Spirit Flame Valley

After returning to his residence, Fang Chen put eight Spirit Stones in his pocket and then packed a set of clothes.

He arrived at the foot of the mountain, where Li Yanshan was riding a small donkey, taking Fang Chen to the Outer Sect's Merit Hall.

The Merit Hall was not far from the Outer Sect's Enforcement Hall.

In front of the Merit Hall was a huge plaza. Here, Fang Chen saw some enormous ships. The cabins of these ships were sealed, and on both sides were a pair of wings resembling bat wings, covered with numerous intricate mystical runes.

Fang Chen knew these ships were called Spirit Boats. When he was at Dragon Tiger Mountain, he often saw these giant Spirit Boats flying in the sky. The bat-wing-like appendages on these Spirit Boats were called Spirit Sails, and they were covered with Spirit Gathering Arrays. During flight, they could absorb spiritual energy from the outside to provide some power to the Spirit Boat, with most of the power coming from Spirit Stones.

Spirit Boats were not very fast, but they had a large carrying capacity and were comfortable to ride, making them suitable for long-distance travel with many people.

Sword Flight, while fast, consumed a great deal of True Qi and was generally only suitable for short-distance travel.

"Yo, isn't this Li the Half-Blind from Dog Head Ridge? What brings you out for a stroll today?"

"Li the Half-Blind, it's been so long, I thought you were already dead!"

"Li the Half-Blind, I feel like eating donkey meat. Will you sell me your donkey?"

The Outer Sect Disciples around them saw Li Yanshan and started to mock him. However, Li Yanshan paid them no mind.

Seeing this, Fang Chen felt angry and said to Li Yanshan, "Uncle Li, these people are going too far!"

Li Yanshan smiled slightly and said, "Just think of them as a pack of dogs. If a dog barks at you, do you bark back?"

Fang Chen was stunned for a moment, then said, "Uncle Li, you have such a good mindset!"

"Hehehe, I'm just numb to it!"

Li Yanshan chuckled. He knew that the best way to deal with their provocations and mockery was to remain silent. Although they seemed arrogant, none of them dared to lay a hand on Li Yanshan.

Seeing that Li Yanshan ignored them, those who were mocking him found it tiresome and dispersed.

Li Yanshan took Fang Chen into the Merit Hall, registered his mission for him, and obtained a ship ticket. He then escorted Fang Chen to a dilapidated Spirit Boat and said to him, "Alright, you can board now. I hope you complete your mission and return soon!"

Although he knew Fang Chen's journey was extremely dangerous, there was nothing he could do. He didn't have the ability to protect Fang Chen at all times. The path of Cultivation was inherently perilous, and whether Fang Chen could return alive would depend on his own fortune.

"Thank you, Uncle Li!"

Fang Chen bowed deeply to Li Yanshan, then boarded the Spirit Boat with his pack on his back.

This Spirit Boat was over twenty zhang long and more than three zhang wide at its widest point. It had a total of one hundred and eighty-one seats, which were almost all filled.

Fang Chen glanced around and, according to the number on his ticket, found his seat. He then sat down to wait. His seat was near the porthole, and through the transparent crystal window, he could see the outside.

After the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, the Spirit Boat's cabin door closed. Fang Chen then heard a deafening roar as the Spirit Boat slowly lifted off, carrying him and the others towards their destination.

Golden Bull Ridge, Zhang Tielin's residence.

Zhang Qining handed a letter to Zhang Tielin and said, "Brother Lin, this is for you!"

Zhang Tielin took the envelope and opened it. A cold smile appeared on his lips as he said, "So Fang Chen went to Spirit Flame Valley. You go to Spirit Flame Valley and find an opportunity to kill him. Remember, make sure to cover your tracks so the Enforcement Hall can't find any evidence!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Qining responded and immediately turned to leave.

In Zhang Tielin's opinion, Fang Chen had just become an Outer Sect Disciple and didn't even have a Spiritual Root. Having Zhang Qining, who was at the third level of Qi Refining, deal with Fang Chen was more than enough.

After the Spirit Boat had flown for half an hour, people began to arrive at their destinations one after another.

Upon reaching a destination, the Spirit Boat would descend to a height of three zhang above the ground, allowing those who wished to disembark to jump off directly.

Thus, the Spirit Boat flew and stopped, taking detours. After an hour, the Spirit Boat finally arrived at Spirit Flame Valley. At this point, only three people remained in the cabin; the other two were going to destinations farther than Fang Chen's.

The attendant on the boat glanced at a booklet in his hand and called out, "Fang Chen from Dog Head Ridge, please prepare to disembark!"

Fang Chen immediately went to the cabin door.

"Clang!"

The cabin door slowly opened, and a wave of heat immediately washed over him. Fang Chen saw a vast expanse of red gravel ground below, surrounded by rows of stone houses. Many people were busy, some carrying bamboo, some carrying stones, and some watering. Below large paper cranes, bundles of bamboo or huge logs were being continuously dropped onto the ground.

These paper cranes were Wind-Riding Cranes, a special Spirit Treasure that relied on Spirit Stones for power and was used specifically for transporting goods.

Fang Chen leaped out of the Spirit Boat.

"Bang!"

Fang Chen's body landed on the ground, his legs slightly bent to absorb the powerful impact. He didn't use the Misty Turtle Step because there were many people around, and he didn't want to reveal his strength.

He had to remain vigilant, as anyone around him might make a move against him. It was always better to be cautious.

After landing, Fang Chen immediately felt waves of heat. Most of the people around him were shirtless, sweating profusely.

He held his identity token and asked several people before finding the place to register his mission.

After completing the paperwork, the staff member said to him, "You need to cut one thousand Fire Spirit Sword Bamboo. If you don't finish within a month, all your stipends for this month will be canceled. If you finish early, you can leave early. This is a map of Spirit Flame Valley, marking some dangerous areas and forbidden zones. Take it back and study it carefully."

"Understood!"

Fang Chen nodded and was then led by someone to a small stone house. This small stone house would be his accommodation while working in Spirit Flame Valley. He would be living alone, which was considered decent treatment. Breakfast and dinner would be eaten at the public canteen, while lunch would be brought into the valley to eat.

Spirit Flame Valley was very deep, and the deeper one went, the higher the temperature. According to sect regulations, individuals with a cultivation level above the third level of Qi Refining were not allowed to enter Spirit Flame Valley.

Most of those who came here to perform missions were people with fire-attribute Spiritual Roots. For those without fire-attribute Spiritual Roots, Spirit Flame Valley was hell.

But Fang Chen was not afraid. In the month since he obtained the Floating Immortal Sword, he had experimented with it many times and knew that when the Floating Immortal Sword was used to cut plants, the spiritual energy that flowed into his body was ice-cold. Therefore, he decided to take a gamble.

As Fang Chen walked into the stone house, a wave of coolness washed over him. He looked closely and realized the floor was paved with a type of stone flecked with blue spots. The stone, polished to a high sheen, was inscribed with mystical runes, and the coolness emanated from these very slabs.

The stone house was sparsely furnished, containing only a stone bed, a stone table, and two stone stools. Nothing else.

Fang Chen placed his pack on the stone bed, then sat down by the stone table and opened the map of Spirit Flame Valley he had just obtained.

Spirit Flame Valley stretched southeast to northwest, exceeding three hundred li in length. Besides the Fire Spirit Sword Bamboo, it was home to many other special plants, such as Leaving Fire Wood, Black Flame Grass, and Mystic Fire Vajra Vine, among others.

Within Spirit Flame Valley, in addition to the unique vegetation, there were many powerful Demonic Beasts, and some dangerous areas were marked on the map.

After studying the map, Fang Chen slung his water canteen over his shoulder and prepared to head into the mountains for work.

As he stepped out of the stone house, a person carrying a pack immediately approached him. Fang Chen's eyes narrowed, and he instantly became alert.