Leaving the Alchemy Pavilion behind, Adrian followed the route he had memorized from the wooden board. The sect grounds were vast, and the paths stretched in various dires, but he carefully made his way toward the Mission Hall.

  When he arrived, he noticed that the building was simir in structure to the Alchemy Pavilion—three stories tall with intricate carvings ad its walls. However, while the Alchemy Pavilion had delicate engravings of medial herbs and pill cauldrons, the Mission Hall bore carvings of martial figures in battle and disciples carrying out various tasks.

  Stepping inside, Adrian's gaze was immediately drawn to the floating wooden pques suspended in the air. Each pque had glowing inscriptions, listing different missions avaible to outer disciples.

  His eyes flickered with i as he sed through some of them:

  "Gather ten Moonshade Grass from the western forest. Reward: 5 tribution points."

  "Assist an inner disciple in maintaining his courtyard. Reward: 2 tribution points."

  "Escort a mert caravan to the nearby town. Reward: 15 tribution points (requires group approval)."

  "Help with the cultivation fields he sect. Reward: 3 tribution points."

  Adriahrough several more, but his initial excitement faded into disappoi.

  'So these are the missions outer disciples get…'

  There were no dangerous tasks, no great opportunities frowth, just menial bor or simple colleissions. But after a moment, he uood why—outer disciples weren't strong enough yet. The sect wouldn't send them on life-threatening missions when most of them were still struggling to sense Qi.

  Still, it made him wonder—how long would it take before he could take on real challenges?

  Setting those thoughts aside, Adrian turned his attention to another se of the hall. A stone board on the side expined how the mission system worked.

  "Missions grant tribution points upon pletion. tribution points be exged for pills at the Alchemy Pavilion, ons at the Treasure Hall, and various sect resources."

  'So that's how it works…' Adrian mused.

  After briefly sing the rest of the hall, he saw nothing particurly useful for now. With that, he left the Mission Hall, following the wooden board's dires toward his destinatioreasure Hall.

  Following the same route he had memorized from the wooden board, Adrian soon arrived at the Treasure Hall. Uhe Alchemy Pavilion and Mission Hall, which both stood as three-story structures, the Treasure Hall was a siory building. However, it stretched far and wide, its size making up for its ck of height.

  As he stepped inside, Adrian quickly realized that the hall was much rger on the ihan it appeared from outside. Rows upon rows of wooden shelves extended into the distaneatly arranged with various scrolls, manuals, and on racks. The air inside carried a faint, a st of old part and wood.

  At the front ter, instead of a young disciple like in the Alchemy Pavilion, an old man sat zily, his half-lidded eyes showing little i in his surroundings. His long white beard swayed slightly as he breathed, and his posture suggested someone who had seen far too much of the world to be bothered by trivial matters.

  Adrian's lips curled slightly as a thought popped into his mind.

  Is this one of those hidden experts? The ones who sit i halls, pretending to be ordinary, but are actually waiting for the perfect disciple to appear?

  Suppressing the chuckle threatening to escape, he walked up to the ter.

  "Senior, do you have a list of the teiques avaible ireasure Hall?" Adrian asked respectfully.

  The old man slowly opened one eye, giving Adrian a brief gnce before nodding. Without a word, he reached uhe ter and pulled out a slightly worn-out booklet, handing it over.

  Adrian accepted the booklet and moved to the side, flipping it open.

  Ieiques were categorized into differeions, each tailored for different aspects of bat.

  Movement Teiques: Shadow Step, Wind Stride, Flowing Mist Steps Hand Teiques: Iron Palm, Dragon Cw, Serpent's Strike on Teiques: Pierg Fang Sword Art, Flowing River Bde, Thunder Spear Style

  Each description tained details about the teique's strengths, weaknesses, and difficulty of learning.

  'So many choices…' Adrian mused. The movement teiques caught his attention the most—being able to move faster or dodge better could mean life or death in battle. But the on teiques were equally tempting, especially since he hadn't decided what on suited him best yet.

  Should I start earning tribution points a a teique now? Or should I wait until I reach the inner courtyard, where better teiques might be avaible?

  Just as he was debating, a familiar preseirred in his mind.

  "You don't o choose a teique."

  o's voice echoed in his thoughts, its tone calm yet undeniable.

  "I will provide you with one."

  Adrian's heart skipped a beat. His mind immediately recalled what o had already given him—the Path of Infinity, a cultivatiohod beyond anything he could prehend. If o was him a teique, then it wouldn't be ordinary—it would be something far beyond what this Treasure Hall could provide.

  A smirk formed on Adrian's lips.

  Of course… o's teiques would be on airely different level.

  With that, he gave a quick final ghrough the booklet, then walked back to the ter, handing it back to the old man.

  "Finished already?" the old man asked zily, taking the booklet.

  "Yes," Adrian replied with a polite nod. Without lingering any further, he turned ahe Treasure Hall, stepping bato the sect grounds.

  After leaving the Treasure Hall, Adrian did not immediately return to the Outer Disciple Quarters. Instead, he decided to take his time expl the sect.

  The sect grounds were vast, far rger than he had initially imagined. Stone-paved paths stretched in multiple dires, winding through the ndscape like flowing rivers. T pavilions and training halls stood in the distaheir curved rooftops gleaming uhe midday sun. Groups of disciples walked along the paths, some chatting casually while others carried out their sect duties.

  On one side, a tranquil garden came into view. The st of fresh earth and blooming flowers filled the air as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the well-maintairees. A small pond sat at its ter, where a few disciples meditated in sileheir refles rippling across the water. The presence of Qi in this area was slightly denser, making it an ideal pce for quiet ption.

  Further ahead, Adrian spotted araining ground, where several outer disciples were practig their teiques. The sharp g of wooden swords g echoed through the air, apanied by the grunts of effort from those sparring. A few senior outer disciples corrected the stances of their juniors, their expressions serious.

  As Adrian observed, he realized just how much effort everyone utting into their cultivation. Every disciple had their own struggles and ambitions, their own reasons for striving to grow stronger.

  This pce… it's not just a sect, it's a world of its own.

  He tinued wandering, occasionally stopping to take in the sights. The further he walked, the more he appreciated the sheer scale of the sect. The outer courtyard alone was already so vast—he could only imagine what the inner courtyard and core disciple areas would be like.

  Eventually, as the afternoon sun began to cast long shadows, Adrian decided to return to his courtyard.

  Stepping inside, Adrian exhaled softly, refleg on his first day of exploration.

  Alchemy Pavilion, Mission Hall, Treasure Hall… The sect truly has everything to support its disciples. But in the end, what matters most is strength. Without it, all of these resources are meaningless.

  His mind then drifted toward something he had been eagerly waiting to ask.

  Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he closed his eyes and reached out to o in his thoughts.

  "o, what kind of teique will you give me?"

  o's familiar voice echoed within his mind, calm and posed.

  "You decide afterwards—once you reach at least ten refis."

  Adrian's eyes flickered open, his expression ptive.

  Ten refis?

  He had been eager to see what kind of movement teique or martial art o would grant him, but now he uood—there was no rush. Refis were the foundation of his power. Without a strong base, any teique he received would be meaningless.

  Letting out a breath, he nodded slightly.

  Alright. Oep at a time.

  With his deade, he y down, allowing his body to rex.

  Tomorrow, I'll begin my sed refi.

  And with that final thought, Adrian closed his eyes food sleep.

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