The debriefing lasted three hours.
Elder Wang Hongwei listened without interruption as Wang Ben described the expedition's findings: the formation anchor network, the detection settings, the seven years of recorded data, and the signs of recent activity near the monitoring sites. Lin Suyin provided tactical context, while Zhao Yu occasionally added observations from their journey through the deep forest.
When they finished, the elder sat in silence for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
"Li Cheng built a surveillance network deep in the Blackwood," he said finally. "One that has been monitoring something for years. Something that produces Dark and Ice energy simultaneously."
"That's what the detection settings indicate." Wang Ben pulled out the formation notes he had transcribed from the anchor's storage array. "The monitoring continued until roughly two years ago. Then the entries stopped."
"Two years." Elder Wang Hongwei's voice was heavy. "That would correspond with when we lost contact entirely. Before that, there were occasional messages. Signs that he was alive and pursuing something important. Then nothing."
"The recent tracks we found suggest someone has been visiting the anchor sites." Lin Suyin leaned forward. "We couldn't determine who. But whoever it was knew exactly where to look."
"Li Cheng himself, perhaps. Or someone else who discovered his network." The elder rose and walked to the window, looking out at the fortress walls that had weathered another week of war. "This information stays within this room for now. The fortress command has enough concerns without adding mysteries from the Blackwood."
Wang Ben understood. Commander Feng had worries enough dealing with the enemy forces still positioned beyond the walls. Adding speculation about ancient surveillance networks and missing cultivators would only complicate matters.
"What do we do with the data?" he asked.
"Analyze it. Quietly." Elder Wang Hongwei turned back to face them. "You have formation skills sufficient to parse what Li Cheng recorded. Work through the detection logs. Look for patterns. If there's something in the Blackwood dangerous enough that a core formation cultivator spent years watching it, we need to understand what it is."
"And if we find answers?"
"Then we decide what to do with them." The elder's expression softened slightly. "Your grandfather was a careful man, Wang Ben. He wouldn't have built something this elaborate without good reason. Honor his work by understanding it properly."
The meeting ended, and Wang Ben bore the burden of new responsibilities back to his quarters. The data from the anchor network waited to be analyzed, another layer of complexity added to a life already full of secrets.
But for now, there was other business to attend to.
...
Wang Tian found him in the small chamber that served as his quarters, sorting through formation notes and expedition supplies.
"Ben'er." His father's voice carried warmth that cut through the fatigue of the long debriefing. "You returned safely. When I heard the expedition team was back, I came immediately."
"Father." Wang Ben rose to embrace him, feeling the familiar comfort of his father's Fire-aspected presence. "The journey was productive. We found traces of grandfather's work."
"So I've been told. Elder Wang Hongwei shared the basic information." Wang Tian studied his son's face with the careful attention of a parent who had learned to read subtle signs. "You look tired. The Blackwood is not kind to travelers."
"The forest is dense. The qi environment takes adjustment." Wang Ben didn't mention the Dark element he had absorbed, the traces of something wrong that lingered in his cultivation base. "But we gathered useful intelligence."
"Good. That's good." Wang Tian's expression shifted, a hint of excitement entering his eyes. "I have news as well. Something that couldn't wait for your return."
"What news?"
"The Alchemy Association has sent an examiner to the fortress. Master Zhou Ping, a core formation cultivator specializing in Fire-aspected refinement." Wang Tian's pride was evident. "He's here to certify combat medics, but I've arranged for you to take the Grade 9 examination as well."
Wang Ben felt the significance immediately. Formal certification from the Alchemy Association carried weight throughout the cultivation world. A Grade 9 mark would establish him as a professional alchemist, capable of independent practice and recognition wherever he traveled.
"When?"
"Tomorrow morning. Master Zhou has agreed to examine you before his other duties begin." Wang Tian's smile held the satisfaction of a father watching his son follow in his footsteps. "I've told him about your training. He's curious to see what Wang Clan methodology produces."
"I'll be ready."
"I know you will." Wang Tian clasped his shoulder, the warmth of his qi a comfort against the chill of exhaustion. "Rest tonight. Prepare your mind. Tomorrow, you take your first step into professional standing."
After his father left, Wang Ben sat with the news, processing its implications. Certification would provide cover for skills he had developed through Scripture methods. It would give him legitimate reasons to know things that might otherwise draw suspicion.
Another layer of protection. Another tool for survival.
...
The examination chamber had been prepared in one of the fortress's medical facilities.
Wang Ben arrived at dawn to find Master Zhou Ping waiting, a severe-faced man whose Fire-aspected qi burned with the steady intensity of decades of refinement work. His cultivation was mid-stage core formation, his presence carrying the gravitas of professional authority.
"Wang Ben." The examiner's voice was neutral, assessing. "Wang Tian's son. The formation specialist who has been supporting our defensive arrays."
"Master Zhou." Wang Ben offered the formal bow of a student to an examiner. "I am honored by this opportunity."
"Honor is earned through demonstration." Master Zhou indicated the examination setup: a cauldron, basic ingredients, formation chalk for supplementary arrays. "Grade 9 certification requires competency in three areas: basic refinement technique, quality assessment, and practical application. We will test each in sequence."
The examination began.
The first test was straightforward: refine a standard healing pill using provided ingredients. Wang Ben approached the task with the precision that his Scripture-enhanced training had instilled, his movements calibrated to the exact requirements of the process.
[EXAMINATION OBSERVATION: Refinement technique assessment]
[Examiner cultivation: mid-stage core formation, Fire affinity]
[Examination type: Standard Grade 9 certification protocol]
[Host approach: Demonstrate competency without revealing efficiency advantages]
[Note: Maintain work speed within normal limits for qi condensation cultivator]
Wang Ben lit the spirit flame, drawing on his own qi to fuel the heating process. The fire that emerged was carefully modulated, its elemental signature adjusted to match what a standard Fire-aspected cultivator might produce.
His father had taught him that alchemy was about patience and precision. The Scripture had taught him that it was also about efficiency. Every motion he made served a purpose, every adjustment optimized for the specific requirements of the pill being refined.
The process took two hours. When he finished, a small pile of healing pills rested in the collection vessel, their quality consistent with Grade 9 standards.
"Acceptable." Master Zhou examined one of the pills, his spiritual sense probing its internal structure. "The technique is sound. The timing was good. A few small inefficiencies in your energy channeling, but nothing outside normal variance for your cultivation level."
Normal variance. Wang Ben kept his expression neutral. The inefficiencies had been deliberate, introduced to prevent his work from appearing too perfect.
The second test focused on quality assessment. Master Zhou presented a series of pills and asked Wang Ben to evaluate their grade, identify any defects, and explain what factors had produced those results.
This was where Wang Ben's knowledge advantage became difficult to hide.
[ASSESSMENT CHALLENGE: Pills presented include deliberately flawed samples]
[Defect types: Improper heating (2), contaminated ingredients (1), energy imbalance (1), proper sample (1)]
[Host observation: System provides detailed analysis exceeding standard qi condensation capability]
[Recommendation: Report accurate assessments but attribute reasoning to conventional knowledge]
Wang Ben worked through the samples methodically, explaining his reasoning in terms that referenced standard alchemical theory rather than the precise energy analysis his System provided. He identified defects correctly but explained them through observable symptoms rather than the deeper patterns his enhanced perception could see.
"Your assessment skills are impressive." Master Zhou's tone carried a note of surprised approval. "Particularly the detection of the energy imbalance in sample four. Most candidates miss that entirely."
"My father emphasizes quality control in his training." Wang Ben kept his voice humble. "He says understanding failure is the foundation of consistent success."
"Wang Tian teaches well." The examiner made a notation in his records. "Third test: practical application. You will demonstrate the treatment protocol for spiritual energy disruption, including pill selection, dosage calculation, and administration technique."
The practical test was the most demanding, requiring Wang Ben to work through a simulated treatment scenario while Master Zhou observed his decision-making process. He selected appropriate pills from a provided inventory, calculated dosages based on the patient's described cultivation level, and demonstrated proper administration technique.
By the time he finished, the morning had stretched into early afternoon. Master Zhou reviewed his notes in silence, his expression giving nothing away.
"Grade 9 certification requires competency in all three areas," he said finally. "Your refinement technique meets the standard. Your assessment skills exceed it. Your practical application demonstrates understanding of both theory and execution."
He reached into his robes and withdrew a small jade token, inscribed with the Alchemy Association's mark and the character for "nine."
"Wang Ben of the Wang Clan. I certify you as a Grade 9 Alchemist, with full privileges and responsibilities thereunder. May your work bring benefit to those who receive it."
Wang Ben accepted the token with a formal bow, feeling the gravity of official recognition settle into his hands. It was a small thing, this piece of jade. But it represented a step forward, a legitimate credential that would support the hidden growth he couldn't reveal.
"Thank you, Master Zhou."
"Thank your father. His training produced this result." The examiner gathered his materials. "Continue your studies. Grade 8 requires significantly more demanding demonstrations. But I suspect you'll reach it sooner than most expect."
Wang Tian was waiting outside the examination chamber.
His father's expression when Wang Ben showed him the certification token was worth more than any formal recognition. Pride, relief, satisfaction. The emotions of a parent watching their child succeed.
"Ben'er." Wang Tian's voice was thick with feeling. "You've taken your first professional step. A certified alchemist at seventeen. When I was your age, I was still struggling with basic refinement theory."
"I had good teaching." Wang Ben pressed the token into his father's hands momentarily, sharing the achievement. "This belongs to both of us."
"No. This is yours." Wang Tian pressed it back, his Fire-aspected warmth making the jade feel alive. "I taught you the foundations. But you built on them with your own effort. This mark represents what you've accomplished."
They stood together in the corridor outside the medical facility, father and son connected by profession and blood and the quiet pride of shared achievement. Around them, the fortress continued its endless work of war. But for this moment, the conflict seemed distant.
"Your mother will want to know," Wang Tian said. "I'll send word back to Redstone City with the next courier. She's been asking about your return from the expedition in every letter."
"I'll write to her tonight."
"Good. She worries. More than she shows." Wang Tian's expression grew serious. "The war has been hard on her. The uncertainty, the danger. Knowing that her son and husband are both at a fortress that faces daily assault..."
"I understand." Wang Ben touched his father's arm. "We'll survive this together. All of us."
"Together." Wang Tian nodded, his resolve firming. "That's all we can do."
...
The cultivation session that evening brought unexpected developments.
Wang Ben settled into his meditation position in the quiet of his quarters, drawing spiritual energy through patterns that had become as natural as breathing. The qi flowed smoothly, his efficiency stable above the first milestone threshold.
But something was different tonight.
The System's presence felt more... complete. The analytical processes that usually operated in the background seemed to reach deeper, connecting information in ways that hadn't been possible before.
[SYSTEM UPDATE: Functionality increased]
[Previous: 2.0%]
[Current: 3.0%]
[Fragment I: Myriad Eons Convergence Scripture - FOUNDATIONAL INTEGRATION COMPLETE]
[New capability: Enhanced elemental analysis protocols]
[Note: Host has achieved foundational understanding of Fragment I content. Deeper layers remain to be unlocked as cultivation advances. System can now provide more detailed elemental composition analysis, formation resonance detection, and energy pattern recognition. These capabilities will expand further as System functionality continues to increase]
Wang Ben opened his eyes, processing the notification. Foundational integration of Fragment I. He had been studying the Scripture's methods for over two years, absorbing its teachings through the System's guidance. Now that foundation was solidifying, opening new capabilities that would support his continued growth. The System's phrasing suggested there was more to unlock, depths he hadn't yet reached.
He closed his eyes again and resumed cultivation, curious to see how the enhanced analysis would manifest.
[CULTIVATION SESSION: Hour 2]
[Qi absorbed: 478 motes]
[Qi retained: 51 motes]
[Retention efficiency: 10.8%]
[Elemental composition - Enhanced analysis:]
[- Earth: 22 motes (43.1%) - Stable, foundite resonance detected]
[- Metal: 13 motes (25.5%) - Dense, high purity]
[- Fire: 9 motes (17.6%) - Ambient fortress signature]
[- Wood: 4 motes (7.8%) - Blackwood expedition residue]
[- Dark: 3 motes (5.9%) - Anchor site contamination, stable integration]
[Environment: Azure Dragon Fortress (Post-battle recovery phase)]
[Note: Enhanced analysis now provides elemental source tracking. Wood/Dark composition reflects recent expedition. Integration proceeding normally despite unusual elemental mix]
The enhanced analysis was immediately useful. Wang Ben could see not just what elements he had absorbed, but where they had come from. The Dark motes from the anchor sites, the Wood traces from the deep forest, all catalogued and explained.
This is what Fragment I mastery provides, he thought. Understanding of elemental composition at a level most cultivators never achieve.
And this was only 3.0% functionality. The Scripture contained depths he had barely begun to explore.
...
The evening meal with his father was quiet and warm.
They sat in a small chamber near the medical facilities, sharing rations that Wang Tian had supplemented with preserved foods from home. The simple act of eating together meant something beyond the meal itself, a connection to normalcy amid the chaos of war.
"Your mother will be so proud when she reads about this," Wang Tian said, gesturing to the certification token that Wang Ben had placed on the table between them. "You've earned your mark before most cultivators even begin their professional training. Following in your father's footsteps."
"The examination was fair," Wang Ben said. "Master Zhou tested thoroughly. I earned the mark on merit."
"As you should." Wang Tian's Fire-aspected warmth made the small chamber feel like home. "Your grandfather would be proud too. He always said you had talent for the auxiliary professions."
The mention of Li Cheng brought the expedition's discoveries back to the surface. Wang Ben had not yet shared the details with his father in full, and his mother knew even less. Her condition was too fragile, her emotional stability too important to risk with news of her missing father's mysterious work.
"I found traces of his influence in the formation work here," he said carefully. "His techniques show in the defensive arrays. The fortress has benefited from his contributions."
"He gave everything to his work." Wang Tian's voice carried the burden of years spent in Li Cheng's shadow. "Your mother used to say she wondered if he loved his formations more than his family. But I think she understands now. He had responsibilities none of us knew about."
More than you know, Wang Ben thought. More than any of us understood.
The meal continued, conversation flowing through safe topics: the war's current status, Wang Tian's alchemical work with the medical corps, the small victories and daily struggles of fortress life. By the time they finished, the evening had grown late.
"Rest well, Ben'er." Wang Tian clasped his shoulder at the door. "Tomorrow brings its own challenges. Face them with the knowledge that your family stands behind you, even across the distance."
"Always, Father."
Wang Ben walked back to his quarters through corridors that had become familiar over weeks of deployment. The fortress hummed with activity even at this late hour, cultivators preparing for whatever the next day would bring.
He was nearly at his door when the messenger found him.
"Young Master Wang Ben." The runner was breathless, having clearly sprinted through the fortress to deliver his news. "Commander Feng requests your presence at the command center. Urgent intelligence has arrived."
"What intelligence?"
The messenger's face was pale. "Something's happened at Iron Gate Domain. The southwestern fortress... they're saying it's fallen."
Wang Ben felt the words hit him like a physical blow. Iron Gate was one of the kingdom's strongest defensive positions, a fortress that had held against enemy assault for two centuries.
If Iron Gate had fallen...
He ran toward the command center, the certification token still warm in his pocket, his enhanced System processing implications that grew darker with every step.
The war had just changed.