Everything was coming back to life, full of boundless vitality. A soft, gentle light washed over the earth!
Ye Tian felt refreshed and suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp, penetrating gleam flashing within them like a drawn sword locked onto its target.
Ding!
"System: Does the host wish to check in?"
"Check in!" Ye Tian said decisively. Was today another check-in day?
"System: Congratulations to the host for checking in and receiving the Shadow-Drifting Step."
"An Earth-grade movement technique!"
"Detected that the host's strength is currently low and you are afraid of death, so this is an escape technique."
Hearing this, Ye Tian's handsome face darkened and the corners of his mouth twitched. He muttered inwardly, Who isn't afraid of death?
Ding!
"System: Check-in successful, beginning fusion!"
Ye Tian stood up abruptly. His body now felt as light and ethereal as a soaring swallow, as if he had just been bathed in a sacred light, and his footwork seemed incomparably weightless.
He mastered it instantly with effortless ease!
Whoosh!
Ye Tian took a single step, moving with breathtaking speed like a flash of lightning, crossing from one end to the other in the blink of an eye.
Afterimages of him were everywhere!
"Truly a magnificent movement technique." A pleased smile touched the corners of Ye Tian's mouth, blooming like a warm, gentle sun as the surrounding flowers and plants swayed continuously.
With a speed like this, provided there were no external obstructions, running away would be an absolute breeze.
"System, when is the next check-in?" At this moment, Ye Tian felt that having a System was simply wonderful—it was an absolute treasure trove.
Ding!
"System: Irregular!"
Ye Tian didn't dwell on it. Giving it some thought, he realized he currently had no resources on hand.
To recover quickly, he either had to go out on a trial or take on a sect mission.
He left his spot, preparing to go take care of a mission.
"Hey, hey, hey, did you know?"
"Yesterday Zhao De took the outer disciple Zhang Li to give Ye Tian a hard time, but it seems he never came back. Where do you suppose they went?"
Just as he walked past the fierce beasts raised by the handyman disciples, he overheard such talk.
Most of them were people Ye Tian didn't know, aside from Zhao De and his lackey.
"Ye Tian, today you're responsible for feeding the hundred beasts."
"Yours are the only ones that haven't been fed yet," one of them said, walking over somewhat timidly.
Knowing that Ye Tian had dared to offend someone as prominent among the handymen as Zhao De, they were a bit afraid, but still mustered the courage to come over and remind him.
Ye Tian was slightly stunned, almost forgetting that he was now a handyman disciple. He tilted his head and said indifferently, "Oh, it's just one day, they won't die. I have things to do—someone go ahead and feed them for me."
With that, he walked away from the handyman quarters on his own.
The handymen were left standing there in a daze, never expecting Ye Tian to be so casual and daring—especially considering one of those beasts was...
The Mission Hall was a place where anyone in the entire sect could post tasks.
Not only did it feature high-level tasks assigned by the upper echelons, but disciples who couldn't spare the time themselves,
or those facing risks, would also post items of corresponding value in the Mission Hall.
However, most of these were privately posted missions; if a task was issued by the sect itself, it would yield contribution points!
It was a majestic, awe-inspiring place steeped in historical vicissitudes, with a constant stream of people coming and going.
Many disciples looked at Ye Tian with strange expressions, since those who usually claimed missions were at the Martial Disciple Realm.
Plenty of people recognized Ye Tian; he was a regular here.
"This Ye Tian's cultivation has really regressed. Just yesterday he was beaten up by his ex-girlfriend, and if Li Mengwei hadn't shown up, he'd probably be a cripple by now."
"Yet even though he's a handyman disciple now, he actually dares to come take on missions." The surrounding disciples whispered among themselves.
Ye Tian paid them no mind, strolling leisurely over to the rows of wooden mission boards covered in notices.
"Elder Wei, I want that mission to search for Spirit-Refining Grass."
He pointed to a notice offering five spirit stones for finding Spirit-Refining Grass—
resources equivalent to what an outer disciple received in an entire month—with a note stating the more, the better.
Elder Wei's eyes were like torches. He gave Ye Tian a sharp look, rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, and said, "I must say, Ye Tian, ordinarily that might be fine, but you've just been dumped by your girlfriend and your cultivation has regressed—even if you do look exceptionally energetic right now."
"Still, this mission isn't easy to take on!" Elder Wei said kindly, pointing out that this was clearly a job meant for Martial Disciple cultivators.
"I have confidence," Ye Tian said with a smile, patting his chest.
"Ye Tian, where is Zhang Li?"
At that moment, Li Cheng's voice came from afar. His tone was icy and interrogative, laden with killing intent as if he wanted to freeze Ye Tian to the bone.
"I'm not his father, how should I know?" Ye Tian's expression instantly turned cold. This dog really reacted quickly.
Killing intent flared in his heart as well, knowing full well that this bastard had only jumped out again because he was still alive.
Zhao Dong had just become an outer disciple; who would have thought that the backing he had so carefully chosen would end up sending him straight to hell?
Ignoring this mad dog—whose doomsday would arrive the moment his own cultivation recovered a bit further—Ye Tian strode away in a hurry.
"Those two have a long-standing grudge. Looks like things won't go well for Ye Tian." The surrounding disciples began to murmur.
Li Cheng gnashed his teeth, his eyes cold to the extreme. Not only had Ye Tian dared to disrespect him despite his regressed cultivation, but even more shockingly, he had broken through again overnight.
He was certain that Zhang Li, whom he had sent to kill Ye Tian, was dead. With a flicker in his eyes, he too left the spot.
Without a moment's delay, Ye Tian left the Falling Cloud Sect. The mission allowed a maximum time limit of half a month.
The Hengduan Mountains spanned millions of miles. It was a primeval forest with ancient trees piercing the sky, lush vegetation, and swirling mists, carrying a heavy, pungent stench of blood that drifted over from time to time.
Looking closely, one could see a massive sword scar right down the middle, cleaving the mountains deeply in two—hence the name Hengduan Mountains.
Gazing out at it, Ye Tian could not help but feel a sense of shock and yearning.
Even now, faint traces of sword qi from the strike delivered ages ago still intersected and intertwined there, sending a slight chill through the heart of anyone who approached.
Soon, employing the Shadow-Drifting Step, he vanished from the spot.
"Where is he? Dammit, he was right here just a moment ago!" Li Cheng's eyes were split with rage. Without a doubt, he had decided to take action personally; Ye Tian's cultivation was advancing too fast, making him somewhat uneasy.
"Senior Brother, this piece of trash has definitely gone deeper inside. We might still be able to catch up," said several Early Martial Disciple followers nearby, their tones ingratiating.
"Though this trash has recovered a bit of cultivation, he wouldn't dare go deep in. Let's hurry and chase him down!" With a wave of Li Cheng's hand, they bounded across the Hengduan Mountains like leopards.
Ye Tian, meanwhile, proceeded with extreme caution, scanning his surroundings. Beasts were most numerous in places like this.
Roar!
A ferocious beast roar shattered the surrounding brush as a Serrated Tiger lunged forward abruptly.
Ye Tian was startled, but it wasn't charging at him—it was fleeing from something on its tail.
"A Tier 1 beast!" Ye Tian muttered.
Tier 1 beasts were equivalent to human Martial Disciples. They were ordinary beasts possessing only beast energy rather than a beast core.
With a flash of his figure, he unleashed the Shadow-Drifting Step and gave chase fiercely. This was a walking treasure trove!
Reaching a waterfall, the Serrated Tiger stumbled along on its last breath, its body covered in wounds.
It was as large as two adult oxen combined.
Roar!
Catching sight of Ye Tian pursuing it, the tiger let out a sudden, frantic howl. Its sonic wave was like needles; baring its huge fangs and thrashing all four legs, it lunged to attack him.
"Boulder-Shattering Palm!"
Ye Tian shouted, his long hair flying as a powerful, fierce palm strike burst forth from his palm.