A Sect Mission

"Daoist Li, I entrust this matter to your Shushan. Next year heavenly materials and earthly treasures that our Great Xia Dynasty will offer to Shushan will increase by 50%."

In the Shushan Main Hall, the seventh prince of the Xia Kingdom bowed to Li Changye to take his leave, and respectfully led a group of imperial guards down the mountain.

Second Senior Brother Song Wuchuan appeared. "Senior Brother, what has happened in the Xia Kingdom?"

"Recently, over a dozen cities in the Xia Kingdom have been attacked by Elders of the Demon Sects. Some cities were even refined by Demon Sects Elders using Blood Formation, causing widespread devastation. The Xia Kingdom 'Xia Kingdom family, Academy of Letters, and imperial guards are exhausted from dealing with the situation. Therefore, they have requested that our Shushan Sect troops to wipe out the Demon Sects's branches in the Xia Kingdom. The fact that the Demon Sects members are using Blood Formation, Formation that violates the laws of Heavenly Dao, so brazenly must mean they are eager to improve their cultivation. Our Shushan sect has always upheld justice and cannot stand idly by."

"Senior Brother, it just so happens that our Shushan has had quite a few newly promoted Elders in recent years. We can assign them this task of clearing out the Xia Kingdom's Demon Sects sect stronghold as a test."

"Under normal circumstances, this would be feasible. However, the Demon Sects is far too arrogant this time, directly refining cities within our Shushan's sphere of influence. There's likely Great Demon behind them. If a newly Elder were to encounter such Demon, it would undoubtedly be suicide."

"Then why not have a senior Dao Palace Realm Elder lead the team, along with a group of newly promoted Elders and Golden Core Realm disciples, forming twelve teams to go down the mountain to eliminate the demons?"

"That's feasible. If we find any trace of the Demon, I'll personally go down the mountain."

Li Changye clenched his fists, his determined eyes filled with powerful confidence.

He could even fight against the Grand Supreme Elders of the Demon Sects.

"My disciple Xiao Xiangdao possesses the Spirit Sword Body, and his comprehension of Sword Dao has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years, reaching the Golden Core Realm Ninth Layer. With matters concerning Shushan, my disciple cannot remain uninvolved; I have sent him down the mountain for training as well. Perhaps this experience will allow him to grasp the opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm."

At Azure Cloud Peak, Lu Changsheng was using the system's combat simulation function for training.

The opponent simulated by the system this time was none other than Senior Brother Li Changye.

Lu Changsheng fought against the system-simulated "Li Changye" and was quickly defeated.

However, Lu Changsheng gained many insights from this combat simulation.

"There's something wrong with Senior Brother's cultivation level."

Lu Changsheng Simulated Battles many times and was not without opponents at the Dao Palace Realm Ninth Layer, but his Senior Brother Li Changye was inexplicably much stronger than the others, and seemed to have transcended the Dao Palace Realm.

A Shushan Disciple at the Golden Core Realm arrived at Azure Cloud Peak: "Elder Lu, according to our Shushan rules, newly promoted Elders must complete at least one assessment task. This time, our Senior Brother has issued an assessment task, and your Disciple Elder Lian is among the candidates. In addition, our Senior Brother hopes that you will lead a team of disciples down the mountain for training, slaying demons and monsters."

Elder assessment?

Lu Changsheng knew about this.

Elders at the Nascent Soul Realm Elder, Dao Palace Realm, and Grand Supreme Elders must complete at least one assessment task each time they are promoted. After all, Shushan provides a heavenly materials and earthly treasures ground with abundant Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and supplies rare and precious materials every month. As Elders, they should make contributions to Shushan.

Even after Lian becomes Nascent Soul Realm Elder, she still needs to complete an assessment task.

For this assessment mission, the Senior Brother actually wanted him to lead the team down the mountain for training, which was something Lu Changsheng hadn't expected.

Lu Changsheng's apparent cultivation level is still the Dao Palace Realm Fifth Layer, as it was three years ago.

The fact that Elder at the Dao Palace Realm Fifth Layer leading the assessment task speaks volumes about its difficulty.

Why does the assessment task require Dao Palace Realm Elder to lead the team?

"The Demon Sects is rampant, and many cities in the Xia Kingdom have been refined by the Blood Formation. The Xia Kingdom family has requested assistance from our Shushan. The task of this training mission is to eliminate the Demon Sects's strongholds in the Xia Kingdom."

"I see, I understand."

"So, what does Elder Lu mean?"

"I can lead the team."

Lu Changsheng had simulated dozens of life-or-death battles over three years and was highly experienced. Even when encountering powerful enemies with higher cultivation levels than himself, he had some means and experience to protect himself. Leading a team down the mountain for training was not a big problem for him.

"Alright, this time twelve Elders and disciples have come down the mountain, all led by Elders at the Dao Palace Realm. This disciple takes his leave."

After receiving confirmation from Lu Changsheng, the Golden Core Realm cultivator departed on his sword.

"Twelve teams..."

Lu Changsheng knew that the battle between the Six Great Orthodox Sects and the Four Great Demonic Sects had already begun; this was just a test.

The Xia Kingdom was within the sphere of influence of the Shushan. The Four Great Demonic Sects recklessly refined the cities of the Xia Kingdom, sacrificing millions of lives as blood offerings. Their actions were utterly rampant.

Shushan dispatched twelve teams down the mountain to eliminate demons, each team led by the Dao Palace Realm Elder, and also including Nascent Soul Realm Elders and Golden Core Realm disciples, which can be considered a grand undertaking.

"Lian, as a newly appointed Elder, you need to complete an assessment task."

"Because of your special status, being on the same team as me, I will try my best to protect your safety, but I hope you can solve problems on your own as much as possible."

"During your training period after descending the mountain, you adopted the alias Lu Qinglian."

Lu Changsheng summoned his three disciples and explained what had happened.

Lu Changsheng will be leaving Azure Cloud Peak for a while, and Lian, as a newly promoted Elder, also needs to go down the mountain to complete the assessment task.

Lu Changsheng asked his Senior Brother for permission to join Lianyi's team.

Firstly, Lian's identity is special, and the other Elders may not be able to protect her. Secondly, Lu Changsheng's cultivation is not as simple as it appears on the surface, and he also has Apprentice-Teaching Simulator that can simulate Lian's future at any time, allowing him to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune.

Secondly, even if Lu Changsheng leaves Shushan, he can still take advantage of the system's benefits with his Disciples by his side.

The Senior Brother readily agreed.

Among the younger generation of Elders of Shushan, apart from Li Changye and Song Wuchuan, no one is more suitable to lead the team to protect Lian than Lu Changsheng.

"Very good!"

Lian was overjoyed to hear that she could go down the mountain.

This is her second time going down the mountain, and she will have to face all kinds of difficulties herself, instead of always hiding behind her master.

"Master, my cultivation level is currently at the Golden Core Realm Ninth Layer, and I feel I have encountered a bottleneck. I wonder if I can participate in this trial?"

Lin Qingzhi volunteered himself.

"If you want to achieve a breakthrough, you can't stay by your master's side, otherwise you'll become dependent on him. I'll arrange for you to join Elder Zhao's team."

Thank you, Master.

"Um."

Lu Changsheng had high expectations for his Eldest Disciple.

The Eldest Disciple, Lin Qingzhi, is the only cultivator who truly walks the same Great Dao as Lu Changsheng. Once Lin Qingzhi breaks through to the Nascent Soul Realm, Lu Changsheng Lin Qingzhi reward him with higher-level Cultivation Method and Flying Swords, and he can also receive more Spiritual Qi through the Transmission Empowerment.

Lin Qingzhi's cultivation has reached the peak of the Golden Core Realm, just one step away from the finish line. This life-or-death experience is an opportunity.

Otherwise, Lin Qingzhi would remain at the Golden Core Realm Ninth Layer, and Lu Changsheng would be unable to Transmission Empowerment to him; otherwise, the excess Spiritual Qi would cause Lin Qingzhi to explode and die.

"Zhi'er, you stay and guard Azure Cloud Peak."

Lu Changsheng arranged for his Third Disciple Mo Huazhi, to stay behind and guard the cave abode.

Mo Huazhi was engrossed in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Even though she was alone, she was never lonely with the sea of books as her companion.

Furthermore, Mo Huazhi had only recently entered the Golden Core Realm, and this training mission was far too dangerous for her.

"Your disciple will remember this."

Mo Huazhi agreed.

At Finger Moon Peak, Elder Zhao Wuyan of Shushan was ordered by his Senior Brother to lead a team down the mountain to exorcise demons. Upon seeing the roster of his team, Zhao Wuyan's expression immediately crumbled like a chrysanthemum. "Senior Brother, Junior Brother Lu, and the Grand Supreme Elders have all crammed their disciples into my little team. What if we're wiped out...? The pressure on me, Zhao Wuyan, is just too much..."