Chapter 16: The Second Mission

Page 1/3

Su Hao gazed at the blood-red dagger in his hand, secretly feeling grateful and fortunate. He hadn’t expected that opening this white treasure chest would yield a weapon of green quality. Such luck was indeed rare; this haul from the chest was truly satisfying.

He knew well that in the uncertain and challenging days to come, this blood blade dagger might become a reliable ally in battle.

Gently gripping the dagger, Su Hao slowly drew it from its exquisite sheath. The jade-green blade shimmered with a cold, mysterious light under the dim glow, as if telling the story of its extraordinary origins.

He examined the newly acquired weapon carefully and indeed noticed faint, nearly imperceptible chips along both edges of the blade—like unique marks left by time, silently narrating the dagger’s glorious yet turbulent past.

“I see now,” Su Hao murmured, a glimmer of insight flashing in his eyes. “Weapons truly require meticulous care and maintenance. Only then can their sharpness and power endure.”

He resolved inwardly to be more cautious with all his weapons in the future, vowing not to let them suffer damage so easily again.

Holding the blood blade dagger, Su Hao pondered briefly, a faint smile curling on his lips as he thought to himself:

“This blood blade will be perfect as my left-hand weapon. With the Bright Longsword in my right hand and the blood blade in my left, wielding both swords together, those wicked cultivators will surely have a headache.”

With that in mind, he eagerly retrieved the Bright Longsword from his storage, carefully drawing it from its sheath and scrutinizing the blade intently.

As expected, he found three tiny, almost unnoticeable chips on the sword’s edge.

This only deepened his understanding of the importance of weapon upkeep.

Su Hao carefully sheathed the longsword and then picked up another treasure chest. He extended a finger to gently touch it, and the chest opened in response.

“Congratulations, you have obtained a basic skill scroll—Mental Reflex Speed, a passive skill.”

A pleasant voice suddenly echoed in Su Hao’s mind.

“It's a passive skill? Can it be upgraded in the skill chamber?” Su Hao’s curiosity was piqued.

“Of course. All active and passive skills here can be upgraded in the skill chamber. However, upgrading passive skills is quite costly,” the voice explained patiently.

“Costly? Probably outrageously so,” Su Hao muttered quietly, feeling a twinge of concern about the upgrade expenses.

He then pondered for a moment before decisively choosing to open the remaining two treasure chests simultaneously.

“Congratulations, you have received twenty fragments of Cosmic Particles, one pistol, and six bullets. Congratulations again, you have received another ten Cosmic Particle fragments.”

The pleasant voice rang again, this time carrying a hint of excitement, as if sharing in Su Hao’s joy.

“Now that I have a pistol, it looks like I need to learn some firearm skills.”

Looking at his current luck value, now at nine points, Su Hao felt a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness. Carefully storing the pistol, he exchanged all the Cosmic Particle fragments he had obtained for cosmic currency.

Seeing his account balance—5,108 cosmic currency—Su Hao’s heart swelled with ambition. He immediately decided to stock up on food and water for emergencies.

In a flash, he darted like an arrow toward the market and began to shop frantically.

Only after filling his storage space to the brim did he stop, feeling content. At that point, he still had 2,016 cosmic currency left.

“Alternate Cleaner, due to your generous donation to the Cosmic Environmental Agency, you have been awarded 200,000 Cosmic Particles, which can be freely exchanged for cosmic currency. Would you like to exchange now?”

Page 2/3

A sudden voice echoed unexpectedly in Su Hao’s mind.

Startled by the news, Su Hao suddenly understood that everything Iris had told him before was true.

“This means I’m about to get rich. I never expected Teacher Iris to have secured four hundred jin of gold for me from my grandfather. Teacher Iris is truly remarkable.”

Excited, Su Hao felt a pang of regret for having once suspected Iris of deceit.

He knew clearly he would not choose to exchange now, as Iris had likely anticipated he would acquire a large number of Cosmic Particles and had warned him in advance that the black market offered a much better exchange rate.

Moreover, Cosmic Particles were far more cost-effective than cosmic currency when purchasing high-grade items directly.

[Teleportation Commencing]

At that moment, a dazzling light flashed, and Su Hao felt his vision darken before he was once again enveloped in the teleportation process.

Soon, the mission briefing began to unfold in his mind:

[Mission Location: Alpha Beta Planet. You have successfully arrived at this planet. As a Contracted One, you automatically gain the language ability of the mission area, which will naturally fade upon mission completion.]

[Main Mission: Assist three or more sects on this planet in forming an alliance against the evil cultivators. Mission duration: one month.]

[Side Mission: Eliminate evil cultivators.]

[Mission Suggestion: Since you have contact with the last remaining branch of the declining sect Justice Gate on this planet, and have gained their trust and favor, it is recommended to start your activities from Justice Gate.]

[Teleportation Complete]

As the voice faded, Su Hao’s vision blurred for a moment. When he focused again, he found himself back in a familiar cave—the very place he had left after completing the survival mission.

He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, confirming there were no hidden dangers before settling down in a flat spot to sit cross-legged.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated and pondered how to proceed steadily and strategically to fulfill the weighty main mission pressing on his mind.

He knew all too well that relying solely on his own strength to stir up significant change in this complex, treacherous cultivation world was nearly impossible.

Under such circumstances, only by leveraging the power of local cultivators and cooperating with them could he hope to achieve something meaningful.

At this moment, the six disciples present in the cave, all belonging to Justice Gate, were undoubtedly the best allies to enlist.

Moreover, Justice Gate was a sect with a long historical legacy. If he could leverage their influence and bring two or three other sects on board to form an anti-evil cultivator alliance, the heavy burden on his shoulders might be greatly eased.

Having settled on this plan, Su Hao rose slowly and headed toward the spot where he had previously placed his storage bags.

At the familiar crevice, the storage bags sat quietly as before, untouched by anyone. It seemed no one had been here.

Su Hao picked up the bags without bothering to check their contents, since he could easily guess they mostly contained food and water supplies.

He then walked steadily toward the quarters where the six disciples lived.

These six were elite inner disciples of Justice Gate whom Su Hao and his party had rescued during their escape.

The elder Yu Chi Yuanhang was an inner elder of Justice Gate. In the past, he had led fifty Golden Core cultivators in a desperate defense to protect over a hundred junior disciples with shallow cultivation, retreating through a secret mountain path when the sect faced grave danger—a scene nothing short of heart-stopping.

Yet the world was ever-changing and unpredictable.

Page 3/3

After three years of hardship and wandering, many disciples had perished or scattered during countless life-or-death escapes. Now, only six loyal disciples remained, unwaveringly by the elder’s side.

In one brutal battle, Yu Chi Yuanhang was grievously wounded, causing a significant decline in his cultivation.

It was at this desperate crossroads that they were fortunate to encounter Su Hao.

Entering the other side of the cave, Su Hao saw the six gathered, sharing the meager rations he had given them two days before.

The food was scant, each receiving only a pitiful portion—little more than a drop in the ocean.

They ate ravenously, as though afraid the precious food might vanish instantly.

Yet the hunger etched clearly on their faces revealed they had gone many days without a proper meal.

“Senior fellows, judging by your attire, you must be members of Justice Gate. Though this gift is humble, please accept it with kindness,” Su Hao said humbly, producing several packets of dried rations from his sleeve and offering them respectfully.

Yu Chi Yuanhang looked at the rations in Su Hao’s hands, his eyes flashing with a complex emotion. This time, he did not politely decline but reached out to accept them. Turning to the eldest disciple Situ Wuzhen, he instructed:

“Wuzhen, distribute this food among everyone so that all may have a full meal.”

Then, turning back to Su Hao, his voice tinged with helplessness and deep gratitude, he said slowly:

“Young friend, our food supplies have been completely exhausted.”

Situ Wuzhen took the rations in both hands, hearing his master’s reminder:

“Use it sparingly. Our rest period is nearly over. After you and Third Brother eat, go scout nearby for news and see if you can find any food. At this rate, we may not last much longer.”

After these instructions, Yu Chi Yuanhang looked at Su Hao again, nodding slightly with deep appreciation.

“You have repeatedly helped us, young friend. I am truly grateful, though I have little to repay you.”

This scene unfolded like a vivid painting, slowly spreading between Su Hao and Yu Chi Yuanhang. Every word and gesture was filled with the warmth and chill of human affairs, revealing the harsh vicissitudes of life.

Su Hao’s arrival undoubtedly brought a rare light of warmth and hope to the fragile Justice Gate shaken by storms.

He shook his head gently, a hint of humility in his eyes as he spoke warmly:

“Actually, what I have done is but a small favor. My knowledge of this area is limited—I only know of Justice Gate’s existence. As to whether there are other sects nearby, I am equally unaware.”

He then turned his gaze to Yu Chi Yuanhang, eyes searching.

The elder pondered for a moment, furrowing his brow as if trying to recall or deeply consider something.

After a while, he spoke slowly:

“The question you raise is indeed my concern. The situation outside is chaotic, with evil cultivators rampant. Most righteous sects have chosen to conceal their whereabouts, scattering to avoid becoming targets of these evils. Their exact locations are unknown to me as well. However, once they finish eating, I can send the disciples out in two groups to scout. Perhaps we’ll find something.”

He gestured toward the four disciples busily distributing the precious rations. The eldest disciple, Situ Wuzhen, was occupied handing out the hard-earned food.

The conversation and the scene carried the weight of survival in a perilous world, with hope flickering in the darkest moments.