Bai Xiaowen and Cecilia held back from attacking. They slipped all the way to the cave housing the Black Heaven Cult's branch and sneaked inside during a change of guards at the entrance.
Cecilia's objective was to rescue the ninety-nine abducted boys and girls.
This side quest was rated A+ and did not carry an Elite Tier quest prefix.
Bai Xiaowen's earlier mission to destroy the Tree Demon at Ancient Buddha Temple had been an A-Tier Elite Tier side quest. The temple had housed a lord and two Demon bosses, but the Tree Demon had hidden injuries and lacked the fearsome power of a true Evolver lord. It could only be considered a weakened lord.
Judging by the quest difficulty, the Sand Terrace Mountain Branch of the Black Heaven Cult probably had no lord guarding it. At most, it had one or two bosses.
The fighting itself should not be difficult. Rescuing the children was the hard part, so it was best not to alert the enemy at the outset. If the cultists were cornered, they might use the children as hostages. Any harm to the rescue targets could drastically lower the quest's completion rating.
The cave was enormous. The Black Heaven Cult's followers had hollowed out nearly the entire mountain to build this secret base.
As they crept deeper inside, Cecilia finally understood how formidable Bai Xiaowen's Spirit Sense was.
So long as they stayed out of sight, they could slip right past their enemies without anyone noticing.
It came down to priority. Bai Xiaowen's priority far surpassed his peers'. At least among Evolvers in the early stages, few could contest it. That went for native experts too.
"I smell blood."
They reached a pile of rubble and hid in its shadow. Cecilia spoke in a low voice.
Bai