Spirit Flame Valley

After returning to his quarters, Fang Chen tucked eight Spirit Stones into his robe and packed a change of clothes.

At the foot of the mountain, Li Yanshan rode Little Donkey and took Fang Chen to the outer sect's Merit Hall.

The Merit Hall stood not far from the outer sect's Enforcement Hall.

A vast square spread out before the Merit Hall. There, Fang Chen saw several enormous vessels with enclosed cabins and batlike wings on either side, their surfaces engraved with intricate Runes.

Fang Chen knew these vessels were called Spirit Boats. Back on Dragon Tiger Mountain, he had often seen them flying overhead. Their batlike wings were called Spirit Sails. Engraved with Spirit Gathering Arrays, they absorbed Spiritual Qi during flight to provide some of the Spiritual Power that drove the boat. Spirit Stones supplied most of it.

Spirit Boats were not fast, but they could carry many people in comfort over long distances.

Sword Flight was much faster, but it consumed enormous amounts of True Qi and was generally suited only to short trips.

"Well, if it isn't 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 dead!"

"Li the Half-Blind, I'm craving donkey meat. How about selling me your donkey?"

The surrounding Outer Sect Disciples mocked Li Yanshan one after another, but he ignored them.

The sight made Fang Chen angry. "Uncle Li, they're going too far!"

Li Yanshan smiled faintly. "Just think of them as a pack of dogs. If a dog barks at you, must you bark back?"

Fang Chen paused. "Uncle Li, you really know how to take things in stride!"

"Heh. I've just grown numb to it!"

Li Yanshan chuckled. He knew silence was the best answer to their taunts. For all their swagger, not one of them dared lay a hand on him.

When Li Yanshan paid them no attention, his tormentors lost interest and scattered.

Li Yanshan took Fang Chen into the Merit Tower, helped him register for the assignment, and obtained a Boat Ticket. Then he brought him to an old, battered Spirit Boat. "All right, board the boat. I hope you finish your assignment and return soon!"

He knew Fang Chen faced great danger, but there was nothing he could do. He could not protect Fang Chen every moment. The path of cultivation was perilous; whether Fang Chen returned 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 bundle on his back.

The Spirit Boat was over twenty zhang long and more than three zhang wide at its broadest point. Nearly all of its 181 seats were occupied.

Fang Chen glanced around, found the seat matching the number on his Boat Ticket, and sat down to wait. His seat was beside a window, and through the transparent Crystal Window he could see outside.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, the cabin door shut. A deafening roar followed as the Spirit Boat slowly rose, carrying Fang Chen and the others toward their destinations.

At Zhang Tielin's residence on Golden Bull Ridge.

Zhang Qining handed Zhang Tielin a letter. "Brother Tielin, this came for you!"

Zhang Tielin opened the envelope and glanced at the letter. A cold smile touched his lips. "Fang Chen has gone to Spirit Flame Valley. Go there, find an opportunity, and kill him. Make sure you leave no traces. Don't give the Enforcement Hall anything to use against us!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Qining answered and immediately turned to leave.

As Zhang Tielin saw it, Fang Chen had only just become an Outer Sect Disciple and had no Spiritual Root. Sending Zhang Qining, who had reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining, to deal with him was more than enough.

After the Spirit Boat had flown for half an hour, passengers began reaching their destinations.

At each stop, the Spirit Boat descended to three zhang above the ground so those getting off could jump down.

The boat flew and stopped, making detour after detour. An hour later, it finally reached Spirit Flame Valley. Only three passengers remained in the cabin; the other two were bound for places farther away than Fang Chen's destination.

A crew member glanced at the register in his hand and called out, "Fang Chen of Dog Head Ridge, please prepare to disembark!"

Fang Chen immediately went to the cabin door.

Clang!

The door slowly opened, and a wave of heat struck Fang Chen in the face. Below lay bare ground covered in red gravel, with rows of stone houses nearby. Many people were at work: some carried bamboo, some hauled stones, and others watered plants. One huge Paper Crane after another lowered bundles of bamboo or massive logs to the ground.

These Paper Cranes were Wind-Riding Cranes, special spiritual treasures powered by Spirit Stones and used to transport cargo.

Fang Chen leaped from the Spirit Boat.

Thud!

Fang Chen landed with his knees slightly bent, absorbing the heavy impact. He had not used the Misty Turtle Step. With so many people around, he did not want to reveal his strength.

He had to stay alert. Any of these people might attack him. Caution kept a ship sailing for ten thousand years, and he could not go wrong by being careful.

As soon as he landed, heat washed over him in waves. Most of the people nearby had stripped to the waist and were drenched in sweat.

Identity Token in hand, he asked several people for directions before finding the place where assignments were registered.

Once the formalities were complete, the clerk told him, "You need to cut one thousand stalks of Fire Spirit Sword Bamboo. If you don't finish within a month, you'll lose all your allowances for that month. Finish early, and you can leave early. Here's a map of Spirit Flame Valley. Dangerous areas and the Forbidden Grounds are marked on it. Study it when you get back."

"Got it!"

Fang Chen nodded. Someone led him to a small stone house that would be his home while he worked in Spirit Flame Valley. He had it to himself, which was decent treatment. Breakfast and dinner were served in the communal dining hall, while lunch had to be taken into the valley.

Spirit Flame Valley ran deep, and the farther one went, the hotter it became. Sect rules forbade anyone above the Third Layer of Qi Refining from entering.

Most people who came here on assignments had Fire Attribute Spiritual Roots. For those without them, Spirit Flame Valley was hell.

But Fang Chen was not afraid. In the month since obtaining the Floating Immortal Sword, he had tested it many times. When he used it to cut plants, the Spiritual Power flowing into his body was always cool. He had decided to take the gamble.

A cool breeze greeted him as he stepped inside the stone house. Looking closer, Fang Chen saw that its floor was paved with Blue-Spotted Stone, polished to a glossy sheen and engraved with Runes. The coolness came from those stone slabs.

The furnishings were sparse: a stone bed, a stone table, and two stone stools. There was nothing else.

Fang Chen set his bundle on the stone bed, sat at the table, and unfolded the map of Spirit Flame Valley he had just received.

Spirit Flame Valley ran from southeast to northwest for more than three hundred li. Besides Fire Spirit Sword Bamboo, it held many other unusual plants, including Leaving Fire Wood, Black Flame Grass, and Mystic Fire Vajra Vine.

Along with its unusual vegetation, Spirit Flame Valley was home to many powerful Demonic Beasts. Some dangerous areas were marked on the map.

After studying the map, Fang Chen slung a waterskin over his shoulder and prepared to head into the mountains to work.

As he stepped out of the stone house, someone carrying a bundle walked straight toward him. Fang Chen's eyes narrowed, and he immediately went on guard.