"Of course, not just anything qualifies as a mission. All three types of tasks share one prerequisite: defending the righteous path."
"As luck would have it, Brother Man Gu found a task well suited for us. It would be difficult for him to finish alone, so that's why he called the two of us along."
Man Gu nodded without saying much, truly carrying the modest demeanor of a refined gentleman.
"Then when do we set out?" Lu Yang asked.
"How about early tomorrow morning?" Meng Jingzhou suggested.
That suited Lu Yang perfectly. He wanted to visit the Mission Hall to redeem a few items before departing; having contribution points sitting idle in his hands made him itch to spend them.
...
"Iced Gourd: The water inside rapidly cools to deliver maximum refreshment. An unmatched choice for cold water enthusiasts. Three contribution points."
"Multifunctional Folding Knife: Features an ear pick, nail clippers, marker, compass, and more. A wilderness travel essential. Ten contribution points."
"Pagoda Dragon Blood Saber: Formerly the magical treasure of a demonic cultivator. Bloodlust stimulated by dragon blood, its ferocity suppressed by Buddhist pagoda arts; hacking men and cleaving bone as easily as reaching into a pocket. The saber's demonic aura has now been thoroughly purged and its ferocity completely suppressed, though its sharpness has slightly diminished. Price: three hundred contribution points."
"Maha Heart Method (Fragment): The remnant heart method left behind by an ascetic monk after self-immolation, suspected to be his original creation. The authentic original can no longer be verified. This fragment can subdue mental restlessness and enable swift meditation. Price: one thousand five hundred contribution points."
After browsing several items and finding none to his liking, Lu Yang approached the senior brother on duty.
"Senior Brother, this junior brother is heading out for practical experience tomorrow and would like to purchase some self-defense gear. Do you have any recommendations?"
The senior brother was tall and burly, his face covered in tough, bristling flesh ferocious enough to silence crying children—at a glance, he looked exactly like the sort of villain a righteous hero would weed out.
The senior brother swept his gaze over Lu Yang, found him unfamiliar, and immediately realized he was a newly recruited junior brother.
Thinking that someone could finally call him "Senior Brother," his expression softened somewhat.
After so many years, he was finally no longer at the very bottom of the disciple hierarchy!
"How many contribution points and spirit stones are you planning to spend?"
"Three hundred contribution points. No spirit stones."
"My surname is Li, given name Dan. You can call me Senior Brother Li. You're in the early Foundation Establishment stage, so the items you can use aren't very high-grade, nor will they cost too many points."
Though Li Dan looked fierce, he was actually a very warmhearted fellow.
Senior Brother Li skillfully swiped through the redemption board and introduced various protective equipment. "Hundred Battles Heart-Protecting Mirror: Worn over the chest, capable of withstanding a single full-power strike from the peak Foundation Establishment stage. Only two hundred contribution points."
Just as Lu Yang was weighing whether to buy one for self-preservation, he heard a timid voice say, "Ju-Junior Brother Lu, you actually don't need to buy a chest mirror here. The flatbread from the cafeteria can also withstand a full-power strike from the peak Foundation Establishment stage, and it's cheaper than this."
The voice grew quieter and quieter until it was barely louder than the buzz of a mosquito's wings. Had Lu Yang not already reached the Foundation Establishment stage with heightened senses, he might not have heard it at all.
"Senior Sister Zhou Lulu?" Lu Yang was surprised; he had not expected to run into Senior Sister Zhou Lulu here.
During his first month after entering the Dao Seeking Sect, he had practically lived in the Scripture Pavilion, asking Senior Sister Zhou Lulu whenever he ran into something he didn't understand. After Yun Zhi confined him to Tianmen Peak for cultivation, he hadn't seen her again; in the blink of an eye, a whole year had passed.
"Senior Sister." Senior Brother Li Dan was only one term above Lu Yang, so he had to address Zhou Lulu as Senior Sister.
"Ye-yes, it's me." Zhou Lulu's nervousness was visibly apparent when she spoke. She had just finished a mission and came to redeem her reward, bumping into Lu Yang by chance.
"K-keep looking, you two. I... I was just making a small suggestion, nothing else." Shrinking under their gazes, Zhou Lulu backed away to lower her presence, intending to redeem her reward only after Lu Yang finished.
Neither of them paid any further attention to Zhou Lulu.
"This is the Mountain Smashing Mallet. Striking down with it produces a shockwave effect that disrupts an opponent's rhythm in laying formations and drawing talismans. It offers some counter-effectiveness against formation cultivators and talisman cultivators. However, cultivators truly proficient in formations and runes possess steadfast minds and remain calm in peril, able to readjust their tempo even when disrupted, so the mallet's effectiveness drops significantly against them. Two hundred and seventy contribution points."
Lu Yang nodded. This was also a good item; there was a chance he might encounter formation cultivators or talisman cultivators as opponents.
Against anyone other than cultivators who had immersed themselves in formations and runes for decades, the Mountain Smashing Mallet would work.
From the side, Senior Sister Zhou Lulu muttered quietly again, "The fried dough sticks from the cafeteria have pretty much the same effect."
The two acted as if they hadn't heard.
"Senior Brother Li, do we have any of those little gadgets for ambushing someone?"
Senior Brother Li's face turned stern. "Junior Brother, do you know that the Dao Seeking Sect is a righteous, orthodox sect?"
"And so?"
"You have to ask that question quietly."
Lu Yang uttered an "Oh."
Senior Brother Li pressed his finger against the board and swiped down vigorously, sending item descriptions whizzing past. Timing it just right, he tapped the screen and continued introducing: "These are Broken Jade Needles. Fine as ox hair, exceedingly sharp once imbued with spiritual energy, capable of piercing through protective barriers. However, they're difficult to master, requiring ample practice, and they aren't cheap."
"These are Strange Gate Spikes. When facing a powerful foe, catch them off guard, grab a handful, and fling them at their seven orifices to seize victory by surprise. Easy to handle and reasonably priced."
Lu Yang nodded. These really weren't expensive; one could even say they offered exceptional value for the price.
"The cafeteria's cooked rice works better than this," Senior Sister Zhou Lulu piped up from the side.
Senior Brother Li Dan could no longer endure Senior Sister Zhou Lulu's quiet mutterings. He spun around abruptly, giving Zhou Lulu quite a fright.
Zhou Lulu lowered her head, not daring to meet the fierce gaze of the flesh-creased Li Dan. She hadn't meant to cause trouble, but the items from the cafeteria truly worked well. She had wanted to recommend them directly to Lu Yang, yet felt too embarrassed.
Seeing Zhou Lulu like this, Li Dan knew she harbored no ill intent, and his tone unconsciously softened. "Senior Sister Zhou, I know you're from Hundred Refinements Peak, but you can't go harming our newly arrived junior brother just to drum up business for Hundred Refinements Peak!"
"Besides, think about it, Junior Brother Lu: aside from being cheap, high-quality, sturdy, durable, versatile, and usable as both weapons and food, what good are the cafeteria's meals?"
Lu Yang: "..."
Weren't those benefits more than enough already?!
Li Dan thought about it for a moment. It seemed that aside from their shapes being unsuited for combat, the cafeteria's food genuinely had no flaws.
"How about you take Junior Brother Lu over to the cafeteria for a look around, Senior Sister Zhou?"
Zhou Lulu's eyes lit up, and she promptly pulled Lu Yang along toward the cafeteria.
Lu Yang discovered that Senior Sister Zhou possessed terrifying hand strength; he couldn't break free in the slightest, leaving him wondering what cultivation realm she had actually reached.
"Senior Sister Zhou, you're from Hundred Refinements Peak?"
Hundred Refinements Peak under the Fifth Elder handled dual functions: artifact crafting and the cafeteria. Most of the time, those two functions were one and the same.
Zhou Lulu replied, "That's right, I'm a disciple of Hundred Refinements Peak."
"Yet I often saw you reading in the Scripture Pavilion, and none of what you read was about artifact crafting?"
Lu Yang couldn't help feeling puzzled. Shouldn't disciples of Hundred Refinements Peak be studying artifact crafting?
Chapter 39