The Mission Hall of Heavenly Dragon Sect stood at the heart of the outer grounds, a towering pavilion of jade and stone that seemed to pierce the clouds. Its doors were broad enough for ten carriages abreast, carved with sprawling dragons whose scales shimmered faintly in the morning sun. Even from a distance, Li Wei felt the hum of inscriptions woven into the structure.
The moment he and Mei Yun stepped across the threshold, the air shifted. Gone was the idle murmur of courtyards; here the atmosphere was alive with intent. Disciples in gray robes moved quickly among the rows of counters and boards, their expressions taut with purpose. Some clutched freshly sealed scrolls, their faces lit with anticipation or grim with worry. Others argued in hushed tones over mission postings, their hands gesturing toward glowing characters inscribed upon great jade tablets that floated mid-air.
Li Wei slowed, taking in every detail. This place was no less vital than a battlefield. The Mission Hall was the artery through which the outer sect's lifeblood flowed — contribution.
An attendant in dark-blue robes noticed them lingering and approached, his tone practiced, neither warm nor cold. "Newcomers?"
Li Wei and Mei Yun both bowed.
"Your tokens," the attendant said.
They handed over the plain wooden slates they had received upon arrival. The attendant brushed his sleeve across them, and runes flared faintly. "Good. These will track your contribution points. Every task you accept or complete will be recorded here. Without contribution, you cannot buy resources, cannot access cultivation grounds, cannot even maintain your lodging. Understand this well: the sect gives nothing freely."
He pointed to a series of glowing boards. "The missions are divided by tier. Menial tasks — sweeping training grounds, tending spirit fields, assisting with alchemy — are low risk, but reward little. Outer missions send you beyond the sect walls: hunting spirit beasts, gathering herbs, escorting caravans. Greater danger, greater reward. And above these, special commissions, reserved for those with proven standing."
Mei Yun's brow furrowed. "Then even to cultivate properly…"
The attendant's lips curved in a humorless smile. "You must risk something. Welcome to Heavenly Dragon Sect."
He turned away, already addressing another group of nervous-faced newcomers.
Li Wei lingered before the glowing jade tablets. Characters shimmered across their surfaces, shifting every few breaths as new missions were posted and old ones claimed.
Herb Gathering – Spiritwood Forest
Retrieve ten stalks of Spiritgrass. Danger: low. Reward: 15 contribution.
Beast Subjugation – Eastern Slopes
Cull three packs of Ironhide Wolves. Danger: moderate. Reward: 60 contribution.
Caravan Escort – Southern Route
Escort merchant train through disputed territory. Danger: high. Reward: 120 contribution.
There were dozens more, stretching upward in complexity, until the final tier shimmered faintly with golden light — commissions that bore warnings of life-and-death peril.
Li Wei's eyes lingered longest on the simplest mission: herb gathering in Spiritwood Forest. A low-risk task, but one that carried him outside the sect walls. Enough danger to sharpen his senses, not enough to court recklessness.
His token pulsed faintly at his touch, the runes showing the 500 contribution points granted to him as champion of the Xianglong tournament. It was a head start others would envy. Yet instead of racing to exchange them at the Treasury Hall, he turned his eyes toward the simplest mission. Contribution unearned was a foundation built on sand. He wanted to know the weight of every point, to feel what it meant to risk for reward.
"This one," he said.
Mei Yun glanced at the glowing description. "Spiritgrass. Useful for Foundation Establishment pills." Her voice softened. "Practical."
She touched the jade with her token. A faint ripple spread, and the mission flared briefly before vanishing from the board.
"Then I'll join you," she said. "You shouldn't walk this path alone."
Li Wei met her eyes. They held no bravado, only a steady determination. He inclined his head. "Together, then."
The gates of Heavenly Dragon Sect's outer compound rose high behind them as they set out. Carved into the mountainside, they seemed less doors than the jawbones of some ancient beast, ready to swallow disciples whole. Once past them, the world stretched vast and unshaped.
The path wound downward from the sect into a valley ringed by cliffs. Beyond lay wilderness: forests, rivers, and plains dotted with ruins half-swallowed by earth. Disciples in groups of twos and threes could be seen moving in the distance, some carrying weapons at the ready, others leading spirit beasts laden with herbs or ore.
It was a far cry from the bounded safety of the Xianglong Kingdom. Here, the land itself felt raw, untamed, a crucible awaiting those bold enough to step into it.
As they walked, Li Wei's thoughts began to wander.
Heavenly Dragon Sect was no mere mountain gate. It stood as one of the Four Great Northern Sects, a giant whose shadow stretched across kingdoms and empires alike. Rooted deep in the northern reaches of the Northern Continent, it seldom reached hands toward distant neighbors, yet its silence was not weakness. At the last Grand Northern Sect Competition, where the strongest sects of the Northern Continent measured blade against blade, Heavenly Dragon had seized second place — a result that carved its name into stone as one of the continent's pillars.
By noon, the terrain gave way to towering trees whose trunks gleamed faintly in the sun. Spiritwood — ancient timber infused with qi, its sap prized for forging talismans. The air here was thick with vitality, each breath cool and sharp.
Li Wei paused, resting a hand against one of the trunks. Energy hummed faintly beneath the bark. "Even the trees here are stronger than steel," he murmured.
Mei Yun knelt by a patch of undergrowth, her fingers brushing against faintly glowing blades of grass. Spiritgrass. She plucked one carefully, sealing it in a jade vial. "The forest is generous," she said softly. "But only if you survive long enough to take from it."
A rustle broke the quiet. From the shadows, a pair of eyes gleamed. A wolf padded into view, its fur mottled with iron-gray streaks, fangs bared.
"Qi-refining beast," Li Wei said, drawing his sword in a single smooth motion.
The wolf lunged.
The fight was brief but sharp. The wolf's body was fast, muscles coiled with qi, but Li Wei's blade flashed brighter. One strike, two, and the beast crumpled, bleeding into the roots of the spiritwood.
Mei Yun's expression remained calm, though her knuckles were white where she gripped her sleeve. "I'll keep watch while you harvest."
Li Wei crouched, wiping his blade clean. His pulse was steady, but within his chest stirred something deeper — not pride, not relief, but a growing awareness. This was the shallowest edge of danger, a foe barely worthy of mention. And yet even such creatures were enough to take a careless life.
They gathered the spiritgrass in silence, filling the small vials until the quota was met.
By the time they emerged from the forest's edge, the sun was sinking low, painting the mountains in crimson light. Their tokens pulsed faintly as they crossed back into the sect grounds, acknowledging their safe return. The Spiritgrass still lay sealed in Mei Yun's vial, waiting to be submitted at the Mission Hall before it could be converted into contribution points.
Fifteen contribution points. A number so small it seemed laughable compared to the dangers faced, yet heavy in meaning. The first step.
As they walked back toward the compound, Mei Yun broke the silence. "Do you regret it? Choosing this path?"
Li Wei shook his head. His hand tightened on the hilt at his side. "No. I chose to walk this road knowing it would be steep. The higher the mountain, the clearer the sky. That is enough."
Her lips curved faintly, though her gaze lingered on the horizon, where the peaks of Heavenly Dragon Sect pierced the clouds.
Neither spoke further, yet in their silence there was an unspoken agreement.
This was only the beginning.