We stepped deeper into the Western Continents, the scent of earth and wind thick with the aroma of distant herbs and alchemical smoke. Meng Ruo walked ahead, graceful and composed, her sword sheathed on her back and her destination clear.
I caught up beside her. "Hey, where exactly are we going?"
"To the closest city," she replied without looking back.
"Alright… but tell me, what's your business here?"
Meng Ruo finally turned her head. "I have to meet someone. My mother."
I raised an eyebrow. "Your mother lives here?"
"Yes," she said, eyes glimmering faintly. "She's the eldest daughter of the Meng family, one of the noble clans in this region."
"Oh," I nodded. Then paused. "By the way… do you know where the Yun family is?"
Her brow furrowed. "Yun family? They're in the Eastern Continents. Why?"
"I have some… unfinished business with them."
Before she could probe further, the city gates came into view. Towering and ancient, flanked by stone lion statues and guards dressed in light armor.
"We're here," Meng Ruo said. "This is Silverflame City."
I looked around as we entered. "Looks good… but why is it so crowded?"
She glanced at the flow of people. "Ah, I forgot to mention—this city has a branch of the Alchemist Association."
I stopped. "You mean the people who refine pills?"
Meng Ruo nodded. "Exactly."
Ding!
Sudden Sub-Mission Generated!
Mission: Enter the Alchemist Association branch
Rewards:
• 3000 XP
• Senior Alchemist Knowledge
Time Limit: 2 hours
Penalty: -3000 XP
I blinked, stunned. "What the… why?"
"Miss Meng," I said aloud, "can we stop by the Alchemist Association?"
She looked at me curiously. "You want to buy pills?"
I shook my head. "Nah, I just… want to see it."
"Alright then," she said.
As we made our way toward the association, I spotted a beast merchant shop. An idea sparked. "Wait a sec," I said. "Let's go in here first."
Inside, a well-dressed shopkeeper greeted us. "Hello, sir. What would you like to sell?"
"I've got a 3rd-rank, mid-tier Thunder Tiger Beast."
The shopkeeper blinked. "A… Thunder Tiger? Are you serious?"
"Yep," I replied casually.
Even Meng Ruo turned to me in disbelief. "You had a Thunder Tiger Beast? How did you kill something like that?"
I gave a sheepish grin. "Eh… just normal for me."
The shopkeeper leaned forward, eager. "May I see it, sir?"
I summoned the beast's corpse from my System Storage. A surge of thunder crackled faintly from the lifeless body.
The shopkeeper's eyes widened. "It really is a Thunder Tiger! Please, wait just a moment."
He dashed inside and returned a few minutes later with a pouch of 1,000 mid-grade spiritual stones.
I turned to Meng Ruo. "Is that a fair price?"
She nodded. "It's fair."
Satisfied, I took the payment and we resumed our journey toward the Alchemist Association.
Time Remaining: 1 hour, 34 minutes
At last, we stood before it—a towering four-story building made of black stone and silver inlays. A glowing symbol of a pill cauldron hovered above the entrance, exuding faint warmth.
"Wow," I muttered. "This place is something else."
But a crowd had gathered outside. I tapped a man on the shoulder. "What's going on?"
"You don't know?" he said. "Young Master Lin Feng is inside. He's taking the Senior Alchemist test."
"Lin Feng?" I asked.
"You've never heard of him? He's the eldest son of the Lin Family—one of the most powerful in the Western Continent."
"Oh…"
I turned to Meng Ruo. "Let's go inside."
"Hey, don't!" someone from the crowd shouted. "If you interrupt the Lin Family, they'll kill you!"
I gritted my teeth. The System Mission was still active—I couldn't afford to lose the reward. We stepped forward, ignoring the protests.
But then—whoosh!—a man blocked our path. A Lin family lackey, dressed in golden robes.
"Who are you?" he barked. "Didn't you hear? Our Young Master is taking a test! Get lost before I—"
I walked past him.
"Bastard!" he shouted, and lunged.
Three of them struck at once. But I was faster.
I unsheathed my sword. One slash.
Ding!
You killed Qi Refining 2nd Layer Cultivator – XP Gained: 700
You killed Qi Refining 1st Layer Cultivator – XP Gained: 690
You killed Qi Refining 4th Layer Cultivator – XP Gained: 850
The hall fell silent. The crowd outside gasped, backing away in fear.
With a calm breath, I pushed open the doors of the Alchemist Association and stepped inside with Meng Ruo.
Ding!
Mission Completed. Rewards Granted:
• +3000 XP
• Acquired: Senior Alchemist Knowledge
"Ding"
Current XP: 14870
Then Suddenly, a surge of knowledge flooded my mind—pill formulas, fire control techniques, spiritual herb properties. My head buzzed with newfound clarity.
I smirked to myself. Now that's what I call a reward.