Mortal: I, Zhang Tie, started by joining forces with Han Li to kill a strategist.

The three communication talismans included one from the Affairs Hall, instructing him to go there immediately after his seclusion, as the sect's mission had changed!

Zhang Tie frowned. Had the mission changed? He had already completed the sect's once-every-ten-year mission for Foundation Establishment cultivators. What did they want with him?

Could it be that something has happened in Songyang?

No, the matter in Songyang has already been settled, otherwise it wouldn't be a message talisman, but the Enforcement Peak coming to arrest people!

The second and third communication talismans were both left behind by Sun Feng.

"Junior Brother Zhang, I'm back from my mission! I gained a lot this time. Let's get together after you come out of seclusion!"

This signature is from three months ago.

Zhang Tie looked at the other one: "Junior Brother Zhang, I've taken on another mission. This one might take a while. I'll come back to have a drink with you!" The signature was from a month ago.

Zhang Tie shook his head, realizing that this guy had tasted the sweetness of success!

Just two months after his first mission ended, he couldn't wait to take on another one. It seems that Sun Feng is determined to make his mark outside!

But for some reason, Zhang Tie always felt that this guy must have been cooped up in the sect for more than ten years and had finally let loose.

After carefully putting away the communication talisman, Zhang Tie left the cave.

The spiritual energy of Lingxian Peak was as rich as ever. Zhang Tie took a deep breath and felt every pore on his body open up.

They summoned a flying boat and flew towards the administrative hall at the summit.

Inside the Affairs Hall, there were only two stewards at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Their eyes lit up when they saw Zhang Tie enter.

"Zhang Tie?"

"It's me! I just came out of seclusion. What does the Affairs Department want with me?"

"Junior Brother Zhang, you've finally emerged from seclusion! The sect's missions have changed. The higher-ups have announced that the mission period for Foundation Establishment cultivators, which was originally once every ten years, has now been changed to once every five years. You've been a disciple for over five years now, so according to the rules, you should take on a mission!" The steward, unable to discern Zhang Tie's cultivation level, took out a jade tube from his drawer.

Zhang Tie frowned immediately: "The mission deadline has been changed? When did that happen?!"

"It was changed half a year ago. There weren't enough Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect, so it's said that after discussions among the elders, they decided to shorten the mission cycle!"

Zhang Tie inwardly complained, "What's wrong with the sect's upper echelons? They're treating us like dirt!"

Foundation Establishment cultivators often go into seclusion for three to five years at a time. Isn't it a waste of time to delay their cultivation?

Could it be that the demonic path has already started making its move?!

Launching such a great war could easily require ten or twenty years of preparation beforehand, and the major sects of Yue Kingdom have probably already sensed the danger!

However, the great war will probably take several years to begin. Fortunately, he has already entered the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, which greatly increases his chances of obtaining opportunities.

He took the jade tube and probed it with his divine sense. The jade tube listed dozens of tasks, including guarding the mine, hunting monsters, escorting resources, and searching for spiritual veins. The contribution points ranged from one hundred to one thousand, and the time limit was six months to three years.

Zhang Tie carefully reviewed the entire list and selected a relatively ordinary task: to guard a spirit stone mine in the northern part of the Cangqiu Mountains for a year, but with a contribution value of 400, making it the most cost-effective option.

"This is it!" Zhang Tie pointed to the task entry.

The steward glanced at it, nodded, and made a note in the jade tube: "Spirit Stone Mine Garrison Mission, one-year time limit, 400 contribution points. The mission token is here, Junior Brother Zhang, take it and arrive within seven days!"

Zhang Tie took the token, turned around, and left the Affairs Hall.

However, Zhang Tie did not return to his cave dwelling, but went directly to the scripture pavilion on Spirit Beast Peak.

Now that he has broken through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, his strength has increased, but there are both advantages and disadvantages.

He was a rogue cultivator who had risen from the Great Perfection of Qi Refining to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment in just five years. If someone with ulterior motives noticed, it would probably cause unnecessary trouble. Moreover, since the sect's missions were changed to once every five years, if his Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation was discovered, he might be assigned to even more difficult missions.

"I still can't easily reveal my strength!" Zhang Tie thought to himself, trying to find a technique to conceal his cultivation level.

Upon arriving at the Scripture Pavilion, Zhang Tie went straight to the second floor, where many Foundation Establishment level cultivation techniques and secret arts were stored, though each required a considerable amount of contribution points.

They went straight to the area of ​​concealment techniques. There weren't many such techniques in the library, only five or six, and they were all sealed. Only the descriptions could be seen.

"Concealing Breath Technique, Hiding Spirit Technique, Concealing Qi Technique..."

"Damn, why are these concealment techniques so expensive!" Zhang Tie fell silent after looking at the contribution values ​​marked on these techniques.

The cheapest Breath Concealing Technique costs 500 contribution points, the most expensive Spirit Concealing Technique costs 800, and ordinary Foundation Establishment level cultivation techniques cost no more than 500. A support-type secret technique is so expensive!

How many missions would he have to do!

Zhang Tie remained silent for a moment, then turned and left the second floor, heading straight for the Qigong practice area on the first floor.

They quickly found concealment techniques at the Qi Refining level. These secret techniques were much cheaper in terms of contribution points, with the cheapest costing only fifty contribution points. However, they could only conceal the cultivation level of a Qi Refining cultivator and were ineffective against Foundation Establishment cultivators. Usually, no Foundation Establishment cultivators would be interested in them.

But Zhang Tie was an exception!

"Hmm! This Returning Breath Technique is not bad!" Zhang Tie took down a secret technique with good concealment effect in the Qi Refining stage, and immediately earned fifty contribution points. After thinking for a moment, he also took the native escape technique. With these two Qi Refining level secret techniques, he left the Scripture Pavilion.

After returning to his cave, Zhang Tie first opened the book on the art of returning to one's breath and read it carefully.

The Qi Refining level's Breath Concealing Technique is very simple. Its core principle is to suppress spiritual energy fluctuations, making one's cultivation level appear to be one or two levels lower than it actually is.

However, its drawbacks are also obvious: it is ineffective against cultivators whose spiritual power is stronger than its own, and it is easily detected when encountering spiritual probing.

Zhang Tie's soul strength is now comparable to the late Foundation Establishment stage, but there are quite a few late Foundation Establishment cultivators in Spirit Beast Mountain, and more than a dozen Core Formation cultivators. If he encounters them, his concealment technique will be useless.

Holding the Returning Breath Technique in his hand, Zhang Tie closed his eyes, and the Book of Cause and Effect in his sea of ​​consciousness lit up with golden light.

[Detected "Returning Breath Technique" (Qi Refining level). Consume 500 points of Causality to advance to Foundation Establishment level?]

Current causality value: 1990

Zhang Tie originally had only 990 causal points remaining, but after breaking through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, he gained another 1000 points, and now he has about 2,000 causal points.

Five hundred causal points are not much for him.

"The simulation is confirmed!"

[Causality value -500, Current causality value: 1490]

[Driving simulation...]

The Book of Cause and Effect shimmered with golden light, disassembling and reassembling the Returning Breath Technique in Zhang Tie's hand.

After a cup of tea, the golden light dissipated.

[Deduction complete! Acquired spell: Spirit Concealment Technique (Foundation Establishment level)]

[Effect: Conceals spiritual energy fluctuations and can actively block divine sense probing. If the opponent's spiritual strength does not exceed that of the host, their true cultivation level cannot be seen through...]

As Zhang Tie read the description of "Lingyin Jue", a smile appeared on his lips.

Five hundred karma points, that's worth it. Now his soul strength is comparable to the late Foundation Establishment stage. Unless someone cultivates a special soul technique, Foundation Establishment cultivators basically can't see through his cultivation level. The only ones he needs to guard against are Core Formation cultivators.

But Core Formation cultivators are not so easy to find. He has been in the Spirit Beast Mountain for so many years and has never seen one. There is no need to worry too much.

The cultivation method of "Lingyin Jue" flooded into his sea of ​​consciousness, as clear as if it were engraved there. Zhang Tie closed his eyes and circulated his spiritual power according to the method.

As for the Earth Escape Technique, Zhang Tie only mastered the basics and did not deduce its application. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather that the karmic value was too precious, so he decided to deal with it later.