At the Foot of Departure Peak, Many Paths Diverge

Wild bamboo divides the azure mist, and flying springs hang from emerald peaks.

The Southern Border is rugged and steep; ancient books claim it holds one hundred thousand strange mountains and precipitous peaks. Among these undulating, layered ranges, Departure Peak of the Innate Sacred Sect stands out as a paragon of perilous majesty within the Ten Thousand Mountains.

It is the height of summer.

The weather has been exceptionally clear lately. Looking around, not a single wisp of cloud can be seen, and the sky is a deep, dark cyan.

Under the illumination of this brilliant light, Departure Peak rises abruptly, its mountain form towering and imposing. The vegetation on the slopes is overly lush, with thick, heavy shades of emerald stacked together with such extravagance that, at first glance, they seem to shroud the entire peak in a profound, dark hue.

This dark Departure Peak undergoes a transformation halfway up, where it meets the horizon. Dense mountain mists steam upward, quickly condensing into snow-white clouds.

These clouds are not a thin layer, nor do they dissipate into the clear sky; instead, they cling to the magnificent contours of the peak, layer upon layer, piling up in the void to form a rolling sea of clouds that leads the higher reaches of Departure Peak toward the heavens.

It is as if someone has used heavy ink on a cyan-tinted canvas to paint a black-and-white, yin-yang balanced ink wash painting.

At this moment, at the foot of Departure Peak.

Beside a long, narrow path of bluestone, beneath a lush ancient tree of unknown age.

Liu Dongqing, clad in a pale cyan Daoist robe and appearing overly thin, has no time to admire the timeless beauty of the peak. He faces Manager Hou, a middle-aged man of wealthy build from the outer sect, with a look of visible distress.

Meanwhile, Manager Hou's small eyes are fixed intently on Liu Dongqing's expression, as if the young man's current display of difficulty and hesitation is more refreshing to him than the black-and-white landscape behind them.

This silent gaze lasts for a full dozen breaths before Manager Hou finally speaks, his tone drawling and affected.

"Little Liu—"

Upon hearing this, no matter how obvious the misery on his face, Liu Dongqing has no choice but to cup his hands and respond.

"This disciple is here."

Manager Hou then asks, "I can't quite recall, how many years have you been cultivating in the outer sect since joining the Departure Peak lineage of our Innate Sacred Sect?"

Liu Dongqing keeps his hands cupped and replies, "Reporting to the Manager, it has been three full years. This is now the fourth year."

Manager Hou nods nonchalantly. "Hmm, three years, and still at the third level of Qi Refining?"

At these words, even with Manager Hou standing right there, Liu Dongqing almost rolls his eyes.

Why my cultivation is stuck at the third level of Qi Refining—you, Hou, should know that better than anyone!

Yet, despite the resentment in his heart, Liu Dongqing is forced to play along with Manager Hou's circular game.

"Yes, this disciple's cultivation is indeed at the third level of Qi Refining. However... I am now at the peak of the third level, having touched the threshold of the fourth. I feel no bottleneck, and if I cultivate diligently for a while, I will certainly be able to break through to the fourth level."

Manager Hou glances at Liu Dongqing lightly. "Satisfied with the fourth level? Is the fourth level enough?

Our Sacred Sect has strict rules. If you haven't reached the late stage of Qi Refining within five years of entering the outer sect, you will be relegated to the ranks of menial disciples.

Though they are still called disciples, they are no different from Dao Slaves, with no hope of ever turning their fortunes around, destined only to toil day and night for the rest of their bitter lives.

You are already in your fourth year; do you have no thoughts on this?"

Liu Dongqing raises his cupped hands slightly higher.

"I..."

Before he can continue, Manager Hou lifts his hand lightly, choking all of Liu Dongqing's words back into his throat.

"However, I believe you are a talent, which is why when a good opportunity arises, I think of you first!

It's like this—

Junior Sister Zhang of the Rising Mist Dao Academy's inner sect has recently revised the old pill formula she uses for cultivation, claiming it can double the medicinal efficacy. But with this change, the demand for Jade Cloud Fruit in the formula has tripled.

Junior Sister Zhang is in a hurry to find Jade Cloud Fruit to start her furnace and refine pills, and she has entrusted the matter to me.

And so, I thought of you. Among all the outer sect disciples of the Sunward Dao Academy, it is your Jade Cloud Fruit that possesses the most potent medicinal energy, and it even has a unique flavor that others lack. Many brothers and sisters of the Rising Mist Dao Academy have praised it.

Therefore, this time, you must..."

Before Manager Hou can finish, Liu Dongqing speaks up urgently, not hesitating to interrupt the Manager's final, affected words.

"Manager! Manager Hou! Please spare this disciple this once!

This disciple cultivates the Bright Candle Sun-Scene Lesser Azure Light Incantation. By holding the bright candle within the body, one reflects the light of the heavens; the firelight above is the lingering charm of the Great Sun's True Yang. This is the essential secret of the Bing Fire Path.

But to tend to plants and catalyze the growth of Jade Cloud Fruit, one must use the Mirror-Illuminating Cloud-Birthing Purple Rain Art. Although summoning the Purple Cloud Azure Rain is restricted to the immediate vicinity of the plants, this rain energy draws upon the spiritual power of the clouds in the heavens—

Using heavenly water vapor to douse heavenly firelight—for every batch of Jade Cloud Fruit I grow, my cultivation regresses by a fraction!

Every cultivator on our Departure Peak aims for fire techniques, whether it be Bing Fire or Ding Fire; everyone avoids this Mirror-Illuminating Cloud-Birthing Purple Rain Art like the plague, leaving all the labor to me alone. If not for this, how could I still be at the third level of Qi Refining today?

I—"

Before Liu Dongqing can finish, Manager Hou flicks his sleeves sharply, the force of the wind creating a sharp, explosive crack in the air.

"Nonsense! Are you saying that I am the one harming you?

You short-sighted wretch!

Today, I will teach you a lesson—using water vapor to erode firelight only dissipates the false fire. You think I am hindering your future, but the foundation of your third-level Qi Refining cultivation is the most solid in the entire Sunward Dao Academy!

Furthermore, let me tell you what a real future is!

Without this matter of the Jade Cloud Fruit, if you were to cultivate the Lesser Azure Light Incantation alone, let alone five years, even if I gave you another year, can you guarantee you would reach the late stage of Qi Refining?

Junior Sister Zhang is currently at a critical juncture in the inner sect, competing for the position of true successor. This matter will take you at most half a year. You've already spent three years here; do you really care about this extra half year?"

When the time comes, Junior Sister Zhang will have become True Disciple Zhang, and even the scraps that leak through her fingers will be fortunes you couldn't trade for in ten or twenty years!

But if you insist on refusing.

Very well, if Junior Sister Zhang fails to secure her position, remember that her "Zhang" is the Zhang of the Eight Great Families of the Departure Peak Yang Fire Path!

When that happens, the blame for a noble daughter of a great family failing her bid—even if it's just the lingering aftershocks of that failure—falling upon a brat like you...

Don't even dream of remaining an outer sect menial; if you manage to survive as a Dao Slave, I'd consider that a stroke of great fortune for you!"

As he said this, the expression on Manager Hou's face twisted into an undisguised, ferocious grin.

"Don't talk about you; when that time comes, I'll be implicated too!

So, it's settled! The Jade Cloud Fruit ripens every two months; I'll come looking for you again in two months' time.

Don't think about playing any tricks!"

With that final sentence, Manager Hou's words were practically squeezed out from between his teeth.

Accompanying his voice was the unmasked pressure of Manager Hou's late-stage Qi Refining cultivation.

Standing on the spot, Liu Dongqing could only remain silent.

When one stands a level higher, every word carries the weight of a boulder.

Coupled with the crushing suppression of his cultivation realm, it felt like Mount Tai pressing down, leaving no room for refusal.

Seeing Liu Dongqing so silent, Manager Hou nodded in satisfaction, turned around leisurely, and walked straight into the deep forests and thick clouds of Departure Peak.

A moment later, Liu Dongqing turned and headed in the opposite direction toward the foot of the mountain.

It was not until he returned to his familiar little courtyard at Sunward Dao Academy that he finally gave in to his irrepressible, surging indignation, green light flickering between his brows like flames.

Damn that Manager Hou!

Damn the Zhang Family!

Damn the Innate Sacred Sect!