415: Adventurers' Guild

The energy fluctuations within the cave dwelling grew increasingly violent. Even with the dual isolation of the judges brush and the formation, traces of pure Yin energy still seeped out, lowering the temperature inside the mountain belly significantly.

Shang Wan Ning remained unmoved.

She could sense Tudor's aura fluctuating and condensing during the empowerment, steadily climbing toward that critical point.

Three days was but a fleeting moment for a deity.

When the final second of the seventy-second hour passed, the torrent of energy within the cave dwelling suddenly subsided.

Immediately after, a powerful pressure erupted from the cave dwelling as the center, spreading out with a roar.

Seventh-order peak!

The moment the pressure appeared, the judges brush shone brilliantly, and the Yin energy moved on its own, locking this newly born divine power within a square inch, preventing even a sliver from leaking.

After a few breaths, the divine might retracted, and everything returned to calm.

The stone door of the cave dwelling slowly opened.

Tudor stepped out, his aura several times stronger than it had been three days ago. His gaze immediately fell upon the corner where Shang Wan Ning was hidden, and he bowed, performing a standard etiquette.

"Your Majesty." The judge said, moved.

He had not expected his own Majesty to personally come to protect him. This level of regard was far beyond what that massive amount of incense points could measure.

Shang Wan Ning stepped out from the shadows, her hood sliding down to reveal that elegant and beautiful face.

She examined Tudor and nodded with satisfaction: "Foundation solid, realm perfected, not bad. These six hundred eighty billion, at least were not spent in vain."

Mentioning this number still caused her heart to reflexively twinge.

Tudor bowed again: "Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty. I will certainly not disappoint your expectations."

"Hmm," Shang Wan Ning waved her hand, "As for the church, you will need to put in more effort from here on out. The waters of this continent are very deep; the three great divine systems will not remain silent forever."

"Subordinate understands." A sharp glint flashed in Tudor's eyes.

"Now that Subordinate has reached the seventh-order peak and holds the judges brush, even facing an eighth-order deity, I have the strength to fight. I will surely guard this foundation well for Your Majesty."

Shang Wan Ning: "Confidence is good, but you must not underestimate those old guys. In case of trouble, you must discuss it more with Olexia... hmm, with the 'Dominator'."

"Yes, Tudor will keep Your Majesty's teachings in mind."

Seeing that everything was going smoothly with Tudor, Shang Wan Ning felt slightly more at ease. She adjusted the hood of her black robe and said casually: "Alright, I intend to travel around the Ativi Continent recently to see the local customs and traditions here."

"Unless it is an urgent matter, do not come to bother me."

Upon hearing this, Tudor was stunned for a moment.

How could he not understand his own Majesty's intentions? In his mind, an image had already appeared of Ling Qi holding a jade slip, looking cold and aloof as she searched the Jiaotai Palace for someone to review official documents.

He lowered his eyelids, very tactfully not pointing it out.

He only replied respectfully: "Yes, I understand. Your Majesty, have a pleasant journey."

Shang Wan Ning nodded with satisfaction, her figure flickering before dissipating on the spot.

Several days later, in the eastern part of the Ativi Continent, on the border of the Violet Kingdom, Chisong Town.

The town was not large, but it was an important supply point leading to the Mist Shadow Forest, and it was quite lively with mercenaries and adventurers coming and going all year round.

The air was filled with the smell of ale, sweat, and leather.

The Adventurer's Guild branch in the center of the town was a building constructed of rough logs and stones, with a weathered wooden sign hanging at the entrance, carved with the emblem of crossed swords and a staff.

Shang Wan Ning was standing in front of the guild gate at this moment.

The conspicuous robe of ten thousand sorrows she had been wearing was long since put away, replaced by a plain, washed-out linen dress. A wooden wand hung at her waist, making her look like a fledgling Little Priestess from an ordinary background.

Her aura was completely restrained, simulating the magic fluctuations of only a first-order Light element, as weak as a dandelion spinning in the wind.

What she currently "mastered" were merely three basic first-order Light divine spells.

[Glimmer Heal], which could barely heal minor wounds; [Holy Light], which could only illuminate a few steps around her; and a [Light Shield], which was better than nothing and could only deflect some physical attacks.

She raised her hand and pushed open the wooden door.

The hall was spacious, and the lighting was somewhat dim.

The long tables made of rough wood were filled with all sorts of adventurers, guzzling inferior ale and bragging about their respective experiences.

The mission board was crowded with people, noisy and boisterous. Apart from the smell of alcohol, the air was also permeated with a faint scent of blood and the musk of magical beasts.

Shang Wan Ning looked straight ahead and walked directly to the counter.

Behind the counter sat a sleepy middle-aged clerk with thinning hair and drooping eyelids, looking as if he couldn't be bothered with anything.

"Register, mercenary." Shang Wan Ning said, her voice deliberately softened, carrying a bit of the timidity of a newcomer.

The clerk lifted his eyelids and lazily pushed over a rough parchment form and a small bottle of inferior ink.

"Fill out the form. Registration fee, ten copper coins."

Shang Wan Ning took the form and scanned it with her eyes.

Name, age, profession, rank, specialties... She picked up a bald quill pen from the side, dipped it in ink, and began to fill it out.

Name: Nicole (made up on the spot)

Age: Fifteen (after appearance adjustment)

Profession: Priestess

Rank: First-order

Specialties: Glimmer Heal, Holy Light, Light Shield (written very modestly)

She pushed the completed form and the ten copper coins over.

The clerk yawned, glanced at the form, and lifted his eyelids to look at Shang Wan Ning. "First-order Priestess?"

"Tsk, little girl, this line of work is not easy. Do you want to consider finding a stable job at the church?"

As he spoke, he rummaged through a drawer to find a most ordinary black iron badge, picked up a carving knife, and crookedly engraved "Nicole" and "F" on it.

F-rank is the lowest mercenary rank.

"No, thank you, I want to try." Shang Wan Ning took the rough badge.

"As you wish." The clerk stopped persuading her and waved his hand, "Go to that mission board over there and see if there are any 'small' missions suitable for you. A reminder, F-rank can only take F-rank missions, don't go looking for death."

Shang Wan Ning nodded and turned to walk toward the crowded mission board.

The mission board was covered with all kinds of parchment mission slips, ranging from exterminating slimes that endangered villages (F-rank) to exploring ruins deep in the Mist Shadow Forest (B-rank), everything was there.

Most F-rank missions had extremely meager rewards, a few silver coins at most, and the content was nothing more than helping farmers find lost livestock, collecting some common herbs, and the like.

She was browsing with great interest through these missions, which to her were like playing house, when a slightly arrogant young male voice suddenly came from the side.

"Oh, a new Little Priestess, only first-order?"

Shang Wan Ning turned her head and saw a young man wearing a velvet mage robe and holding a staff embedded with an inferior yellow gemstone.

He wore an E-rank mercenary badge on his chest, his chin slightly raised, and his eyes swept over her face, revealing obvious disdain.

The magic fluctuations around his body showed that he was a second-order early-stage Earth-element mage.