S-Rank Mission

Inside the Mission Hall...

Looking at the bustling hall before them, Luo Xiaotian and Xu Xuan stepped inside.

"Senior Brother Luo, what mission have you come to take this time?"

The moment he spotted Luo Xiaotian, the disciple in charge of the Mission Hall hurried over with a welcoming smile.

Who hadn't heard of the number one disciple of the inner sect?

"This is my brother, Xu Xuan. He's here to take a mission. Make sure you assign him something easy."

Luo Xiaotian found a stool and sat down like he owned the place.

"Xu Xuan?"

The disciple froze briefly. The name sounded familiar, but he didn't dwell on it. He hurried respectfully to Xu Xuan's side. "Senior Brother, please state your cultivation level and show your identity token."

Xu Xuan thought nothing of it. He simply took the token identifying him from his robes, then said calmly, "First heaven of the Heavenly Abode Realm."

"You're Mo Tianji's disciple?"

The disciple glanced at it and cried out in surprise. He knew perfectly well that the man before him was the one who had offended Ouyang Quede!

Ouyang Quede was responsible for assigning missions here. The reason he had so many disciples was that anyone who took him as their master could receive easy missions with enormous benefits.

"All right. S-Rank Mission: bandit extermination. The bandits are in Black Dragon Town in the Black Dragon Empire. They've abducted all the young women in town. You have one month to wipe out every bandit and rescue the abducted women."

"Mission reward: ten thousand mission points."

The disciple quickly registered the assignment, then returned the token to Xu Xuan.

"The Black Dragon Empire?"

This was the first time Xu Xuan had heard that name. He had no idea what it meant.

"What the hell?"

Hearing this, Luo Xiaotian immediately refused to stand for it.

He reached out and grabbed the disciple in the Mission Hall.

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?"

"If he goes, he'll have one chance in ten of surviving! This isn't a mission just anyone can handle. Don't think I haven't looked into it. Those bandits are all vicious fiends, every last one of them, and their leader is at the peak of the Heavenly Abode Realm! Do you have a death wish?"

Luo Xiaotian roared, glaring fiercely at the disciple.

This could be called the hardest of all the S-Rank Missions. Usually, only those in the Purple Mansion Realm would choose to accept it.

"Well, Senior Brother Luo, I don't want to do this either, but..."

The thought of Ouyang Quede instantly took the wind out of his sails.

"Heh, fine! I'll go with him. If anything happens to him, I'll take your life!"

For Luo Xiaotian, who had never had any friends, Xu Xuan was his only friend!

If his one and only friend lost his life on a mission, the loss would far outweigh the gain.

Xu Xuan stared blankly at Luo Xiaotian from beside him. Looking at this guileless, portly fellow, he felt his eyes redden slightly, though he couldn't say why.

"Let's go. I'll take you to the Black Dragon Empire!"

Luo Xiaotian spoke.

In the western reaches of Grand Mystic Dao Province stood a powerful empire known as the Black Dragon Empire.

The Black Dragon Empire's territory was vast. Viewed from above, it stretched beyond the eye's reach, boundless and immense!

The Black Dragon Empire encompassed seven great mountain ranges and five great river regions. Its overall strength was no weaker than that of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace.

However, the Black Dragon Empire was warlike. Even before securing peace within its own borders, it was always looking to wage war abroad and expand its territory!

The Black Dragon Empire harbored considerable ambitions. Every neighboring country had either been swallowed up or reduced to one of its vassal states.

Across those lands, only the Black Dragon Empire remained.

Three days later, a spirit ship sailed slowly through the sky. Standing at its bow were Luo Xiaotian and Xu Xuan!

"This is the Black Dragon Empire."

Luo Xiaotian suddenly raised his head and straightened his chest. His bearing changed drastically, and the distinctive aura of someone accustomed to authority spread from him!

Xu Xuan kept getting the feeling that Luo Xiaotian's background was anything but ordinary.

"Luo Xiaotian, Black Dragon Town is just ahead. Let's go."

"Mm."

Luo Xiaotian nodded lightly and steered the spirit ship forward.

At the bow, an enormous character meaning "black" stood out glaringly.

Inside Black Dragon Town.

The mayor was looking out through his window. Someone from the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace had accepted the mission and could help them deal with the bandits and rescue the town's women.

"Holy shit, someone from the imperial family is here?"

The mayor suddenly swore. Following his gaze, one could see Luo Xiaotian standing at the ship's bow nearby, where an enormous character meaning "black" had been engraved, standing out glaringly.

This was a spirit ship that symbolized the imperial family!

"Everyone, come with me outside town to welcome the members of the imperial family!"

At the mayor's shout, everyone in Black Dragon Town sprang into action.

Soon, the spirit ship flew into Black Dragon Town and slowly came to a stop beneath everyone's respectful gazes.

"Let's go."

Luo Xiaotian and Xu Xuan leaped down. Luo Xiaotian then put away the spirit ship before turning to the mayor before him.

The mayor of Black Dragon Town had a somewhat graying beard. Although he was only in his forties, he already bore all the weathered weariness of an old man.

"Hu Lie, mayor of Black Dragon Town, pays his respects to you, my lord!"

Hu Lie hurriedly bowed, while the other townspeople dropped to their knees.

Although they didn't know Luo Xiaotian's exact status, they recognized that spirit ship. Only members of the imperial family or those who had rendered it great service could possess such a vessel.

"Mayor Hu, I've been assigned by the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace to help you exterminate the bandits. My name is Luo Xiaotian, and this is my fellow disciple, Xu Xuan."

Luo Xiaotian explained calmly, then gently waved his hand. "Have them all get up. Right now, I'm merely a disciple of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace."

Luo was the imperial surname in the Black Dragon Empire, so Luo Xiaotian's identity was all but apparent.

"Yes."

Mayor Hu looked nervous. He had never imagined that the person who accepted the mission would actually be a member of the Black Dragon Empire's imperial family.

"Mayor Hu, could you first tell us when this happened?" Xu Xuan asked. Those bandits were certainly no good. The sooner he got rid of them, the sooner he could return.

"May I ask what cultivation levels you two have reached?"

"Seventh heaven of the Heavenly Abode Realm, and first heaven of the Heavenly Abode Realm."

"It's over..."

Mayor Hu's expression changed, and he slapped his forehead. "You two are being foolish! That bandit chief has cultivation at the peak of the Heavenly Abode Realm. We've asked people to subdue them before, but even when we sent a senior at the ninth heaven of the Heavenly Mansion, his head was thrown back to us seven days later. His death was horribly gruesome!"

"Please go back, both of you. I truly cannot let you lose your lives over this. You're so young, yet you've already reached the Heavenly Abode Realm. I simply couldn't bear it!"

Hu Lie's heartfelt words made Xu Xuan resolve to help them see this through.

While aboard the spirit ship, Xu Xuan had already learned Heaven-Burning.