Xian Tiandi nodded. "I found evidence of formations controlling the spirit beasts. Someone is manipulating them remotely across a wide area."

Mei’s expression became serious immediately. "How many formations?"

"Five that I could identify. Arranged in a network pattern."

"Five." Mei processed this quickly. "That’s not a small operation. That’s infrastructure. Long-term planning." She paused. "Four Spirits Sect?"

The question caught him slightly off guard. "You suspect them specifically?"

"I know it’s them." Mei’s voice carried an edge now. She gestured toward a flat rock. "Sit. I’ll explain."

They both sat. Mei pulled a small piece of torn cloth from her spatial ring and held it up. Even in the moonlight, Xian Tiandi could see the faint purple spiritual energy clinging to the fabric.

"My family’s cultivation clan was attacked several months ago," Mei said. "We’re not a major power. Our strongest elder is only at Golden Core realm. We focus on formation arrays and defensive cultivation rather than combat strength."

She turned the cloth over in her hands. "Unknown enemies ambushed one of our resource caravans. Killed three clan members. Stole valuable spirit herbs we’d spent years cultivating. The attackers wore what looked like common bandit clothing, no identifying marks."

Mei’s fingers tightened on the cloth. "But we found this at the attack site. Took us months to identify what it really was. Four Spirits Sect robes, dyed and disguised to look like bandit gear. The purple spiritual energy in the fabric gave it away eventually."

Xian Tiandi understood now. "When did you confirm the identification?"

"Two weeks ago. Right around the time I saw you at that inner disciple gathering." Mei put the cloth away. "Once I knew who was responsible, I started looking for patterns. Other incidents that might be connected. I noticed mission reports about unusual spirit beast activity in this region. The timing matched when our caravan was attacked."

"So you took an investigation mission," Xian Tiandi finished.

"Yes. Different area than yours, but related purpose." Mei looked at him directly. "I’ve been tracking movement patterns through the eastern border regions. Every eight days, someone travels from the northern mountains toward the east. I haven’t been able to follow them all the way without being detected, but I know the general route."

Xian Tiandi absorbed this information. "The formations I found are being maintained on a regular schedule. The two cultivators I observed were checking spirit stone reserves and adjusting energy flows. That kind of maintenance would need to happen frequently."

"Every eight days?" Mei asked.

"Possibly. I only observed one maintenance cycle, but the pattern would fit."

Mei stood and began pacing slowly. "So we have formation networks controlling spirit beasts. Regular maintenance schedules. Supply routes connecting the operations to somewhere outside sect territory. This isn’t random harassment. They’re building something."

"Infrastructure for a larger operation," Xian Tiandi agreed. "The spirit beast control is just one component."

"Did you get close enough to examine the formation structures?"

"Yes. I documented the layout, the spirit stone types used, the controlling symbols." Xian Tiandi paused. "The craftsmanship was competent but not expert level. Whoever built these formations knows what they’re doing, but they’re not masters."

Mei stopped pacing. "That matches what I know about Four Spirits Sect operations. They use quantity over quality. Deploy multiple adequate formations rather than a few perfect ones. Harder to completely disable their operations that way."

She sat back down on the rock. "The two cultivators you saw. What realm?"

"Foundation Establishment, early stage. Both carried spiritual energy signatures that matched the formation’s power source. Same purple-tinted energy as your cloth fragment."

"Early Foundation Establishment doing maintenance work." Mei considered this. "So their main operators are likely higher realm. Mid-stage at minimum, possibly late-stage or even Golden Core for the important positions."

Xian Tiandi noted how quickly Mei analyzed the situation. Her mind worked in patterns and structures, probably a result of her formation cultivation specialization.

"We need to report this," Mei said. "But we also need to be careful about how we present it. Two new disciples uncovering a major enemy operation will raise questions. Some elders might be suspicious about how we found so much so quickly."

"Especially if the Four Spirits Sect has spies inside the Four Symbols Sect," Xian Tiandi added.

Mei’s eyes sharpened. "You think they’ve infiltrated us?"

"I think any major sect operating in this region would be foolish not to plant informants in their rivals. And the Four Spirits Sect isn’t foolish."

"True." Mei stood again. "We should head back. File our mission reports separately but make sure the information supports each other. You report what you found in the northern mountains. I report the supply route patterns I’ve been tracking."

Xian Tiandi rose as well. "Agreed."

They began walking together, heading south toward the sect. The night was quiet around them, just the sound of wind moving through the rocks and the distant calls of nocturnal spirit beasts.

After a while, Mei spoke again. "That concealment technique of yours. How long did it take you to learn?"

"My clan elders had me practice it from a young age," Xian Tiandi said, maintaining his cover story. "Years of daily training. They were very insistent about it."

"It shows. That level of integration with ambient spiritual energy usually requires Foundation Establishment realm at minimum. The fact that you can do it at Qi Condensation is remarkable."

"Survival was considered more important than speed of advancement in my family," Xian Tiandi replied.

Mei nodded slowly. "There’s wisdom in that. Too many young cultivators rush toward higher realms without building proper foundations. Then they hit walls they can’t overcome and stagnate forever."

They walked in silence for a while longer. Xian Tiandi took the opportunity to practice Spirit Sage Eye in brief activations, scanning their surroundings. Each use refined his control slightly. The technique was becoming truly second nature now, requiring less conscious effort to maintain.

During one activation, he noticed something interesting about Mei’s spiritual energy. It flowed through her meridians in geometric patterns, organized and structured rather than following simple circulation paths. The energy moved in formations within her own body.

’Formation cultivator specialization,’ he realized. ’She’s adapted her entire cultivation method around formation theory.’

That explained her analytical approach and her ability to detect subtle energy patterns. Her whole cultivation base was optimized for that kind of perception.

"Can I ask you something?" Mei said suddenly.

"Go ahead."

"Why did you really take that mission? The spirit beast investigation had been sitting on the board for days. Most disciples saw the unknown cause warning and moved on. You chose it specifically."

Xian Tiandi considered how to answer. "The warning made it interesting. Unknown causes usually mean something worth investigating."

"Most people would say unknown causes mean unnecessary danger."

"I’m not most people."

Mei laughed quietly. "No, I suppose you’re not. Inner disciple status on your first day. Peak Qi Condensation realm at your age. Concealment techniques that would impress Foundation Establishment cultivators. You’re anything but typical."

She glanced at him. "Just be careful. The sect has politics like any organization. Standing out too much too quickly can attract the wrong kind of attention."

"I’ll keep that in mind," Xian Tiandi said.