Chapter 434 - 415: There Must Be a Better Reward
Su Ling’er took the lead, stepping through the pitch-black tower gate.
The nearly one hundred new recruits behind her, each with their own agenda, could only bite the bullet and follow.
The darkness before them lasted only for a moment before being dispelled by candlelight.
The recruits found themselves in an excessively spacious stone hall. Its four walls were smooth and unadorned. The only thing in it was a familiar figure seated in the center.
Mr. Qian.
He had the same stiff, wooden appearance, his face devoid of expression.
Su Ling’er walked up to Mr. Qian and gave him a slight bow.
"Mr. Qian, by order of the sect’s mission elder, I am here to lead the newly promoted disciples on a sect mission."
"I am the guide in charge of the group."
’Sigh, this once-mighty expert of the righteous path was refined into such a state after his death. He’s lost even his self-awareness, forced to serve the demonic sect day after day. I hope Senior Brother... doesn’t end up like this.’
’He will definitely succeed in his struggle! He has to find a way to break the Demon Venerable’s control!’
’And what I need to do is convince these new recruits to quit, clearing all obstacles for him!’
Mr. Qian’s gaze shifted from Su Ling’er, sweeping over the new recruits behind her.
He raised a stiff arm and waved.
A Token, pitch-black and carved with intricate patterns, slid from his sleeve and floated before Su Ling’er.
This was the Trial Order for team mode, which the group leader was responsible for retrieving.
"This item records your achievements."
"Merits will be calculated based on the tower floor you reach."
"When the mission is complete, return to me with this Token to receive your reward."
Reward!
The moment he said this, a commotion erupted from the crowd behind Su Ling’er.
The gamblers, driven by wishful thinking, had been on edge since entering the strange tower. Now, their anxieties vanished, and greed once again filled their eyes.
’As long as there’s a reward!’
’As long as there’s a reward, anything is possible!’
"See? I told you we wouldn’t be working for free!"
"Three hundred demon beasts sounds scary, but the mission’s just on the second floor, right? How hard can it be?"
"Exactly! Fortune favors the bold! The brave get their fill while the timid starve!"
Low murmurs rippled through the back of the crowd. When the potential profit was enough to devour their reason, gamblers would see risk as a stepping stone, unaware that they themselves had become the liability.
Su Ling’er saw it all and curled her lip in disdain.
’Back to dreaming already?’
’Fine. The higher your hopes, the harder you’ll fall!’
’My huge bag of Spirit Stones... I’m counting on making my money back from you gamblers who yearn for the demonic path!’
She snatched the Trial Order and turned to face the crowd.
"Follow me."
The moment they passed through the dim portal, a feeling of weightlessness washed over them.
The next moment, their feet touched solid ground. A cold, damp wind, laced with a putrid stench, rushed to meet them.
The sight before them made everyone gasp.
This was a barren wasteland of jagged rocks. Underfoot was uneven gravel, and in the distance, strange rock formations created stark silhouettes. Just as the group was still adjusting to the environment...
"RUSTLE... RUSTLE..."
In the dark corners, hundreds of pairs of faintly glowing green eyes lit up one after another!
Immediately after, shrill, piercing shrieks erupted from all directions!
"AH! What is that?!"
"D-Demon beasts?! It’s demon beasts!!!"
"Wait, are we really fighting right away? Aren’t they going to teach us a Cultivation Technique first?"
The recruits, new to the path of Cultivation, were shocked at first. But some of them gradually calmed down. After all, they were gamblers willing to risk it all for a shot at the future, far bolder than those Su Ling’er had managed to scare away.
"Don’t panic! Form a circle! Swords out! Back to back!"
A few young masters from what appeared to be influential families forced themselves to stay calm, shouting loudly as they tried to organize the chaotic crowd.
The various undercover agents instantly entered combat stances. Lu Ping, however, stood at the edge of the crowd, looking somewhat lazy, as if lost in thought.
The green dots of light grew more numerous until their group of less than a hundred people was completely surrounded.
Seeing this motley crew panic, Su Ling’er felt a flicker of satisfaction.
’Scared now, are you? It’s not too late to regret...’
’Wait!’
Her heart tightened.
’This is bad!’
’I was so focused on how to exploit them and break their spirits that I forgot to have them pick up the standard-issue beginner Wooden Swords from the sect!’
’No, that’s not right either. What if they discovered how miraculous the Wooden Swords are and became even more reluctant to leave? That wouldn’t work either!’
’Oh well. Let them use their own weapons. Basically, those with poor aptitude who still dream of Cultivation can only rely on money. For the first few floors of the tower, ordinary mortal swords should be enough.’
Just as her thoughts were racing...
"SHING!"
"SHING! SHING! SHING—!"
A series of crisp, metallic sounds of swords being unsheathed rang out across the rocky wasteland. Under the glow of the eerie green lights, a blinding cold glint flared.
The recruits now held longswords in their hands—every single one of them!
Some scabbards were inlaid with agate and gems, clearly worth a fortune.
Some hilts were wrapped in gold thread, exuding an air of luxury.
Some blades were broad and thick, with a faint shimmer flowing across them—clearly forged from hundred-times-refined steel!
These rich kids with mediocre aptitude, in order to walk this illusory path of immortals, had families who not only paid enormous tributes to support their Cultivation dreams but also sought out famous master craftsmen to prepare the most luxurious weapons the mortal world had to offer!
’If you don’t have the aptitude, make up for it with wealth!’
"Monster! I... I’m warning you, don’t come any closer! This precious blade of mine was forged by the number one swordsmith in Henghe City! It cost thirty thousand taels of Gold!"
The undercover agents mixed in the crowd moved with crisp, efficient motions. The longswords they drew were simple and unadorned, but their edges reeked of blood.
Their stances were steady and their breathing was long and even. They were clearly all skilled martial artists.
Lu Ping, meanwhile, unhurriedly untied an iron sword from his back. Its scabbard was worn. He held the sword and blended into the edge of the crowd, utterly inconspicuous.
The agile demon wolves continued to close in and then began their ferocious assault!
"AWOOOO—!"
A mournful howl echoed across the wasteland as over a hundred demon wolves lunged from the darkness, bringing with them a foul, gusting wind!
The battle erupted in an instant.
Although the hundred-plus demon wolves looked ferocious with their bared fangs, their strength was pitifully weak. At best, they were only slightly stronger than wild beasts from the mountains.
Facing a group of nearly a hundred people armed to the teeth, with over twenty true Cultivators mixed among them, the battle was completely one-sided from the very beginning.
"SHLICK!"
One of the demonic sect’s undercover agents flickered, his sword flashing. In an instant, the throats of three demon wolves were slit.
These undercover agents from various sects became the sharpest blades on the battlefield. Dealing with "demonic creatures" of this level was mere child’s play for them.
With every flash of sword light, swathes of demon wolves fell.
Lu Ping remained at the edge of the battlefield.
He adhered to the principle of "the less trouble, the better," dodging when he could, yielding when possible.
A demon wolf bared its fangs and pounced at him.
But then, a strange scene unfolded.
The ferocious demon wolf seemed to slow down for half a beat in mid-air. Lu Ping casually thrust his iron sword forward.
"PFFT."
With a soft sound, the tip of the sword pierced the demon wolf’s eye socket, running through its brain.
He retracted his sword and flicked the blood from the blade, his movements as smooth as flowing water.
As for the mortal gamblers, after their initial panic, they also gradually found their footing. Aside from those who were not skilled in killing and had no prior training, most could handle one or two wolves.
"Huh? These demon beasts... don’t seem that tough?"
"I... I killed one! I killed a demon beast!"
"Hahaha! Awesome! Bring it on!"
Adrenaline surged, and fear was replaced by excitement.
They discovered that these so-called demonic creatures were not invincible. It was no wonder Miss Su hadn’t made them practice any techniques first. They began to wonder if there was some profound reason for bringing them straight into battle.
Although some were still clumsy, getting their clothes torn by wolf claws, the thrill of the slaughter mixed with the rush of surviving danger made their gambler’s mentality grow even stronger.
"KILL!"
The entire rocky wasteland seemed to have become a carnival for the new recruits.
Su Ling’er stood on a high slope in the distance, watching the scene without a word.
’With over a hundred demon wolves and just under a hundred new recruits... according to the Demon-Locking Tower’s trial rewards, this floor alone will net me nearly a hundred Spirit Stones.’
’After we finish the second floor, I should have at least three hundred Spirit Stones from this run.’
’Once I settle the mission account at the Transmission Hall, I should be able to recoup close to six hundred Spirit Stones this time.’
’Although compared to the massive expense of the Asking Dao Ladder, it’s just a drop in the bucket...’
’But... I can just do this a few more times!’
’This will also let them experience the cruelty of the demonic sect! Let them think they can earn rewards through hard work, and then I, their "unreasonable" senior sister, will personally confiscate all their gains!’
’I’ll squeeze them dry again and again!’
’Make them understand completely that in this demonic sect, all their efforts will ultimately end up in the hands of their superiors!’
’Since you’re all so greedy and yearn for the demonic path, don’t blame me for what comes next!’
The bodies of demon wolves lay strewn across the entire wasteland.
Of the nearly one hundred new recruits, save for a few unlucky ones with minor scratches, everyone was leaning on their swords, panting heavily, but their faces were filled with undisguised excitement and exhilaration.
"It’s over... We won!"
"Hahaha! These demon beasts are just a bit stronger than wild animals. Nothing special!"
[First Floor Trial · Cleared]
The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer.
"We cleared this floor! There must be even better rewards on the second floor! That’s when the real sect mission will begin!"
"I hope those ’rats’ or whatever are stronger than these wolves. That would make killing them more satisfying!"
The exhilarated crowd chattered amongst themselves, spontaneously heading toward the portal in the depths of the wasteland that led to the second floor.
’Sure enough! True immortal fortune must be won with your own blade!’
Su Ling’er watched their eager backs, saying nothing.
’Go on, go on.’
’The greater your sense of accomplishment now, the deeper your despair will be when the mission is settled.’
[Demon-Locking Tower · Second Floor]
Light and shadow distorted, and the scene changed abruptly.
The expected open space did not appear. Instead, they were greeted by countless narrow, dark caves reeking of a thick, putrid stench.
This was a giant ant nest, a labyrinth of interconnected tunnels. The walls were covered in a dense pack of holes of various sizes, a sight that made one’s skin crawl.
"SCRAPE... SCRAPE..."
Scraping sounds came from all directions, the frantic scratching of countless claws from within the rock walls.
"Th-This is the second floor?"