Lan Wuying

It took Lu Ming another twenty-odd days to learn the Whirlwind Sweeping Leaves Leg and Great Demon Execution Palm.

With the help of Low-grade Yuan Stones, his realm also reached the peak of the early Zhen Qi Realm.

Not feeling any signs of a breakthrough yet, he decided to go out and take on another mission.

Arriving at the Mission Hall, he intended to challenge a mission with a higher difficulty this time.

After browsing for a while, he found that there were no suitable missions among the Level 1 and 2 tasks; they either took too long or offered low rewards.

So, he finally chose a Level 3, 1-star mission, which was a guarding task.

Mission Brief: The renowned Jianghu bandit, Lan Wuying, has set a date and will soon steal the Liu Family's ancestral cultivation method. He has also left a message: if he fails, he will not touch a single thing; if he succeeds, he will exterminate their entire clan.

Objective: Guard the Liu Family's ancestral cultivation method. If the guarding fails, help resist Lan Wuying.

Intelligence: Lan Wuying is the successor of Xiao Zan, a bandit who dominated several kingdoms decades ago. His current realm is mid-Zhen Qi Realm, and he is skilled in Lightness Skills.

Recommendation: Suitable for those in the mid-Zhen Qi Realm who are skilled in Lightness Skills.

Reward: 300 Contribution Points, 150,000 silver taels, 100 Low-grade Yuan Stones.

Lu Ming felt his speed was not slow, and he was confident he could contend with, or even kill, someone in the mid-Zhen Qi Realm.

Therefore, he accepted it directly.

"Look quickly, he's only in the early Zhen Qi Realm, yet he dares to accept a Level 3 mission meant for the mid-Zhen Qi Realm."

Lu Ming's actions immediately drew the attention of those nearby.

"Resisting Lan Wuying, I've seen this mission. I heard his Lightness Skill is so fast you can't even see his shadow. With such speed, even a slight delay will result in death."

"He chose this mission either because he's confident or he's seeking death."

Lu Ming ignored these comments and walked straight to the counter to register.

"Are you sure you want to accept this mission?"

The registering Elder looked at Lu Ming with surprise. He had clearly received instructions from above to pay attention to Lu Ming.

He needed to give the reminder.

Lu Ming nodded firmly, "Reporting to Elder, I am sure."

The registering Elder still hesitated. Although he knew Lu Ming was not weak, capable of defeating enemies above his level even in the Nei Qi Realm.

However, he also heard that Lu Ming relied on speed, and this Lan Wuying was clearly not slow either.

There might be an accident.

"Let him go."

Just then, a voice transmission suddenly entered his ear. He recognized it as the Sect Master's.

He was somewhat puzzled why the Sect Master would be paying attention here all the time. Was this kid being valued to this extent?

However, with orders from above, he dared not disobey and began the registration.

"Be careful."

"Thank you, Elder."

Lu Ming said gratefully and left quickly.

The Liu Family is a small, unranked family located in the southwest of the Zhao Kingdom. Although the family head is in the late Zhen Qi Realm, he is already old, and it's uncertain how much strength he can exert.

Therefore, upon receiving the message from the great bandit Lan Wuying, they immediately sent people to various sects to request aid by posting missions.

The Liu Family, though not large, had some savings.

Moreover, this was a crisis that threatened their very existence; if they didn't use it now, they never would.

Thus, Old Patriarch Liu did not feel any heartache.

However, while Old Patriarch Liu felt no pain, his son, Liu Qing, was somewhat pained.

Liu Qing asked, "Father, it would have been enough to post missions to only those three Seventh-Rank Sects. Why did we also send them to some other Eighth and Ninth-Rank Sects?"

"Isn't this just a waste of money?"

"Foolish!"

Old Patriarch Liu reprimanded upon hearing this, teaching him:

"No matter how inferior those Eighth and Ninth-Rank Sects are compared to the great Seventh-Rank Sects, they are still stronger than us unranked families. You must never speak such disrespectful words again in the future."

The man immediately lowered his head, "Father's reprimand is correct."

Seeing that he was still somewhat unconvinced, Old Patriarch Liu added:

"Qing'er, you must understand that this is a crisis that threatens our entire clan. The disciples of those Seventh-Rank Sects might not necessarily look favorably upon our meager offering."

"Therefore, we need to cast a wide net. As for the money, once the family is destroyed, we will have nothing left, and we might even lose our lives."

Liu Qing suddenly understood, then hesitated, "Father, do you think this suddenly appearing message is real? If someone is deliberately playing a joke, wouldn't we be running around for nothing?"

The Old Patriarch Liu shook his head. "There's no mistake. The letter has a plum blossom watermark, which is the mark of the great thief Lan Wuying."

"Last time, a family didn't believe us and was wiped out by him."

"In any case, it's best for us to be cautious."

Liu Qing then said, "Didn't the letter say he was coming to steal our family's cultivation method? Why don't we destroy it so he has nothing to steal? Wouldn't that mean he fails?"

After he finished speaking, there was no response for a long time. He looked up and saw his father looking at him as if he were an idiot.

This made him feel a bit awkward. "Father, did I say something wrong again?"

The Old Patriarch Liu sighed, lamenting that the Liu family had no one to carry on its legacy. He explained:

"Then he'll capture someone who knows the family's cultivation method. You are the only heir in our family, and although your father is old, I am still in the late stage of the Zhen Qi Realm. So, he can only capture you."

Liu Qing was startled by this and quickly waved his hands. "Then we can't destroy it, absolutely not."

He knew his own limits. He was almost thirty years old and had only just broken through to the early stage of the Zhen Qi Realm.

He was no match for Lan Wuying.

Seeing his son's demeanor, the Old Patriarch Liu felt even more disappointed. If the boy had shown even a bit of stubbornness, even if it was just bravado, he would have felt slightly better.

To think he was so useless.

Just as he was sighing, a servant suddenly ran in. "Reporting to the family head, a young hero has arrived at the gate, claiming to be an Inner Sect Disciple of the Kaishan Gate."

The Old Patriarch Liu immediately stood up. "Quick, invite him in!"

As time passed, only one day remained until the date Lan Wuying had set for the theft. He would make his move tomorrow.

To the Liu family head's delight, disciples from three Seventh-Rank Sects had arrived to take on the mission, excluding the Wuji Sect. Disciples from the Nine Heavens Sect and the Jade Luo Sect were present.

Additionally, five people came from other Eighth and Ninth-Rank Sects.

The person from the Nine Heavens Sect was a tall, young man in yellow robes, who was in the middle stage of the Zhen Qi Realm.

He was currently speaking to the female disciple from the Jade Luo Sect with a frivolous expression.

"Junior Sister Jiang, if Lan Wuying dares to show up tomorrow, just hide behind me. I can take care of him with a single palm strike."

The female disciple from the Jade Luo Sect wore a fitted outfit, exuding an heroic aura. She wielded a long sword and was also in the middle stage of the Zhen Qi Realm.

Upon hearing this, she cupped her hands and replied coldly:

"Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Chen. I don't need your protection. Furthermore, we belong to different sects, so addressing each other as 'Junior Sister' is inappropriate."

"Then I shall call you Miss Ruoshui."

The Nine Heavens Sect disciple did not seem angered. He then continued:

"Don't underestimate Lan Wuying. According to the intelligence from our Nine Heavens Sect, his master, Xiao Zan, is likely a remnant of the Demonic Cult's Ghost Vein. His Lightness Skill is extraordinary."

"So, it's better for you to hide behind me. Otherwise, you might end up like these disciples from lower-ranked sects, with a high probability of not returning."

"What did you say?!"

His words immediately drew the displeasure of the other disciples who had arrived.

These disciples, hailing from various Eighth and Ninth-Rank Sects, were enraged upon hearing him insult them and their respective sects.

"What? You're not convinced?"

The Nine Heavens Sect disciple took a step forward, and a surge of energy erupted from him, spreading out like ripples on water, forcing everyone to retreat.

"That's the Primal Chaos Golden Jade Art!"

Sensing the immense True Qi emanating from the opponent, everyone was shocked. They clearly knew the power of this cultivation method.

And judging by the display, the user had cultivated it to a considerable level.

Even Jiang Ruoshui, the disciple from the Jade Luo Sect, showed a surprised expression.

As far as she knew, this cultivation method was not simple. Although it was only at the Human-grade, peak stage, in certain aspects, it was already on par with Earth-grade, initial stage cultivation methods.

Especially the True Qi it cultivated, which was overbearing and dense.

When fighting an opponent, it was not only sustained but also made every move incredibly powerful.

Many disciples from various sects had suffered losses due to the Nine Heavens Sect's Primal Chaos Golden Jade Art, including the Jade Luo Sect.

Therefore, this cultivation method was extremely famous.

"You have some discernment."

The Nine Heavens Sect disciple proudly retracted his True Qi and swept his gaze over the others. Everyone averted their eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.

Only one person, after lowering his head, had a deep look in his eyes, pondering something unknown.

"Everyone, everyone, the banquet is ready. Please follow me to feast."

At this moment, the Old Patriarch Liu hurried over. The arrival of so many sect disciples made him both happy and worried.

The happiness was self-evident. The worry stemmed from the fact that these young disciples were all hot-blooded and competitive.

If any trouble were to break out in his home, it would be difficult to handle.

So, upon hearing that a conflict had arisen, he rushed over to mediate.

It was just unexpected that after arriving, they discovered the two sides hadn't fully engaged in combat, but had instead been subdued by that Nine Heavens Sect disciple.

Therefore, he was also quite surprised, as the stronger the people who came, the more confident he would be in dealing with Lan Wuying.

However, he certainly wouldn't show his surprise, lest he offend the other sects.

So, he found an excuse to attend the banquet.

Although everyone looked displeased and felt they had lost face, there were no further conflicts.

Following the guide, they strode towards the banquet hall.

At this moment, however, a servant led another person in.