First mission

"That's it for today, good work." Says Hou Yi.

The old master is amused with the result, with only half a day; Ning Yue now has his breath in control.

"I feel calmer?"

Ning Yue doesn't know how to describe what he is feeling right now.

The wave of energy flowed in and out, nourishing his body in every step, making him more comfortable than ever.

"It is natural to feel calmer. But after a while, you will get used to it."

"Then, what next?"

"Nothing; the next step in training will begin when you reach the awakening inner power stage."

"And how long would it take?"

"Around 2 years on average, 5 years is the longest. But for you, I don't know…."

"2 or 5 years?! I can't wait that long!"

Ning Yue has to power up and win the tournament quickly!

"There is a shortcut, pills."

Hou Yi doesn't watch to speak about this because he knows where Ning Yue's pill goes.

"Oh…"

Ning Yue is sad after realizing it.

"But there is a special way to get pills; you want to hear it?"

Hou Yi speaks like he is dangling bait in front of Ning Yue's face.

"YES! Please tell me!"

"It is sects' mission."

"Sects' mission? What is it?"

"Having power means nothing if you don't use it. In the cultivation world, we get income by receiving commissions from citizens and do their bidding in exchange for payment or favor."

Hou Yi says as he walks forward.

Ning Yue respectfully follows his master.

"Some may be a thief or tyrant and stole the wealth directly from citizens, but those are deemed evil and become a target."

An evil clan or sect is a delicious target for other powerful cultivators.

Wealth and resources need to come from somewhere; if you do evil things to where you get your income, it means opening for other sects or clans to take over.

"So, we are not evil!"

"Mostly, something must be done to keep stability, so I can't say we are good, but we are not outright evil either; in the cultivation world, things are mostly in a gray area. You have to judge it by yourself."

Ning Yue is still naïve about how corrupted this world is.

Strong preying on the weak, the weak plotting behind the strong.

Having someone to trust is more valued than any treasure.

"We are here, the sect's commission center."

"Oh, there are a LOT of people."

A flood of people is going in and out of this two-story high building.

The building is consistent with wood but is now replaced with stone and metal structures by workers on the roof, showing how far they have become since the wooden past.

The Moon Sword Sect commission center is flooded with people every day because, in this region, there is only the Moon Sword Sect that is officially a people sect.

Other's clans or sects are private sects that accept only high-quality clients, unlike Moon Sword Sect, which takes any requests ranging from hunting regular bears to a mystical beast chicken.

"Our sect's original motive is helping commoners and protect the city, but after it grew, greed took over, and we started to act like a private sect."

Hou Yi is disgustingly speaking while watching the main mission board.

Back then, they accepted ALL requests if it would help the people.

Are they guarding their farm day and night? Yes, Helping take care of children? Yes, resolve noise problems with a neighbor, also Yes.

They will do virtually anything if it benefits people; that is how they gain people's trust and from a city council in the first place!

But now, they only accept requests that benefit them, either hunting a profound Beast or having a high reward.

"You can see it here, see this line; it said: recommend: body cleansing stage."

On the mission paper, Hou Yi pointed at a little line on the corner of the form.

"Yes, and I do pass the requirement too!"

--

[Exterminate profound beast Two-tailed tiger]

Reward: 1000 coins or 2 mortal pills

Location: NorthWest Forest, 5 kilos deep.

Recommend: body cleansing stage.

--

'Killing one profound beast has rewarded me with more than one farming season! How generous!'

Ning Yue excitedly reads a mission in Hou Yi's hand.

An ordinary beast is already dangerous for a commoner, but a profound beast is another level of disaster; if one stumbles across a village with no cultivator, it will be a slaughter.

"Tiger types are strong, but they are considered an agile type. You can easily kill it if you strike on the weak spot or with the correct weapon."

"A weapon, you say…."

"You don't have to worry about it now. Using an unfamiliar weapon will hinder your performance; using your fist is a better option."

"But isn't this Moon Sword Sect?"

"A sword is a metaphor for us, a cultivator. A sword that will protect the city and kill all threats."

Also, it means that cultivators are only helpful as a means to inflict destruction.

"Wow, that's so cool."

"Right? Sadly, other people nowadays don't even know their sect's name; they assume we are using swords, so they practice it."

Says Hou Yi with disappointment.

A cultivator can use everything as a weapon; even their body's destructive power can rival the sharpness of a sword if they practice it enough.

"If the Master says it is a good idea, I will listen."

Ning Yue happily accepts his master's hand-picked mission.

It does not seem like he got many choices to pick from anyway.

He watched his father killing off people and animals with his bare hand in childhood, so using a fist as a weapon is also a step toward following his father's way of fighting.

"Good, then take it and go. Other disciples may be doing it, so don't worry if you meet others on the way, but remember, only 1 can get the prize reward."

"Understood, then I will be going. See you later, master!"

Ning Yue snatched the mission paper from Hou Yi and quickly ran off.

He can't wait to try his new knowledge in a real fight!

The North West forest of Azure moon city is different from Ning Yue's village forest; it is a profound forest where rare plants and profound beasts live.

Animals around here are much stronger than usual, not all may be a profound beast, but the average strength is higher.

Luckily, the nutrition they need can't be sustained if they go outside, so for the most times, they stay within the profound forest.

"The air in here is so fresh! I love it!!"

Ning Yue screams like an idiot walking through the woods, but who can blame him?

The air, the soil, the water; all things inside a profound forest are much higher quality than average.

But it is not where ordinary people or even normal cultivators can settle.

Because the beast is always hunting!

*Wash*

The tiger suddenly leaps off the bush directly at him.

Its giant body tries to pin Ning Yue to the ground, the claw pierces through his skin, and it is trying to bite his head furiously.

"You!!"

Ning Yue was startled but did not lose his focus.

He tries to ignore his pain, takes a deep breath, and unleashes a mighty roar!

"GET FUCKED!!!"

Ning Yue violently slammed the beast to the ground.

*Bam*

He did not spend the entire morning learning to control his breathing for nothing.

"Try to ambush me, nice trick, little cat."

Ning Yue jumps off to create a distance and looks around for more.

'It seems to be alone, lucky me.'

Ning Yue almost got caught dead if it wasn't for his strength.

Just look at him, he has 8 bleeding wounds, and the fight has not even started.

If it is other cultivators, there is a high chance of them getting pinned to the ground, which is a death sentence.

The emerald tiger in front of him is enormous, stands at 1.5m in height, and weighs around 400 kg.

It has two tails to balance its incredible speed, and its giant claw piece into the dirt every time it moves.

The two slowly walked around and stared at each other.

For Ning Yue, it was the first time he fought the profound beast.

As for the beast, this is also its first time fighting against humans this size.

Mass is crucial for power, and Ning Yue has a lot of mess behind his punch. Making the tiger feel uneasy about starting to engage again after a failed ambush.

*Crack*

But the moment Ning Yue steps on branches, the tiger leaps!

Its notorious strength allows it to leap forward more than 5 m instantly!

'Shit!'

Ning Yue quickly rolled out to dodge, but his back was still slashed by its crawl.

"Ah!!!"

Ning Yue immediately knew he couldn't keep his distance because the tiger would have an advantage, so he closed in behind its back and punched it right in the face while it was turning!

*BOOM*

The punch sent the tiger off balance but it quickly regained balance and slashed its blooded claw.

* Whoosh * * Whoosh *

The claw passes through the air because Ning Yue dodges it left and right.

'In and out, in and out.'

He learned to step back to dodge and find an opening every time he breathed in.

And when he breathed out, he launched a powerful counterattack!

*Boom* *Boom*

Without noticing, he slowly created his tempo against the beast.

With this new knowledge, the tiger has a hard time landing a hit on him, and it can't try to leap again because when it stops, Ning Yue will rush in and strike!

*BOOM*

The two-tailed tiger started to get a concussion from a barrage of deadly punches.

It shakes its head, trying to ward off the dizziness.

Every punch from Ning Yue can be lethal; it is hard, fast, and heavy.

This is the result of training against hardwood for 7 years!

"In then OUT!!"

Ning Yue pushed it further, launching a punch with full-body strength up at the tiger's face!

*BOOM!!* *Crack*

Its face starts bleeding after its nose has been broken.

"ROAR!!!"

The tigers roared out to try and sacred Ning Yue and suddenly turned back and ran away!

"HEY! STOP!!"

But before Ning Yue can follow it, he stumbles onto the ground.

The blood loss is starting to take a toll on him, so he should retreat for safety.

He is already injured from a fight with Liwei so going further is too dangerous.

BUT!

"FUCK!!"

He punches a tree in anger, and it almost breaks in a single punch.

"FUCK! FUCK!! FUCK!!! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!!!"

Ning Yue can't suppress the rage and hopelessness that accumulate in his heart, so he vents out by punching the tree till it breaks.

He looks at the tiger trail and the way back, considering it.

He has 1 month to complete with the strongest in the city! He has no time for failure!!

"FINE, IF YOU WANT TO RUN, THEN BETTER RUN FAST, YOU FUCKING CAT!!!"

Ning Yue snapped and rampaged through the forest like a juggernaut.

Beasts are powerful; their physical ability is far superior to humans or cultivators in the same realm.

Just like this two-tailed tiger who ran for its life for half an hour.

"huuu…."

It let out a faint howl after slowing down and trying to get some rest.

BUT.

"I GOT YOU NOW!!"

Oh, how the table has turned; Ning Yue jumps out from behind and pins the tiger to the ground.

"WANT TO RUN, HUH? LET'S SEE HOW FAR YOU RUN WITH THIS GONE!!!"

Ning Yue grabs its front leg with both hands before breaking it in half!

"EHG!!!!"

It squeaks in pain while trying to shake Ning Yue off its back.

Funny. Unlike animals, a human can control their balance using only their upper or lower half, unlike tigers, who need to stand on their fours.

So, Ning Yue doesn't care about it shaking. He sat on top of its back and continued bashing its skull. His hand joined together and became a meat hammer.

"DIE! DIE!! DIE!!!"

*Crack* *Crack*

"EK!!"

Hit after hit, its skull broke again, and its jaw and head got crushed, making blood come out.

The two-tailed tiger gathered its power and tried to leap one last time; it was a success but didn't go far.

The leg is broken, and the head is half-cracked; it tries to crawl its way out, but the anger of Ning Yue leaves no place for something called 'mercy' at all.

"YOU WASTE MY TIME!"

He grabs and pulls the tiger back and flips it so it can see his face.

"YOU WASTE MY BLOOD!"

He sat on top of the tiger and punched it in the face.

"Roar!"

The tiger tried to bite Ning Yue, but the boy caught the mouth open.

"CRY ALL YOU LIKE, YOU DUMB FUCK, AND NEXT LIFE, TRY RUN FASTER!"

The tiger tries to flee, but the resistance is futile; it has already exhausted all its energy to run away.

It can hear and feel the pain in its prideful mouth; the same mouth that feeds on this forest starts to get wider and wider, until

*CRACK*

With its skull and jaw already half-broken, when Ning Yue uses all his might to rip its jaw, its head gets torn apart in two.

The two-tailed tiger is dead, a gruesome and excruciating death.

"Huff! Huff!"

After finishing his task, Ning Yue leans back on the tiger's corpse and tries to grasp air.

His blood and sweat fused to combine, becoming a stream of blood flowing down like crazy.

Sweat, 3rd humanity's most significant advantage, makes their stamina last much longer than an animal, and with martial power, a high-stage cultivator can fight for days!

"Ugh!!"

Ning Yue roared before pulling his body back up!

The injury starts to backfire; some close wounds start to open again, and his body begins to hurt everywhere.

'I need to hurry back!'

Ning Yue tears his shirt apart and uses it as an emergency bandage to stop the wound before returning to sect.

But he didn't know; he was already too deep in the wood.

"Hhhhh…"

The quiet roar came from the surrounding wolves; a lot of blue foxes circled him, aiming to get the corpse of the two-tailed tiger.

"FUCKED OFF!!"

Ning Yue screamed out with rage and no trace of fear in his heart.

THIS ONE WAS MINE; IF YOU DARE, THEN COME!

It is the message he sent to the wolves.

"…"

The wolves' pack shivered.

These wolves hunt in packs, and their main tactic for fighting bigger foes is to surround and threaten them to flee.

But there is an exception; it's when the predator doesn't fear them…

They know they can win against a single injured enemy, but they must be careful if their target is willing to fight back.

Ning Yue may be injured, but his strength remains, and he is ready to fight!

After careful consideration, the wolves' pack decides to leave him be.

The reward is not worth the risk; their instinct told them this is just like trying to steal prey from a bear; they are afraid they will lose members if they try fighting against Ning Yue.

"Heh!"

Ning Yue watches the wolves leave and laugh; it looks like his luck didn't run out today!

"Let's go back, your annoying cat!"

He carries the entire body of the two-tailed tiger on his back on the way out.

Of course, there are many regular and profound animals watching, but not a single one wants to jump in because they know they will not make it out alive, either by Ning Yue or others that will come after they finish fighting him.

These beasts are not stupid; they live with the law of the jungle and know what to do and what not to survive.

After many hours, Ning Yue finally brings it back to the sect.

While his body is soaked in blood.

"AHHHH!!!!"

"THERE IS A MADMAN HERE; WHERE ARE THE GUARD!!"

His appearance makes the entire sect panic in fear.

Most of them ready their attack and target Ning Yue with harmful intent.

"Wait! I'm just coming back from doing the mission, see?"

Ning Yue shows the tiger to them and tries to defuse the situation.

"What about the blood?! Why Is there so much blood!"

They are cultivators, most of them have seen blood many times before, but this time it was too much like Ning Yue had swum in an ocean of corpses.

"Oh! This is my bloo--"

But before he can finish his sentence, he falls asleep.

He is already losing too much blood, and the moment he calms down, the rush in his body finally stops alongside his consciousness.

---