At noon, Su Yu stepped into the Inner Sect Main Hall.
Sunlight streamed through the Glazed Dome, casting dappled shadows across the floor.
He walked up to the Inner Sect steward on duty by the entrance and cupped his hands. "Senior Brother, may I ask where I can accept a Sect Mission?"
The steward looked up and sized up the newly promoted disciple, then pointed to the left side of the hall. "Over there. There are nine mission walls. Just look for yourself."
Su Yu thanked him and headed to the designated area. The sight before him gave him pause.
Nine walls of white marble stood in a row, each plastered with yellowed parchment.
The wall on the far right was spotless, with not a single mission notice on it.
The farther left he looked, the more densely the notices were packed. By the ninth wall, they were layered so thickly they nearly covered the entire surface.
What an unusual design...
Su Yu mused to himself, his gaze settling on the blank wall.
Just as he was about to check the missions on the adjacent wall, he suddenly heard a cool voice tinged with hesitation behind him:
"Su... Senior Brother."
The hesitant call made Su Yu turn around.
In the morning light, Yunxi stood three paces away in a moon-white dress, her slender fingers absently twisting the jade pendant at her waist.
She seemed to have just wrestled with herself, and a faint blush still lingered on her snowy cheeks.
"By the sect's rules..." She pressed her lips together.
"I should call you Senior Brother."
Su Yu understood.
Though Yunxi had joined the sect a year before him, by Inner Sect seniority, that was indeed how she should address him.
"Senior Brother Su, are you here to accept a mission too?"
Yunxi asked softly.
"Unfortunately, there aren't any Level 1 missions available today."
Su Yu followed her gaze to the blank wall. "What do you mean by Level 1 missions?"
"Is this your first time here, Senior Brother?"
A look of understanding flashed through Yunxi's eyes, and she patiently explained, "Sect Missions fall into two broad categories: routine duties posted by the sect's various halls and pavilions, and trial missions commissioned by outside parties. They're ranked by difficulty from Level 1 to Level 9. The first wall on the right is the Level 1 mission wall."
She gestured toward the walls. "Level 1 missions are mostly menial tasks, like pulling weeds in the Spirit Plant Garden or tending the fire in the Alchemy Pavilion. The rewards aren't high, but they're safe. So newly admitted Inner Sect Disciples all scramble to accept them, and the notices are often taken down almost as soon as they're posted."
"I see."
Su Yu nodded in thanks.
Su Yu studied the hurried writing on the parchment:
Mission: Collect one Magic Wind Wolf fang Demon Beast Level: Level 2 Low Rank Mission Difficulty: Level 2 Mission Reward: 500 Low-grade Spirit Stones 200 Sect Contribution Points
He narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully weighing his options.
With his current strength, ordinary second-stage Spirit Condensation Realm warriors were no longer a match for him.
Even against a third-stage Spirit Condensation Realm warrior, he could hold his own without using his Nascent Sword Intent. If he unleashed it with all his might, he might even be able to kill one.
"Magic Wind Wolf..." Su Yu murmured, memories of the Demon Beast surfacing in his mind.
As a Level 2 Low Rank Demon Beast, it was roughly as strong as a third-stage Spirit Condensation Realm warrior.
However, most Demon Beasts kept to themselves once they reached Level 2, and rarely roamed in packs, so he needn't worry about being surrounded by a pack of wolves.
More importantly, this mission was exactly what he wanted.
Ever since he'd discovered that Level 1 Beast Cores had become far less effective for Spirit Condensation Realm cultivation, he'd been in urgent need of Level 2 Beast Cores to speed up his progress.
If he could kill a Magic Wind Wolf, he would not only complete the mission but also obtain a precious Level 2 Beast Core—a double gain.
Just as he was about to take down the mission notice, a flippant voice abruptly cut in:
"Junior Sister, you look unfamiliar. You must be a newly admitted Inner Sect Disciple, right?"
A man in brocade robes sauntered over, the jade pendant at his waist jingling.
He had handsome features, but there was something affected about him. His gaze was fixed squarely on Yunxi, completely ignoring Su Yu standing beside her.
"I'm Shen Feng, third-stage Spirit Condensation Realm, ranked 180th among the Inner Sect."
He raised his chin slightly, unmistakable pride in his voice.
As a mid-ranked Inner Sect Disciple, that ranking was certainly enough to earn the admiration of newly admitted junior brothers and sisters.
"Yunxi."
The girl in white gave her name in a flat tone, then said nothing more.
Her gaze remained on the mission notice in Su Yu's hand as she said softly, "Senior Brother Su, as far as I know, Magic Wind Wolves are as strong as third-stage Spirit Condensation Realm warriors..."
Shen Feng's face stiffened.
In his past experience, newly admitted junior sisters usually looked impressed when they heard his ranking.
But this one was so cool toward him, and was instead chatting happily with the puny first-stage Spirit Condensation Realm kid beside her.
"Junior Brother."
He turned to Su Yu, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Magic Wind Wolves aren't something a newcomer like you, who's only just reached the Spirit Condensation Realm, can handle. Don't throw your life away just to show off in front of a junior sister."
Su Yu didn't even raise his eyelids. He simply took down the mission notice, nodded to Yunxi, and said, "Thanks for the warning. I know what I'm doing."
With that, he turned and left.
Seeing this, Yunxi gave Shen Feng a slight nod as well. "Senior Brother Shen, I have something to attend to. I'll take my leave."
Before the words had fully left her mouth, she had already drifted away, leaving only the faintest trace of a delicate fragrance.
Shen Feng stood where he was, his expression shifting between dark and light.
Quite a few disciples nearby had noticed the commotion, and their whispers made him feel as if thorns were pricking his back.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
"Ungrateful wretch..."
He stared in the direction Su Yu had gone, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
"A greenhorn who's only just joined the Inner Sect dares to act so arrogantly."
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