden moves.
Zhou Yuan stood on a broken tree trunk, staring into the moving shadows within the thick fog enveloping the forest. The air was rich with the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves, but he felt something else—a raw sense of danger approaching.
It was the Mist Panther, a beast at the fifth level of Qi Flow, its dense energy pulsating in the air, felt even by the surrounding creatures. This was no ordinary beast; it was a manifestation of the power of the Qi Flow stage. Zhou Yuan, with his humble first-level cultivation, had only his wits and the few opportunities available to him.
The Mist Panther emerged from the shadows, its dark silver fur glinting faintly in the mist. Its massive body, weighing hundreds of kilograms, moved with astonishing lightness, its sharp teeth visible as it growled, sending waves of fear through the forest. Despite the calmness of his face, Zhou Yuan felt cold droplets of sweat trickle down his neck. Even his body began to tense unconsciously.
"This isn't just a beast..." Zhou Yuan thought as his mind raced to analyze every possible move. The panther moved like a living shadow, fast and deadly, and the surrounding mist appeared to respond to it. Every leap it took sent waves of fog swirling, making it difficult to pinpoint its location, rendering any attempt at a direct attack a suicide mission.
He stepped back quietly, his eyes tracking the panther's every movement. He knew that he couldn't defeat the beast relying solely on strength. The difference between the first and fifth levels was not just numbers; it was a difference between weakness and absolute power.
But Zhou Yuan did not plan for a fair fight.
He quickly began to analyze his surroundings. The dense trees, uneven ground, and the mist blocking vision all posed obstacles for the panther but could become tools if exploited correctly.
He took a small step forward, provoking the beast with a calculated movement. A sudden roar erupted from the shadows, followed by the sound of a powerful rush of air. The Mist Panther lunged at him, its paws leaving deep prints in the ground, and the surrounding mist parted like a sharp sword.
Zhou Yuan barely avoided the first attack using the basic movement technique "Hidden Mist Step," jumping back lightly, but the gust of wind from the panther's paw sent him crashing into a nearby tree trunk.
"Its speed is insane…" he murmured softly as he examined the claw marks that had carved into the earth where he had stood moments before.
The panther did not pause, lunging again without giving him time to think. This was a beast accustomed to eliminating its prey without granting them a moment to breathe.
Zhou Yuan decided to turn the tables. He pulled out a small vial from his bag, containing a gray powder made from rare herbs. Throughout his training in the past years, he realized that strength alone would not be enough to face stronger opponents. So, he devoted time to learning how to use tools and strategies.
"This powder won't defeat the beast, but it will turn its environment against it," he thought as he scattered the powder in front of him, clouding the air with a light mist.
The panther paused for a moment. The powder reacted with the mist, drawing Qi from the surrounding air and weakening the panther's ability to use the fog as a cover. "Just as I anticipated," Zhou Yuan muttered quietly, his eyes intently watching every movement of the beast.
The beast roared in anger, its glowing eyes becoming more distinct. This was not enough to stop it, but it gave Zhou Yuan a moment to breathe.
The panther was no fool. It began to channel its Qi. Its entire body glowed with vibrant green energy, and its speed increased significantly. It lunged at him again, this time using its front claws and tail in a dual attack.
Zhou Yuan barely dodged the claws, but the panther's tail struck him on the shoulder, sending him a meter away. He crashed into a tree trunk, feeling a sharp pain ignite in his body.
"The difference in strength is glaring…" he said as he struggled to get back on his feet. But his eyes still shone coldly.
Zhou Yuan led the panther into an area covered in tall grass. He had noticed while scouting that the ground here was soft, making it unstable under the weight of the massive creature.
As the panther jumped at him one last time, Zhou Yuan slid aside, using all that remained of his energy in the movement technique. The beast landed heavily on the soft ground, causing its legs to sink partially.
"Now!" he screamed inwardly.
He used the technique "Scattered Mist Swords," launching blades of Qi towards the panther's eyes, causing it to scream in rage and take a step back. But before it could escape, Zhou Yuan leaped over it and drove his poisoned dagger directly into its neck.
The panther fell to the ground, its massive body convulsing as it tried to rise, but the poison worked swiftly.
Zhou Yuan sat beside the panther's frozen body, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. In the silence of the forest, an old echo pursued him: his mother's screams, the face of his little sister covered in blood. He gripped the dagger in his hand tightly, so much so that the edge dug into his skin, but he felt no pain.
"I will not be weak again..." he muttered in a barely audible voice. These words were not just a promise; they were a vow, a legacy he had carried since that night. He stared at the lifeless body of the panther, but he did not see a beast. What he saw was an image of the weakness he still tried to shed.
"The difference between us was too great…" he said as he wiped the blood from his face. But this time, he was not just referring to himself and the beast; he was speaking of the weakness that still haunted him. "But in the end, the mind defeats strength. And the day will come… when I am stronger than I ever imagined."
He slowly rose and began to cut the panther's fangs, the required proof to complete the mission. He placed them in his bag and gazed at the giant corpse one last time before turning back toward the sect.