Jared offered a calm nod. "We understand. Thank you for the warning."
Once the attendant had gone, Vermilion Demon Lord raised a sound-shielding barrier and spoke in a low growl. "Jared, Malevolent Path Hall''s roots run deep in this city. We must tread lightly."
"Mm," Jared replied with a nod. "First, let''s get to Mission Hall and see if we can grab Earthfire Trial credentials quickly. After that, we visit Earthfire Pavilion itself. Even if we''re barred from entering, I want theyout and its guard roster mapped." They took only a moment topose themselves, then slipped out of the inn and headed toward the southern district, where Mission Hall towered above the rooftops. Mission Hall sprawled in a vast circle. Inside, the roar of voices rose like surf against stone walls. Hundreds of jade screens floated overhead, each shing mission notices in restless, shifting light while robed figures streamed in and out beneath them.
It didn''t take Jared long to locate the section reserved for Earthfire Pavilion.
There, the jade screens glowed a deep crimson. Only a handful of missions scrolled by, yet every one promised rewards rich enough to dazzle—and every one shimmered with the warning that it was extremely dangerous.
"It''s impossible to finish any of these missions quickly," Vermilion Demon Lord muttered, shaking his head. "And they''re all far too risky."
Jared''s brow tightened. To participate in the Earthfire Trial, he''d need ten thousand contribution points. Given the difficulty and reward scale on disy, they would need toplete two or three of the extremely dangerous missions.
That, unfortunately, would take too much time.
"So much for ying by the rules," he whispered. "We''ll need to think of another way."
Just then, a cluster of nearby cultivators lowered their voices-yet their words carried clearly to Jared''s ears.
"Have you heard? Ferdinand meheart, the elder of Earthfire Pavilion, is leading a party into me Gorge to harvest me Spirit Herbs and is currently hiring temporary guards."
"me Spirit Herbs? That''s the main ingredient for meheart Pills. They only grow deep in me Gorge, with a me dragon guarding the area. The fact that Elder meheart is going in person means the demand for the herbs must be pretty significant."
"What''s the pay like?"
"Generous, from what I''m told. Guards whoplete this mission will receive plenty of spiritual stones, and discounts on pills and magical items from Earthfire Pavilion. Those who perform well and impress Elder meheart enough might even receive a personal rmendation into Earthfire Pavilion itself."
"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry and sign up! Elder meheart is one of the three great alchemy masters of Earthfire Pavilion. Following him on this mission is a rare opportunity!"
With that, a few cultivators hurried toward the recruitment area on the other side of the hall.
Jared''s eyes lit up.
Elder meheart? An alchemy master of Earthfire Pavilion leading a team to gather me Spirit Herbs? Well, well, well. This could be a wonderful opportunity indeed. If
I can get into this team and perform well on the mission, I might earn Elder meheart''s favor, thus qualifying for the Earthfire Trial. Hell, I might even obtain clues about the Jadeheart Marrow!
"Come on. Let''s go take a look," Jared said to Vermilion Demon Lord.
The duo soon reached the recruitment alcove where several dozen cultivators- every one at least Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Five-were already jostling to put their names on the ledger.
A rough-hewn tform of fresh pine nks dominated the makeshift square. Rope still glistened with sap where it bound the beams together. At its center stood an Earthfire Pavilion enforcer in ember-red robes, his authoritative voice carrying easily over the low morning hush.
"The escort assignment willst seven days. The destination is me Gorge. Your duties are simple: maintain a perimeter, lend muscle to our harvesters, and bring every person home alive. Applicants must already have reached Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Five. Payment is 5,000 high-grade spiritual stones, with an additional bonus should the mission conclude without mishap. Also, there will be a briefpetency test. Slots are limited-only the first ten who pass will be epted." The terms were neither punishing nor lenient. The pay, by any metric, was fair. What was far more enticing was the promise that sess would ce a guard within whispering distance of Earthfire Pavilion''s higher-ups.
Jared exchanged a look with Vermilion Demon Lord. In that silent nce, they reached the same conclusion-they would sign up.
The test, ording to the bulletin, was little more than a public disy of cultivation and rawbat ability—a formality for anyone truly qualified.
However, when they stepped toward the testing area, a young Earthfire Pavilion enforcer flicked his eyes over Jared, caught a hint of the man''s meager aura, and immediately frowned.
"Hey, buddy, are you sure you wish to apply?" the enforcer asked, his tone dripping with doubt. "We need cultivators who are at least Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Five. Forgive me, but you don''t seem to meet that requirement."
Of course, the enforcer was right. Jared''s current cultivation was only at Heavenly Immortal Realm Level One-miles beneath the stated threshold.
His words snapped the attention of everyone waiting in line.
Dozens of eyes swung toward Jared. When those keen senses confirmed his paltry realm, many faces twisted into open sneers.
"He''s only at Heavenly Immortal Realm Level One, yet he wants in? Does he have a death wish or something?"
"Does he know what me Gorge is like? It''s where me dragons roost, for goodness'' sake. Even Heavenly Immortal Realm Lever Six experts might not leave the ce in one piece-what''s a fledgling like him going to do, volunteer as dragon feed?"
"Must be some back-country fool who thinks a guard mission issued by Earthfire Pavilion is easy work."
"Hah... How ignorant."
Ridicule rippled through the crowd. Among cultivators no weaker than Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Five, a Level One aspirant was insignificant to them.
Vermilion Demon Lord stood quietly behind Jared, crimson brows knitting. Jared, however, gave him a look, signaling him to stay calm.
"Yes, my cultivation level isn''t high, but I possess several defensive arts that might prove useful. Since I am here already, may I at least attempt the test?" Jared said evenly.
The young enforcer hesitated, lips parting for a refusal—when a booming voice crashed in from the side.
"Attempt? Kid, do you think this is ytime? Where do you think you are?"
The speaker loomed nine feet tall, a b-faced giant with two axle-sized axes strapped across his back and a Top Level Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Six aura.
He stalked up to Jared, looking down from a height that felt like a cliff. "The gorge is a meat-grinder, not a sightseeing tour. Do yourself a favor-leave now and let real cultivators sign up."
Laughter erupted around them like dry tinder catching me.
"The test has not begun," Jared replied, voice calm as still water. "How can you judge my worth so quickly?"
The brute barked augh. "Ha! Why can''t I? With your cultivation, I can crush ten of you with just one finger! Stop embarrassing yourself and—"
s, his words snapped off, the final syble sliced clean by a hush that fell over the courtyard.
Across from him, Jared shifted—not to strike, not even to guard, but merely to slide one foot forward.
In that understated motion, a pinhole of his presence seeped free, thin yet impossibly dense, as if a lone star had glimpsed through a crack in a cer roof.
It was not the signature of a Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Five cultivator, nor the sharpened edge of a Level Six.
What leaked out felt boundless-an ocean that contained everyw of creation and yet rode above them, sovereign and untouched.
The burly cultivator nearest Jared toppled into that ocean within a heartbeat. Chaos hemmed him in; the very rules around him quivered, then bowed.
His once-raging power turned thick and mute, as though it had stumbled
on its natural predator. Face draining, he lurched back three full
steps sweat breaking across his brow while his gaze locked on Jared in raw, disbelieving dread.
Laughter strangled to silence.
Every cultivator who had been jeering a breath earlier felt an unnamed flutter—a
cold palm brushing the heart.
They had no idea what they had sensed, but the giant''s terror and that fleeting, alien
tide spoke clearly enough.
The young man who seemed to be a Heavenly Immortal Realm Level One cultivator was anything but ordinary.