Chapter 45 - Act 7. Designated Mission (2)

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The formula for the seventh star of Qi Refining was Spirit Drawing. According to the cultivation manual, it involved drawing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from outside the body. Until now, he had worked only with energy that belonged to him. Now he would begin wielding the spiritual energy flowing through nature itself, albeit in small quantities.

Upon reaching the seventh star, he would be able to cast spells with small amounts of ambient spiritual energy even when his internal reserves were empty, and meditation would allow him to replenish his energy faster than it recovered on its own. If the fifth star marked the beginning of spellcasting and the sixth its mastery, the seventh expanded its scope. It was also preparation for late-stage Qi Refining, when body refining began in earnest.

Yise repeatedly cast various spells until he had emptied his internal reserves, then followed the flow of spiritual energy through nature. He had yet to get a feel for it, but he was in no hurry. His progress thus far had already taught him that he was cultivating more than fast enough.

He continued cultivating calmly, rising only when the effects of the Wadu noodles within him began to fade. It was about time to find more ingredients for immortal cuisine.

The training compound was quite crowded. Ordinarily, many of the novice disciples would have been away on missions, leaving it quiet, but the successive reports of their fellows’ deaths had dampened their former enthusiasm. Few volunteered to go out beyond their mandatory missions. As a result, missions had piled up in abundance. Anyone who wanted one could leave at any time.

After walking about thirty paces, he rounded a corner of the training-room building and heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, fellow Daoist Yise—”

It was Park Gangseo.

“No... Senior, I mean... You finally crossed the minor threshold.”

He trudged over with the look of a man facing the inevitable.

“To think the day would come when I’d call a novice disciple Senior... I must be on my last legs...”

“I told you there was no need if it made you uncomfortable. And how do you manage to find me every time? Are you aspiring to be a covert operative, by any chance?”

“You’re only ever at the butcher shop, a training room, or the administrative office, Senior. How could I not find you? And what choice do I have, uncomfortable or not? I’ll have to get used to it. You should start speaking less formally to me, too.”

“But this is what feels comfortable to me... You’re older than I am, after all.”

“By how much? You’ll have to get used to it even if it feels awkward, Senior.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“You’re going to leave me far behind anyway. Maybe it’s fine now, but what about when you reach Foundation Establishment? Or Core Formation? If you were still speaking so respectfully to me then, the seniors at those realms wouldn’t let me hear the end of it. They’d say I was undermining the order of the cultivation world.”

“You are getting rather ahead of yourself.”

“‘You’re getting ahead of yourself.’ That’s how you should say it. Start getting used to it, Senior. Whatever you say, I’ll be giving you the address and treatment your standing deserves every time the gap between our realms widens.”

“...”

What a ridiculous scene: he was doing his best to show respect, only to be begged to treat the other man as an inferior. For Yise, who had been taught from early childhood to be unfailingly polite to his elders, it was truly difficult. Still, this too was something he had to adapt to. And adapting was one of his specialties.

“Still can’t get a feel for the minor threshold?”

Only when Yise adopted a casual tone did Park Gangseo look satisfied.

“Sometimes I think I understand it, and sometimes I don’t. Could you give me a hand when you have time, Senior?”

“I will.”

“See? It pays to know people. Where else would I get private lessons from a genius like you?”

The sight of Park Gangseo chuckling lifted Yise’s spirits as well.

“So, how does it feel to overtake everyone? Good? People must be treating you very differently now.”

“I wouldn’t call it good, exactly. More funny and entertaining.”

“Hahaha! At least you’re honest.”

Yise offered no particular objection. Still grinning, Park Gangseo continued.

“And here.”

Park Gangseo took a pouch from inside his clothes and handed it over. Inside were twenty spirit stones.

“Two months’ stipend. Have you run out of albums?”

“I’m still fine.”

“Makes sense, since you were away for nearly two months. I’ve brought news today, too.”

Yise’s eyes lit up at his words.

“There might be a war.”

“... A war?”

War. Startled by the unfamiliar word, Yise echoed it back.

“There are two reasons. The first happened a few months ago. Some Core Formation Cultivators from the Jeong Empire ambushed Azure Dragon Hall Master Hae Il.”

Yise had heard that story from Hae Il himself.

“Of course, it started because the Hall Master went into the Jeong Empire first and stirred up all sorts of trouble... But this is the first time there’s been such a direct armed clash. The other Hall Masters are itching to slaughter the lot of them.”

“I understand how they feel, but couldn’t they reach a reasonable settlement and move on?”

“Of course. That’s what Hall Master Hae Il wants, too. But this is the real reason.”

Park Gangseo lowered his voice and glanced around before continuing.

“They’ve discovered signs of a secret realm.”

A secret realm. A mysterious space connected to another dimension, said to hold ancient ritual implements, rare spiritual materials, and ores found nowhere in the world. Usually, one opened within the territory of the faction that discovered it, making ownership a simple matter—provided that faction had the strength to guard its entrance.

If a secret realm opened in Daemudo territory, every Daemudo disciple would have an opportunity to enter. Cultivators from the Jeong Empire could not even dream of it.

“Unfortunately, it’s in the unclaimed land between the Three Kingdoms of the Peninsula and the Jeong Empire.”

But if it opened in unclaimed land, that was another story. It would belong to whoever seized it first.

“They say it’ll open within a few years. Depending on its size and value, there could be bloodshed. No, there definitely will be.”

“Do you know what sort of secret realm it is?”

“Not that much yet. They’ll start investigating in earnest once ownership is settled. All the novice disciples will move to the main mountain before winter, so by then you’ll probably hear about it before I do, without me having to look into it for you.”

That time had already come: the time to shed the novice label and enter the main mountain as a formal disciple. What would it be like? Yise had been reasonably satisfied with life at the training compound, but now that it was almost time to move, curiosity and anticipation welled up within him.

Park Gangseo left, saying they would meet again when it was time to move to the main mountain. As Yise walked on, he mulled over the secret realm. Ancient ritual implements. Ores as precious as cold iron, or even more so. The mere thought was intoxicating. He felt a mounting desire to enter if he ever had the chance. But that was a matter for later. Until he left for the main mountain, he had his own work to do.

U Jeol was alone in the administrative office. At the sight of Yise, he set down the secret manual he had been reading.

“Good timing. A designated mission has come in.”

“A designated mission?”

“Yes. The main mountain has issued a mission specifically for you.”

“But I’ve already completed my mandatory mission...”

“This isn’t a mandatory mission. It’s exactly what I said: a commission naming you specifically, with a reward and the choice of whether to accept. This is the first time a novice disciple has received one.”

What could it be, for them to single him out?

U Jeol unfolded the mission sheet.

“You’re to hunt down a Cultivator.”

“A Cultivator? Not a demonic practitioner?”

“Correct. An independent Cultivator who’s killed three of your fellow novices and stolen their resources. Given that he operates in Azure Mountain Capital, he can’t be a demonic practitioner. What he might become in the future remains to be seen.”

Yise took the mission sheet.

- Name and appearance unknown. Estimated realm: Middle Stage Qi Refining. Targets Daemudo novice disciples for murder and theft of resources.

- Confirming his appearance: 30 spirit stones, 40 contribution points.

- Killing the target: 50 spirit stones, 60 contribution points. (Evidence proving he is the perpetrator required.)

- Capturing the target alive: 100 spirit stones, 70 contribution points.

Yise’s eyes paused briefly as he read. This man had killed three of his fellow novices. He had thought it strange that so many had died in such a short time. They had been murdered.

“That’s a substantial reward.”

The words came after he checked the figures at the bottom.

“It’s dangerous work for a novice disciple,” U Jeol replied evenly.

“Then why choose me? Wouldn’t it be better to have a senior at a higher realm handle it and ensure success?”

“We’ve already tried sending them. The bastard is so cunning that he won’t go anywhere near anyone at late-stage Qi Refining or above. Even those who used a spirit-concealing spell to hide their realms never encountered him. He must have been hanging around Azure Mountain Capital for ages. It seems he knows every novice disciple’s face.”

“... So he won’t even show himself unless it’s a novice disciple. That means you need to send someone among us who can face a Middle Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.”

“Exactly. Without you, we would have used someone else as bait to draw him out. But since we have another option, we’re offering it to you. Given the danger, the main mountain has agreed to lend you two ritual implements. If you still have misgivings, you may refuse.”

“What happens to him if I refuse?”

“Daemudo will not stop pursuing him. The mission will remain open, someone will keep tracking him, and eventually we’ll catch his trail.”

From the sect’s perspective, he was merely someone who had killed a few novice disciples. They had no intention of committing excessive manpower, but neither would they let it slide.

He took two items from a drawer: a small pearl and a thin, lightweight suit of armor.

“This is a Spirit-Concealing Pearl. Carry it, and it will mask the spiritual energy within your body, making your realm appear two steps lower. This is called Lifesaving Armor. If you suffer a fatal injury, infusing it with spiritual energy will transport your body to a designated nearby location.”

In other words, the mission was dangerous enough to require a protective ritual implement. Having hunted a demonic practitioner two steps above him, Yise wondered whether it was really that serious. Still, the main mountain normally assigned missions it was confident the disciples could complete, so its concern was understandable.

Yise tucked the pearl inside his clothes and put on the armor: silent acceptance. U Jeol looked him over and nodded. It seemed to be working properly.

“If you’re uneasy, we can send a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator to lie in ambush.”

“Would I have to split the reward?”

“Of course. You’d have to offer at least eighty percent before any Cultivator would be willing to go.”

“I’d rather die keeping it all to myself.”

The corners of U Jeol’s lips rose slightly, as though he had expected that answer.

“Go punish the insolent independent Cultivator who dared lay a hand on Daemudo’s disciples.”

“I will see it done.”

As Yise was about to turn away, U Jeol added a final warning, his voice lowering with concern.

“All three were killed without putting up a fight. There were scarcely any traces of combat, and their bodies showed few signs of resistance. He is clearly using some underhanded trick. Be especially careful.”