Now that Ming Ze had officially become his subordinate, Yuan began implementing a few changes. First and foremost, he planned to transform Breezy Meat Restaurant into Breezy Tea House. The reason was simple,Ming Ze's tea was far superior to the food. After all, his tea was potent enough to induce enlightenment, something that even high-level cultivators would covet.
However, shifting to a tea house meant higher costs. Tea was not a common commodity; it was a luxury item. While they could sell ordinary tea at a lower price, this was a cultivation sect,only spiritual tea held real value. The good news was that there were no existing businesses in the entire Howling Wind Branch Sect that specialized in spiritual tea. That meant Yuan had found an untapped market.
Though he had already considered this plan before, the issue remained,his 100 merit points were simply too little to start such a business. So, Yuan decided that he would first complete sect missions to accumulate enough merit points before slowly building a profitable tea business. His primary target customers would be inner sect and core sect disciples, as they would willingly pay for high-quality spiritual tea to calm their minds and enhance their focus for cultivation.
Once the business became stable, Yuan would begin investing in Ming Ze's cultivation resources, ensuring that his subordinate could advance to the Inner Sect and, eventually, the Core Sect. By that time, Yuan himself would remain low key as an Inner Sect disciple, quietly taking a share of the cultivation resources that Ming Ze earned.
Reaching the Peak of the Meridian Awakened StagePlunder the entire Seven Peak Mist Mountain's resourcesUse those resources to break through to the Bone Forging StageLeave the Howling Wind Sect and enter another Human Domain
This was his hundred year plan. If it took any longer than that, it would mean failure. Yuan had calculated his ideal growth rate, and by the age of 120, he planned to reach the Marrow Essence Stage. If he failed, he might only reach that stage by 180, an unacceptable waste of time.
Wasting 50 extra years just to reach the Marrow Essence Stage would completely derail his ambitions. Time was the most valuable resource in cultivation, and he had no intention of squandering it.
If anyone had heard Yuan's ambitious goal of reaching the Marrow Essence Stage before the age of 150, they would have called him insane. In the cultivation world, reaching the Marrow Essence Stage by 150 or 180 years old was already considered the mark of a genius, provided one cultivated diligently.
But 120 years old? That was a feat only achieved by the most elite geniuses of the highest-ranking sects and clans. Even within those powerful forces, reaching the Marrow Essence Stage at 120 was extremely rare, reserved for monsters of cultivation,the kind that would one day shake the world.
Yet, for Yuan, it was not just a goal,it was a necessity.
As these thoughts settled in his mind, Yuan found himself already seated on his bed in his cultivation cave. His gaze sharpened with determination as he muttered to himself,
"I should take the mission."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"I need merit points. Without them, nothing will move forward. If I take this mission, I can also roam around a bit. There's no reason to refuse it."
Yuan slowly pulled up the sleeve of his robe, revealing a wooden stick, its surface engraved with simple, yet intricate runes.
This was the hidden weapon he had crafted against Old Man Viktor. A one time-use artifact designed to temporarily let him harness the surrounding spiritual essence, storing it within the wooden stick before releasing a powerful blast, launching him out of an enemy's attack range.
Had he truly fought against Old Man Viktor, this would have been his trump card,a tool to create distance, then follow up with a surprise counterattack using the Azure Basilisk Flames.
It was something he had painstakingly crafted before leaving the Barony of Icen.
Yet now... it was useless.
"In the end, he just poisoned me," Yuan muttered, his tone tinged with frustration.
A weapon that was never used, a plan that never came to fruition.
This wooden stick,his escape route, his countermeasure, his safety net,was now nothing more than a useless tool collecting dust in his possession.
Perhaps he could sell it for ten merit points, but even that was too little to be worth the effort.
Instead, it would simply stay in his cave, forgotten.
Yuan let out a deep sigh, his fingers tracing the runes on the wooden stick.
"Haa..."
An entire week of work.A carefully thought-out plan.And yet, in the end, it was never needed.
A sad fate for a tool that was meant to save his life.
Though he could modify it, upgrade its runes, and make it more complex, what was the point?
For the current him, it had no real use.
But with that final thought about the wooden stick artifact, Yuan set aside his musings and focused entirely on mastering the Howling Gale Steps. His determination paid off, and by the time the next day arrived, he had finally perfected the movement technique.
Today was the day of the mission that Li Yun had recommended to him.
Rising early, Yuan made his way toward the Mission Hall, arriving before most inner disciples. As he stepped into the building, the hall was relatively quiet, with only a handful of cultivators moving about.
Walking up to the mission desk, he found himself face-to-face with a female outer disciple receptionist. She had an ordinary appearance, her expression neutral as she handled her tasks.
Yuan greeted her with a polite smile."Hello, Junior. I'm here under the recommendation of Senior Brother Yun. He mentioned that a new mission would be posted today for inner disciples,one that was originally classified as an outer disciple mission."
Upon hearing his request, the receptionist's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
After all, everyone in the Mission Hall knew how dangerous this particular mission was.
Still, she didn't say anything to dissuade him. Instead, she simply nodded and replied,"Yes, Senior is correct. I know which mission you're referring to. Please give me a moment,I'll retrieve the full mission details for you."
With that, she disappeared into the back room, leaving Yuan to wait.
It only took five minutes before she returned, holding a stack of mission description papers. Handing them over to Yuan, she spoke professionally,
"Please review the mission details first, Senior. Once you've read them, return to me, and I will register your name as the accepted participant."
Yuan nodded, taking the papers from her hands before making his way toward a nearby set of chairs.
Settling into his seat, he began to read through the mission details carefully.
Mission Details
Mission: Eliminate the unknown demonic beast in the Thirty Mist Plants Forest
Mission Grade: Unknown
Mission Reward: 1,000 Merit Points
Mission Description:
A powerful demonic beast has been attacking one of the villages near the Thirty Mist Plants Forest.The creature has killed 20% of the village's population and has already taken the lives of multiple sect disciples.
Five unofficial outer disciples (Second to Third Mortal Awakening Stage) were slain.Three official outer disciples (Peak Mortal Awakening Stage) were also killed.
The cause of death of the disciples is unknown, as their bodies were found torn apart, but no clear battle traces were left.
The demonic beast resides within the Dorn Plant Region of the Thirty Mist Plants Forest.The only confirmed information about the creature is that it has a snake-like form and is believed to be fully matured.
As Yuan's eyes skimmed over the final line, his brows furrowed slightly.
"...A snake like beast?"
He tapped the edge of the mission papers with his finger, his thoughts already running deep.
Missions typically had clear difficulty classifications.The fact that this mission lacked one meant that the sect was uncertain about its true danger level.
Losing eight disciples in total was not a minor issue.The fact that even peak Mortal Awakening Stage cultivators were killed indicated that this beast was far above that level.
Unclear Battle Traces
This was the most concerning factor.If the bodies were shredded apart but with no clear battle marks, then... was this beast capable of killing swiftly, leaving no chance to fight back?
Yuan had seen countless snakes in Basilisk's memories, and there were various types of demonic serpents.Some were poisonous, others had incredible strength, and some could manipulate spiritual essence.The fact that the sect knew nothing about this beast aside from its shape made it even more suspicious.
As Yuan absorbed all this information, a small smirk played at his lips.
"Interesting..."
With a decisive nod, Yuan stood up, the mission papers still in hand.
With 1,000 merit points, Yuan could at least make a few initial purchases to start the tea house. However, he estimated that he would need at least 2,500 merit points to properly establish the business. For now, though, that plan would have to wait.
Setting aside those thoughts, Yuan stood up and walked back to the mission desk. Handing the mission papers to the female receptionist, he spoke firmly,
"I will accept the mission."
The receptionist's expression stiffened for a moment. An unknown mission?
For most disciples, this would be an obvious risk to avoid, yet here was someone taking it without hesitation.
Still, she maintained her professional demeanor and simply smiled.
"Understood, Senior. Please provide your identification slate."
Yuan retrieved the slate from his sleeve and placed it on the counter. The receptionist took it and quickly registered his name for the mission, her hands moving with practiced efficiency. After a brief moment, she returned the slate to him.
Along with it, she handed over a permission slip,a required document allowing him to leave the sect for the mission.
Yuan glanced at the permission slip, scanning its contents. It simply granted him authorization to leave the sect for one month,nothing more, nothing less. With that confirmation, he put it away and headed back to his cultivation cave.
Once inside, he sat cross-legged on his bed, deciding that he would rest for a full day before departing for the Thirty Mist Plants Forest.
The Next Day
As the sun rose once again, Yuan awoke, feeling refreshed. Without wasting time, he gathered enough food pills to sustain himself for the entire month. Since the sect had already permitted him to leave for such a duration, he made sure to prepare accordingly.
His next destination was Li Yun's cave, located on the third floor of the sect's mountain. However, upon arrival, he learned that Li Yun was currently in seclusion, making a meeting impossible.
Shrugging it off, Yuan then headed toward the Outer Disciple Market, where Ming Ze was stationed. Since Ming Ze was now working under him, Yuan decided it was only right to inform him of his departure.
Upon seeing Yuan, Ming Ze greeted him and listened carefully to his announcement.
Hearing that Yuan would be leaving for a mission, Ming Ze simply nodded and said,
"I wish you success, Senior Yuan. Return safely."
With that, Yuan left the Outer Disciple Market and made his way toward the southern gate of the Howling Wind Sect.
The Thirty Mist Plants Forest was located in the southern region, making the south gate his natural exit.
Upon arriving, Yuan was stopped by two outer disciple guards, who requested to see his leave permission. He handed them the document, and after a brief inspection, they stepped aside, granting him passage.
For the first time, Yuan stepped outside the sect's walls, finally witnessing how the sect looked from the outside.
Although a large wall surrounded the sect, the towering mountain of the Howling Wind Sect remained visible, standing as an unshakable landmark in the vast landscape. Everything beyond the walls, however, remained obscured from view.
But Yuan didn't linger, nor did he waste time marveling at the scenery.
Instead, he set off toward the Thirty Mist Plants Forest, his destination clear,to hunt down the unknown demonic beast.