That night, in Xiang Tian's small dormitory building, Qiu Changfeng delivered quite a bit of information on Sinan Yao, including the few battle recordings available. Xiang Tian lost interest after only a few glances.
He had already refined the Sword Intent within the Sword Comprehension Stone, gaining a few more insights into the sword path. But that was not important.
The important thing was, did they really think he had come here to study? He had clearly come to relax!
He pushed open the window and looked out at the night, at the scattered pinpricks of light. His treatment was unquestionably the best in the entire Immortal Academy. They had actually built him a small pavilion on the mountain peak that usually had the densest spiritual energy and served as a cultivation ground.
Suddenly, he noticed someone approaching from afar along the mountainside.
His eyes narrowed, and he swiftly shut the window. Sure enough, before long, a knock sounded at the door.
Bang, bang, bang!
When he opened the door, he found a sweet-looking female student in a white dress, her face flushed crimson.
Xiang Tian looked her up and down, making the girl even more bashful as she leaned against the doorway. "Classmate, it's so late. What do you need from me?"
His obvious teasing made her blush to the roots of her ears. She mumbled in a voice so soft it was nearly inaudible, "Um... Xiang Tian, I... can I invite you to complete a mission together?"
"No problem!"
Xiang Tian answered so readily that she was taken aback instead.
"But... you haven't even asked what mission it is."
"Does the mission matter? I think the most important thing is being together with classmates."
Those words left the girl stunned. Then rosy clouds flew across her face. She hurriedly explained the mission details and arranged a time with Xiang Tian before running off.
Watching her retreating figure, the smile vanished from Xiang Tian's face. After closing the door, his entire face turned frosty.
He had no idea when he had provoked this pack of lunatics.
But it did not matter. You were lunatics, and so was I!
The next day, Xiang Tian arrived at the academy's mission hall.
To encourage student growth, the academy issued various missions for students to gain experience. Students only needed to register after accepting a mission.
Xiang Tian's appearance in the hall quickly drew attention. In particular, one student on duty hurried into the back to report to the supervising instructor.
Upon hearing that Xiang Tian had arrived, the instructor quickly came out and invited him inside.
After pouring him a cup of tea, the instructor smiled at Xiang Tian. "Student Xiang Tian, are you here to accept a mission?"
Xiang Tian nodded. "Teacher, I want to go out and look around. It also happens to be a good chance to go out with my classmates and strengthen our bonds."
The supervising instructor looked troubled. "Th-this... Student Xiang Tian, you know your current situation. If you leave the Immortal Academy, I'm afraid you may encounter danger."
He naturally meant well, and Xiang Tian understood that.
"Teacher, you worry too much. Even if Ding Heshan came, he would not be able to do anything to me."
Seeing that he could not stop Xiang Tian, the instructor could only give up.
Very soon, Xiang Tian gave Su Tong's name and naturally joined her mission team.
The mission was simple: hunt down a demon beast. Its rank was not low, and its realm was roughly equivalent to the Deity Transformation Realm. However, demon beasts' actual combat strength was often far greater than that of ordinary cultivators.
Fortunately, besides Su Tong, the other two were also in the Deity Transformation Realm. With Xiang Tian included, they made four Deity Transformation cultivators, so the mission was not particularly dangerous.
After registering, Xiang Tian arrived at the agreed meeting place.
Su Tong and the other two were already waiting there. However, the other two did not look particularly friendly; there was even faint hostility in their eyes.
Xiang Tian could not help sighing inwardly. As expected, they were little flowers that had never suffered society's beating. Learn from the girl beside you—look at how perfectly she hid her feelings toward me.
When Su Tong saw Xiang Tian arrive, a hint of delight appeared on her face. She hurried over, her eyes sparkling like stars and her voice exceptionally sweet. "Xiang Tian, you really came. That's wonderful."
She was dressed very simply today, and paired with her innocent face, she gave off an even stronger feeling of spring breeze on one's face, like the girl next door.
Xiang Tian could clearly feel that the other two were no longer bothering to conceal the way they looked at him.
Both men were Su Tong's pursuers. They were both in the Deity Transformation Realm, and Su Tong's background was simple enough—she was not the daughter of some powerful household—so she naturally became their target.
The two, who had originally disliked each other, had unexpectedly formed a united front at this moment.
"Oh, so this is the famous Xiang Tian? What a grand air you have, making us wait so long!"
The other man froze and looked at the one who had spoken. Good heavens, this was the guy who had just withdrawn from the Prodigy Class. He did not understand a thing and already dared provoke this baleful star?
Xiang Tian glanced at him, then looked at Su Tong. "And these two are?"
Su Tong explained, "They are both my friends, Lou Yi and Du Guang Kang. Lou Yi has just withdrawn from the Prodigy Class, so he does not know many things. I hope you won't take offense."
After looking at Lou Yi again, Xiang Tian nodded. "No wonder."
Lou Yi's face darkened. Privately, everyone kept silent about that matter as though it were taboo, so he did not know about Xiang Tian's earlier exploits.
"Enough, Lou Yi, shut your mouth. Let's set off and finish the mission quickly!"
With that, Su Tong took out her Beast Taming Bracelet and summoned a seven-colored spirit sparrow. She leaped onto its back, and the three men followed close behind.
The spirit sparrow spread its wings and shot into the sky, heading west toward the Great Wild Desolate Range.
Within the academy, after receiving the supervising instructor's report, Qiu Changfeng looked over the mission information, arranged academy affairs with several senior instructors, then concealed his tracks and followed after them.
He truly could not rest easy about Xiang Tian going out to carry out a mission. Yet he could not stop that little master, so it was better for him to follow along himself.
As one of the few undeveloped primitive mountain ranges, the Great Wild Desolate Range was barren all year round, with countless demon beasts entrenched within it.
Their target this time was a demon beast called the Tiger-Dragon Beast. It had a tiger's head and a dragon's body, making it a type of exotic beast.
At the Black Abyss headquarters, during a meeting, several large words appeared on the projection: Xiang Tian has left Changning Immortal Academy. Destination: Great Wild Desolate Range. Note: Xiang Tian has already broken through to the Deity Transformation Realm and has comprehended and refined the Immortal King's Sword Comprehension Stone.
Looking at the transmitted intelligence, the Abyss Master fell into thought. A breakthrough was understandable, but the fact that he had comprehended the Immortal King's Sword Comprehension Stone truly shocked him.
After all, he had heard that the thing had been sitting there for several hundred years. How had that brat comprehended it so easily?
Things were becoming more and more interesting. The more Lord of the Black Abyss thought about Xiang Tian being a cultivation genius, the more excited he became.
"Send Gu You a message. Have him gather a team as quickly as possible and head to the Great Wild Desolate Range to kill Xiang Tian. Also, authorize the Convergence Cannon for Gu You. Ensure the mission is completed at all costs."
With a single order from the Abyss Master, the entire Black Abyss sprang into action and began tracking this assassination mission.
Meanwhile, Xiang Tian and the others had already drawn close to the mission site.
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