Demon-Slaying Mission? Changes in Calamity Avoidance

Ever since Lu Qing began studying the grand undertaking of Spirit Plants, after completing his daily round of cultivation, he simply stopped cultivating in the cultivation room atop the pavilion.

After all, he had now grasped the basics of the Spirit-Gathering Formation. This was indeed something Lu Qing hadn't expected before.

But it was also a good thing.

Inside and outside the Spirit Field, he simply used formation plates to inscribe several small Spirit-Gathering Formations.

If the first successful formation Lu Qing had prepared before had only covered an area the size of a meditation cushion—

Then now, it covered the area of several large ponds.

While cultivating Moonblade Spirit Rice, he also sat cross-legged in the Spirit Field behind the courtyard to cultivate.

Every day was full and fulfilling, and cultivating in such a fine state of mind let him advance by leaps and bounds.

It was precisely because of this that, after successfully harvesting Spirit Plants for the first time—

Lu Qing's leisurely, abundant life was interrupted by a sudden hexagram in his mind.

Moreover, this hexagram wasn't like before, where choosing a Calming Hexagram and waiting quietly within the mountain gate would keep him safe.

There was even an annotation at the very top.

[The Demonic Path has weakened and is making a desperate counterattack before death. Because it is connected to a certain Trial Micro-Realm, the Profound Heaven Dao Academy has decided to dispatch disciples to the Demonic Path's lair to kill its disciples and search for the Trial Micro-Realm.]

[Greatly Ominous Hexagram: Fishing chestnuts from the fire, seeking your own destruction. Accept the Demon-Slaying Mission, leave the mountain gate, and perish in body and soul. Greatly ominous.]

[Slightly Ominous Hexagram: Seal the mountain gate tight and ignore worldly affairs. Yet demon slaying is a secret assessment by the Dao Academy's higher-ups. Those seen hiding behind closed doors will be judged as lacking the temperament for great responsibility; lingering troubles will remain. Slightly ominous.]

[Calming Hexagram: Remain in the rear, accept the task, accept the supply task from the Spirit Plant Academy, and grow Spirit Plants within the mountain gate. There will be slight ripples, but all will be calm.]

Lu Qing's expression was quite a sight. Before, he had always escaped ominous situations by hiding within the mountain gate and refusing to leave.

But now, that approach clearly wouldn't work.

And what exactly was this Demon-Slaying Mission?

He thought of that old thief from the Demonic Path.

The Profound Heaven Domain was a regional overlord. Naturally, the Demonic Path factions within its territory weren't powerful.

But clearly, the Trial Micro-Realm mentioned in the hexagram was the key reason the Dao Academy had issued this mission.

Resources—still resources.

The Dao Academy had vast holdings, but its consumption was equally immense. A Trial Micro-Realm wasn't some fragmentary Minor Realm.

And the hexagram had mentioned that this was a secret assessment. Though he didn't know what exactly the lingering troubles indicated by the Slightly Ominous Hexagram were, Lu Qing was cautious by nature and wouldn't test such a possibility.

The Slightly Ominous Hexagram itself posed no threat to his life in this situation, but with lingering troubles involved, there would surely be many successive ominous situations later on.

"I thought I could cultivate peacefully within the mountain gate. Looks like that's impossible."

Lu Qing glanced over the jade slip and discovered there wasn't the slightest trace of anything related to the Demon-Slaying Mission.

"So is it already underway? Or has it not happened yet? Or is it something I can't know about at present?"

Lu Qing withdrew his aura, then looked at the Spirit Plants he had just harvested today.

"Perfect. Since I've finished harvesting today, I can make a trip to the Spirit Plant Academy."

"I wonder where those slight ripples will show themselves. Judging from the surrounding wording, it should be after accepting the task and returning to my Dao Peak," Lu Qing guessed.

Keeping his doors shut wouldn't work, and leaving the mountain gate would be courting death.

Then registering as an entry-level Spirit Plant Master at the Spirit Plant Academy was extremely necessary.

This sudden accident disrupted Lu Qing's arrangements.

Fortunately, Lu Qing was able to endure solitude and cultivate, so it didn't trouble him much.

"A Trial Micro-Realm... if it can be successfully seized, I imagine many disciples will head there of their own accord."

Opportunities, resources, and benefits were the things that most stirred people's hearts.

This Trial Micro-Realm must be extremely important. Otherwise, disciples who avoided this mission wouldn't be judged unfit for great responsibility and left with lingering troubles.

Perhaps it was also because Lu Qing's current strength was insufficient, insufficient to resolve this danger.

"Going to the Spirit Plant Academy comes first."

He placed all the plump, snow-white rice grains into his storage bag.

After the Moonblade Spirit Rice matured successfully, each stalk bore only a single leaf, shaped like a sword blade, shimmering like snow and blank as paper.

"This can be used to make talisman paper."

Lu Qing didn't get greedy.

He hadn't even entered the doorway of the Talisman Dao, and for now, he couldn't afford to divide his attention to learn other things.

He already had a good destination for these items.

The Spirit Plant Academy had beautiful scenery and was situated atop a range of rolling, verdant mountains.

Wind seemed to gather beneath Lu Qing's feet, and his movement technique had improved enormously from before.

After reaching a stretch of level ground, he looked into the distance and couldn't help showing surprise.

Beneath drifting white clouds in the distance, pavilions and towers rose amid mist. Several floating islands hung high in the sky, linked together as they surrounded a city at the center, with emerald vines climbing the outer walls.

Green upon green, its scenery was exceptional.

The moment he landed here, the fresh air rushing toward him made Lu Qing feel as though his mind and spirit had been cleansed.

After he displayed his Disciple Token and entered the city encircled by floating islands, that feeling became even more pronounced.

The Spirit Plant Academy's scenery differed from the Dao Peaks he had seen elsewhere.

Inside, most people were disciples. They wore robes of various colors rather than uniform disciple robes.

The pure spiritual aura emanating from them made Lu Qing realize, with a glance down the street, that nearly all of them were related to Spirit Plant Masters.

At that moment, a young disciple approached with a smile.

"Senior Brother, you're new to the Spirit Plant Academy, aren't you? I'm familiar with every corner of this place. Want me to show you around? Just one Spirit Stone—cheap price."

Several disciples behind him revealed annoyed expressions, as though he had beaten them to it by a step.

The others scattered to seek different targets.

Lu Qing understood that he was a guide. He wasn't stingy, and since he truly wasn't familiar with this place, having someone lead the way would be far more convenient.

He immediately took out a Spirit Stone. "All right, Junior Brother. Please introduce the Spirit Plant Academy to me."

"Heh, Senior Brother is generous." Xu Qing accepted the Spirit Stone with a beaming smile. Another Spirit Stone had entered his account.

He wasn't a proper Outer Academy disciple. He had risen from the Servant Academy many years ago, and his path ahead was dim. Even now, his cultivation was only around the First Layer of the Qi Nourishment Realm, so he addressed many disciples as Senior Brother.

As for who had entered first, that didn't count for much.

"The Spirit Plant Academy stands alongside the Painting Academy, Artifact Refining Academy, Alchemy Academy, Formation Academy, and other branches of the ten great cultivation arts within our Dao Academy. This city is the Outer City of the Spirit Plant Academy. It has four major districts: the Market District, Cultivation District, Living District, and Spirit Plant District. The area beneath Senior Brother's feet is the Market District."

All manner of cultivation treasures filled the Market District.

Some vendors displayed Spirit Rice and similar goods. Others laid out treasures whose uses couldn't be discerned, while still others sold Spirit Plant seeds...

As Lu Qing walked along, he found that many stalls on both sides sold items related to Spirit Plant Masters—seeds, treasure manuals, jade slips, and so on.

"Take me to where I can register as a Spirit Plant Master."

Xu Qing had been speaking fluently, but when Lu Qing stated that he wanted to register as a Spirit Plant Master, realization dawned on him.

"I've been to the registration place in the Spirit Plant District many times. I know it very well. Senior Brother, please come this way."

Because the city covered a vast area—

There was more than one registration site in the Spirit Plant District.

"Luo Steward is on duty today. He's easy to talk to, so Senior Brother's timing is perfect. Oh, and if anyone asks after you get there, it'd be best if you show some Spirit Plant aura."

Clearly, Xu Qing hadn't been lying when he said he was very familiar with this place.