Task Rewards
"Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully completing the beginner task [Keeping Watch]!"
"Basic reward received: cultivation raised to the Human Martial Realm Third Heaven."
"Rare reward received: [Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand]."
When Chen Ning heard the system notification, he immediately felt a fluctuation of Spiritual Qi within his body.
"The Human Martial Realm Third Heaven?"
The increase was a little beyond his expectations.
In this world, the cultivation realms, from lowest to highest, were the Body Tempering Realm, the Human Martial Realm, the Spirit Martial Realm, the Earth Martial Realm, the Venerable Martial Realm, the Heavenly Martial Realm, and the Saint Martial Realm.
The Body Tempering Realm was merely the threshold to cultivation.
Only upon reaching the Human Martial Realm did one officially embark on the path of cultivation.
Each major realm was further divided into nine minor realms.
This task reward had allowed Chen Ning to cross the threshold of Body Tempering directly from being an ordinary person.
He had risen three levels in one go.
He had officially begun cultivating.
He now had a Qi Sea.
He could sense and absorb the Essence Qi of heaven and earth to cultivate.
But compared to his cultivation, Chen Ning was more curious about the rare reward, [Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand].
With a thought, he acted.
He checked its detailed description.
Divine Ability: Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand
Proficiency: max level (complete mastery)
Description: a forbidden Divine Ability that the Heavenly Dao would not tolerate.
After Chen Ning finished reading, knowledge of the Divine Ability automatically appeared in his mind.
He was also thoroughly proficient in it.
It was as though he had cultivated it for many years.
"I can try it out quietly in a little while."
Chen Ning looked toward the courtyard wall not far away and released his divine sense. On the other side of the wall, Lu Qing stood with his arms folded.
This was the man who had botched things yesterday and nearly kept him from completing his task.
At that thought, he acted.
Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand activated silently.
Outside the wall.
Lu Qing's mind wandered in utter boredom as he wondered where he should go for amusement down the mountain after his shift ended.
Suddenly, he felt a chill on his back. Greatly alarmed, he reached up and clutched his shoulder.
Cold sweat soaked his back.
His expression was exceedingly grim.
But there was no wound on his shoulder, nor any trace of blood.
After circulating his Essence Qi, he was horrified to discover that a bone had vanished from his right shoulder into thin air.
His right arm now hung limply at his side.
He tried gathering Essence Qi and channeling it into his right arm, but it did no good.
Boundless terror began to invade Lu Qing's heart.
What on earth happened?
Who ambushed me?
Who could attack and injure someone in a top-tier sect like the Dragon-Seeking Sect?
But he had no time to dwell on any of that. He knew only that if he didn't get treatment in time, his arm would be crippled.
He didn't even have time to explain to the guards around him.
His eyes bloodshot, Lu Qing ran off at full speed.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Chen Ning marveled at the power of Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand.
"To think I could separate his bone from his body with a single thought. That's just too broken..."
If he weren't only at the Human Martial Realm Third Heaven and lacking in Essence Power, he could have stolen every last one of Lu Qing's bones.
"I still have to be careful..."
Chen Ning knew full well that he was still too weak, and that this world had all manner of methods and Divine Abilities cropping up endlessly.
When doing tasks, the best course was to lie low and stay alive.
The sun was already high in the sky when Su Ling'er finally woke up in her room.
But when she opened the door, her gaze was full of admiration as she looked at Chen Ning.
Chen Ning scratched his head in puzzlement. "Little Su, if there's nothing else, you can head back. I won't keep you for a meal."
Yesterday, he had been occupied with a task.
That was why Chen Ning had acted so warmly.
Now that the task was done, he didn't particularly want to deal with this undercover girl anymore.
It was too dangerous.
Besides, Chen Ning was now sitting upright on the stone stool, both feet off the ground, his clever IQ occupying the high ground.
He guessed that his task reward, [Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand], was most likely Su Ling'er's skill too.
If she found out...
Wouldn't she silence him?
"Sect Leader Brother... did Ling'er do something to upset you? You called me Ling'er yesterday, so why are you calling me something so strange today?"
As Su Ling'er spoke, her little mouth turned down, and she looked at Chen Ning with a deeply aggrieved expression.
"No, that's not it, don't talk nonsense."
Chen Ning delivered a triple denial, then, unable to bear it, reached out and rubbed her head.
Su Ling'er narrowed her eyes, looking as though she thoroughly enjoyed it.
"Then Sect Leader Brother mustn't lie to Ling'er."
"I absolutely won't."
"Then let Ling'er ask you: when you called Ling'er over last night, was there something else you were hiding from Ling'er?"
Su Ling'er's watery eyes stared unblinkingly at Chen Ning.
Chen Ning's heart couldn't help giving a violent leap.
I'm done for! I'm done for!
Did she find out?
Seeing that Chen Ning remained silent for a long time, Su Ling'er grew even more certain of the answer in her heart.
Sect Leader Brother had done it to help her resist the heavenly lightning.
But why would Sect Leader Brother help her?
Could it be because he likes me...?
Should I tell Sect Leader Brother who I really am now?
Su Ling'er felt deeply conflicted, and she was also full of guilt.
But after turning it over in her mind, she felt the time was not yet right.
Once she saw her grandfather someday and spoke everything through with the old man, she could follow Sect Leader Brother with a clear conscience.
She had already decided that, after confirming Chen Ning's answer today, she would entrust her life to Sect Leader Brother for the rest of her days.
Meanwhile, Chen Ning was thinking about how to handle this.
If only I'd made up a more plausible excuse.
Now that she's seen through me, I'm really in trouble...
What can I say to get out of this, damn it?!
But just as he was about to speak, he stopped.
He saw Su Ling'er looking at him, her cheeks bright red.
Her beautiful eyes shimmered.
Then, before Chen Ning could speak, she seemed to think of something embarrassing and hurriedly turned and ran away.
That's it?
Chen Ning was dumbstruck.
What happened to demanding an explanation?
Just then, the system notification suddenly rang out.
"Ding! A task is available. Accept it?"
"Accept."
Chen Ning accepted without much hesitation.
Only by completing tasks could he quickly grow stronger and truly secure his position.
Otherwise, even a question from Su Ling'er would leave him trembling with fear.
That was a terrible feeling.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully accepting the rare, time-limited task [Xiao Mei's Worry]."
"Task description: sect member Xiao Mei has had something on her mind lately, often leaving her unable to sleep at night. Find her and resolve her worry.
Task time limit: seven days
Task rewards: basic reward of three cultivation levels, one mysterious rare reward, and the title [Sect Leader Who Perceives the Finest Details]."
Chen Ning: "(꒪Д꒪)ノ"
Opportunity and danger really did go hand in hand.
Who was Xiao Mei?
Chen Ning was no stranger to her. In his memories, she was the master of the Law Enforcement Hall.
She oversaw the sect's punishments.
She was considerably bigger than Su Ling'er.
In both status and figure.
Both were bigger.
But that wasn't the most important thing. The crucial point was that she was a spy from the Devil Race.
Can I really handle her?
Even the soft and adorable Su Ling'er had nearly seen through him.
Facing a female devil, he would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.
But the system's rewards were simply too generous.
I'm going all in!