Ultimate Magus in Cultivation World

The outpost was alive with rare joy. Lanterns swayed from wooden poles, smoke curled from roasting spits, and the scent of spiced meat filled the air. A makeshift bonfire had been lit at the center, around which traders, mercenaries, and freed caravaners gathered in celebration of the serpent's death.

Yuxin practically glided toward the long tables, pulling Tian Lei along as though he were an unwilling tether. She sat down gracefully, veil fluttering, then gestured to the bench beside her. "Sit. Unless you plan on looming behind me like a watchtower all night."

"…You're insistent." But Tian Lei sat, sword resting at his side.

Plates arrived almost instantly—braised river fish, steamed buns filled with herbs, and cups of spirit wine that gleamed faintly under the firelight. Yuxin accepted her share with elegant ease, lifting the cup toward him. "Drink. If you glare at the food long enough, it won't vanish. I promise."

"I don't glare."

"You do," she countered softly, laughter hidden beneath the veil. "Like the world is another battlefield."

Tian Lei ignored the remark, but after a long moment, he picked up the cup. One sip, no more. "…Sweet."

Yuxin tilted her head, amused. "You said the same thing yesterday. Sweet is not poison, you know."

"I prefer clarity," he said simply, putting the cup aside.

The villagers around them broke into song, a rough but heartfelt tune about caravans returning safely and families reunited. A child scampered up to Tian Lei and pressed a carved wooden charm into his palm before darting back to her mother.

Yuxin watched the moment with quiet satisfaction. "See? Even the little ones know a hero when they see one."

"I am no hero," Tian Lei said, eyes still on the fire. "I only remove obstacles."

She leaned closer, voice lowering so only he could hear. "And yet they sleep easier because of you. Don't dismiss that so easily."

For a rare instant, Tian Lei did not argue. The firelight danced across his face, softening the hard edges of his expression.

The evening stretched on, filled with chatter and warmth. Yuxin laughed lightly at the villagers' attempts to guess her face beneath the veil, deflecting them with playful remarks. Tian Lei remained mostly silent, but his presence at her side—steady, unyielding—spoke volumes.

By dawn, the square had quieted, the fires reduced to embers. Yuxin stood, adjusting her veil with unhurried grace. "That wasn't so unbearable, was it?"

Tian Lei rose as well, fastening his sword. "…Tolerable."

She gave a soft hum, clearly pleased with the answer. "Good. Then let's see how you handle the next one."

The cloud crane unfurled its wings as the two mounted once more, lifting them into the pale morning sky. Behind them, the outpost waved, their relief etched into every smiling face. Ahead, another mission awaited.

The crane's wings cut through the cool morning air, mist trailing in their wake as the ravine grew smaller beneath them. Tian Lei sat straight-backed, hand resting on the hilt of his sword, gaze fixed on the horizon. Yuxin leaned slightly to the side, her veil brushing against the breeze, studying him with quiet amusement.

"You know," she said lightly, "if you keep sitting that stiff, the crane might mistake you for a statue and drop you."

He glanced at her once, then back at the horizon. "…It won't."

Yuxin's lips curved faintly behind the veil. "Of course not. I suppose you've frightened even the crane into obedience."

Silence stretched for a while, broken only by the steady rhythm of wings. Below them, forests gave way to rolling marshland, dotted with silver mist that gleamed faintly under the rising sun. Their destination was close—the Silvermist Swamp, home to poisonous vapors and rare herbs that few dared to harvest.

Yuxin unrolled the mission slip once more, her eyes scanning the neat script. "Retrieve a frost blossom herb. Simple, they say. I wonder if the sect elders ever step into these swamps themselves."

Tian Lei answered without looking. "If they did, the board would be empty."

That earned a soft laugh. "Practical as always. But admit it—this one won't be as straightforward as panthers or serpents. Silvermist has claimed plenty of cultivators."

Tian Lei gave no reply. His silence was neither agreement nor denial, only the weight of readiness.

The crane descended at last, talons gripping the edge of a muddy embankment. The swamp stretched before them—an endless sprawl of twisted reeds, stagnant pools, and drifting mist that shimmered faintly with spiritual energy. In the distance, strange croaks and hisses echoed, carried by the wet air.

Yuxin stepped down first, lifting the hem of her robes to avoid the mud. Even so, a splash of murky water caught her foot. She frowned beneath the veil. "…Charming place."

Tian Lei landed beside her, sword already drawn. "Stay focused. We find the herb and leave."

"Mm," Yuxin hummed, adjusting her veil. "Let's see which one of us spots it first, then."

The two cultivators advanced into the swamp, their reflections rippling faintly in the dark water, the mist curling around them as if waiting.

Somewhere deep inside, a low croak rumbled—too heavy, too resonant to belong to any ordinary frog.

Yuxin's hand slipped to her sword hilt. "Well. That didn't take long."

Tian Lei's grip tightened on his blade. "Good. Saves us the trouble of searching first."

The mist rippled like breath as the sound deepened—thoom … thoom … each croak reverberating through the swamp floor until droplets quivered along the reeds.

Then the water ahead bubbled. Slowly, something vast rose—two bulging eyes the size of shields, slick green skin gleaming with toxic sheen. A swamp king toad, easily the size of a carriage, heaved itself onto a half-submerged rock, throat pulsing like a bellows. Venom dribbled from its mouth, sizzling where it touched the mud.

Yuxin exhaled softly, almost a sigh. "Of course it's a king. Why would it ever be just a frog?"

Tian Lei's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward, sword angled low, his presence cutting through the swamp's oppressive weight like a blade. "Stay behind me."

The toad's throat swelled. A split second later, it spat a glob of viscous green venom straight toward them. Tian Lei's sword flashed in a clean arc, the strike bursting the poison midair. Droplets hissed down around them, corroding reeds into black mush.

Yuxin arched a brow beneath her veil. "You're very good at ruining surprises."

He didn't answer, already moving. His boots hit the swamp floor with sure precision, avoiding the deeper pools. The toad bellowed again, and the swamp itself seemed to awaken—smaller shapes stirring in the water, dozens of bulbous eyes reflecting pale light. A whole brood of venomspawn frogs began emerging, each one the size of a hound.

Yuxin drew her slender sword in one smooth motion, its edge flashing like moonlight through mist. "Well. At least they brought company. It would have been rude to only send their king."

The brood leapt forward, water spraying. Tian Lei's blade carved the first in half before it landed, his movement a blur of decisive strikes. Yuxin stepped in beside him, her sword weaving arcs of silver that skewered two frogs cleanly through the throat. She laughed lightly, even as venom hissed off her blade. "Careful, Tian Lei. If you kill them all too quickly, you'll leave me with nothing to do."

The toad king croaked again, its throat inflating monstrously. This time, the mist itself began to warp, thickening into a poisonous fog that pressed against their lungs.

Tian Lei's eyes sharpened. "The herb is close. This fog is its defense."

"Then we cut through both." Yuxin's veil fluttered as she smiled faintly, sword held ready.

The swamp king toad lurched forward, its bulk crashing through the mire—an entire wall of venomous muscle.

And Tian Lei stepped to meet it.

The brood surged, a tide of slick bodies and snapping jaws. The swamp king toad bellowed again, and the vibration rolled through the mist like a drumbeat.

Tian Lei darted forward, sword flashing in clean, minimal arcs. Each movement was stripped of flourish—just enough precision to end a life. Frogs fell in halves, their venom leaking into the swamp, mixing with the mists until the air shimmered with toxic heat.

Beside him, Yuxin spun with unhurried grace. Her blade danced in curving patterns, cutting where his didn't reach, each strike leaving ripples of light through the fog. She fought not with brute force, but with rhythm, weaving her swordplay like a veil of silver threads. "For someone who claims not to care," she murmured over the clash, "you certainly clean up messes neatly."

"Mess," Tian Lei said flatly, slashing another frog in two, "should be erased quickly."

The king toad shifted, its swollen throat contracting with a sickening squelch before it spat again—this time, not one glob of venom, but a spray. Dozens of droplets hurtled toward them, sizzling as they cut through the mist.

Tian Lei's sword glowed faintly as he slashed in a broad arc, dispersing the worst of it. The rest hissed downward—only to strike Yuxin's blade, which she flicked with effortless precision, redirecting the droplets into the swamp water. They dissolved harmlessly with a violent hiss.