Mission: Dragon Tiger Abyss
The newcomers to the Bounty Name Sect were eager to prove themselves.
Especially after hearing about such a high bounty, they were eager to set off immediately. However, everyone in the squad understood that only by resting well and being fully prepared could they better execute the mission.
Carrying out a mission in poor condition would be life-threatening.
"What brought you to the Bounty Name Sect?" Lin Ruomei, lying under the starry sky with her hands behind her head, asked.
"I want to earn more money to join the Divine Sword Sect. I think their swordsmanship is incredibly powerful. As long as I earn enough money, I can join them and learn their sword techniques," answered Zhang Chen, a young man.
"Making money, buying materials, refining pills, and increasing strength. What about you?" Another masked man responded and looked at Ye Chuan.
Ye Chuan glanced at the masked man, his eyes narrowing as he said, "My reason is simpler. I just want to earn more money to support my family."
Wearing a mask usually meant the person was worried about being recognized, either because they were wanted, had some hidden agenda, or had a disfigured face.
Lying on the grass, Ye Chuan chewed on a blade of grass, pondering while becoming wary of the masked man.
After all, the Bounty Name Sect was a mixed bag, and anyone could infiltrate it. Here, regardless of a person's character, as long as they had the strength to complete bounty missions, they would be admired.
...
The next morning.
Captain Han Qianye briefed the squad on the important points.
There were two teams setting off for Dragon Tiger Abyss: the "Money Grabbing" squad and the squad led by Mad Dog.
Mad Dog had already accumulated enough victories during the selection process, so upon joining the Bounty Name Sect, he was granted the status of captain.
At this moment, the commander stood on a high platform, clasping his fist and raising it high.
"Eternal glory to our path!"
The commander shouted a loud slogan.
"Eternal glory to our path!"
"Eternal glory to our path!"
Everyone in the squad echoed, their voices reverberating for several kilometers.
"Move out!"
With the commander's order, more than twenty squads set off in grand fashion.
These squads had different missions.
Some outstanding teams might return to the base camp early, some might never come back, and others would continue performing bounty missions.
On the way to Dragon Tiger Abyss, a mist always hovered, reducing visibility to less than ten meters, making the atmosphere feel cold.
It was eerie and sinister!
"Don't walk so fast!" Although Lin Ruomei's words were calm, Ye Chuan knew she was pretending to be composed.
Except for Ye Chuan and the captain, every member of the squad was afraid of falling behind.
At this moment, Ye Chuan stopped and chose to walk at the back of the squad to protect everyone, even though this would put him in danger.
Ye Chuan wasn't afraid because his true form was a crow. Crows had extremely keen senses and sharp eyes that could see through the mist, enabling him to handle this danger.
"Don't we have more intel?" Zhang Chen asked, as the captain hadn't shared much information.
Han Qianye, leading the way, glanced back at him, "If I had more intel, I would have told everyone already."
"When completing others' bounty missions, we must explore the unknown and face dangers."
Ye Chuan nodded in agreement with the captain's words: exploring the unknown and facing dangers.
Dragon Tiger Abyss lies at the bottom of a sheer cliff that stretches for thousands of meters. The further one descends, the thicker the fog and the dimmer the light, occasionally stepping on the bones of the dead.
These bones belonged to warriors who had once ventured into Dragon Tiger Abyss, only to now rest here as dead men.
"From their bones, we can infer that these individuals were not weak when they were alive," Ye Chuan squatted down, using his hand to sense the bones and perceive their former cultivation levels.
"They were at least in the mid-stage of Qi Refinement," observed Han Qianye, who was at the peak of Qi Refinement himself.
"Ah, the road of cultivation is long and arduous. I must strive to explore the path above and below. The journey of cultivation is truly distant," Lin Ruomei sighed, lamenting the difficulty of cultivation.
"Indeed, from Qi Refinement to Enlightenment Realm, it takes several years of solid foundation for those of ordinary aptitude. Breaking through to the Supreme Realm can take a millennium, and even then, one might die before achieving it. It's so difficult, not to mention the subsequent stages like the Spirit Transformation Realm and the Void Return Realm," Zhang Chen echoed Lin Ruomei's sentiments on the hardships of cultivation.
"Damn it, for such a low bounty, sending me to this place is really bad luck. I picked up a garbage task," a voice came from about a hundred meters away. It was Mad Dog speaking.
They were complaining about risking their lives in Dragon Tiger Abyss for a mere 50 grams of gold, finding it unworthy.
The tasks that couldn't be handled by others were posted as bounties in the Bounty Name Sect, seeking capable individuals to deal with these complex issues. This was the significance of the Bounty Name Sect's existence—if there was enough money, there would be warriors willing to take on the tasks.
As the saying goes, "Men die for wealth as birds die for food," an immutable truth.
Roar!
Suddenly, a tiger's roar echoed through the thousand-meter-deep abyss, shaking loose rocks on both sides of the cliff.
Thud, thud, thud!
Pebbles fell down.
"Everyone, be cautious!" Han Qianye felt an extraordinary power awakening.
"It seems that the opponent has sensed our intrusion," Ye Chuan said, stroking his chin.
A tiger demon that could occupy this place for a long time must be extraordinary.
"We must outwit it; direct confrontation is not an option. Everyone, slow your pace and silently approach the source of the roar," Han Qianye transmitted his thoughts to all the members via his spiritual sense.
"Hey, isn't that the kid who relied on luck and ambush to beat me before? Haha, you better be careful, or you'll be killed!" At this moment, Mad Dog spotted Ye Chuan's squad and approached, disregarding the overall situation.
Not only that, Mad Dog loudly conspired to take personal revenge on Ye Chuan.
"Really? Feel free to try!" Ye Chuan didn't give Mad Dog any face, inviting him to bring it on.
Roar!
Another tiger's roar came from the depths.
The tiger was still unseen, but its roars were heard.
The terrifying sound waves vibrated the air, creating visible ripples.
"Ah... what's this?!"
"Cover your ears, be careful!"
The sound of the tiger's roar caused some members of both squads to bleed from their eardrums.
"Haha, you guys might die here before even seeing the tiger demon," Mad Dog, at the peak of Qi Refinement, didn't cover his ears but instead waved mockingly at Ye Chuan's squad.
"Captain, didn't you want to kill that guy earlier? How about I lure the tiger demon out to attack them?" someone in Mad Dog's squad suggested, eager to impress.
"Great idea!"
"Excellent!"
As Mad Dog clapped his hands in agreement, a massive shadow emerged from the mist behind him.