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Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Annihilation Mission!
Outside the grand and imposing Task Hall, crowds bustled and hustled about.
Occasionally, Outer Disciples rushed over from afar. Some bore injuries, bloodstains covering their bodies, exuding intense killing intent; it was evident they had just experienced a life-and-death battle!
Luo Cheng stepped into the hall and cast his gaze around.
The hall was remarkably spacious. To the left stood counters for task exchanges, while in the center were vertical slabs of jade.
The jade slabs stood nearly three meters tall and spanned twenty to thirty meters wide. There were three slabs in total, each covered with wooden plaques.
"Oh, Luo Cheng!"
Just as Luo Cheng was about to take a closer look, a voice sounded behind him.
Luo Cheng turned around to find Yuan Zhilan, who smiled and asked, "Are you here to take on a task as well?"
"I’m here to submit a task."
Yuan Zhilan beamed brilliantly, her beauty dazzling, before asking, "You haven’t completed this month’s Sect task yet?"
Luo Cheng nodded slightly. "I’ve been focusing on cultivating recently."
Yuan Zhilan gave him a once-over, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "Your Realm..."
So much time had passed; she had assumed Luo Cheng would have broken through to the Sixth Layer of the Transcendence Realm and begun pushing into the Third Stage of the Tongxuan Realm!
Yet, reality proved surprising.
Luo Cheng smiled faintly. "I’m still at the Fifth Layer of the Transcendence Realm."
"Then, in two months, your duel with Yan Qi..."
Yuan Zhilan’s face became a bit clouded with concern.
A month had already passed, and Luo Cheng hadn’t broken into the Sixth Layer of Transcendence. With just two months left, how could he catch up with Yan Qi, who had already ascended to the Third Stage of the Tongxuan Realm?
Luo Cheng seemed unbothered, replying, "Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Tell me more about the tasks here."
Faced with his certainty, Yuan Zhilan realized there was no point in saying more. She nodded and explained:
"Here, some tasks are issued by the Sect, while others are commissioned by outside forces. As long as they provide the proper remuneration, anyone can post a task."
"These three jade slabs represent task levels: One-star tasks, Two-star tasks, and the highest, Three-star tasks. They correspond to the Body Refining Realm, the Transcendence Realm, and the Tongxuan Realm, respectively!"
"Within each task level, the difficulty is further divided into Low Level, Intermediate, Advanced, and Top Level!"
"With my current strength, I can only handle Two-star Advanced tasks at most. If I were to accept a Two-star Top Level task, my life would be in grave danger—practically a death sentence!"
"Of course, if a task is too difficult, you can form a team to complete it. Naturally, the rewards would then need to be shared with your teammates..."
Yuan Zhilan elaborated in detail, then turned to Luo Cheng and added:
"Luo Cheng, if you’re planning to take on a Two-star Top Level task, be extremely cautious. These tasks are often far more dangerous than they appear, especially Top Level ones—they signify immense peril! Even for a Sixth Layer Transcendence Realm Martial Artist, completing a Two-star Top Level task alone is immensely challenging."
"Understood. Thanks."
Luo Cheng nodded; inwardly, he wasn’t particularly concerned.
With his current strength, as long as he didn’t encounter a true Tongxuan Realm Martial Artist, he could practically walk through this place unhindered.
After bidding farewell to Yuan Zhilan, Luo Cheng walked directly to the second jade slab. The wooden plaques on it recorded all the Two-star tasks, their difficulty gradually increasing from bottom to top.
Luo Cheng’s gaze immediately shifted to the very top of the slab, where plaques were fewer, each detailing a Two-star Top Level task.
He fixed his sights on a particular plaque. Inscribed on it were the words: "Two-star Top Level Task: Assassinate the Lin Clan Brothers!"
In addition to the task title, the wooden plaque included detailed information about the mission.
The Lin Clan Brothers were a pair of siblings who operated near the towns surrounding the Running Horse Plain, notorious for murdering and looting, as well as assaulting women.
Recently, they had robbed a mid-sized merchant caravan, slaughtering all twenty-four members without leaving a single survivor!
The Lin Clan Brothers were heinous criminals, wanted by various factions!
However, their whereabouts were elusive, and both were considered peak Transcendence Realm experts.
In particular, the elder Lin was a master of spear techniques, known as a "Gun Heart" practitioner. In a single strike, he could pierce five holes into his opponent’s body!
Over thirty Sixth Layer Transcendence Realm Martial Artists had died at the hands of the elder Lin, who remained unbeaten within the Transcendence Realm!
For this reason, the Lin Clan Brothers had yet to be brought to justice.
"Unbeaten in the Transcendence Realm... That strong, huh..."
Luo Cheng took a deep breath.
No wonder Yuan Zhilan had emphasized the extreme danger of Two-star Top Level tasks—this mission alone was proof enough.
This task to hunt down the Lin Clan Brothers had been posted for four to five months, during which time many Sect experts had undoubtedly taken up the challenge. Among them must have been Sixth Layer Peak Transcendence Realm Martial Artists, yet none had succeeded so far!
The risk was high, but so was the reward.
Killing both brothers would earn a bounty of two hundred and eighty Essence Energy Pills—a staggering sum of 2.8 million silver taels! It was a fortune by any measure. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓾𝒷.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Swoosh!
With a single leap, Luo Cheng grabbed the wooden plaque but, after pondering for a moment, placed it back and decided against accepting the task.
It wasn’t that he feared the brothers. On the contrary, he was eager to face the elder Lin, who dominated the Transcendence Realm, and see who the true peak master was!
However, the Running Horse Plain was a vast area, and the brothers were highly elusive. Luo Cheng simply didn’t have the time to investigate their whereabouts, which led him to abandon the task.
"Heh, giving up is the wise choice. Two-star Top Level tasks aren’t something you’re qualified to take on right now."
A mocking chuckle sounded nearby.
Luo Cheng turned his head to see a tall, fair-skinned youth addressing him. The youth was also at the Fifth Layer of the Transcendence Realm, his face bearing an expression of ridicule.
Unaffected by the taunt, Luo Cheng ignored him and resumed searching for a suitable task.
"Two-star Top Level Task: Find a Fourth-Grade Spiritual Medicine, Flying Star Grass, within half a month. Reward: 1.8 million silver taels..."
"Two-star Top Level Task: Assassinate the Blade Master of Separation Waters..."
"Two-star Top Level Task: Exterminate the Two-star Top Level Demon Beast, Death Shadow Wolf..."
As his gaze swept across the plaques, Luo Cheng’s brows knitted tighter and tighter.
He wanted to take on a task where he could consume Martial Soul Beast Souls—preferably something like Tuoba Lie’s mountain bandit extermination mission.
Unfortunately, none of these Two-star Top Level tasks suited his needs. They were either assassination missions, treasure hunts, or the extermination of powerful Demon Beasts. Nothing fit.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Luo Cheng’s gaze fixed on one of the wooden plaques, his eyes freezing in place.
"Two-star Top Level Task: Investigate and eliminate the horse bandits active around Linguan City in the Running Horse Plain."
After reading the detailed task description, Luo Cheng’s eyes gleamed.
This task was commissioned by the Imperial Family of the Great Yue Dynasty.
Recently, numerous horse bandits had appeared near Linguan City.
Most of these individuals were Transcendence Realm Martial Artists, including several Sixth Layer powerhouses. In the Linguan City area, they had engaged in arson, murder, and heinous acts against women, committing every imaginable atrocity and even massacring entire villages!
At the bottom of the task description was a special note:
"Due to their overwhelming numbers and the involvement of several Sixth Layer Transcendence Realm Martial Artists, along with their powerful Martial Arts Techniques and Cultivation Techniques, this mission is highly recommended for teams comprising at least five Sixth Layer Transcendence Realm Martial Artists or two half-step Tongxuan Realm Martial Artists."
"This is it!"
Without hesitation, Luo Cheng grabbed the plaque and stored it away.
The sheer number of enemies made it ideal!
A gang of horse bandits committing endless atrocities—taking their Martial Souls to refine his True Dragon Technique couldn’t be more appropriate!
"Are you insane? You, a mere Fifth Layer Transcendence Realm Martial Artist, dare to take on the task of eliminating the Linguan City horse bandits?"
The fair-skinned youth beside him gasped in shock when he saw Luo Cheng retrieve the plaque for the horse bandit task.
