"The third floor is generally a place where disciples like us are unwilling to go," the plump man explained.
"Why is that?" Lin Li asked.
"Because the tasks on the third floor are all of A or B-level difficulty," the man replied. "The Travel Pavilion is designed for outer disciples, and the tasks are divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D. Most tasks on the first floor are C or D-level. Even if there's an occasional B-level task, it rarely involves any life-threatening danger."
"But the third floor is different!" The plump man shivered at the memory. "The tasks on the third floor are at least B-level, with many of them being A-level. Some are even special-grade tasks that require the help of Foundation Establishment inner disciples to complete. Moreover, unlike the first-floor tasks, all of the third-floor missions involve life-threatening combat. I remember seven years ago, after five years of doing mundane first-floor tasks, I foolishly attempted a B-level mission on the third floor... I ended up severely injured, and now my left hand is permanently crippled!"
As he spoke, he raised his pudgy left hand, showing Lin Li that his pinky and ring finger were missing. "That time, I took on a B-level combat mission to capture a fifth-tier demon cat. But when I arrived, I found that the demon cat had already broken through to the sixth tier. Demonic beasts are naturally more powerful than human cultivators, and as a Qi Refining fifth-layer cultivator, I barely escaped with my life after a desperate struggle. The cat bit off two of my fingers, and from then on, I never dared to take on a third-floor mission again."
After sharing his story, the man suddenly grinned ingratiatingly and said, "But that's because I wasn't strong enough. Someone like you, Brother Lin, who could slay a Core Formation level demon like the Golden Leopard King, would surely scoff at the thought of taking on trivial C or D-level tasks."
"Let me take you to the third floor!"
The man, who introduced himself as Wang Dafu, led the way up the stairs, continuing, "I may not have much strength, but having been in the sect for twelve years, I know a thing or two. If you have any questions, Brother Lin, feel free to ask. You can call me Little Wang."
"Little Wang Ba?" Lin Li's expression became a bit strange, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Ah!" Wang Dafu realized his slip of the tongue and turned beet red. He quickly corrected himself, "I misspoke! Just call me Little Wang."
"That doesn't seem right," Lin Li said, eyeing Wang Dafu, who was about three times his own size and at least in his thirties or forties. He couldn't bring himself to call someone like that 'Little Wang.' So he suggested, "I'll call you Brother Wang instead."
"Oh, no need for that!" Wang Dafu waved his hand quickly, but Lin Li pretended to get upset, saying, "Brother Wang, don't push it! If you keep this up, I'll get angry. Time is precious, so let's focus on the task at hand."
"Alright, alright!" Wang Dafu was overjoyed at being called 'Brother Wang' and enthusiastically led Lin Li upstairs.
"So, Brother Lin, what kind of task are you looking for?" Wang Dafu asked.
"Brother Wang, I'm currently only at the Qi Refining seventh layer. I'm afraid I can't handle tasks that are too difficult," Lin Li replied, considering that his encounter with the Golden Leopard King had been largely due to luck. Taking on missions to slay powerful demonic beasts would go against his original plan of using the Bloodsucking Demon Sword to quickly boost his cultivation. Plus, fighting high-tier beasts was too risky for minimal rewards.
Instead, he reasoned that hunting down ten ordinary beasts might yield more gains with far less risk. So Lin Li said, "I'm looking for something relatively simple, perhaps a task where I can sweep out some lower-tier demons that are plaguing the common people."
Wang Dafu nodded, scanned the third floor, and pulled a task sheet from the wall with a grin. "This one is perfect for you!"
"Oh?" Lin Li looked at the task description.
[B-level Sect Mission: Exterminate Demon Rats]
Mission Details: The Xuantian Sect protects the surrounding regions for hundreds of miles. In Danyang County, located seventy miles east of the sect, an outbreak of plague has occurred. Some rats consumed spiritual herbs and evolved into demon rats. Several early and mid-stage Qi Refining rogue cultivators, summoned by the Danyang County government to deal with the demon rats, were killed after being overwhelmed by their numbers. Now, the plague has spread to nearby villages, resulting in hundreds of casualties. With no other options, the county government has requested aid from the Xuantian Sect.
Mission Objective: Kill the Rat King and exterminate the demon rat swarm to eliminate the plague in Danyang County.
Mission Difficulty: According to reports from the county, the Rat King is estimated to be between the fifth and seventh tiers. It is accompanied by four lower-tier demon rats of no higher than the fourth tier. The remaining rats have been corrupted by demonic energy, making them stronger than ordinary rats but not yet tiered. The plague has already infected hundreds, with nearly a thousand victims, making treatment difficult.
Mission Reward: Fifteen Essence-Boosting Pills and one lower-grade spirit stone.
"The reward for this mission is rather underwhelming for someone like me," Lin Li thought, considering that he already had over four hundred Essence-Boosting Pills, five medium-grade spirit stones, and eighty-eight lower-grade spirit stones. The reward seemed insignificant.
However, the mission itself was exactly what Lin Li needed.
The most dangerous opponent, the Rat King, was at most a seventh-tier demon, so there was no immediate life-threatening risk. Moreover, with such a large number of rats, Lin Li could make great use of the Bloodsucking Demon Sword and reap significant benefits.
"Perfect, I'll take this mission!" Lin Li said happily.
With Wang Dafu's guidance, Lin Li registered for the task and received an iron identity token marking him as a disciple of the Xuantian Sect, which would grant him assistance from the local government upon his arrival in Danyang County.
Before leaving the Travel Pavilion, Lin Li gave Wang Dafu a meaningful look, then pulled out a bottle of Essence-Boosting Pills from his robes and handed him two pills.
"Brother Lin, what's this for?!" Wang Dafu exclaimed, both surprised and delighted.
The reward for exterminating the demon rats was only fifteen Essence-Boosting Pills. For Wang Dafu, who usually completed low-tier tasks, even earning a few pills at a time was a big deal.
Now, Lin Li had given him two pills just for showing him around the third floor. Wang Dafu felt overwhelmed by the generosity.
Originally, he had just wanted to make a connection with Lin Li, but he hadn't expected such a windfall.
"You've worked hard," Lin Li said. "Without your help, I might not have found such a fitting task. Don't refuse—please take them."
Considering the benefits he'd gain from using the Bloodsucking Demon Sword on the demon rats, these two Essence-Boosting Pills were nothing in comparison.
"Thank you, Brother Lin!" Wang Dafu was overjoyed, and after receiving the pills, he bowed deeply to Lin Li, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.