Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 181 Taking over the mission
Chen Ye read through them one by one, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. These yellow-level missions were probably meant for newcomers to practice on, and the rewards were all pitifully low.

Therefore, Chen Ye turned his attention to those missions marked with the Xuan level.

"Mid-grade Xuan-level mission: Clear out the mutated 'Water Scale Demon' in the reef area on the west side of Blackwater Lake. Reward: 100 contribution points."

"Low-grade Xuan-level mission: Delve into the underwater cave and draw a distribution map of the 'Fluorescent Mushrooms'. Reward: 95 contribution points."

"Mid-grade Xuan-level mission: Investigate the 'Ghost Ship' sighting incident, reward: 120 contribution points."

Chen Ye's divine sense slowly swept across the light screen of the Merit Hall, finally settling on the task of the water scale demon.

One hundred contribution points.

This number isn't high, but it's not low either; it's at least ten times better than those yellow-level missions.

More importantly, the mission location is Blackwater Lake, which is practically his home turf. He can attack or defend as he pleases, and even if he encounters any unexpected situation, his familiarity with the waters will make it easy for him to escape.

Moreover, the mission involves hunting monsters, which is a good opportunity to test one's current strength.

Returning from the world of swordsmanship, he broke through three realms in one night. Although he felt his power surge, he ultimately had no real combat experience.

Therefore, this group of water-scaled demons can be used as a whetstone for them.

Having made up his mind, Chen Ye withdrew from the jade slip with a thought, then opened his eyes and looked at Li Qingyan, who was standing respectfully to the side, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Accept this mission using your identity." Chen Ye pointed to the mission he had just chosen.

Following his gaze, Li Qingyan's face paled instantly when he saw the words "Water Scale Demon".

"Master, this...this water scale demon..."

"What? Is there a problem?" Chen Ye glanced at her.

Li Qingyan's heart trembled at his gaze, and he quickly lowered his head, but still forced himself to explain: "Master, although the individual strength of these water scale demons is not strong, roughly equivalent to a cultivator in the early stage of Qi Nourishing, they always appear in groups, ranging from dozens to hundreds or even thousands."

“Once they grow to a large scale, they will be extremely difficult to deal with. There have been records of casualties when disciples came in teams to clear them out in the past. With your current cultivation level, isn’t it too risky for you to deal with them?”

Her words weren't entirely out of concern; they were more out of fear.

Her life was now tied to Chen Ye's; if Chen Ye died, the enslavement mark in her soul would erupt, and she would definitely not survive either.

She barely escaped the vortex of internal sect strife, but she didn't want to die so inexplicably.

Chen Ye could see her fear, but he didn't explain.

Some things are useless to say more about; she'll understand once you do them.

"This is my decision, you just need to follow it." Chen Ye's tone left no room for argument. "Or do you think you have the right to question me?"

Li Qingyan trembled with fright. "I wouldn't dare. I was just worried about your safety, Master. Since you are confident, I will do as you say."

“Very good.” Chen Ye nodded. “Go prepare a ship, the fastest and best one. Also, compile all the information you know about the Water Scale Demons and give it to me.”

"Yes, Master!" Li Qingyan dared not say another word. He immediately accepted the mission with the jade slip, bowed and withdrew, and hurriedly went to prepare the ships and documents.

Watching her departing figure, Chen Ye's eyes remained calm and still.

He had his reasons for using Li Qingyan's identity to accept the mission.

First of all, I am currently a criminal and have no right to accept sect missions.

Secondly, he did not want to be exposed to the Blood Lotus Sect's view at the moment. After all, it would be too eye-catching for a criminal with no foundation to suddenly show cultivation talent and possess strength far beyond that of ordinary people. This would inevitably attract unnecessary trouble and investigation.

He has too many secrets, none of which can withstand further investigation.

Using Li Qingyan's identity would make things much easier.

She was originally an inner disciple of the Blood Lotus Sect, and although she was demoted, her status remained.

It seemed perfectly reasonable for her to take on the tasks and exchange resources, allowing her to remain perfectly hidden behind the scenes and quietly make a fortune.

It's not too late to step into the limelight when you're strong enough.

This is the safest and most reliable strategy.

Li Qingyan returned not long after.

She was very efficient; she not only prepared a fast boat but also brought detailed information about the Water Scale Demon.

"Master, the ship is ready and can depart at any time. Here is the information you requested." Li Qingyan handed a jade slip to Chen Ye.

Chen Ye took the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and quickly browsed through it.

The jade slip contained detailed information, from the water scale demon's form, habits, and weaknesses to the areas where it might appear, as well as its past battle records.

"A mutated water demon, with a violent temperament, hard scales, sharp claws and teeth, containing water poison, and unafraid of ordinary swords and knives. Its weakness is the reverse scale three inches below its abdomen..."

"They live in groups, possess simple intelligence, and know how to use their numerical advantage to form formations. The core of the formation is usually the largest and most demonic king in the group..."

"It enjoys eating flesh and blood and is extremely sensitive to the aura of living beings..."

Chen Ye read through the list one by one, and gradually gained a better understanding of the situation.

These water-scaled demons did sound more troublesome than ordinary demonic beasts, but they didn't pose a real threat to him.

Although his physical body, that of a Grandmaster of Divine Enlightenment, cannot be described as invulnerable to all poisons, it can at least be immune to the vast majority of toxins.

The only thing we need to be careful about is that demonic energy array.

However, what he fears least now is formations.

The Eye of Calamity of the Myriad Calamities Blade Lord can see through the workings and nodes of all things, so any formation is full of flaws in his eyes.

"Let's go."

After memorizing all the information, Chen Ye put away the jade slip, got up, and walked towards the door.

Li Qingyan quickly followed, keeping pace with him like a loyal shadow.

The two of them, one in front of the other, soon arrived at the dock.

The black speedboat was quietly moored at the shore. It was not large, but its design was extremely exquisite. It was engraved with some runes for speed and concealment, and it was obviously a good means of transportation.

At this time, the convicts on the dock had already begun their day's work. When they saw Chen Ye and Li Qingyan come out, especially when they saw them walking towards the speedboat, they all showed expressions of surprise and uncertainty.

"Isn't that Steward Chen? Is he going to sea with Master Li?"

"Manager Chen is really amazing. He's only been a manager for a few days and he's already able to ride on the same boat as the Immortal Master."

The criminals' murmurs were faint, but Chen Ye could still hear them clearly with his current hearing.

He ignored these people and went straight onto the ship.

Li Qingyan followed closely behind and skillfully activated the magic array on the ship.

With a soft hum, the speedboat shuddered slightly, then transformed into a black streak of light, silently departing from the dock and speeding towards the rocky area on the west side of Blackwater Lake.

The boat was moving at an extremely high speed, leaving two white streaks in the water on either side of it, and the surrounding scenery rushed past.

Li Qingyan steered the boat, but his expression was somewhat dazed.

Once upon a time, she also wielded her magical artifact with the same spirit, traversing the sect's territory with great confidence, enjoying the awe-inspiring gazes of countless outer disciples and mortals. At that time, her future seemed bright.

But now she has become a servant, forced to obey the orders of a sinner in humiliation, and dares not resist, which would have been unimaginable before.

But after these few days of contact, Li Qingyan was surprised to find that she had gradually accepted this feeling, and even developed a deep-seated fear of Chen Ye.

For example, right now, looking at Chen Ye's back standing at the bow of the ship, Li Qingyan felt as if he were staring into a fog, unable to see through him at all.

The speedboat traveled on the lake for about half an hour before gradually slowing down.

"Master, the reef area marked in the mission description is just ahead."

Chen Ye looked up and saw a large expanse of black reefs scattered across the water ahead. These reefs ranged in size from as large as a small mountain to as small as a house, their strange shapes and jagged edges dividing the water into fragments.

The lake water splashed against the rocks, making a rushing sound.

A strong, fishy stench filled the air, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible, eerie aura.

This is the lair of the Water Scale Demon.

"Master, shall we... shall we stop here?" Li Qingyan steered the speedboat to a stop a few miles from the reef area, his voice slightly strained.

"Get closer."

"Yes!" Li Qingyan dared not disobey and continued to steer the boat forward.

Finally, the speedboat entered the edge of the reef area.

at this time!

Crash-!
The calm lake surface suddenly erupted as black shadows shot out of the water like arrows, splashing up large sprays of water as they hurtled towards their speedboat!
"They're here!" Li Qingyan screamed, her face ashen.

These dark figures turned out to be humanoid monsters, each over two meters long, covered in black scales, and resembling ferocious fish.

They have thick limbs, sharp claws at their fingertips, a gaping maw filled with dense fangs, and scarlet eyes filled with bloodlust and madness.

This is the Water Scale Demon!

Moreover, they came in large groups, at least a hundred at most.

They were incredibly fast, moving across the water as if it were flat ground, and in the blink of an eye they were right in front of the speedboat, the fishy wind they brought up almost suffocating.

Li Qingyan instinctively tried to activate the defensive array on the ship.

However, at that moment, Chen Ye took a step forward and leaped directly off the ship, landing steadily on a huge reef not far away.

Then Chen Ye reached behind him and pulled out a knife.

This was an ordinary longsword, made of plain iron, with nothing special about it. Chen Ye had casually taken it from the warehouse at the dock before boarding the ship.

Yet, when Chen Ye held this very knife in his hand, it unleashed a terrifying aura. He then faced the onrushing horde of water-scaled demons and slashed out with it.

Om-!
Amidst the clang of the blade, a flash of light, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, disappeared in an instant.

The next second, the dozen or so water scale demons at the front suddenly froze, and their bodies were neatly split in two from head to tail.

The cut was as smooth as a mirror.

Dark green blood and entrails splashed all over the lake surface, and the strong smell of blood instantly overpowered the previous stench.

A knife.

Just one cut.

More than a dozen water-scaled demons, equivalent to the early stage of the Qi Nourishing Realm, were instantly killed.

He didn't even have time to let out a scream.

The whole world seemed to fall silent at that moment.

Without hesitation, Chen Ye once again swung his sword at the water scale demons.

At this moment, the world in his eyes was composed of countless lines, especially the water scale demons, which were covered with dense gray tribulation lines. Therefore, the demons that were very troublesome for other cultivators were like ripe watermelons in the ground in Chen Ye's eyes, posing no threat at all.

All he had to do was keep slashing his sword to cut through these gray lines of tribulation.

While Chen Ye was unilaterally slaughtering these water scale demons, Li Qingyan on the ship was deeply shaken.

She suddenly realized that her previous assumptions might be true.

Otherwise, how can we explain Chen Ye's rapid improvement in strength in just a few days?

It should be noted that although he was able to manipulate illusions and even plant enslavement marks in his own soul a few days ago, he did not possess such terrifying combat power as he does now.

Therefore, he must be the reincarnation of some great being, who has only recently awakened his innate wisdom.

"Roar--!"

Just then, an angry roar, distinct from the other water scale demons, rang out from the depths of the reef area.

Wow!
With a loud splash, a huge figure, nearly twice the size of an ordinary water scale demon and with darker scales, leaped out of the water and landed heavily on another reef.

Water Scale Demon King!

Its demonic aura has reached the peak of the Unimpeded Realm, making it quite powerful.

Its appearance seemed to give these timid water scale demons a shot in the arm.

The demon horde, which had been decimated, instantly became frenzied. They surrounded the demon king, roaring and unleashing bursts of demonic power that swelled from their bodies, weaving into an invisible net in the air and firmly locking onto the reef where Chen Ye was located.

Demonic energy array!

A water scale demon horde that has formed a battle formation is completely different from a water scale demon horde that is scattered and disorganized.

Their attack, defense, and speed will be greatly enhanced, and their demonic power is connected to each other. Unless you can kill them all in one blow, it is difficult to cause them effective damage.

This is the real reason why the Water Scale Demon quest is classified as a mid-grade Xuan-level quest!

However, Chen Ye ignored all of this. His gaze fell on the Water Scale Demon King, then he crouched down slightly, stomped on the reef, and launched himself out like a spring.

Upon seeing this, a hint of human-like cunning flashed in the crimson eyes of the Water Scale Demon King.

It opened its blood-red maw and let out a sharp roar!

"Roar!"

The order was given.

Dozens of water-scaled demons around him instantly went berserk. They stomped on the water's surface, forming a perfect encirclement, and pounced on Chen Ye!

The demonic energy array was operating at its limit, and a viscous pressure filled the air, as if it would crush Chen Ye's body.

The sharp claws gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the fishy wind they stirred up almost lifted the surface of the lake.

Faced with this attack, Chen Ye's figure suddenly changed, and then he easily passed through the few gaps in the airtight demonic energy array, arriving above the Water Scale Demon King and slashing down with his sword.

puff--!
A thin line of blood appeared between the Water Scale Demon King's eyebrows, then quickly spread downwards, passing through its chest and abdomen, until it split its entire body in two.

Its massive body, like a toppled block, crashed to both sides, yet the cuts remained smooth and clean.

The dark green blood stained the surrounding water with an eerie color.

Water Scale Demon King, die!

With its death, the demonic energy array that enveloped the entire battlefield collapsed instantly, like a punctured balloon.

All the water-scaled demons that were besieging Chen Ye let out a painful cry, and their demonic energy weakened at a visible speed.

The backlash from the formation severely damaged them, so Chen Ye easily eliminated them all as if cutting melons and vegetables.

Chen Ye stood on a rock stained red with blood, his body spotless, not a single drop of blood on him.

The exhilarating battle he had just fought had completely ignited his inner energy, making every single cell in his body cheer with joy.

True power can only be fully unleashed in battle.

Chen Ye could feel that after this battle, his control over this body had improved even more, and his cultivation at the Unobstructed Realm had been completely stabilized.

"Come and tidy up."

(End of this chapter)