Chapter Sixty-Two: Steward of the Mission Hall

In front of the Mission Hall, Chen Yi, Fu Aoxuan, and their two companions simultaneously unleashed their auras. The pressure of four Foundation Establishment experts bore down on the surrounding Qi Refinement disciples, leaving them nearly breathless. Although Chen Yi’s cultivation was only at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, not yet at Foundation Establishment, his physical strength had already broken through the limits, equaling that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Thus, he too could emanate an aura on par with Foundation Establishment practitioners—indeed, his aura was nearly as formidable as Fu Aoxuan’s at mid-Foundation Establishment. After all, Chen Yi cultivated both Qi and body, walking the dual path.

Their purpose in releasing their auras before the Mission Hall was not to show off their status as Foundation Establishment cultivators, nor to flaunt their superiority, but to enter the hall more quickly to submit their completed mission. The plaza before the Mission Hall was a sea of people; everywhere, outer disciples in Qi Refinement crowded to receive missions, stretching as far as the eye could see.

To expedite their entrance, Chen Yi and his companions had no choice but to reveal their strength. The effect was immediate: the surrounding disciples, upon recognizing four Foundation Establishment experts, hastily stepped aside, fearful of obstructing their path and accidentally offending such formidable individuals.

Though there were other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the mass of people, few would risk provoking four peers over such a trivial matter. Thus, once they unleashed their auras, Chen Yi and his group quickly made their way into the Mission Hall.

Inside, it was also crowded, though not as densely packed as outside. Chen Yi estimated that at least several hundred disciples were inside receiving missions. Fortunately, the hall was vast and spacious, so the presence of hundreds did not feel cramped.

Dozens of counters lined the main hall, each attended by a Foundation Establishment deacon. These deacons were responsible for issuing and receiving missions for the disciples of the Five Elements Sect. Chen Yi’s group surveyed the hall, then picked a counter with the shortest queue to submit their mission and claim their contribution points.

When the Qi Refinement disciples ahead of them noticed the arrival of inner disciples at Foundation Establishment, they hurriedly stepped aside, allowing Chen Yi and his friends to the front of the line.

Chen Yi saw no need for courtesy. In his previous life, everyone was equal, free from distinctions of status or worth. But now, he was no longer in a civilized, orderly world—he was in a realm where strength was everything, a true jungle where only the strong survived and morality meant little. Though his awakened memories spanned but a few months, he’d quickly adapted to this law of the jungle.

Approaching the counter, Chen Yi handed the space ring they’d prepared to the Foundation Establishment deacon. Inside was a third of the ivory they’d obtained from the Elephant Mound. Before coming, they had agreed that the demon elephant tusks were extremely rare and valuable, not to be exchanged all at once; who knew when they might need them again? So they had decided to keep a portion in reserve for future needs.

Even though the space ring held only a third of the tusks, it still startled the deacon. Accepting the ring, the deacon sent his divine sense inside, and upon seeing piles of tusks, he drew a sharp breath. Judging by the quality and the aura emanating from the ivory, his years of experience told him at a glance that these were all the tusks of powerful, cultivated demon elephants.

Realizing the value of the offerings, the deacon immediately apologized to Chen Yi and his companions. He explained that the items they wished to exchange were too precious, the contribution points involved too great for him to authorize alone—his authority did not extend to mobilizing thousands or tens of thousands of points. Only a Golden Core steward of the Mission Hall could approve such a transaction.

Chen Yi and his friends understood; after all, the contribution points they were exchanging were no trivial sum.

Upon receiving their consent, the deacon was overjoyed, his face beaming as he hurried off toward the inner hall. Watching the deacon’s delight, Chen Yi was puzzled. It was they who were about to receive a huge amount of contribution points—so why did it seem as if the deacon himself was about to benefit?

To dispel his confusion, Chen Yi quietly voiced his doubts to Fu Aoxuan. Though he spoke in a low voice, Wang Haochen and Yu Ming, both Foundation Establishment cultivators with keen senses, heard him clearly—his voice was already louder than a mosquito’s.

Hearing Chen Yi’s question, Wang Haochen and Yu Ming exchanged a strange look. Noticing their odd expressions, Chen Yi turned to Fu Aoxuan, hoping for an explanation.

Fu Aoxuan cleared his throat. “Brother Chen Yi, you’ve probably been busy cultivating and rarely come to the Mission Hall, so you’re unfamiliar with its customs. The Foundation Establishment deacons don’t work here for nothing. Every time they process a disciple’s completed mission, the deacon is entitled to a small cut of the contribution points—specifically, one percent.”

“Don’t underestimate that tiny one percent,” he continued. “Every day, countless disciples come to the Mission Hall for missions, and many complete them. The contribution points circulating here daily reach into the hundreds of thousands, even millions. Each deacon can earn thousands of points a day from these commissions.”

“That deacon was so pleased just now because the sum we’re exchanging is enormous, and he stands to gain a sizeable share from it.”