"Classes?" Lin Yun was momentarily stunned. The word felt foreign, jarringly mundane amidst his thoughts of cultivation breakthroughs and divine movement techniques.
Then, the memories surfaced. Of course. He was a student at the Profound Sky Academy. His life wasn't just about private cultivation in his courtyard; there were lectures, sparring sessions, and assignments.
After suffering an "injury" from the alchemy accident, Yu Tao'er had wisely applied for a short leave of absence on his behalf. But now that he was visibly recovered, that excuse was no longer valid.
If he missed too many classes, he would fall behind in the curriculum, and worse, attract unwanted attention from the academy elders. In a place that valued discipline and progress, prolonged, unexplained absence was not tolerated.
Lin Yun nodded, the practical part of his mind taking over. "You're right, Tao'er. I'll go to class." He couldn't afford to draw suspicion by being a recluse. He needed to maintain the facade of the ordinary, somewhat lazy Lin Yun while he built his power in secret.
"I will practice for a little while longer before bed," he added. "Don't wait up for me."
Yu Tao'er looked like she wanted to argue, to usher him straight to bed, but she simply sighed and nodded. "Don't overdo it, Young Master. Remember what happened last time."
With a final, worried glance, she retreated back into the house, leaving him alone in the silver moonlight.
The moment she was gone, Lin Yun's expression turned focused. He hadn't been lying about practicing, but his practice had a very specific goal. He pulled up his system interface, the golden screen glowing faintly in the dark.
The list of daily missions was still there, waiting. He had already completed the B-Rank breakthrough mission. That left four others.
• F-Rank: Meditate for two hours. Reward: 10 EXP.
• E-Rank: Successfully refine any pill 3 times. Reward: 15 EXP.
• D-Rank: Gather 5 Moonlit Dewdrops from the academy's spirit grass fields before dawn. Reward: 20 EXP.
• C-Rank: Achieve "Middle-Grade" quality on a Qi Gathering Pill. Reward: 40 EXP, 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
He had already done some meditation during his breakthrough, but not a full two hours. The pill refinement missions were out of reach for tonight; he was too mentally drained for the intense focus alchemy required, and he didn't want to risk a failure and waste precious ingredients.
His eyes landed on the D-Rank mission. Gather 5 Moonlit Dewdrops.
This was perfect. It was active, it would get him out of the courtyard, and it would allow him to test his new Fleeting Cloud Step in a practical setting. Plus, the deadline was "before dawn," which gave him several hours.
He wouldn't waste the energy he had today. Every bit of EXP counted. He was determined to squeeze as much progress as possible out of these first, critical days.
He focused on the mission and selected "Track." A faint, shimmering golden arrow appeared in his vision, visible only to him, pointing away from his courtyard and into the deeper parts of the academy grounds. It was just like the quest helper in the game.
A grin touched his lips. With this tracking function, he could easily find any ingredients in the missions. It was simply cheating.
Lin Yun took a deep breath and activated the Fleeting Cloud Step. The familiar feeling of weightlessness returned. Instead of walking, he pushed off with a gentle pulse of spiritual energy.
He shot forward, a silent shadow zipping across the ground. The wind whistled softly in his ears. The golden arrow in his vision adjusted seamlessly, guiding him along the most efficient path.
He weaved between sleeping courtyards, dashed across deserted plazas, and skirted the edges of quiet lecture halls. His movements were fluid and silent, the Fleeting Cloud Step making his journey feel more like flight than running.
He encountered no one. The academy at this hour was a realm of ghosts and shadows, the only sounds being the distant calls of night birds and the rustle of leaves in the wind.
The golden arrow led him to the academy's vast spirit herb gardens. Rows upon rows of mystical plants stretched out before him, glowing faintly under the moonlight, their leaves bejeweled with moisture. The air was thick with their combined spiritual aroma.
His Heavenly Eyes activated automatically, the golden overlay highlighting the plants. Most were common herbs, but his gaze was drawn to specific, broad-leaved plants where droplets of dew had formed.
These weren't ordinary dew droplets; they shimmered with a concentrated, silvery light, having absorbed the essence of the moon and the spiritual energy of the herbs.
[Moonlit Dewdrop]
[Grade: Mortal (Mid)]
[Property: Pure Yin, Concentrated Spirit]
[Usage: Catalyst for high-grade Yin-aligned pills; can be consumed directly to soothe meridians.]
The tracking arrow pointed directly at these glowing dewdrops. He carefully approached the first plant, a large, lily-like spirit herb. Using a small jade spoon he had brought from his inventory—a common tool for gatherers—he gently scooped the shimmering dewdrop from the leaf. It felt cool against the jade, holding its perfect spherical form.
[Obtained: Moonlit Dewdrop x1]
[Progress on Daily Quest (D-Rank): 1/5]
Perfect. He moved to the next, and the next. The Fleeting Cloud Step made the process incredibly efficient. He could glide from one plant to another without disturbing the foliage, his movements a whisper in the night.
Within fifteen minutes, he had collected all five dewdrops. The mission was complete.
[Daily Quest (D-Rank) Completed!]
[Rewards: 20 EXP.]
Lin Yun smiled contently. It was a simple quest in game where he would usually skip but here it gave him a sense of accomplishment. It was indeed a great feeling.
He checked his status.
[Current EXP: 150/1000 to Level 2.]
"Not bad."
Satisfied, Lin Yun activated the Fleeting Cloud Step once more and began his silent journey back to his courtyard.
The night was still deep, and he had a class to attend in the morning…