Chapter 202 – Over the Summit (VIII)

Chapter 202

Over the Summit (VIII)

There were still a few things I’ve actually missed and had to manually check, namely in how exactly the restructured monthly system quests worked, as well as the ‘Innate Art’ that I’ve gotten.

I never actually heard of Innate Arts before, possibly because they are related to existing in a world of higher prowess, but more likely simply because they are extremely rare. And when I read mine, I kind of knew it was the latter.

[Eternal Sacrifice (One of a Kind)]

[You may put yourself in harm’s way to block a deathly blow toward any one of your disciples. Regardless of the attack’s strength or the cultivation realm of the attacker, the attack itself will 100% be blocked. The consequences you may suffer, however, are less predictable…]

It’s actually strange, as I fully expected those consequences to be ‘certain death’, but, from the sounds of it, that wouldn’t necessarily be the case. So, if an Emperor came down and attacked Long Tao, and I so selflessly tossed myself between the two of them, I’d be able to block the attack and somehow still live…?

Yeah.

No way I’m testing that unless there is literally no other option.

As for the monthly quests, I’m actually, genuinely surprised. There were about 20 of them, with half being relatively simple and similar to the previous monthly quests–recruit a disciple, help disciple do this or that, create a specific art, teach a specific art, and so on. Most of them cost anywhere between 50 points and 500 (which didn’t matter since I had a thick, fat 0 at this moment), though, in turn, they ‘only’ yielded those points back and a few extra on top.

The other ten, though, varied heavily. They sounded less like ‘quests’ and more like genuine expeditions that I’d have to go on right now if I wanted to have the remotest chance of completing them. Though, as the system mentioned, they were tailored greatly to my current circumstances… for the most part.

[Howling Scars]

[Difficulty: Epic]

[Context: a rogue cultivator from a fallen sect has taken to robbing newborn children from a set of villages in order to feed an ancient artifact that he’d discovered whilst on a sect’s mission. Locate his hidden lair and exterminate him]

[Cost: 1,000 CP]

[Rewards]

[Reward 1: 2,000 CP]

[Reward 2: Contents of the lair]

[Hint: the lair is located eastward of Moon Lake]

It’s great that the system has given such a nice hint, right? Except… I’m literally on the opposite end of Moon Lake. No, not even that–we’re currently nowhere near the Moon Lake, as it is about 2,000 miles eastward of us. Across some of the most staggeringly inhospitable mountains I’ve ever seen in my life.

So, why did the system give me that specific quest?

Hell if I know.

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Though, to be fair, that was the only one that was that far off the beaten path. There were a couple more that were clearly impossible, but about 5 or 6 seemed entirely feasible… if we beelined toward them.

Probably the most tantalizing was the one involving Silvercrest City, as that’s precisely where we’ll go as soon as we cross the mountains.

[Enduring Rot]

[Difficulty: Epic]