Chapter 18 Tasks

After Lu Ping came out of Immortal Senior Liu's place, he went to the Alchemy House to exchange more than a dozen spiritual herbs for contribution values, and then went to the Qi Refining Pavilion to hand in the ores and raw materials from supernatural beasts. Then his contribution values reached forty, and he could get a medium-level magic weapon after he got another ten contribution values. He thought of the third-level disciple he met in the market. It took that disciple a year to get fifty contribution values, and he even exchanged the spiritual stones he got from selling his magic weapon for those contribution values. However, Lu Ping got almost fifty contribution values in just a day. He suddenly remembered a saying, "A horse doesn't get fat without extra feed, and a man doesn't get rich without a windfall"! In the twinkling of an eye, half a year had passed, and the time for travel finally came. In the past six months, Lu Ping finally stabilized his cultivation at the middle stage of the eighth level of Blood Refining by relying on a more abundant supply of spiritual stones. Cultivation would become more and more difficult over time. After reaching the eighth level of Blood Refining, Lu Ping didn't dare to get slack at his cultivation. He tried his best to cultivate with elixirs and spiritual stones. However, he only entered the middle stage of the eighth level from the early stage of it in the whole year. In the past, all the disciples would choose their tasks in the sect. Then they would go out to travel either alone or in groups. Most of their tasks were to hunt sea beasts in the sea, to hunt supernatural beasts on the islands, or to collect spiritual herbs and ores. The tasks were assorted and various. However, the situation was different this time. Besides the disciples at the eighth level of Blood Refining from each team, some disciples above the eighth level of Blood Refining among the outer disciples were convened to form travel teams each with twenty people. The teams would be led by Immortal Seniors of the third-level disciples. The twenty travel teams left in turn from the Transferring Circle of the academy. None of the disciples knew what their travel tasks were. When Lu Ping came out of the Transferring Circle, he was already on an island, and the sound of the waves not far away could be heard vaguely. The seventh team, and Immortal Senior Liu, totaling twenty-one people, rested for the night under the guidance of the Immortal Senior of True Spirit Sect who had already been waiting and were stationed on the island. The next day, they gathered under a rock on the island. Immortal Senior Liu and Immortal Senior Du, who waited for them last night, told them their travel tasks. Looking at the eager expressions of the disciples under the rock, Immortal Senior Liu said coldly and expressionlessly, "We're on a small island of Xuan Rank on the border of our sect, Xuanhua Island. The place across the sea and about one hundred and fifty-five miles away from here is the destination of our seventh team's travel." An outer disciple who was familiar with geography immediately responded and whispered, "Xuanhua Island? It's the southernmost island of Xuan Rank in our sect's sphere of influence. One hundred and fifty-five miles further to its south is the sphere of influence of Xuan Spirit Sect, isn't it? Well..." Saying this, this disciple could not help but look worried. "Are we going to perform our travel tasks in the territory of Xuan Spirit Sect?" "We are not going to start a war with Xuan Spirit Sect, are we?" "Xuan Spirit Sect is the biggest force in the northern sea. The purpose of our travel is probably not simple!" "Hum, what are you afraid of? I've heard that Xuan Spirit Sect has declined a lot in recent years. Our sect doesn't need to be afraid of it!" ... Listening to the discussion around him, Lu Ping was also a little puzzled. Was their sect going to provoke Xuan Spirit Sect? Looking at the expressions of the disciples, Immortal Senior Liu kept his cold look and continued, "We found out that a group of cultivators called 'Tongxiu League' were instructed by Xuan Spirit Sect to spy on the secrets of our sect, and they had robbed and killed our disciples many times." Saying this, Immortal Senior Liu inadvertently glanced at Lu Ping. Then he continued, "After we found them, they fled to the border waters between Xuan Spirit Sect and our sect, and now they are hiding in an island of Xuan Rank of Xuan Spirit Sect, Xuanqi Island. Therefore, the travel task of our team is to occupy Xuanqi Island, capture and kill the cultivators of the 'Tongxiu League', and preserve the dignity of our sect. Those who offend our True Spirit Sect shall be exterminated!" All the disciples had been trained and educated by the True Spirit Sect since childhood, and they had a strong sense of belonging to the True Spirit Sect. Even Lu Ping felt his blood was boiling after hearing Immortal Senior Liu's stern and inspiring speech. Immortal Senior Liu was very pleased to see the high morale of these disciples. He pointed to Immortal Senior Du beside him and said, "This is the Immortal Senior who stations on Xuanhua Island. He and I will oversee the task. Everyone, let's work together and exterminate the remaining evils of 'Tongxiu League'!" In the boundless sea, a magic weapon like a big ship was sweeping past quickly. In the twinkling of an eye, it disappeared, leaving only a white watermark on the sea. The ship magic weapon, which was brought out by Immortal Senior Du, really surprised the disciples. Although this weapon was only of medium-grade, such a magic weapon that could carry many people was rare. Usually, people couldn't even get one with the highest-grade magic weapon. Immortal Senior Du looked at the crowd's envious and surprised expressions and smiled helplessly, saying, "Our sect prepared this for our travel. I'm not rich enough to have such a magic weapon." They didn't sail the big ship in the air. Although it was fast, it would consume too much magic power. Moreover, they were going to start a fight. Although the speed of sailing on the sea was half slow, the island was only one hundred and fifty-five miles away. They reached there in a flash. Unlike the others who were nervous and excited before the fight, Lu Ping had too many doubts in his heart though he looked very calm. "Tongxiu League" was nothing more than a group of individual cultivators which had only twenty people. Its leader's cultivation was only at the early stage of Blood Dissolving. The rest were just at the Blood Refining stage. Even if they were lucky enough to rob several disciples of the True Spirit Sect, how could they succeed every time without being noticed by the sect? After they were found, how could they escape the pursuit of the True Spirit Sect and come to Xuanqi Island? The location of True Spirit Academy was the seat of the True Spirit Sect. There were countless strong cultivators. How many efforts did they need to make to escape from those strong cultivators? Why did Lu Ping's sect affirm that the "Tongxiu League" was hiding in Xuanqi Island? And they were going to perform their task at the risk of offending Xuan Spirit Sect which ruled the cultivation world in the northern sea! Suddenly, an idea occurred to Lu Ping. Was their sect deliberately doing this? But what was the purpose? Was their sect already strong enough to provoke Xuan Spirit Sect? Lu Ping felt that he had a headache. He couldn't figure out the truth and what the bigshots of their sect were up to. He could only be a pawn obediently. Maybe the two Immortal Seniors were also pawns! Looking at the calm faces of Immortal Senior Liu and Immortal Senior Du, Lu Ping decided to prepare for the island battle with all his strength. The two Immortal Seniors were calm. Perhaps nothing would go wrong with the task. Fortunately, Lu Ping had a hunch a long time ago. This time, he was well prepared. Touching his storage bag, he could not help feeling a little sad. What he had saved would probably be used up again. He could only hope he would gain something in the fight! People would get killed in a fight. So would cultivators! Lu Ping didn't worry about being killed. How could he be killed! He never thought about it. He gradually calmed down and began to work on "Refining Blood and Transforming Spirit", trying to adjust his state to the best. In the distance, a towering shadow became more and more clear. They were about to reach the place of their travel. On Xuanqi Island, a fierce fight was drawing near!