30: Sect Mission

Thirty-six True Essence Star-spikes pulsed with biting cold light, rotating ceaselessly with the saber's trajectory.

The saber blade’s cleaving brought forth a shrill, whistling gale, and the tremor of the blade’s edge actually produced a mysterious resonance with the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi.

The Heavenly Dipper Transformation to Zenith Saber Technique has a total of seven basic saber forms, covering practical essentials such as breaking Qi, deflecting force, defense, advancing, and area attacks.

Xiao Zhuo wielded his saber, moving and flying through the White Mist Space, his consciousness focused on comprehending every subtle change in his Saber Intent under the pull of the profound power.

As an Earth-Grade intermediate saber technique, the Heavenly Dipper Transformation to Zenith Saber Technique was not easy; each comprehension required fifty Attribute Points.

Xiao Zhuo repeatedly used his panel to comprehend it seven times, consuming three hundred and fifty Attribute Points, before he cultivated the saber technique to the Minor Accomplishment Realm.

The Heavenly Dipper Transformation to Zenith Saber Technique at the Minor Accomplishment Realm not only allowed Xiao Zhuo to comprehend the unique skill of the Tiangang Saber Domain but also helped him nurture his Saber Intent.

Even if it was only a nascent first-level Saber Intent, it caused Xiao Zhuo's attack power to suddenly skyrocket.

If combined with the Tiangang Saber Domain, its power would be even more formidable.

“Tiangang Saber Domain: Pseudo-Domain. Can form a ten-zhang Saber Intent Domain. Those who enter the Domain, if they do not have a Domain to counteract it, will have their strength immediately reduced by thirty percent. The caster within the Saber Domain gains Saber Intent enhancement, and their Saber Intent Realm can be elevated by one level.”

Exiting the White Mist Space, Xiao Zhuo tried to activate his Saber Intent with the Eight Directions Demon Slaying Saber.

Saber Qi tore through the air, bringing with it a sharp sonic boom, instantly severing a large tree, several tens of zhang away, at its waist.

He inspected the cut, which was as smooth as a mirror, and mused to himself that the lethality had nearly doubled.

He then unleashed the Tiangang Saber Domain.

The moment the Saber Domain unfolded, a ten-zhang radius was instantly filled with chilling Saber Intent.

Fine cracks silently appeared on the ground’s blue bricks, and the floating dust in the air was quietly cut in half by an invisible sharp Qi.

Xiao Zhuo clearly felt the surrounding Saber Intent converge towards his glabella, his comprehension of the saber suddenly deepened, and a profound Concept took shape on the long saber in his hand.

He swung out the Startled Awakening Form of the Eight Directions Demon Slaying Saber with a backhand strike!

The saber light was like a silver Dragon breaking through the sky, piercing straight to the heavens, scattering dozens of zhang of clouds.

Xiao Zhuo’s thoughts raced; with the help of a second-level Saber Intent, his saber technique’s attack power had increased by at least three times.

However, the Tiangang Saber Domain consumed a vast amount of Qi, and even with the deep True Essence support from the Nine Revolutions Profound Essence Art, it could only be maintained for a maximum of ten breaths.

This move could only be used as a trump card at critical moments.

Even so, its power already made Xiao Zhuo incredibly excited.

The ordinary killing moves of the Heavenly Dipper Transformation to Zenith Saber Technique already far surpassed the Eight Directions Return to Void Slash in power, and such an Earth-Grade saber technique had as many as three killing moves!

This cultivation session yielded immense gains, but the cost was that his Attribute Points reserves were only a little over a thousand.

A sense of urgency arose—he had to earn more Attribute Points as soon as possible.

Fortunately, the rules of the Yuyang Sect were not as strict as those of the Demon Suppression Guard, and it had deep-rooted ties with Qingyang City.

The Qingyang City government, the City Lord’s Mansion, and even more distant cities would often request the Yuyang Sect to dispatch Disciples or even Elders to descend the mountain to slay Yao Beasts and eliminate demons.

For this purpose, the Sect specially set up the Mission Hall, providing a channel for Disciples who wished to earn resources to accept missions. The Sect and the Disciple would split the mission rewards three to seven.

Xiao Zhuo had learned about this from Wu Qianning even before joining the Yuyang Sect.

He didn't seek many resources; he valued the demon intelligence provided by the Mission Hall more, saving him the trouble of searching for traces himself.

Therefore, two days after finishing his cultivation, he sought out True Man Xuanlun and expressed his intention to accept Sect missions.

True Man Xuanlun naturally had no objections.

In his opinion, Xiao Zhuo, who had joined the Sect with existing skills, had already reached the Condensing Aperture Realm. As the most exceptionally talented Disciple of Xuanyuan Peak, even an ordinary Gui Zhen Realm Cultivator might not be his opponent.

What could happen while performing missions down the mountain? He didn't even consider sending a Protector, only thinking that he should focus on Cultivating to avoid being easily surpassed by this Disciple.

Xiao Zhuo then arrived at the Mission Hall at the foot of the Five Peaks Mountain.

The Mission Hall was about five hundred square meters, divided into a mission area and a posting area.

As soon as he stepped in, he saw a long queue in the posting area, all people from various cities outside the mountain—government clerks, wealthy merchant servants, all there to post missions.

Disciples of the Yuyang Sect and above had to perform at least one mission every three months; there was no limit to how many more they could accept, as long as they were capable.

Xiao Zhuo’s gaze swept past the posting area and landed on the mission area.

A high wall displayed various Jade Slips, categorized by the four grades: “Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.”

Yellow-Grade missions required Outer Sect Disciples from the first to third Realms (Body Tempering to Marrow Cleansing). Profound-Grade missions required True Essence Realm or even Condensing Aperture Realm Cultivators. Earth-Grade missions were difficult to complete for anyone below the Gui Zhen Realm. The Heaven-Grade section was empty; such missions could only be undertaken by peak-level powerhouses like the Five Peaks Peak Masters.

At this time, there were only a few Disciples checking Jade Slips in the mission area.

Xiao Zhuo walked directly to the Profound-Grade area.

Over twenty Jade Slips hung on the wall, and he picked them up one by one to examine them closely.

The first one was a Qingyang City mission: Young Master Chu, of the wealthy Chu family, went hunting outside the city with friends and disappeared in the outer perimeter of the Azure Green Dense Forest north of Qingyang City. Two True Essence Realm Protectors accompanying him were also missing.

Regardless of whether they were dead or alive, finding their remains would yield ten thousand gold; if they could be rescued alive, the reward would be as high as one hundred thousand jinchen!

“True Essence Realm Cultivators as Protectors, and such a generous reward, it must be a top-tier family in the city.” Xiao Zhuo’s thoughts stirred slightly, and he noted down the Jade Slip number, “Accepted!”

He didn’t stop there, continuing to browse.

Half an hour later, Xiao Zhuo had read through all the Profound-Grade missions and selected three, all near Qingyang City:

The first was to find Young Master Chu;

The second was to investigate the Swift Wind Stockade.

Intelligence showed that the Stockade Master was suspected of colluding with demons and stealing children from the city.

The Stockade Master’s cultivation was at the Condensing Aperture Realm and involved demons, so the mission only required ascertaining the bandit stronghold’s location and reporting it to the Qingyang City government; there was no need for Disciples to forcefully attack;

The third was to search for the spiritual medicine Primordial Yang Fruit in the Azure Green Dense Forest. The intelligence included a general description of the Primordial Yang Fruit’s growth environment and appearance, and warned that it would definitely be guarded by Yao Beasts.

Xiao Zhuo walked to the mission counter.

A woman dressed in purple, with an Outer Sect Disciple jade tablet hanging from her waist, received him.

The woman had an ordinary appearance, but her smile was quite amiable: “Senior Brother, you seem unfamiliar; is this your first time accepting a mission?” Although it was a question, her tone was certain.

Xiao Zhuo smiled and nodded.

“Among the three missions Senior Brother has chosen,” the woman said, taking the mission numbers Xiao Zhuo had written down to check, “mission number sixteen (investigating the Swift Wind Stockade) has already been taken by someone else. However, if Senior Brother can complete it before them, you will still receive the reward.”

“Thank you!” Xiao Zhuo thanked her, then remembered something, “Are there any other points to note?”

“Senior Brother, please remember, always prioritize your own safety. If a situation becomes unmanageable, retreating safely should be your first priority,” the woman said, looking at Xiao Zhuo and gently reminding him.

“Understood!”

The Sect’s intention was clear: training was primary, but Disciple safety was paramount.

Xiao Zhuo stepped out of the Mission Hall, his thoughts stirring slightly. A pale green Qi vortex suddenly rose around him, lifting his body straight into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, he had ascended to a hundred meters in the air—this was his first time flying through the air after breaking through to the Condensing Aperture Realm!

Condensing Aperture Realm Cultivators, with their acupoints resonating with heaven and earth, could activate their True Essence to draw upon external Origin Qi through their Divine Sense to create resonance.

Flight was precisely the instinctive application of controlling wind-attributed Origin Qi.

High above, looking down at the surging sea of clouds beneath his feet, an indescribable sense of exhilaration welled up in Xiao Zhuo’s chest.

He couldn’t help but let out a long, clear roar, his voice shaking the clouds, fully releasing his suppressed emotions!

Traveling on the wind truly lived up to the aspirations that everyone in his previous life yearned for!