I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 157: Chapter 131: Task Squad

For several days, Jiang Yuebai hadn’t seen Lii Jiuchuan and stayed in Lu Nanzhi’s tent to understand the situation of the camp and its surroundings.

Most of the sects and their prodigious disciples mentioned by Lu Nanzhi were unfamiliar to Jiang Yuebai. She quietly memorized their names and features for future encounters.

The familiar faces from the Guiyuan Sword Sect were there too; Zhuo Qingfeng and Hua Yingshi had reached Foundation Establishment, while the others were still in the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.

The next day, Yun Shang and Ge Yuchan returned. Ge Yuchan went to recuperate from a minor injury, while Lu Nanzhi had a task to switch defenses. Jiang Yuebai then went to Yun Shang’s tent to inquire about the situation in the Secret Realm.

”Little Bai, look, I discovered a Fire-Eating Beetle in the Secret Realm, and here’s a Little Flame Mouse, and this one too, do you think this Red Line Snake is pretty?”

Yun Shang held a black snake with a red line on its back, suddenly bringing it close to Jiang Yuebai’s face. The snake’s tongue flicked in and out with heat, startling Jiang Yuebai, who jumped back.

”Keep it away; I was bitten by a cauliflower snake as a child. I hate snakes!”

Yun Shang gave a shy smile, gently tapping the snake’s head like a treasure, visibly pleased.

”There are so many creatures in the Land of Azure Flame that I haven’t seen before. I wish I could catch every type and bring them back for comparison.”

”If you catch them all, Huaxi Valley won’t be able to house them.”

Jiang Yuebai noticed that whether it was the Fire-Eating Beetle, Little Flame Mouse, or Red Line Snake, none of them had Yun Shang’s scent on them, yet these wild mystical creatures were very affectionate towards Yun Shang, but wary and tense around her.

”By the way, Little Bai, if you ever enter the Land of Azure Flame, stay far away from Fire-Eating Beetles. They are very combative, once they target someone, it’s a fight to the death. They can bite through Magic Artifacts and spray fire poison. Once poisoned, your Divine Sense will be in chaos, and you won’t be able to manipulate your Magic Artifacts or Spells.”

”And the Red Line Snake, this one is a juvenile, but the adult ones are Red Line Flood Dragons. They can spew red powder miasma that can turn human flesh to bone in an instant. Look.”

Yun Shang extended her hand and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a palm-sized crimson wound with missing flesh on her fair arm, causing Jiang Yuebai’s heart to tighten.

Little Green wanted to come out of the Sea of Consciousness, but Jiang Yuebai ignored it, grabbing Yun Shang’s arm out of habit to comfort her.

”Was it the red powder miasma that did this? Does it hurt?”

Yun Shang nodded, ”It hurt a lot at that time; I thought I was going to die. But fortunately, Shen Huaxi treated it for me. Her medical skill is indeed excellent; it stopped hurting immediately. In a few months, it should heal completely.”

Jiang Yuebai furrowed her eyebrows, unsure of what to say. Yun Shang didn’t know about Shen Huaxi’s situation yet, but if she mentioned it now, it would feel like she was spreading rumors behind her back.

”I just reached Foundation Establishment and can only operate on the outskirts of the Land of Azure Flame, having seen these mystical creatures and spirit insects. I’ve heard the deeper parts are vast, full of volcanic canyons and full of Yin Ghosts and Evil Corpses tainted with Fire Evil, normal Magic Artifacts have difficulty harming them. Over the past few months, many Foundation Establishment Cultivators have perished inside...”

Jiang Yuebai listened silently to Yun Shang. The experiences over these months had made her much more outgoing.

Previously, she saw that the interactions between Yun Shang and Ge Yuchan were quite harmonious, not as shy as before.

”Master Jiang, True Monarch Jiuchuan requests your presence.”

A voice called from outside. Jiang Yuebai squeezed Yun Shang’s hand, ”I’ll go see Master first.”

Following the disciple who delivered the message to the main tent, Jiang Yuebai lifted the curtain and entered.

Lii Jiuchuan sat at a long table, looking somewhat tired. He was drinking tea, and upon seeing Jiang Yuebai, he gave a gentle smile.

”Was the Foundation Establishment smooth?”

Jiang Yuebai scratched her head, ”It was... relatively smooth.”

Lii Jiuchuan didn’t ask for more details; even between father and daughter, there should be some space. If she wanted to share or seek praise, she would speak up.

”Let’s get to the point. I have a task for you.”

Jiang Yuebai walked over and sat down, looking eager.

”The Land of Azure Flame was once one of the battlefields of the Heavenly Calamity. The Ghost Clan separates their souls from their bodies to cultivate Ghost Dao. Without external force to slay them, they’re undying. No one knows if there might be remains of Great Power from the Ghost Clan deep in the Secret Realm.”

”But from the exploration results over these past four months, the likelihood seems low, though we must be cautious. The Three Elements Sect is eager to act, and with so many eyes in the camp, it’s hard to manage. To prevent the Arraying plan from leaking, the sects have decided not to wait overnight. Two hours later, forty Foundation Establishment teams will be dispatched to the Secret Realm.”

Jiang Yuebai’s eyes widened, ”What kind of Great Array requires so many teams?”

Lii Jiuchuan explained, ”This Array aims to stabilize the laws within the Secret Realm, allowing Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivators to enter to eliminate hidden threats and ensure smooth subsequent mining operations. This time, we’re adopting a simplified Arraying method. Eight Array Devices have been pre-refined; these eight items only need to be placed at corresponding locations, and True Monarch Fuyi will raise the Great Array from the core point.”

”Can’t Nascent Soul True Monarchs enter?” Jiang Yuebai asked.

Lii Jiuchuan nodded, ”They can’t, so she will take an Elixir to suppress her cultivation to Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.”

”I see, with eight Array Points and forty teams, does that mean five teams per point?”

”Yes, five teams with some real and some fake, determined by drawing lots. Only after entering the Secret Realm will they know their respective tasks. The ’empty lots’ will focus on purging mystical creatures and finding mineral veins, while the ’real lots’ will head to the designated locations to place the Array Devices. At least two teams will go to each Array Point to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

Jiang Yuebai realized this was to prevent someone from leaking the entire plan.

”Among the Heavenly Interence Sect’s top three Foundation Establishment combatants, Yuu Qiuqi, Fang Yuxing, and Tang Weimian will each lead a team. I know you get along well with Yun Shang and Ge Yuchan, so I’ve placed you with Yuu Qiuqi’s team.”

”Along with Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Zheng Chong and Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Gu Liu, a group of six. Although Zheng Chong and Gu Liu are Outer Sect Foundation Establishment Disciples, they have managed to retreat safely multiple times in the Secret Realm over the past months and are top-ranked on the Battle Merit List, their strength is considered strong.”

”Understood.”

Lii Jiuchuan’s eyes were solemn, ”Yuebai, in my heart, I don’t want you to participate in this task. But I also agree with what you said last time; one doesn’t become a towering tree without experiencing the wind and rain. All I can tell you now is to be careful.”

”Don’t worry, Master. I have all my belongings with me, and I’m always best at running away. If things go awry, I’ll flee first.”

Lii Jiuchuan chuckled, ”Rest assured, disciples will be well rewarded for their contributions this time. The Secret Realm is rich in resources; someone even discovered a Ten Thousand Years Spirit Medicine and an Ancient Cultivation Magic Treasure. Even if you just find some Magic Treasure Fragments and Thousand-Year-Old Spirit Grass, they’re worth a fortune. Now, bring out your Five Elements Lotus Platform.”

At Lii Jiuchuan’s words, Jiang Yuebai complied, and Lii Jiuchuan also summoned his Five Elements Treasure Tower.

The Treasure Tower emitted streams of five-colored light, infusing the Lotus Platform. Originally empty, the Lotus Platform quickly filled with Five Elements Essence Qi.

Jiang Yuebai’s eyes curved with a smile, ”Thank you, Master. With this Five Elements Essence Qi, my chances of finding Spiritual Fire are even greater.”

Sharing a lineage and using similar Lifebound Magic Treasures indeed has its advantages.

After filling the Lotus Platform, Lii Jiuchuan retracted the Treasure Tower and handed Jiang Yuebai a scroll and a storage pouch.

”Knowing you want to find Spiritual Fire, I’ve been keeping an eye on information from all sides these days. The scroll contains a Secret Realm map I drew, marking the distribution of mystical creatures and possible locations of Spiritual Fire.”

”If you draw an empty lot, you can go and investigate. If it’s a real lot, complete the task first, and when I enter the Secret Realm, I can help you search. The storage pouch contains necessary Elixirs and talismans for the Secret Realm, along with three Jade Pivot Thunder Pearls that I refined myself.”

”Jade Pivot Thunder suppresses the Ghost Clan and can destroy Golden Core, but their power is too immense. Each use causes damage to the entire Secret Realm, so three is the limit. I hope you won’t need to use them. Remember, in the Secret Realm, more fearsome than mystical creatures, are people!”

Jiang Yuebai nodded solemnly; she knew that in the camp, as a Direct Disciple, she couldn’t offend anyone. But in the Secret Realm, she was a beacon attracting attention.

The two hours passed quickly, and Lii Jiuchuan saw Jiang Yuebai off outside the tent.

The three teams from the Heavenly Interence Sect gathered individually, Sword Lord Guanhan’s disciple Fang Yuxing checked the three swords on him, waiting for his teammates.

The somewhat haggard-looking True Monarch Fuyi received an Elixir Bottle from Qing Nangzi, with her disciple Tang Weimian following at her side.

Not far ahead, Yuu Qiuqi stood in a red outfit with the Hundred Treasures Box on her back, looking valiant and spirited.

Ge Yuchan wore black leather armor, hair braids flying, with a set of Flying Knife Magic Artifacts at her waist, the blades’ light contained.

Yun Shang held a bald monkey, with a Lightning Mink draped on her shoulder like a collar, standing unobtrusively to the side.

There were Zheng Chong and Gu Liu, who Jiang Yuebai hadn’t met before, nodding slightly at her.

Yuu Qiuqi had a serious expression, bowing respectfully to Lii Jiuchuan, then called out loudly, ”Let’s move out!”