Hanyuan spent a good ten minutes scrubbing the layer of dried sweat and frost from his skin before collapsing onto his bed for a brief, four hour rest. When he emerged from his courtyard, the afternoon sun was high, casting long shadows through the bamboo groves.
He spotted Qin Yu sitting beneath a weeping willow, focused on a weathered scroll. The scholar-youth looked up and grinned, closing his book with a snap. "Brother Hanyuan! I haven't seen a hair of you in three days. You look like you've been through a meat grinder. How about we go grab a bite?"
Hanyuan sighed, "I'd love to, Qin Yu, but I only have fourteen low grade spirit stones left. I was hoping to save them for a better pill or perhaps a proper spear. I can't afford to eat like a Young master every day."
Qin Yu chuckled, standing up and dusting off his azure robes. "Don't be so stingy with your stomach, Brother. Did no one tell you? You can already start taking on Sect Missions. They aren't mandatory until next month, but you can earn Merit Points right now. One Merit Point is worth exactly one spirit stone in value, but more importantly, you can use them to buy things the market doesn't sell,like high tier techniques or access to the hidden meditation chambers."
Hanyuan's eyes lit up like polished obsidian. "Merit points? Why didn't I go there first? If that's the case, let's eat. My Dantian is as empty as my stomach."
They returned to the cafeteria, where a new scent dominated the air,rich, smoky, and heavy with spices. Hanyuan didn't hesitate this time, sliding a spirit stone across the counter for a bowl of Braised Golden-Hoof Pork with Spirit-Rice Noodles.
The belly pork, harvested from a Golden Hoof Pig, had been slow-braised for twelve hours in a dark broth of aged rice wine and cinnamon bark herbs. It sat atop a bed of hand-pulled noodles made from spirit-grain flour, which possessed a slippery, silky texture that resisted the heavy sauce.
When Hanyuan took the first bite, the fat literally melted on his tongue, releasing a savory, smoky sweetness that caused his eyes to drift shut in bliss. The medicinal heat of the cinnamon bark spread through his chest, soothing the lingering stiffness in his meridians.
"How amazing," Hanyuan breathed between mouthfuls. "If the food is this good, I'll take on a hundred missions a month."
Qin Yu laughed, enjoying his own meal with far more elegance. "Don't let the flavor fool you. Some of those missions will make you wish you were back home eating plain rice."
Once they finished their juice,they headed toward the center of the island. The Mission Hall was a grand, open-air pavilion made of dark basalt. Dozens of disciples were gathered around massive wooden boards, murmuring as they scanned the postings.
The missions were categorized into Low, Mid, and High grades. At the 5th Layer of Qi Refining, Hanyuan was eligible for most Mid-grade tasks, though they were notably more dangerous.
"Let's see," Hanyuan muttered, his eyes skimming the notices. [Tend the Spirit Fields: 5 MP]... [Clean the Alchemy Furnace: 8 MP]... [Hunt Blood-Eyed Rabbits: 12 MP].
"Here," Qin Yu said, pointing to a scroll with a silver seal. "'Gather ten stalks of Spirit-Mist Grass from the surrounding peaks.' It's a Mid-grade mission because the grass only grows on the edges of the high cliffs where the Wind-Scythe Hawks nest. Reward is 20 Merit Points. If we pair up, it's 10 points each. It's safer and more efficient."
Hanyuan nodded.
"I'll take it," Hanyuan said, pulling the wooden tally from the board and registering it with the deacon at the front desk.
"Ready, Brother Yu?" Hanyuan asked.
"Ready," Qin Yu replied, his hand resting on the hilt of his water-element blade.
The two youths stepped out of the hall and toward the mountain paths, leaving the comfort of the island for the vertical wilderness that awaited them.
The descent from the Cloud-Jade Isle was far more grueling than the climb. As Hanyuan and Qin Yu ventured nearly thirty miles away from the Sect's protected boundaries, the atmosphere shifted. The air lost its tranquil purity, becoming thick with the wild, untamed Qi of the Myriad Herb Wilderness.
"We need to stay sharp," Qin Yu whispered, his hand white-knuckled on his sword hilt. "The Sect keeps the island safe, but out here? If an 8th or 9th Layer beast picks up our scent,or heavens forbid, a Tier 2 monster,we're as good as spirit-food."
"The Spirit-Mist Grass only grows in high altitude crevices," Hanyuan noted, adjusting the spear on his back. "The faster we reach the cliffs, the sooner we're back. Let's speed up. If we run, we'll be there within an hour."
An hour later, they reached the base of the jagged limestone cliffs, but as Hanyuan turned back, his jaw dropped. Qin Yu was doubled over, his face a vivid, alarming shade of crimson. He was hacking and wheezing as if his lungs were filled with sand.
"Qin Yu? What's wrong?" Hanyuan asked, tilting his head. "Did you skip your body tempering lessons entirely back at your clan?"
"Do I... cough... look like a body-temperer to you?" Qin Yu gritted his teeth, his scholar-robes damp with sweat. "I spent my... wheeze... youth in a library, not chasing boars through the mud!" He grabbed his waterskin and began to chug, nearly emptying the entire liter in one desperate go.
Finally, his breathing stabilized. "Now... I feel good again. Let's find that grass and get out of this heat."
Luck seemed to be on their side at first. Tucked into a narrow, moisture-wicking cleft in the rock, they found a vibrant patch of Spirit-Mist Grass. The silver-green blades shimmered with a faint, translucent vapor. They worked quickly, plucking ten high-quality stalks and securing them in jade boxes.
"Alright, let's.."
A low, vibrating rumble stopped Hanyuan mid sentence. It sounded like two tectonic plates grinding together. From around the bend of a massive boulder, a massive beast emerged.
It was a Flowing Steel Bull. Standing five meters tall at the shoulder, its hide was a mottled blend of blue and brown fur that draped over muscles as hard as refined iron. Its horns weren't bone; they were jagged slabs of naturally formed steel.
"Shit," Qin Yu's voice went an octave higher. "8th Layer Qi Refining. Run! It's a tank with legs!"
They bolted, but the ground began to quake. Despite its massive size, the Bull's hooves acted like pistons, propelling it forward with terrifying speed. The gap between them was closing in seconds.
"It's too fast!" Hanyuan roared over the thunder of hooves. "If we keep running, it'll gore us in the back! We have to fight!"
They skidded to a halt, turning to face the charging mountain of muscles.
"I'll draw its focus! You're the 7th Layer, Qin Yu,find the opening and end it!" Hanyuan commanded. He didn't wait for a reply, lunging forward with a desperate Icy Current Thrust.
BOOM!
The blackened steel spear struck the Bull's forehead. It felt like hitting a mountain. A shockwave traveled up the shaft, nearly shattering Hanyuan's collarbone. The bull's hide didn't even break; only a faint white frost-mark appeared on its metallic skin.
Hanyuan's hands trembled violently, the nerves in his palms screaming. The Bull let out a guttural snort, completely unfazed, and lowered its head.
"Look out!"
Hanyuan threw his spear up into a defensive block as the Bull's shoulder slammed into him.
CLANG!
It was like being struck by a runaway carriage. Hanyuan was launched five meters through the air, his body tumbling across the jagged rocks. He hit a tree with a sickening thud, blood spraying from his lips.
"Damn... I think my right arm is broken," Hanyuan muttered, his vision swimming. His arm hung limp at his side, a dull, sickening heat radiating from the fracture.
"Hanyuan! Get down!"
Qin Yu had used the distraction to its fullest. He had scaled a nearby rock formation and leaped into the air. His water-element Qi swirled around his sword in a violent, high-pressure vortex.
"Spiraling Water Heavenly Drill!"
Qin Yu descended like a falling star. The water spiral at the tip of his blade hissed with immense pressure, finding the one soft spot on the Bull,the top of its skull.
SQUELCH.
The blade sank deep, the water pressure exploding inside the beast's brain. The Flowing Steel Bull didn't even let out a sound. Its massive legs gave out, and the mountain of flesh crashed to the ground, sliding through the dirt until it came to a stop inches from where Hanyuan lay.
Qin Yu rolled onto the grass, gasping. "Damn... I'm exhausted... my Dantian is dry..." He lay there for a minute before he noticed Hanyuan's state. He scrambled over, his face pale with concern. "Hanyuan! Are you alright? You look like you've been chewed up!"
Hanyuan leaned his head back against the tree, a bitter laugh escaping his bloody mouth. "Tsk. Broken arm... internal injury..."
"Let's get back," Qin Yu said, helping Hanyuan to his feet with shaking hands. "We'll sell the carcass of this beast to the General Stores. An 8th Layer Flowing Steel Bull has enough hide and marrow to pay for a dozen healing pills."