"Do you think we should begin the first phase of the war, Tao Mu?" Lu Heng asked, his voice low but firm.
"I don't think we have a choice anymore," Tao Mu replied without hesitation. "It's only a matter of time before the organization Ya Fen works for learns about the conflict between us and the Jiang Clan. We need to end this quickly, before we find ourselves surrounded by too many enemies. We should also prepare contingency plans in case we fail."
Lu Heng gave a slow nod. "Those are my thoughts exactly. We must accelerate crystal extraction from the mine. If we can't defend it, then we must at least ensure that we take everything—or enough that we profit while our enemies walk away with nothing."
His tone hardened. "And if even that becomes impossible, we destroy the mine. Leave nothing behind."
Tao Mu silently acknowledged the statement, his expression grim.
"We also need new routes to the mine," Lu Heng continued. "Students cannot take the same paths twice. That makes them predictable. Have maps made, and set up traps for any spies or pursuers. We'll create hidden checkpoints—places where instructors will be stationed in secret. Every student returning from a mission will pass through those spots so we can confirm they're not being followed."
Tao Mu gave a curt nod. "Understood. I'll begin immediately."
Lu Heng paused briefly, then added, "Lu Zhenhai may need to involve himself in this one. If another clan or institute joins the conflict, we'll need his authority—and his strength. I'll send him everything that's happened so far. He needs to see the full picture."
The two continued to discuss strategy for a while longer, detailing routes, false trails, instructor assignments, and emergency fallback measures. When all was said and done, Tao Mu left the tent in silence, his next set of missions already forming in his mind.
Xie Lang walked outside, heading toward his punishment. Unlike earlier, he wasn't furious—just silent. After a long breath, he muttered, "Heh… should've listened to Grandpa. He always said my mouth was my greatest enemy. I really need to start controlling myself, especially in times like these…"
His fists clenched. "Still, those two identical little bastards are dead once I find them… To think they dared to steal that map for themselves. The dean and vice dean don't even know it exists—and while they do know I've got a grudge against the twins, they don't know the reason. That's why I need to catch them. I have to get the map back."
His thoughts drifted back to that day.
It had been a joint mission. Xie Lang and the Yan twins—Yan Bai and Yan Hei—had been sent to track down a rogue cultivator who attacked the institute's merchants. They eventually found and defeated him after a harsh fight. Once the enemy lay dead, they began to search the hideout.
Inside the ruined chamber, Xie Lang walked ahead, rummaging through papers and drawers.
"You think this guy had anything valuable?" he asked with a grin, eyes already scanning for loot.
"Whatever it is, we split it equally," said Yan Bai.
"Oh? So you two take 50%, and I get 50%?" Xie Lang quipped.
Yan Hei laughed. "Last I checked, there's three of us. You get 40%, and we get 60%. We did most of the work."
"Yeah, yeah," Xie Lang waved them off. "Keep dreaming."
Just then, something caught his eye—a worn scroll rolled and tied with a red thread. He picked it up and read the faint writing across the top.
"Serpent Master's Domain, huh?" he muttered.
The twins' demeanor changed instantly. Their eyes widened—and then, wordlessly, they took a step back.
Xie Lang noticed their strange silence and turned toward them with the map still in hand. "So? What do you think this is ab—?".
He didn't finish the sentence.
Twin blades slashed toward him as Yan Bai lunged.
"Shit!" Xie Lang barked.
He reacted just in time, activating a mid-tier technique: Iron Fists. His arms turned metallic, blocking the strike with a clang. The map fell to the ground.
Yan Hei struck from the side.
"Twin Serpent Art — Second Coil!"
His movements were smooth and precise. Xie Lang barely dodged in time, gritting his teeth. "Damnit… Molten Core Strike!"
His fists turned red-hot, radiating heat as if burning from the inside out. Steam hissed from his hands as he swung at Yan Hei—but the twin didn't stop. He moved past the strike, reaching for the map.
Then—
"Twin Serpent Art — Third Stage: Venomous Fangs!"
Yan Bai struck with terrifying speed, the air hissing as his blades closed in. A blinding flash.
CRACK!
Xie Lang was sent flying, his body slamming into the stone wall hard enough to leave cracks. Blood sprayed from his lips.
Yan Hei had already scooped up the map. He looked at his brother and gave a nod.
"He knows. We have to kill him. We'll fake his death—say he died fighting the rogue. Or maybe fake our deaths and disappear. Either way, this map is worth more than that damn institute."
Yan Hei rushed in for the kill, while Xie Lang, gasping, thought, Sneak attacks… If it were a straight fight, I'd crush them. And now I've barely got any Qi left… Damnit. I'll have to run.
His eyes burned. Fine, you bastards. Try this.
"Earth-Shatter Fist!" a high-tier Rank 1 technique that channels seismic force into a punch.
The ground quaked. Xie Lang's fist crashed down, sending a shockwave outward. The twins both jumped back, recognizing the danger.
"Twin Serpent Art — Serpent Tail Strike!" Yan Hei and Yan Bai chanted in unison, their bodies spinning with unnatural flexibility and speed, their blades whipping out like fangs on a snapping serpent.
They clashed.
The twins' technique focused on evasion, misdirection, and sudden deadly strikes—but Xie Lang's was built for brute force and frontal destruction. The impact shook the chamber. The twins were flung back, their rhythm broken.
Xie Lang didn't wait.
"Iron Bull Rush!" he roared, a mid-tier technique that boosted his physical charge with destructive force. The earth cracked beneath his feet as he surged forward, body glowing with Qi.
The twins tried to intercept him, slashing desperately to wound or kill—but his momentum was too great.
He rammed through them, blasting past the exit and vanishing into the night.
"Shit! Brother, what do we do?" Yan Hei asked, coughing up blood.
Yan Bai growled. "We disappear. We can't catch him now. And this place is too small for us to use our techniques properly. If it were a wider battlefield, we'd have had his head on this table already. Doesn't matter now. The inheritance is worth more than anything that institute could ever offer."
"We'll be labeled traitors," Yan Hei warned.
Yan Bai shrugged. "Let them. We'll be gone before the sun rises. But before that—why not help ourselves to a few more resources from our dear institute?"
Yan Hei grinned. "Well, I always follow my brother, don't I?"
They moved fast, tearing through the hideout, destroying every trace of the fight and taking everything valuable they could carry. By the time the sun rose, the twins had vanished, with the map and a new path already in mind.
Back in the present, Xie Lang barely held back a curse.
What's done is done, he thought, jaw tight. I need to keep my mouth shut and not expose why I'm looking for them… I should take this chance to work on controlling my damn emotions.
He headed off to gather supplies and complete the menial tasks assigned as punishment. Other students watched him but kept their distance. In the institute, those who were punished often became the subject of mockery—forced to clean, fetch, or serve like lowly workers. But not Xie Lang. No one dared to laugh or provoke him. Everyone knew the kind of person he was: if you crossed him, he wouldn't hesitate to break a few bones.
A day passed.
Elsewhere, Lin Shu was summoned along with several other notable students—Ren Hao, Yun Qiu, and Wu Jian, all currently considered among the top cultivators within the institute.
Lin Shu stood still, observing the group. His gaze briefly lingered on Ren Hao, a calm boy with long black hair and sharp brown eyes. He didn't speak, simply stood with quiet confidence.
That's the one Zeng Shiyang has a grudge against, Lin Shu recalled, according to what Xu Jin told me. And those two—Wu Jian and Yun Qiu—are the direct heirs of the Wu and Yun Clans…
He narrowed his eyes. This mission might turn out to be more interesting than expected.
From ahead, a man stepped forward. It was Wei Shan—cultivator at the peak of Rank 1 and the previous overseer of the mine before Lu Heng took over.
"You've all been called for a special mission," Wei Shan began, his voice stern. "This one will be different from the usual assignments. You will operate in pairs."
He paused.
"Your objective is simple: disrupt and damage as many assets of the Jiang Clan as possible—quickly, decisively, and without hesitation. Kill their cultivators, raze their holdings. Instructor Tao Mu will lead this mission and give you further details."
As footsteps echoed behind Wei Shan, a man approached—calm, cold-eyed, with a sword at his back. Tao Mu.
Everyone straightened. The mission was about to begin.