Wan Lihan had deliberately held back, choosing not to trade away the big River Hippo’s rare water elemental crystal at the Mission Report Hall. Keeping his secret harvest hidden, he walked back to the lower outer sect housing on foot, his tall frame stepping into the familiar courtyard pavilion.
Inside, he found Rou Zhou, Chu Tang, and Tang Ren having a great time around the stone hearth. They had freshly cooked a heavy plate of wild boar meat, the rich aroma filling the room. For the first time in a long while, Lihan walked over and joined them, sitting by the fire to share the meal. The four of them had a great time talking about their core cultivation paths, until the conversation naturally shifted to the flawless beauty of Elder Xue Qing.
Rou Zhou let out a dreamy sigh, staring into the flames. "If I can pass the promotional trials, enter the inner sect, and somehow get taken as a personal disciple by Elder Xue Qing... that would be a literal dream come true."
Tang Ren snorted, tossing a small bone away. "In your dreams only, Zhou! Hahaha!"
Chu Tang burst into a loud laugh alongside him. Rou Zhou's face flushed red, and he playfully hit them both with a small wooden stick, causing the group to roar with laughter. Lihan sat quietly among them, his face remaining a cold, unyielding stone mask. He was the only one not laughing, yet behind his blank exterior, he truly enjoyed every single bit of his time with them. Sitting in this quiet room, surrounded by clean food and honest companions, felt like entering a rare 'safe mode' for his heavily guarded soul.
Lihan looked at the three of them, his voice flat but attentive. "How is the water pond progress?"
Tang Ren smiled proudly, wiping his mouth. "It's already halfway full, Brother Lihan! Our physical stamina has grown immensely from the repetitions, and we can actively feel our core cultivation expanding with every trip up the stairs."
"That's great then," Lihan said smoothly.
The four of them finished eating, sharing stories well into the evening. Once the night fully blanketed the lower peak, Lihan thanked them for the food, stood up, and left the room to return to the privacy of his personal supervisor office. Locking the heavy door, he pulled out his remaining beast cores, crossed his legs on his cot, and began forcefully consuming the dense energy into his meridians.
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He spent a full day in silent, uninterrupted meditation.
When the next morning came, Lihan rose from his bed, his muscles humming with stabilized Qi. Moving with calculated efficiency, he walked out to the backyard clearing to help the outer disciples who had taken the Level 4 plant-gathering missions. Together, they methodically planted the harvested spiritual herbs directly into the courtyard’s private soil, ensuring they could cultivate the crops right here so the students wouldn't need to risk their lives traveling deep into the dangerous wild mountains every day.
With his supervisor duties sorted, Lihan left the lower pavilion on foot, navigating toward the inner sect boundaries. Spotting the familiar figure of senior disciple Zi Fang wrapping up a patrol ledger, Lihan stepped forward and offered a respectful bow.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Zi Fang," Lihan said flatly, keeping his tone entirely polite. "This junior wanted to ask if there is an elder on these peaks who acts as an expert alchemist?"
Zi Fang blinked, turning around with a warm smile. "Oh, there is exactly one! That would be Elder Han Yao. He runs his personal refining halls right over on the Waterfall Peak."
Zi Fang raised his hand, pointing his finger toward a jagged, rushing mountain ridge in the distance. "He also has a select group of talented inner disciples training under him right there."
Lihan’s sharp eyes tracked the coordinate, before shifting his gaze toward the higher, grander summits towering through the mist. "Senior, where are the locations of the other three elders?"
Zi Fang nodded, shifting his hand to point toward a highly prominent mountain peak shrouded in white clouds. "That peak over there belongs to Elder Mo Vane. He's the disciplinary judge you met during your judgment, right?" Lihan gave a silent nod. Zi Fang then turned his hand toward an adjacent, isolated summit that gleamed under the daylight. "And how about that one? Where is that?" Lihan asked.
Zi Fang’s eyes softened with deep reverence. "Oh, that is where Elder Xue Qing resides. She rarely ever takes a student under her wing. She is an incredibly formidable woman, and her appearance is so stunning it's like looking at the radiant moon surrounded by shining stars in the middle of the night. Her summit is officially called The Lunar Star Peak."
Lihan quietly memorized the location, his blank gaze finally drifting toward the absolute highest, most imposing mountain peak sitting at the center of the entire regional layout. "How about that higher mountain over there?"
Zi Fang’s expression turned deeply serious, his voice dropping into a respectful whisper. "That is the absolute apex of our mountain range. That is where our Sect Leader and Elder Gu Lei reside, along with the two Grand Elders."
Lihan stared at the giant central peak, a cold realization crossing his mind. "I have never seen our sect leader once since I first came to this mountain three months ago."