Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 200 Trial Mission
Zhang Chengdao specifically sent Murong Ruyan to accompany He Shilie to "suppress the rebellion" on a sudden occasion. In fact, it was just to ensure that Murong Ruyan had high-end combat power, and also to test how the two, who were both from the Xiao Kingdom and naturally had a superior-subordinate relationship, would conduct themselves.

This brings us to the point that, apart from Tang Xiaoyu, whose cultivation level and realm were completely mismatched, Murong Ruyan was the second disciple in the sect to reach the Foundation Establishment stage!
He was also the first Foundation Establishment cultivator to cultivate step by step, steadily and surely!

Although Chang Ping'an is now at the third level of Foundation Establishment, which is still far higher than Murong Ruyan's, the method of breaking through realms by a cultivator like Chang Ping'an through enlightenment is not replicable, and the disciples in the sect have no way to refer to it. Therefore, in comparison, Murong Ruyan's experience is richer, and it allows the disciples to grasp some of the tricks.

However, because he was worried that Murong Ruyan might develop uncontrollable ambitions, Zhang Chengdao gave her a few special instructions, telling her to only provide some combat assistance when Heshilie's cultivation was insufficient to carry out a "decapitation operation" or to violently suppress the enemy instantly, and to ensure the safety of her fellow disciples, and not to interfere too much in this "trial mission" of suppressing the rebellion.

That's right, sending Heshilie out to "suppress the rebellion" was actually ostensibly a "trial mission".

"This is a trial mission for the sect, just like the teleportation arrays for your junior sister Xiaoyu and junior brother Huang Wu. They are all tests of the disciples' abilities. If you interfere too much, these junior brothers and sisters will find it difficult to grow into capable individuals. So most of the time, you just need to follow and observe."

Zhang Chengdao spoke earnestly.

Murong Ruyan frowned slightly, and asked with a strong sense of responsibility, "This is also a trial mission? If I leave, which junior brother or sister will be in charge of overseeing the trial missions of clearing out Daxing Mountain recently?"

"Don't worry, with the current concentration of spiritual energy, there won't be any problems that a Qi Refining stage cultivator can't solve."

Zhang Chengdao casually reassured him, "Besides, I am still here at Baishi Mountain."

Murong Ruyan then belatedly realized—

Yeah, with the master around, what's there to be afraid of?

Then some doubts arose: Could it be that Master's constant hands-off management, with his senior brother and himself taking turns teaching and instructing the disciples, was also a kind of "trial"?
Although she felt a little awkward, she nodded, put her mind at ease, and left Lingxiao Palace in a hurry.

As for the "investigation of Daxing Mountain" mentioned by Murong Ruyan, it was a trial task that Zhang Chengdao added to the sect after he figured out what happened in Pingding County some time ago. He casually ordered the weasel demon to guard the [Brine Well] as punishment. After reflecting on his mistakes, he made sure to learn from them.

All disciples who break through a minor realm must complete a trial task in order to successfully accumulate "Sect Contribution Points".

This thing might sound like a virtual stat from an online game, but actually...

It is indeed a virtual value, but it's not the kind of value used in online games that enrich gameplay; instead, it's a virtual value written as "contribution" and read as "credits."

To exchange for magical artifacts and items made from extremely precious spiritual materials, one needs to use contribution points and spirit stones. However, besides serving as a "virtual high-level currency," its more important function is as a threshold for learning advanced cultivation techniques, secret manuals, and magical abilities—only by reaching a certain number of contribution points can one be allowed to enter the [Floating Pagoda]. Each level of the [Floating Pagoda] requires different thresholds, and these thresholds are often tied to the disciples' "level" within the sect.

Don't misunderstand, this "level" doesn't refer to the Arabic numeral level on the character's health bar in a game. Instead, it refers to the "level" that these disciples are promoted to based on their contribution points and cultivation. For example, disciples below the Core Formation stage can only be classified as "Elementary Immortal Disciples." Depending on whether they are from the inner or outer sect, they are called "Elementary Outer Immortal Disciple of the White Stone Immortal Sect" or "Elementary Inner Immortal Disciple of the White Stone Immortal Sect."

As a result, the identity jade tokens of all the disciples of the White Stone Immortal Sect were updated—they were all marked with this title.

Those above the Core Formation stage and below the Nascent Soul stage are considered "intermediate immortal disciples." Of course, cultivation level is not the only requirement; a certain number of contribution points must also be met.

Those who reach the higher contribution point requirement between the Out-of-Body stage and the Integration stage are considered "Advanced Immortal Disciples".

Once they reach the Integration Stage or higher, they will no longer be "disciples," but rather "guest elders" or even "elders." They will no longer need titles like "top-tier immortal disciple," as their identity jade tokens will directly become guest elder or elder versions. After all…

Who is this kind sect in a low-level spiritual world that actually holds a Nascent Soul stage expert as a "disciple"?
In this way, the so-called "contribution points" are more like "academic credits." "Junior Immortal Dao Disciple" is the first year of university, "Intermediate Immortal Dao Disciple" is the second year, "Advanced Immortal Dao Disciple" is the third year, and above the third year is the fourth year of university, which is the internship period, and thus they are no longer in the category of "Immortal Dao Disciple" with clear and foolish eyes.

Therefore, the so-called "trial missions" are actually "practice" within the sect, and are among the few missions that require competing for contribution points (academic credits).

This batch of trial missions are not too difficult, just a bit troublesome, and they depend a lot on luck. The mission is to investigate whether there are any wild spirits or demons in the Daxing Mountain area.

If any evildoers are encountered, they will be captured and brought back to the sect for "reform through labor." If they are spirits or demons nurtured by nature or have awakened their intelligence on their own, they will need to be registered and taught basic cultivation knowledge and taboos by the disciples of the White Stone Immortal Sect, such as not being able to eat people.

However, since Zhang Chengdao stipulated that there would be two days of rest after every five days of classes, most of the disciples of the White Stone Immortal Sect would take advantage of the two days of rest to carry out such missions. They would usually form teams of three or five. This was also required by the sect. Wilderness trial missions should be carried out in teams of at least three people to prevent danger.

For example, Zhong Hui, who had just finished his mission to the Bohai Kingdom and run errands for his second senior sister, took advantage of this break to gather Ye Hanxing, Feng Guang, Qin Jiang and Sun Ping to form a five-person team and choose to go to the farthest Shennong Mountain area.

Shennong Mountain is further south than Pingding County, where there is a small, relatively unknown martial arts sect called the Peach Blossom Sect.

Hmm... Although the name of this sect sounds impressive, it's actually just a small sect that specializes in medicine. There are only about a dozen people in the entire sect. It was only years ago, when Qin Jiang mentioned that he had passed by the Peach Blossom Sect and bought some good wound medicine, that everyone agreed to go to the vicinity of Shennong Mountain.

While we're at it, let's take a look at the Peach Blossom Sect. It just so happens that Zhong Hui and Ye Hanxing are both from the Spirit Medicine Peak, so we might be able to learn from their strengths.

(End of this chapter)