Li Ming tightened his grip on his sword. The Azure Vein Lotus glowed faintly in his other hand. "Everyone... stay sharp." From the fog, something moved — slow, deliberate, heavy. A massive paw crushed through a tree trunk like dry grass. Lan Yue’s eyes narrowed. "That’s... a Marsh Python. But it’s mutated." When the beast finally emerged, it towered over them — scales like molten stone, eyes glowing crimson, steam rolling from its nostrils. Each breath it took warped the air. Bai Guo blinked. "Oh good, a nightmare with scales." The creature hissed — a sound that shook the forest. Li Ming leapt back, lightning sparking beneath his feet. Its tail smashed into the ground where he stood a heartbeat ago, sending boulders flying. Lan Yue’s sword flashed as she cut across its side, but sparks bounced harmlessly off its scales. "It’s too tough!" she shouted. "Yun Rou!" Li Ming called. The girl pressed her palms together — vines erupted from the earth, wrapping around the serpent’s neck. It roared, thrashing violently. Li Ming charged in, lightning swirling around him. "Thunderflow Art—Piercing Fang!" His sword struck — the scales cracked, but didn’t break. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽 The backlash threw him backward through a bush. "Okay—ow." He sat up, smoke rising from his clothes. "That... didn’t work." Bai Guo sighed. "Descendant, maybe try hitting harder next time?" The serpent’s tail whipped again, sending Yun Rou crashing into a boulder. Lan Yue ran to block, deflecting a burst of Qi that melted the grass underfoot. The creature raised its head, gathering red Qi inside its throat — Lan Yue’s eyes widened. "Everyone, move!" Li Ming barely rolled aside as a line of molten fire tore through the forest, leaving behind a river of flame. The air shimmered from heat. Li Ming clenched his teeth. "Alright... this thing’s no joke." He focused, lightning building around him. The ground beneath him cracked as arcs of electricity danced between his feet and the wet soil. Lan Yue stepped forward too, her blade humming with Qi. "We’ll strike together." Bai Guo sighed dramatically. "Fine. Guess I’ll risk my feathers again." "On my signal," Li Ming said. The serpent hissed again, preparing another breath attack. Li Ming raised his sword — lightning roared across the entire marsh, reflecting in the serpent’s eyes. He shot forward like a thunderbolt, Lan Yue beside him, Bai Guo above them both. The serpent screamed as their combined strike tore through the mist — The explosion sent shockwaves rippling through the forest. When the smoke cleared, the serpent was still standing... barely. Half its scales were cracked, glowing faintly with ember light. It glared at them — then, to their surprise, lowered its head. Lan Yue blinked. "It’s... kneeling?" Bai Guo tilted his head. "Wait—did we just impress it?" The serpent’s voice echoed directly into their minds, ancient and deep: "You... carry the will of the Azure Sky. The lotus is yours." Li Ming froze. "You... can talk?" The serpent’s eyes glowed softly. "Prove yourself again... and this marsh shall answer your call." Then, before anyone could reply, the serpent dissolved into mist — leaving behind only a single glowing scale. Li Ming picked it up slowly, eyes wide. "That... was definitely not in the mission description." Bai Guo snorted. "And yet, it’s still somehow your fault." Li Ming stared at the glowing scale for a long moment, the mist curling lazily around his boots. It pulsed faintly with energy — not overwhelming, but strong enough to make his hair stand on end. "Alright," he muttered, sliding the scale carefully into his satchel. "Mission complete... maybe?" Bai Guo flapped his wings, hovering in front of him with an unimpressed look. "Descendant, do you ever do anything without almost getting flattened first?" "I mean... technically it was my plan this time," Li Ming replied, dusting off his robes. "Mostly." Lan Yue shook her head, sheath rattling. "You say ’mostly,’ but the tail attack alone would’ve destroyed half the forest if I hadn’t intervened." Li Ming shrugged sheepishly. "Minor setback." Bai Guo snorted. "Minor? Your definition of minor is terrifying. That’s why I’m here — someone needs to remind you that trees have feelings too." Before Lan Yue could retort, a whistle echoed through the marsh. Li Ming’s head snapped up. A figure approached at a brisk pace — a tall man in flowing green robes, the insignia of the Medicine Hall embroidered on his chest. His eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, flicked to Li Ming and then to the glowing scale. "You found it," the medicine master said, voice calm but firm. "Good. That scale is rare — infused with the energy of the Marsh Python itself. It will serve as a primary ingredient for today’s cultivation exercise." Li Ming blinked. "Uh... right. Ingredients, sure." He glanced at Bai Guo, who looked equally baffled. The master’s eyes narrowed. "I assume you didn’t come empty-handed, descendant." Li Ming swallowed. "Of course not. I collected it... carefully... mostly intact." "Careful or mostly intact," the master muttered, eyes glinting, "we’ll see if that distinction matters." Bai Guo flapped and whispered dramatically: "Descendant, he sounds scary. Did he just say he’ll see if you survived collecting the scale?" Ignoring the chatter, Li Ming followed the master to the Medicine Hall, where dozens of herbs lined the walls and strange vials glowed faintly in shadowed corners. The air was thick with Qi — pungent, sharp, alive. "Your task today," the master said, gesturing toward a low table, "is to refine this scale into a medicinal compound suitable for internal cultivation. It must not lose its energy, but it must be safe enough to administer. Precision and control are key." Li Ming’s eyes widened. "Refine... into medicine?" The master’s lips twitched, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he handed over a mortar and pestle that seemed imbued with a faint golden light. The weight of it was heavier than it looked — each strike reverberated with energy. Lan Yue tilted her head. "You’ll need to focus, Li Ming. Don’t rush this — even one misstep and the compound could explode or become useless." "Explode?" Bai Guo whispered, flapping closer. "Descendant, why does everything explode around you?" "Not everything," Li Ming muttered, placing the scale carefully in the mortar. "Mostly everything I touch without supervision." He concentrated, drawing in Qi from the core of his body, letting it swirl around the scale. Sparks of blue energy licked the edges of the mortar. Slowly, the scale began to hum, tiny shards of energy lifting off it and forming a protective barrier around the mortar. The master’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Good. You’ve reached the level to control Qi with finesse, but maintain it consistently. Focus on the rhythm of your energy, not its strength." Li Ming nodded, teeth gritted. Each strike of the pestle required precise control — too weak and the scale wouldn’t release its properties, too strong and it would shatter completely. Minutes passed. The air in the hall crackled as Qi danced like ribbons around him. Bai Guo hovered nervously. "Descendant, are you sure this is the way? You’re glowing... and that can’t be normal." "It’s fine," Li Ming said through gritted teeth. "Fine... mostly fine." Finally, with a concentrated push of Qi through his dantian, the scale cracked perfectly, its energy releasing into the mortar and merging with the herbs in a delicate, swirling pattern. The mixture glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with Li Ming’s heartbeat. The master leaned closer, inspecting the mixture. "Interesting... excellent control. You’ve successfully refined the scale without losing its energy. Not bad for a day’s work." Li Ming exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. "Thank... you..." Bai Guo smirked. "See? Told you this time wouldn’t end in disaster." Li Ming scowled. "You’re not supposed to say that!" Lan Yue stepped forward, sword resting lightly on her shoulder. "Your training is progressing well, Li Ming. Keep refining not just your cultivation, but your control over every Qi technique you master. Medicine and combat are... surprisingly similar." Li Ming tilted his head. "How so?" "Precision," she said simply. "And patience." He nodded, eyes flicking to the glowing mixture. "Then I guess this is another step forward. Not just fighting monsters... but mastering life itself." Bai Guo flapped and squawked: "Step forward or step on disaster? Please clarify, descendant!" Li Ming groaned, setting the mixture carefully aside. "Let’s just hope no one blows themselves up tomorrow." Outside, the morning sun hit the hall, reflecting off the polished floors. Li Ming knew this was just the start. Mastering medicine, combining it with his lightning techniques, and preparing for the next cultivation challenge — it would be long, but he felt... ready. Because no matter what, he had survived worse. And now, even the art of healing could be another battlefield — one he was determined to conquer.