Breakthrough! And it's still breaking through!

...Time flowed like water, passing in the blink of an eye.

A month quietly slipped by.

During this month, Qingxuan Peak seemed increasingly lifeless, and many Disciples from other peaks passing by were secretly mocking it.

However—

Aided by the Immortal Rank Cultivation Method, the Tai Xuan Golden Chapter, and qi condensing pills, Lin Xueer, who possessed the Profound Spirit Body, cultivated at a speed comparable to traveling a thousand miles in a day, advancing irresistibly!

In just one month, she soared from a Mortal, advancing rapidly all the way to the Great Perfection of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Realm!

She was only one step away from Foundation Establishment!

If news of this cultivation speed spread, it would be enough to drive the entire Taiyi Sect into a frenzy!

Ye Qing's gains were even more terrifying.

He consumed three of the nine four-nine azure spirit pills in that bottle.

Just three Rank Four Medicinal Pills allowed his cultivation to surge from the initial stage of Golden Core First Layer all the way to the peak of Golden Core Third Layer! He was only a step away from the Middle Stage of Golden Core!

The combination of the Prison Suppressing Immortal Body and Rank Four Medicinal Pills yielded such overwhelming cultivation effects!

He was confident that if he faced Zhao Qian of Danxia Peak now, even without using the power of the Prison Suppressing Immortal Body, his cultivation alone would be enough to easily crush him!

“Next, I will continue to Cultivate!”

Inside the Immortal Cave, Ye Qing stabilized his cultivation and prepared to continue his seclusion.

Just then, a Communication Jade Pendant in his Storage Pouch, which symbolized his status as a Peak Master, suddenly lit up, emitting a rapid buzzing sound.

Ye Qing frowned slightly, took out the jade pendant, and extended his Divine Sense into it.

A cold voice echoed in his mind.

“Ye Qing, Peak Master of Qingxuan Peak, you are ordered to immediately proceed to the Sect's Deacon Hall to receive a Sect Mission.”

A mission?

Ye Qing frowned slightly.

The Ninety-Nine Peaks of the Taiyi Sect indeed each had a certain number of Sect Missions they were required to complete.

But there was also an unwritten rule.

For peaks like Qingxuan Peak, where the Disciples were few and only the Peak Master remained, the Sect generally would not issue missions, allowing the Peak Master to focus on development and rebuilding the Sect Gate.

Unless... someone was pulling strings behind the scenes!

“Danxia Peak, Zhao Qian...”

Ye Qing thought of this person almost instantly.

He put away the jade pendant, stood up, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes.

Fine. I want to see what tricks you intend to play.

He walked out of the Immortal Cave, moved his body, transforming into a streak of light, and flew towards the Sect's Main Peak... Taiyi Sect, Deacon Hall.

This place was responsible for assigning and recording all major and minor affairs within the Sect. Disciples hurried back and forth, all rushing about their business.

Ye Qing's arrival did not attract much attention.

Qingxuan Peak had long become a laughingstock within the Sect, and he, the newly appointed Peak Master, had even less presence.

“Ye Qing of Qingxuan Peak, here to receive a mission.”

Ye Qing walked up to a Deacon Elder responsible for assigning missions and spoke calmly.

It was a goat-bearded old man whose cultivation was at the Second Layer of Golden Core. He didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, merely pulling a Jade Slip casually from a pile and tossing it onto the table.

“Black Wind Ridge: Clear out the Robber Cultivators 'Black Wind Twin Fiends' who are causing trouble in the area. Mission duration: half a month. Reward upon completion: three hundred Sect Contribution Points.”

The old man's voice was flat.

Ye Qing didn't mind, picked up the Jade Slip, and swept his Divine Sense across it.

Black Wind Ridge was located on the outskirts of the Taiyi Sect's sphere of influence. The terrain was treacherous, and in recent years, a group of fierce Robber Cultivators who specialized in looting homes and businesses had settled there.

The leaders, the “Black Wind Twin Fiends,” were a pair of brothers, both with cultivation around the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer. Their methods were vicious, and their hands were stained with the blood of passing merchants and Cultivators.

This greatly damaged the reputation of the Taiyi Sect.

For the Elite Disciples within the Sect, this kind of mission was merely a slightly challenging trial.

But for Qingxuan Peak, which ostensibly only had an Eighth Layer of Foundation Establishment Peak Master and one Disciple, this mission was not easy to complete!

Ye Qing frowned slightly, but showed no expression on his face. He put away the Jade Slip and said indifferently, “Understood.”

Having said that, he turned and left.

Seeing him so “sensible,” not even offering a single word of objection, the goat-bearded old man shook his head and quietly sneered, “He doesn't even have the courage to resist? Qingxuan Peak... alas, what a pity.”

Although his voice was soft, how could it escape Ye Qing's ears?

Ye Qing did not stop walking, acting as if he hadn't heard anything.

However, after leaving the Deacon Hall, he did not immediately return to Qingxuan Peak.

Instead, his figure flickered, silently hiding behind a massive Hall Pillar, restraining the aura of the Prison Suppressing Immortal Body to the extreme. At the same time, his powerful Divine Sense quietly spread out like an invisible tide.

With his cultivation at the peak of Golden Core Third Layer, combined with the wonders of the Prison Suppressing Immortal Body, the strength of his Divine Sense was already comparable to that of an ordinary Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator!

Soon, he “heard” some things he wanted to hear.

Not far away, two Disciples wearing Danxia Peak attire were walking and conversing in low voices, their faces filled with schadenfreude.

“Senior Brother, did you see Ye Qing's face just now? It was like he swallowed a dead fly, haha!”

“Serves him right! Dare to offend our Elder Zhao, and this is the consequence! I heard that this Black Wind Ridge mission was originally assigned by the Deacon Hall to our Danxia Peak, but Elder Zhao personally intervened and maneuvered to have it assigned to Qingxuan Peak!”

“Brilliant! Elder Zhao's move is truly brilliant! Those Black Wind Twin Fiends cooperate well and are not easy to deal with. Even if Ye Qing goes personally, it will likely take a lot of effort! Plus, the round trip will take more than half a month. By the time he returns, the Ninety-Nine Peaks Grand Competition will be even closer. If we assign him more missions then... he won't have any time to Cultivate! Hehehe! How will he participate in the Grand Competition?”

“Heh heh, if our Danxia Peak can manage to secure Qingxuan Peak's Spiritual Vein then, our cultivation speed will increase even further!”

The two men's voices, filled with greed and smugness, gradually faded away.

From behind the Hall Pillar, Ye Qing slowly stepped out, his face calm like still water, but coldness surged deep within his eyes.

Just as expected!

Unsurprisingly, Zhao Qian was indeed the one pulling the strings! What a brilliant plan to Kill with a Borrowed Knife and Strike Two Birds with One Stone!

They want me to run ragged, delay my cultivation time, and hinder my preparation for the Grand Competition two months from now?

They certainly planned well!

It's just a pity... they miscalculated one thing.

Ye Qing is no longer the Foundation Establishment Cultivator he was a month ago!

Mere Foundation Establishment Robber Cultivators can be exterminated with a wave of my hand!

However, I cannot remain passive like this. Otherwise, if one mission follows another, how will I Cultivate later?

The most important thing right now is the Grand Competition two months away!

“Perhaps, I can use this mission as an opportunity to let Xueer gain some experience, and only return on the day of the Grand Competition...”

Ye Qing's expression was thoughtful.

The Peak Master of Danxia Peak is a Nascent Soul Cultivator, so Ye Qing temporarily did not plan to openly fall out with Danxia Peak.

However, this mission serves as a good excuse. Whether the mission is completed or not doesn't matter; finding a quiet place and quickly improving cultivation is the priority.

Having thought this through.

Ye Qing no longer lingered. He transformed into a streak of light and returned to Qingxuan Peak... Back in his Immortal Cave, Ye Qing took out the bottle of four-nine azure spirit pills again.

Originally nine Medicinal Pills, six remained.

“Golden Core Third Layer cultivation still doesn't feel entirely secure.”

Ye Qing's eyes narrowed. He poured out a cyan-colored Medicinal Pill and, without the slightest hesitation, swallowed it in one gulp!