Ning walked toward the Mission Hall.

  After reaching the third stage of Qi Condensation, his next goal was naturally to advance to the fourth. With more than five months at his disposal, if he could break through to mid-stage Qi Condensation, he'd earn a cleansing pill.

  After asking around, Ning learned that the pill was highly sought after, costing at least a thousand spirit stones. He could pay off all his debts with just that one pill, even if he didn't use it himself.

  "Truly, human desire is endless," Ning muttered. His initial goal was only the third stage, but now he was not satisfied after achieving the goal.

  Alas, no matter how much they desired progress, resources were everything. Hence, the Mission Hall.

  Like most major sect buildings, the Mission Hall was a towering pagoda of clean symmetry and ornate rooftops.

  When Ning entered, a large crowd had gathered near one of the counters.

  Walking toward a deserted counter, he asked the attendant there, "Senior Sister, what's going on? Is there some kind of event today?"

  "Hm?" The senior sister in outer sect robes looked up from the ongoing commotion, "It seems there is going to be a fight. Quiet down for a bit, I don't want to miss the good part."

  Curious, Ning glanced at the commotion and immediately spotted a familiar face.

  Xiao Fan.

  Of course, it was him.

  "Fight? I should've known," Ning sighed. Naturally, Xiao Fan must be in the middle of some 'protagonist arc.'

  And as if it were customary, there were already some people who were provoking him.

  "That trash is accepting a mission that would be difficult even for a cultivator of the Fourth stage of Qi condensation. Has he already decided to commit suicide?" Some random guy said in a mocking tone.

  It was not only that guy, but there were several others who were doing the same.

  Looking at the scene in front of him, Ning had a single question. "Why the f*ck is everyone so braindead? It must be the protagonist Halo, isn't it?"

  Ning was quite exasperated. The current situation was familiar, extremely familiar.

  This was the classic setup: the main character taking a mission too difficult for his rank, shocking everyone later by completing it effortlessly.

  Xiao Fan handed in his form, ignored the jeers, and left without a word. The crowd dispersed shortly after.

  "Eh? No fight? How boring. I thought I would see some bloodshed," the senior sister pouted.

  The senior sister truly was the definition of "There are always people who just want to see the world burn."

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  Then, the senior sister turned to him suddenly. "Wait, you're still here? I thought you'd join that line."

  "Line?" Ning followed her gaze. The counter that Xiao Fan was just at had already formed a queue long enough to rival a bank on payday. "Is there something special about that one, Senior Sister?"

  "Hoho, glad you asked," she said, smirking. "That counter's handled by none other than Senior Qi Xia."

  "Qi Xia? As in one of the Ten Beauties of the Outer Sect?" Ning blinked.

  Cultivation societies loved their rankings. "Ten Beauties" was basically a leaderboard for attractive women with high cultivation.

  Though Ning rarely mingled in sect gossip to avoid trouble, he always made sure to stay informed. After all, information was also power.

  "That's right," she said proudly. "She's been stationed here for a month now, and half the sect's male disciples show up daily just to see her. Even that earlier fight started because Qi Xia gave that junior brother a protective talisman."

  "So," she leaned in with a lazy grin, "wanna go stand in that line? I can slack off then."

  "I'm just here for a mission," Ning said politely. "I'll queue for that another day."

  He eyed the absurdly long line and shook his head. How did these people have so much free time when he was counting every breath?

  Truly, simps were the most powerful species in any world, powered entirely by imagination and lack of self-awareness.

  Of course, Ning only thought that. Saying it aloud would probably get him surrounded and beaten within minutes.

  "Also, Junior Brother, did you bring food?" the senior sister suddenly asked, sniffing the air. "I smell something delicious."

  Ning blinked. Her nose was terrifying.

  "It's my lunch, Senior Sister," he said carefully. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Actually, I'm new here. Could you explain how the Mission Hall works? In exchange, I'll share some food."

  Her eyes brightened immediately, though she feigned hesitation. "Isn't that considered a bribe? We're not supposed to accept gifts."

  Ning smiled innocently. "How could it be a bribe? I'm just thanking the hardworking Senior Sister who's been standing here all day. This is merely an expression of care from a junior to his senior."

  She paused, then nodded in admiration. "Damn, you're a talent, Junior Brother. It would be rude for me not to accept."

  And since she had "not" accepted a bribe, she began to explain. "Missions come in five colors: green, yellow, red, purple, and black, each representing danger levels.

  "Green missions are the safest and usually within the sect, like repairing the martial arena. It gets destroyed multiple times a day, so we often need Earth-attribute cultivators to fix it."

  "Yellow missions are mostly safe but can vary depending on the situation, usually outside the sect. Red missions are dangerous and often involve combat; they can take months. Purple and black are only for Foundation Establishment cultivators or higher, and those can earn merit points. Missions below red usually pay spirit stones."

  Ning nodded. "Understood. I'm a first-year spiritual farmer, and I still have to care for my farm daily. Could you recommend something suitable?"

  She gave him a knowing look. "You were waiting for me to say that, weren't you?"

  As a receptionist, she had access to a mission jade that could instantly filter results.

  "How could it be?" Ning smiled. "I'm just humbly seeking Senior Sister's advice."

  "Yeah, yeah." She sighed. "Who told me to take your food?"

  She tapped the jade tablet and quickly found a few missions. "Since you're a spiritual farmer, what level is your Cloud Rain Technique?"

  "Minor accomplishment," Ning replied.

  Her brow lifted. "Impressive. No wonder you're looking for missions already; most farmers take a year off."

  She handed him two slips.

  [An outer sect senior brother is leaving for a mission. Tend to his garden using the Small Cloud Rain Technique.

  Reward: 105 spirit stones.]

  [An inner sect senior sister is leaving for a mission. Tend to her garden using the Small Cloud Rain Technique.

  Reward: 100 spirit stones.]

  The template for issuing the mission was the same, so both missions looked identical to each other. Both lasted three months with similar rewards.

  "If you can't decide, take the inner sect one," she said between bites of his egg sandwich. "Her garden's rich with spiritual energy; you can cultivate there while working."

  "I see." Ning smiled faintly. He didn't mind her snacking on his lunch. Totally not, anyone saying otherwise was lying.

  Alas, since he had traded his lunch away, he could only follow her advice, "Then please register me for that mission, Senior Sister."

  ...

  Thanks for reading~