Transcending Dreams
B2 - Chapter 66

Speed walking for cultivators meant it took literally less than a minute to reach the Mission Hall. There was no dawdling to take in the sights or slowdowns due to foot traffic. Just a direct path to their intended destination, which happened to be right next to the Teleportation Hall.

Unlike in the Outer Court, the Mission Hall here was an actual building instead of an open-air courtyard. The door was unguarded, something strange for William to see, but so were the entrances to most other buildings they passed.

Even the Teleportation Hall nearby was no longer guarded by elite cultivators. A quick glance at the guards with the system’s basic status showed they were all peak Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.

The end of the auction must have erased the need for such Elders to act like guards.

“We should keep the mission to a two-day duration at maximum,” Kae commented as they entered. “I want to retry the ranking list this week.”

“Ranking list?” William asked as he looked around the Mission Hall’s interior. It was extremely similar to the Outer Court’s Mission Hall layout.

One different thing was the number of disciples that were here. It couldn’t be called packed, but there were at least a few disciples in view anywhere he looked. Another thing that stood out was that there was one Sentinel per group.

“You don’t know what the ranking list is?” Kae stopped abruptly to stare at him.

At this point, William had already concluded that the combination of him and Lan Yang was the worst possible.

“I’m new here, Kae.”

“That doesn’t explain this ignorance,” Kae replied flatly.

“True,” William shrugged. “It wasn’t a concern to me. I had a goal that’s more important than some ranking list.”

“This goal is the reason you were training,” Kae stated. “Have you not thought that sect would have supplementary rewards to your training? As a bare-sleeve, you have few challengers. It would be an embarrassment if you did not place high.”

“What’s a bare-sleeve?” William ignored the rest of Kae’s points. He knew there was nothing he could say to defend from that. The Outer Court had these lists, though he never participated since the rewards weren’t worth his time.

“You,” Kae pointed at his sleeves. “Sentinels. Ones that have no stars.”

He raised an eyebrow. It seemed like there was some dislike towards Sentinels if they had a nickname like that. “Fine, I accept my shortsightedness. Let’s get to picking the mission.”

William had to admit that he had followed Kae here primarily out of curiosity. He wanted to know why the boy insisted on him joining his training when they didn’t even know each other.

A guess was a need to have a Sentinel, and William was the only one Kae could get to agree. Another was his age. He wasn’t blind to the fact that he got looks at how young he was and knew it was a special thing to be in the Inner Court.

The only issue with the latter guess was Kae’s brashness. The boy clearly didn’t care to curry favor.

“I agree,” Kae turned back to the wall of tablets. “Which level of difficulty should we pick?”

Like in the Outer Court, the wall was separated into four sections. Unlike the Outer Court, there was no restriction on what a disciple could pick.

“What do you usually pick?” William asked for a reference.

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“Expert.”

He stared. “Are they alchemy-focused?”

“Hm,” Kae tilted his head slightly in thought. “Somewhat. Though I would classify them to be more combat orientated.”

Now William was interested. He would have been happy to read his formation manuals like he originally planned, but if an alchemist like Kae could complete combat focus missions on the regular, then that upgrade to the Qi refining room was much closer than he thought.

Of course, it didn’t escape him that something was off with Kae. Still, a look at the missions wouldn’t be binding.

“Then let’s browse the expert section,” William said as he walked toward the section. He eyed the lone group of disciples pick their tablet before passing them. He noticed the Sentinel was giving him a strange look, perhaps because he was new.

He moved aside to give Kae space as he picked a tablet off the wall.

Mission: Clear 2 beast waves at Level 3

Location: Nine Realms Alchemy Abyss

Description: Clear 2 beast waves and collect at least 80% of the total ingredients. Destruction is expected but must be minimized to pass this mission.

Reward: 15000 points

Penalty: Variable (Point deduction will be calculated by excess loss of ingredients)

Accept: Y/N

William glanced at the tablet and confirmed that it had the same information. The system hadn’t got it wrong. The reward was fifteen thousand points. Fifteen Spirit Stones.

A far cry when compared to the only other mission he had chosen. However, there was one issue that made the mission a non-starter.

“This isn’t in the sect,” William stated.

“Yes, it is,” Kae corrected immediately. “The Abyss is the sect’s most valuable territory. Let me see the tablet.”

He handed it over with a frown. This seemed like another thing Lan Yang had somehow missed, unless the Abyss wasn’t located in the common grounds.

“A tradeoff,” Kae muttered. “Difficult, but it might be easier than the others.”

William grew curious and picked another tablet to see what he meant.

Mission: Clear 6 beast waves at Level 2

Location: Nine Realms Alchemy Abyss

Description: Clear 6 beast waves and collect at least 90% of the total ingredients. Destruction is expected but must be minimized to pass this mission.

Reward: 15000 points

Penalty: Variable (Point deduction will be calculated by excess loss of ingredients)

Accept: Y/N

It was located in the same place. Similar goals but different requirements. He picked another tablet, suspicion starting to rise.

Mission: Clear 3 beast waves at Level 3

Location: Nine Realms Alchemy Abyss

Description: Clear 3 beast waves and collect at least 70% of the total ingredients. Destruction is expected but must be minimized to pass this mission.

Reward: 15000 points

Penalty: Variable (Point deduction will be calculated by excess loss of ingredients)

Accept: Y/N

“Are all these missions located in the Abyss?” William asked as he returned the tablet to its place.

“Hm,” Kae nodded, looking at the tablet in his hands like it would reveal more information. “The expert section has no menial tasks to choose from. There are the occasional requests from the Empire, but they don’t last long on the wall.”

He glanced at the wall with close to a hundred requests with confusion. There really was something he was seriously missing. If there was such an enormous trove of available points that an alchemist like Kae was eager to choose, why hadn’t the other disciples been as eager?

“We should pick this,” Kae interrupted his thoughts. “Two waves with the percentage required is doable.”

William wouldn’t agree to anything without knowing what he signed up for.

“Let’s slow down,” he held up a hand. “What’s the Nine Realms Alchemy Abyss?”

He was also very aware that the sect could pick such a ridiculous name, but Elder Yu didn’t let him keep his own creation. In his opinion, Fury of the Five Heavenly Dragons was far better to the ears than Nine Realms Alchemy Abyss.

“The name is telling, is it not? There are nine levels to the Abyss, where the sect sources the ingredients it needs. Not everything can be grown. Sometimes, it needs to come from spirit beasts.”

The first thing that came to William’s mind was a slaughterhouse. Why hunt for the beasts when they could reliably have a supply in captivity.

“And all of this is located here?” He asked incredulously.

“If by here, you mean under our feet? Then, yes.”

William looked down blankly, trying to imagine nine levels full of spirit beasts destined to be slaughtered. “Under the common grounds?”

Kae nodded. “So, you agree then? We’re taking this mission?”

He had a few thoughts at the forefront of his mind. If the Abyss was sect territory, he should be reasonably safe. Another was his spirit egg.

The description of the abyss and the mission would make this a buffet for it.