Chapter 88

"Go to the mission hall and turn in your mission!"

Ling Dao had just returned to the Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect and immediately headed for the mission hall. Elder Yan Rui had assigned him such a dangerous mission, clearly intending to put him in a deadly situation. For ordinary disciples, their first mission after becoming inner disciples was usually very simple. There was no one like him.

The news of his return quickly spread throughout the entire Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect. When he was in the outer sect, he was the senior disciple. After becoming an inner disciple, he caused quite a stir. His disappearance for two months naturally drew a lot of attention.

When many people learned that Ling Dao had gone to kill the leader of the Poison Snake Gang, they all sighed. Just after becoming an inner disciple, he went to deal with a peak True Qi Realm martial artist, which was essentially courting death. However, just when everyone who knew about it thought Ling Dao was already dead, he suddenly returned.

"Really back?"

Even when his subordinates told him that Ling Dao had returned, Elder Yan Rui still didn't believe it. In his heart, he still harbored a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, now that he saw Ling Dao appear at the mission hall with his own eyes, there was no way it could be fake.

"Elder Yan Rui, I have completed the mission. The leader of the Poison Snake Gang is dead by my sword. I wonder if you can issue the reward?"

The reward for killing the leader of the Poison Snake Gang was one month of cultivation in the third floor of the Sword Pavilion. At the time, Elder Yan Rui had only said this generous reward to entice Ling Dao. In his view, since Ling Dao couldn't possibly complete the mission, it didn't matter what the reward was.

"Completed the mission? What's the evidence?"

True to form, after a brief shock, Elder Yan Rui calmed down. He thought that someone else must have killed the leader of the Poison Snake Gang, and Ling Dao had just gotten lucky. He didn't believe that Ling Dao could kill the leader of the Poison Snake Gang.

"This is the head of the leader of the Poison Snake Gang. You should recognize it, right?"

Behind Ling Dao was a bloody package. He now untied it and threw it on the ground. The package rolled a few times, and the human head inside was revealed, which was indeed the head of the leader of the Poison Snake Gang.

After killing Zhong Feifei and others, Ling Dao specially returned to the mountaintop to cut off the head of the leader of the Poison Snake Gang to prevent Elder Yan Rui from reneging on the deal. Sure enough, when Elder Yan Rui saw the head of the leader of the Poison Snake Gang, his face immediately turned extremely ugly.

"Yes, you have completed the mission. I will reward you with one month of cultivation in the third floor of the Sword Pavilion!"

Elder Yan Rui sighed deeply. This time, he had really lost more than he gained. He originally wanted to use the leader of the Poison Snake Gang to kill Ling Dao and then get a low-grade sword. Who knew that not only did Ling Dao not die, but he also completed the mission.

Originally, killing the leader of the Poison Snake Gang wouldn't have earned a reward of one month of cultivation in the third floor of the Sword Pavilion. Now, the extra reward would have to be handled by Elder Yan Rui himself. This wasn't the most important issue; the fact that Ling Dao was still alive meant that Zhou Xinghe would definitely come after him.

Elder Yan Rui had solemnly promised Zhou Xinghe that Ling Dao would surely die, which was why Zhou Xinghe had given him a low-grade sword. If Zhou Xinghe found out that Ling Dao was still alive, he would definitely be furious, and Elder Yan Rui would be in a very difficult position.

"Thank you, Elder Yan!"

Ling Dao's smiling face made Elder Yan Rui almost spit blood. Unfortunately, rules were rules. Even if Elder Yan Rui was angry, he didn't dare to violate the sect's rules. He could only grudgingly take out a token and throw it to Ling Dao.

"This is the pass for the third floor of the Sword Pavilion. Return it to me after one month. If you dare to delay, I will not let you off!"

Even though Ling Dao had completed the mission, Elder Yan Rui still wanted to make things difficult for him. He could have given Ling Dao a new token, but instead, he gave him his own. This way, Ling Dao's one month of time was strictly limited. After one month, regardless of whether he had spent the entire month cultivating in the third floor of the Sword Pavilion, Elder Yan Rui would definitely demand the token back, and Ling Dao would have no choice but to return it.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way!"

Ling Dao naturally understood Elder Yan Rui's intentions but didn't bother to expose them. At worst, he would start cultivating in the third floor of the Sword Pavilion from the next day. It was just that his current strength was insufficient, and one month of cultivation in the third floor of the Sword Pavilion should be enough for him to continue breaking through.

"Go, go!"

Elder Yan Rui quickly waved his hand, wishing he could kick Ling Dao out. The other disciples in the mission hall, seeing Ling Dao's reward, all looked envious. One month of cultivation in the third floor of the Sword Pavilion was something they could only dream of.

...

"Third Senior Brother, Elder Yan Rui from the mission hall is here to see you. Do you want to see him?"

That night, Elder Yan Rui came to Zhou Xinghe's courtyard and brought the low-grade sword that Zhou Xinghe had given him. Since the mission wasn't completed, Elder Yan Rui naturally didn't feel right keeping the sword, let alone daring to keep it.

"Let him in!"

A flash of anger crossed Zhou Xinghe's eyes. Elder Yan Rui had solemnly promised that Ling Dao would surely die, but Ling Dao not only returned safely but also received the reward of one month of cultivation in the third floor of the Sword Pavilion. This was a slap in the face, a harsh slap in his face!

"Hey, our great Elder Yan, what's wrong? Why do you look like you've lost your parents?"

In the Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect, strength was paramount. Yan Rui was indeed an elder, but he was only a mid-stage Soaring Sky Realm martial artist. Zhou Xinghe's realm was higher than Elder Yan Rui's, and his strength was greater, so he dared to mock him.

"Zhou Xinghe, here is your low-grade sword. I failed to complete the mission you gave me. I am truly sorry!"

Elder Yan Rui looked apologetic. This matter should have been a sure thing, but it had gone awry. He held the low-grade sword, ready to return it to Zhou Xinghe, but instead, he received a cold laugh from Zhou Xinghe.

"Sorry? Do you think a simple apology will end it? Daring to play me, Zhou Xinghe, you are truly courting death!"

Zhou Xinghe suddenly stood up from his seat and used his body technique to approach Elder Yan Rui. He extended his right leg and kicked Elder Yan Rui with incredible ferocity, sending him flying several meters away.

"Spit!"

Elder Yan Rui lay on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face full of disbelief. He never thought that Zhou Xinghe would dare to attack him, and with such force. Before he could speak, Zhou Xinghe came to his side and stepped on his head.

"Failure to complete a task has this kind of consequence! If you dare to speak of tonight's events, you won't be an elder anymore. You will forever disappear from the Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect!"

Zhou Xinghe's words made Elder Yan Rui's body tremble. This wasn't a joke; Zhou Xinghe indeed had the ability to do it!