Hidden Quest! True Essence Sect!

"Grandpa!"

The young man in blue flushed red and protested, "How am I inferior to him?"

"Think thrice before you act!"

The village chief rebuked him, "Whether he's a fraud or not, it benefits Redfang Village!"

"Betting external possessions to secure one's foundation is the best strategy! Did all that reading go into a dog's belly?"

After coming out of the latrine,

Wu Yu stretched lazily and could not help narrowing his eyes toward the main hall.

The family and patronage were all made up, of course!

When traveling abroad, one's identity was something one gave oneself.

Wu Yu had not been talking nonsense. He had simply boasted based on the information he had gathered from Redfang Village and Evil Tiger Stronghold.

"The old village chief probably saw through it but chose not to expose me. As long as he understood what I meant, that was enough."

"This is an unexpected gain!"

As he thought about it, he felt a little pleased with himself.

If he had treated this place with the same gaming mindset as everyone else, he probably would not have had much interaction with these natives at all.

He was only giving it a try. He was leaving soon anyway!

"Once I get the item, I'll see if I can kill that Mountain Lord! If I can kill it, I'll do my best to finish it off. If not, I'll head decisively for the evacuation point."

Wu Yu took out the Bronze Token and opened [Map] for a look.

There was plenty of time!

There was an evacuation point near Lostway Cave, so he would not need to take a detour later.

"Inspector Liu and the others have probably left already!"

"Should I stockpile more [Bi Fang Sigils]?"

Wu Yu looked at his inventory. He still had over fifty small stones inscribed with [Bi Fang Sigils].

It was starting to trigger his fear of insufficient firepower!

From the time he headed to Evil Tiger Stronghold until he returned to Redfang Village, Wu Yu had never stopped inscribing [Bi Fang Sigils].

But there were too many factors affecting his vitality and blood. The better his condition, the faster he could inscribe them.

Conversely, the worse his condition, the slower he became!

So he had eaten "Exquisite Food" all the way, and later had even started drinking "Top-Grade Spirit Wine," nearly stuffing himself to bursting.

"I need to get some proper rest. Otherwise, if I can't hold it in the moment I see the Mountain Lord, I'm done for."

"And that chief's waist token..."

After pondering briefly, Wu Yu strode toward the main hall.

Inside the main hall,

the village chief was drinking tea, with not a trace of anxiety on his face.

A young man in blue sat nearby, holding a brush as he copied out a book.

When he saw Wu Yu enter, the village chief smiled. "Young friend, is there anything you need help with?"

"Village Chief!"

Wu Yu said, "During the earlier battle with the bandit stronghold, their chief escaped, but he dropped something when he was injured."

"I don't know if..."

As he spoke, Wu Yu handed over the [Chief's Waist Token].

"Oh?"

The village chief took it and looked it over, immediately revealing a shocked expression.

"How is this possible?!"

"Village Chief?"

Wu Yu's heart stirred. He understood that this was very likely connected to a quest.

"To be honest, young friend, this is the waist token of an inner disciple of the [True Essence Sect]. How could a mere bandit chief from some small stronghold possibly be a disciple of a sect?"

"This item absolutely did not belong to that chief!"

The village chief stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "If you return to the city, young friend, you may contact the [True Essence Sect] and return this item!"

"The [True Essence Sect] is a renowned righteous sect. They certainly will not treat you poorly."

When the village chief mentioned the [True Essence Sect], Wu Yu's expression remained calm. However, someone behind him began breathing more heavily, and he noticed it.

Wu Yu glanced at the village chief without turning around, instantly understanding.

"Thank you for informing me, Village Chief."

Wu Yu did not put on much of an act. He simply reached calmly for the waist token.

The village chief stiffened slightly before chuckling and placing the token in Wu Yu's hand.

"Grandpa!"

Behind him, the young man in blue could not help speaking, his gaze burning as he stared at the waist token.

The village chief glared at him and said helplessly, "Please forgive the embarrassment, young friend."

"You're too courteous!"

Wu Yu shook his head and turned the waist token over in his hand.

The village chief frowned slightly, hesitating for a long while before finally saying, "Forget it. You'll find out sooner or later anyway, young friend."

"Since this item appeared in the hands of bandits, a sect disciple must have died here! With a little maneuvering, this contribution could be used to enter the [True Essence Sect] as an outer disciple!"

At this point, the village chief looked at the young man in blue, his expression complicated.

"My unfilial grandson is dull-witted and untalented. He has no chance of entering the [True Essence Sect] based on his own aptitude. But if he had this item as proof of merit..."

"Village Chief, you want to trade for this item?"

Wu Yu smiled.

"Exactly!"

The village chief said frankly, "Young friend, you are a child of a family, so naturally you need not worry about martial inheritances, spells, or divine abilities!"

"But we are merely country villagers. To us, this waist token is a tremendous opportunity!"

"Since you brought the waist token here, you must have had something in mind already, young friend!"

As he spoke, the village chief gave Wu Yu a deep look.

"I simply wonder what young friend has set his sights on?"

As soon as he finished speaking, before Wu Yu could react, a panel appeared between them!

Wu Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately looked over.

"Notice: Hidden quest [Lost Token] triggered!"

"Notice: Completing the hidden quest grants an unexpected reward and will also affect the Real Great Void!"

"Lost Token"

Type: Quest.

Quality: Gold.

Description: You discovered a waist token from the [True Essence Sect]. Will you keep it for yourself, or trade it with the village chief for a treasure?

...

Option One: Take back the waist token and submit it to the [True Essence Sect] yourself.

Reward: An outer disciple slot at the [True Essence Sect].

Option Two: Trade with the village chief.

Reward: Choose one Gold-quality item.

...

This was the first time Wu Yu had triggered a quest, and the information on it was startling!

Since there was a "Real Great Void," could it be that this [Newcomer Secret Realm] was fake?

Like an instance dungeon, it had no connection to the real world.

And this hidden quest...

Wu Yu did not think for long. The two options appeared equally good, but in truth, there was only one choice.

Setting aside the benefits of becoming an outer disciple of the [True Essence Sect], a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush. Wu Yu felt somewhat uneasy about the future.

The descent of the mysterious tower would probably cause a tremendous storm in the real world!

"By the same logic, could the tower's interior also be made up of instance dungeons? Could the [Newcomer Secret Realm] itself be one instance after another?"

"There may be far more than just the nine of us climbing the tower!"

"That would be best. With more people, it would be less likely to draw targeted attention."

After thinking for a while, Wu Yu made his choice with a thought.

"Notice: Hidden quest completed! The village chief's treasures have been upgraded. All are now Gold quality; choose one!"

"Notice: You have affected the Real Great Void! The Human Path has taken greater notice of you!"

The quest panel was completed just like that!

"That simple?"

Wu Yu was somewhat stunned when a bold idea suddenly sprang into his mind.

What if he abandoned the trade at this moment...

"Forget it, forget it. I can't do something so suicidal."

The thought of exploiting a bug had only flashed through his mind for an instant before Wu Yu abandoned it.

Only by staying steady could he make it to the end!