Following their brief exchange beneath the silver light of the crescent moon, Wan Lihan and Elder Xue Qing warmly took their leave, neither probing deeper into the other's hidden presence.
Lihan returned to his private supervisor quarters on foot, immediately dropping into a cross-legged meditative stance to continuously cultivate and stabilize his new 8th Layer Qi Cleansing pathways until the morning sun broke through the windows. Once dawn arrived, he stepped out to the courtyard plaza to distribute the new daily ledger of contracts.
The dreaded Level 2 water-carrying scroll sat at the center of the table. Remembering his own grueling labor, Lihan addressed the 19 outer disciples with a flat, neutral tone. "Is there anyone willing to take the pond mission today? You do not have to endure it alone. You can tackle it as a group since there are a lot of you guys. Even the cleaning team has a large number of hands."
Hearing his logical suggestion, Chu Tang and Rou Zhou stepped forward, their faces hardened with resolve. "We will take the mission, sinior Lihan. We need to push our limits to breakthrough to our next layers anyway."
Suddenly, a lean outer disciple stepped out from the ranks, offering a respectful bow. "My name is Tang Ren. Can I join your group to assist with the water hauling?"
Chu Tang and Rou Zhou readily accepted Tang Ren into their unit. Lihan handed them the metal execution tokens, his voice dropping into a calm whisper. "Do not worry. Unlike before, there is no strict time limit under my watch. Just do what you can handle, and take a rest sometimes too."
The three disciples bowed and descended the mountain trails on foot to begin their task. With the courtyard clear, Lihan stepped into his supervisor office, setting up his bronze refining furnace to methodically brew a fresh, abundant batch of healing pills to restock his empty pouches.
Stolen novel; please report.
Once the pills were packed, a goal locked inside his mind: I need to harvest enough resources to breakthrough to the 8th Layer of Qi Cleansing.
He immediately claimed a high-stakes Level 5 hunting contract, goes down the mountain crags on foot, and navigated deep into the jagged, wild side of the peaks. Peering through the dense foliage, his sharp eyes locked onto a lethal target—a stray Low Tier Bone Tiger. Its skeletal structure had already begun to harden, making it a terrifying predator for any normal outer student.
I can drop this beast using my hidden tools, Lihan calculated coldly.
Reaching into his vest, he whipped out his blowpipe, rapidly launching a barrage of ten venomous projectiles toward the monster's flank. The execution was devastating. While seven of the tips were deflected harmlessly by the tiger's dense physical hide, exactly three poison darts hit their mark, driving deep into its flesh. The paralyzing rogue toxins acted instantly, forcing the massive predator down onto its knees.
Seizing the absolute advantage, Lihan surged forward, drawing his Poison Sword. Because the steel was caked in lethal venom, the duel required far less effort than a standard clash. The Low Tier Bone Tiger was quickly driven to its last legs, and with one final, precise strike from Lihan's sword, the beast collapsed dead into the mud.
Lihan methodically harvested the valuable fangs and the heavy pelt, but he didn't head back to the sect yet. He pushed deeper into the unknown valleys to locate his next prize, eventually spotting a rare Low Tier Flash Rabbit darting through the brush. The creature's agility was immense; Lihan’s current physical running speed was still not enough to outmatch its evasive bursts.
Adapting instantly, Lihan pulled out his newly drawn Level 1 Protection Array Talisman. He slapped the paper onto a narrow dirt path, creating a localized spiritual trap. The moment the rabbit sprinted across the coordinate, the array flared to life, trapping the creature within an invisible boundary. Lihan stepped forward, easily executing the cornered beast and harvesting its valuable components.
Returning to the main hubs of the Xinwu Sect on foot, Lihan walked straight into the grand Mission Report Hall. He placed his high-grade harvests across the elder's counter, exchanging the pristine hides, fangs, and cores for the sect's official spirit.
Lihan received a sum of 150 Spirit Stones, he now have currency for this cultivation world.