Chen Changming picked up the Red Disk and turned it over several times. He found three tiny characters near the bottom of one side.
"Blood Spirit Cover."
The boy nodded and smiled with satisfaction. This must be the name of the magical treasure.
He put the Blood Spirit Cover away.
On the Blood Demon Sect disciple, Chen Changming found another Storage Bag. He opened it, and his brows immediately relaxed as delight shone in his eyes.
He had to admit, this Blood Demon Sect disciple was filthy rich!
Inside the Storage Bag were over a thousand Spirit Stones, more than a hundred Low-grade Spirit Gathering Pills, an Identity Token, two swords, and dozens of pounds of gold.
He'd struck it rich!
Chen Changming hurriedly transferred everything into his own Storage Bag, a smile spreading across his face.
He had never imagined that simply taking a mission to slay ghosts and evil spirits would bring him so many pleasant surprises.
His shortage of Spirit Gathering Pills was now completely resolved.
With these pills, he had more than enough to break through to the third level of Qi Refining.
After leaving Penglai Lake, Chen Changming found the villagers and told them he had slain the ghosts and evil spirits. Then he hurried back to Lingxiao Sect.
At the entrance to the Mission Hall, he handed over the Storage Bag and said respectfully, "Senior, I've completed the Penglai Village mission. Please verify it."
"You completed it? So quickly!"
Elder Liu paused in surprise, then casually opened the Storage Bag and glanced inside.
"This is Black Spirit Silk, a magical artifact unique to the Blood Demon Sect..."
When he saw the severed black hair and the head, Elder Liu's expression changed. He quickly asked, "The Blood Demon Sect requires at least the fifth level of Qi Refining to control Black Spirit Silk. Chen Changming, how did you kill him?"
"Reporting to you, senior, this man was badly wounded by our outer sect Senior Sister, and his strength had fallen considerably. I only managed to get the upper hand through a sneak attack."
Chen Changming replied calmly.
Elder Liu murmured to himself as he picked up the Identity Token inside. "A sneak attack, huh? I didn't expect you to be so capable!"
"Elder Liu, I'm here to turn in a mission."
Just then, a hearty female voice rang out, followed by the thud of approaching footsteps. A striking woman with a bold, spirited air strode over.
"Senior Sister!"
The moment he saw her, Chen Changming hurriedly bowed.
The number one among the outer disciples—this Senior Sister was a legendary figure. She had saved many outer disciples on the battlefield, and Chen Changming deeply respected her.
Senior Sister nodded with a smile, then glanced at the Storage Bag in Elder Liu's hand. Suddenly surprised, she said, "Isn't this Leng Shankui of the Blood Demon Sect?"
"Luo Lan, you know him?" Elder Liu asked, looking at Senior Sister.
"Back when our Lingxiao Sect fought the Blood Demon Sect, I wounded this kid badly and he escaped. I regretted letting him get away at the time. I didn't expect him to die in the end after all. As they say, the wheel of heaven turns, and retribution never misses its mark!"
Senior Sister burst out laughing.
"I see..."
Elder Liu nodded, then smiled at Chen Changming. "You broke through the Black Spirit Silk and killed a wounded Blood Demon Sect disciple who was lying low. That deserves a great merit! Chen Changming, how about I reward you with a thousand contribution points?"
"Thank you, senior."
Chen Changming was overjoyed and quickly handed over his Identity Token. Elder Liu credited it with a thousand points.
Smack!
Senior Sister slapped the boy on the shoulder, looking rather surprised. "Well done, Chen Changming! You're quite something. You even killed Leng Shankui! Haha..."
"If Senior Sister hadn't wounded him first, I never would have gotten so lucky."
The boy smiled modestly.
After that, he bid farewell to Elder Liu and Senior Sister, then made his way to the Scripture Library.
Now that he had a thousand contribution points, he needed to exchange them for a sword technique.
At the entrance to the Scripture Library, he showed his Identity Token to the black-clad old woman guarding the place and explained why he had come. Then Chen Changming went inside.
"Oh? It's you?"
Three boys came down the stairs from the second floor. The moment one of them saw Chen Changming, he couldn't help laughing.
Chen Changming furrowed his brow.
The one laughing was none other than Shi Kelang, the genius with a high-grade Earth-class Fire Spirit Root, whom he hadn't seen in nearly two years.
Shi Kelang had grown taller in those two years.
He had also become more handsome and carried himself with an extraordinary air. His cultivation had already reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.
Chen Changming sighed inwardly. So this is what a genius is like. His cultivation speed far outstrips mine...
The boy lowered his head and remained silent.
Shi Kelang's cultivation was four minor stages above his. There was no way he could stand against him.
Since he couldn't afford to provoke him, he simply kept quiet. The hardships of his wandering days had long since taught him to endure.
Unless someone like Ma San of Xiliang City forced him into a dead end, Chen Changming wouldn't risk his life.
He would have his revenge only when he had built up enough strength. There was no point in acting like a hot-blooded fool.
"Huh? The second level of Qi Refining? How did you cultivate? You broke through so quickly? I thought you'd be stuck at the first level of Qi Refining forever."
As he approached, Shi Kelang looked surprised.
How could someone with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root cultivate so quickly? He couldn't make sense of it.
Chen Changming turned away and searched the bookshelves for a sword technique.
Shi Kelang had tried to get a rise out of him and gotten nowhere. With an awkward smile, he said to the other two, "We joined Lingxiao Sect in the same year. He used to be an odd-job disciple. I can't believe his luck—when the sect called everyone back, he got promoted straight to an outer disciple!"
"Haha, what a lucky bastard."
One of the inner disciples laughed loudly.
Chen Changming paid no heed to their brazen mockery and focused on choosing a sword technique.
No matter what they said, he wouldn't lose his temper or raise a hand against them.
He believed that if he kept working hard at his cultivation, one day he would rise like a phoenix from the ashes and soar ten thousand miles, trampling all these so-called prodigies beneath his feet!
"You bunch of trash! All you know how to do is mock outer disciples. Why don't you try picking a fight with us?"
Amid the laughter, a cold shout fell like a sword flash, cleaving through the space on the Scripture Library's first floor.
A bold, spirited figure swept in.
The number one among the outer disciples—the Senior Sister appeared inside the Scripture Library like a ghost. She clenched her fist, her aura surging in waves. Her willow brows drew together, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and her gaze, sharp as a sword, locked onto the three boys.
The three inner disciples felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar. Their bodies trembled, and they didn't dare meet her gaze.
This number one among the outer disciples had both connections and strength. The three of them together couldn't beat her.
Seeing this, Chen Changming felt a warm current rise in his heart.
No wonder Senior Sister was a legend. She looked after even a good-for-nothing with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root like him.
For the first time, the lonely boy felt a strange sense of belonging to Lingxiao Sect.
"Get out!"
Senior Sister's voice rang like spring thunder, echoing through the entire space.
The three inner disciples scurried out the door with their heads bowed, hunched over like dogs.
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
Chen Changming clasped his hands and bowed, his face full of gratitude.
"Junior Brother Chen, don't stoop to those bastards' level. They have no virtue, and the dogs ate their consciences!"
Senior Sister walked over and patted Chen Changming on the shoulder. Seeing that he still kept his head lowered, as if he hadn't yet shaken off his former meekness, she felt a pang of sympathy. She understood that this outer disciple before her had once been no more than an odd-job disciple, and on top of that, he had a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root—the worst aptitude in the entire sect.
Hearing Senior Sister curse them out, Chen Changming felt a lot better.
"Junior Brother."
Senior Sister glanced toward the doorway and said bitterly, "Those ungrateful wretches eat the Spirit Rice you grow and never think to show gratitude. Instead, they keep insulting you. Once we leave Lingxiao Sect, I'll find a way to teach those three a lesson!"
"Th-thank you, Senior Sister."
Chen Changming clasped his fists with a smile, gratitude shining in his eyes.
At that moment, in the boy's heart, this rather boyish Senior Sister—despite her somewhat uncouth manner—seemed just right in every way...
So breathtakingly beautiful that no other woman in the world could compare to her, not even by one ten-thousandth.