First Mission

A few months passed quickly. Ouyang Li's attempts to learn the Sword Finger technique weren't going well. As for the Spirit Qi Manipulation Technique, he was afraid that his progress wasn't based on his hard work at all. Instead, it seemed to rely on his quickly growing cultivation base.

That's right! After such a long lime, Ouyang Li was now at the 6th Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm! It was a bit scary when one thought about it. After all, some disciples never reached this level despite spending their whole life in the Outer Sect.

All it took was one more step, and he would reach the peak of his current realm.

To be honest, it was only now that he started to appreciate how magnificent it was to be a cultivator. It resembled turning into a superhero!

His senses were incredibly sharp. He could move faster than a horse, and it only took one punch and some Inner Qi to destroy boulders a lot bigger than him.

"The best thing is that I can spend the night without sleeping, and there are no consequences to my body whatsoever. I can also get drunk without suffering from a hangover. Last but not least, I can jump up at least ten meters high! It's almost like levitating!"

Sadly, this sort of jumping took away too much out of his inner qi reserves. As a result, he couldn't do it all the time.

Now that he thought about it, he was already at the stage where he could attempt to learn how to steer a Flying Sword. However, he still thought he should first practice the techniques he already had. At least, until he reached Major Accomplishment realm.

Immortal Techniques' levels of mastery could be separated into Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, Proficiency, Mastery, Perfection, and Transcendence.

It took an average cultivator decades to reach Mastery level. However, it was still possible to quickly learn basic technique up to the Major Accomplishment.

"Sadly, I don't seem to have high comprehension anyway. It's better to wait for a while rather than kill myself trying to take more than I can chew."

Ouyang Li was still thinking about flying on a sword.

"Besides, falling from the sky would surely end me, even despite my qi-enhanced body."

The boy sighed and shook his head. Although it was regretful, flying could wait. It was better to be safe than sorry.

While thinking about the cultivation, though, his lips formed a small smile.

That was because Ouyang Li has just recently experienced the pleasures of meditation. And he reeled in this feeling!

It was more accurate to say that he fell in love with the feeling of getting stronger.

"It's much more blissful than making love, gambling, or even earning tons of money. Perhaps... only the feeling of having power could compare."

Ouyang Li had no experience being a CEO or a politician. As a result, he couldn't say for sure. Nevertheless, in his previous life, he often heard that power was even more alluring than drugs.

All things considered, he didn't find it surprising that people were addicted to cultivation. While he consciously gathered and circulated spiritual energy, guiding it through his body, it felt as if his cells experienced continuous orgasms. It was evolution of life at its most beautiful.

Additionally, when he followed his sect's Inner Transformation Manual it somehow stimulated the Mysterious Bead. Not only did it attract more Essence of Heaven and Earth into his body, but it also re-refined the Qi that he had absorbed previously. His secret treasure made it much purer as well.

Thanks to it, his energy channels became broader, making his body more suitable for immortal cultivation.

All of these added to the fact that he quickly reached the 6th stage of the Qi Gathering Realm. Although Ouyang Li suspected that Gentle Wind Valley's cultivation method wasn't too great, its limitations could still be easily overcome with the help from his cheat.

Today, he was getting ready to go to the Mission Hall to accept an outside assignment. After all, he had to have a 'fortuitous encounter' to explain his quickly growing cultivation base.

Besides, all Outer Disciples were required to do some tasks for the sect.

Although he was a weak cultivator, he was still like a deity to mortals. That's why he hoped to get a task that would allow him to go the fringes of secular civilization.

He thought it was better to help the mortals rather than compete with other cultivators. He would be safer that way.

Although mortal men didn't know about the existence of immortals, there were thousands of legends circulating among the masses. In big cities, celestial masters were but a myth. One could often hear merchants snort whenever someone mentioned such things.

It was the most naïve ones, namely peasants and villagers, who had no doubt when it came to the existence of the extraordinary.

It was all because the sects often quietly recruited new members right from the grassroots. They didn't want to disrupt the secular order, and history showed that accepting talents from aristocratic families bore... well, disastrous consequences.

And that is, to say the least!

It was the same when it came to recruiting mortal martial artists. Very few sought immortality. The majority only sought power, and they were willing to do terrible things to achieve it. Overthrowing dynasties, sawing chaos, and sacrificing whole cities were only a few examples of that.

"Past tragedies are probably the reason why low-level cultivators are forbidden from entering the most developed prefectures of the secular world."

He whispered to himself.

Powerful immortal masters were prohibited from interfering in mortals' affairs as well. Even more so than low-level cultivators. It was like this since ancient times.

Ouyang Li read in the Sage Pavilion that it was the iron law implemented by the Heavenly Court. However, after the court's fall some millenniums ago, it was still jointly implemented by Nascent Soul Realm Heavenly Lords.

Those were grand cultivators above the Golden Core Realm. They stood at the peak of the current cultivation world. Any breach of this law automatically resulted in the perpetrators' deaths. Even powerful sects couldn't escape punishment.

Nevertheless, immortal cultivators still had to descend from their tall, qi-abundant mountains to deal with some mundane matters.

Although it was okay to leave some weak demonic beasts at the 1st stage of the Qi Gathering Realm to mortal martial artists and armies of secular empires, anything more powerful called for coordinated extermination quests.

Unsurprisingly, very few itinerant cultivators were interested in participating. After all, no one was willing to risk their lives. At least, not for a few pieces of spiritual meat.

That's why it was the sects that were responsible for the safety of secular empires.

Ouyang Li shook his head, trying to get rid of these thoughts. He just couldn't stop analyzing this strange, new world that he found himself in.

While walking toward the Central Area, he felt some disciples giving him a strange look. Not long ago, his cultivation was only at the 1st stage of the Qi Gathering.

He changed it so it looked like the 2nd layer roughly a month ago. That was what attracted so much attention. After all, it's only been a little bit more than nine months since he joined the sect.

Still, he hasn't caused any big commotions yet. There were more than three hundred disciples in the Outer Sect, and it would take a much faster progress to catch an eye of someone more capable than just a few more perceptive weaklings.

Still, even though he was already at the 6th stage, he planned to adjust his visible cultivation to the 3rd layer as soon as he left the sect. Theoretically, besides the so-called Guardians of the Realm who stood behind imperial families of the secular world, there shouldn't be anyone higher than the 2nd stage in the mortal world. Nevertheless, it's better to keep a low profile.

Soon, he arrived in front of the Mission Hall.

It was a small two-story pagoda located next to the Myriad Treasures Hall. Although it looked inconspicuous, at least twenty green-robed disciples were scanning through the board, looking for the most suitable task.

It must be said that the more complicated the assignment, the more abundant the reward. And it was paid directly in Spirit Stones!

Soon, Ouyang Li found the most suitable mission and quickly went up to the counter. The interior of the pavilion was decorated beautifully, but it was nothing when compared to the overdressed receptionist.

"Are you sure?" She asked while taking a look at the details. "It was reported by the local Taoist temple that the being who blocked the road between villages is not a demonic beast. In fact, it's an evil spirit! You'll have to bring some yang-attributed talismans with you. It would be best if you knew some low-level exorcising technique too."

"I'm aware, senior sister. Don't worry, I can manage. At most, I would be forced to leave without completing the task." He answered with confidence.

"As you wish. Pass me your Outer Sect token. I will make the necessary arrangements."

Ouyang Li did as he was told.

The girl then stretched out her hand, and soon, a small map appeared on the desk. There was also a letter from a local Taoist temple. Attached to it was witnesses' testimony. There were even a few comments added!

It was on a cheap piece of parchment, but it provided a good description of the task and the situation there.

A small formation lit up on the reception desk, and his token now had a few glowing symbols attached.

"You can go to the Myriad Treasure Hall and the Inscription Hall first. They will lend you some spirit-restraining treasure, and you will be eligible to buy a more powerful talisman. That is, of course, if you want to invest in this mission. My advice is to go ahead with it"

She smiled. "After all, the rewards that you can possibly receive are at least four times more valuable than the talisman. So, it should offset any possible losses!"

"Thank you for your consideration, senior sect sister." Ouyang Li nodded. "I will do as you say."

He collected his items and left the pavilion. After his last cultivation session, he didn't have much savings. Before accepting the mission, he planned to go to the market, but now…

"I'm afraid that if I did it this way, I wouldn't have money to buy any yang-attributed talismans later on." He murmured. "Who would have thought that even with the Mysterious Bead, I would still have some use for the resources."

He sighed. "If it is like this for me, I can't even imagine what those untalented Outer Sect disciples do. They have to go through so much suffering. All of that just to increase their cultivation base! To them, raising immediate combat strength by buying talismans is probably impossible!"

Ouyang Li shook his head despondently. He chose to go to the Myriad Treasure Hall first. At the very least, he should be able to lease some treasure for free… right?