Descending the steep northern ridge into the Cloud-Mist Basin felt remarkably like stepping beneath the surface of a deep, tranquil lake.
The silvery-white fog rolled across the sunken valley floor in sluggish waves, clinging to the damp fabric of their inner disciple robes and muting the sound of their footsteps against the mossy shale. All around them, the ruined remnants of an older era loomed through the gloom. Giant pillars of weathered grey limestone stood tilted at unnatural angles, half-swallowed by creeping brambles and thick spirit-vines. Broken flagstones, shattered arches, and ancient pedestals carved with the fading iconography of coiled tigers lay scattered across the wide depression, silent testaments to the Hidden Mountain Tiger Sect's expansive history.
Despite the pervasive silence and the unnatural density of the mist, neither Tai Bàoli nor Liu Yanjiang slowed their pace. With their Palace Creation cultivation continuously vitalizing their blood and marrow, their senses pierced effortlessly through the haze.
"The main formation array is situated directly upon the elevated terrace ahead," Liu Yanjiang said, holding up her finely crafted brass astrolabe. Within its polished casing, a slender needle forged from magnetic spirit-iron spun twice in a swift circle before locking firmly onto an octagonal stone platform fifty yards into the fog. "According to the pavilion records, three auxiliary nodes circling the outer rim have shifted out of alignment due to subtle underground tremors over the past few years. When the nodes drifted, the circulating spirit channels stagnated, allowing this cold mist to gather. We only need to clear the physical debris, replace the depleted spirit stones within the node basins, and redraw the anchoring runic lines."
"Sounds like clean and straightforward work," Tai Bàoli said, sweeping his vibrant blood-red eyes across the surrounding ruins. His spiritual perception remained sharp, attuned to the subtle shifts in the air. "Take all the time you need with the formations. I'll keep watch on the perimeter and make sure nothing crawls out of the shale to interrupt you."
"Appreciated," Liu Yanjiang replied, offering him an amused smirk. "Try not to break too many rocks if something does decide to show up."
With a light flick of her ankles, Liu Yanjiang glided forward across the cracked flagstones, utilizing the effortless elegance of her Bloody Dragon Steps. She landed without a sound at the edge of the central octagonal terrace. Unrolling a velvet pouch from her waist, she laid out several silver-threaded formation flags, a slender stylus tipped with spirit-jade, and a sealed vial containing viscous, vermilion array ink. Kneeling beside the central stone, she immediately began inspecting the deep runic grooves etched into the floor. Centuries of seasonal rains and damp mineral runoff had clogged several key conduits with dark calcified sediment and black moss, completely choking the subterranean Qi flow.
As Liu uncapped her ink and began scraping the hardened crust from the primary channel, a sharp scraping sound resonated from the shadows behind a collapsed colonnade.
*Hiss-s-s!*
The damp air suddenly grew colder. From the deep fissures between the ruined stone pillars, three massive Mist-Horned Serpents slithered into view. Each serpent possessed scales as black and gleaming as wet river stones, a thick muscular body wider than a grown man's chest, and a length exceeding twenty feet. Their triangular heads bore jagged bone crests, and their cold, slit-pupiled amber eyes fixed instantly upon Liu Yanjiang's back as their forked tongues tasted the fresh spiritual ink.
Before the lead serpent could slide across five paces of open ground, a dark silhouette flashed across the clearing with imperceptible swiftness.
Tai Bàoli appeared between the beasts and the stone terrace without stirring so much as a whisper of wind. His mastery of the Light Devouring Phantom Body was so seamless that he seemed to simply coalesce from the ambient shadows. As the foremost beast lunged forward with wide, venom-dripping fangs aimed at his torso, Tai did not bother unsheathing a weapon or gathering explosive Qi. He simply shifted his weight forward and brought his bare right palm down against the center of the serpent's armored crest in a measured, casual slap.
**THUMP!**
A heavy, reverberating tremor passed through the beast's skull. The sheer density of Tai's physical body acted like a falling mountain. The massive serpent's snout slammed violently into the flagstones, cracking the stone beneath it while its long, thrashing tail coiled in stunned agony before the creature slid several yards backward into the rubble, completely dazed.
Without breaking his rhythm, Tai pivoted on his left heel. As the second serpent struck from the left, its muscular neck snapping forward like a released whip, Tai reached out with his left hand and caught the beast directly beneath its flared jaw. His fingers closed around the thick, scaled throat like an unyielding vice of forged iron. With a casual flex of his shoulder and forearm, he hoisted the thrashing, twenty-foot reptile entirely off the earth and hurled it like a javelin into the third serpent, which was just coiling to leap.
**CRASH!**
The two massive reptiles collided mid-air with a chaotic tangle of tails and scales, smashing through a rotting stone balustrade before tumbling in a heap of broken masonry. Faced with such overwhelming physical power delivered without a single drop of circulating spiritual force, the three serpents quickly recognized the hopeless gulf between them. Hissing in sheer terror, they scrambled frantically over the broken stone, vanishing into the deep underbrush of the basin as fast as their scales could propel them.
On the raised platform, Liu Yanjiang had not paused her work for a single heartbeat, her stylus moving with swift, practiced precision as glowing red runes blossomed along the cleared stone channels. "You know," she said casually without looking up, "you could have thrown them toward the south instead. You nearly blew dust into my ink basin."
"I was being gentle," Tai Bàoli replied with a broad grin, clapping the faint traces of stone dust from his broad hands. "If I used real force, we'd be scraping snake scales off your flags. They won't be bothering us again."
"Always an excuse," Liu murmured, though the corner of her lips tugged upward into a fond smile.
With Tai standing impassive guard at the foot of the terrace, not a single additional beast dared approach the clearing. Working with steady, uninterrupted focus, Liu Yanjiang systematically cleared the debris from the three perimeter nodes. She carefully placed a fresh low-grade spirit stone into each carved basin, aligning their crystalline facets to catch the natural ley lines of the earth, before completing the connecting circuit with sweeping strokes of vermilion ink.
After nearly two hours of continuous labor, Liu stood at the exact center of the octagonal hub. Drawing a polished wooden formation command rod from her sleeve, she made a single, fluid hand seal and tapped the rod's tip against the central keystone.
**HUMMMM—!**
A pure, resonant vibration rang through the ancient stones, echoing across the wide basin like the strike of an enormous bronze temple bell. The intricate network of carved channels flared with brilliant azure luminescence as the dormant spiritual veins beneath the valley awakened in full force. A concentric wave of purified, circulating Qi swept outward from the platform in a magnificent circular pulse. In less than three breaths, the stagnant, suffocating mist was forcefully expelled for three hundred paces in every direction, peeling back the gloomy haze to reveal the mossy limestone ruins bathed in clear, golden afternoon sunlight.
"Every node is synchronized and humming smoothly," Liu Yanjiang said, letting out a long breath of satisfaction as she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and packed away her tools. "The surveying array is completely stabilized. The pavilion will be able to read the valley's spiritual shifts for another ten years without issue."
The moment her words settled, a subtle, melodic chime echoed deep within Tai Bàoli's consciousness. Floating before his vision, entirely invisible to his companion, the familiar semi-translucent blue interface materialized with crisp clarity:
---
-Mission-(Survey the Cloud-Mist Basin Ruins) - COMPLETED-
-Experience Payout- +10 experience
----------------------------------
Tai smiled inwardly, letting the prompt dissolve with a quiet thought. He made no sudden gestures, kept his posture completely natural, and tucked his hands behind his back without dropping the slightest hint that a miraculous system operated within his soul.
"That was remarkably smooth," Tai said aloud. "And we still have nearly six full days remaining on the mission timeline."
"Then there's no reason to linger in this damp basin," Liu agreed, fastening her astrolabe securely to her belt and adjusting the short sword at her hip. "Let's head back at an easy pace. We can take our time crossing the ridges."
---
Their return trek through the rugged valleys and craggy hills proved just as uneventful as the outward journey. With their Palace Creation physiques maintaining boundless stamina and their familiarity with the mountain trails allowing them to bypass treacherous swamps and rocky detours, they crossed the vast wilderness with steady efficiency. By the afternoon of the ninth day following their initial departure from Crouching Tiger Peak, the towering, cloud-piercing outer gates of the Hidden Mountain Tiger Sect appeared once more on the horizon, well ahead of their allotted fifteen-day deadline.
After presenting their identity tokens at the perimeter boundary and ascending the grand stone staircases into the inner sect's mountain realm, they proceeded straight to the Mission Pavilion.
The presiding elder behind the heavy ironwood counter accepted their joint jade mission slip, taking a moment to channel his spiritual sense into the recording crystal Liu handed over. After viewing the pristine reactivation of the Cloud-Mist array nodes, the elder gave an approving nod, stamped their disciple tokens with a radiant bronze insignia, and transferred one hundred martial credits into each of their respective sect accounts.
Stepping out of the pavilion onto the wide stone thoroughfare connecting the ten inner mountain peaks, Liu Yanjiang stretched her arms overhead, letting out a relaxed sigh. "There's nothing quite like returning to the sect with fresh credits in your pocket. That was well worth four days of hiking."
"Definitely," Tai agreed, feeling the pleasant weight of his newly earned experience and credits.
As they walked, Tai's attention was drawn toward the massive open-air stone amphitheater situated in the wide valley between Rising Sun Peak and Earthen Palace Peak. A large crowd of inner disciples had gathered in front of the grand arena gates, conversing in hushed, animated tones around a towering monolith of polished black stone.
"Is that the ranking board you mentioned before?" Tai asked, gesturing toward the structure.
Liu glanced in that direction and nodded. "That's the Heavenly Tiger Monument. The elders update it continuously based on official challenge arena duels, mission difficulty evaluations, and seasonal trials. It records the top twenty inner disciples of the entire sect. Want to go take a look?"
"Let's," Tai said, genuinely curious to see the true summit of the inner disciple cohort.
They made their way through the murmuring crowd, which naturally parted slightly as they noticed Liu Yanjiang's prestigious Yanjiang clan attire and Tai Bàoli's imposing height. Arriving at the foot of the four-sided obsidian obelisk, Tai tilted his head and carefully read through the twenty glowing gold names carved into its dark surface:
---
**The Heavenly Tiger Ranking**
1. **Mu Qinghe** — Flowing Water Peak *(Estimated: Peak Qi Gathering Realm, speculated Half-Step Foundation Establishment)*
2. **Yan Rong** — Rising Sun Peak *(Estimated: Peak Qi Gathering Realm, speculated Half-Step Foundation Establishment)*
3. **Han Shuiyin** — Ice-Wind Valley Peak *(Estimated: Peak Qi Gathering Realm, speculated Half-Step Foundation Establishment)*
4. **Luo Tieshan** — Grand Forge Peak *(Estimated: Late Qi Gathering Realm)*
5. **Xiao Feng** — Hidden Dragon Peak *(Estimated: Late Qi Gathering Realm)*
6. **Zhao Jiangkun** — Lightning Pavilion Peak *(Estimated: Late Qi Gathering Realm)*
7. **Lu Qingyue** — Moon Haven Peak *(Estimated: Mid Qi Gathering Realm)*
8. **Nie Chang** — Earthen Palace Peak *(Estimated: Mid Qi Gathering Realm)*
9. **Gu Qian** — Array Pavilion Peak *(Estimated: Mid Qi Gathering Realm)*
10. **Meng Bafang** — Rising Sun Peak *(Estimated: Mid Qi Gathering Realm)*
11. **Chu Yan** — Hidden Dragon Peak *(Estimated: Mid Qi Gathering Realm)*
12. **Su Meiling** — Flowing Water Peak *(Estimated: Mid Qi Gathering Realm)*
13. **Bao Kun** — Grand Forge Peak *(Estimated: Early Qi Gathering Realm)*
14. **Yue Lingxi** — Ice-Wind Valley Peak *(Estimated: Early Qi Gathering Realm)*
15. **Song Chen** — Lightning Pavilion Peak *(Estimated: Early Qi Gathering Realm)*
16. **Duan Lei** — Rising Sun Peak *(Estimated: Early Qi Gathering Realm)*
17. **He Feng** — Moon Haven Peak *(Estimated: Early Qi Gathering Realm)*
18. **Lin Wuji** — Hidden Dragon Peak *(Estimated: Early Qi Gathering Realm)*
19. **Tang Rou** — Flowing Water Peak *(Estimated: Early Qi Gathering Realm)*
20. **Wei Zhiming** — Earthen Palace Peak *(Estimated: Early Qi Gathering Realm)*
---
Tai Bàoli studied the names, his crimson eyes narrowing as he absorbed the information.
Every single disciple listed on the monument had stepped beyond the mortal boundaries of Body Refining. Even the twentieth rank, Wei Zhiming of Earthen Palace Peak, was firmly rooted in the Early Qi Gathering Realm, possessing the ability to manifest external spiritual pressure and manipulate spiritual energy beyond the physical shell.
"Notice the cultivation stages?" Liu Yanjiang asked in a quiet tone, crossing her arms as she looked up beside him. "In the inner sect, reaching Palace Creation makes you a respected senior compared to the newcomers. But if you want your name etched upon this stone, achieving the Qi Gathering Realm is the bare minimum requirement."
"And the top three?" Tai asked, his gaze settling on Senior Sister Mu Qinghe, Yan Rong, and Han Shuiyin.
"Absolute monsters," Liu stated plainly. "All three of them broke through to Peak Qi Gathering more than eight months ago. The elders privately believe that their spiritual seas have already begun condensing toward the liquid state required to build a true Dao Foundation. If an ordinary Early Qi Gathering cultivator tried to challenge any of those three in a serious fight, they wouldn't survive three breaths."
She paused, casting a meaningful look at Tai before continuing. "And remember, what's written on this stone is only what the sect can publicly verify. The rankings shift after formal arena challenges, but no senior disciple reveals their full hand in a supervised match. Every single person on that list keeps clan secret techniques, high-grade talismans, or lethal trump cards tucked away for genuine life-and-death encounters. Never judge their strength solely by a public stone tablet."
Tai nodded slowly, taking her words to heart.
Standing in the Palace Creation stage with his Earth Rank body techniques and immense physical density, he possessed terrifying explosive force in close combat. Yet gazing at the monument gave him a clear, sober appreciation for the vast depth of the sect's elite. Cultivators in the Qi Gathering Realm commanded long-range elemental arts, prolonged flight, and dense spiritual barriers. Against someone standing at the threshold of Foundation Establishment, raw physical muscle alone would face severe limitations.
Yet rather than feeling discouraged, a quiet, fiery warmth ignited within Tai's chest. The towering monument was not an insurmountable wall; it was a clear map showing him precisely where the path led.
"Thanks for showing me this, Yanjiang," Tai said, turning back toward her with a bright, confident grin. "It gives me a much clearer target to aim for."
"Just don't go challenging Senior Sister Mu tomorrow," Liu teased with a melodic laugh. "Give yourself at least a few months first."
"Don't worry," Tai laughed. "I know where I stand."
After bidding farewell to Liu Yanjiang as she departed toward Array Pavilion Peak, Tai Bàoli turned his steps toward the quiet, misty trails winding up Crouching Tiger Peak. With ten fresh experience points resting in his system, a solid understanding of the inner sect's power hierarchy, and the daily teachings of Master Yi waiting ahead, Tai reflected on the path before him.
He could spend his points to refine his existing Earth Rank techniques, take on more routine missions to steadily accumulate experience, or spend time observing the arena duels to dissect the combat habits of the top twenty rankers. Whatever choice he made, one thing was certain: the journey toward the Qi Gathering Realm had truly begun.