Chapter 20: The Path to Advancement

The luck of obtaining this skill is truly extraordinary.

But that wasn’t what made Zhang Luan the happiest. What truly delighted him was reaching level 15.

In the world of the Immortals, once players reach level fifteen, they trigger their first advancement mission.

This advancement mission doesn’t restrict your level but elevates your life to a higher plane. You can choose not to advance and continue leveling up, but your combat power will fall further behind those who complete the advancement mission.

For instance, the Magic Crash Elder and Yanate, whom Zhang Luan had defeated and killed, had not undergone life advancement, which is why Zhang Luan had the chance to defeat and kill them.

In his past life, the difficulty of the advancement mission made Zhang Luan hesitate, until after the world merged, when he obtained a mission completion card and successfully finished the advancement mission.

He had only completed this one advancement mission, but it was quite an achievement, as the highest advancement level among players was only reached by the Dragon Emperor, who died at the hands of his beloved woman, reaching the fourth stage.

This time, Zhang Luan was determined to complete the advancement mission, as only then could he become a true powerhouse. The difficulty of the mission didn’t matter, as he had a mission completion card.

Suppressing his excitement, Zhang Luan didn’t immediately use the card to start the advancement mission. Instead, he turned to Yanate, who looked utterly dejected.

‘You lost,’ Zhang Luan said. ‘What will you offer as your wager? The guardians you trained should listen to you, right?’

Yanate understood the implication. Zhang Luan wanted him to fully submit. As the instructor of the guardians at the Akamana Temple, if he became Zhang Luan’s subordinate, his trained guardian warriors would essentially belong to Zhang Luan as well.

‘This… What is it that the Saint Child sees in me? Whatever it is, I am willing to offer it with both hands.’

Yanate still hadn’t agreed, as the newly arrived Saint Child wasn’t trustworthy, despite the teachings. The Saint Girl might be different, but if the guardians fell into this man’s hands, wouldn’t the Akamana Temple become a one-person show?

Moreover, the Crimson Saint Girl wouldn’t intervene in matters outside the teachings. If not for the Saint Girl’s loss, she wouldn’t have left the Hall of Saints.

‘There’s nothing on you that I want,’ Zhang Luan replied. ‘I’m in a good mood today, let’s just call it a friendly spar. I advise you to get treated, as your injuries, even if the bleeding stops, will continue to worsen.’

Zhang Luan only gave him a warning, as Yanate’s injuries, though stopped, were still slowly draining his vitality.

Battle always involves casualties, and Yanate’s fate was of no concern to Zhang Luan.

He was now filled with excitement and wanted to find a secluded place to complete his advancement mission and claim the rewards.

The higher the level at which the advancement mission is completed, the more generous the rewards. In his past life, his first advancement was at level seventy, but even then, he hadn’t dared to take on his advancement mission.

It was simply impossible.

‘Saint Child, Saint Girl requested that I escort you to your palace for rest. Please follow me.’

Several beautiful maids stole glances at the unfamiliar Saint Child, relaying Nan Fenghua’s instructions before lowering their heads, their cheeks slightly flushed. These maids, raised since childhood, rarely saw men.

Even when they could see the guardians, it was only when they wore their strict silver armor, or they would only see Yanate’s stern and terrifying face.

Now, seeing such a handsome Saint Child, these girls’ hearts raced.

Zhang Luan paid no heed to their thoughts. He just wanted to find a quiet place undisturbed.

Following the maids, he soon arrived at a secluded yet prominent palace. Opening the door, a sense of ancient history greeted him.

‘Saint Child, we’ll tidy up this palace for you. The temple hasn’t seen a Saint Child in so long, and this palace, built for the Saint Child, was unknown to us until the Saint Girl informed us.’

One of the maids, in a coquettish tone, tried to approach Zhang Luan, adjusting her collar to reveal her charm. Unfortunately, Zhang Luan’s focus was entirely on his interface.

He had learned the ‘Super Gravity Field’ skill during his journey. In total, he now possessed three mythical abilities, two advanced skills, and a plethora of ordinary skills.

This was already impressive; no player would be stronger than him at level 15, and even among the natives of this world, once he completed his advancement mission, there would be no one stronger than him at the same level.

Everything was progressing as planned, but it wasn’t enough, far from it.

The opportunities in Akamana City were yet to be fully explored, and other towns held vast treasures. The Goblin King’s hoard remained unvisited, and he had a long way to go before reaching the pinnacle, where he could eternally survive.

Suddenly, a thick, alluring scent caught his attention. Looking down, he saw the maid leaning against him, her eyes filled with desire, as if she were about to offer herself to him.

Under normal circumstances, Zhang Luan would never resist such an offer from a beautiful girl, but not now.

‘Leave me,’ he said, gesturing for her to step back. ‘I need to rest.’

He pushed the maid away, sending all of them out of the palace. The maid bit her lip in disappointment but left with the others.

With everyone gone, Zhang Luan finally found the time to settle the ‘Wager Duet’ mission.

Completed B-level mission ‘Wager Duet’ Rating: S Experience: 200,000 High-level mana recovery potions × 10 High-level health recovery potions × 10 Protector Stone (high-level item) Super Heavy Judgment Sword · Modified (rare item)

Zhang Luan looked at the gem, finding it amusing. It was the very gem Yanate had used as a wager, now in his possession through another means.

However, Yanate had clearly deceived him, as the gem was only of high quality, not rare, and its effect was protective, not retaliatory.

Although the mission rating didn’t reach the maximum level, an S rating was still quite rare among players. Reaching the MAX level for this mission wasn’t impossible, but it would require killing Yanate, who hadn’t wronged him, making it unnecessary.

Moreover, even if he achieved a MAX rating, the rewards might not be significantly better than his current ones, as this was only a B-level mission.

At best, he might gain another rare item.

Honestly, he didn’t lack rare items. Having a bow and a sword was sufficient for his needs. If the opportunity arose, he would, of course, seek better weapons and equipment. Rare items were merely a stepping stone.

With the rewards settled, Zhang Luan eagerly opened the mission interface, where the advancement mission option awaited.

[Begin Advancement Mission!]

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