120: Chapter 120: Accepting the Mission Upon Hearing Rumors, Heading to Black Wind Ridge to Investigate

The mission hall was bustling with people, even more noisy than usual.

As soon as Ye Qing walked through the entrance, he felt an unusual atmosphere. Many Cultivators were gathered in small groups, whispering to one another, their faces bearing varying degrees of solemnity or anxiety.

The area in front of the notice board was packed with people, all scrambling to check the newly posted mission slips.

Ye Qing squeezed to the front of the notice board, his gaze quickly sweeping over the mission slips.

Sure enough, the number of new mission slips had increased significantly, and the bounties for many of the tasks were higher than usual.

Among them, several missions were placed in the most conspicuous positions, marked with striking red text:

"Emergency Mission: Recruiting Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage or above to participate in city defense patrols for one month. Bounty: 5,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Reconnaissance Mission: Travel to the Black Wind Ridge area to investigate the Yao Race's troop deployment and movements. Depending on the value of the intelligence, the bounty ranges from 3,000 to 10,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Hunting Mission: Hunt down the Yao Generals under the 'Iron-Winged Eagle King'. Depending on the Rank and status of the Yao General, the bounty ranges from 5,000 to 50,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Military Supplies Procurement: Purchasing large quantities of various healing Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and Magical Artifact Materials at a 20% price markup!"

"It seems Zhenbei City is truly preparing for war. Even tasks like this, openly recruiting Golden Core Cultivators to participate in city defense, have been posted, which shows that the pressure on the City Lord's Mansion is indeed significant."

Ye Qing pondered inwardly, his gaze lingering on those reconnaissance and hunting missions for a moment.

The reconnaissance mission required venturing deep into the Black Wind Ridge area, a region where the Yao Race was active. The risks were significant, but the bounty was indeed tempting.

The hunting mission was even more direct, targeting the Yao Generals under the 'Iron-Winged Eagle King', clearly intended to weaken the opponent's strength.

"These two missions are quite suitable for me. I can earn money, stretch my muscles, and incidentally, get a better sense of the Yao Race's reality."

Having made up his mind, he reached out and tore down the reconnaissance mission slip.

The deacon responsible for registering missions was still the same elderly man at the Foundation Establishment Perfection Stage as last time. Seeing Ye Qing tear down the reconnaissance mission slip, he was stunned for a moment, then kindly reminded him: "Fellow Daoist, the Black Wind Ridge area is now a dragon's den and a tiger's lair. The Yao Race is extremely active there, and there are even Yao Kings at the Nascent Soul Stage roaming about. If you intend to take this mission, you should think twice."

"Many thanks for the warning. I have my own discretion." Ye Qing nodded, registered his identity information with the deacon, and received the mission voucher and a recording Jade Slip for capturing images.

He did not linger and turned to leave the mission hall.

Returning to his private courtyard at the Yuelai Inn, Ye Qing did not depart immediately.

He first sat cross-legged, adjusted his state to his Peak, and then took out the 'Patrol Token' to study it carefully.

"Since this token is a token of identity for a vanguard under the Patrol Envoy of the 'Heavenly Demon Imperial Court', it might come in handy in the Black Wind Ridge area."

After some thought, he tucked the token into his robes, keeping it close to his body.

Then, he took out a brand-new animal skin map from his Storage Pouch, which depicted the detailed terrain of Black Wind Ridge and its surrounding areas; he had purchased this additionally at the Wanbao Pavilion.

He studied the map carefully, firmly memorizing the main terrain of Black Wind Ridge, potential Yao Race strongholds, and several relatively safe routes for advance and retreat.

After finishing these preparations, he stood up and left the inn.

After leaving Zhenbei City, he identified the direction and transformed into a streak of light, flying toward Black Wind Ridge.

Black Wind Ridge, located about eight hundred li west of Zhenbei City, was a range of undulating black mountains.

The terrain here was treacherous and the vegetation dense, shrouded year-round in a layer of faint black mist, hence the name Black Wind Ridge.

This was one of the frontline areas where the territories of the Human Race and the Yao Race overlapped, and small-scale conflicts and friction occurred frequently.

Ye Qing flew for about an hour before entering the territory of Black Wind Ridge.

The Spiritual Qi in the air began to become somewhat chaotic, mixed with a faint, elusive trace of Demonic Qi and the scent of blood.

He lowered the altitude of his flight, skimming almost against the treetops, while simultaneously pushing the effects of the 'void concealment pill' to the limit, blending himself into the surrounding environment like a faint shadow.

His Divine Sense, like invisible tentacles, extended in all directions, carefully sensing every movement around him.

The terrain of Black Wind Ridge was indeed complex.

Mountains were layered upon mountains, ravines crisscrossed the land, and deep within the dense forests, countless caves and fissures were hidden, making it very suitable for the Yao Race to hide.

Ye Qing flew for about half an hour before discovering several traces of Yao Race activity.

There were fresh footprints, lingering Demonic Qi, the bones of Yao Beasts that had been gnawed on, and even a temporary campsite that had been abandoned not long ago.

"It seems the Yao Race is indeed frequently active here. Moreover, it seems to be more than one species."

He pondered inwardly and used the recording Jade Slip to document all the traces he had found.

He continued to venture deeper.

After flying for about another half-hour, his Divine Sense suddenly captured an unusual energy fluctuation in a valley a few miles ahead.

That energy fluctuation was extremely subtle; if his Divine Sense had not far exceeded that of his peers, it would have been almost impossible to detect.

"Is there a Formation? Or... is there some treasure?"

His heart stirred, and he immediately changed direction, stealthily sneaking toward that valley.