Chapter 11 : Golden Mission

Turning around Jian Zheng saw Gu Lingran walking towards him. Her appearance caused a commotion in the outer sect, "Its Beauty Gu!" Someone from the crowd shouted in surprise at the entrance of Gu Lingran.

"I heard that Senior Gu went into seclusion!"

"Is she trying to break through to the Huotian Tenth stage?"

"Since she's out then that only means she have reached the Tenth stage!"

"I wonder if her strength is now equal to those on the top five?!"

Gu Lingran silky brown hair glittered in the brightness as her white robes gave her an feeling of uniqueness while her eyes that were green in color show a rare gentleness, "Big Sister you're here." Jian Zheng said with a wide smile. He ofcourse was happy to see the person who protected him in the labor court for five years.

"Well done in entering the outer court! I heard that you got first place, thats quite amazing as expected of my junior brother!" When Gu Lingran arrived infront of Jian Zheng she patted his head while she also couldn't help but put on a bright smile when she recalled Jian Zheng achievement.

"Its nothing much." Jian Zheng shook his head with a tint of a blush appearing on his face as he couldn't bear receiving such praise.

"Why are you blushing!" Scarlett started talking back to Jian Zheng when she saw Jian Zheng flustered face, "A mere praise made you so dazed?!" She shouted as her face became red with anger, but Jian Zheng ignored her.

"Stop patting my darlings head!" If Scarlett could be seen by these people right now then they would definitely be surprised by her demon like beauty.

When the outer court disciples saw their beloved beauty going towards Jian Zheng their gazes turned hostile but when they heard Gu Lingran call the boy 'junior brother' their gazes turned quite friendly especially when they heard that Jian Zheng was the champion of the outer court trail.

"I heard that only three persons managed to enter the outer court with two of them being a rare genius." Someone from the crowd whispered to another person but everyone heard it.

"I listened to the conversation of the elders today and heard them say there was a swordsman that defeated a body cultivator with one move!"

When the crowd heard these they became excited once more, they wondered how strong Jian Zheng could be to defeat a body cultivator with one move.

After all, a body cultivator is known to be the most annoying of all cultivators. With their enhance strength and endurance not even a low-high tier sword could break their defense.

But a nameless person who just entered the sect accomplished that? It was quite shocking for the outer court disciples.

"Ha? A rare genius?" While everyone was discussing Jian Zheng a robust man who seems to be 22 came infront of the crowd, his appearance caused an even greater commotion.

"Even if he's a rare genius he will still be drowned by us! The Top Geniuses!" He yelled as he thump his chest causing the spiritual energy around him to spread away from himself.

"Qiang Shi is also out a seclusion!" The outer court disciples couldn't hold their surprise as they began moving away from him. Qiang Shi is known to have a bad temper with a vicious personality making everyone avoid him like a plague.

"For him to be out.. don't tell me he broke through to the next realm!"

"So quickly? Didn't he go into seclusion two months ago?"

"Wait... Look at his cultivation! He have reached the peak of the tenth realm!" Qiang Shi released his cultivation to make everyone here see how much he advanced in the past two months.

"Qiang Shi is ranked tenth, now that he reached the peak of the tenth stage doesn't that mean he can now make the top 5 feel threaten?"

"He could exchange some blows with them but I doubt he'll be able to injury the top 5, their formidable people with deep foundations after all.

"That's right! In fact their so strong that they don't even belong to the Cloud Empire! This place can never hold dragons!"

When Qiang Shi heard everyone talking about him he felt puffed up with pride but when he heard that he wasn't even a match for the top 5 his expression turned dark.

'I don't believe I can't defeat them!' He silently gritted his teeth. His temper was about to flare when he sensed a gaze looking at him. Turning his head he saw Jian Zheng staring at him with a strange smile, "Who do you think your looking at?! Do you think you can humiliate us body cultivators like how you did to that trash!" He shouted as he stomp his feet causing a small trembling in the surrounding. This frightened the outer court disciples nearby as they quickly moved away ten feet away from Qiang Shi.

"What's that kid trying to do provoking Qiang Shi! Does he think he's already at the top ten level?"

"Its said that a swordsman arrogance should never be underestimated."

"Not just that I guess he thinks he's invincible after defeating that body cultivator with one move."

"Im rather curious." Jian Zheng continue smiling, ignoring the disdainful gazes that stare at him. Only giving his attention to Qiang Shi with eyes filled with questions, "I want to know where my sword strength lies so would you be kind enough to be my guinea pig?" Unsheathing his sword he released his cultivation at the fifth stage along with a strange aura that surround him.

This wasn't the Brimming Phoenix, the phoenix aura but the true dao. After reaching the astute stage in his sword aura the true sword dao has started showing signs of helping him. Although it was weak Jian Zheng believe it was enough to injure Qiang Shi.

"Madman! A sword madman!"

"This is expected, I mean every swordsman who joined this sect is a madman."

"But they were never as mad as to fight someone five stages above them!"

"Well if he survive this then I will start calling him the True Sword Madman!"

"Me too!" The crowd of outer court disciples couldn't believe that Jian Zheng was that optimistic in his strength. They knew he was arrogant but they never expected him to be that arrogant as to fight Qiang Shi.

"Junior Brother are you sure about this? Qiang Shi may not be able to go against the top five but his strength is just a few levels below them." Gu Lingran looked at Jian Zheng with worried eyes, although on the surface it still held that gentleness it couldn't hide her anxiety.

"Don't worry big sister. The one thing I'm confident in is my sword. With my sword even the darkest places will have to welcome our arrival!" Jian Zheng could tell that Gu Lingran was worried but he could see that hidden in her eyes was a strange calmness as if she knew Jian Zheng would be victorious.

But he still said those words to ease the little worry she felt.

When Scarlett heard Jian Zheng words she felt at peace while excitement took over her mind. Although these people weren't enough to enter her eyes she still became filled with battle intent.

The sword in his hands began shaking wildly as runes lit up on its red blade. Jian Zheng sword aura was then released as invisible sword rays form around him, resounding with his sword.

Gu Lingran hearing this became startled before putting on a gentle smile, 'Sister, our little one have finally grown up. I can now be at ease."

"Very well then! I will stand here and let you attack me. If one strike of your sword can injury me then I will count it as your win, but if it don't then you will have to take one of my fist!" Qiang Shi said with bursting fury. For a brat who just enter the sect thinking of using him as a test subject he felt a humiliation he never felt before.

Jian Zheng couldn't help but laugh which made Qiang Shi even more angry, "Thank you senior, I will never forget your sacrifice." Jian Zheng said when his smile fell and his eyes turn cold.

With his expression falling he sheathed his sword, "Big Sister can you take me to the mission hall?" Jian Zheng asked which Gu Lingran accepted.

Just like that they left the crowd of outer court disciples who were dumbfounded. Especially Qiang Shi who awaited Jian Zheng attack.

"Where do you think your going! Is this all the strength you can muster! If so then come back and take a fist from me!" He roared with all his might. He never thought that Jian Zheng was such a weak coward to think of escaping when he failed to injure him.

"Come back here!" Qiang Shi began running towards Jian Zheng at a quick speed. In just a minute he arrived infront of Jian Zheng and reached out to grab his collar.

"Take my-" Using his left hand to grab Jian Zheng collar he turned his right hand into a fist ready to hit Jian Zheng face, but when he did so he paused and froze in place.

Jian Zheng wasn't even fazed by this, its as if he predicted this to happen, "Big Sister lets continue." He said and so they both left Qiang Shi who didn't dare to move.

"Why did Qiang Shi stop?" When the crowd caught up they saw that Qiang Shi wasn't moving.

"That bastard hid his strength well." Qiang Shi mumbled to himself as he tried his best not to move while gathering spiritual energy inside his body. However, that one mumbled caused his body to twitch. His shoulder opened up and blood came spraying out like a fountain of raining water.

"Senior Qiang!" The outer court disciples screamed in fright as they rushed towards Qiang Shi who fell to the floor with blood leaking out of his mouth and shoulder. No one knew if he was dead or alive as he lay there frozen with his eyes filled with shock, a shock of being defeated by someone five stages below him.

________________

Walking along with Gu Lingran, Jian Zheng felt a sort of peace he never felt before. After a while he began humming a song, a song he never heard or sang before.

Scarlett quickly responded to the song by glowing inside the sheath while making sounds of a sword swinging through the air inside the sheath as if enjoying the humming. Even Gu Lingran closed her eyes, enjoying the sounds that was resounding in the her ears.

The music coming from Jian Zheng and the sounds that sounded like swords cutting the air some how match as they rhyme together. Its like two different notes mixing together to produce a new type of note.

"Lets call this song Humming Swords." Jian Zheng stopped humming which made Scarlett stop making those sounds. Hearing what Jian Zheng said, Scarlett silently agreed as she never felt such harmony with a person before. She wish that she could create and play mang sorts of songs with Jian Zheng in the future.

Soon the two arrived at the Mission Hall. When they came there they saw the outer court disciples looking at them with strange and surprised eyes.

'Did the news spread so quickly?' Jian Zheng wondered, but he wasn't bothered by it. Atleast there wouldn't be idiots like Lu Jiang to bully him anymore.

Going towards the Mission Hall the crowd made way for him. Seeing this Jian Zheng felt rather embarrassed, "What is this feeling? I hate it." He mumbled to himself as he walked through the path the crowd made.

"Get use to it, this won't be the last time a thing like this will happen." Scarlett said with her seductive voice.

"Why is that?"

"That's because the weak respect the strong. The stronger you get the more the weak will have to submit to you." Scarlett answered with a cold voice, "But don't let it get to your head for the weak are always the ones who will try devouring the strong when their cornered."

"Alright." Jian Zheng nodded his head while thinking that Scarlett has probably experience some sort of betrayal for her to act this way.

Thinking back on how he injured Qiang Shi he felt rather enthusiastic. He only used his sword aura along with a wisp of the true dao to give such heavy injuries to him. Of course he also had to use the help of Scarlett's power but, "What would have happened if I also activated the four phoenix tears in my dantian?" Jian Zheng pondered with excitement.

After observing the tears in his Dantian he choose to start calling them Phoenix Tears since before merging fully with Scarlett it resembled an actually tear from a phoenix.

Not only did he not use the Phoenix Tears he also didn't use his heavy and sharp intent. If he were to use those the results wouldn't have left Qiang Shi with a mere injured shoulder.

'Still if it wasn't for that move I wouldn't have been able to successfully injury him.' What Jian Zheng used was Quicken Cloud. This technique allows any weapon to move at the speed of a soaring cloud.

As he thought of these he came to the stall of the Mission Hall. There he saw three different colour missions. White, Blue and Purple.

The white symbolize the easy ones so Jian Zheng didn't put them in his eyes. The blue were slightly difficult but the rewards were mere low grade spiritual stones.

Looking at the purple ones he saw that they also only reward low spiritual stones but the points were much higher than the blue ones.

"No middle grade spiritual stones?" Jian Zheng raised his eyebrow then became dissatisfied later on, "Big Sister lets go this was a waste of time." He sighed then started leaving the Mission Hall.

"A golden mission!" But just as he was about to leave a startled shout rang in his ears that made him instantly turn around.

There he saw a shiny mission that glitter with golden light. On it, the rewards stated 1,000 points and 1 middle spiritual stone with a chance of obtaining a high grade spiritual stone.