Two Weeks Later
The sun filtered softly through the willow branches in Bai Long's courtyard as he exhaled, opening his eyes slowly. His silver eyes glimmered faintly with restrained energy.
'I'm close to initial mastery,' he thought, flexing his fingers and feeling the faint hum of qi swirl through them.
'But I won't be able to break through on practice alone. The sword can only be sharpened so much in silence. I'll have to fight someone if I wish to cross this wall.'
He stood, brushing the dust off his robe. 'Now that I think about it, the missionary hall has slaying quests. That should do nicely.' A faint smile formed on his lips. 'I'll grab Xue He and take a mission.'
Bai Long walked across the courtyard complex and soon stood before a modest stone residence. He knocked twice on the door.
"Who's there?"
"Li Yun."
The door slid open with a creak. "Oh! Brother Li, come in," Xue He said, wiping sweat from his forehead. Inside, he was practising sword forms — his blade moving with earnest effort, though his stance was still a bit rigid.
Bai Long raised a brow. "Where did you get the sword?"
"I asked Elder Sheng about borrowing one for training. He lent me this."
"Good," Bai Long said, nodding. "We'll need it later. Come, follow me."
"Where are we going?"
"To the missionary hall."
"Why?" Xue He blinked, confused.
"Let me guess," Bai Long said, glancing back with a faint smirk. "No matter how hard you try, you can't make any progress, right?"
Xue He froze mid-step. "Yeah! I'm right on the verge of Novice stage, but no matter how many times I practise, I just can't break through."
"And your old technique — I'm guessing a Mortal-rank one — never gave you this kind of bottleneck?"
"Exactly! How do you know?" Xue He asked, baffled.
"Simple." Bai Long clasped his hands behind his back as they walked. "Every technique has a core principle. The higher its rank, the deeper its understanding — and the more experience you need. For swordsmen, that experience means battle. You can't reach mastery without crossing blades against true danger. That's why we're heading to take on a mission involving spirit beasts."
Xue He's eyes lit up with both nervousness and excitement. "You mean… actual combat?"
"Precisely."
After twenty minutes of walking, they arrived before a grand, grey stone building that resembled a temple more than a hall. The symbol of a sword piercing through clouds was engraved above its doors — The Missionary Hall.
Upon entering, the scent of old incense and spirit paper filled the air. Several counters were lined along the walls, each manned by disciples — mostly young men and women wearing plain grey robes. These were menial disciples, the ones without enough talent to join the sect properly but with potential to serve and grow.
Bai Long approached one of the counters where a thin, nervous-looking youth stood. "Excuse me," he said politely, "what kind of spirit beast slaying quests are available?"
The boy straightened. "Of course, senior. Please tell me your realms so I can best assist you."
"I'm Spirit Severing," Bai Long replied. "He's Nascent Soul."
The boy's eyes widened slightly. "Understood… then I'll prepare some stage five missions for you—"
"No," Bai Long interrupted calmly. "Stage six. I'll make sure he doesn't die."
The youth swallowed hard. "While I… can't forbid it, please, senior, do be careful." He fumbled through a small stack of jade slips and spirit papers before laying several options out on the counter.
Bai Long flipped through them, his eyes landing on one. "How about this one — ten stage six Black Scaled Wolves."
Xue He's face paled. "Isn't that a bit dangerous, Brother Li?"
"How can one advance in safety?" Bai Long replied, his voice calm but firm. "A sword only shines when tempered in blood and fire. You need to learn to fight the world, not fear it."
After a moment of hesitation, Xue He nodded, determination flashing in his eyes. "Alright. Let's do it."
The clerk handed them the mission token with a slight bow. "Good luck, seniors," he said softly, though the doubt in his eyes was clear. He probably wondered if he'd ever see them again.
Their next stop was the Beast Hall. Despite the name, it resembled a massive stable carved from stone, lined with wooden stalls that held tamed spirit beasts. The air buzzed faintly with spiritual energy — the scent of fur, qi, and hay mingling strangely. These beasts were bred for speed, and disciples could borrow them freely for travel — though any injuries or deaths came with a heavy price.
They entered a smaller building near the front, where a bored disciple manned a counter. After a quick discussion, Bai Long obtained two Thunder Eagles, stage five beasts with sleek blue feathers and small sparks of lightning flickering from their talons.
As Bai Long returned, holding two beast tokens, Xue He stood nearby, staring at him suspiciously.
"What?" Bai Long asked.
"Brother Li…" Xue He's tone turned serious. "I've noticed something."
"Oh?"
"You seem to avoid talking to girls. Completely." He folded his arms. "At the mission hall, there were plenty of open counters with girls behind them, yet you specifically went to that one boy. And even now, when that girl called out to you just a moment ago, you walked right past her!"
Bai Long blinked, unsure how to respond. "And your point?"
"My point," Xue He sighed, "is why? You act like you're allergic to them."
Bai Long gave a small shrug. "What's it matter to you?"
"It matters because I am standing right next to you, Brother Li, and every girl who looks our way ignores me and blushes at you! It's infuriating."
Bai Long tilted his head, expression unreadable. "Objectively speaking, you're not bad-looking. Jade-like skin, dark hair, clear blue eyes — you're certainly handsome."
"Exactly!" Xue He exclaimed. "So why are they all smitten with you, when you don't even look at them?"
Bai Long sighed. "Maybe that's why."
"What do you mean?"
"If you go chasing admiration, it slips away. I don't seek it — therefore, it comes."
Xue He stared blankly for a few seconds before groaning. "You sound like an old master in a young man's body."
Bai Long smiled faintly. "Old habits die hard."
"Old habits? You're barely older than me!"
"By a few months," Bai Long replied smoothly, patting the Thunder Eagle's neck.
"Unbelievable," Xue He muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement.
"Alright," Bai Long said, climbing onto the eagle's back. "Enough of this. Romance only makes the blade dull. Get on — it'll take roughly four hours to reach Beast Mountain."
"Fine," Xue He said, hopping onto his own eagle. "But one day, Brother Li, you'll regret ignoring all those girls."
"Doubtful."
With a powerful flap of wings, the two Thunder Eagles took off into the sky, lightning crackling faintly beneath them as they soared above the clouds.