It had taken them nearly two hours to clear up any further doubts they had regarding the expedition and despite Catarina believing her plan was concise and clear, all four of her compatriots somehow still needed more detailed explanations of the terrain and potential dangers.

They each went their separate ways after the meeting in order to gather any supplies they might need or personal tools from their own homes, such as weapons, armour or talismans and other utility treasures.

Kade didn’t have much wealth to his name, just the Resonant Echo Staff and the protection talisman that each of them had been gifted by Catarina.

Surprisingly his sleep that night was deep and incredibly restful, without any strange dreams or interruptions.

He awoke with the very first rays of sunlight at dawn, gave himself a brief wash in the tub with near freezing water to invigorate himself and shake off any nerves before grabbing his gear and setting out for the arranged departure point at the eastern gate of the sect.

This time Kade was the first of them to arrive, with the exception of Catarina who had been discussing the details of their trip with the Junior Elder assigned to the gate that day.

While it was impossible for Mystic Solar Valley to keep up with the comings and goings of all their disciples, such external journeys with a certain level of risk had to be logged in case of any unfortunate mishaps.

They would also be required to part with a small percentage of their earnings from the expedition as a token of sincerity to the sect, though no one particularly minded since the sect always gave back to them in the form of teaching and as a pillar of support and community.

She waved enthusiastically upon noticing his arrival before going back to the discussion, the fresh faced Junior Elder who barely looked older than them noting down the important parts for his logs.

Many newly promoted Junior Elders would receive gate duty, some saw it as punishment as the job was rather mundane, though in times of conflict it could suddenly be elevated to one of the most important duties there was.

Luckily the sect had been at peace with their various neighbouring sects and forces for the past ten years or so, although battle was often the best tool for honing one’s cultivation, so it could also be considered bad luck for those disciples who were coming up through the outer sect during this period.

Once the details had been hashed out, the gate guard thanked Catarina for her help and returned to his little booth at the side of the colossal gate.

The sect had impenetrable natural defences, the mountains and valleys which gave it the name blocking off two thirds of the border in the northern and western directions.

A towering wall guarded the open eastern side of the valley, the only entrance and exit being the ancient gate built by the sect’s original founder.

It stood nearly twenty five metres tall, built from sturdy qi-infused metals and decorated with ornate jade carvings.

Half of the southern border was covered by Sunforge Peak, the mountain that formed one half of the outer sect, while the remaining portion was walled off, only accessible through a naval gate built over the Rejuvenation River, the main trade route to and from the sect that started in the mountains of Mystic Solar Valley and traversed in winding fashion through the entirety of the Resplendent Harmony Empire.

“Yo, Lawney! Always so punctual, it’s one of the things I really admire about you. I bet that lazy bones Aurora won’t be here for another hour at least. Those fancy clothes she wears must take the whole morning to get on,” Catarina chuckled at her own joke while slapping Kade on the shoulder.

He winced a little at the heavy handed greeting, flashing a grin and jabbing her in the ribs with a finger in retaliation.

“Is there anything interesting on the way to Demon’s Fang or will the journey just be tedious walking? If I have nothing to do for too long you know how restless I get,” asked Kade.

“Unfortunately for you I doubt it. It’s just open plains once we get beyond the mountains of the sect’s inner region all the way until our destination. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of action once we arrive so don’t stress about it too much,” she replied.

At that moment the twins came into view down the winding path that led to the gate, their black hair making them stand out against the vibrant colours of the sect’s myriad flora.

They greeted Kade and Catarina curtly, keeping small talk to a minimum as they’d done the night before; clearly the two of them weren’t social butterflies.

Frankly that didn’t bother him. People who seemed to always have something to natter on about without any substance were the most annoying types.

As predicted, Aurora was the last of the five to reach the eastern gate, though she only took thirty minutes rather than the expected hour.

Her warm hair reflected the sunlight and combined with the radiant glow of her golden eyes the girl had the appearance of a miniature sun herself.

“Took you long enough, princess,” quipped Kade.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

She scowled at him, though opted for the mature route and didn’t dignify him with a response. Some real personal growth was happening there - the Aurora of yesterday would’ve had a comeback ready for sure.

After another round of greeting and a cursory check of their supplies, the group finally departed for Demon’s Fang to search for the spirit well.

Catarina had been right on the money with her prediction for the journey as nothing of note occurred during the two days it took them to travel from the sect to the border regions.

In fact the most interesting event had unfolded while they were camping on the first night, when Aurora had actually volunteered to cook their dinner.

Knowing her reputation as a pampered brat, Kade, along with Catarina and perhaps the twins, though they didn’t know her as well, expected it to be a poor attempt.

Much to his chagrin the girl was extraordinarily skilled with the knife, peeling and chopping some foraged vegetables with ease and precisely butchering a deer they’d hunted to serve up a warming and delicious stew.

On the morning of the third day, they reached the base of Demon’s Fang, invigorated and full of energy and motivation to hunt for treasure.

The mountain itself was even more ominous than the rumours, a dark blot on an otherwise cheery and verdant landscape.

Even the forests which coated the lower region of the mountain seemed darker and creepier than their counterparts nearby, giving way to the sharp incline of the peak that reached into the clouds in a razor sharp point, as if attempting to bite down on the heavens themselves.

The clouds that blanketed the peak were dark grey storm clouds, the occasional lightning bolt and booming thunderclap disturbing the peace of the region.

“Hey Cat, are you sure that all of the rumours about this place are false? That place looks cursed to me. Why are there only storm clouds over the mountain and not anywhere else? It’s just odd,” moaned Aurora, shivering a little.

“Stop being a big baby, you’re a cultivator for heaven’s sake. What’s a little storm compared to the princess of the Solaris Family. Besides, I won’t let anything happen to you while I’m here,” Catarina reassured her.

They knew exactly where they were headed thanks to the meticulous planning of their de facto leader, so once everyone’s nerves were settled they began to make their way into the foreboding forests.

For once, Kade agreed with Aurora on something; the Demon’s Fang really did seem like it was cursed, though he would never say it out loud and give her the satisfaction.

Unlike the surprisingly timid girl, he didn’t mind the prospect of a little danger. Now that he had reinvigorated his passion for cultivation and had a bright future lined up, this kind of expedition was the perfect way to propel himself into prime position to tackle the examinations.

CRACK!

THUNK.

Half a day into the forests, their so far peaceful journey was rudely interrupted by a nearby tree exploding as a spiritual beast was flung through it, the impact bloodying the poor thing before it ended the unpleasant journey by slamming into another tree that only quivered under the impact.

They immediately halted in their tracks, not drawing weapons quite yet but taking up defensive stances in case the beast decided to take its frustration out on them.

More alarming was the fact that whatever had sent this beast flying would imminently be arriving in their vicinity and clashes between spiritual beasts were notoriously violent - getting caught up in one was widely regarded as the action of a fool.

The beast struggled to its feet, shaking the splinters from its fur and lowering itself on all fours while focusing intently on the direction it had come in preparation, thankfully ignoring the group of disciples.

“It doesn’t seem to be focused on us at the moment, let’s try to sneak away before we lose this opportunity. I’d rather not waste time fighting spiritual beasts when we still have a ways to go,” whispered Catarina while motioning for them to follow her behind and around the creature.

It was a wolfhawk, a common spiritual beast in this area of the world that usually ranged from the first to fourth stages of martial refinement, with a canine body and rough fur that supported an avian head, sporting razor blades for claws and a hooked beak packed with deadly fangs.

They weren't something that would pose them trouble in a five on one fight but spiritual beasts tended to be stronger than cultivators of a similar stage so it was best to save their energy for more important battles.

Catarina’s plan was going off without a hitch, the wolfhawk, which Kade judged to be around the third stage, still focused on its hidden opponent and not paying them an iota of attention as they snuck behind it to continue up the mountain.

Aurora let out a sigh of relief as the twins made it past, all five of them now beyond the initial zone of destruction.

The unseen predator chose that moment to make its appearance, bursting through the trees and pouncing at the wolfhawk.

Despite the wariness of the unfortunate beast, it was no match for the precise and violent strike of its opponent, a strange monkey looking creature that wasn’t among the species Catarina had warned them to look out for.

The monkey was tall and slender, with deceivingly muscular arms that hung down to its knees, and a prehensile tail that ended in a lethal spike, dripping with the wolfhawk’s blood and a viscous yellow substance - likely the beast’s venom.

It was that deadly tail that had ended the wolfhawk’s life in a single strike, the limp corpse still convulsing as the venom corroded the beast’s flesh.

Despite their best attempt to escape, the monkey/scorpion hybrid’s eyes locked onto them through the trees and it menacingly prowled towards them, a confident swagger in its step.

Lawrence spoke up at that moment, “It seems to be around the fifth stage, I think we can take it if we work together.”

“It’s far too risky, even if we end up taking it down I guarantee at least one of us will get hit by that tail. If someone gets incapacitated by venom at this point we can wave goodbye to our chances of harvesting the spirit well’s core. Let’s just make a break for it, I still have the beast warding powder, we should be able to lose it,” responded Catarina.

The group nodded in agreement. None of them wanted a taste of that thing’s venom after seeing the effect it had on the wolfhawk’s sturdy body.

Kade led the escape, Aurora following right on his tail with the twins behind her and Catarina taking up the rear to spread the beast warding powder and hide their tracks.

As he turned to run, there was a rustle of leaves up ahead and he jumped backwards, pulling Aurora with him right as a tail whizzed through the spot he’d just been standing in and blew up a nearby tree, showering the group in splinters.

Blocking their route of escape was another of the monkey-like spiritual beasts, glaring menacingly at him while retracting its tail for another strike.