Chapter 9 - Upgrade

Inside the Mission Hall, it was bustling with crowds of outer sect disciples and inner sect disciples. Lining up to take sect missions. There are also posters plastered on the wooden board for disciples to know the descriptions and rewards for the mission. The mission hall is available for all disciples and elders.

All disciples must partake in at least one mission every week as a requirement for the sect to gain reputation, and through the missions, people will know more about the sect.

Li Duyi looked and read every mission available, something that could be handled by Qi Gathering disciples and since he is in disguise as a disciple of Qi Gathering 5th stage, Li Duyi must uphold his cultivation realm and must only accept missions one level higher and no more than that.

He must not garner any attention like a certain someone. From the missions he read, Li Duyi chooses to eliminate bandits, and since the requirements to accept the mission are the same as his fake cultivation, it is perfect for him.

Li Duyi handed the mission poster to the person in charge. The person in charge asked for Li Duyi's identification card, which he gives, and it was personally forged by the sect leader, making the id card authentic to the eyes of others. The person in charge nodded and registered Li Duyi's name as Du Yen, his fake name.

Li Duyi was told by the person in charge to meet his fellow disciples tomorrow to meet. The reason why Li Duyi chose the mission is also that it's a group mission, making it perfect for him to gather more info through the disciples.

.

.

.

The next day, Li Duyi walked towards the gate and saw three outer sect disciples seemingly discussing something. Li Duyi walked to them and asked if they were his teammates on this mission.

" You must be the last member, my name is Wen Li, this is Bai Yin, and lastly, Zhu Yue. " Wen Li introduced himself and the other teammates.

" My name is Du Yen. Please take care of me, fellow disciples," Li Duyi said, trying to make himself more friendly and approachable.

" Likewise, then, let's proceed to our mission. While on our journey, let's discuss our plan on how to rake down the bandits. Let's make sure that we won't be injured, which is quite a dream, but if possible, lessen our injuries by helping any struggling members get it?" Wen Li, seemingly taking leadership, told Li Duyi and the other members.

Li Duyi doesn't mind, more or less. It doesn't matter to him if he leads or the others as long as they are competent not to endanger his members, but if they did, Li Duyi will put them on his blacklist.

They nodded at Wen Li, and the others seemed to not care if Wen Li took the role of a leader. Then, they formulate a plan for dealing with the bandits in the most efficient way possible, Li Duyi gave his suggestions from time to time, which makes the others a favorable impression of him.

Cause Li Duyi's suggestion is perfect for infiltration and ambushes, one of Li Duyi's suggestions is making traps and luring the bandits. The traps must be effective enough and have lethal poison that could paralyze enemies. Li Duyi also suggested something, luring the bandits by using illusion techniques but it seems that others don't know any illusion techniques as they are more focused on weaponry, which is understandable as it is more popular than the others, and many legends advertise weaponry. Since Li Duyi is the only one who can use the illusion technique, he was the one assigned to cast illusions into the traps.

It seems that using poison is not that frowned upon by the disciples, and it seems One Sword Sect teaches them well to use anything to their advantage, be it poisons or schemes. While they discussed, Li Duyi also made friends with them and made them talk a lot.

Thus, gaining some information about the situation in the outer sect. But, because they are just ordinary disciples, they don't know inside information that much.

As they traveled, Li Duyi looked around, appreciating nature as well as trying to find treasures using his treasure-hunting vision, he has the power to see vision just by seeing a golden ray of light that shines in every direction. Yes, Li Duyi sees a ray of golden lights in every direction no matter how far it is. Of course, every golden light is different. Some are fainter, brighter, or darker.

Li Duyi categorizes them, as fainter means that the opportunity is not that good but it also indicates that there are no dangers, brighter means that the opportunity is good and that if found by cultivators, they'll fight for their lives. Then, darker means that it contains danger that can potentially endanger his life. This light indicates that beasts are guarding it or some protectors are guiding this treasure, but it could also mean the rewards are worth the risk.

So, Li Duyi decided to one day visit some of the golden lights and benefit from them.

" Du Yen, can I ask you something?" Zhu Yue is a girl around the age of 17, she has long black straightened hair reaching her waist, an oval-shaped face, and round black eyes.

" Sure, what is it?" Li Duyi asked.

" I haven't seen you in the sect, and I know most of the outer sect members, but you are a new face," Zhu Yue said, trying to get an answer from Li Duyi.

" Well... I was in seclusion for 5 years to reach Qi Gathering in the 5th stage, and even before that, I was not that much of a person to get out of my abode. So, you must have not known me, " Li Duyi said, explaining. Zhu Yue nodded as she stopped bothering Li Duyi.

The sun was going down, and the night approached, they decided to set a camp while deciding on who was going to stay up to guard others. They decided to play a game and the lost was Bai Yin. He exclaimed how unfair it was, but he still decided to guard cause he lost the game. Li Duyi decided to stay with Bai Yin all night just to make sure that Bai Yin isn't bored when others slept.

Bai Yin was thankful to Li Duyi as they talked all night, and when Bai Yin is getting sleepy, Li Duyi told him to sleep as he will guard instead. Bai Yin was thankful to Li Duyi as he slept immediately.

Li Duyi looked at them sleeping peacefully and decided to put a barrier around them, using the formation technique. Li Duyi decided to travel to the nearest treasure location, which is a darker golden light but Li Duyi is confident enough to escape or even get the treasure while at it.

Upon arriving using his created movement technique that can leave multiple illusions of himself with how fast he is moving. Li Duyi was surprised by what he saw, instead of beasts or guardians guarding the treasure, it was something else instead, it is a place where demonic cultivators are gathering forces and creating their organization, in a sense, a sect of demonic cultivators.

This is the first time Li Duyi was wrong in his prediction about the lights, darker means that it is something evil that Li Duyi must get rid of, and if what he had in his mind is right, if he gets rid of all these demonic cultivators, his vision will be strengthened.

With that said, Li Duyi decided to wait if the sect has someone in the realm of the Spiritual Sea or higher. If there is someone higher than the Spiritual Sea Realm, Li Duyi will back down and if there are no such cultivators, Li Duyi will proceed with his plan of getting rid of all the demonic cultivators.

Li Duyi spreads his qi and checked the hidden sect. With his control over the qi, Li Duyi was not detected by them and Li Duyi checked that there are approximately tens of thousands of demonic cultivators. While the strongest of them all is at the level of Origin Condensation Realm 1st Stage.

Which is doable for Li Duyi to fight, the thing is that there are too many of them and around 100+ demonic cultivators have a higher cultivation than him and others are either on the same level or lower. Thus, Li Duyi decided to fight the Origin Condensation Realm in secrecy. To do that, he will blend with the surroundings, use his movement technique and if possible, kill the Origin Condensation Realm in one stroke with his sword.

Li Duyi decided to create a sword technique that has a fast and precision wise, Li Duyi created the technique in just 5 minutes of filtering and combining multiple sword techniques. He called it the Flash Slit Sword, a technique with the purpose to kill the enemy in a single hit. This technique is tailored made for Li Duyi, with his vision that can see through weaknesses, it will be easy as drinking water for him to kill someone in a single and most precise attack.

Just to make sure, Li Duyi created multiple escape techniques and sword techniques for combat. The sword technique is called Heavenly Hundred Swords - a technique that uses illusions to create a hundred swords that can kill by the use of qi.

The escape techniques are:

Elemental Escape - using the elements, one can blend and look as if the user teleported through, fast movements.

Illusionary Battle Technique - using illusions to confuse enemies, making them fight each other. Useful for escaping and/or causing infighting.

All of Li Duyi's techniques are Earth Grade and higher. It seems that the world prevents something to be created higher than the Heaven Grade. There are only four levels of weapons, pills, and manuals. They are Yellow, Human, Earth, and Heaven.

Even then, Li Duyi senses that every time he created manuals, the heavenly dao seems to restrain itself to rain down heavenly baptism to all of the manuals he created. But, if the heavenly dao decided to rain down the heavenly baptism, it would create a massive cloud that span the whole Earthly Martial Plane because of all the Heaven Grade he created.

Li Duyi flashes right inside the sect and headed straight to the demonic cultivator with the cultivation of Origin Condensation Realm 1st Stage.

With his Flash Slit Sword, a thin line appeared at the neck of the demonic cultivator and moments later, the head falls off while Li Duyi reveal himself.

The demonic cultivators that seem to be the elders of this demonic sect were stunned by the fact that their Sect Leader was killed in front of them without any resistance. The death of their Sect Leader sends them chills as they feared they will be next. They take out their weapons and aimed them at Li Duyi, still shaken to the core by the death of their Sect Leader, someone who had the highest cultivation realm.

" Attack me at once, I don't have enough time to waste to kill you one by one " Li Duyi coldly talked, making them shudder in fear. Li Duyi uses his other created sword technique, a technique perfect for multiple opponents.

" Heavenly Hundred Swords - 1st Form, Ten Heavenly Swords " Li Duyi raises his hand, and then, ten swords were created and flew toward the elders who fend off the swords one by one. With a sword in his hand, Li Duyi rushes towards the nearest enemy and slashes his sword imbued with qi.

The enemy who was fending the sword was surprised by the flying sword qi and blocked with difficulty.

" Who are you? And how did you know this place? Does the formation not working?" The elder who was pushed back said while at the last part, he mumbled to himself.

" None of your business, you just have to know that this sect will be gone off the face of the earth," Li Duyi said, continuously attacking his enemies. By the time he killed one of the elders, all of the enemies already know that someone intruded on their sect. Which Li Duyi intended to do from the start when he finished off the Sect Leader who posed the biggest threat to him.

The fight continued for many hours, and disciples and elders alike are joining to fight Li Duyi who seemingly had unlimited stamina which he didn't but the longer he fights, the better he becomes.

With the continuous control of qi, Li Duyi's fatigue lessens and as time goes on, his control of qi reaches that of someone who's at a higher level. His qi got purer, his cultivation rising steadily, and soon after, he broke through to the second stage of the Spiritual Sea Realm. As time goes on, the enemies lessen, bodies are scattered everywhere, blood splashes all over the place, buildings are destroyed and the sect was unrecognizable.

When dawn finally arrived, Li Duyi's figure, covered in blood was hit by the ray of the sunrise. His clothes are torn and tainted by blood. He was standing at the pile of bodies, breathing for air. He was tired that he could just sleep right now but when he thought about his undercover, Li Duyi cleaned his whole body and take a deep breath before returning to the camp. But, before he returned, he store all of the manuals, weapons, treasures, and pills inside his storage ring.

Which was given by the sect leader and the ring has a capacity of 100m², which is big enough to store all of the loot he got. He even got some storage rings from the loot he collected, even though it's not comparable to his storage ring, it is still precious.

Li Duyi returned to the camp and while at it, he notices that his physique is stronger than before and his vision had a new ability or it could be even called an ability at all as it seems to only see the potential of someone in cultivation. Li Duyi tried his new vision's ability to his comrades and saw a floating word above their heads, it says low-tier potential while Wen Li has mid-tier potential.

Li Duyi decided to experiment with it when he returns to the sect but first, he must finish the sect mission.

They continued their travel for a few days while Li Duyi decided not to hunt treasures and only when he is on a solo mission. Finally, they arrived at their destination and proceed with their plan.

It took them hours to set up their traps and through Li Duyi's illusion, the bandits leave their hideouts and were caught in their traps, which makes the job easier and quicker. With an image ball, they proceed to take some evidence that their mission has finished.

An image ball is like a camera but instead of a box-shape with lenses, the image ball uses a formation technique that captures the image by activating using qi. Which is quite handy and the team decided to return with the evidence in hand.

Returning was faster as they already navigated the route they take and take the shortest route they find.

As they arrived, they gave the image ball to the person in charge of the mission, and was stamped with completion. They were rewarded with 20 qi stones and the three decided to give 8 qi stones to Li Duyi who contributed the most in the mission. Li Duyi thanked them and decided to get each other's contact using their id card. Their card has many functions, they can use it to communicate using qi, and how they can communicate when they are far? Well, Earthly Martial Plane is not like those pure Eastern fantasies where there are only sects, clans, young masters, and those courting death lines.

Earthly Martial Plane is a place where a little bit of technology in it but it can't be noticed because of the preservation of nature and the appearance of the qi. Even then, it can still be classified as an Eastern fantasy with added sci-fi in it.

Even then, Li Duyi was a little bit happy that there is technology presented even though they don't use electricity as energy but the qi.

( Note: You might be wondering why it has technology when it's supposed to be cultivation right and Eastern fantasy at that. I already had this in my mind when I created this novel and this might be a disappointment to others but when I had this in mind, it means I will put it no matter what your opinion is. So, yeah, here we are and you are free to leave if you don't like it, I won't force you all to stay, that's all)