Zhang Yang was no stranger to hidden missions; most of the time, however, he completed them accidentally.

Hidden missions were usually invisible, a type of quest that didn't require acceptance but still granted rewards upon completion. When Zhang Yang had first transmigrated back, saving a girl had turned out to be one such hidden mission, earning him a reward afterward.

“Activate mission!”

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Yang commanded directly. Hidden missions were still system quests, and all system quests came with rewards upon completion.

If this hidden mission was of a high enough tier, there would be a reward involving attribute points. Even without attribute points, it would enhance various stats and strengthen his body.

Furthermore, Zhang Yang felt a touch of curiosity about this hidden mission. Having completed most of the standard tasks, he no longer felt the same level of aversion toward them.

“Host selecting to activate hidden mission. Please wait!”

A few seconds later, the mechanical female voice spoke again: “Hidden mission, ‘Exterminating Demons and Upholding the Dao,’ has been activated. The difficulty level is Six. The host must kill the Demonic Path expert, Chu Yuntian, within the specified time limit. The time limit is ten days!”

Zhang Yang, who had been staring at the virtual screen, bolted upright at the system’s announcement, looking at the newly displayed mission with surprise.

This hidden mission he had just activated was rated at Level Six—the highest he could currently handle—and it was the first time he had been ordered to take a life.

“Are there any materials on Chu Yuntian? Where will he appear?”

After a brief moment of shock, Zhang Yang quickly inquired again. This was a timed mission; the constraint meant it had to be finished within the set period.

Having gained a thorough understanding of the system, Zhang Yang refrained from further unnecessary shock and moved straight to the most critical questions.

Zhang Yang knew clearly that once a quest was accepted, it couldn't be abandoned. Failure to complete it would result in a deduction of various attributes, potentially even leading to demotion. Having already experienced the benefits of attribute enhancement, he certainly wouldn't allow those gains to regress.

At this moment, gathering more information was paramount.

“Chu Yuntian, age forty-nine. Internal Energy is at the mid-Fourth Layer. He possesses the Flame Blade, ranked eighth on the Divine Weapon List. He will appear in Hangcheng. As long as the host remains in Hangcheng, an encounter is inevitable!”

The mechanical female voice spoke slowly, causing Zhang Yang’s eyes to narrow again.

A bitter smile touched his lips. A Level Six mission was indeed not simple. This Chu Yuntian was a powerhouse at the mid-Fourth Layer.

Zhang Yang had previously killed Elder Huyan of the Huyan family, who possessed the strength of the mid-Fourth Layer. However, that elder’s mid-layer cultivation had been forcefully boosted; it couldn't compare to those who reached that stage purely through self-effort.

After carefully reviewing Chu Yuntian’s detailed profile, the bitterness on Zhang Yang’s face deepened.

This Chu Yuntian was a rare cultivation genius within the Demonic Path. In this world, everything has two sides: where there is Righteousness, there is Opposition; where there is the Dao, there is the Demon.

From the day Internal Energy cultivators emerged, Demonic Path cultivators appeared alongside them.

Those on the Demonic Path cultivated Demonic Arts. Long Feng’s Supreme True Canon, due to its stringent requirements, was once mistaken for a Demonic Art. This alone showed that cultivating Demonic Arts was never simple.

In fact, Demonic Arts were far more difficult to practice than standard cultivation methods, but once mastered, the speed of cultivation was incredibly fast, far outstripping that of Righteous Path practitioners.

This Chu Yuntian was only forty-nine years old, yet he had already been at the mid-Fourth Layer for six years. Calculating backward, it meant he likely reached the Internal Energy Fourth Layer around the age of forty, or perhaps even earlier.

While the cultivation speed of Demonic Arts was faster than normal Internal Energy cultivators, the increase was limited. Chu Yuntian reaching the Fourth Layer this early indicated his innate talent was exceptional; such speed was extremely rare even within the Demonic Path.

The fact that he was already a mid-Fourth Layer powerhouse six years ago made him significantly more formidable than the former Elder Huyan.

This opponent, whom he had never encountered before, was the most powerful adversary Zhang Yang had faced; even the two Fourth Layer spirit beasts he had killed previously were not as strong as this potential foe.

“Ten days, and still in Hangcheng!”

After reading all the data, Zhang Yang shook his head helplessly. He had gotten himself into deep water this time. If he had known the mission would be this complex, he might not have accepted it.

Of course, this was merely a fleeting, complaining thought. In reality, he felt a sense of relief.

With his current understanding of the system, he knew clearly that even if he hadn't accepted the mission, that Demonic Path expert would eventually appear, and an encounter would be unavoidable.

Regardless of whether Zhang Yang accepted the quest, once he ran into this Demonic Path powerhouse, a sudden confrontation would likely be unavoidable.

If nothing else, the three spirit beasts by his side were enough to incite covetousness. Cultivators from the influential families might hesitate to strike forcefully due to the Zhang family’s power, but these Demonic Path followers cared little for such scruples. Over the years, the Righteous and Demonic Paths had clashed countless times, making them mortal enemies. Seeing him would surely invite a relentless pursuit.

The number of Internal Energy cultivators now was far less than in the past, and the number of Demonic Path cultivators was even scarcer. Besides the risk of their Demonic Arts causing them to succumb to inner deviation, a major reason was the joint extermination efforts by the Internal Energy families and sects. Consequently, most Demonic Path members now remained in hiding, rarely even showing themselves in the secular world.

If an encounter occurred when he was alone, it would be manageable; he could ride Chasing Wind and escape. Even a Guardian at the Great Completion stage couldn't catch him. But if Mi Xue and the others were present, Zhang Yang would be constrained, unable to flee on his own.

Now that he understood the situation in advance, although it added a mandatory kill requirement, it allowed Zhang Yang to prepare proactively in the most advantageous way possible.

The opponent was powerful, but Zhang Yang was not without a fighting chance. Chu Yuntian was superior to him, but Zhang Yang was no ordinary initial-stage Fourth Layer cultivator; he possessed his own advantages.

With proper arrangements, he still had a chance against a mid-Fourth Layer expert.

Having clarified everything, Zhang Yang closed the system interface just as Long Feng emerged, having changed his clothes.

Long Feng’s newly donned attire did little to hide the bruise on his face, though he looked significantly better than before.

The first thing Zhang Yang needed to arrange was for Mi Xue and Qu Meilan to leave first. Mi Xue staying nearby would only be a burden, especially since the enemy this time was a Demonic Path expert. Demonic Path adherents were known for their unscrupulous methods; if they harmed Mi Xue, it would spell immense trouble.

Secondly, he needed to ensure everyone’s condition was restored to its peak, ready for the enemy’s appearance at any moment.

It was a pity that tasks couldn't involve interference from those stronger than the host, or it would count as failure. Otherwise, he would have called Zhang Pinglu and Zhang Daofeng over for a group assault on this Fourth Layer Demonic expert. If Zhang Pinglu truly made a move, that Demonic Path expert wouldn't stand a chance of escaping.

After Long Feng came out, Chasing Wind trotted over and gently nudged him a few times with its head—a form of apology from the spirit beast.

Chasing Wind understood that its previous uncontrolled rage had caused Long Feng’s injury. Now that Zhang Yang had given its assurance, its petulance subsided, and it acknowledged its prior mistake with a small gesture.

Given Chasing Wind’s temperament, this action was already quite significant.

Not long after, Mi Xue and Qu Meilan also returned home. Mi Xue had gone out to buy groceries; they planned to cook dinner themselves that evening.

Gu Fang did not return that night, as he had a crucial matter to handle, so he called Zhang Yang to inform him.

Learning that Gu Fang wouldn't be back, Mi Xue became even happier, as this presented them with an opportunity for some private time.

Mi Xue was an excellent cook, but her good mood diminished somewhat after dinner. Zhang Yang asked her to go back the next day. She initially wanted to refuse, but Zhang Yang’s excuse made it impossible for her to decline.

Zhang Yang claimed that after finishing his activities today, he unexpectedly obtained a valuable raw material that could be compounded into a highly effective medicine for stomach ailments.

Zhang Keqin was usually busy with work and ate irregularly, leaving him with a chronic stomach issue. After compounding the medicine, Zhang Yang couldn't return himself due to ongoing activities, so Mi Xue would have to deliver it. Giving medicine to Zhang Keqin when Zhang Yang was unavailable meant she had to go—a truly irrefutable reason for her.

In this instance, Zhang Yang had deceived Mi Xue. If he hadn't lied, getting her to leave would have been impossible. If he had told the truth, Mi Xue would have insisted on staying. Zhang Yang was forced into this course of action.

The very next morning, Mi Xue left, accompanied by Qu Meilan. Before departing, she looked reluctant, only leaving after repeated assurances from Zhang Yang.

Mi Xue’s departure freed Zhang Yang from worry, allowing him to focus entirely on preparing for this tough battle.

The first preparation involved spirit medicines. He currently possessed several bottles of Fourth Layer spirit beast blood essence. The ingredients for the Essence Blood Pills would thus be relatively easier to acquire. These pills wouldn't significantly boost his power, but they could push his physical condition to its absolute peak.

Then there were Chasing Wind and Lightning.

These Essence Blood Pills could also adjust their states, ensuring they were all in peak condition. The combat prowess of the three spirit beasts was considerable, making their current state crucial; a good state maximized their strongest abilities.

Finally, there was Long Feng. Long Feng's strength was lesser, but he wasn't useless. Their repeated battles had forged excellent coordination between them; Long Feng could still play a significant role at a critical moment.

The last preparation concerned his divine weaponry.

The Cold Spring Sword had to stay on his person at all times. The lesson learned in the underground cavern had cost him dearly; if he had possessed the Cold Spring Sword then, the fight would not have been so arduous.

Thinking of the Cold Spring Sword brought Zhang Yang’s thoughts to Chu Yuntian’s Flame Blade.

There had always been considerable debate surrounding the divine weapons on the Divine Weapon List. Among them existed a pair of weapons like natural enemies: the Flame Blade and the Cold Spring Sword. These two divine weapons, possessing opposing elemental attributes, were most frequently compared and argued over.

The Flame Blade ranked eighth, while the Cold Spring Sword was ninth. Many people felt the Cold Spring Sword was unfairly ranked lower, arguing that if it had appeared earlier, it would certainly have been stronger than the Flame Blade.

Others held the opposing view, claiming that the Flame Blade’s higher rank proved it possessed inherent superiority over the Cold Spring Sword. Regrettably, no matter how they argued, the sword and the blade had never met in combat, meaning a true comparison was impossible.

I arrived in Guangzhou today and was scheduled to fly to Zhuhai for an author event, but I was delayed at the airport for a long time. I will post this chapter now. I don’t know when Little Yu will reach Zhuhai, so the time for the next update is uncertain. I ask for your understanding. (To be continued) RQ