Decaying World

Chapter 104 104 Peaceful Four

"What are the benefits of forming an expedition team? What kind of treasures can you get?" Lin Hui asked again. He knew about expedition teams, and he knew that every family in the inner city was forming one and had its own expedition team. Since everyone was doing this, it meant that there must be great profits involved.

"The profits depend on luck and strength. Generally, the things that can be obtained are not leaked out; they are only exchanged within private circles. Some things can be purchased with Feather Blood in the inner city, but not much. After all, no one is willing to sell the truly good things. Most of them are kept as part of the family's reserves," Wang Yueheng said with a smile.

"That makes sense." Lin Hui nodded, understanding.

“For example, you know that it’s impossible for external martial arts practitioners to break through the Heavenly Cycle. Have you ever wondered how the original founder of your Qingfeng Temple broke through the Heavenly Cycle?” Wang Yueheng asked mysteriously.

"You mean the treasures in the fog zone might help us break through our limits!?" Lin Hui was taken aback.

"I'm just guessing. Of course, such a treasure hasn't appeared twice in the last hundred years, and even if it did, it would be extremely rare. Back then, apart from Ancestor Qingfeng, there were several other martial artists of the same era who broke through to the Zhou Tian stage. I guess they found a type of treasure medicine from the misty area together. After that, such a situation never occurred again."

"So, the Fog Zone can contain all sorts of treasures?" Lin Hui was intrigued.

The feeling of bringing back a constant stream of good things without having to take any risks is really great; no wonder everyone is forming expedition teams.

“Yes, that’s how I obtained several top-tier, non-saleable pill formulas for enhancing one’s aptitude. Also, because drastic changes occur at night, the fog zone is full of uncertainties. Even with extremely strong inner city aptitude, one cannot guarantee that they won’t encounter danger in the fog zone. So, since one is afraid to take risks, one can let others take risks for them. Thus, the exploration team was born.” Wang Yueheng said with a smile.

"Interesting. It seems that Qingfeng Temple should also form its own expedition team. How did you select these people? The fog zone is dangerous, and there probably aren't many people willing to go, right?"

"Offering substantial rewards will suffice. As long as you keep your word, people will be willing to join," Wang Yueheng smiled.

Lin Hui fell into deep thought. He lacked a good sword, good equipment, and a precious medicine like the Spirit Mushroom to accelerate his progress. If he were to try to get these things on his own, there would be too many uncertainties, and the fog zone was too dangerous.

Therefore, forming an expedition team should indeed be put on the agenda.

"I suggest you explore the surrounding area from the start. Qingfeng Temple is weak, and its disciples are few, so don't venture too deep rashly. Otherwise, you'll end up losing everything and incurring a large compensation fee," Wang Yueheng added.

"Well, thanks for reminding me."

After talking with Wang Yueheng, Lin Hui quickly found Wang Hongshi and brought up the matter of forming an expedition team.

"An expedition team? What kind of people would be willing to join?" Wang Hongshi asked hesitantly.

Previously, the Black Dragon Gate was not large enough to form an expedition team. Now, the Qingfeng Temple is powerful, with its three branches united, and its disciples have recently exceeded five hundred.

Among the surrounding towns, it is considered one of the most powerful forces.

Forming an expedition team does indeed qualify one for entry.

"No matter who comes, as long as they are willing to join, and as long as they can harvest and hand over the resources and treasures of the fog zone, they will receive contribution points upon their return. These points are divided according to their contribution value; those with higher-value harvests can be counted as high-level missions at once," Lin Hui replied. Contribution points are related to the sect's recruitment quota. The three people with the highest contribution points each year will receive recruitment quotas to go to the inner city. This expedition team has undoubtedly torn open a gap in the previously somewhat solidified contribution ranking, allowing them to quickly overtake the top three.

“In that case, there will probably be a lot of people willing to come. After all, in the previous algorithm, there were very few high-level tasks, and many of them required strong abilities to complete.” Wang Hongshi nodded.

"It's settled then. Young and daring individuals are the talents the sect needs," Lin Hui said in a deep voice.

"Yes."

Wang Hongshi nodded.

"By the way, starting today, I will put the two secret techniques I have comprehended into the sect contribution exchange list." Lin Hui had been observing and studying the ascension effects for a long time. Apart from the strange effect of losing half the weight, which could not be achieved, the rest of the burst acceleration was traceable.

After carefully studying it, he recorded the energy flow routes and muscle activation methods, and compiled them into two secret techniques.

The first is the special effect of the Seven-Section Quick Sword: Lightness of Movement.

Secondly, the special effect of the Nine-Section Quick Sword: lightness and agility.

"There is a secret technique called Lightness of Body. It can briefly increase sword speed and movement speed, with an effect of about 30%. The prerequisite for using it is mastery of the Seven-Section Fast Sword."

Compared to the original lightness effect and the exaggerated effect of more than doubling sword speed, Lin Hui's revised version only increases it by 30%. However, this secret technique has very few side effects; it can be used again after a one-hour rest. Those with strong recovery abilities can even significantly shorten the rest time.

"Yes!" Wang Hongshi's eyes lit up, thinking to himself that he was indeed a genius of enlightenment, and had gained new insights in such a short time.

"The second secret technique is called Lightness and Agility. It is more difficult and can only be used after one has mastered the Nine-Section Quick Sword. Its effect is to reduce the consumption of Lightness and Agility, allowing it to be maintained as a constant effect for a long time."

Lin Hui pondered for a moment, "Let's calculate the exchange price based on nine points of contribution." Nine points correspond to three advanced tasks.

"Yes, then Abbot, how should the authority to issue missions be determined? Who should issue them? It can't all be up to you alone, can it?" Wang Hongshi asked again.

“Each expedition will be scored as a medium-level mission. If there are any gains, I will assess their value to the sect to calculate the additional contribution points.” Lin Hui pondered for a moment.

"The rest, dealing with various troubles and disputes encountered by the sect, will be considered medium-level tasks. Those assessed as high-risk will be considered high-level tasks. Elder Xue Meng will make the specific assessments," Lin Hui instructed.

"Understood." Wang Hongshi calculated the current situation of Qingfeng Temple. There would be several troubles and disputes every now and then. If he calculated it this way, it wouldn't be long before someone was able to exchange for a new secret technique.

"Let's leave it at this for now, and we'll revise it if we encounter any problems later," Lin Hui finally set the tone.

After everyone had left, he stood up and went to the mural in the council chamber.

"The expedition team can explore the surrounding foggy area and hopefully gain some insights." Only two days after the announcement of the expedition team's formation, Wang Hongshi reported to Lin Hui that too many people wanted to go and asked him what the limit was on the number of participants.

Lin Hui was somewhat surprised. He checked the list himself and found that, apart from Wang Hongshi, all of the top ten were going.

What surprised him even more was that all of the top ten disciples had now switched to Qingfeng Temple martial arts, and the disciples of Ruyi Blade Sect and Black Dragon Gate were now starting from scratch, with some already reaching the sixth level of Body Tempering.

Moreover, Chen Sui, who was quick to act, had already exchanged for the secret technique of lightness.

After determining the number, he began to be optimistic about the expedition's progress.

Early March.

Inside Qingfeng Temple, on the Black Dragon Training Ground, Lin Hui looked at the expedition team members who were lined up and ready to depart, and nodded in satisfaction.

He sat in the main seat, with Xue Meng sitting to his left and two newly joined internal energy martial artists, Flying Dragon Hand Lin Zaijun and Mad Leg Zhang Dao, to his right.

These two were lone martial artists from Xingdao's side. They had lost all their original disciples and had no family, so they simply joined Qingfeng Temple to retire.

They were all over seventy years old, and sitting in their chairs, they looked listless and lacked energy, much worse than Xue Meng. It was obvious that they had hidden injuries and their cultivation had declined.

But Lin Hui had no choice. There were too few martial artists at the Inner Strength Realm in Qingfeng Temple. The truly powerful ones wouldn't be willing to be subordinate to others. Wouldn't it be better for them to find a corner and start their own sect?
At this moment, the four people sat upright at the top, with the top thirty ranked disciples standing on both sides.

The expedition members all changed into gray and white outfits, plus brown leather vests, and carried two longswords on their backs, and lined up to come forward.

The one leading them was none other than Chen Sui.

Among the expedition team, he had the highest cultivation level, and after exchanging for the secret technique, his strength increased even more significantly. He was a standard main force member.

“This is the first time Qingfeng Temple has explored the surrounding area, so what you need to do is first draw a basic topographical map of the surrounding fog zone. The scope requirements are all written in the mission document. Since this is the first operation, everyone participating this time will have their contribution points calculated as a high-level mission,” Xue Meng said from the side.

"Yes!" Chen Sui and the others responded in unison, clasping their hands in a salute.

"Have you brought all the supplies?" Lin Hui asked.

"It's all taken care of, Abbot. Rest assured, we will not act rashly. We will relocate as soon as we have ascertained the situation. Many of the monsters in the fog zone are territorial, so if we move quickly enough, the danger will be minimal. And our Qingfeng Temple, let alone anything else, is second to none in terms of speed and agility!" Chen Sui replied in a deep voice.

Lin Hui nodded; he was confident in this regard.

Looking up at the sky, I saw warm sunlight shining through the fog. There was no rain or wind; it was perfect weather to go into the foggy area.

"I am here, awaiting your good news. I hope you will all return safely." He stood up and clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd.

"Thank you, Abbot!"

The expedition team consisted of twenty people, who all returned the salute and shouted in unison.

After the ceremony, someone else came forward to check the equipment and supplies. Once everything was confirmed to be in order, the expedition team officially set off.

Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people, Qingfeng Temple's first exploration of the foggy area officially began.

Lin Hui watched them leave through the gate, walking further and further away until they disappeared from sight completely, before he let out a breath and waved for everyone to disperse.

He got up and left, returning to his residence at the back. He hadn't been sitting down for long when a disciple came to report to him.

“Master, a woman named Yan Wanqiu has come to visit and said that you know her just by hearing her name.”

"Yan Wanqiu?" Lin Hui was genuinely surprised that she would come to visit. "Let her come here."

"Yes."

The disciples on duty clasped their hands in greeting and left.

Currently within Qingfeng Temple, disciples with poor aptitude, low strength, and no powerful background can earn contribution points by performing duties within the temple. These duties, such as guarding, protecting, and relaying messages, are counted as one regular task per month and are also paid. Many disciples from impoverished families are eagerly vying for these jobs.

Lin Hui was now very wealthy, and he could not possibly use up the income that Baihua Sect gave him every now and then, not to mention the income from Qingfeng Temple's own businesses. So he generously hired more than thirty people to work and do odd jobs in the sect.

Contribution points are a great thing now; you can exchange them for elixirs, secret techniques, direct guidance and instruction, and even a spot to train a Summoner.

As a result, everyone was very enthusiastic about completing the tasks.

Soon, a young woman wearing a black veil and a black robe entered the mansion courtyard, led by her disciple.

"Yan Wanqiu greets Abbot Lin. Regarding the matter last time, I thank you for advising your sister. I acted improperly. Fortunately, it didn't cause any trouble." Yan Wanqiu thanked Abbot Lin with a wry smile as soon as they met.

Lin Hui waved away the disciples on duty who were eager to eavesdrop on the gossip, and looked at Yan Wanqiu.

"It's nothing. I just think my sister's temper is too extreme. Anyone else would be like that."

(End of this chapter)