Page 40: Three Month Quest

Days left before the sect's martial and alchemy competition: 181 days

Long Bai had been grinding his skills, martial and alchemy in order to prepare himself from a four month quest. A month ago, he was able to out up his name among the list of disciples who were going to protect a village and subdue some huge bandit group. For this quest, the requirement was that one should be at the visceral tempering layer in order to join however, Ling Bai was an exception. Because he identified himself as an alchemist, his cultivation was not checked since he is expected to make recovery pills for the group instead of fighting and because he's a registered grade 2 alchemist, they immediately accepted him.

This was a joint operation of the martial house and the alchemy sector of the sect. Primarily, 15 visceral layers and two alchemist were requested to do the job. Today was the day of departure and all are about to meet at the city's gates. Long Bai came early and while waiting, he scanned his status again.

[STATUS

Cultivation: Visceral Tempering stage (late -8th)

Core grade: Unique (multi-elemental)

Skills:

Movement skills:

~Flash Steps (mastered)

~Ghostly steps (perfection)

*You can't hide your presence but your movements are as silent as the lonely night.

-can be evolved when requirements are met

Martial art skills:

~Sword of Twelve Critical Strikes (mastered)

~Sky Sword of Critical Strikes (perfection)

-sky tier

-can be evolved when requirements are met

~Sky Descending Palm (intermediate)

-sky tier (incomplete)

-evolves to complete version upon mastery

Cultivation Base: Five Elemental Conversion(???) ]

[Alchemy Level: Student

*You are able to grasp the fundamentals of pill making.

Max output per attempt/creation:

+grade 1&2 (10)

+grade 3&4 (8)

Efficiency output:

~grade 1 (100%)

~grade 2 (100%)

~grade 3

-low (100%)

-mid (100%)

-high (100%)

-mystic (94%)

~grade 4

-low (100%)

-mid (93%)

-high (80%)

-mystic (71%) ]

[Options

Cultivation status: Faked

~flesh tempering layer (late- 8th)

Core grade status: Faked

~Ordinary

*Anyone who are at the initial layers of the soul tempering stage and below are fooled by the information above.

Appraisal: Passive

*Gives the N-A-C-C-S (name, age, cultivation, core, state) information

Essence absorption: Passive

*Your core resembles a strong magnet that attracts the essence around you and pulls it towards your central core. It has a ten meter area of effect.

*During active state, the AOE is multiplied by a factor of 5. ]

After studying the details for almost 20 minutes, all the other members showed up from the entrance. It seemed that everyone from that group came from the same place except him who has a personal residence.

Long Bai reached out the quest token and showed it to the incoming group. Immediately, they recognized that he was part of the quest group.

In the sect, when a group quest is issued, they make quest tokens based on the number of required members. They do this so that anyone who goes out will be able to recognize their quest group and avoid spying. Just by putting a drop of your own blood onto the token, the owner would immediately be registered so in case of it being taken by other people, it would be recognized as stolen.

"You're early, fellow cultivator. I have heard some of your achievements from others. If I remember, you're Long Bai, the alchemist who jumped from the 1000th place to 699th position on the merit stone. It is the group's honor to receive help from a grade 2 alchemist. I'm the leader of the subjugation group, you may call me Jin Danyi. As for the others, we may get to know each other as we head to the designated village. Its going to take us a week to reach the place so I hope you did not forget to prepare."

Long Bai studied Jin Danyi and from his demeanor, he doesn't look like he came from a rich background. Maybe the only one he noticed who gives off an attitude was the other grade 2 alchemist who was on his late teens.

[Jin Danyi

Age; 18

Cultivation level: Visceral tempering layer (late -8th)

Core grade: Average ]

Looking at his status, Long Bai can tell that the person in front of him was diligent in his cultivation. Although he has an average physique, he was able to reach such level. He must have been through a lot to support his cultivation resources. On the other hand, the other grade 2 alchemist who is keeping an arrogant face was also scanned.

[Hong Danyun

Age: 17

Cultivation level: Visceral tempering layer (initial -1st)

Core grade: Average ]

That was what is expected from a typical alchemist. This man must have focused on his alchemical skills that his cultivation was sacrificed. Judging by his face, he must be jealous that the leader is putting more attention on Long Bai.

"Hmmp. What's good about him? Rumours say that you are an illegitimate son of someone from the higher ups that's why you were able to exchange items with huge merit equivalence. At the same time, look at his cultivation. He's just at the 8th layer of the flesh tempering. It's no doubt that you received rich resources from someone to reach the 699th place on the merit stone. You must be an alchemist with an ordinary core. Hmmpt!"

The childish rant of the alchemist entered everyone's ears and looked at Long Bai with discernment. Some were trying to judge the words spouted by Hong Danyun while others were already starting to believe. Being in such a predicament, Long Bai didn't bother replying to a childish nonsense. It was good that the leader was able to redirect the focus on the main goal of the group.

"Everyone, we should stop this and instead start moving. Since alchemist Bai has the lowest cultivation, we will follow your speed. I will accompany you in front while the next of least cultivation will follow. All middle layers of the visceral will take the rear. When there's trouble, alert the group. Let's go!"

Since most of the members were at the middle layers of visceral tempering except the other alchemist which was on the initial layers, Long Bai playfully ran at a speed that would be normal at the middle layers. Jin Danyi looked surprised at Long Bai's performance. Before the curious asked a question, Long Bai immediately satisfied his mind with a reply.

"Shhh. I learned some movement skills so this speed is just right for me." After saying those words, Long Bai gave off a playful smile. Jin Danyi understood what the smile implicated and upon looking back at Hong Danyun behind, he noticed him struggling to keep up. His face is flushed red with the situation he is in. Maybe to keep his pride, Hong Danyun didn't want to stop the group because he was struggling. There's no way he would lose to a person who is on the flesh tempering. That's what he thought.

Jin Danyi sighed in his thoughts, 'Ay, he might deserve some punishment for the comments he gave a while ago. This lad on the other hand is cunning. He doesn't strike back in an obvious way. He is somewhat cunningly brutal at some point. Now I don't know who among this two alchemist is more difficult to insult. Why are all alchemist so difficult? Haaa...'

The journey continued on the road for a few hours until they made camp just before sunset. Everyone was setting their tents except a certain alchemist who just chomped an essence replenishing pill due to exhaustion. After the long run, Hong Danyun had no choice but to utilize his inner essence to support his travels while keeping up with the rest. After taking 2 pills, he returned to his normal state except now, he is boiling with shame and anger towards Long Bai.

'Sh**t!! I can't believe that a flesh tempering alchemist can beat me. He must have learned a movement speed. That is the only reason I can think off for such a low leveled alchemist to become capable. The rumour must be true then. That's the only explanation to this or else...there's no way!'

Hong Danyun held the anger inside and just tightly clenched his fist. 'Just you wait, Long Bai. I'll find an opportunity on this whole duration of our quest. I'll return the humiliation I received.'

Before he could explode, he diverted his attention to the other members by giving them instructions to build his own personal tent. The day went a little rough but the first night was peaceful under the starry sky.