C15 Receiving the Mission

As the morning sun began to rise, Zhang Chen had already made his way to the exterior of the Merits and Virtues Hall.

A massive boulder stood prominently in the small plaza outside the hall, known as the Merits and Virtues Stone.

Given the early hour, there were few disciples gathering at the Merits and Virtues Hall to accept their assignments. When Zhang Chen pressed his palm against the Merits and Virtues Stone, clear text materialized in his mind.

A myriad of missions were densely packed on the stone, with the difficulty and rewards, including Merits and Virtues Points, escalating the higher they were ranked.

Out of the top ten missions, seven were targeted at formidable Devil Experts, each offering a minimum of one hundred thousand Merits and Virtues Points and additional rewards upon their defeat.

However, these missions were beyond Zhang Chen's reach, as each of these seven Devil Experts possessed the power to annihilate him in an instant.

The most formidable among them, topping the list, was a Devil Expert named Ji Liuguang. He had reached the Peak of the Purple Mansion Stage, surpassing even Ye Suixing, the Head Disciple of the Ten-thousand Elephants Palace.

Ji Liuguang, a disciple of the Celestial Prison Sword Sect located over seventy thousand miles from the Great Qian Empire, had ventured into the Great Qian territory to massacre the innocent in pursuit of mastering the Celestial Prison Sword Arts.

The mission details revealed that the Celestial Prison Sword Arts was a King Level Supreme Grade Cultivation Method, a signature technique of the Celestial Prison Sword Sect. Its cultivation required a blood sacrifice to the sword, with each strike echoing with the wails of countless tormented souls. Despite its formidable power, it was exceedingly malevolent.

Nonetheless, the reward for vanquishing Ji Liuguang was extraordinarily lavish. The victor would not only gain hundreds of thousands of Merits and Virtues Points but also acquire Ji Liuguang's treasures and the Celestial Prison Sword Arts. Additionally, the sect's elders would personally assist in perfecting the technique.

Aside from Ji Liuguang, the other six experts on the list were equally notorious, each with a history steeped in bloodshed. Zhang Chen briefly acquainted himself with these individuals before choosing to disengage his attention from them.

Zhang Chen continued to leaf through the list until he reached the very bottom, where he finally paused.

Long-term Mission: "Capture the Fire Repelling Cold Toad!" Mission Reward: 100 Merits and Virtues.

Long-term Mission: "Collect the venom of the Green Scorpion!" Mission Reward: 130 Merits and Virtues!

...

Zhang Chen was looking at the simplest missions, most of which were long-term and not particularly challenging. There was no need to obtain a mission scroll; he could simply complete the mission and then exchange it directly at the Merits and Virtues Hall.

The Fire Repelling Cold Toad resided deep within icy realms, capable of spewing a cold mist that could injure people. Even a Master Stage Expert could suffer frostbite if not careful. Only those at the Energy Master Stage, who could use their Genuine Energy to shield themselves from the cold mist, could safely capture the Fire Repelling Cold Toad. Alchemists at the Spiritual Pill Hall needed the toad to counteract the Fire Poison accumulated from years of pill refining.

The Green Scorpion, on the other hand, inhabited desert regions and was highly venomous. Even an Energy Master Stage Expert could be paralyzed by its poison. Moreover, Green Scorpions were communal creatures; disturbing their nest could easily trigger a dangerous scorpion swarm, hence the higher reward.

Zhang Chen did some quick math and realized that completing these two long-term missions would earn him two hundred and thirty Blood Nourishing Pills, sufficient for his cultivation needs for the foreseeable future.

'Annihilate the royal family of the Jinhan Principality!' Mission reward: two hundred Merits and Virtues!

Suddenly, Zhang Chen's attention was captured by a one-off mission.

The reward for this mission was incredibly generous—two hundred Merits and Virtues—and completing it would also grant him access to the wealth of the Jinhan Principality, making it highly appealing.

However, even a small Principality like Jinhan would undoubtedly have Master Stage Experts, possibly even Energy Master Stage Experts, within its royal family. For Zhang Chen at his current level, taking on this mission would certainly be a gamble.

Zhang Chen briefly reviewed the mission description for the Jinhan Principality. It was surprisingly brief, with no mention of any notable experts. Most importantly, the mission had already been attempted and failed by someone else!

"I must choose this one!"

As Zhang Chen was selecting the first two missions and preparing to release the Merits and Virtues Stone to leave, the voice of the Young Man In White echoed in his mind.

Noticing Zhang Chen's hesitation, the Young Man In White elaborated, "To restore my true form, I require a substantial amount of flesh and blood. Since you are a disciple of the Ten-thousand Elephants Palace, it's not appropriate for you to kill indiscriminately. This mission presents a perfect opportunity! Besides, the other two missions are ongoing; you can undertake them anytime."

Convinced by the Young Man In White's argument, Zhang Chen was about to claim the mission scroll when it suddenly flickered and vanished, evidently claimed by another disciple.

"What formidable figures could be in the Jinhan Principality to cause a failure?"

While the Young Man In White was expressing his disappointment, a murmuring voice arose from the opposite side of the Merits and Virtues Stone.

"Senior Sister Tian!" Upon spotting Tian Yuling, Zhang Chen promptly greeted her.

He held Tian Yuling in high regard; she had not only cautioned him to be wary of Ning Feihong but had also generously given him ten Blood Nourishing Pills—a kindness Zhang Chen would always remember.

"Oh, is that you, Zhang Chen? Ning Feihong hasn't been troubling you, has he?" Tian Yuling looked up upon hearing her name and saw Zhang Chen approaching.

Concerned about Zhang Chen's previous altercation with Ning Feihong, she inquired.

Zhang Chen felt a twinge of anxiety at the mention of Ning Feihong but quickly shook his head and steered the conversation elsewhere: "Senior Sister Tian, did you take on the mission to 'Annihilate the Imperial Family of Jinhan Principality'?"

Tian Yuling's expression grew grave as she nodded in confirmation. "Yes, a Master Stage Outer Disciple from our Spiritual Pill Hall took on that mission half a month ago. He was supposed to return a few days ago, but the mission was a failure, and he's gone missing. Clearly, something unexpected occurred. Since I'm free at the moment, I've decided to go and uncover the truth."

As the conversation turned, Tian Yuling's eyes suddenly locked onto Zhang Chen. "Are you interested in taking on this mission too?"

Her voice, tinged with curiosity, rang in Zhang Chen's ears. Upon seeing him nod, Tian Yuling couldn't contain her excitement. "I was worried the journey would be dull, but now you're joining the mission too! It's quite a dangerous task, though; you shouldn't tackle it alone. How about we team up? We can split the reward... Wait, have you really advanced to the Master Stage?"

While speaking, Tian Yuling scrutinized Zhang Chen more closely and was astonished to realize that he had indeed reached the Master Stage. She was quite taken aback, considering that just yesterday, Zhang Chen was still at the Martial Master level, and now he had achieved the status of a Master.

"I owe it all to the ten Blood Nourishing Pills you gave me, Senior Sister Tian. After refining them with the Bone Refining Technique, I've finally managed to break through to the Master Stage!" Zhang Chen expressed his gratitude with heartfelt sincerity.

Tian Yuling brushed off the compliment with a wave of her hand. "Your ability to reach the Master Stage shows you have considerable talent. The Blood Nourishing Pills I gave you were merely icing on the cake! We shouldn't waste any more time. Let's set off now. If we ride the Divine Steed, we should arrive in the Jinhan Principality by morning."

Having agreed to travel together, the pair mounted the Divine Steed and galloped towards the gates of the Ten-thousand Elephants Palace, eager to make their way to the Jinhan Principality.