After Huo Lian left, Xu Yang immediately went into his attic. Inside the Spirit Gathering Array on the second floor, he took out the Qiankun Bag Huo Lian had given him and sent his spiritual sense inside. It contained a mid-grade Flying Sword, a bottle of Qi Recovery Pills for healing, a bottle of Peiyuan Pills for cultivation, and a Talisman.
On closer inspection, the Flying Sword was much better quality than the one he had gotten from Old Man Tianjue. A fire-attribute spell was engraved on it, and he could unleash it by channeling Gang Qi, with no matching attribute requirement.
There were ten Qi Recovery Pills and ten Peiyuan Pills, but they were all low-grade. What Xu Yang really cared about was the Talisman. It was called the Earth-Queen Talisman, a defensive Talisman—exactly what Xu Yang urgently needed.
At his level of Qi Refining, he could barely activate a Flying Sword. His other Talismans were all for attacking or recovery, and he had no defensive treasures at all. The Earth-Queen Talisman had arrived at just the right time.
As for his physical strength, Xu Yang didn't want to reveal it unless absolutely necessary. It was one of his trump cards. After examining everything, he put all the treasures into Old Man Tianjue's Qiankun Bag, since that one had the most space and was the best quality.
Once everything was stowed away, Xu Yang took out the Treasure Appraisal Catalog and studied it for a while. It was filled with rare flowers and herbs, natural treasures, strange insects, and monstrous beasts. The sheer variety dazzled him. It wasn't until noon that Xu Yang put the catalog away and left his attic to wander around the sect.
Most of the sect's disciples were in the Qi Refining Realm. Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm or above had their own caves and didn't live here. They only appeared within the sect when they encountered obstacles in their cultivation. Most of the tasks posted by the External Affairs Hall had been issued by Foundation Establishment cultivators.
These tasks greatly eased the burden on Foundation Establishment cultivators, allowing them to devote themselves more fully to their cultivation. All they had to do was offer a few Spirit Stones or pills as rewards. Compared to their wealth, it was a drop in the ocean.
Thinking of the tasks, Xu Yang turned and headed for the External Affairs Hall. On the way, he noticed many Qi Refining disciples heading there too. It seemed the tasks posted by the External Affairs Hall were very appealing to the sect's disciples, he thought.
Before long, Xu Yang had followed the other disciples into the External Affairs Hall. The place was bustling, with staff rushing about. Many people crowded around a large board, where lines of information flashed across its surface.
Xu Yang stepped forward and looked up. The board shimmered as lines of writing appeared one after another. They were tasks, each followed by its reward.
"Seeking three Flame Sun Grass plants on Yunyi Mountain, south of the sect. Fire monsters guard the area. Reward: two Spirit Stones. Buying one Water Mist Stone. Interested parties, contact us promptly. Reward: one mid-grade Peiyuan Pill. Buying monster beast materials, any quantity. Interested parties, contact the External Affairs Hall staff. Generous reward." The tasks flashed before Xu Yang's eyes one by one.
Seeing the rewards, Xu Yang was delighted. If he could complete these tasks, his cultivation would advance much faster. But to complete them, he needed to be strong enough; otherwise, one misstep could cost him his life.
With that in mind, Xu Yang steadied himself and carefully studied the task board. A moment later, he chose a task and went to a counter. He took out his token and said to the woman seated behind it, "Senior Sister, I'd like to take the task of finding Ice Soul Root. Could you register me?"
The woman took his token and sent a beam of light into it, then handed it back. "All done. You've taken the task. Come find me once you've completed it!" Xu Yang accepted the token and said respectfully, "Thank you, Senior Sister."
Xu Yang had good reason to be respectful. The staff at each of the sect's halls were descendants of senior sect members. Who knew which of them had a powerful figure backing them? If he offended one by accident, he'd have a miserable time afterward.
After taking the task, Xu Yang immediately left the External Affairs Hall. Ice Soul Root was an ice-attribute treasure that could only be found near the sea. Fortunately, Bailian Pavilion's headquarters was in Haicheng Prefecture, Wu Kingdom, right by the coast.
His master and senior brother were both in seclusion, so there was no need to inform them. Xu Yang didn't even return to his lodging. He headed straight for the mountain gate. When he arrived, he saw two cultivators standing guard.
He went up at once and showed them his token. "Senior Brothers, I need to leave the mountain gate to complete a task. Please let me through." One of them took the token and checked it. "You did take a task, but you can't leave yet. You'll have to wait three months."
Xu Yang's expression changed, and he was about to speak when the other cultivator beside him said, "Liu Peng, let this young brother go. There's no need to discuss it."
Liu Peng's expression shifted. He looked at his companion, who gave him a meaningful glance. Liu Peng immediately returned Xu Yang's token, stood up, and moved aside to clear the way.
Xu Yang took the token and glanced at the cultivator who had spoken up for him. The man nodded and smiled, leaving Xu Yang puzzled. He shook his head, bowed to the man, and walked out through the mountain gate.
After Xu Yang was out of sight, Liu Peng asked his companion in confusion, "Zhao Yuan, what was that about? You just let him go? He only just joined the sect. The rules say he can't leave for three months."
"That rule does exist," Zhao Yuan replied helplessly, "but rules are dead and people are alive. You have to know when to bend them! He's the new disciple Elder Qing Yuanzi just took in."
"What? Is that true or not? That can't be!" Liu Peng said, his face drained of color.
"Of course it's true. I saw Senior Huo Lian take him to the Internal Affairs Hall to register yesterday," Zhao Yuan replied enviously.
Once Xu Yang had passed through the mountain gate, he immediately took out his Flying Sword and tried to activate it. The sword trembled in his hand, then slowly rose into the air. At Xu Yang's command, it quickly grew larger. Excited, he climbed aboard, and the Flying Sword lifted higher and higher, carrying him into the sky.
Riding the wind on his sword, sweeping demons from between heaven and earth—it should have been exhilarating. But Xu Yang couldn't feel even a trace of joy. The Gang Qi inside him was draining away like water through a breached dam. In only a moment, he had used up half of it.
Startled, Xu Yang immediately steered the Flying Sword down to the ground, wobbling all the way. He put it away and found, to his shock, that his Gang Qi was nearly depleted.
Without stopping to think, Xu Yang sat cross-legged and began circulating his energy to restore his Gang Qi. Half an hour later, he finally let out a long breath; his strength had returned. He hadn't expected flying on a sword to consume so much energy. Next time, he absolutely couldn't do it unless he had no other choice.
Xu Yang stood and looked around. He realized he was already close to the coast. He was delighted. Sword flight consumed a tremendous amount of energy, but it was incredibly fast. In less than fifteen minutes, he had nearly reached his destination.
Xu Yang immediately used his lightness skill and hurried toward the coast. As he ran, he thought that a mid-grade Flying Sword also consumed a great deal of Gang Qi. Perhaps he should find a low-grade Flying Sword and try it; that might slow the drain.
As he thought this, Xu Yang spotted the deep-blue water. A vast ocean stretched before him, its surface rolling with endless emerald waves. The surf surged and crashed, and broken ice appeared in places. The sight opened his heart.
The Treasure Appraisal Catalog had an entry on Ice Soul Root. It was an auxiliary ingredient for a pill and the favorite food of Mystic Ice Turtles. Wherever Mystic Ice Turtles were found, Ice Soul Root could usually be found too. It was the depths of winter, when Mystic Ice Turtles were especially active.
Mystic Ice Turtles were social monsters, and they weren't particularly strong, with only the strength of the second level of Qi Refining. At his third level of Qi Refining, Xu Yang should have little trouble with them if he planned carefully.
With that in mind, Xu Yang began scanning the area. To his surprise, there was nothing around. Mystic Ice Turtles were plentiful, yet not a single one had appeared. It was truly strange.
At once, Xu Yang grew wary. He took the Earth-Queen Talisman in hand and searched the area carefully and quietly. Nearly fifteen minutes passed without him finding anything, and his unease deepened.
His keen instincts told him there was danger here. Fortunately, the sense of danger wasn't too strong; otherwise, Xu Yang would have turned and left long ago. Suddenly, a huge pit came into view. Xu Yang's heart jumped, and he cautiously approached to inspect it.
The pit was three meters across, its bottom invisible. Its walls were exceptionally smooth, and the inside was pitch-black. Xu Yang crouched and touched the edge of the pit, his heart leaping again. This was a sandy beach; the whole area should have been covered in sand, and that sand ought to have fallen into the hole. Yet some invisible force held it back.
Fortunately, the force wasn't strong, and Xu Yang's sense of danger hadn't intensified. After thinking it over, he decided to investigate the hole. Once he'd made up his mind, he didn't hesitate. Holding the Earth-Queen Talisman in one hand and his Flying Sword in the other, he leapt into the hole.
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