Task

A moment later.

Cheng Buzheng stepped into the Command Token Pavilion's hall and glanced around.

He saw that many Martial Brothers and Martial Sisters were still staring at the lines of text displayed on the Jade Wall on the north side.

No matter the hour, there were always Martial Brothers and Martial Sisters waiting here, just like in the waiting room at a train station in his previous life. Someone would be there whether it was one in the morning or noon.

Cheng Buzheng calmly glanced west and saw that one of the two Martial Sisters behind the counter was helping a burly Martial Brother take on a mission.

Seeing this,

he didn't waste any time and went straight to the counter of the slightly bored Martial Sister. She was petite, with a pure, sweet face, like the girl next door in his previous life—approachable and adorable.

Though her appearance was rather friendly, a powerful Spirit Pressure emanated from her delicate frame. Cheng Buzheng knew clearly that she was definitely an expert in the Late Qi Refining Stage, though he couldn't tell exactly which level of Qi Refining she had reached.

But she could beat him as easily as a father beating his son—simply and brutally, leaving him no room to resist.

Cheng Buzheng had always treated the strong with respect, unless they threatened his interests, cut off his Immortal Path, or destroyed his Great Cause of Longevity.

Of course, if he couldn't beat them, he wouldn't go looking for death—or deliberately walk into their hands and give them a chance to wipe him out. Instead, he would stay hidden until he had absolute confidence, then strike like thunder and kill them in one blow!

Cheng Buzheng calmly cupped his fists and said,

"Greetings, Martial Sister. I'd like to take a mining mission. Which mines have openings right now?"

Hearing this,

the pretty Martial Sister looked up at him. She saw that this young man, who looked like a little boy, actually wanted to take a mining mission.

With her cultivation, she could naturally tell the level of the young Martial Brother before her. She also guessed that he was among those who had joined the sect more than half a year ago.

"My name is Wang Mei. You can call me Martial Sister Wang." Afraid Cheng Buzheng didn't know how grueling mining missions could be, she continued,

"Let me explain just how hard mining missions are, so you won't regret it later!

"Mining means staying underground all day, going year after year without seeing sunlight. The shortest term for a mining mission is one year."

From the Martial Sister's explanation, he learned the differences between mining various Spirit Mines.

But overall, there wasn't much difference. They were all hundreds or even thousands of feet underground, with no sunlight. Only when it was time to replenish supplies, after a certain period, could miners return to the surface and rest for a day or two.

The difficulty of extracting ore also varied from mine to mine. The hardest was the Spirit Stone Mine: not only was the surrounding layer hard, but the rock around it was just as tough.

Next came the raw ores used for crafting. They were a little easier than Spirit Stone Mines, but not by much. Given the choice, most cultivators would pick the easier option.

"Martial Sister Wang, the missions on the Jade Wall that I can take at my current cultivation won't meet my ordinary cultivation needs. Is this really my only option?"

Cheng Buzheng wore a helpless expression.

Though he said this, he knew the main reason was to replenish Small Plate's Spiritual Power Value. Second, he wanted to develop quietly, and finally, he could take the opportunity to temper his temperament.

In his previous life, having poor character was no big deal. Almost no one cared about it.

But this was a world of immortal cultivation. He certainly needed to temper his temperament. Otherwise, how could he face enemy cultivators? How could he stay calm and fight them without being distracted by outside influences?

Once an enemy cultivator got the upper hand over his emotions, he would probably be close to meeting his end.

So he wanted to cultivate a state of mind as steady as Mount Tai, remaining utterly unruffled even as it collapsed before him.

After hearing him, Martial Sister Wang stopped trying to dissuade him. She had only been concerned that this newly arrived disciple didn't know how grueling the mission was. If he'd been a fellow disciple who had joined the sect long ago, she wouldn't have said another word.

"Junior Brother, all the Spirit Mines need people right now. The Spirit Stone Mine offers the best rewards, while the Green Iron Mine is the easiest, but its rewards are also the lowest!"

Martial Sister Wang added,

"Junior Brother... think it over carefully. Mining missions last at least a year... Here's a list of all the mining missions!"

As she spoke, Martial Sister Wang took a Jade Slip from behind the counter and handed it to Cheng Buzheng.

"Thank you for the warning, Martial Sister Wang. I understand!"

As he spoke, Cheng Buzheng took the Jade Slip.

Holding it, Cheng Buzheng carefully read through it.

A short while later,

Cheng Buzheng had carefully reviewed every mining mission listed in the Jade Slip. He handed it back to Martial Sister Wang.

"Thank you, Martial Sister Wang, for helping me. I'll take the Spirit Stone Mine mission, for a term of two years!" His face was resolute.

Martial Sister Wang glanced at Cheng Buzheng and spoke slowly:

"Junior Brother, are you sure?

"Once you accept it... you can't quit halfway!"

Cheng Buzheng nodded.

"Mhm! I'm sure, Martial Sister!"

Seeing this,

Martial Sister Wang said no more and took out a token to hand to him.

"This token is proof of your mission. In two years, go to the Stipend Pavilion to hand it in and complete the mission!"

Cheng Buzheng took the token and examined it. It looked much like the wooden command plaques used by officials in the mortal world to order an execution or issue commands. The difference was that those plaques were made of wood, while the Mission Token was crafted from Spirit Jade.

Complex patterns were engraved on it. The front bore the raised words "White Cloud Sect," while the back had "Spirit Stone Mine" carved in relief at the center, with "Outer Sect Disciple Cheng Buzheng, mission accepted" below.

Cheng Buzheng put the token away, roughly guessing how the Command Token Pavilion got its name. It was probably named after the tokens used to hand missions over and receive them.

Having achieved his goal, he thanked Martial Sister Wang and took his leave.

After leaving the Command Token Pavilion, Cheng Buzheng walked along the roadside toward the exit.

As expected, he didn't bump into any Martial Brothers or Martial Sisters and reached the Ring Mountain Stairs.

"Boom!" The air exploded.

In the blink of an eye, Cheng Buzheng had vanished. Looking down from Immortal Spring Peak, a white wave of air raced along the Ring Mountain Stairs. Before long, its source had left the stairs behind.

Back in the house in the Canyon basin,

Cheng Buzheng prepared to say goodbye to his four teammates before setting off on the mining mission.

Otherwise, if he left without a word, they might have cut him from the team by the time two years had passed. That would run counter to his reason for joining them in the first place.

He had joined the team to exchange resources and share information.

Besides, the team leader, Nan Ye, was a social butterfly who had connections with the leaders of quite a few other teams. He was definitely well informed. As for exchanging resources, Cheng Buzheng couldn't deny that this was useful.

What good spiritual treasures could a few cultivators in the early Qi Refining Realm have right now? But who knew what they might have once their cultivation improved? At the very least, he needed to hold on to his status as a team member.

It was no trouble for him, just a small favor that took no effort. And perhaps he'd gain something from it in the future! Who could say when it came to fortunate encounters?

As Cheng Buzheng weighed the pros and cons, he also pondered whether he'd overlooked anything. After all, he was going to be away from the sect for two years.