My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

The other three disciples then left, leaving Liang Cheng behind.

Chen Xuanfeng had the three senior brothers wait outside the door, and now only Liang Cheng remained in the Quiet Chamber.

"Sit."

Chen Xuanfeng pointed to the cattail mat opposite him. He waited for Liang Cheng to sit down before speaking slowly, "Yesterday, you handled Shi Jun with poise. As your master, I was very pleased. However, I’ve kept you here today for another important matter."

Liang Cheng’s expression turned solemn. "Please speak, Master."

"The Main Courtyard has always been generous to its disciples. The supply of resources is also quite sufficient. Private duels are forbidden within the courtyard, and the inheritance from masters is highly valued. You already know all this."

At this, Chen Xuanfeng’s tone shifted. "However, the struggle of the Martial Dao is like rowing a boat upstream. If you are only ever coddled in a greenhouse, you will never become a talent capable of holding up the heavens."

He stared at Liang Cheng, his gaze profound. "That is why there is the Heart Inquiry Road for entry—it screens for those with willpower and perseverance. And it is why the Foreign Affairs Hall has missions—to temper disciples through life-and-death combat."

"Peace within the courtyard, a hardened heart from battles without!"

Liang Cheng was shaken by these words.

Chen Xuanfeng continued, "Normally, new disciples are only allowed to accept missions from the Foreign Affairs Hall six months after enrolling, to prevent them from perishing too early. But..."

"You are different."

"You have already entered the True Essence Realm and have even reached forty-eighth on the Hero Ranking. If you continue to just follow the rules within the courtyard, you can slowly accumulate resources with your monthly Contribution Points, but it will dull your edge."

"Missions from the Foreign Affairs Hall are perilous, but the rewards are generous. They often include Treasures of Heaven and Earth that can help you break through in your Cultivation, and more importantly, they forge the heart of a true martial artist."

Liang Cheng took a deep breath. "I understand. The path of the Martial Dao is like walking on the edge of a blade; there is no room for complacency."

A flash of approval appeared in Chen Xuanfeng’s eyes. "It is excellent that you have such an understanding. In that case, I will give you two choices."

"First, you can go on missions with your senior brothers. They are experienced and can ensure your safety while showing you the ropes."

"Second, you can accept missions alone. You will be responsible for your own life and death, but all spoils will be yours. You will temper yourself and truly walk the martial path."

Liang Cheng barely hesitated. "I choose the second option."

He looked at Chen Xuanfeng with a steady gaze. "If the goal is to temper my Martial Dao will, then I must walk the dangerous path alone. Relying on my senior brothers for protection, I will never amount to anything."

"Good!"

Chen Xuanfeng clapped his hands and took out a warm, smooth White Jade Token from his robes. It was the size of his palm and engraved with cloud patterns.

"This is a Communication Jade Token. Infuse it with True Essence to activate it. I can sense your location within a thousand li. If you find yourself in a desperate situation, crush it, and I will rush over as fast as I can."

Liang Cheng respectfully accepted it with both hands.

It felt slightly heavy in his hand, and he could feel a faint flow of Spiritual Qi from within it.

He had never even heard of such a miraculous item back in Lin Wu City.

But then he recalled Dean Bai Hong’s words about becoming a Martial Dao God and remembered the profoundly mysterious Heart Inquiry Road from his enrollment. A boundless yearning filled his heart.

The path beyond the Martial Dao was profound and mysterious. What he had to do was break through mortality and see that scenery with his own eyes.

Just then, Chen Xuanfeng smiled faintly toward the door. "Come in."

Ye Zhiqiu and the other two came in, and Chen Xuanfeng spoke.

"The three of you can go ahead and carry out your own missions. Liang Cheng will go to the Foreign Affairs Hall to accept a mission himself. You don’t need to take him with you."

Ye Zhiqiu saw the Jade Token in Liang Cheng’s hand and couldn’t help but smile. "Junior Brother, I knew you wouldn’t choose to go with us."

"Well, we’ll be going then. See you at the next mid-month competition."

After Ye Zhiqiu and the others left, Chen Xuanfeng said:

"Go on, then. The Foreign Affairs Hall will have new missions posted. Remember—"

"If you face a life-or-death crisis, crush the Token immediately. Come back alive."

"Yes, Master."

...

After leaving the Instructor Hall, Liang Cheng headed straight for the Main Courtyard’s Foreign Affairs Hall.

The Foreign Affairs Hall was located on the eastern side of Xuankong Mountain. It was a three-story grand hall made of black stone. A constant stream of disciples entered and exited, most with steady auras and hurried steps, a stark contrast to the new disciples he had seen when he first entered the Main Courtyard.

A wave of noise washed over him as he stepped into the hall.

In the center of the hall stood a massive Jade Disc, glowing with spiritual light. Densely packed mission information scrolled across its surface.

Dozens of disciples were gathered in front of the Jade Disc, some staring intently at the information, others discussing it in low voices.

Liang Cheng walked closer and looked up, marveling to himself. ’Such methods... how are they any different from those of the Immortal Gods?’

He then calmed himself and began to inspect the missions on the Jade Disc.

The more dangerous the mission, the greater the reward.

"Exterminate the Demon Beasts in the West Mountain Mine (Reward: 500 Contribution Points)"

"Escort a merchant caravan to the South Suburb of Yunhai City (Reward: One stalk of Hundred-Year-Old Yellow Essence)"

The reward was listed after each mission. One particular mission caught Liang Cheng’s eye.

Kill the Fierce Beast of Black Wind Abyss, the Mountain-Devouring Ghost Ape, and turn in its Demon Core. Reward: Three bottles of Jade Marrow Condensing True Pills (three pills per bottle) and one portion of Earth Core Marrow Tempering Milk.

’A Fierce Beast!’

Unlike the beasts from the Spring Hunt Competition, Fierce Beasts were all equivalent to the True Qi Realm. They simply didn’t exist on ordinary islands, having long since been cleared out by the Four Islands Alliance.

At that moment, the disciples nearby were murmuring amongst themselves.

"This is the third time the Black Wind Abyss mission has been posted this month, right? What kind of Elixirs is the Pill Furnace Pavilion experimenting with that they need the Demon Core of a Mountain-Devouring Ghost Ape? That’s a Tier Three Peak Fierce Beast!"

"Yeah, it’s no easy task. Senior Brother Chen, who’s ranked fiftieth on the Hero Ranking, came back severely injured. Why else do you think the reward is so generous?"

"The rewards are all top-tier. Those Jade Marrow Condensing True Pills... the Pill Furnace Pavilion only produces about ten bottles a month. You can’t even get them with ordinary Contribution Points."

"And the Earth Core Marrow Tempering Milk is a treasure that refines the Meridians. It’s an incredibly rare, finite resource."

Liang Cheng looked back at the Jade Disc.

His gaze drifted between several missions before finally settling on the one to kill the Black Wind Abyss’s Fierce Beast, the Mountain-Devouring Ghost Ape.

Although Black Wind Abyss was a dangerous place, information on the Fierce Beast was relatively public. He had read about it in the Scripture Collection Tower, so he had some idea of what to expect.