Assigning a Mission

"Low-grade Spirit Stone!"

Heat blazed unmistakably in Lu Lin's eyes as he carefully studied the object in his palm.

Its shape and size were no different from an Inferior Spirit Stone, but its entire body was an even milky white. Its interior was pure and flawless, without the slightest impurity. It felt warm to the touch, its radiance restrained, crystalline and translucent.

This was the hard currency that circulated among immortal cultivators, a precious resource indispensable to every cultivator, and also... the key item for upgrading the Martial Dao Melting Furnace!

With a slight shift of his thoughts, this precious Low-grade Spirit Stone was silently taken into the Martial Dao Melting Furnace's inner space.

"Still short two," Lu Lin murmured, anticipation in his voice.

He had only taken over this Rich Ore Zone for ten days, yet he had already harvested one Low-grade Spirit Stone. The efficiency far surpassed before, and it left him very satisfied.

This enormous gain came from the fact that, on the tenth day, he had found a "spirit-stone nest" larger than any he had encountered before.

Aside from this Low-grade Spirit Stone, all the other Inferior Spirit Stones he had dug up during this period had already been exchanged by him for cultivation time.

His consciousness sank into his sea of awareness, and he looked toward the Martial Dao Melting Furnace's panel:

Martial Dao Melting Furnace: Owner, Lu Lin.

Cultivation: Body Tempering Sixth Layer.

Cultivation Time: Thirty-five years and two months.

Martial Dao Techniques: Demonic Ape Blood Qi Art (Third Layer), Iron Elephant Body (Sixth Layer), Spirit Cat Art (Fourth Layer).

Killing Moves: Savage Elephant Charge (Major Achievement); Spirit Cat Step (Not Yet Entered).

Mining Essentials: Major Achievement.

Breath Concealment Art: Major Achievement.

Inner Space: One chi.

Compared with before, the panel information had become more detailed, and the descriptions of the techniques were more specific.

"As my cultivation grows deeper by the day, the Breath Concealment Art must be raised another level. Otherwise, there may be a risk of exposure. Mining Essentials also needs strengthening. As the saying goes, sharpening the blade does not delay the chopping of firewood."

Once Lu Lin's mind was made up, his vast cultivation time immediately poured into the Breath Concealment Art like a flood through an opened sluice.

For any technique or killing move, Major Achievement was easy, perfection was hard.

Some martial artists without enough talent could bitterly train for ten or twenty years and cultivate a killing move to Major Achievement. That was possible. But to reach perfection was a thousand difficulties upon ten thousand.

The Breath Concealment Art and mining experience were the same.

Of course, geniuses were the exception.

Lu Lin clearly was not a genius.

So raising the Breath Concealment Art and mining experience to Major Achievement had not consumed too much time, but raising the two to perfection had consumed a full twenty-eight years.

It left him with only seven years and two months of cultivation time.

But he did not feel the slightest heartache.

Now that he was in the Rich Ore Zone, his efficiency in obtaining Inferior Spirit Stones had greatly increased. He could always save it back up.

He continued to bury his head and dig...

The Blood Wolf Gang's sudden destruction caused no small wave among the menial martial artists of the Black Iron Vein.

Everyone speculated that the Black Tiger Gang must have recruited some incredible expert, allowing them to crush the Blood Wolf Gang, which had stood against them for many years, in one stroke.

But very soon, "definite" news spread: Li Zitian and gang leader Huang Lang, blinded by greed, had actually joined hands and trespassed into the crisis-ridden Poison Mine Zone on their own. In the end, they unfortunately met disaster. Both had been struck by strange poison, their bodies rotting beyond human shape, dying miserably inside.

It was precisely because their leaders had died unexpectedly, leaving the group like dragons without a head, that the Black Tiger Gang had been able to seize the chance to swallow up the Blood Wolf Gang's territory.

Once this news came out, most people felt relieved.

Of course, there were also a few who still had doubts. With Li Zitian and Huang Lang's status and positions, why would they need to risk venturing deep into a deathtrap?

But with all the stewards remaining silent on the matter and showing no intention of investigating further, this bit of doubt was quickly drowned out by the new daily routine in the mine tunnels.

Li Zitian and Huang Lang seemed as if they had never existed in this mine vein at all.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed since Lu Lin took over this Rich Ore Zone.

Early that morning, everyone was carrying out morning training as usual when two dazzling streams of light suddenly tore through the clouds on the horizon, rushing through the sky at astonishing speed.

"Look! It's immortal masters!"

"They really are immortal masters! They... they're flying!"

Countless menial martial artists raised their heads and looked up, their faces filled with shock and reverence.

Lu Lin also looked up with the others.

He saw two young-looking cultivators, one man and one woman, standing in the air upon radiant flying swords. Their robes fluttered in the wind, indescribably free and untainted by dust, like figures from a painting.

"Roaming the nine heavens, touring the Northern Sea at dawn and Cangwu by dusk... so this is what immortal masters are..." someone murmured softly, his tone filled with endless envy.

"Sigh, stop envying them. Immortal masters are favored children blessed by the heavens. They're born with spiritual roots. How could ordinary martial artists like us ever hope to reach them? We... can only look up forever."

The person beside him sighed, speaking the cruel reality aloud.

When had this world ever been fair? For some people, the starting point at birth was the finish line others could never touch even after exhausting their entire lives.

"Greetings, Immortal Masters!" The stewards present reacted the fastest, hurriedly bowing in salute, their attitudes respectful to the extreme.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and greet the Immortal Masters!" One steward turned and barked harshly at the menial martial artists who were still standing there in a daze.

"G-greetings, Immortal Masters..." At once, uneven voices of greeting, carrying fear and reverence, rang out over the mine.

"At ease." The male Immortal Master waved a hand casually, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the menial martial artists below. His eyes were calm and without a ripple, as if he were looking at a swarm of insignificant ants.

"May I ask, Immortal Master, what instructions bring your honored self so suddenly to our humble mining district?" An old steward with the highest cultivation, having reached the tenth layer of Body Tempering, stepped out from the crowd and asked respectfully.

"There is a task within the sect that requires a large number of menial martial artists to participate." The male Immortal Master's tone was flat, without the slightest emotional fluctuation. "From your Black Iron mining district, two hundred have been selected. This is the name list. Take it."

With that, he casually tossed it, and a thin booklet drifted lightly through the air, landing precisely in the old steward's hands.

"The task is set for three days from now." The cold-faced female Immortal Master spoke to add, her voice like jade striking softly, yet carrying unquestionable authority. "This task was personally arranged by two great cultivators of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Absolutely no mistakes are permitted. The detailed rules are already recorded in the booklet. Make arrangements at once. There must be no delay!"

"A task arranged by Foundation Establishment great cultivators?!" At these words, the stewards' hearts all trembled, and none dared show the slightest negligence.

After giving their instructions, the two Immortal Masters said no more. The flying swords beneath their feet flashed with radiance, and they transformed into two startling streaks of rainbow light, shooting straight into the blue heavens. In the blink of an eye, they vanished beyond the horizon, leaving only two tiny black dots that were nearly impossible to see.

Only after the two Immortal Masters had left did the atmosphere on the scene loosen slightly.

Several stewards immediately gathered together, nervously flipping through the name list and discussing in low voices.

A moment later, the old steward at the tenth layer of Body Tempering filled his voice with inner breath, and his resounding voice spread across the entire mine: "Next, those whose names are called, step forward! Gather here. Li Ming, Shi Dahai, Wang Qingchuan, Lu Lin..."

One name after another was read out.

Everyone whose name was called instantly had an extremely ugly look on their face.

"There's me...!" Lu Lin's heart also sank sharply, and he cursed his rotten luck inwardly.

But he could only suppress his emotions and follow the other martial artists whose names had been called, walking to the designated open space to gather.

Very soon, all two hundred names had been called.

Everyone looked at one another, their eyes filled with unease and speculation.

"That's not right... What kind of task needs two hundred people together?"

"I'm afraid it's not just us here. Didn't you hear what the Immortal Master said? Two hundred from our Black Iron Vein were selected. There are probably menial workers from other places too. The total number is definitely even greater!"

"From my experience, the more people a sect task requires, the more it usually is... dangerous!"

Everyone discussed in low voices, their faces growing paler and paler.

Very soon, someone noticed an even more unusual point. Among these two hundred people, their cultivation levels were uneven, with enormous gaps between them.

Those with higher cultivation had reached the sixth layer of Body Tempering, like Liu Heihu, who had exchanged blows with Lu Lin that day, while those with lower cultivation were even only at the first or second layer of Body Tempering!

Just like Lu Lin, who in everyone's eyes was only at the second layer of Body Tempering.

This was extremely unreasonable.

Martial artists of different cultivation levels had strength as different as heaven and earth. How could they carry out the same task together?

It was far too bizarre!

And in the Blood Baleful Demon Sect, the more bizarre a task was, the greater the danger it often signified. It represented death, abandoned pawns, cannon fodder...

After figuring this out, every single person selected went ashen-faced, while those whose names had not been called secretly rejoiced in their hearts that they had escaped disaster.

"Truly rotten luck... I originally thought I'd at least wait until after the fourth layer of Body Tempering before carrying out a task..." Lu Lin sighed inwardly, only feeling a wave of ill fortune surge up in his heart.

P.S. Wishing everyone a happy National Day. At the same time, I'd like to ask for follow-up reads and monthly tickets. Also, a word about the update schedule: during the new book period, because of the new book rankings and recommendation arrangement process, I can't update too much. There will be two chapters a day, with the word count between four thousand and six thousand. Old readers all know that Old Mu has saved-up chapters. Right now, the stockpile is already poised and ready to go, just waiting for the book to be put on the shelves.