Salted Fish Mission

Salted Fish Mission

Watching Wang Yulun's receding figure vanish, Xu Fan murmured, "I don't have many friends in the Heavenly Gate Sect. You'd better stay alive."

Of the two Jade Slips he had given him, one contained Xu Fan's self-created spell: the Light Feather Wind Transformation Art.

The other contained a set of Combined Magic Arts, the Fire Spear Art—a combined wood-and-fire-element spell.

After returning to his Small Courtyard, he casually used the Minor Spirit Rain Art to water his dozen-odd mu of Spiritual Fields, then turned and returned to his room to cultivate.

In the Early Morning, Xu Fan came to the Task Hall to collect his mandatory monthly task. Those in the Qi Refining Early Stage only performed sect chores and cultivated the sect's Cultivation Method; only after reaching the middle stage would they be assigned sect tasks.

Inside the Task Hall, a Foundation Establishment Stage Deacon was assigning tasks to Outer Sect Disciples.

When it was Xu Fan's turn—

The Deacon took one look and thought, Isn't this that rather sensible youngster?

"Senior, I go and cast spells to water the Seven Leaf Flowers outside your Cave Abode every five days. They're growing wonderfully; I estimate they'll flower and bear fruit in a few more years," Xu Fan said respectfully.

As the long-term steward in charge of assigning tasks, this was someone he had to win over. What if the man assigned him some dangerous Demon Beast extermination task?

Hearing Xu Fan's words, the Deacon smiled. The area outside his Cave Abode had originally been an empty patch of land, but after this youngster advanced to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, he had rushed over like the wind and used spells to turn it into a Spiritual Field.

He had even recommended the Seven Leaf Flower Spiritual Herb, saying he would take full responsibility for tending it from then on, asking only for safe sect tasks in the future.

From that day onward, the safest and most profitable sect tasks had all gone to Xu Fan.

"Xu Fan, I have a long-term task here. The Contribution Points are a bit low, though. I wonder if you'd be willing to take it?" the Deacon asked with a smile.

"Senior, is it safe?"

"Absolutely safe. One hundred and fifty Contribution Points a year. In addition, I'll personally give you ten Spirit Stones," the Deacon said.

"Ten Spirit Stones? What does that mean?" Xu Fan asked in confusion.

"It's like this: the several dozen mu of Spiritual Fields outside my Cave Abode need someone to tend them until harvest. I wonder if you're willing."

Hearing this, Xu Fan was overjoyed. His two years of clearing land and watering crops for this Deacon had not been in vain. At last, it had paid off.

"Thank you, Deacon," Xu Fan said happily.

"This is what you deserve. But your fear-of-death personality really is..." The Deacon's voice gradually trailed off. Other Outer Sect Disciples scrambled to take missions leaving the sect to kill demons and fiends for resources. Only this youngster remained steady and carefree, leisurely working as a Spirit Farmer.

"Oh, right. I have another small task. The teacher who has been teaching newly initiated disciples Spirit Farmer spells has something to do, so we need someone proficient in Spirit Farmer spells to fill in. Three days, with three Spirit Stones as the reward. Interested?" the Deacon added.

"When does it start?" Xu Fan asked.

"Tomorrow. Any problem?"

"No problem."

Once Xu Fan answered, he received the Task Token from the Deacon.

"You're familiar with that place too. Show the Token when the time comes, and someone will naturally receive you."

"Alright."

After accepting the tasks, Xu Fan first headed toward the Deacon's Cave Abode.

Floating in Mid-air with the Light Body Art, Xu Fan watched the Inner Sect Senior Brothers riding Magic Treasures back and forth through the sky with some envy. In his view, that was true flight.

"Qi Refining High Stage... no rush. Thirty years should be enough. After all, there are still more than a hundred years after that."

"Ah, this damned system."

As Xu Fan spoke, he used the Wind Riding Art again, speeding up as he drifted toward the Deacon's Cave Abode.

The Heavenly Gate Mountain Range held a hundred thousand mountains, with countless Small Hilltops among them. To gain quicker control over the entire range, the Heavenly Gate Sect allowed mid-level disciples to occupy relatively small Mountain Peaks. Foundation Establishment Stage disciples could possess their own Cave Abodes, while only Golden Core Ancestors could possess their own main peaks.

Half an hour later, Xu Fan appeared before a mountain more than ten times larger than his own Small Hilltop. Holding the Token, he entered the Forbidden Barrier directly.

Minor Spirit Rain Art

Light Condensing Art

Spring Wind Art

The moment he entered the Deacon's Forbidden Barrier, Xu Fan swiftly performed the usual tending on every Spiritual Field.

"Good thing I chose these easy-to-handle Spiritual Herbs back then. Otherwise, the travel alone every day would exhaust me to death."

After completing the task, Xu Fan cast a lingering glance around him. Though this Deacon did not know much about Spiritual Herbs, the design of his Cave Abode was truly pleasing to the eye, carrying the air of an immortal residence.

After completing the task, Xu Fan returned to his own Small Hilltop.

Taking out the Recliner he had made, Xu Fan lay beside the Spiritual Fields in leisurely contentment and began sorting through what he needed to do next.

"With the Deacon looking after me, there won't be any danger of being sent on outside missions for the next few years. All that remains is to sell the Spirit Rice and learn the Pill Refining Art."

"Once I make money with the Pill Refining Art, I'll learn the Artifact Refining Art."

"With those two identities backing me in the future, there won't be much left to scheme for in terms of status."

As he spoke, Spiritual Light flickered in Xu Fan's hand, and a Wind Bird formed from magic appeared in his palm.

The lifelike green phoenix bird began circling Xu Fan as it flew back and forth.

"This universe seems to correspond somewhat to the Three Thousand Great Worlds. The sect records alone mention several Immortal Worlds. Could it really correspond to the Three Thousand Great Worlds?"

"If that's truly the case, then the world I'm in should be a Middle Thousand World. The Grand Elder of the Heavenly Gate Sect is a Tribulation Transcendence powerhouse."

"Since there's a Tribulation Crossing Stage, this is like the Spirit World in the world of Mortal cultivation."

"This half-dead system doesn't even have revival capabilities. Otherwise, I could go out and have some fun too."

"What use is it giving me only this damned talent? I can only break through when I'm dead."

As Xu Fan spoke, he waved away the Wind Bird, then formed a Hand Seal and a Dharma Seal.

Swarm Killing Bird Art—though Xu Fan preferred to call it Drone Bombardment Art.

A small Array appeared, and dozens of flying birds of various attributes emerged from it. Each Little Bird contained the violent power of a different element; the slightest provocation would make it explode.

This was Xu Fan's most powerful self-created spell. Even Qi Refining High Stage experts could not withstand several rounds of bombardment from these flying birds.

"With this damned talent of mine, I can even create spells of such top-tier difficulty."

"What use is that? It's still useless if I encounter someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage."

Just then, Spiritual Light flashed through Xu Fan's mind.

"I can take in a disciple myself. Then I can pass all these self-created spells of mine on to my disciple."

"I may not be able to advance, but my disciple can."

At this, Xu Fan became excited. He felt that a thread of color had appeared in his dull life of cultivation.

"At the Qi Refining Twelfth Level, once I reach the Qi Refining Peak, I can take in a disciple."

"If I teach my disciple well, then with my disciple protecting me later on, won't I be able to be a Salted Fish in peace?"

In Xu Fan's eyes, the Sect was not an entirely safe place either. The Heavenly Gate Sect had many enemies, and among them were no lack of top-tier Big Shots.

Just then, an electronically synthesized voice sounded in Xu Fan's mind.

High-level energy detected probing the host. Blocked.

"Here it comes again. Do I not get even a little privacy?"

(End of this chapter)