The Task Li Dao Path Assigned

After seeing Ye Shanhua off, Xu Changshou found Yang Bailao and went with him to turn in their assignments.

At Li Dao Path's Daoist Grounds.

After they turned in their assignments, Li Dao Path swept his gaze over everyone before finally resting it on Xu Changshou.

"Changshou, stay. The rest of you may leave."

"Yes..."

Everyone left, leaving only a bewildered Xu Changshou behind.

He did not understand why Li Dao Path had singled him out.

"Uncle-Master Li, what are your instructions?"

Li Dao Path said calmly, "Changshou, you've been in the sect for almost ten years now. You haven't gone out to gain experience yet, have you?"

After reaching the seventh level of qi refining, servant disciples of the Green Immortal Sect could also apply to leave the sect to gain experience.

However, there were conditions: they could only go once every three years, and each trip could last no longer than four months.

Usually, once servant disciples grew tired of their duties, they would apply to go out as soon as the opportunity arose.

But Xu Changshou had never applied. He feared the dangers of the outside world and did not dare leave.

"That's right!"

Xu Changshou nodded and waited for Li Dao Path to continue.

Li Dao Path went on, "I share ancestral ties with the imperial family of the Fire Mulberry Country. A little girl in their family has now awakened a variant spiritual root. The imperial family informed me of this through a secret communication art, and outsiders do not yet know. Go to the Fire Mulberry Country and bring that girl back for me.

Once you succeed, you will be exempt from assignments for three months, with your monthly stipend paid as usual, and you will receive a reward of ten spirit stones."

"Are you willing to go?"

"This disciple is willing!"

Xu Changshou secretly rejoiced.

He had already been planning to visit the Fire Mulberry Country, but had worried that he would not make it back by the end of the month to turn in his assignment. Who would have thought someone would hand him a pillow just as he was getting sleepy?

"I have stored three spells in this jade disc. If you encounter danger, you can use them against your enemies."

With a flick of his broad sleeve, Li Dao Path tossed out a gleaming, round jade disc. Xu Changshou reached out and caught it. The jade felt warm and smooth, with three radiant lights drifting inside it. He instantly understood how to use it.

It was simple: with a thought, he could unleash one of the lights to attack.

What Li Dao Path had stored inside were not particularly powerful spells, merely casual strikes of his.

Even a casual strike from a mighty foundation establishment cultivator could easily wipe out any qi refining cultivator.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master Li."

"Go."

"Yes!"

After leaving Li Dao Path's Daoist Grounds, Xu Changshou began muttering inwardly.

On closer consideration, there was something wrong with the task Li Dao Path had assigned him.

Something very wrong.

First, Li Dao Path had made it quite clear that his own clan was the imperial family of the Fire Mulberry Country. A genius with a variant spiritual root had awakened in his family, so he could simply go home himself and bring that person back.

Even if he had no time and needed someone else to go in his place, he could easily choose someone stronger.

After all, Xu Changshou was only at the ninth level of qi refining, and none of the new disciples from the last few intakes had been assigned to Green Ink Peak.

On Green Ink Peak, Xu Changshou's cultivation ranked dead last.

Anyone chosen at random would be stronger than him.

The most suspicious part was that the girl had awakened a variant spiritual root. There were only five kinds: wind, lightning, light, darkness, and ice.

Cultivators with variant spiritual roots had greater aptitude than those with a single spiritual root of the five elements.

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth-none of these single spiritual roots could compare to a variant spiritual root.

Such a genius would surely shine brilliantly in the sect someday.

As long as she did not perish, given time, she would surely become a formidable power in her own right.

Yet he was sending a ninth-level qi refining cultivator to fetch such an extraordinary genius. Was he not afraid something might happen along the way?

The more Xu Changshou thought about it, the more baffling it seemed.

When things strayed from the ordinary, something sinister had to be lurking behind them. No matter the circumstances, Li Dao Path should not have sent a minor qi refining cultivator like him to fetch her.

Then there had to be a plot behind it.

The deeper Xu Changshou thought, the more frightened he became. Could it be... Uncle-Master Li wants to harm me?

What should I do? Maybe I should run away...

Xu Changshou even considered fleeing, but on second thought, that would probably not work. If he ran, the sect would most likely issue a warrant for his arrest.

Forget it. I'll take things one step at a time.

Gritting his teeth, Xu Changshou boarded the Public Flying Boat and arrived at the Trading Hall on Steward Peak.

Before leaving, he needed to hurry and learn some spells. It was a last-minute scramble to clutch the Buddha's feet, but whether it helped or not, he would learn them first.

Apart from one's primary cultivation method, which was free, all other cultivation methods in the sect had to be purchased.

The Trading Hall had a counter dedicated to selling cultivation methods.

Xu Changshou walked over. The counter was manned by an elderly man in his eighties or nineties, at the qi refining twelfth layer.

The old man was very advanced in years and looked like someone who would soon lay down his arms and return to secular life.

"Senior Brother, I'd like to learn some spells. Do you have any recommendations?"

Xu Changshou knew nothing about spells, so he simply asked the old man manning the counter for advice.

The old man casually tossed him a Jade Slip and said, "The Complete Collection of Spells. One spirit stone. Any spell you want to learn is in there."

"Oh?"

Xu Changshou's eyes lit up. He immediately took out a spirit stone and bought the Complete Collection of Spells.

He pressed the Jade Slip to his forehead, and all sorts of spells flooded his mind:

Fireball Spell, Ice Sculpture Spell, Water Manipulation Spell, Earth Spirit Spell, Lightning Strike Spell...

The Jade Slip contained several dozen spells, but they were all basic ones with very limited offensive power.

In fact, in a magical duel between cultivators, they would have virtually no offensive power at all.

Of those dozens of spells, only the Lightning Strike Spell had any offensive power to speak of, and barely at that.

Xu Changshou gave the old man a disgruntled look, feeling that he had been cheated out of a spirit stone. "Senior Brother, do you have any spells with stronger offensive power?"

Indeed, Xu Changshou wanted to choose a spell with strong offensive power.

Ordinary cultivators mainly learned spells in three areas.

Attack, defense, and escape.

Xu Changshou had Earth Gang Talismans, Earth-Escape Talismans, Invisibility Talismans, Windwalking Talismans, and Flight Talismans.

His escape and defense were essentially covered. No one below foundation establishment could hurt him.

As for offense, the strongest offensive talisman he could currently draw was the Sharp Gold Talisman.

It could rival an all-out strike from a cultivator at the peak of qi refining, but its offensive power fell far short of the Thunderstorm Talisman. Xu Changshou found it somewhat unsatisfactory.

That was why he wanted to learn a spell with strong offensive power.

The old man's eyes widened at his words. "You're merely a lowly qi refining cultivator. How could you practice any powerful spells? Still, there are some techniques that can strengthen your attacks, but they require weapons."

The old man was right. Qi refining cultivators could only practice basic spells. Even if they had advanced spells, they could not master them.

"Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

"Come in and choose for yourself."

The old man opened the counter gate and let Xu Changshou enter.

Behind the counter were rows of square compartments, each containing anywhere from a dozen to several dozen Jade Slips.

The old man pointed to one of the compartments. "The stronger offensive techniques are all here. Choose for yourself."

Xu Changshou walked over and began examining them one by one:

"Thirteen Forms of the Golden Spear": suitable for metal spiritual roots. Mastered to the utmost, it could easily slaughter cultivators of the same level.

"Returning Blade": suitable for darkness spiritual roots...

"Primordial Staff Technique": wood spiritual roots...

"Yin-Yang Blade": water and fire spiritual roots...

"Five Elements Sword": five elements attribute spiritual roots...