A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 45 Mission

However, he knew that the power of this fire was much stronger than it had been four years ago. Back then, the Azure Dragon dared to withstand the golden flames with its own body, but now, upon seeing this fire, it immediately hid far away, afraid of getting even a trace of it.

The reason for this is that this fire now has the effect of corroding bones and destroying souls. He had previously tested it on a demon beast's soul, and it was directly devoured after only a trace of it touched it. Although that demon soul had no magical power to protect it and was only the soul of a level one demon beast, its power was still terrifying.

"Now my strength is enough to instantly kill a cultivator of the same level. Even a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't last ten breaths without a powerful means of survival."

Luo Ming's confidence was not unfounded.

Besides his own strength being close to the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage and his spiritual power becoming increasingly condensed and profound, his most crucial reliance is the four spirit beasts he has carefully nurtured.

Over the course of four years, the spirit beasts under Luo Ming's command have undergone earth-shattering changes.

Both the Wind Fox Beast and the Black Tortoise broke through their cultivation levels and successfully advanced to the ranks of second-level demon beasts. What surprised him the most was the Wind Fox Beast's transformation.

This beast, having consumed the refined essence of the Demon-Attracting Grass for a long time, underwent a subtle transformation. Its original bluish-gray fur completely disappeared, transforming into a deep, night-like black coat, its sheen as dark as ink, with a hidden, shimmering light.

Its already formidable ability to conceal itself and move stealthily became even more unpredictable. Even when Luo Ming used his divine sense to carefully investigate, he could hardly find its trace unless he deliberately locked onto its aura.

Even Luo Ming himself envied such extraordinary talent for concealment.

Looking at the Xuan Turtle again, after advancing to the second level, its size more than doubled. The shell on its back was covered with mysterious golden patterns, and its defensive power increased dramatically. Luo Ming once used the Water Nether Sword to slash at its back with all his might, but the sword only left a faint white mark when it fell, which was instantly repaired by the spiritual light generated by the shell itself.

Moreover, its breathing technique has become increasingly sophisticated. Although its ability to conceal itself is slightly inferior to that of the Wind Fox Beast, it is far superior to other monsters of the same level. However, its offensive capabilities are still at the bottom.

As for the Azure Dragon, this beast was previously unruly, but after witnessing other demon beasts advance step by step and increase their strength by using the essence of the Demon-Attracting Grass, the Azure Dragon's defenses gradually weakened.

The allure of the Demon-Attracting Grass's pure spiritual power was ultimately irresistible to the demon race, and it finally abandoned its demonic dignity and completely surrendered to Luo Ming's command.

Now, both the Azure Dragon and the Fat Sun Bird have reached the peak of the second-level demon beasts, only one step away from the third-level demon beasts, making them Luo Ming's two trump cards.

The reason why the Fat Sun Bird progressed so rapidly was not only due to the nourishment of the Demon-Attracting Grass, but also to the purification of its primordial fire by the Spirit Gathering Cauldron. With the double blessing, coupled with Luo Ming's never-stingy supply of spirit stones, its advancement speed was comparable to that of Luo Ming himself, a cultivator.

In terms of cultivation techniques, Luo Ming has already mastered the basics of the Qianyang Fire Eye technique, and can easily see through ordinary low-level illusions.

"If my memory serves me right, this year will be the time of the massive invasion by the demonic forces. The initial clashes will undoubtedly be incredibly fierce. In this catastrophe, Foundation Establishment cultivators will be nothing more than ants, slightly larger than ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. A slight misstep could lead to their demise." Luo Ming frowned, pondering for a long time before finally making up his mind, "We must find a way to avoid this calamity."

After a moment's thought, he decided to accept a long-term mission that would last for a year, and the mission location had to be far away from the border area where the Yue Kingdom and the Demonic Path met.

After the demonic invasion, the entire Tiannan region will be plunged into prolonged chaos. The best way to cultivate peacefully and accumulate strength is to follow Old Demon Han to the Chaotic Star Sea. Whether you choose to find a deserted island to become your own or settle in Tianxing City, it will be an excellent choice to stay away from the strife.

Having made up his mind, Luo Ming no longer hesitated. He immediately packed his belongings, left the cave where he had lived for many years, and headed straight for the sect's mission hall.

The Mission Hall has always been one of the busiest places in Spirit Beast Mountain, bustling with people year-round. Most of the people here are Qi Refining stage cultivators who come to accept missions and earn spirit stones. Looking at his fellow disciples coming and going, struggling to make a living, Luo Ming couldn't help but think of himself when he first entered the sect, and a sense of emotion welled up in his heart.

He went straight to the counter where Foundation Establishment cultivators were assigned tasks, where a thin, middle-aged cultivator was on duty. Seeing Luo Ming approach, the cultivator's eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up, cupped his hands, and smiled, "Junior Brother Luo, what kind of task are you here for today? Or are you going to the spirit stone mine as usual?"

This middle-aged cultivator was named Mu Feng. He had been stationed here for many years, and Luo Ming had been coming here frequently to take on missions in recent years, so the two had become quite familiar with each other.

"I am stationed at the spirit stone mine, but this time I want to change locations and take on a long-term stationing mission," Luo Ming nodded in response.

In fact, over the past few years, Luo Ming had been using his position guarding the spirit stone mine as an opportunity to search for that super teleportation array. He only vaguely remembered that the spirit stone mine where the teleportation array was located was in the wasteland area between Yan Family Fortress and Yellow Maple Valley, but there were several spirit stone mines in that area, so he had to check them one by one. Now, only this last one remained unexplored, and he was vaguely certain that it should be that one.

Having successfully completed the mission formalities and received the mission token issued by the sect, Luo Ming immediately returned to his cave dwelling to prepare for his departure.

Upon returning to his cave, he stored all the commonly used items in his storage bag, even carefully putting away the Golden Wind and Drizzle Array used to protect the cave. Finally, he also put the Wind Fox and several other spirit beasts into his spirit beast bag. This kind of behavior is extremely common in the cultivation world; many cultivators carry all their belongings with them when they go out, especially rogue cultivators.

Firstly, the storage bag is portable, and secondly, it's to prevent any unforeseen events from happening outside, which could prevent them from ever returning to their cave.

After everything was packed up, Luo Ming looked at the empty cave and a strange premonition arose in his heart—this trip might mean he would never be able to return to this homeland.

He stood still for a moment, watching the array light screen outside the cave gradually dissipate. The dwelling, which was originally shrouded in clouds and mist and resembled a blessed land of immortals, was now exposed as a simple cave entrance without the protection of the array, adding a touch of desolation.

"This is where I began my journey on the path to immortality. I wonder what it will be like a hundred years from now?" Luo Ming smiled, suppressing his emotions. With a flicker, he transformed into a streak of light and sped off towards the wasteland.

Several days after Luo Ming left, Deacon Qin returned from a mission and, while passing over Luo Ming's cave, suddenly sensed something was wrong.

"Why did Junior Brother Luo remove the protective array outside his cave when he went out on a mission?" Deacon Qin wondered, but didn't delve into it. He had been away for several months and was exhausted both physically and mentally. He just wanted to return to his cave as soon as possible to rest, so he hurried away.

A month later, above a desolate wasteland filled with yellow sand, a flying boat slowly hovered, and the person on board was Luo Ming, who had been traveling for a month.

He took out a jade slip containing the location of the mine from his storage bag, infused it with spiritual power to examine it carefully, and only after repeatedly confirming that the location was correct did he control the flying boat to slowly descend.

"The environment of this spirit stone mine is so desolate." Luo Ming frowned and complained after landing. "Could it be that all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the vicinity has been absorbed by the spirit stones in the mine?"

In his original plan, the spirit stone mine, as a place where spiritual energy gathers, should have abundant spiritual energy in its surroundings. However, he did not expect that this place would be barren and covered with yellow sand. At the same time, his premonition grew stronger—that super teleportation array must be deep underground in this mine.