Ninth In the World

“Lackluster Ocean Divine City?” Zhuo Wujia stopped walking and lifted his head as he looked at the few words floating above the divine city.

Mu Jie said in wonder, “There is really a lack of light here. The sunlight shining seems to stop three feet before the Lackluster Ocean Divine City.”

Di Jiu was similarly amazed. The universe was indeed mysterious; even the sunlight here completely disregarded common sense.

Just a few steps before the Lackluster Ocean Divine City, the sunlight was bright and hot. However, there was not even a gleam of sunlight where the Lackluster Ocean Divine City was. The light they saw came from the divine city’s Illumination Array.

“Let’s go enter the city to have a look.” Di Jiu took the lead and crossed the dividing line created by the sunlight, entering the region of the Lackluster Ocean Divine City, which was illuminated by only the Illumination Array.

The flow of people to and from the Lackluster Ocean Divine City was huge. Di Jiu and company blended well into the crowd.

“The Heaven Earth Essence Energy here is so dense that it seems to be carrying a type of…” proclaimed Mu Jie the moment they entered the city. However, she could not put her finger on what this aura was exactly.

There were no guards stationed outside the city gates, nor was there any entrance fee. This made the three of them feel relieved. They did not own a single divine crystal fragment, so there was no way they would be able to procure any divine crystals to pay the entrance fees.

The air inside the divine city was a little frigid, as if it was carrying an even denser fishy, ocean-like smell. Evidently, this place was very close to the ocean.

A bluestone boulevard more than 100 feet wide extended into the distance. Beside the bluestone boulevard were numerous stores of various types.

Despite scanning the area with his Spiritual Force, Di Jiu could not identify the level of the city’s Defense Array. However, other than the straight boulevard, the rest of the divine city was filled with isolation restrictions.

The bluestone boulevard led straight up to another city gate, connecting the two opposite city gates. Di Jiu sensed that the ocean aura came from the other city gate. Evidently, one would arrive at the ocean upon exiting the city gate on the other end of the bluestone boulevard.

Since this divine city was called Lackluster Ocean Divine City, this meant that the ocean it was facing was most likely the Lackluster Ocean.

In the center of this boulevard was an extremely tall construction with the words “Lackluster Ocean Mission Hall” written outside.

“Let us head to the Mission Hall to take a look.” Di Jiu increased his walking speed. In slightly over 10 minutes, the three of them arrived outside the Lackluster Ocean Mission Hall.

If the crowd while they were entering the city had been big, then one could say that the Mission Hall was packed with sardines.

The hall was big, but one could only see a sea of humans.

The first thing they saw upon entering the Mission Hall was several Array Formation Display Screens.

Displayed on the Array Formation Display Screens was information on team formation, notices for “wanted” ads and missing people ads, and news on selling and transferring the ownership of cave abodes…

Anything could be found there.

Both Di Jiu and Zhuo Wujia were Immortal Emperors. Di Jiu’s Dao foundation had yet to take shape, but Zhuo Wujia had at least started on this step and was in the process of condensing his Dao Seed.

There were some, but not many, people like the two of them, who possessed a low cultivation level.

The majority of the cultivators had already condensed their Dao Seed. Other than to put themselves to the trial, they had come here most likely to find cultivating resources and seek the opportunity to attain the Dao Modeling.

There were also quite a few Dao Modeling cultivators like Mu Jie. Di Jiu even sensed many auras of cultivators who were significantly stronger than Mu Jie. Clearly, they were either late-stage Dao Modeling cultivators or experts who had surpassed the Dao Modeling.

“Brother Di, Sister Mu, take a look at mission number 137 on the mission display screen. We can accept that,” whispered Zhuo Wujia.

Di Jiu looked at the suggested mission on the screen. It was a mission to obtain Stacked Partition Herbs. Every Stacked Partition Herb obtained would give them one middle-grade divine crystal and one contribution point. The cultivators who accepted this mission would be given a special ring used specifically to store these herbs. A Lackluster Ocean spirit map would be given to them as well. The map would introduce in great detail the approximate location where the various divine spirit herbs could be found. Most importantly, it would indicate where one could find the Stacked Partition Herb.

“Yes, this mission does really suit us indeed,” Mu Jie assented excitedly. However, she quickly realized there was a problem as well and said dubiously, “The place where this kind of divine spirit herb can be found does not seem to be too dangerous. Why are there only a few people who will accept this mission?”

Di Jiu was aware that this mission was not suitable for them. The Stacked Partition Herb was a level-three divine spirit herb that could be used to refine the Stacked Space Elixir, a divine pill cultivators needed to cultivate their space supernormal abilities. The value of this elixir was very high.

At first glance, this mission seemed to be suitable for them since they would know the location of the Stacked Partition Herb. However, it was not what it seemed. Di Jiu knew that the reason the Stacked Partition Herb was so valuable was because the herb possessed a special characteristic: It resulted in the strong corrosion of the cultivator’s spirituality.

Long periods of contact with the Stacked Partition Herb would cause the cultivator’s spirituality to become dull and even get blocked. Once that happened, the cultivator would no longer be able to improve their cultivation and would have to live by accomplishing nothing for the rest of their life. It would not be wrong to say that their life would be completely destroyed.

The Book of the World stated this very clearly. According to the Book of the World, the Stacked Partition Herb had to be stacked and stored, or it would wither and its effects would be lost.

Di Jiu was about to suggest changing to a new mission when the Stacked Partition Herb mission suddenly jumped up to number one. This huge jump showed that the mission’s importance had increased tremendously.

At the same time, the rewards for obtaining a Stacked Partition Herb changed as well. One Stacked Partition Herb could be exchanged for 10 contribution points and one high-grade divine crystal. If the number of Stacked Partition Herbs obtained exceeded 100, the cultivator would have the chance to enter the First Evolution Dao Sect, one of the apex sects in the entire Dao World, in the future. They would qualify to head to the First Evolution Dao Sect and listen to the Dao discussion of the sect’s Primordial Chaos Patriarch, Yan Yun.

“Yan Yun has the deepest understanding of the Five-Element Law. If we could listen to him discuss the Dao, it would certainly benefit our Dao progress greatly. I have decided to accept this mission.”

“Me too. What if we could join the First Evolution Dao Sect…”

“Count me in! The Stacked Partition Herb is indeed poisonous, but we should not be too affected by it if we prepare well.”

…

After the changes to the rewards of the mission, the number of cultivators accepting this mission increased greatly.

Mu Jie inquired lowly, “Brother Di, is the Stacked Partition Herb poisonous?”

Di Jiu knew that when these cultivators were saying that the Stacked Partition Herb was poisonous, they did not know the true characteristic of the herb. It was not poisonous, but it possessed a nomological corrosion effect. The reason these people thought that it was poisonous was due to their past experiences and knowledge.

Cultivators who plucked the Stacked Partition Herb for an extended duration would suffer from a weakened spirituality and their cultivation would no longer advance. In their opinion, these were the symptoms of poisoning.

“Should be, and the poison seems to be quite potent as well,” replied Di Jiu quietly.

“Will we still accept this mission then?” Zhuo Wujia immediately inquired. He had decided to listen to Di Jiu and Mu Jie’s decision.

Di Jiu chuckled. “Why not? We will think of a way to remove this poison.”

Di Jiu had indeed decided to accept this mission. Other than the fact that the rewards had multiplied by 10, he wanted to listen to Yan Yun discuss the Dao as well.

According to what the surrounding cultivators were saying, Yan Yun was well-learned in the Five-Element Law. In truth, Di Jiu understood the Five-Element Law well but he had sensed that he was still severely lacking in that aspect. This was mainly because of the Five-Element escape technique Jiang Dai had left behind. Di Jiu had yet to discover its problem.

He did not believe that Jiang Dai would be so kind as to leave behind a major supernormal ability like the Five-Element escape technique to someone he had been making use of. Perhaps, after listening to Yan Yun’s Dao talk about the Five-Element Law, his understanding of the Five-Element Law could achieve a breakthrough.

While the rewards of the Stacked Partition Herb multiplied and the number of cultivators accepting this mission increased correspondingly, this number was still relative to the previous situation. Most cultivators would rather give up on listening to Yan Yun’s Dao discussion than accept this mission.

Di Jiu and company accepted the Stacked Partition Herb mission without any issues. Each of them received a free Lackluster Ocean mission jade card, a ring, and a simple divine spirit herb jade slip.

The jade slip showed the location of the Stacked Partition Herb and where some common low-level divine spirit herbs could be found.