For Ye Fei, his most pressing task now was Spiritual Root Cleansing.
As for cultivation, that would have to wait until after Spiritual Root Cleansing.
To complete Spiritual Root Cleansing faster, Ye Fei could not pin all his hopes on those Medicine Fields.
After all, each Spiritual Root Cleansing consumed twenty percent more spirit power than the last.
Relying solely on the spiritual herbs in the Medicine Fields would waste far too much time.
He would have to wait two months for the next cleansing.
The one after that would take at least three months.
The further he went, the longer the wait would become. Ye Fei did not want to keep waiting like that.
And so, he came to the Mission Pavilion.
Ye Fei wanted to earn Spirit Stones through missions while searching for opportunities outside.
Azure Dragon had also said before that many things could help the Spirit-Washing Tree grow, including Demon Beasts.
Over the past month and a half, he had not only raised his cultivation but also practiced the Nine Leaning Luo Swords and Mistlike Step, making some progress in both.
In Ye Fei's view, that should be enough to handle ordinary first-rank Demon Beasts.
Thus, he wanted to go out and give it a try. He might even reap an unexpected harvest.
Compared with the Reception Pavilion, the Mission Pavilion was much livelier.
Disciples hurried in and out in an endless stream.
Once he stepped through the entrance, the entire layout of the Mission Pavilion came into view.
The Mission Pavilion was considerably larger than the Reception Pavilion, measuring thirty zhang on each side.
At the very center of the Mission Pavilion stood a square stone table. A crescent-shaped rosewood stand rested on it, holding a milky-white Jade Orb about the size of a bowl's rim.
Aside from that stone table, two counters stood against the middle of the rear wall.
A wooden sign stood in front of each counter, one reading "Mission Acceptance" and the other "Mission Submission."
Behind the counters were two chairs, each occupied by a disciple dressed in white.
To the left of the counters was a storehouse, evidently used to keep mission items.
Apart from these, there were no other furnishings on the Mission Pavilion's ground floor.
Quite a few disciples were inside the Mission Pavilion at the moment, some alone, others in twos and threes, and still others gathered in groups of seven or eight.
Many were well acquainted and were discussing how to form teams.
Although teaming up meant splitting the spoils with teammates, it was much more efficient and safer than going out on missions alone.
As such, most disciples of the Free and Easy Gate completed sect missions in teams.
Though this was Ye Fei's first visit, he had already learned the procedure for accepting missions from the disciple handbook.
He strode up to the stone table, then released his divine sense and swept it into the Jade Orb.
Over a hundred sect missions of all kinds immediately appeared in his mind.
Sect missions fell into two categories. The first involved gathering basic spiritual herbs. They offered no Spirit Stone rewards, but completing them qualified a disciple to collect a monthly stipend.
The other category was slightly more difficult. Completing those missions earned both a certain number of Spirit Stones and mission points.
Once enough points were accumulated, they could also be exchanged for sect rewards.
Outer sect disciples, however, could only accept low-level sect missions.
Every low-level sect mission offered the same reward: two Lower-Grade Spirit Stones and one sect point.
Most of these missions involved gathering materials from first-rank Demon Beasts.
Of course, a small number involved gathering relatively rare lower-grade spiritual herbs.
Few people took those missions, though.
Rare lower-grade spiritual herbs were worth far more than the sect's rewards.
After reviewing the missions, Ye Fei approached the mission acceptance counter and handed over his Identity Jade Plaque.
"Mission three, collect a pair of Fire Crow claws. Mission nine, collect an Earth-Splitting Beast hide. Task Number Thirty-Five..."
Before the disciple in charge of registration could ask, Ye Fei listed all the missions he wanted to accept.
"Martial Uncle Ye, you want to take on so many missions at once?"
Hearing the missions Ye Fei listed, the registration disciple looked at him in surprise.
Clearly, he already knew Ye Fei's identity, given how he addressed him.
"You know who I am?"
The registration disciple was surprised, but so was Ye Fei.
This was the first time since joining the Free and Easy Gate that someone had addressed him as martial uncle without prompting.
"Yes."
"Martial Uncle Ye, do you really wish to accept all these missions?"
The registration disciple nodded and asked respectfully.
Though he was stronger than Ye Fei, Ye Fei's status was plain to see. He was not Li Zaitian; he dared not show Ye Fei the slightest disrespect.
Although Li Zaitian had dropped hints to him, he knew his own limits as an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple.
Li Zaitian wanted him to make things difficult for Ye Fei, but he did not dare.
If forced to choose between Ye Fei and Li Zaitian, he would rather offend Li Zaitian.
If he offended Li Zaitian, he had his master backing him. His master's standing was no lower than Li Zaitian's, so at least nothing too serious would happen.
But offending Ye Fei meant offending the Grand Supreme Elder. If things really blew up, not only he but even his master might be implicated.
"Yes, I want to accept these missions. Please register them for me, Martial Nephew."
Ye Fei nodded to the registration disciple.
Since the other party treated him courteously, Ye Fei naturally returned the courtesy.
If someone gave him a foot of respect, he would return a yard. That was Ye Fei's guiding principle.
"You're too kind, Martial Uncle Ye. Please wait a moment."
Hearing Ye Fei say "please," the disciple was overwhelmed by the favor and hurried to register the missions.
"Everything is registered. Martial Uncle Ye, please take your Jade Plaque."
A moment later, the disciple respectfully handed Ye Fei his Identity Jade Plaque.
"Thank you, Martial Nephew."
Taking the Identity Jade Plaque, Ye Fei nodded to the disciple again, then turned to leave.
What Ye Fei did not know was that a young girl standing in a corner of the Mission Pavilion had witnessed their exchange.
She wore a gray gauze dress, had a slender figure, and was at the Qi Refining Third Layer.
As she watched Ye Fei's departing back, her eyes darted about ceaselessly.
Then she darted forward and hurried after him.
"Martial Uncle Ye, please wait."
Ye Fei had barely gone any distance from the Mission Pavilion when the girl in gray came chasing out.
She looked a little younger than Ye Fei. Upon reaching him, she bent her knees in a respectful curtsy.
"Little sister, what is it?"
Ye Fei paused, slightly startled. He did not know why she had stopped him.
"Martial Uncle Ye, my name is Jiang Yiyun. You can just call me Yiyun. I came to ask if you would team up with me to go out on missions."
At the way Ye Fei addressed her, a faint blush rose on the girl's pretty face, and she explained.
"Martial Niece Yiyun, why do you want to team up with me?"
Ye Fei looked at Jiang Yiyun in puzzlement.
"To be honest, Martial Uncle Ye, my cultivation is too low. None of the senior brothers or sisters want to team up with me."
"If they won't team up with me, I can't even complete sect missions."
Jiang Yiyun explained with a troubled expression.
"Martial Niece Yiyun, you're already at the Qi Refining Third Layer. Can't you even kill a first-rank Demon Beast?"
After hearing Jiang Yiyun's explanation, Ye Fei looked even more puzzled.
Logically, with Jiang Yiyun at the Qi Refining Third Layer, hunting first-rank Demon Beasts should not be a problem even without a team.
"First-rank Demon Beasts may not be very powerful, but I'm a frail girl. Killing them alone is still a little difficult."
"Martial Uncle Ye, if we team up, it will be much easier, and faster too."
"Besides, you've accepted so many missions. With an extra pair of hands, you can finish them at least twice as fast."
Jiang Yiyun first explained sheepishly, then looked at Ye Fei with utter confidence.
It was as though teaming up with her really would double his efficiency.
"All right."
"We can help each other out if we go together."
After only a brief moment of thought, Ye Fei agreed.
In truth, Ye Fei's original plan had been to kill Demon Beasts alone.
After all, with the Azure Dragon Sword in hand, he would have more protection if he encountered danger.
However, he was unfamiliar with the surrounding area and had never hunted Demon Beasts before.
If he could team up with someone else for one mission, it would be easier to do them alone afterward.
Besides, Jiang Yiyun's cultivation was relatively low, and she was a girl, so he had no misgivings.
If he had to accompany a disciple at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer or Qi Refining Seventh Layer, he would have felt uneasy.
"Martial Uncle Ye, you're so kind!"
Seeing Ye Fei agree, Jiang Yiyun immediately danced with joy, looking utterly adorable.
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