A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

What Zhou Ping didn't know was that the reason why accepting missions, acquiring merits, and consuming them in the Qinglian Xuanzong sect was so complicated was mainly due to the factional issues within the sect.

Within a giant sect like the Azure Lotus Profound Sect, there are bound to be two major factions.

These two factions are: one is the master-disciple faction that originated from the sect. In this faction, people are cultivators who join the sect as independent cultivators in an orderly manner. They are only connected by the master-disciple relationship and there are no other entanglements of interests. It is relatively simple and this is the original form of almost all sects.

However, as time went by, after a long period of development and expansion, more and more disciples of these sects had their own direct descendants. As these descendants increased, they gradually formed family forces of various castes.

These family forces, established by disciples of sects, rely on powerful cultivation sects. While continuously supplying the sects with outstanding cultivation talents, they also continuously strengthen themselves, gradually forming cultivation families that control their own territories.

As family power grows, the increased strength of the clan, coupled with the growing number of clan members and disciples within the sect, naturally leads them to desire greater influence within the sect.

As a result, the relationship between the two factions gradually changed from initial mutual assistance to covert rivalry.

Of course, this antagonistic relationship mainly exists within the sect. When facing external enemies, they can still unite against a common enemy. After all, the leaders of both factions are well aware of each other, and when the doors are open, everyone is still one family.

These hidden details were something Zhou Ping had only recently joined the Azure Lotus Profound Sect, so naturally he wouldn't know them, and no one would mention them to a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator.

However, judging from the sharp confrontation between Yuan Zhengze and Qin Zhong, these two undoubtedly represent two different factions, and neither of them gives the other a friendly look.

After arriving at the Hall of Merit, Zhou Ping quickly assessed the location and headed towards the mission pick-up point. Xiao Huaichuan had brought him here when he first entered the sect, so it wasn't difficult to find.

"Senior brother, I have come here as ordered to accept this sect mission. Please give me your guidance."

After Zhou Ping entered, he saw many fellow disciples coming and going in the main hall, so he found a disciple on duty nearby and said something.

Upon hearing the voice, the man didn't even raise his head, continuing to fiddle with the jade ruyi in his hand, before replying casually.

"Take out your disciple token and place it on the sensor plate to the side."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping didn't mind the other party's perfunctory attitude at all, and simply followed their instructions.

As the sensor panel emitted a burst of blue light, detailed mission information was stored in the array's jade slip, marking the official start of the sect mission Zhou Ping had selected from the Hall of Affairs.

The disciple on duty glanced casually at the mission information, but his eyes widened suddenly when he saw the words "spiritual material transfer".

He put the jade ruyi in his hand aside and carefully looked at the mission name that was faintly visible on Zhou Ping's disciple token. His expression immediately changed from casual to serious.

"You're Zhou Ping, the one who accepted the mission to transport spiritual materials?"

Qin Lang carefully examined Zhou Ping before him, a thought-provoking expression on his face.

He originally thought that someone who dared to take on such a dangerous mission must have a certain degree of arrogance and strength, but after meeting Zhou Ping, he found that this person not only had an ordinary appearance, but also only had a cultivation level of about the fifth level of Qi Refining, which was quite different from the person he had imagined.

"Does this senior brother recognize me?"

When Zhou Ping saw that the other party called him by name as soon as he opened his mouth, his expression stiffened, so he casually asked.

"Of course we recognize him. Junior Brother Zhou's name has long been known among us disciples on duty in the Hall of Merit. After all, this task has been vacant in the Hall of Merit for a long time, so it's hard for us not to notice it."

Qin Lang had a slight smile on his lips, but his tone was somewhat strange, and his gaze toward Zhou Ping even carried a hint of mockery.

Seeing the other party's strange attitude, Zhou Ping knew it was because of this task, and couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. So, he curled his lip and said...

"Senior brother, I'm new here, and I chose this task without really thinking about it. It's really a bit of a difficult situation."

"Junior Brother Zhou looks like a person with great fortune. Don't underestimate yourself. This task is actually not difficult. It's just that people are hesitant because of his past record. It's not as scary as the rumors say."

Qin Lang looked at Zhou Ping with a smile and offered words of comfort, but in his heart he had already begun to pity this naive young man.

This task had been hanging in the Hall of Merit for years, and many disciples of the Azure Lotus Profound Sect avoided it like the plague. No matter how generous the reward was, no one was willing to risk their lives.

Unexpectedly, he was taken away by a low-level cultivator who was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining. It was like an old man eating poison; he must have a death wish.

Zhou Ping naturally sensed Qin Lang's insincerity and could only feel ashamed of him in secret. However, out of politeness, he still thanked Qin Lang for his comfort.

Just as he was about to leave the Hall of Merit and return to his residence, Qin Lang jogged up from behind. When they reached a secluded spot, Qin Lang mysteriously approached him and began to speak.

"Junior Brother Zhou, please wait a moment. I have something to say to you. May I speak with you in private?"

Zhou Ping had long sensed what was happening behind him, but he had been pretending not to notice and continuing to walk slowly. Seeing that the other person had finally caught up, he stopped and turned to greet him.

"So it's Senior Brother Qin. What can I do for you? Please speak freely, Senior Brother. I would be honored to do so."

Seeing Zhou Ping's humble and polite attitude, Qin Lang couldn't help but show a hint of satisfaction on his face, and continued,

"Junior Brother Zhou must already know that your fellow disciple on this mission is Senior Brother Qin Changqing, right?"

"What you say is true, Senior Brother. After receiving the mission, I already knew that I would be carrying out the mission with Senior Brother Qin Changqing."

Zhou Ping didn't know what the other person meant, so he could only nod in response.

"That's good! That's good!"

Qin Lang rubbed his hands together and continued,

"Junior Brother Zhou, you may not know this, but Senior Brother Changqing is the eldest brother in my clan. His cultivation has already reached the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining, and he may step into the ninth level of Qi Refining at any time. He is a well-known and outstanding figure among our disciples. Most importantly, I have an excellent relationship with Senior Brother Changqing, so I can put in a good word for you. With Senior Brother Changqing's protection during the mission, Junior Brother Zhou's safety will be greatly guaranteed."

"Oh? Senior Brother Qin, are you serious!?"

After hearing Qin Lang's words, Zhou Ping's face showed a look of surprise and he hurriedly asked, but in his heart, he felt a strong sense of disgust for this person's face.

Based on what he learned from Xiao Huaichuan some time ago, the death of the previous fellow disciple was very likely related to Qin Changqing, and there must be some unknown secret behind it.

At this moment, Qin Lang used this as an excuse to try to get Qin Changqing's protection, which seemed like a wolf offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—he had no good intentions.