After leaving Liu Changsheng, Wang Hong assumed yet another identity. To maintain this false persona, he rented a small courtyard in Azure Void City, intending to use it regularly.
Feeling that another encounter with Shadow Kill might be too challenging this time, Wang Hong decided to avoid conflict until he felt confident in facing them. His plan was to engage in battle when he could win and gain some valuable spoils in the process.
Disguised as a mid-level Qi Cultivation practitioner, Wang Hong walked for seven days to return to the vicinity of Qingxu Sect. There, he discreetly resumed his true appearance and entered the sect.
His recent trip to Azure Void City yielded over a million Spirit Stones, expanding his spatial area by ten acres. With several hundred thousand Spirit Stones left, he was well-prepared for daily expenses.
His space now covered 105 acres with a time dilation of 134 times.
Out of the additional ten acres, he dedicated one each to Golden Spotted Bamboo and Lionhead Spirit Mushroom, both serving as delicacies. The remaining land was used for three acres of East Departure Grass and some auxiliary Medicinal Herbs for East Departure Pill.
The remaining five acres continued to cultivate Spiritual Herbs for Nourishing Essence Pill. The total planting area for Nourishing Essence Pill had reached fifteen acres, making it the mainstay for Immortal Path Trading Alliance to sell second-tier Spiritual Herbs.
Three months later, Wang Hong received a notice instructing him to complete his training mission after Foundation Building, starting in ten days.
As a second-tier Alchemist, his mission was to go to the Boundary Mountain Range and serve as the resident Alchemist in the Elixir Pavilion established by Qingxu Sect.
Wang Hong's earlier speculation proved correct; the sect did not intend to assign him perilous tasks as a second-tier Alchemist. Being stationed for Alchemy was much safer than engaging in dangerous activities.
However, even in Alchemy, he couldn't afford to be careless. His formidable strength remained his best security.
Before departure, he meticulously organized his belongings, which included several Spiritual Weapons, most of them gifts from Shadow Kill. Among them were four low-grade Flying Swords and a small dagger, suitable for sneak attacks.
For medium-grade Spiritual Weapons, he finally had one for offense (Golden Seal, a gift from Shadow Kill) and one for defense (Golden Light Bowl, purchased with Spirit Stones).
Possessing a high-grade Spiritual Weapon, the Binding Spirit Rope, was a notable achievement during the early stages of Foundation Building, enviable for many practitioners who hadn't even collected two low-grade Spiritual Weapons yet.
After sorting out his items, he took everything he could carry and used his spacious Storage Bag. For items that couldn't fit, he had an additional hundred acres of Space.
Summoning Chen Nian, the disciple who helped tend to his spirit fields, Wang Hong spoke, "Chen Nian, greet Senior Brother Wang!"
Chen Nian respectfully bowed upon entering. "Disciple Chen Nian pays respects to Senior Brother Wang!"
"I'm about to embark on a training mission that may take several years. Take care of my cave mansion and spirit fields, and when I return, I won't forget to reward you adequately."
"Disciple will do his best to manage everything in Senior Brother's cave mansion."
"Alright, here are five hundred Condensing Qi Pills as an advance reward for you. I'll reward you more upon my return."
He had previously rewarded Chen Nian with ten Condensing Qi Pills per month, and these five hundred pills were enough for over four years.
Chen Nian, originally at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, with these five hundred Condensing Qi Pills, as long as his aptitude wasn't too poor, he should be able to reach the tenth level of Qi Cultivation, achieving a perfect realm.
After handing over the management of his cave mansion to Chen Nian, Wang Hong went alone to the Sect Task Hall. Several others were also headed to the Boundary Mountain Range, and they were to meet at the Task Hall before departure.
On the small flat ground in front of the Task Hall entrance, three cultivators, two men, and a woman, all at Foundation Building, were already waiting. They were fellow disciples going on the training mission.
"Are you all headed to the Boundary Mountain Range?" Wang Hong, just arriving, observed that these three were recently at the Foundation Building stage and appeared to be waiting for someone. He approached and inquired.
"Exactly, I'm Jiang Qing. May I ask how Senior Brother would like to be addressed?" one of them responded.
"Let's dispense with formalities. I am Wang Hong from Kaiyang Peak."
With similar cultivation levels and being from the same sect, when addressing each other, they politely used "Senior Brother." If not from the same sect, addressing as fellow Daoists would be common.
The other two also exchanged names. The other male cultivator was Xu Gang, and the female cultivator was Tian Qing.
After the introductions, a female cultivator approached from a distance. Her face was elegant, and despite wearing the standard robe of Qingxu Sect, she couldn't hide her ethereal charm.
Everyone couldn't help but stop and take an extra look, even Tian Qing, who was also a female cultivator, was momentarily captivated.
Seeing her, Wang Hong couldn't help but feel his heart race. Ashamed of his thoughts, the only woman who could evoke such feelings was the one he glimpsed when joining Clear Void Sect years ago.
It was her, and since entering the sect, he hadn't seen her again. Wang Hong heard she was on Yaoguang Peak, apprenticed to a Golden Core female elder who held her in high regard.
Unexpectedly, she had also succeeded in Foundation Building, and now, she was part of the same training mission.
This stirred some different emotions within him, a bit of anticipation, and a hint of blush on his face.
After all, he was still young and physically normal, reacting like any ordinary person.
However, he quickly dispelled those thoughts, regaining composure. He thought he was overthinking, especially considering his recent Foundation Building. Additionally, he heard that many outstanding youths in Qingxu Sect were pursuing her.
Why would she be interested in him, especially when he hadn't done anything extraordinary?
After resolving these thoughts, his expression returned to calm. Observing his fellow disciples with a slightly superior gaze, he said, "Sorry for the wait, everyone. I am Wang Hong from Kaiyang Peak."
"No need to apologize! We just arrived as well," Jiang Qing quickly responded.
Xu Gang added, "No need to be apologetic, Junior Sister Yun. We have nothing urgent to attend to; waiting a bit longer is fine."
"Now that everyone is here, let's start our journey," Tian Qing suggested.
Being a female cultivator, she didn't transform into a dazed state like the male cultivators did. Looking at Wang Hong, who remained composed, Tian Qing couldn't help but hold him in higher regard, sensing a camaraderie among heroes.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]