The Grove was once part of the Azure Sky Sect's Outer Sect but was now a silent reminder of a devastating battle with demonic cultivators from thousands of years ago.

The ruins of training halls and dormitories lie scattered among overgrown vegetation. Broken stone pillars and crumbling walls peek out from beneath tangles of vines and roots.

Most disciples avoided this place, finding it unsettling, which made it an ideal location for a secret meeting.

As Kai walked into the Grove, he spotted Su Jie leaning against one of the trees, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. The young disciple straightened as Kai drew closer, his expression a mix of relief and annoyance.

"Senior Brother Kai," Su Jie said, bowing slightly. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Forgotten? It's only been a few days since our last meeting."

Su Jie's scowl deepened. "A few days? It's been a week! You said we'd meet the next day, but then nothing. I've been coming here every day, waiting."

A week? Kai thought, momentarily surprised. Has it really been that long? Time flies when you're fighting flood dragons and planning for war, I guess.

"Ah, I apologize for the delay, Su Jie. Some urgent matters came up that required my immediate attention."

Su Jie's expression softened slightly, but he still looked frustrated. "I understand that you're busy, Senior Brother, but a message would have been nice. I was worried you'd changed your mind about our... arrangement."

Kai shook his head. "No, nothing like that. In fact, I have an important mission for you."

Su Jie's eyes widened, curiosity replacing his annoyance. "A mission? What kind of mission?"

Kai glanced around, making sure they were alone. "It's a delicate matter," he said, lowering his voice. "I need you to gather some information for me. Specifically, about the Crimson Phoenix Sect."

"The Crimson Phoenix Sect? Are you crazy?” Su Jie's eyes widened in shock. “They'd kill me if they caught me spying!"

"Calm down," Kai said, holding up a hand. "I'm not asking you to sneak into their sect. That would be suicide, you're right. What I need is for you to visit the towns under Crimson Phoenix territory."

"The towns? What for?"

"To look for signs. Small things that might indicate they're preparing for something big. Increased patrols, stockpiling of resources, that sort of thing. The townspeople might not know exactly what is going on, but they'd pick up on a change. I'm sure there's some whispers floating around."

"But why? What's going on?"

Kai hesitated, then decided a partial truth was necessary. "I have reason to believe there might be conflict between our sects soon. I need to know if the Crimson Phoenix Sect is making any unusual moves."

Su Jie's face paled. "Conflict? You mean... war?"

"Potentially,” Kai nodded. “That's why this information is so important."

"I don't know, Senior Brother,” Su Jie swallowed hard, looking nervous. “This sounds really dangerous. What if I get caught?"

"You won't be doing anything wrong," Kai assured him. "Just visit the towns, keep your eyes and ears open. Act like a regular traveler. You're quick, observant, and most importantly, you know how to stay out of sight when you need to "

Su Jie still looked uncertain. Kai decided it was time for some extra motivation.

"Remember our arrangement, Su Jie," Kai said, his voice taking on a harder edge. "I saved your life and agreed to help you advance. In return, you work for me."

"I know, I know,” Su Jie winced at the reminder but nodded reluctantly. “It's just... this is big, you know?"

“I'm not asking you to do this for free,” Kai continued, his voice softening slightly. “Complete this mission successfully, and I'll give you a Low-Grade Qi Gathering pill as a reward."

Su Jie's head snapped up, his eyes wide. "A Low-Grade Qi Gathering pill? Really?"

Kai nodded. "Really. It should help speed up your cultivation significantly."

Su Jie bit his lip, clearly tempted. After a moment, he said, "Two pills."

"Excuse me?"

"I want two Low-Grade Qi Gathering pills," Su Jie said, a hint of defiance in his voice. "This mission is dangerous. If I'm risking my neck, I want to make sure it's worth it."

He's got guts, I'll give him that. And two pills isn't really that much in the grand scheme of things.

"Alright," Kai said finally. "Two pills, but only if the information you bring back is truly valuable. Deal?"

Su Jie grinned, bowing. "Deal!"

Kai bowed back, sealing their agreement. "Good. Now, here's what I need you to do..."

For the next half hour, Kai outlined the details of the mission. He explained which areas of the Crimson Phoenix Sect territory Su Jie should focus on, what kind of information to look for, and how to report back safely. Su Jie listened intently, asking questions and making mental notes.

"Remember, Su Jie, discretion is key. Don't take unnecessary risks, and if you feel like you're in danger, abort the mission immediately. Your safety is more important than the information."

"I understand, Senior Brother. I won't let you down."

"Good," Kai said. "You have one week. Meet me back here at the same time next week, and we'll discuss what you've found."

As Su Jie turned to leave, Kai called out, "And Su Jie? Be careful."

The young disciple flashed a confident grin. "Always am, Senior Brother. Always am."

Kai watched as Su Jie disappeared into the shadows.

I hope I'm doing the right thing. But we need this information. If war is coming, we need to be prepared.

With a sigh, he turned and made his way back to his quarters. He had his own work to do.

***

Kai sat cross-legged in his private practice area outside his quarters. The sun warmed his face as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of nearby trees. It had been a few days since his return from Storm's Peak, and he'd been busy getting things in order, Su Jie’s mission being one of many.

Opening his eyes, Kai glanced at a small table nearby. On it sat several bottles of freshly made Low-Grade Qi Gathering Pills. A smile spread across his face as he thought about his recent conversation with Xie Li.

"Senior Brother Kai," Xie Li had said, "I've made a decision about your offer."

Kai had raised an eyebrow, trying not to show his eagerness. After her initial reluctance, he'd been unsure of her final decision. "And?" he'd prompted.

Xie Li's face had broken into a shy smile. "I'd like to accept the full-time position, if it's still available."

"Of course it is," Kai had replied, keeping his tone casual despite his relief. "I'm glad you've decided to join us permanently."

"The trial period really helped me see the benefits of our arrangement," Xie Li had explained. "And I've enjoyed the work more than I expected."

They'd quickly settled on the details - a fixed salary of 5 spirit stones per pill, with Kai providing all necessary materials.

“Xie Li, there's something else I wanted to discuss," he'd said. "With everything going on, I'm going to be quite busy. I was thinking of bringing on another alchemist to help out. What do you think?"

Xie Li had looked thoughtful for a moment. "That makes sense, Senior Brother. In fact, I might know someone who could help. A friend of mine loves alchemy just as much as me. Would it be alright if I asked her?"

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Kai had nodded, pleased that he wouldn’t need to waste his time searching. "That would be great. As long as you trust her, I'm happy to offer her the position."

"I do trust her," Xie Li had assured him. "She's reliable and talented. I'll speak with her and let you know what she says."

As Xie Li had left, there was a new spring in her step.

Finally, Kai had thought, watching her go. One reliable alchemist secured, maybe even two.

Now, days later, Kai refocused his attention on the task at hand. He closed his eyes again, visualizing the Divine Sky Hammer technique. The memory of that colossal lightning construct still sent shivers down his spine. But he’d been struggling to replicate the technique.

He'd decided to prioritize creating this technique over reawakening another meridian. The potential 3,000 XP reward was significant, and having a powerful offensive technique would be more immediately useful in the face of the looming conflict with the Crimson Phoenix Sect.

Kai closed his eyes, recalling the moment the Divine Sky Hammer had formed high in the sky above the battlefield. He began breaking down the technique into simpler steps.

Step 1: Gather lightning-natured qi in the sky.

Step 2: Compress the qi into a dense core.

Step 3: Shape the compressed qi into a hammer form.

Step 4: Stabilize the construct.

Step 5: Direct and release the technique.

"Alright, let's try again."

Kai raised his hand, focusing on gathering lightning-natured qi not in his palm as he usually would, but in the air above him. Manipulating elemental qi was already proving more challenging than his usual Qi Condensation skill, creating a construct at a distance was a whole different ball game.

Sparks danced in the air several meters above his head as he pulled qi from his surroundings. It was like trying to manipulate a puppet with very long, invisible strings.

So far, so good, but much harder than usual.

Next, he attempted to compress the gathered qi. This proved even more challenging than the gathering phase. The energy sparked and fizzled, resisting his efforts to condense it further. Unlike his usual Qi Condensation where he could physically cup the qi in his hands, this distant manipulation required much more focus and control.

Kai frowned. Why isn't this working? Wait…maybe I can apply some alchemy techniques here.

He considered the Essence Extraction technique he used in pill-making. The process of drawing out the purest essence from materials wasn't so different from what he was trying to do with the lightning qi, even at a distance.

Kai tried again, this time imagining the lightning qi as a raw material floating in the sky. He focused on extracting its purest form, slowly condensing it into a tight ball of energy high above his head. To his surprise, it worked. The qi compressed more easily, forming a pulsing orb of lightning energy.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

The next step was shaping the compressed qi into a hammer form, all while maintaining its position in the air. Kai pondered this for a moment. In alchemy, the Elemental Fusion technique allowed for combining different elemental properties. Perhaps he could use a similar principle here, fusing different 'parts' of the lightning qi to form the hammer's shape.

He focused on the compressed ball of energy hovering above, willing it to stretch and form. Slowly, painstakingly, the orb began to elongate, forming a rough hammer shape. It was far from perfect – more of a lightning club than a hammer – but it was progress.

Kai's excitement grew. He was onto something here. But as he tried to maintain the shape high in the air, he felt it becoming unstable. The energy crackled dangerously, threatening to disperse.

Stability Control, Kai thought. Another alchemy technique that might help.

He took a deep breath, channeling his qi upwards to stabilize the construct. It was like trying to hold sand together with willpower alone. The lightning hammer flickered, its form wavering in the sky.

"Come on," Kai muttered through gritted teeth. "Hold together."

For a brief moment, the hammer stabilized. Kai's heart leaped with excitement. But then, just as quickly, it collapsed, dissipating in a shower of sparks that rained down around him, singeing the grass.

Kai fell back, panting from the effort. "Damn it," he cursed softly. He was close, so close. But something was still missing.

What am I overlooking? The gathering and compression worked well enough, even at a distance. Shaping was tricky but possible. It's the stability that's the real issue.

He thought back to the Zhen Lei Shenjiao's Divine Sky Hammer. What made it different? It was massive, yes, but it was also... cohesive. The lightning that formed it moved as one, not just a collection of electrical charges, but a single, unified force.

Kai's eyes widened as realization struck. "Spiritual Resonance," he whispered.

In alchemy, the Spiritual Resonance technique was used to attune creations to specific spiritual frequencies. What if he could apply that principle here? Not just shaping the lightning, but attuning it to resonate with itself, creating a more stable, unified construct, even when formed high in the sky.

Excited, Kai stood up, ready to try again. He gathered the lightning qi in the air above him, compressing it as he had before. This time, as he shaped it into a hammer form, he focused on more than just the physical shape. He concentrated on the energy itself, willing it to resonate at the same frequency.

There was a humming in the air as the lightning hammer took form high above. It was smaller than the Zhen Lei Shenjiao's version, but still significantly larger than anything he could create using Qi Condensation from a distance.

"I…I did it," Kai breathed.

But he wasn't done yet. The final step was to direct and release the technique. He looked around, spotting a large boulder at the edge of his practice area. Perfect.

Kai focused on the hammer floating above, establishing a connection with it that felt different from his usual qi manipulation. With a sharp exhalation, he directed the lightning hammer towards the boulder.

It shot down from the sky with incredible speed and struck the boulder with a thunderous crack. There was a blinding flash, and when his vision cleared, Kai saw a sizable chunk of the boulder had been obliterated, leaving a scorched, smoking crater.

Mission Complete: Architect - Create Your First Technique Description: Develop an original technique based on your observations and understanding of cultivation principles.

Reward: 3000 XP

Technique Created: Lightning Hammer Strike

Description: A powerful lightning construct in the shape of a hammer, formed at a distance and directed to strike with devastating effect.

Kai couldn't help but laugh out loud. He'd done it. He'd created his own technique based on the Divine Sky Hammer. It wasn't as powerful as the original, of course, but it was a start. And more importantly, it was his.