Ultimate Magus in Cultivation World

After the duel, the sect was still buzzing with talk of Tian Lei's unexpected victory. Some disciples glanced at him with awe, others with envy, but Tian Lei paid no attention. For him, the noise of the crowd faded the moment his sword returned to its sheath.

At Mission Peak, he stood before the stone wall inscribed with task slips. Outer disciples milled about nervously, debating which mission to risk their necks on, while Tian Lei scanned the board with calm precision.

"Senior Brother Tian…" one junior hesitantly asked, bowing as he passed. "Are you here for another mission already?"

Tian Lei didn't answer. He simply reached up, pulling down one, then another, then another.

Gasps followed as the slips stacked in his hand.

By the time he stepped away from the wall, five missions rested in his grip.

"Five? At once?" a disciple whispered, wide-eyed. "Is he insane?"

"Those aren't simple errands either… two are ranked mid-tier. One involves subjugating a beast near Cloudveil Mountain."

"He just finished a mission and a duel, and he's already taking more? Does he not rest?"

Whispers spread, but Tian Lei ignored them. He walked up to the mission steward and placed the slips down. "I'll take these. Record them under my name."

The steward blinked, taken aback, but quickly recovered and stamped them. "Yes, Senior Brother Tian."

A faint breeze stirred as Yuxin arrived, her veil drifting with the motion. She glanced at the pile of slips with raised brows. "Five? You really don't know how to take it slow, do you?"

Tian Lei adjusted the sword at his side. "Finishing them in one sweep is faster than dragging them out."

Yuxin gave a soft laugh, folding her arms. "Practical… but reckless. Don't tell me you'll go alone?"

He looked at her. "Would you stop me if I did?"

Her eyes glimmered faintly behind the veil. "No. But I might follow anyway—someone needs to make sure you don't collapse halfway through."

Tian Lei didn't respond, but neither did he tell her to stay.

By the next morning, the two had already departed the sect. Their cloud crane carried them east, the wind sharp and cool. Below, mountains, rivers, and forests stretched endlessly. Each mission awaited somewhere within that vast land—bandits to suppress, spirit herbs to collect, beasts to hunt, rogue cultivators to track.

Tian Lei and Yuxin received the mission scroll in the morning at Mission Peak. The details were simple: a pack of shadow panthers had been harassing the foothill villages near Cloudveil Mountain. Crops were ruined, livestock dragged into the mist, and several villagers had vanished without a trace.

The two left the Azure Feather Sect on a cloud crane, its wings slicing through the skies with steady rhythm. The journey carried them north, past rivers and rolling forests, until the lights of Cloudveil City came into view below—a modest hub at the mountain's base, its streets bustling with merchants and cultivators.

They landed outside the city walls at dusk. Yuxin insisted on stopping to gather information, her eyes glinting behind the veil. "Rushing in blind will only waste time. The villagers know these panthers better than we do."

Tian Lei gave no objection. They entered the city and found the village head's messenger waiting at a small inn. The man bowed deeply when he saw the Azure Feather insignia on their robes. "Honored cultivators, thank the heavens you came. The shadow beasts strike almost every night now. They are fast, like smoke and claw, and ordinary men cannot even scratch them."

After confirming details—their hunting grounds, usual time of appearance, and how many had been sighted—the pair departed. They didn't stay in the city long. Tian Lei purchased only dried rations, while Yuxin bought a small lantern infused with cleansing qi, its glow designed to cut through mist.

By the time they reached the mountain base, night had fallen. The air was damp, the fog thick, and the village huts huddled together like frightened children. Doors were barred, not a single lamp lit inside. The silence was oppressive.

When the first growl came from the treeline, Yuxin's hand slid to her sword. Two glowing eyes appeared, then four, then six—shapes moving swiftly in the mist. The shadow panthers emerged, their sleek bodies blending with the fog, claws glinting faintly.

They struck fast. One lunged straight for Tian Lei's chest, but his blade cut in a clean arc, severing it mid-pounce. Another tried circling for Yuxin, only to meet a burst of silver qi as her sword swept sideways, dispersing it into mist.

The fight became a rhythm—Tian Lei's precise, heavy strikes anchoring the center while Yuxin's lighter, weaving blade struck from the flanks. The villagers, watching from shuttered windows, saw only flashes of steel and arcs of silver light carving through the darkness.

By the end of the hour, the last panther gave a dying hiss before dissolving into black mist. The fog cleared, leaving the mountain base eerily quiet again.

The villagers emerged cautiously, their fear giving way to relief. They bowed repeatedly, some with tears in their eyes. Baskets of spirit rice, dried fruit, and preserved meats were pressed toward the cultivators as offerings.

Tian Lei declined with a curt shake of the head. "Your survival is enough."

Yuxin accepted only a single pouch of spirit rice, not for herself, but to leave at the small shrine on the mountain path—a gesture of respect for the fallen.

With the mission confirmed and reported, the two mounted the cloud crane once more. Cloudveil City's lanterns glimmered faintly behind them as they departed into the night sky, already turning their minds toward the next task.

Second Mission – Mistwood Ravine

Target: Subjugate the Mist Serpent

The mission scroll carried a single, chilling line:

"Mist Serpent dwelling in Mistwood Ravine. Local caravans devoured. Immediate elimination required."

Tian Lei and Yuxin departed at dawn, their cloud crane gliding low across rolling hills before descending near Mistwood Ravine—a treacherous gorge infamous for its damp fog and twisting, echoing calls. Before venturing into the ravine itself, they stopped in a nearby trade outpost, where the air still smelled faintly of incense burned in mourning.

The outpost chief, an old man with weary eyes, told them, "The serpent… it hides in the fog. Entire wagons vanish, not even bones left behind. Its body is longer than three houses lined together. None dare pass through anymore. Trade routes are dying."

Yuxin's expression hardened beneath her veil. "A spirit beast grown too bold."

Tian Lei's hand rested calmly on his sword hilt. He only nodded.

By the time they reached the ravine's entrance, evening had descended. A pale moon hung overhead, its glow distorted by the thick mists curling upward like ghostly fingers. The sound of dripping water echoed from the cliffs, creating an unsettling rhythm.

The serpent came without warning. The fog rippled—and then a colossal shadow surged upward, scales glistening faintly with dark qi. Its eyes burned with a faint crimson hue, and its hiss rolled like thunder through the ravine.

The battle began in an instant.

The serpent lunged, maw wide enough to swallow a cart whole. Tian Lei's blade flashed, cleaving across its fangs with precise force, sparks flying. Yuxin's silver qi flared, her sword weaving a net of light that struck at the serpent's coils.

But the beast was no mere brute. The mist itself shifted with its movements, cloaking its body, concealing its strikes. At one point, Tian Lei's Soul Sense barely caught the serpent circling from below, forcing him to anchor his qi into the ground and release a pulse of force that shattered the fog's thickness.

Yuxin darted in then, a streak of silver. Her strike cut across the serpent's midsection, drawing a bellowing hiss. The ravine shook from the beast's thrash, rocks tumbling from above.

For nearly half an hour the fight raged—steel against scale, qi against fog. Finally, Tian Lei timed the moment the serpent reared back to strike. With a roar, he leapt upward, blade sheathed in condensed qi, and drove it straight down into the serpent's skull.

The creature convulsed, mist bursting outward in a shockwave before its massive body collapsed, dissolving into fading vapor.

The serpent's carcass had barely faded when the outpost erupted with life again. Merchants shouted in relief, villagers rushed about unchaining wagons and repairing wheels, children peeked from behind doors.

Tian Lei, ever the blade of discipline, had already turned toward the crane roost. "We've wasted enough time. The sect expects us to finish all missions before the reporting cycle closes."

But Yuxin's hand shot out, catching his sleeve. Her eyes glimmered behind the veil. "Not so fast, stone-face."

He blinked at her. "…Stone-face?"

"Hm? Did I say that aloud?" she hummed, pretending to study her nails. Then she tugged harder, dragging him back toward the outpost square. "We're staying for the evening. The chief offered their best dishes, and I won't hear any nonsense about schedules."

"I don't—"

"You don't eat?" she cut in, tilting her head with mock surprise. "That would explain your lack of expression. Perhaps you're a sword spirit in disguise?"