On the Flying Spirit Device
As they soared on the flying spirit device, Lin Daqiao began explaining in detail to Li Yan. True to Li Yan's long-held suspicions, the Mission Hall was indeed hidden deep in the dense bamboo forests of the back mountain. At Little Bamboo Peak, three types of missions were available: watering and tending to spiritual plants, caring for demon beasts, and—most curiously—preparing meals for the demon beasts. While Li Yan could easily understand the first two, he couldn't help but be puzzled by the idea of cooking for creatures known to feast on raw flesh and spiritual plants.
Lin Daqiao explained further: "Many demon beasts, in addition to feeding on the blood and flesh of others and on spiritual plants, sometimes require specially prepared 'spiritual food' to maintain their strength. In nature, these creatures would seek out food matching their constitution. But when we rear them artificially, the required food isn't available in limitless supply. Instead, we must either refine or roast certain ingredients so that these demon beasts can grow properly."
The Bamboo Trails and Stone Plaques
Soon they arrived at the lush bamboo groves on the back mountain. After landing the device and stowing it away, Lin Daqiao led Li Yan along one of the narrow, winding paths. Unable to hold back his curiosity, Li Yan asked, "Seventh Brother, there are so many little paths here. I notice some stone plaques, which I figure should mark the way to the Mission Hall and the mission sites. But these plaques have no written characters or symbols. For someone newly admitted to the sect, it's easy to get lost. Could these not be better marked?"
Lin Daqiao eyed Li Yan with mild surprise. In his mind he noted that Li Yan mentioned stone plaques—information he was expected to know after so many years. Quietly, Lin Daqiao explained, "There are indeed markings. Here, four small paths correspond to the three mission sites plus the Mission Hall. The stone plaques you see were not created by mortal hands but were scattered by the Heavenly Stele Master." His voice dropped even lower as he continued, "That Heavenly Stele Master is the enormous stone stele atop the plaza about fifty li above us. Originally a magical artifact meant to seal the passage to the Secret Realm of herb collection, over the tens of thousands of years the abundant spiritual energy at Little Bamboo Peak transformed it. During each month when the passage was open, various spiritual energies intermingled and slowly imbued it with sentience—a power said to rival mid-Golden Core cultivators! But we mustn't dwell on it; that stele is notoriously temperamental. Always keep your distance, for its unpredictable mood can come crashing down on us at any moment."
Li Yan's heart pounded; he recalled how a previous encounter with that stele had nearly left him injured. To think that a cold, inanimate stone could become so alive was both astonishing and humbling.
Lin Daqiao continued, lowering his voice to a near-whisper: "Originally, there were four proper stone steles with clear inscriptions along these paths. Once the Heavenly Stele gained sentience, it decided no other such steles should exist here. Instead, it shattered them, leaving only four small, flattened stones—now known simply as the stone plaques. Their only markings are cracks. One crack signifies the Mission Hall; two, the spiritual plant garden; three marks the spiritual food garden; and four denote the spiritual object garden. Later, when you receive a mission, the task numbers on the list—'2' for the plant garden, '3' for the food garden—confirm the correspondence."
Entering the Bamboo Grove and the Hidden Gateway
They reached a junction at one of the paths. Li Yan paused before a roughly one-foot stone plaque that bore a single crack. Despite its natural appearance, it was unmistakably man-made. As he rubbed his nose in thought, he saw other disciples returning—familiar faces from the other peaks—exchanging hearty greetings with Lin Daqiao while nodding politely at him. In contrast, Li Yan had seldom ventured beyond Little Bamboo Peak; his life had thus far been defined by solitary cultivation.
At the end of the trail, the narrow bamboo path opened into a denser grove. Memories flooded back of a path Li Yan had seen once before—the same route once tread by the graceful Sixth Senior Sister. Now, the bamboo forest bustled with activity. Without a word, Lin Daqiao forged ahead into the thick shadows of bamboo. Li Yan's heart fluttered with both concern and resolve; despite a momentary hesitation, he followed after his mentor.
Almost immediately, the scenery seemed to shift. As Li Yan stepped into the heart of the grove, colors burst into view, as though he had entered an entirely different realm. He felt his sacred token at his waist tremble slightly, and when he looked down, a flash of beautiful, hazy light swirled and then subsided. Moments later, the bright light gave way to a spacious clearing.
There, before him, stood a colossal bamboo house. Imposing yet elegant, it dominated the clearing, and right at its grand entrance, Lin Daqiao waited, smiling warmly.
It was now clear to Li Yan that access to the Mission Hall was controlled by the magical token he carried. Only a token "awakened" by the dip of one's own blood—through a secret identification ritual—could unlock the door. No outsider could use it.
Inside the Mission Hall
At the grand bamboo house, a steady stream of cultivators came and went. Li Yan quickly ascended the stone steps, joining Lin Daqiao near the doorway. "Little junior," Lin Daqiao explained, "the method of entry here is used on all our trails. Should you ever visit mission halls on other peaks, you'll enter the same way. But our token enjoys a special privilege: it not only opens the Mission Hall at Little Bamboo Peak but also grants free access to our mountain's specialized zones—the spiritual plant garden, the spiritual food garden, and the spiritual object garden. Disciples from other peaks have tokens that only allow basic entry until they receive the proper mission assignments."
Inside, the Mission Hall was vast—spanning roughly seventy to eighty zhang—and divided neatly into two main sections. One area was dedicated to receiving new missions, while the other was for submitting completed ones. Suspended high above the two zones was a massive white jade tablet about twenty zhang wide. On its polished surface, rows of golden characters scrolled continuously in an almost hypnotic dance.
One panel displayed the live mission list—divided into three parts (each for a different mission type), with missions scrolling when the list became lengthy. The other panel showed a tidy record of the last one hundred completed missions.
The board further differentiated between two mission categories: single-person and multi-person tasks. Once a single-person mission was claimed, its bright golden letters dulled to a somber gray—rendering it unavailable for further selection. Failure to complete a solo mission meant steep penalties (sometimes many times the original value). Multi-person missions, by contrast, allowed simultaneous sign-ups and displayed a running count of how many had claimed them, though their spiritual stone rewards were, naturally, lower.
Privacy was paramount here. No disciple's name appeared alongside a claimed mission; this was to protect everyone's secret techniques and personal strengths—a crucial safeguard in the competitive cultivation world.
To claim or submit a mission, each cultivator was required to step into an adjacent circular area—extending roughly thirty zhang beneath the white jade panel. Within this zone, powerful formation arrays prevented others from seeing inside. Once a cultivator entered, a dazzling layer of white light enveloped them so intensely that their features were obscured.
Claiming a mission was as simple as focusing one's divine sense on the jade panel. For outsiders, this would trigger two beams of light: one as a mission identifier and the other as a temporary marker, granting them access. For the privileged disciples of Little Bamboo Peak, only a solitary beam appeared—a tangible sign of their priority.
Similarly, when submitting a mission, the process was nearly identical. For outsiders, three beams of light would register: one for identification, one confirming verification by the mission issuer, and one retracting the temporary marker. For Little Bamboo Peak's disciples, only two such beams would appear.
Within the span of a brief interlude—no longer than the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea—Li Yan had absorbed the workings of this elaborate system. He even learned that the Mission Hall on Laojun Peak operated on the same principles, though on a scale six to seven times larger, with white jade panels nearly a hundred zhang in size. With tens of thousands of cultivators in the sect, the immense volume of missions was hardly surprising.
A Final Word of Caution
Before wrapping up the lesson, Lin Daqiao offered one last piece of advice: "Little junior, for now you should focus solely on the missions for watering the spiritual plants and for cooking meals for the demon beasts. Do not yet undertake the tasks associated with raising demon beasts. Our demon beasts here are unusual for reasons best kept confidential. The sect enforces a strict rule—only those who have accepted the relevant mission learn of its details. And once you leave our mountain, you must never speak of it. In time, you will understand—but if you wish to pursue such tasks, you must first reach at least the tenth layer of Condensation Qi."
Li Yan's heart stirred with both anticipation and caution as he turned back to the white jade panel. Looking closer, he found the section dedicated to demon beast rearing. There were nine mission entries there, each marked with advisories such as "For cultivators below the tenth layer of Condensation Qi, use extreme caution" and "For early Foundation Establishment disciples, do not rush." It was clear that these tasks were riddled with inherent risks.
The simplicity of the markings—the single, deliberate cracks left as directional cues by the disconcerting Heavenly Stele—both amazed and humbled him. He silently vowed that he would exercise utmost caution when dealing with matters tied to that unpredictable magical artifact.
Then, with a firm nod, Lin Daqiao declared, "Come along, little junior. The way forward awaits."
Together, they stepped forward toward the Mission Hall—the gateway to the sect's daily tasks, sacred records, and the chance to cultivate not only their skills but also to secure the spiritual resources that fueled their entire mountain.
Epilogue
Inside the Mission Hall, as the white jade panels danced with golden characters and as disciples moved in and out of the formation-shielded zones, Li Yan's mind buzzed with possibility. Every beam of light, every gently scrolling mission, and every carefully guarded procedure testified to centuries of tradition and the promise of future breakthroughs. Here, order met ancient magic in a harmonious blend—a system designed to test dedication, skill, and the resolve to rise in the competitive world of cultivation.
For Li Yan, the path ahead was now replete with challenges and opportunities. With Lin Daqiao at his side and armed with a deeper understanding of his sect's inner workings, he felt both the weight and the thrill of destiny beckoning him forward. Truly, at Little Bamboo Peak, every small step taken on these winding paths would lead him ever closer to mastery and beyond.