Chapter 520: Chapter 457: Beast Egg

The third purple-grade mission awakened a memory in Zhao Lin’s mind.

As far back as six years ago, just one year after he joined the sect, Instructional Elder Wu Chuanqi had mentioned that a traitorous Body Cultivator had escaped to a minor world. The sect had summoned Martial Cultivators and Body Cultivators to hunt this person down.

He hadn’t expected the mission to still be unresolved after so many years.

Skimming the details, Zhao Lin learned the mission’s backstory.

He Shanshi was originally a cultivator from Qingtong Province. With outstanding talent, he had reached the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering before the age of thirty.

Relying on his exceptional strength, he distinguished himself on many sect missions, earning a vast amount of Merit Points.

However, during that same period, cultivator deaths occurred on several sect missions. The Inspection Bureau launched an investigation and gradually discovered that He Shanshi had participated in all of them.

Moreover, based on the cultivators’ remains and the traces left at the scenes, the culprit was very likely a Body Cultivator.

As the investigation deepened, numerous clues pointed to He Shanshi, leading to the suspicion that he had brutally murdered his fellow sect members to earn Merit Points.

At the time, He Shanshi had already caught the eye of an elder in Qingtong Province and had been exceptionally promoted to Director of the province’s Artifact Refining Hall.

He Shanshi caught wind of the investigation and fled before the Inspection Bureau could apprehend him, escaping into a minor world called the Bajiang Realm.

The Bajiang Realm was located on the border between the Chenghua Sect and the Nanzhu Sect. It was a disputed territory, currently under the de facto control of the Nanzhu Sect.

Due to the long-standing enmity between the two sects, the Bajiang Realm was strictly controlled. It was impossible for the Chenghua Sect to conduct a large-scale search for He Shanshi.

They could only post lookouts outside the minor world and send in a few cultivators under the guise of merchants.

Unfortunately, over the years, the cultivators sent by the Chenghua Sect to the Bajiang Realm had either vanished or returned empty-handed. Thus, the mission had dragged on to this day.

The mission description ended with a single line: Kill He Shanshi, Reward: 25,000 Merit Points!

Zhao Lin sucked in a sharp breath.

The reward for this mission had originally been ten thousand Merit Points. Six years had passed, and the reward had swelled to two and a half times that.

It was impossible not to be tempted by such a large amount of Merit Points.

If he could complete this mission, he would have more than enough for three Foundation Establishment Pills—he might even be close to affording four. His chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm would be immense.

However, high reward also meant high risk.

He Shanshi was a Body Cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering with formidable combat strength. In the Bajiang Realm, where Spiritual Qi was thin, he was like a fish in water.

’To kill a man like that, Magic would be of limited use. I’d have to rely on martial arts.’

Zhao Lin steadied his resolve and quickly scanned the white-grade missions on the jade slip.

By comparison, the white-grade missions offered far fewer Merit Points, ranging from only a few hundred to one or two thousand.

To save up sixteen thousand Merit Points, he would need to accept at least ten missions, a process he feared would take an entire year.

Zhao Lin gritted his teeth. In his heart, the scales tipped toward the Bajiang Realm mission.

’So what if he’s a Body Cultivator?’

’Back when I was at the Qi Refining Third Layer, I defeated a Body Cultivator at the Fourth Layer of Body Tempering.’

’Now I’m at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and about to reach the peak. What is there to fear?’

’So what if Body Cultivators have immense strength and bodies as hard as steel?’

’I’ve devoured a dozen Essence Souls. My strength, speed, resilience, and recovery have all been enhanced to a terrifying degree.’

’Even though Spiritual Qi is thin in the Bajiang Realm, it’s not like I can’t use Magic at all.’

’According to the mission description, a cultivator in this minor world can cast roughly five spells, with their effects lasting for half a quarter-hour.’

’Besides, Body Cultivators aren’t immune to all Magic. They are particularly vulnerable to Fire and Thunder Element spells.’

’Flame Stream Arrow, Thunder Blade Skill, and the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip should all be effective counters.’

’That’s enough!’

’The path of a Martial Cultivator is to advance without hesitation. Even Lu Yuanxiu took on purple-grade missions.’

’I’ve cultivated for so many years, all for the day I can break through to Foundation Establishment. Now that the opportunity is here, there’s no reason to back down.’

’If I wanted to cultivate safely without any risks, why did I even come to the Cultivation Realm? Wouldn’t it have been better to stay in the mortal world and be a Duke Zhen?’

"Young friend, have you made your choice?"

Seeing Zhao Lin’s hesitation, Steward Wang couldn’t help but ask.

"I have, but I won’t be accepting a mission today."

Zhao Lin let out a breath and handed the jade slip back to Steward Wang.

’A craftsman must first sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well. To face a ferocious Body Cultivator, I must be fully prepared.’

’I’m still three Spiritual Acupoints away from the Peak of Qi Refining. I’ll reach the peak first.’

Zhao Lin returned to the market square, taking the Wood Talisman Armor and the black flying hammer to Linglong Pavilion.

Both of these items would be useful in a fight against a Body Cultivator.

Two of the plates on the Wood Talisman Armor were damaged and needed to be repaired.

The black flying hammer was Tao Huang’s artifact. It felt a little light to Zhao Lin, so he wanted to have it reforged with additional materials.

Body Cultivators were difficult to harm with ordinary weapons; only heavy artifacts could inflict real damage.

Liu Chaoyuan took the Wood Talisman Armor, examined it for a moment, and said, "Ordinary craftsmen can’t repair this Wood Talisman Armor. It’ll have to be sent to our headquarters for repairs. That will likely take two or three months. You’re not in a rush to use it, are you, young friend?"

"That’s fine. I can wait two or three months."

Zhao Lin nodded.

Hefting the black flying hammer a couple of times, Liu Chaoyuan’s face showed surprise. "This black hammer is already quite heavy! How much more weight do you want to add?"

The flying hammer was the size and shape of a muskmelon, with a small handle for gripping. When using the artifact, you would swing it with force to give it an initial burst of speed.

"Make it fifty percent heavier."

"That’s a quick job. It’ll be ready in half a month."

"Excellent. Don’t skimp on the cost; use the best materials you have."

Hearing this, Liu Chaoyuan chuckled. "But of course. Chief Shopkeeper Zhao has deep pockets, so I won’t stand on ceremony."

From then on, Zhao Lin abandoned all miscellaneous tasks, cultivating single-mindedly every day in the Spirit Cultivation Pavilion, hoping to reach the Peak of Qi Refining as soon as possible.

Although he had Acupoint Opening Pills, he still needed time to consolidate his cultivation base after opening each Spiritual Acupoint. If he didn’t, things could easily go wrong. The three-month cultivation period couldn’t be shortened.

One evening, Zhao Lin returned from his cultivation.

Walking into the backyard, he saw Liang Song sitting at the stone table, looking glum.

On the stone table lay a spider the size of a millstone, its belly up and its eight legs splayed out. It looked like it had been dead for a long time.

Although Liang Song had become a Shopkeeper, he hadn’t forgotten his old trade. He had cleared out a space in the backyard, enclosed it with an Array, and was raising some small Demon Beasts and demonic insects.

It didn’t earn much money, but it was a personal hobby, so Zhao Lin let him be.

"A White-Spotted Wood Spider. A pity."

Zhao Lin identified the Demon Beast with a glance at its corpse.

Thanks to Liang Song, he too had learned a great deal about Demon Beasts and demonic insects.

The White-Spotted Wood Spider was a Wood Element Demon Beast. Its body was densely covered in long, yellowish-green hair and dotted with numerous grayish-white spots, hence the name.

This species of Demon Beast had a body as hard as iron and covered in barbs. Its fangs and claws carried a potent venom, and it moved with great speed, making it the natural enemy of nearly all grade-one demonic insects.

"It’s not about the spider,"

Liang Song said, parting the spider’s thorax to reveal an egg-sized, semi-translucent beast egg inside. "It’s this."

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