Chapter 197: Sect Extermination Mission

Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Sect Extermination Mission

Lin Sichen’s return didn’t change things much. She had a cold and aloof personality, even more so than Song Yumeng and Lin Siyao, and she secluded herself completely indoors. Lin Siyao still went to the Lu’s home to visit Lu Yuan as usual. The only difference was that she couldn’t climb over the wall anymore, as Lin Sichen had set up a formation for both homes.

When Su Wan came to look for Lin Siyao, she caught a fleeting glimpse of Lin Sichen and was immediately struck by her breathtaking, otherworldly beauty.

Later, at the Lu’s home...

"Where did your sister go to study and learn from a master?" Su Wan asked curiously.

"Kunlun," Lin Siyao replied. Now that her sister was back, there was no need to hide it anymore.

"Kunlun!" Su Wan suddenly understood. Only a sacred place like Kunlun could produce such a fairy-like figure. Even in Kunlun, she must be an outstanding talent, one of their most exceptional disciples.

"Amazing. I wonder what her Cultivation is at now?"

"Let’s play the zither," Lin Siyao said as she brought out an instrument.

"Yes, let’s play." Su Wan also had Qingxiang set down her zither.

The three of them—including Lu Yuan—began an ensemble. This was not only an exchange of zither skills but also preparation for breaking through and awakening the Seven-Sound Mysterious Body later on.

Lu Yuan had been researching how to awaken the Seven-Sound Mysterious Body. The most direct method was to use the zither’s notes to forcibly stimulate the seven sounds within the body after Primordial Qi entered it. By combining and strengthening them with the Primordial Qi, the physique would awaken. He had the Five-Heart Demon, which could be utilized perfectly for this. Su Wan had no objections to this method.

"STRUM..."

The ethereal sounds of the zither drifted through the air. Lu Yuan led the two girls with his Dao-entering zither skills. The ensemble of the three created an even more wondrous melody. Above the Lu’s home, the phenomenon of flocks of birds dancing and hundreds of sparrows circling appeared once again.

Entering the Dao through the zither... A Sound Dao Prodigy... Lin Sichen’s gaze flickered. She thought, "That kid really is extraordinary. Is there anything he can’t do?"

[Your Dao Companion Su Wan has gained enlightenment in her Cultivation. You have received a tenfold feedback. A reward of 200 Experience Points has been credited.]

"Has Hua Ruye been caught?" Lu Yuan asked. The system hadn’t given any prompts, which meant...

"No," Su Wan shook her head. "My grandfather, father, and eldest brother all mobilized, but..."

"Put more effort into it. He must be caught," Lu Yuan said, his gaze serious. "Right now, no matter the cost, it’s worth it. Opportunities like this don’t come by often."

"Mhm," Su Wan nodded. She knew. This concerned her future. The Su family all knew. This concerned the future of the Su family...

The three-day holiday quickly ended.

Lu Yuan, Su Wan, Jiang Hongfei, Liu Zhi, Chen Qian, and the others arrived at the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"Boss, I’ve achieved great mastery in Bone Tempering!" Liu Zhi reported happily.

"Not bad," Lu Yuan nodded with a smile. He knew this kid’s innate talent was truly poor, but after more than a month, it was about time he reached this stage.

"You finally reached great mastery, huh?" Jiang Hongfei sighed dramatically from the side.

"You..." Liu Zhi glared at him, knowing the other party was mocking him.

"I’ve already achieved my second blood exchange," Jiang Hongfei said smugly. With plenty of Pills, his Cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds.

"..." Liu Zhi clenched his fists. He would catch up very soon.

"HISS... HOO..."

Chen Qian inhaled and exhaled next to them. She didn’t say a word, but her breathing explained everything. Eighth Grade Third Step, Organ Refinement!

Jiang Hongfei and Liu Zhi’s expressions instantly changed. She was actually at the Organ Refinement stage already! However, Organ Refinement was the slowest process. They still had a chance to catch up.

"Three little kids..." Lu Yuan smiled and shook his head.

Su Wan gave Lu Yuan a strange look. You’re the youngest among us!

"Lu Yuan!" Qin Gang walked over, his expression stern. "Get ready quickly, there’s a mission!"

"What mission?" Lu Yuan asked.

"It’s classified for now. Bring all the gear you can and be fully prepared. You only have fifteen minutes," Qin Gang said. After speaking, he turned and left.

Lu Yuan’s expression turned solemn. The mission wasn’t simple. It was his first time seeing Qin Gang so serious.

"Hurry and go prepare!"

"Yes, sir!" Jiang Hongfei, Liu Zhi, and Chen Qian quickly ran to the armory. Lu Yuan and Su Wan didn’t need to; their own equipment was far superior.

Soon, something that surprised Lu Yuan happened. One Squad after another entered the training grounds. Mu Lingche’s, Wang Zhong’s, Suo Huan’s, Han Li’s... In the end, it totaled twenty-five Squads. That meant five Squadron Commanders and over one hundred and fifty personnel.

"This..." Lu Yuan began to understand. They were going to wipe out an entire faction. Only a situation like that would require so many people.

Everyone wore stern expressions, having guessed what was going on. This type of mission was the most dangerous, especially for the regular Squad members. If they encountered a Sixth Grade expert on the enemy side, it could very well result in a total wipeout.

Fortunately, the Demon Suppression Bureau usually prepared an overwhelming force for such operations, ensuring a complete crush. Besides the five Squadron Commanders present, there were several Sixth Grade experts and three Fifth Grade experts. Furthermore, an extermination mission usually required a Thousand-Man Commander—a Fourth Grade powerhouse—to hold the fort.

"SWISH SWISH—"

Jiang Hongfei, Liu Zhi, and Chen Qian quickly returned, their faces filled with shock. "Boss, this..."

"Quiet!" Lu Yuan glanced at them. They would naturally learn what they were meant to know, and he himself didn’t know anything they weren’t supposed to.

"WHOOSH—"

The sky darkened slightly. A large flying ship, about three to four hundred feet long, flew over and slowly descended.

"Board the ship!" The five Squadron Commanders waved their hands.

"SWISH SWISH SWISH—"

Everyone quickly boarded. The distance from the ground to the ship’s gunwale was only about thirty feet. Martial artists at the Eighth Grade and above could generally leap up in one bound. Those who were too heavy or couldn’t jump that high could use the ropes and grapples. Seventh Grade experts managed it effortlessly.

Once everyone was on board, the flying ship quickly took off. It then headed east, gradually accelerating...

"In the northern part of Ningzhou Zhaoye County, there is a faction known as the Heaven-Receiving Pavilion. By day, they pose as righteous vigilantes resolving disputes. But by night, they specialize in murder and extermination. They even cultivate Demon Techniques and have assassinated our people!

"Now, the Demon Suppression Bureau is executing an extermination mission against them!" a burly, fierce-looking Hundred-Man Commander with a red beard announced while floating in mid-air. His name was Dong Liehan. He was a Fifth Grade expert and ranked near the very top among the many Hundred-Man Commanders in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"According to our intelligence, the Heaven-Receiving Pavilion has a total of three Fifth Grade experts, twelve Sixth Grade experts, over forty Seventh Grade martial artists, and more than two hundred people below the Seventh Grade..."

Everyone’s expressions shifted. This was not a small force; their numbers were nearly double the force they had dispatched this time. Particularly, the three Fifth Grade and twelve Sixth Grade experts were massive threats, and the sheer number of Seventh Grade martial artists was overwhelming.

Of course, the average strength of the Demon Suppression Bureau’s personnel was definitely higher than that of this sect. Taking on two opponents each wouldn’t be too much pressure, and some might even have to fight over battle merits.

"All Squadron Commanders, come and receive your assignments!" Dong Liehan landed and turned to enter the ship’s cabin.

The five Squadron Commanders went over to receive their specific combat objectives, while the various Squads temporarily dispersed.

"Lu Yuan, since it’s an extermination mission, let’s have a competition to see who is stronger and who can earn the most battle merits in the end," Mu Lingche said as he looked at Lu Yuan, actively challenging him.

"Sure," Lu Yuan nodded. It didn’t matter to him; he was confident he would win.

"The wager is three True Essence Pills."

"It’s a deal," Mu Lingche clenched his fist. He had no shortage of Pills.

"Can I join in too?" Han Li walked over with a smile on his face. He had been at the Seventh Grade for about ten days now and hadn’t yet achieved any outstanding combat records. He needed to show off his strength.

He was currently leading Ji Lin’s former Squad, namely the five-man team of Xu Xiao, Liu Fang, Ye Yan, Chen Ye, and Chu Fang. Ji Lin had already broken through to the Sixth Grade... and he had also come along on this mission.