Chapter 15: Mission Great Hall

Since that time, Lu Yang's life had been thoroughly fulfilling: sitting atop the mountain peak in the early morning, with his five centers facing heaven to bathe in the morning light; honing his swordsmanship in the morning, nurturing the blade with his heart; lying in a tree at noon to doze for a brief moment; and by the afternoon, arriving fully spirited to battle the puppets, only to be thoroughly beaten by them. After dinner, he would read by candlelight, completing the homework assigned to him by his eldest senior sister.

A year passed in this manner, and Lu Yang's cultivation steadily ascended.

...

"Look quickly, isn't that person the Sect Master's fourth disciple, Lu Yang of the Sword Spiritual Root?"

Inside the Mission Hall, Lu Yang wore a white robe, his eyes gleaming with vitality, and a bright red tassel tied to the pommel of the precious sword at his waist, making him exceptionally eye-catching.

Anyone who looked upon him would praise him as a fine, young, talented youth.

Most disciples of the Single-Hearted Sect knew one another, especially in a place like the Mission Hall; encountering someone uncommon always prompted a few words just for the novelty of it.

As the first-place winner of the introductory trial, possessing the Sword Spiritual Root, having provoked the good-tempered River Spirit and Dai Bufan, being taken under the Sect Master's tutelage, and receiving personal training from the eldest senior sister—all these reasons combined allowed him to shine brilliantly among the new generation of disciples, gaining immense fame.

Even Tao Yaoye, who possessed the countenance of a heavenly immortal, could not match Lu Yang in renown.

"That Lu Yang who was personally raised by the eldest senior sister? Eh, it really is him."

"I heard he joined the sect a year ago, and just a few days ago, he finally became a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"Already at the Foundation Establishment stage, no wonder he came to the Mission Hall. It seems he wants to take on a mission to temper himself."

Regarding the surrounding gazes that stared at him as if he were a rare animal, Lu Yang had long since grown accustomed to it.

The senior brothers' discussions were correct; seven days ago he had successfully established his foundation, and then spent another seven days consolidating it before officially ending his seclusion. Following the eldest senior sister's instructions, he had come out to wander around more.

In the Mission Hall, Lu Yang witnessed all manner of diverse missions, which left him filled with wonder: everything from slaying an old Fiend Path monster of the Body Integration stage who left mountains of corpses and seas of blood, down to helping find lost cats and dogs—nothing was missing.

For instance, the mission Lu Yang was currently looking at required a dual cultivation method, a proper one.

Dual cultivation methods were divided into two types: proper ones and improper ones. Proper dual cultivation methods required little explanation, being nothing more than mutual assistance between man and woman, the harmonization of Yin and Yang, and similar matters.

Improper dual cultivation methods required even less explanation.

The one who posted the mission was a fox demon registered with the Single-Hearted Sect.

Although the duties of the Single-Hearted Sect included vanquishing demons and eliminating monsters, they did not act indiscriminately, killing every demon on sight. For monsters with clean backgrounds and no intent to harm humans, the Single-Hearted Sect would not subjugate them; quite the contrary, they would even register such monsters and grant them legal status.

This fox demon was precisely such a case.

The fox demon was named Su Yan, an ordinary little fox who lived in the deep mountains and old forests. While playing, she had been caught by a mountain hunter’s trap. Fortunately, a disciple of a great family happened to be playing on the mountain and saved Su Yan, successfully ensuring the hunter's day of labor was in vain.

Later, Su Yan consumed a Shapeshifting Fruit in a hidden cave, activating the lineage hidden within her body to become a fox demon.

Knowing she must repay kindness, Su Yan transformed into a human form to repay that disciple of the great family.

By this time, the disciple of the great family had already become the contemporary head of the clan. He had seen countless women, but not one could match the beauty of Su Yan.

The two naturally and logically married.

Then the problem arose.

A fox demon naturally possessed a charming physique, uncontrollably absorbing Yang energy. When the husband and wife engaged in marital relations, the husband was always the party whose Yang energy was drained.

Fortunately, Yang energy could be recovered and was not fatal; one simply needed to reduce the frequency of marital relations.

For a newlywed couple to restrict their marital relations, no matter who it was, they would be unwilling.

Yet if the frequency was high, the husband grew increasingly haggard by the day, making it easy for rumors to spread.

For this reason, Su Yan hoped to practice an orthodox method of dual cultivation to control her fox-charm physique.

This mission had been posted for a very long time, and no one had accepted it.

It wasn't that dual cultivation methods were exceptionally rare, but rather whoever went to complete the mission would imply they held a proper dual cultivation method. Once they possessed a proper one, people would involuntarily wonder if the party also possessed an improper dual cultivation method.

If senior and junior brothers asked you for an improper dual cultivation method, would you say you had it or not, would you give it or not?

How would the senior sisters and junior sisters look at you then?

"This mission is not bad, I'll take it."

Someone spoke from behind Lu Yang, and one could tell from the voice alone that it was Meng Jingzhou.

Meng Jingzhou was the most suitable person to take this mission. With his status from the Meng family, he certainly did not lack dual cultivation methods, and possessing the Pure Yang Spiritual Root, he definitely would not have any improper dual cultivation methods.

Even if Meng Jingzhou had an improper dual cultivation method, he could only stare blankly at it.

Meng Jingzhou had established his foundation earlier than Lu Yang; this was the third mission he had accepted.

"You've also established your foundation?" Meng Jingzhou smiled. Both of them possessed mutated single spiritual roots, and their cultivation talent differed very little. That Lu Yang had established his foundation a few days later than him was somewhat unexpected.

Thinking of his experiences being tortured by his senior sister over the past year, Lu Yang let out a sigh: "Finally established my foundation."

"Once I finish this mission, the two of us will have a great meal, my treat." Meng Jingzhou took full charge of the expenses; he had plenty of spirit stones.

After Meng Jingzhou left, Lu Yang continued to browse the missions pasted on the wall.

"Traces of a Fiend Path ritual suspected to have appeared in the north. Cultivators of the Golden Core stage and above are recommended to investigate. The mission reward is four hundred contribution points; if additional information is investigated, extra rewards will be added."

"Daoist Li Hong of Shanhai Pass has lost a pet and needs someone sent to find it."

Lu Yang paused, thinking this mission was quite good. Finding little cats or dogs carried no danger whatsoever. Then he looked further down.

"The lost pet is a double-winged fierce tiger with a mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivation. Finding it grants a mission reward of five thousand contribution points."

Lu Yang retracted his neck. A Nascent Soul stage demonic beast, and a double-winged fierce tiger possessing ancient lineage at that—the very origin of the idiom 'adding wings to a tiger.' He didn't even possess the qualifications to serve as a toothpick for the beast. Next one, next one.

"Mount Kunwu exhibits anomalous spiritual energy fluctuations during the alternation of day and night, suspected to be a hitherto undiscovered grotto-heaven. An investigation is required. Cultivators of the late Nascent Soul stage and above are recommended to go. The mission reward is eight thousand contribution points; if the grotto-heaven is valuable, extra rewards will be added."

Yet another mission that had nothing to do with Lu Yang.

If it were in the outside world, someone at the Qi Refining stage could travel the martial world and be called an expert, someone at the Foundation Establishment stage could dominate a small region and bless their family for a century, and someone at the Golden Core stage would dare call themselves a Perfected Master and establish a sect.

But in the Single-Hearted Sect, any random passerby was at the Golden Core stage, and throwing a brick could hit a large crowd of them... and given the cultivation of ordinary disciples, they would throw the brick right back.

The disciples of the Single-Hearted Sect were all elites chosen as one in a thousand. Before the appearance of this newly recruited generation of disciples to which Lu Yang belonged, the Single-Hearted Sect did not even have Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages; the lowest cultivation among disciples was the Golden Core stage.

No matter how successfully you fared in the outside world, upon returning to the Single-Hearted Sect, you had to behave yourself obediently.

Therefore, the missions published that were suitable for the Foundation Establishment stage were not very numerous. Lu Yang looked at several in a row, and they either required a Golden Core stage cultivation or a Nascent Soul stage cultivation.

He also noticed a special mission.

"Long-term mission: Collect cultivation methods not yet recorded by the Single-Hearted Sect. Rewards depend on the content of the method."

"Note: Senior Sister Yun Zhi is requested not to accept this mission. The Library Pavilion has already opened a Yun Zhi Zone, and Senior Sister Yun Zhi may directly place her written cultivation methods into this area."