Alaric Ye opened his mouth wide, and Little Strong promptly placed the century-old wild ginseng into it. A series of crunching sounds followed, and then a gulp. The century-old wild ginseng, whose owner was unknown, was swallowed by Alaric.

A century-old wild ginseng was worth about two spirit stones. Consuming it directly could strengthen the body and improve constitution, making it a highly beneficial item. In the mortal world, it was used to sustain life, while cultivators typically used it to refine pills.

Normally, only some inner disciples could afford to cook with century-old wild ginseng.

It seemed Little Strong had visited an inner disciple who was at odds with Zachary Song.

Therefore, Alaric felt no psychological burden eating the treasure Little Strong had stolen.

After soaking in the bath, Alaric changed into the mid-grade robe exclusively for outer disciples of the Top Xuan Sect. In a good mood, he was about to return to his cultivation when a flash of spiritual light streaked across the sky. Soon, a white Thousand Paper Crane flew to Alaric and spoke.

"Senior outer disciple Alaric Ye of Spirit Beast Peak, a sect mission has been assigned to you. Report to the Mission Hall at Top Xuan Peak immediately. The mission is urgent and must not be delayed!"

Alaric was momentarily stunned.

"I didn't expect to be assigned a mission so soon after becoming an outer disciple. It seems the mortal world is quite unsettled lately."

From what Alaric knew, outer disciples of the Top Xuan Sect were usually very leisurely. It was rare to be assigned a mission, and even going to the Mission Hall to volunteer for one might result in nothing.

Little White poked her head out of the water. "Finally, a chance to go down the mountain. It's been over a year since I last went outside."

Then, Little White's large body quickly shrank, eventually transforming into a white jade bracelet that wrapped around Alaric's wrist.

Nowadays, Little White had mastered the art of transformation, making it difficult even for powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators to recognize her true form.

Little Strong also raised his large pincers in celebration.

"We're going out! We're going out!"

Then his body quickly shrank to the size of a regular cockroach and crawled into Alaric's sleeve.

As for Little Blue, instead of shrinking, he expanded to the size of a millstone. Alaric lightly leaped onto his shell, and with a buzzing of wings, Little Blue carried Alaric into the sky, disappearing from sight.

According to the sect rules of the Top Xuan Sect, outer disciples must leave the sect at least once every three months to complete a sect mission. For urgent missions, they must follow orders immediately.

Clearly, the mission assigned to Alaric was urgent!

The mission content mostly involved descending to the mortal world to slay demons and protect the people of the Great Xuan Dynasty, which was why the common folk revered the disciples of the Top Xuan Sect as deities.

In the clouds, Little Blue's speed even surpassed that of many passing Celestial Cranes.

Although Little Blue couldn't speak yet, his strength had vastly improved over the past year. He had already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining and was close to the sixth, advancing much faster than Alaric.

Alaric was currently only at the third level of Qi Refining, mainly because he had spent most of his time cultivating the Five Elements Vajra Technique and the Five Elements Primordial Art to solidify his foundation.

Spirit insects, on the other hand, followed the path of demons, gaining powerful mana and physical strength by advancing their realms without needing to cultivate various mental and martial techniques.

Of course, the rapid growth of spirit insects was unique to those raised by Alaric. Other people's spirit beasts and insects grew much slower.

Before long, Alaric arrived at the bustling Mission Hall. He presented his identity token to the senior brother working there.

"I am Alaric Ye, senior outer disciple of Spirit Beast Peak. I just received a message from a Thousand Paper Crane and have come to execute the sect mission!"

After verifying the identity token, the senior brother said, "Junior Brother Ye, please proceed to the third mission hall on the fifth floor. The members for this mission are gathering there, and the steward will inform you of the mission details."

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"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Alaric bowed slightly and ascended the stairs of the Mission Hall.

By this time, Little Blue had also shrunk and slipped into Alaric's robe.

Soon, Alaric reached the third mission hall on the fifth floor. Upon entering, he found over ten Top Xuan Sect cultivators meditating inside. Most were outer disciples at the third, fourth, or fifth levels of Qi Refining, with two inner disciples whose powerful auras indicated they were beyond the sixth level of Qi Refining.

The room was silent. The cultivators glanced at Alaric briefly before closing their eyes to continue their breathing exercises. Alaric found a corner and sat down.

It had been over a year since Alaric's last major fight outside the Skill Transference Pavilion. Since then, he had kept a low profile, focusing on his cultivation. Most cultivators in the Top Xuan Sect no longer paid attention to him.

"This mission involves quite a few people, even inner disciples. It seems significant!"

Before long, seven more outer disciples arrived, bringing the total to twenty.

Then, a Foundation Establishment steward in a blue robe entered quickly. Everyone stood and cupped their fists in greeting, "Greetings, Steward."

The steward of the Mission Hall was an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, his age indeterminate, his gaze deep and steady.

"I will now assign your mission."

"Recently, in a small border town in Baiyun County, mortals have been disappearing mysteriously in their sleep. Over twenty people have vanished in half a month, and even two outer disciples sent to investigate have lost contact with the sect!"

"We suspect a powerful demon or evil spirit is causing the trouble. Your mission has two main objectives: first, identify and eliminate the threat if possible. If not, report back to the sect immediately. Second, find out what happened to the missing disciples. Rescue them if they're alive, and bring back their belongings if they're dead."

"Completing this mission will earn outer disciples 100 contribution points and the two leading inner disciples 200 contribution points. The mission is urgent, with mortals disappearing daily. You must act quickly and without error!"

Everyone responded in unison, "Understood!"

The steward then handed each person a mission jade slip containing detailed information about the mission and a map of the area within a 500-mile radius of the mission site.

Alaric glanced at it briefly.

The mission site was a border town called Paoma Town, 1,600 miles from the Top Xuan Sect. The town was named for its tradition of horse breeding, with generations of residents making their living from it.

After giving the mission details, the steward left without further words. The room's atmosphere was tense.

This mission was clearly very dangerous. The previous outer disciples sent to investigate had already disappeared, likely dead. If they weren't careful, they could be the next "missing" ones.

A middle-aged inner disciple spoke up, "I've carried out many dangerous missions. Before we set out, we need to establish some strict rules!"

Another inner disciple, a female, cupped her fists to the male disciple. "Senior Brother Zhou has extensive experience with dangerous missions. I am willing to follow his lead."

Everyone else also cupped their fists to the inner disciple named Zhou. "We are willing to follow Senior Brother Zhou's lead!"

Alaric followed suit.

It turned out that Senior Brother Zhou, whose full name was Zhou Yuan, was known as a mission fanatic among the inner disciples. He was either on a mission or on his way to one. Although his cultivation wasn't outstanding, he was quite famous. Alaric, who kept a low profile, wasn't aware of this, but seeing everyone's trust in Zhou, he couldn't be an exception.

Alaric had no experience with dangerous missions, so having an experienced leader would make the mission much safer. Perhaps the Mission Hall had considered this when assigning Zhou as the leader.

Alaric observed Zhou Yuan closely. He had graying temples, a resolute gaze, and a steady demeanor, indicating he was a middle-aged cultivator who had likely been in the Top Xuan Sect for decades.

Reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining in several decades indicated very ordinary cultivation talent, likely due to having a low-grade spiritual root.

Zhou Yuan cupped his fists to everyone. "Thank you for your trust. I, Zhou Yuan, will do my utmost to complete the sect mission and bring everyone back safely!"

He continued, "We don't yet know the specifics of the situation in Paoma Town. The known demon operates in the dark of night, so once we arrive, we must remain vigilant at all times, avoiding sleep and cultivation."

"Additionally, even for investigation tasks, we must maintain groups of at least ten. During the mission, we must stay together, maintain a safe distance, and be ready to support each other. Remember, never act alone!"

"Does anyone have any other suggestions or opinions?"

Everyone remained silent, indicating no further suggestions.

Even the usually cautious Alaric felt a sense of admiration for Zhou Yuan after hearing his plan.

Zhou Yuan said, "Since there are no objections, let's head to the Flying Boat Hall. According to sect rules, groups of twenty or more disciples can request a flying boat for missions. Given our varying strengths and flying abilities, using a flying boat will allow us to reach the mission site faster."

"Most importantly, the flying boat has defensive formations. In case of emergency, we can retreat to the flying boat and await support from the sect or other righteous cultivators!"

Alaric silently noted the various mission tips and techniques Zhou Yuan shared.

With demons rampant, both the mortal and cultivation worlds were unstable. Once one became an outer or inner disciple, missions would likely be frequent. Learning as much as possible would increase the chances of completing missions and surviving.

Fortunately, Alaric felt he had developed some self-preservation skills over the past year. Otherwise, he would be the most fearful person on this dangerous mission.

In truth, Alaric was very afraid of death.

He observed his fellow team members and noticed most had serious expressions, clearly anxious.

However, the Top Xuan Sect's mission assignments were mandatory. As long as they complied with sect rules, disciples had no right to refuse.

Slaying demons and protecting mortals was the fundamental duty of every righteous disciple. Over countless years, many righteous cultivators had turned to dust fulfilling this duty.

Now, Alaric bore this responsibility.

The sect rules of the three major righteous sects included a provision: witnessing mortals harmed by demons without intervening, despite having the ability, was a grave offense, punishable by several years of confinement or expulsion from the sect.

Soon, Alaric and his team flew to the Flying Boat Hall.

The Flying Boat Hall was responsible for the crafting, allocation, management, and maintenance of the sect's flying boats. It was Alaric's first time there.

He was once again awed by the grand scene before him.

The hall featured a massive plaza, a thousand feet wide, with over a hundred flying boats docked.

He recalled his first night at the Top Xuan Sect, as a mortal without night vision, unable to see such a magnificent sight.

Flying boats were a type of artifact, but they were assembled from multiple artifact components, making them ten times more expensive than single artifacts of the same grade.

After submitting the mission jade slip and flying boat request, Zhou Yuan quickly received a control token, allowing him to operate the flying boat.

Alaric noticed that the flying boat Zhou Yuan obtained was a high-grade artifact. The one that had shattered during his initial journey to the sect was a mid-grade artifact, which could withstand two lightning strikes. A high-grade artifact flying boat would have even stronger defenses.

Before long, Alaric and his team boarded the flying boat, soaring into the clouds. Many cultivators on the deck gazed longingly at the majestic Top Xuan Sect below, like children leaving home.

Despite the fierce competition and frequent duels within the sect, everyone knew that the sect was far safer than the outside world.

After discovering their spiritual roots and joining the sect, all disciples severed their mortal ties. The Top Xuan Sect was their only support and home.

Leaving home, they would face the harsh realities of the cultivation world.

Even Alaric, standing by the railing, felt a surge of emotion.

"Hopefully, this mission will go smoothly."

Zhou Yuan stood at the bow, smiling at his junior brothers and sisters. "Don't worry. As long as we work together, there won't be much danger. The sect has already assessed the mission's risk. If they sent us, it means we can handle it. I can see that many of you are participating in a dangerous mission for the first time."

"Look at me... I've been on at least fifty missions, if not a hundred... and I'm still alive and well. Instead of worrying about the future, let's carefully plan our mission!"

Zhou Yuan's words helped the cultivators regain their composure. Some even cupped their fists in admiration and gratitude, including Alaric.

Zhou Yuan continued warmly, "Come over, let's form initial groups. One group is inefficient for investigation, but two groups balance safety and efficiency."