The sky bled from an afternoon orange to an evening indigo as a moon larger and brighter than Earth's shone with an ephemeral brilliance, blanketing the valley.
Torvin straightened his spine with a grunt, the muscles protesting after hours of relentless labor. He glared up at the oversized lunar body.
'The moon is beautiful...' He thought dryly, wondering about the presence of a night-life culture in this world.
He surveyed the results of his half-day's effort. A patch of dark, overturned earth stretched before him – perhaps one-fifth of the first acre. His hands throbbed, trembling almost imperceptibly. Fingers caked thick with mud were scraped raw, the seemingly soft spirit soil proving itself abrasive against flesh after hours of repetitive digging.
'Viltrumite baseline resilience is the only reason I'm still functional.' A normal human, even a fit one, would have been incapacitated. He noted the efficiency of his own biology with detached interest – another data point for survival.
After a brief pause, allowing the initial muscle burn to subside slightly, he resumed the grueling task. Dig, scoop, toss. Find a rhythm. Endure.
When the moon reached its zenith, casting the world in stark silver and black, Torvin had cleared perhaps half an acre. The accumulated fatigue was immense. His energy reserves, initially replenished by the meal, were bottoming out again. He couldn't push further without risking genuine strain, jeopardizing the next day's progress.
Efficiency dictated rest.
He simply let himself fall backward onto the cool earth, the sky his blanket, the field his unforgiving bed. Exhaustion claimed him instantly, pulling him into a deep, dreamless void.
From a distance, unseen, Bai Ji observed the sprawled figure with an unreadable expression – perhaps of pity, or perhaps a passing glance, but with a subtle wave of his hand, a nearly invisible barrier of shimmering white light enveloped Torvin. A simple thermostatic spell, capable of maintaining a stable temperature within, prevented the chill of the night from hindering the boy's recovery.
'A minor gesture of negligible effort.' Bai Ji ensured that this temporary laborer remained functional. Having performed his bare minimum supervision duties, Bai Ji vanished back towards the Palace peaks. Observation for the day concluded.
Eventually, dawn broke, sharp and unwelcome. Torvin awoke with a jolt, the ingrained alertness of someone used to potential threats overriding the lingering exhaustion. He found himself coated in dew, lying in the open field. Memory returned swiftly – from the task to the eventual collapse.
He sat up, performing a quick internal systems check.
[Bio-Interface: Physiological status – Minor muscle fatigue detected. Cellular regeneration active. Energy reserves: Depleted. Immediate nutrient intake highly recommended.]
'Remarkable.' The aches were minimal, the deep weariness gone. His hands, though still stained and bearing the marks of yesterday's abuse, felt functional, the skin already knitting itself back together at an accelerated rate. Viltrumite recovery was potent, even without active cultivation. The primary limiter now was fuel.
The demanding void in his stomach returned with a vengeance. Grumble... The sound echoed loudly in the quiet morning air.
"Hahahaha! Young Friend Li, your stomach heralds the morning more loudly than the nesting Spirit Cranes!"
'Speak of the provisioner...' Torvin turned to see Bai Ji approaching, carrying himself with the same air of mild amusement.
"Elder Bai!" Torvin scrambled to his feet, ignoring the dirt clinging to him. He strode directly towards the cultivator, forgoing any pretense. "Sustenance. Now." His hand instinctively reached towards Bai Ji's right – the one likely bearing the spatial ring.
"Patience, patience!" Bai Ji held up a hand, deftly avoiding Li Qiye's grasp. "Must you treat this old one like a mobile pantry?" Despite his words, he waved his ring-bearing hand, materializing another large table laden with steaming food. "Eat. Your diligence yesterday was… adequate."
Torvin needed no further invitation. He fell upon the food with the same focused intensity as before, mechanically converting resources into usable energy. He barely registered Bai Ji's presence or the blandness of the food.
Once the table was cleared, Torvin felt the familiar warmth of energy flooding his system. Strength returned, fatigue banished. "Cleanup is your concern," He stated flatly, turning back towards the unfinished field. "Work calls."
Bai Ji watched him go, stroking his beard. 'Ungrateful whelp. Calls me Elder when hungry, 'you' when full.' Still, the boy's work ethic was undeniable, almost inhuman in its persistence. And his appetite… astonishing. Fortunately, the beasts of the Northern Wilderness are plentiful. Mundane food, even spirit-infused varieties, was a trivial expense for someone of Bai Ji's standing.
The cycle repeated for three more days. Torvin worked from dawn until exhaustion forced him to collapse near moon zenith, awoke with the sun remarkably recovered but ravenously hungry, consumed the provided meal, and returned to the grinding labor. He became coated in layers of grime, his face a mask of dirt broken only by the whites of his eyes and teeth. He paid it no mind. Appearance was irrelevant; progress was everything.
On the evening of the fourth day, as he tossed the last scoop of earth required to clear the boundary of the fifth acre, the internal prompt chimed.
[External Task: Completed (Manual preparation of five acres spirit medicine fields). Time Elapsed: 4.1 days.]
A wave of grim satisfaction washed over Torvin. Not joy, but the cold acknowledgment of an objective met, a necessary step taken. He straightened up, surveying the five neat rectangles of overturned, prepared earth stretching before him under the setting sun. It was done.
"Yeah!!" A raw, involuntary shout escaped him, startlingly loud in the quiet fields. He leaped into the air – but not that high, given several days of accumulated fatigue, expressing a sliver of relief. Objective complete. Now, the real objective – the Gravity Crag – felt fractionally closer.
"Impressive. Most impressive." Bai Ji materialized beside him, seemingly appearing from nowhere. He surveyed the completed fields with genuine approval, nodding slowly. "Five acres, manually prepared, in just over four days. Your physical endurance is remarkable, Young Friend Li. Truly remarkable for one without cultivation." He stroked his beard, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Excellent. More space for my Moonpetal Herbs."
He turned to Torvin, wrinkling his nose slightly at the accumulated grime. "The task is fulfilled. Return to your hut. Clean yourself. Rest properly. You have earned it."
Torvin nodded curtly, the fatigue suddenly hitting him full force now that the driving objective was met. He turned and began the long walk back towards the distant wooden hut, each step heavier than the last. He moved slowly, deliberately, conserving what little energy remained.
Bai Ji watched him go, noting the exhaustion. 'Entirely physical limits, he mused. No trace of Qi usage, yet such stamina.' He shook his head slightly, then his form blurred, vanishing towards the upper peaks.
— — —
Embracing Moon Peak, within the main hall. The air was cool, scented faintly with exotic incense.
"Enter." Wu Qingcheng's voice, calm and carrying authority, sounded from within before Bai Ji could even knock.
He pushed the heavy doors open and stepped inside. The hall was vast, minimalist, dominated by Wu Qingcheng seated on an elevated jade throne. No one else was present. The doors closed silently behind him.
"Bai Ji of Spirit Herb Peak greets the Palace Master," he bowed formally.
"Dispense with formalities, Peak Master Bai. Sit. Report," Wu Qingcheng gestured to a seat flanking the throne.
Bai Ji took the offered seat. "Palace Master, the newcomer, Li Qiye, has completed the task assigned. Five acres of spirit field, prepared entirely by hand in just over four days."
"Oh?" A flicker of surprise crossed Wu Qingcheng's impassive features. "He possesses unexpected perseverance."
"Indeed," Bai Ji confirmed. "His physical resilience is extraordinary. His recovery rate is astonishing. Each morning, despite the previous day's labor, he appeared ready for more, limited only by energy intake." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "However… Palace Master, I have thoroughly assessed him multiple times during his work. There is absolutely no sign of innate spiritual roots. No capacity to sense or absorb worldly Qi. He is, by all cultivation standards… mundane."
"No cultivation aptitude?" Wu Qingcheng leaned forward slightly, her phoenix eyes narrowing. The contradiction struck her again. The explosive power she'd witnessed, the raw force that nullified her attack – how could it originate from a vessel incapable of harnessing spiritual energy? Her initial assessment hadn't detected cultivation, but she'd assumed a hidden technique or artifact. Bai Ji's confirmation complicated the puzzle. 'Could my senses, honed over millennia, truly have misjudged?' The thought was dismissed as quickly as it arose. 'Unlikely. There was something else at play.'
"If he cannot cultivate, then he cannot cultivate," She stated finally, her voice regaining its usual detachment. The 'how' of his previous power burst was a puzzle for later. His current state was the relevant factor. "His physical attributes remain… noteworthy. And his determination is proven." She tapped a finger lightly on the armrest of her throne. "Keep him under observation. For now, he resides here under my protection. Ensure his basic needs are met." She paused, a decision forming. "And Peak Master Bai… disseminate the decree. One month hence, this Palace Master shall take a consort. The wedding will be held then."