It required a considerable volume of water – five large buckets drawn from a nearby stream – before Torvin felt adequately cleansed of the accumulated grime from days of manual labor. The feeling of clean skin against simple fabric was a minor, yet welcome, improvement in his current circumstances.
He donned the change of clothes provided by Elder Bai Ji – the standard attire of an Outer Disciple. 'Plain, grayish-white robes. Functional. Durable.' They fit his Viltrumite frame adequately, though lacked any real distinction. Using the surface of the water bucket as a crude mirror, Torvin assessed his reflection.
Handsome with symmetrical features and a strong jawline. He ran a hand through his still-damp black hair, dismissing vanity as unproductive. Appearance was camouflage, nothing more.
Stepping out of the basic wooden hut, Torvin began a systematic reconnaissance of the immediate area – designated as 'Spirit Herb Peak' according to Bai Ji. He moved with purpose, mapping the paths, noting the sparse vegetation, the ambient energy levels (low, compared to the higher peaks), and critically, the utter lack of personnel. No other disciples, Outer or otherwise. No servants. Just Bai Ji's implied presence and this solitary hut. 'Isolation... strategic advantage or confinement? Data insufficient.' By the time his hair had air-dried, the assessment was complete: Spirit Herb Peak was functionally Bai Ji's private domain, and his own presence here was an anomaly.
His internal Bio-Interface remained quiet, merely monitoring his stable physiological state. No Overdrive needed, no tasks pending. Just the slow background process of Viltrumite biology repairing the minor strains of the previous days.
Restlessness began to set in. Information was lacking. Staying passive was inefficient. He needed context, needed to understand the layout and power structures of this Lanyue Palace.
"Elder Bai!" His voice cut through the mountain quietude. "Elder Bai, where are you?" He projected his voice, less a shout of panic, more a demand for attention.
Within the opulent Embracing Moon Hall, high on the main peak, the conversation paused. Wu Qingcheng sat impassively on her jade throne, while Bai Ji occupied a lower seat. They had been finalizing the intricate details surrounding the upcoming, strategically vital wedding announcement when Torvin's distant call reached them easily.
"It seems your "errand boy" requires attention," Wu Qingcheng remarked, her tone unreadable. "Our discussion concludes here for now. Proceed as planned." She waved a dismissive hand.
Bai Ji rose, bowing respectfully. "As the Palace Master commands." As he turned to leave, Wu Qingcheng's divine sense swept outwards momentarily, brushing past the distant Spirit Herb Peak. She noted the cleaned-up appearance of Li Qiye – a stark contrast to the grime-covered laborer. 'His physique recovers swiftly. Interesting.' Even her detached demeanor allowed for a flicker of analytical curiosity before retracting her focus.
"Elder Bai! Where are you?" Torvin called again, scanning the skies.
Bai Ji's voice suddenly sounded from directly behind him. "Patience, Young Friend Li. This old one was occupied. What requires such urgency?"
Torvin pivoted smoothly, not startled, but wary. He held up a hand, halting Bai Ji's approach a few meters away. "Elder Bai, could you not sneak up on me like that?"
Bai Ji paused, considering. 'Ah, the mortal senses. Limited.' He conceded the point internally. For a cultivator, silent movement was natural; but for this physically potent but spiritually inert boy, it could be alarming. "A fair point, Young Friend Li. My apologies. Now, what's with the urgency?" He stroked his beard, adopting a patient air.
"I need an orientation," Torvin stated directly. "Confining me to this peak limits my worldview to this place only. I think a broader understanding of Lanyue Palace's layout, key locations, and personnel distribution, would be good. And if you're free, a guided tour is the most efficient method."
Bai Ji considered this. The Palace Master did wish for him to be observed, integrated to a degree. And familiarizing the 'Empress's designated man' with his potential future domain made a certain political sense. He also needed to gauge the boy's reactions to the core elements of the Palace.
"A reasonable request," Bai Ji agreed after a moment. "Very well. This old one shall provide a brief tour of the relevant Outer and Inner Court areas accessible to disciples. It is prudent you understand the environment, after all."
He stood still, and with a soft hum, a sleek, white flying sword materialized before him, hovering silently. It shimmered faintly with contained energy. "Follow me, Young Friend Li. It will facilitate our travel." At his cultivation realm, Bai Ji needed no such tool, but transporting a mortal required either direct physical contact (which was unseemly) or a stable platform.
Torvin eyed the flying sword critically.
'Energy signature: Stable, controlled Qi flow. Propulsion method: Likely array-based. Platform dimensions: Narrow. Approx. 20cm width. Stability: Unknown under dynamic load. Safety features: None visible.' He circled it once, his assessment swift and pragmatic with his judgement based on wuxia and xianxia novels. "Hm... is the structural integrity sufficient for two passengers? Is there any inertia damping mechanism?"
Bai Ji blinked, unaccustomed to such technical-sounding queries regarding a standard flying sword. "It is sufficient enough." He stated simply, slightly impatient. Seeing Li Qiye hesitate, analyzing the artifact rather than mounting, Bai Ji sighed internally. 'Mortals.' He reached out, grasped Li Qiye firmly by the arm (not the collar – a small concession to the boy's surprising persistence), and pulled him onto the sword's surface behind him in one smooth motion.
Before Torvin could fully adjust his balance, Bai Ji activated the sword. It shot forward with silent, breathtaking acceleration.
"Ghhh—!" An involuntary grunt escaped Torvin as the G-force pressed him against Bai Ji's back. The initial surge was jarring, but he quickly adapted, Viltrumite equilibrium asserting itself. He noted the shimmering barrier that enveloped them, nullifying wind resistance. 'A protective array? Standard cultivator travel utility.'
The mist-shrouded peaks rushed past below. His vision, though sharp, couldn't penetrate the dense cloud cover effectively, offering only fragmented glimpses of the vast mountain range.
After a period of swift travel, Bai Ji slowed the sword, guiding it towards a massive plateau dominated by a sprawling complex of ancient buildings. "This," Bai Ji announced, "is the central hub for Outer and Inner disciples – the Central Pavilion."
The sword descended smoothly onto a vast, polished stone plaza in front of the largest structure, the Central Pavilion itself. "Within lies the repository of Lanyue Palace's cultivation manuals," Bai Ji explained, gesturing towards the imposing building. "From the foundational Qi Nurturing Realm – what mortals might call body tempering – through Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Void Returning, Dao Integration, up to the Great Ascension Realm, the level of our Palace Master, sometimes termed the Emperor Realm by outsiders."
[Data Point Logged: Cultivation Realms Identified (Lanyue Palace System). Qi Nurturing -> Great Ascension/Emperor Realm.]
"Access to higher-level techniques," Bai Ji continued, "requires substantial Sect Contribution Points and, more importantly, sufficient aptitude and cultivation base. The profoundest truths cannot be grasped by the unprepared."
Torvin scanned the plaza. It was enormous, easily capable of holding thousands. Dotted across its surface were numerous raised platforms, each shimmering with a faint light barrier. "Sparring arenas," Bai Ji clarified. "The barriers prevent stray techniques from harming onlookers."
In the absolute center of the plaza stood a colossal crystal stele, easily thirty meters high, smooth-faced and radiating a faint, ancient aura. Bai Ji had deliberately landed them near its base.
Their arrival, a Peak Lord personally escorting an Outer Disciple on a flying sword, immediately drew stares. Disciples moving across the plaza paused, their gazes sharp, assessing. Whispers began almost instantly.
'Peak Lord Bai? With an Outer Disciple?'
'Never seen that boy before. New? Whose connection?'
'Look at the robes – Outer Court trash. Why is Peak Lord Bai personally escorting him?'
'Could it be… a hidden disciple? An illegitimate son?'
Small groups formed, murmurs spreading like wildfire. Communication talismans flickered discreetly as gossip flowed through the disciple network. The arrival of a nobody under the direct guidance of a Peak Lord was significant news, ripe for speculation.
Torvin ignored the stares, his focus absolute. His gaze was fixed on the towering crystal stele. Runes, ancient and profound, were carved into its surface. He stepped closer, tilting his head, his mind working to decipher the archaic script. With some effort, drawing on fragmented linguistic knowledge absorbed from countless media, he sounded out the topmost line:
"'The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao…?'" A philosophical inscription? Or a test?
[Significant Landmark Detected: Central Doctrine Stele. Inscription Source: Ancient Text Fragment (Possible Daoist Origin). Purpose: Unknown. Analysis Recommended.]