170: Chapter 171 Teacher, I'll help you clear dungeons!

When Su Zongming left the External Operations Department building, his steps were much lighter. Although it took a lot of talking—even bringing up the speculation that a "mysterious power" might exist behind Lin Muyang—he finally convinced Minister Wang Zhuojun and obtained the temporary usage rights for that crucial epic-level secret realm scroll, the [purgatory demon sea]. Of course, the price was signing an extremely strict magic contract and agreeing to let the authorities dispatch an Emergency Team to stand by on the periphery when the secret realm opened.

Su Zongming fully understood Wang Zhuojun's concerns and conditions. From the standpoint of the Xia Kingdom's authorities, handing over such a high-value, high-risk strategic resource to a Level 75 young man—even if he was a genius—was indeed taking a huge risk and bearing considerable pressure. That Wang Zhuojun could agree despite the pressure was already giving Su Zongming plenty of face, and it also showed a special kind of investment in Lin Muyang's potential.

"I hope this kid can truly create another miracle..." Su Zongming looked up at the somewhat gloomy sky and muttered to himself. The reason he had pushed through all objections, even using personal connections and favors to advance this matter, was partly because he truly believed in Lin Muyang's future, his promises, and his potential; on the other hand, he had selfish motives—paving the way for his daughter, Su Qingyue. The stronger Lin Muyang became, the greater the possibility of him helping Su Qingyue in the future. Whether for public or private reasons, he felt this investment was worth it.

What if Lin Muyang failed after getting the scroll? The contract had constraints, and the Emergency Team would be on standby, keeping the risk within a minimal range. But if he succeeded... the benefits brought would be immeasurable. Lin Muyang's strength would leap forward once again, and Su Qingyue could also take the opportunity to obtain unimaginably high-tier resources. This was a massive gamble, and Su Zongming chose to place his chips on Lin Muyang.

He did not disclose the internal debate or the news that Lin Muyang was about to attempt the [purgatory demon sea]. The External Operations Department's recruitment and preparation work for this scroll were still proceeding step-by-step; this served as both a cover and a double insurance. In case something went wrong on Lin Muyang's side, this side could step in immediately, avoiding a chaotic situation.

On Lin Muyang's side, he wasn't in a hurry to find Su Qingyue after Su Zongming left. Since the scroll wasn't in hand yet, rushing was useless. He returned to the villa and continued his daily routine: using that black magic phone to browse the Xia Kingdom Official Resource Library to see if any new good items had been listed; occasionally checking the practice progress of Chiba Ruri, Su Daji, Lilia, and the others—mainly their control over their own power and their practice with new skills; and then spending time in the study with Shen Muyao, using the black phone to remotely handle some early affairs of the "Oracle" organization.

Shen Muyao, in her capacity as the spokesperson for the "Gods Chosen One," had already issued the first official "Oracle" to the remaining 22 members of the organization (excluding Jamie Matthew's core loyalists), as well as the newly recruited Chiba Ruri, Jiang Chenyu, and others—to collect high-quality Dungeon and secret realm scrolls of various level ranges, as well as rare materials and special intelligence. The rewards were points, which could be exchanged in the "Oracle" treasury for various rare resources, including but not limited to high-grade equipment, skill books, special items, and even some hidden knowledge and intelligence.

After this "Oracle" was issued, it caused quite a stir within the organization. Those members, especially Jamie Matthew's former subordinates, mostly held a skeptical attitude. However, when the first batch of members who completed simple scouting missions actually received the promised points through that mysterious black phone and could see those mouth-watering items in the treasury list, their doubts were quickly replaced by excitement and fanaticism.

Particularly that Xia Kingdom genius youth named Jiang Chenyu, a talent with a Sub-God Rank Talent. After receiving the mission, his reply was quite straightforward, directly stating he would do his best to collect them. For a genius like him, ordinary resource acquisition channels could no longer meet his needs, and the exchange list provided by the "Oracle" organization actually contained several special treasures and skill books he dreamed of that could greatly strengthen his combat abilities. This gave him plenty of motivation.

While Shen Muyao was processing the mission reports and inquiries submitted by the members, she also reported the initial feedback to Lin Muyang.

"Muyang, the current response seems quite positive. Especially Jiang Chenyu and a few others who weren't originally Jamie's direct subordinates and have decent talent; they are acting very quickly and have already started using their own channels to gather information. On Chiba Ruri's side, following your instructions, she has already departed for the southern Jia Mei Empire to receive several scrolls submitted by a member," Shen Muyao said softly, her fingers sliding quickly across the virtual light screen as she organized the information.

"Mm, well done." Lin Muyang nodded, very satisfied with Shen Muyao's efficiency. Letting her manage the daily affairs of "Oracle" was a wise choice. She was meticulous, had strong communication skills, and was absolutely loyal to Lin Muyang.

"However, Muyang, aren't the rewards we're giving out... a bit too generous?" Shen Muyao said with some hesitation. "Just for collecting some scrolls and information, they can exchange for such good things. I'm worried that over the long term, our 'treasury' will run a deficit."

Lin Muyang smiled and explained, "Don't worry. I will clear the scrolls they collect. The gains from clearing these scrolls will far exceed the value of the rewards we give out. To put it simply, they are helping us collect raw materials; after we process them into finished products, we return a small portion as compensation. We take the lion's share, and it's a guaranteed profit."

Shen Muyao was enlightened, finally understanding Lin Muyang's deeper intention. This was essentially using the connections and channels of the "Oracle" organization members to gather leveling and resource acquisition paths for him, while he only needed to pay a small price. This was simply a business with ten thousand times the profit.

While the two were talking, Lin Muyang sensed a message from Chiba Ruri through the soul contract. She had successfully obtained the scrolls and was on her way back, expected to arrive before midnight. Her efficiency was high; it seemed her infiltration and movement abilities were indeed outstanding.

By evening, Su Zongming returned. This time, he had a relaxed smile on his face and was carrying an ordinary-looking metal briefcase.

"Brother Lin Muyang, I've brought the things!" Su Zongming placed the briefcase on the coffee table, entered the password, and after fingerprint and iris verification, the lid popped open with a 'click'.

Inside were stacks of scrolls neatly arranged, emitting different energy fluctuations. The materials of the scrolls varied; some looked like ancient leather, some were foils shimmering with a metallic luster, and others seemed to be made from the membranes of certain creatures. Every single scroll emitted powerful spatial fluctuations and energy Auras that were either scorching, icy, or violent.

At the very top, placed alone in a specially made isolation slot, was a scroll that was dark red all over, as if lava were slowly flowing within it. The surface of the scroll was branded with complex demonic runes. Just one look at it allowed one to feel a scorching, violent, and destruction-filled pressure rushing toward them. It was exactly that epic-level secret realm scroll—the [purgatory demon sea]!

"A total of 47 scrolls." Su Zongming pointed at the box and introduced, "Besides this Level 165 [purgatory demon sea], the other 46 are all Dungeon and secret realm scrolls between Level 75 and Level 100. There are 32 Sovereign-rank ones and 14 epic-grade ones. This was obtained by almost draining all the personal contribution points and resources I could mobilize recently; basically, everything available on the market that meets your requirements is here."

Lin Muyang's gaze swept across these scrolls, a flash of satisfaction appearing in his eyes. With these scrolls, it was enough for him to quickly push his level to above Level 80, perhaps even higher. Moreover, the variety was rich, covering different attributes, which would also allow the young ladies under him to get corresponding training and equipment replenishment.

"Minister Su has gone to great lengths." Lin Muyang nodded in thanks, then focused his attention on the [purgatory demon sea] scroll, reaching out to pick it up. The scroll felt heavy in his hand and warm to the touch, as if he were holding a piece of red-hot coal, yet strangely it did not burn his skin. The destructive energy contained within even made Lin Muyang's own energy stir slightly.

"Take a look at the magic contract for this scroll." Su Zongming handed over a piece of parchment emitting a faint golden light, with detailed terms written in magic script. The core content was consistent with the two conditions proposed by Wang Zhuojun: a guarantee not to endanger real-world safety, and the requirement to report when opening it to accept monitoring by the official Emergency Team.

Lin Muyang scanned it quickly and had no objections. He directly bit his fingertip and dripped a drop of blood onto it. The parchment flashed with golden light, the contract was established, and it turned into two streaks of light—one sinking into Lin Muyang's palm, and the other flying toward Su Zongming, who stored it in a special container. This was a soul contract of the highest level, possessing extremely strong binding force.

"Good, the deal is established." Su Zongming breathed a sigh of relief, the smile on his face growing wider. "These secret realm scrolls should be enough to take my girl to over Level 80, right? Brother Lin Muyang, I'm counting on you!"

"Over Level 80?" Lin Muyang smiled slightly, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable confidence. "If things go smoothly, it should be more than that. The total amount of experience from these scrolls is quite considerable."

Hearing this, Su Zongming's eyes widened a bit. He had originally estimated that these scrolls, combined with Lin Muyang carrying her, would at most allow his daughter to reach Level 80. But listening to Lin Muyang's tone, it seemed to be far more than that? Could it be that Lin Muyang had some special means to obtain extra massive amounts of experience?

He took a deep look at Lin Muyang but didn't ask further. Everyone had their own secrets, especially a monster like Lin Muyang. He only cared that the result was good.

"As for the drops in the secret realms and Dungeons," Lin Muyang put away the scrolls and continued, "as agreed, they all belong to me. Teacher Su only shares the experience. No problem, right?"

"No problem, absolutely no problem!" Su Zongming nodded repeatedly. Being able to let his daughter's level soar was already a huge benefit. Although those equipment materials were precious, they were nothing compared to his daughter's rapid growth. Moreover, the stronger Lin Muyang became, the more benefits he might be able to provide his daughter in the future; he could calculate this account clearly.

"However, Brother Lin Muyang, this [purgatory demon sea]..." Su Zongming still couldn't help but remind him again, pointing at that dark red scroll with a serious expression. "Be sure to be careful! If you can't win, don't force it; notify us in time. The Emergency Team will be on standby 24 hours a day. This is no joke; a 165-level epic-level secret realm with a 32-person scale is far more dangerous than you can imagine! The environment inside is extremely harsh, and the monsters are not only high-level but also likely to have special geographical bonuses and bizarre skill combinations. You must not be careless!"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Lin Muyang put away the scroll, his tone still calm. But in his eyes, a flame of eagerness was burning. This scroll was a key step for Feng Ling's Nirvana; he was determined to get it.

Seeing this, Su Zongming knew that saying more would be useless. He had given the necessary warnings; the rest was up to Lin Muyang himself. He gave a few more instructions regarding contacting the Constructor and then took his leave. He had to go back and oversee the formation and standby of the Emergency Team.

After seeing Su Zongming off, Lin Muyang looked at the remaining 46 mid-to-high-level scrolls in the suitcase, a smile playing on his lips. It was time to begin the "great Dungeon-grinding enterprise."

He checked the time; it was already past eight in the evening. Without hesitation, he stood up and walked toward Su Qingyue's villa next door.

Moonlight was like water, spilling over the quiet Ziyun Mountain Villa. The light in the study on the second floor of Su Qingyue's villa was still on; she seemed to be busy. Lin Muyang didn't ring the doorbell but contacted her through the intercom outside the villa.

Soon, Su Qingyue, wearing casual home clothes with her hair draped loosely, appeared at the door. Seeing it was Lin Muyang, a hint of surprise appeared on her elegant face, which then dissolved into a soft smile: "Student Lin Muyang? It's so late, is something the matter?"

"Teacher Su, I'm not disturbing you, am I?" Lin Muyang smiled and said directly, "I have something I'd like to ask for your help with."

"Come in and sit, it's cold outside." Su Qingyue stepped aside to let Lin Muyang into the living room and poured him a glass of water. "Help? Tell me. As long as I can help, I definitely will."

Her attitude toward Lin Muyang had long since changed from the initial teacher-to-student relationship to one of near-equal appreciation and admiration. Especially after seeing Lin Muyang's performance in the Provincial Tournament, she knew that this student's strength had already far surpassed her own, and his future was even more limitless. Su Qingyue was happy to be able to help him.

"It's like this, Teacher Su. I recently obtained a batch of relatively high-level Dungeon and secret realm scrolls, roughly between levels 75 and 100. I want to go in and grind them, but if I grind alone, for certain reasons, the drop rate might be quite low, or even no equipment might drop. So I'd like to invite you to join me to help boost the drop rate and, by the way... well, share the experience pressure?"

He spoke very tactfully, not saying "I'll power-level you" directly, but instead using the excuses of "boosting the drop rate" and "sharing the experience." After all, Su Zongming had instructed that he couldn't say it was his arrangement.

After hearing this, Su Qingyue was first stunned, and then a faint, almost imperceptible blush rose on her fair cheeks. Why did Lin Muyang's words sound a bit strange? Inviting her to grind Dungeons and secret realms late at night and talking about "sharing experience pressure"... However, she quickly brushed aside these stray thoughts and focused on the information in Lin Muyang's words.

"Such high-level scrolls? And a whole batch?" Su Qingyue was somewhat shocked. Sovereign-rank and epic-grade scrolls from levels 75 to 100 were extremely valuable and hard to obtain in such large quantities at once. Lin Muyang's channels were certainly not simple. But considering Lin Muyang's current status and strength, it didn't seem that strange.

"If I grind with you, won't all the experience go to me alone?" Su Qingyue said somewhat self-consciously. She was currently level 71. Grinding level 75-100 Dungeons would mean an experience penalty would reduce the XP she gained, but the total amount would still be very substantial. And since Lin Muyang's level wasn't high enough (she thought he was still in his fifties), he wouldn't get any experience inside. Wouldn't he be purely working for her? This made her feel like she was taking too much advantage.

"It's fine, I don't really need that experience." Lin Muyang waved his hand with an air of indifference. "Mainly, the equipment and materials inside are useful to me. Also, there are quite a few scrolls, and it's boring to grind alone; it's better to have company. It's just that Teacher Su will have to work hard; we might have to stay up all night tonight."

"Are there a lot of scrolls?" Su Qingyue asked curiously.

"Yeah, about... forty or so," Lin Muyang said casually.

"Forty or so?!" Su Qingyue sucked in a breath of cold air, her beautiful eyes widening, nearly jumping off the sofa. Over forty Sovereign-rank and epic-grade scrolls from levels 75 to 100? What kind of concept was that? How long would it take to finish them? No, the key was, where did Lin Muyang get so many high-level scrolls? The value was simply immeasurable!

Seeing Su Qingyue's shocked expression, Lin Muyang chuckled inwardly, but his face remained calm: "Yes, so we need to hurry. Teacher Su, do you think it's convenient?"

Su Qingyue recovered from her shock. Looking into Lin Muyang's sincere eyes, she felt both moved and a bit apprehensive. She was moved that Lin Muyang thought of her for such a good thing, but apprehensive that she seemed to be taking a huge advantage. But on second thought, Lin Muyang was so strong that he might really not care about the experience, and she wouldn't be able to use the equipment and materials he needed anyway. It was better to go along with it; she indeed needed to level up quickly.

"Then... then thank you, Student Lin Muyang." Su Qingyue finally nodded, her voice soft. "But if something suitable for me really drops, I'll still exchange points or something else with you for it. I can't take it for nothing."

"We'll see when the time comes." Lin Muyang was noncommittal and stood up. "No time to lose, let's head out now. We'll go outside the city to find a quieter place."

"Now? Outside the city?" Su Qingyue was stunned again. So urgent? And was it safe outside the city?

"Yeah, it's not convenient in the city; the commotion would be too big," Lin Muyang explained, while simultaneously sending a party invitation to Su Qingyue.

Su Qingyue accepted the invitation, and Lin Muyang's name appeared in the party list, followed by his level—75.

"Level 75?!" Su Qingyue was stunned once more, looking at Lin Muyang in disbelief. She remembered that the last time she saw Lin Muyang, he was only in his fifties? How long had it been? How was he already level 75? This leveling speed... even a rocket wouldn't be this fast!

Seeing her shocked expression, Lin Muyang smiled and didn't explain much, only saying, "Teacher Su, are you ready? We're heading out."

With that, he thought, and directly activated the [Power of Wind Control] Aura. An invisible wind force field spread out with him as the center, enveloping Su Qingyue as well.

Before Su Qingyue could fully recover from the shock of "Lin Muyang being level 75," she felt her body suddenly lighten, as if she had broken free from the shackles of gravity. An indescribable sense of lightness and power filled her limbs and bones. She instinctively wanted to channel her mana to fly, a general skill that all mages could master after reaching a certain level.

However, in the next instant—

"Whoosh—!"

Su Qingyue only felt the scenery before her eyes suddenly blur and stretch, turning into a stream of brilliant colors! In her ears was a sharp sound of breaking air that almost tore her eardrums! The gale whipped violently against her face, making it nearly impossible to keep her eyes open! She felt like a projectile accelerated to the extreme, shooting toward the night sky at a terrifying speed she had never imagined!

"Ah!" Su Qingyue couldn't help but let out a short cry of surprise, hurriedly steadying herself and controlling her mana to protect her body. She looked down at her status bar and saw a golden Aura icon flashing, followed by a line of small text that made her head spin:

[Power of Wind Control Aura (from teammate - Lin Muyang)]: Movement speed increased by 3800%.

A thirty-eight-fold speed increase?!

Su Qingyue's mind went blank for a moment, and she almost stopped flying due to the sheer shock, nearly falling from the sky. She hurriedly composed herself, but her heart was still thumping wildly, almost jumping out of her throat.

She knew Lin Muyang's Aura effects were strong; she had witnessed those terrifying healing and defense bonuses in the competition. But she never expected that Lin Muyang's speed-type Aura could actually reach such an absurd level! Thirty-eight times! What kind of concept was that? It meant her maximum flight speed had instantly increased nearly forty-fold! This could no longer be described as "fast"; it was simply breaking the laws of physics!

She couldn't even see the city beneath her feet or the distant mountains; only blurred light and shadows were receding rapidly. This kind of speed far exceeded the endurance and reaction limits of a mage of her level. If not for her mana protection, the air friction alone would have been enough to injure her.

"Just how many more incredible abilities is Lin Muyang hiding?" A storm of waves surged in Su Qingyue's heart. Her previous perception of Lin Muyang's strength had once again been completely overturned.