Mission End

In the blink of an eye.

The two-year period had come to an end.

Forty Zhang underground in the Spirit Stone Mine Cave, inside a secret chamber.

In the silent and pitch-black secret chamber, a figure sat cross-legged in the center. A thin layer of spirit energy gathered around the figure.

After a while.

Cheng Buzheng slowly ended his practice, and the surrounding spirit energy rapidly dissipated.

He suddenly opened his Clear Black and White Eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. His gaze subconsciously swept across the secret chamber.

Cheng Buzheng stood up, patted his robes, and walked to the corner. He slung the back basket filled with Spirit Stone Raw Ore onto his back, gripping the mining pick in his right hand.

He took a deep look at this secret chamber, knowing that he might never appear in it again.

This was his initial place of development.

With a stir of his thought, yellow light flashed.

In the blink of an eye.

He vanished from the secret chamber. A yellow spirit light rapidly tunneled underground.

After a quarter of an hour.

Cheng Buzheng arrived at the Main Mine Tunnel. Sensing that there were no cultivators nearby, he extended his Divine Sense to carefully survey the area. After confirming that there were no cultivators around.

Three Zhang underground, a yellow light rapidly tunneled upwards.

A short while later, a yellow light appeared on the Main Mine Tunnel. The yellow light dissipated, and Cheng Buzheng reappeared in his original spot. After scanning his surroundings.

With a stir of his thought.

His Spirit Pressure, originally at the Peak of the Third Level of Qi Refining, suddenly dropped to the appearance of the Early Stage of the Third Level of Qi Refining. After checking and finding nothing amiss, he performed a familiar set of actions: head down, body bent, a look of numbness on his face, and walked towards the mine tunnel entrance.

He walked for a long time and saw a hint of white light in the distance. He knew he was about to reach the mine cave entrance.

Although his face was numb, his footsteps involuntarily quickened.

After a while.

He arrived at the mine tunnel entrance, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the rising sun. Although there was no greenery nearby, he still felt a sense of vitality.

As usual, the weight of the Spirit Stone Raw Ore was measured, two Spirit Stones were collected, followed by three strict inspections.

A moment later, Cheng Buzheng left the mine cave entrance, not surprisingly.

He didn't hesitate and walked directly towards the Storage Pavilion, arriving before its grand entrance in a short while.

Cheng Buzheng strode into the hall and approached the small grid labeled '1520'.

Then, he injected a trace of spiritual energy into his left wrist. A white light shot out from the largest Spirit Jade in the center of the Secret Ring, enveloping the spiritual energy film in front of the '1520' small grid.

Instantly.

The spiritual energy film before the '1520' small grid vanished, revealing a gray Storage Bag placed inside.

Cheng Buzheng waved his hand, summoning it into his grasp. He then reached into his robes with his right hand, producing two Spirit Stones and a Long-necked Porcelain Bottle.

With a thought.

The Long-necked Porcelain Bottle and the two Spirit Stones were stored within the Storage Bag. He then hung the Storage Bag on his waist and walked towards the counter of the Storage Pavilion.

A moment later.

Cheng Buzheng saw that the Round-faced Senior Brother behind the counter was still half-reclining in his rocking chair, swaying back and forth, appearing quite leisurely and at ease.

"Senior Brother..." Cheng Buzheng called out softly.

He didn't want to shout or cause himself trouble by displeasing the Round-faced Senior Brother.

This Senior Brother was at the peak of Qi Refining Level 9, only one step away from the Foundation Establishment Realm and the position of Martial Uncle, yet this single step represented a world of difference.

The Round-faced Senior Brother opened his eyes and looked at his fellow disciple before him, smiling.

"Junior Brother! Is there something you need?"

Cheng Buzheng cupped his fists and said:

"Senior Brother, my mission is complete, and I've come to return the Secret Ring!"

As he spoke, he removed the Secret Ring from his left wrist and placed it on the counter.

"Two years already?"

"Yes... Senior Brother, it's been two years. When I first arrived, you were the one who issued the Secret Ring to me!"

Hearing this.

The Round-faced Senior Brother glanced at Cheng Buzheng and then sighed faintly.

"Two years... you've been at the Spirit Stone Mine for two years, and I've been here for almost five. It's time for me to return to the Sect!

...It's time to prepare.

If I don't strive harder now, I won't have another chance!"

"Succeed and advance further, fail and perish!"

After speaking, a determined look flashed across the Round-faced Senior Brother's face.

Cheng Buzheng, filled with doubt, asked:

"Senior Brother...?"

The Round-faced Senior Brother gripped the armrests of his chair tightly and slowly spoke.

"Seed Trial!"

At this moment, he was not as calm as he appeared, but the trait of maintaining a neutral expression after years of cultivation had become ingrained in his bones.

Upon hearing this.

Cheng Buzheng was slightly stunned. Although he didn't know what the situation inside was like, he had read many travelogues on the first floor of the Sutra Repository Tower, which recorded real cases of entering the Seed Trial.

Each trial had a survival rate of about three out of ten, or even lower. Such a low survival rate was enough to show the extent of the danger within.

With sufficiently high risks came sufficiently high rewards.

He knew that no one could change his Senior Brother's decision unless his Senior Brother obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill.

But how precious was a Foundation Establishment Pill? It was worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, valuable but impossible to find.

Seeing this.

Cheng Buzheng did not try to persuade him further. He knew it was useless. Ordinary Mortal Cultivators who wanted to advance further on the Immortal Path would never give up the only chance to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill.

On the contrary, those who had no hope of an Immortal Path would avoid it like the plague.

He glanced at the Round-faced Senior Brother and said with a smile:

"Senior Brother, I wish you a safe return and further advancement in your cultivation!

...By then, I'll have to call you Martial Uncle!"

The Round-faced Senior Brother smiled upon hearing this.

"Then I'll accept your auspicious words, Junior Brother!

Alright... after returning the Secret Ring, go to the 'Logistics Pavilion' to hand over your tools and mission credentials, and you can leave at any time!

In another month, I should be returning to the Sect!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!

Senior Brother, our Sect is gathering. I'll take my leave now!"

"Mm!" the Round-faced Senior Brother nodded.

Not long after, Cheng Buzheng arrived at the center of the wooden hut, handed over the Mining Pick and Back Basket, and then received the mission voucher.

Cheng Buzheng held the Mission Token in his hand, his fingertip rubbing the back of the token.

The front was carved with complex Patterns, and in the center, the three large characters 'White Cloud Sect' were embossed. On the back, in the center, 'Spirit Stone Mine' was intaglio, and below it was carved 'Outer Sect Disciple, Cheng Buzheng accepted'.

And below the 'Outer Sect Disciple, Cheng Buzheng accepted' Text on the back, an additional small character 'Excellent' was added.

This represented that his mission completion was excellent, and he could receive forty Spirit Stones from the Stipend Pavilion. Coupled with the forty-eight Spirit Stones collected from the Spirit Stone Mine within two years, this mission totaled eighty-eight Spirit Stones.

Although twenty-four Spirit Stones had already been spent, the remaining Spirit Stones were still a huge Wealth for an Early Qi Refining Stage Mortal, enough for his next plan.

Seeing that everything was done and he could leave the Spirit Stone Mine at any time, Cheng Buzheng began to wander around the Gorge.

As expected, he would never come to the Spirit Stone Mine to perform missions again in the future; this was merely his initial development ground.

PS: Setting out bowls, politely asking for three things (requesting collection, requesting recommendation, requesting votes)