High Martial Arts 2077: I Rely on Beast Taming to Cultivate While Lying Down

Chapter 86 The Church of the Abyss - A World-Class Villain! Five Missions - Choose One of Two!

[Mission Number 027: Red-Scaled Rat Extermination Order in Buffer City; Mission Level: C]

Issuing Unit: Jiangling City Yuling Army City Defense Third Brigade Mission Background: Buffer City No. 16 (formerly Shouguang County) fell during the "Dark Eight Years". After the Federation recovered it, it was not rebuilt and was converted into a demon buffer zone.

The city regularly clears out monsters with the strength of a peak warrior general or above. This place is used for basic military training, adventurer training, and practical combat assessments at high schools.

In the past two months, the population of red-scaled rats in the buffer city has increased abnormally, with an initial estimate of more than 20,000, and the number is still rising rapidly.

The Red-Scaled Rat is the size of an adult dog, with strength ranging from mid-level servant to peak soldier. Recently, there may be a large number of mutated elite individuals.

It has relatively weak individual combat power, but its breeding cycle is extremely short, and it has a certain resistance to fire (its scales contain red phosphorus, which produces pungent smoke when exposed to fire, but does not cause fatal damage to itself).

mission target:

① Clear out the Red-scaled Rats and bring their population back to normal levels. ② Investigate the reasons for the sharp decline in the number of Rock-armored Pythons (optional, with additional rewards).

③ Draw a simplified map of the current monster distribution within the buffer city, and a map of the Red Phosphorus Rat's lair (optional, with additional rewards).

Basic mission rewards:

Regular points: 800-5000 (fluctuates based on kill count)

Special Reward: The carcasses of Red Phosphorus Rats with mid-tier or higher strength can be turned in to the resource recycling center of Jiangling City Middle School, where they are stationed. Each carcass will earn 1-10 points, while mutated Red Phosphorus Rats will earn 10-50 points.

[Mission Number 073: Investigation of Abandoned Research Facility; Mission Level: C+]

Issuing Unit: Intelligence Section of the Jiangling City Imperial Guard Mission Background:

An abandoned military research facility on the eastern edge of the buffer zone was recently detected by patrol drones with unusual heat signals.

The facility was seized by a cult during the "Dark Eight Years" and used to conduct some kind of "human-demon fusion" experiment. After the Federation reclaimed it, it was cleared out and sealed off.

Analysis of the heat source signal shows: ① There are signs of a large number of low-level monsters gathering; ② There are occasional humanoid heat sources moving at night; ③ There are continuous weak energy fluctuations below the third underground level of the facility, which cannot be penetrated or detected.

Intelligence suggests that a low-level group within the Abyss Church may be conducting experiments on breeding and taming low-level monsters in abandoned facilities.

These low-level groups are usually composed of "fallen ones." The combat power of low-level fallen ones is equivalent to the initial stage of the Qi Opening Realm to the Initial Stage of the Qi Circulation Realm, but their numbers are unknown.

mission target:

① Reconnoiter the perimeter of Facility 073 to confirm the types, numbers, and activity patterns of monsters. ② If conditions permit, eliminate low-level monsters around the facility. ③ Obtain as much information as possible about the interior of the facility (intrusion is not mandatory; safety is the top priority).

④ If fallen enemies are discovered, priority should be given to marking their location and reporting the retreat; direct combat is discouraged as a reward for the mission.

Regular points: 3000-15000 (including reconnaissance report bonus)

Successfully marking the location of a Fallen One: Receive a large bonus of points.

[Mission - Number 104: The Corrupted Outpost; Mission Level: C; Issuing Unit: Ninth Border Defense Corps of the Yuling Army, Jiangling City; Mission Background:]

An outpost located on the edge of the buffer zone lost contact with command two weeks ago.

The outpost is permanently staffed with a five-person observation team of the Spirit Guard, responsible for monitoring the migration of demons within the buffer zone.

After losing contact, the command center dispatched two waves of reconnaissance drones, both of which crashed after entering the three-kilometer range of the outpost due to unexplained interference.

The latest high-altitude reconnaissance images show that a large number of small abyssal monsters, not belonging to the local ecosystem, have appeared within a five-kilometer radius of the outpost. They have been preliminarily identified as "Abyssal Carnivorous Rats", "Shadow Spiders", "Crypt Demons", etc.

Analysis suggests that the outpost may have been taken over by an infiltration team of the Abyss Church, used to breed and release Abyss monsters to pollute the buffer zone's ecosystem.

mission target:

① Clear out abyssal monsters within a 5-kilometer radius of the outpost. ② Confirm missing persons, including corpses and belongings. ③ Report any fallen individuals found within the outpost immediately. ④ Attempt to restore the outpost's communication equipment. Mission Rewards:

Regular points: 2000-10000

Extra points can be earned by confirming the reason for the loss of contact, the situation of the missing persons, restoring communication, and discovering traces of the Abyss Church.

]

Everyone looked down at the task screenshots on their phone screens.

Su Chen flipped through the pages one by one; there were five tasks sent by Zhou Chengjie in total.

Apart from the three C-level missions mentioned above, the remaining two are D-level difficulty missions.

The target of the first D-rank mission is a being called the "Tiger Demon".

Tiger Demon, this is no ordinary demon!

There isn't much information about these creatures in textbooks, but it's certain that they come from the realm of immortals and demons! They are not intelligent demonic species that evolved on Earth.

The Immortal Realm is an alternate dimension on par with the Abyss, and the creatures within it are completely different from the demons of the Abyss.

Abyssal monsters are products of being corrupted and distorted by the will of the abyss; they are essentially "contaminated creatures."

The creatures of the immortal and demon realms even possess their own civilizations! These include different human civilizations...

Tiger demons are not considered a superior race in the realm of immortals and demons.

However, on Earth, a fully grown tiger demon is generally at least at the mid-level of the War General rank.

They possess intelligence comparable to humans, can speak human language, are skilled in using weapons, and even understand how to deploy troops.

Judging from the mission background, this tiger demon gang originally had dozens of members, who were lurking in a mining development area in the north of Jiangling City.

Three months ago, the entire army was wiped out in a crackdown on organized crime by the Imperial Guard. The main force was completely wiped out, leaving only a few survivors who managed to escape and wander into various buffer cities.

The mission requirement is to find these few escaped individuals and eliminate them on the spot.

"Tiger Demon..." Su Chen murmured to himself, then moved on to the next task.

The target of another D-rank mission is "Mind Eater".

Although both are products of the immortal and demon realms, the Heart-Eating Demon and the Tiger Demon are two completely different evolutionary paths.

The Heart-Eating Demon leans towards evil spirits.

At first, these malevolent monsters were extremely troublesome for the people of Earth! They were truly bizarre.

But now there is a complete procedure for dealing with this creature.

As long as one can use spiritual techniques and activate spiritual energy, the Heart-Eating Demon is quite vulnerable!

Many Heart-Eating Demons capable of controlling warrior-level life forms can actually be destroyed with just ordinary spiritual techniques at the third realm—the Acupoint Opening Realm.

The textbook describes the Mind Eater Demon in just a few lines: Formless and shapeless, it lives by its shadow and feeds on the minds and spirits of living beings.

Creatures parasitized by the Mind Eater show no abnormalities at first, but as their minds are gradually eroded, they become irritable, suspicious, and bloodthirsty, eventually becoming puppets of the Mind Eater.

Mission intelligence indicates that this group of Mind Eaters appeared out of nowhere and has taken up a corner of Buffer City.

Instead of avoiding the local demons, they actively hunted them, causing extremely serious damage in just a few weeks.

It must be removed as soon as possible!

Su Chen glanced at the five tasks carefully, then slammed his phone down on the table.

He looked up, his gaze lingering on Zhou Chengjie's face for a moment, and couldn't help but ask, "Why did you choose two missions from the Abyss Church? The Abyss Church... is not to be trifled with!"

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table turned to look at Zhou Chengjie.

The Church of the Abyss!!

These four words are absolutely familiar to everyone within the Huaxia Federation.

It is the biggest villainous organization in the entire Huaxia Federation, and even in the entire world! Without a doubt!

After the apocalypse and the opening of the Spirit Realm, all sorts of organizations and gangs emerged on Blue Star, and the vast majority of them were completely wiped out by the iron-fisted crackdown of the Federation Spirit Army!

But the Church of the Abyss is completely different.

Not only was it not eradicated, but it grew stronger with each encirclement and suppression, its tentacles reaching all over the world!

Because...the Church is backed by...an ancient god of the abyss!

No one knows what level of existence the Ancient Gods of the Abyss truly are; all that is known is that their power is godlike, inspiring despair.

The Federation currently has extremely limited knowledge of the Abyss Ancient Gods.

For ancient beings like the Abyss Gods, human history is far too short; the entire planet Earth is perhaps just a small world they have invaded.

The number of contacts was limited, resulting in insufficient data samples.

But one thing is certain: the number of Abyssal Ancient Gods is not small!

The Abyss Churches in different regions are affiliated with different Abyss Ancient Gods. Instead of cooperating, they are in absolute competition with each other, and sometimes they even fight each other to seize territory in certain areas.

The Abyss Church within China alone is enough to break into hundreds of organizations and smaller forces with the power to destroy cities!

Back then, during the eight years of turmoil following the apocalypse, the Federal Spirit Army brought down 90% of the bandit leaders. Most of the survivors, however, joined the Abyss Church!

Even the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord who created the Five-Headed Mountain pollution zone was only a mid-to-high-level member of the Abyss Church! He had not come into contact with the true core of power.

Zhou Chengjie faced the gazes of the crowd without rushing to defend himself.

He picked up the water glass beside him, took a sip, and then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"According to my information, Wu Junchao from No. 4 Middle School, along with top students from several other schools, took on Mission No. 104: The Corrupted Outpost."

The air was silent for three seconds.

Jiang Yunxin was the first to react, her tone filled with undisguised shock: "Even if Wu Junchao has a warrior-level beast tamer, even if he has the backing of the Tianhe Group—the Abyss Church is extremely vengeful!"

"If the Church of the Abyss sets its sights on him, even his family cannot protect him."

Zhou Chengjie didn't refute, but simply nodded and chuckled softly: "Your thinking only scratches the surface."

"Have you ever thought about this?" Zhou Chengjie put down his water glass, speaking calmly, "Wu Junchao may seem very successful, but in the end, he's just one of three generations of the Wu family. His grandfather had eight children, and each of them had many grandchildren. As far as I know, there are already about fifty grandchildren."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across Jiang Yunxin's face before landing on Su Chen.

In our Huaxia Federation system, no matter how much wealth you have, your status can never compare to the merits you earn on the battlefield!

"Fighting against the Church of the Abyss is indeed extremely dangerous," Zhou Chengjie said, his tone revealing a depth beyond his years. "But if Wu Junchao can truly slay the Fallen at this stage, his name will be written into the school's historical battle record!"

"If he does indeed die in battle against the Church of the Abyss, he will be a warrior worthy of everyone's respect! Such merit, earned with his life, cannot be bought with any amount of money!"

"Besides, if you can make contributions in the fight against the Abyss Church, you'll have a chance to become a guaranteed admission student! Guaranteed admission students are not the same as regular college entrance exam takers, and they are more likely to join the ranks of world-class universities." Su Chen leaned back in his chair and did not speak.

It's clear that many of Zhou Chengjie's thoughts and perceptions are not typical for his age.

That's normal. His family is quite well-off. Both his parents work for the federal government, and although their positions aren't high, it's definitely due to the influence of his family.

In their past lives, even many adults couldn't truly understand the weight of dying on the battlefield! They just felt that once you died, you had nothing left, so what was the point of posthumous fame?

Su Chen...having lived two lives, understands this principle even better.

He understood the weight of the phrase "to die on the battlefield" better than anyone else present.

In that world before, where there was no spiritual energy and no demons, dying on the battlefield was the highest honor!

Moreover, in this advanced martial arts era, humanity is surrounded by demons and monsters. Every beast tide is a brush with death, and no one who goes to the battlefield knows whether they will come back alive.

In this environment, honor is not just a slogan, but a real belief!

This is the reason why all martial artists do not retreat in dire straits!

As long as the core of civilization remains China, this will always be the ultimate destination for martial artists!

Humans cannot live forever, but the spirit can endure!

It's understandable, but...

Su Chen lowered his hand from the back of the chair, leaned forward slightly, and said directly, "I understand that. But to be honest, with our current strength, we should take it one step at a time."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengjie's serious expression vanished instantly, replaced by a laugh: "Haha~ I only picked these out for everyone to choose from. If I had to choose a mission related to the Abyss Church, I'd be apprehensive!"

He waved his hand, his tone becoming relaxed and casual again: "What mission are you planning to choose? Do you want to vote?"

Su Chen's gaze swept over the remaining three tasks.

He already knew the answer in his heart.

Order No. 027 – Order to exterminate the Red-Scaled Rats of Buffer City.

For no other reason than for Mission Two: A Multitude of Troops!

The second task required him to cooperate with Xiao Zi to kill 10,000 magical beasts. Putting aside the energy and pills as rewards, the skill stone "Wind and Thunder Heavenly King Slash" alone was worth his all-out effort.

This skill stone has the word "Heavenly King" in its name, so its grade is definitely far superior to the Thunder Body Charge and Wind Wings I got before!

Ten thousand monsters, if you try to grind them down one by one in weekly tests and joint exams, who knows when that will take.

The only way is to take advantage of the training mission to find an area with a high density of monsters and low individual combat strength, and let Xiao Zi grind freely.

Before anyone else could speak, Su Chen flipped his phone screen over and placed it on the table, tapping on task number 027.

"Is there even a need to choose? It's obviously mission number 027."

He looked up, his gaze sweeping from Zhou Chengjie's face to Jiang Yunxin's: "The other two missions are both D-rank. We don't have the ability to challenge the Abyss Church right now, but we can definitely try C-rank."

Zhou Chengjie glanced down at the details of Mission 027 and said, "This mission is only one level lower than the outpost mission."

He picked up his phone, swiped his finger across the screen a few times, and brought up a map showing the location of Buffer City Sixteen: "Look, Buffer City Sixteen is over 150 kilometers from the main city, located within the Northern Plains Mountains. The Northern Plains Mountains cover an area of ​​500,000 square kilometers, and are home to monarch-level creatures!"

He raised his head, his tone becoming more serious: "I've heard that this buffer city of number sixteen is attacked by beast tides from the mountains every now and then, so the danger level is not low."

"Although the mission mainly mentions normal demons like the Red-Scaled Rat, there are quite a few elite demons among them, and they come in many different kinds. There might even be quite a few hidden warrior-level demons."

"It's definitely going to be very difficult." Zhou Chengjie paused, put down his phone, and added.

Su Chen's expression didn't change much after hearing this.

He glanced at Zhou Chengjie, then at Jiang Yunxin, and suddenly chuckled.

"You appear to have selected five tasks, but in reality, there are only two options."

"The first option is the Church of the Abyss, but I obviously don't have the guts right now."

"The second one can only be Buffer City Sixteen, right? Could it be that we have a third option? We definitely can't be interested in two D-level missions."

As Su Chen spoke, he turned to look at Jiang Yunxin: "Yunxin, don't you think so?"

Su Chen's words seem to make sense, but they are actually just a form of manipulative rhetoric.

Leading rhetoric doesn't mean deceiving others into making choices they don't like.

Rather, it's that after he says these words, people who previously had vague thoughts will now believe that what he said is exactly what they were thinking!

Just like many people who have difficulty making choices, he will give you two options, but you already have one in your mind.

If you have to choose between the two, he might prefer to do the opposite! But if you use persuasive language, he might follow your line of thinking.

Su Chen needs to kill 10,000 demons, so he wants to choose this option.

If his goal is the other two D-level missions, he will naturally have a different way of speaking.

Jiang Yunxin was resting her chin on one hand, while the fingertips of her other hand were gently tapping on the table.

When Su Chen called her, she looked up and nodded almost without hesitation.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with it! I even feel like this was the only option they gave me."

Zhou Chengjie glanced at Su Chen, then at Jiang Yunxin, before spreading his hands and laughing loudly, "Haha~ Alright! It's settled then!"

"I'll submit the task application later. I'll see what time the school bus schedule is for tomorrow morning."

"Okay!" Su Chen crumpled the tissues on the table into a ball and threw them into his plate. He stood up, stretched, and his joints cracked softly. "That's enough for now. I've finished eating, so I'm going back to training."

"good!"

Jiang Yunxin also stood up, smoothing her long red hair that fell over her shoulders: "I'm going back to prepare too. We need to bring quite a lot for tomorrow's training: ammunition, supplies, field equipment... Don't forget!"

Zhang Yan jumped up and grabbed Jiang Yunxin's sleeve: "Sister Yunxin! There's a strength test tonight! Aren't you going to the training ground?"

Jiang Yunxin was pulled to the side by her, and smiled helplessly: "Go away! I'll go! Let go first."

Yang Xin peeked over from the side, her almond-shaped eyes lingering on Su Chen for a moment before curving into two crescent moons. Her tone carried a hint of playful anticipation: "Don't let Liu Xiangdong outdo you in the strength test tonight."

Su Chen picked up the plate and walked towards the recycling area without looking back, leaving behind only a casual remark.

"Haha~ Let's wait and see!"

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