With only ten days remaining before the family assessment, Wei Yun needed to maximize the strength of his contracted beasts. Mira’s training had reached a temporary conclusion, and now the fastest way to boost her combat power was through real battle.
There was no doubt that real combat was the most effective way to strengthen a spirit beast.
Steel is forged in fire. Only by enduring the trials of blood and fire could a beast undergo transformation, emerging stronger and more refined.
Every powerful spirit beast was forged through countless battles, not by isolating itself. Combat not only honed their skills but also granted valuable experience, helping them identify weaknesses and improve upon them.
Beyond that, the wilderness was filled with opportunity. Countless natural treasures, relics, and hidden troves awaited discovery. For the lucky, a single trip could lead to an overnight fortune.
But the wilderness was also full of danger. Bad luck could mean running into high-level wild beasts, a disaster for any unprepared adventurer.
Still, such risks were part of a beast master’s path. Wei Yun had already experienced the perils of surviving in the wild during his search for Mira.
Now, with both Mira and Sylvia boasting considerable strength, even Second-tier wild spirit beasts no longer posed a serious threat.
After preparing the necessary supplies, Wei Yun didn’t immediately head into the wilderness. Instead, he made his way to the Family External Affairs Hall to take on suitable family missions.
In the Wei family, most beast masters picked up family missions whenever they ventured out to train. It was a way to gain experience and earn rewards at the same time.
The Wei family had two main administrative halls: the Internal Affairs Hall and the External Affairs Hall.
The Internal Affairs Hall oversaw the family’s day-to-day matters, including monthly distributions and the organization of the family assessment.
The External Affairs Hall, on the other hand, dealt with external responsibilities such as negotiations with other clans, procuring resources, exploring the wilderness, and issuing hunting missions.
Before long, Wei Yun arrived at a massive structure. The External Affairs Hall was a two-story building with a brick-and-wood design. Its entrance featured east and west wing gates flanking a central curved wall. Majestic stone lions stood on either side of the main gate, which bore a wooden plaque carved with the words “External Affairs Hall” in bold, lifelike characters. The atmosphere was solemn and imposing.
Without hesitation, Wei Yun stepped inside. At the center of the hall stood a large circular platform over a meter tall and ten meters wide. Upon it rested countless wooden plaques.
The platform was divided into three sections, each holding plaques of a different color: gold, silver, and black. These colors indicated the mission difficulty, with gold being the most challenging and rarest, silver being intermediate, and black the easiest and most numerous.
Naturally, the difficulty of a mission corresponded to its rewards, the harder the task, the greater the payout.
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Several family members were present, browsing through the plaques in different sections and occasionally picking one up to examine the mission details.
Wei Yun started with the black section, casually picking up a plaque. The inscription outlined a simple delivery mission, one of the easiest and safest black-level tasks. Even ordinary people could complete it, though the rewards were correspondingly modest.
Most black-level missions involved mundane errands, their biggest advantage being safety. Though there were a few hunting tasks, the targets were weak and the rewards unremarkable.
For someone like Wei Yun, black-level missions were neither challenging nor worthwhile.
He moved on to the silver section. Compared to black missions, the silver tasks were noticeably more demanding and better suited to his goals.
However, before making a decision, Wei Yun glanced at the gold section.
Gold missions were not only rare but also required prerequisites. Most demanded at least a Tier 2 beast master to accept, with some even requiring Tier 3.
It was clear that Wei Yun didn’t yet meet the qualifications.
As he turned back to the silver section, a tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in a gold-trimmed black robe entered the hall. His authoritative presence made it clear he was someone important.
The family members paused what they were doing and greeted him in unison: “Elder of External Affairs!”
In the Wei family, the patriarch held the highest authority, followed by the elders. To become an elder, one had to be not only of a certain age but also a Tier 3 beast master.
Among the elders, those overseeing the family’s treasury, spirit beasts, internal affairs, and external affairs wielded the greatest influence.
The External Affairs Elder nodded, his voice deep and commanding as he announced, “A new urgent mission has been issued. Recently, a large pack of Wind Wolves has invaded
Azure Cloud Mountain, causing significant losses to our family’s miners and halting the excavation of the spirit crystal mine.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in, before continuing. “The mission is simple: eliminate the Wind Wolves on
Azure Cloud Mountain. The family places great importance on this task and has prepared generous rewards. For every Wind Wolf you kill, you will receive one low-grade spirit crystal as compensation. There is no upper limit, simply bring back the left ear of each wolf as proof of your kill.”
Spirit crystals!
The moment the elder mentioned spirit crystals, everyone’s eyes lit up with excitement and determination.
Spirit crystals were rare, valuable minerals capable of accelerating a beast master’s cultivation, restoring spiritual energy, and serving as a currency among beast masters. Even a single low-grade spirit crystal was worth far more than a low-tier beast core.
The Wei family’s ownership of a small spirit crystal mine had been instrumental in establishing its status as a prominent clan in Luo City.
Wei Yun didn’t hesitate. He decided immediately.
While the wilderness of
Azure Cloud Mountain was home to spirit beasts, the family had already cleared out the strongest threats. As long as he avoided large packs of Wind Wolves, Wei Yun was confident in his ability to handle the dangers.
Since he was going to venture into the wild, Azure Cloud Mountain offered the perfect opportunity, and the mission’s rewards only made it more enticing.
With his decision made, Wei Yun returned to the silver section. Moving quickly, he picked out two additional plaques related to Azure Cloud Mountain.
Taking on multiple missions was a common strategy. The other family members quickly realized Wei Yun’s plan, and many scrambled to claim the remaining missions in this region. Combining the Wind Wolf hunt with other tasks was the most efficient way to maximize profits.
As Wei Yun prepared to leave, a voice called out behind him.
“Brother Yun, please wait!”
Turning around, Wei Yun saw a young man with thick eyebrows approaching him.
“What can I do for you?” Wei Yun asked, his tone polite but curious. He didn’t recognize the man and had no idea what he wanted.
“Brother Xun,” the man began, “I’d like to invite you to join my team. Together, we can hunt the Wind Wolves and look out for one another. The rewards will be distributed based on each person’s contributions.