"Elder Yu, what brings you here?" The senior brother in charge immediately set down the miscellaneous book titled "My Sword Spirit Lady" and looked nervously at the elder.
Lin Jing also looked over. If he recalled correctly, Elder Yu was the elder responsible for outer sect affairs; in the outer sect, he was the boss.
"Ziran, what are you reading again?" Elder Yu frowned and extended his hand, causing the senior brother's book to fly into his hand.
"Elder! This book was created by Daoist Jian Qingfeng of the Celestial Sword Sect and contains profound truths of the Sword Dao. It's definitely not a useless book..." Before the senior brother could finish, Elder Yu coldly snorted and confiscated the book.
"Reading frivolous books during work hours, you'll be fined half a month's spirit stones."
The senior brother in charge showed a face as if his pet beast had died.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..." The Pine Leaf Mouse covered its mouth and laughed quietly.
At this moment, Elder Yu's gaze moved from the Pine Leaf Mouse... to Lin Jing.
The Pine Leaf Mouse immediately restrained its smile, fearing that it would be fined half a bag of leaves by the other.
"Hmm?"
"Are you Lin Jing?" Elder Yu suddenly spoke after a glance.
"In response to Elder Yu, I am indeed called Lin Jing." Lin Jing was not surprised that the outer sect elder recognized him. Elder Mo had brought him back to the outer sect, surely having informed Elder Yu.
"Are you here to take on a task?" Elder Yu asked.
Lin Jing nodded.
Elder Yu pondered for a moment and said, "It seems you haven't found a suitable task yet. Do you want a task with a reward in spirit stones or with sect contribution points?"
Lin Jing was stunned, what did the outer sect elder mean...
Customized tasks?
"In response, Elder, I want them all."
Elder Yu choked for a moment, then said, "I came here to issue a task."
"With the Ascension Dragon Festival approaching, to manufacture mechanical beasts, a large amount of spirit bamboo is needed. Outer disciples with wood attribute pet beasts can accept the task to go to Golden Pearl Origin to harvest spirit bamboo in exchange for spirit stone rewards and sect contribution points. Currently, only one person can take this task."
"I see you have contracted a Pine Leaf Mouse, are you willing to accept this task?"
Ah?
The senior brother in charge and the other four outer disciples were dumbfounded, staring at the unfamiliar face of Lin Jing, wondering about his background.
It seemed Elder Yu was about to write "Nepotism" and "Abuse of Power for Personal Gain" on the task wall!
This person... just what is their identity!
"I am willing!" Although Lin Jing still didn't quite understand what was happening, as an honest person, he couldn't refuse the elder this favor.
"Ziran, make a record of this task. For every 10 bamboo stems harvested, there will be a reward of one spirit stone, plus 1 sect contribution point." Elder Yu said, "This is to be entrusted to this disciple to do."
After saying that, he waved his large sleeve and left the Task Hall.
Once Elder Yu left, Senior Brother Ziran immediately looked at Lin Jing with admiration and said, "Junior Brother, congratulations. To be noticed by Elder Yu means an immeasurable future."
Lin Jing returned the gesture: "I was just lucky. Senior Brother, what's this task about? Could you explain it to me?"
With no more book to read, Senior Brother Ziran gladly explained: "You should be aware of the Ascension Dragon Festival."
This is one of the traditional festivals of the Celestial Essence Ancient Country. It is said that the founder of the Celestial Essence Ancient Country, the first Ancient Emperor, once transformed the central mountain range of the Celestial Essence Continent into a divine dragon using a secret dragon technique, entrusting it with the task of guarding the Celestial Essence Ancient Country.
This giant dragon is also a symbol of the Celestial Essence Ancient Country's fortune. It sleeps beneath the earth, transformed into a fortune dragon vein, guarding the ancient country through generations. Whenever an overwhelming disaster occurs within the ancient country, it will awaken to suppress the calamity.
Over time, to commemorate this giant dragon shaped from the mountains, the day of its birth became a traditional festival that not only prevails in the Cultivation Realm but is celebrated by ordinary people as well.
Lin Jing did not expect that even the Beast Taming Sect would celebrate this festival.
"Every year, the Beast Taming Sect celebrates the Ascension Dragon Festival. Of course, it's not held on a grand scale; just some small events are conducted as usual."
"On the festival day, it's also a great opportunity for both inner and outer sect disciples to showcase themselves."
"And in our Beast Taming Sect, during the Ascension Dragon Festival, there is a very special event called 'Dragon vs. Beast Skirmish.'"
"Disciples can send out their pet beasts to challenge the 'dragon'!"
"Of course, this dragon isn't a real dragon. Our Beast Taming Sect doesn't have a real dragon; it refers to a mechanical dragon made using the 'Mechanical Technique'."
"When Elder Yu was young, he traveled the continent and learned the Mechanical Technique for creating mechanical beasts within the cultivation arts!"
"This skill is still quite rare in our Beast Taming Sect."
"Because of this talent, Elder Yu is now responsible for the sect's Ascension Dragon Festival every year. The harvesting task he posted for spirit bamboo is likely intended to use spirit bamboo to craft a 'Mechanical Bamboo Dragon.'
After the senior brother in charge spoke, another outer disciple in the Task Hall excitedly said, "Mechanical Bamboo Dragon, looks like this year it's a wood attribute mechanical dragon. My pet beast is a Fire Spirit Sparrow, which has the advantage of attribute countering."
"This is rare news. We can start studying how to deal with wood beasts now." Another outer disciple said.
"Over the years, defeating the mechanical dragon has reaped considerable rewards. Spirit stones, pills, magical treasures, magic, you name it, so both inner and outer disciples are itching to try." Senior Brother Ziran laughed and said, "But the mechanical dragon... although it only equates to Qi Cultivation level, its combat power is not too exaggerated, after all, it's crafted by a Golden Core Elder. Beating it isn't as easy as it seems."
"I see." Lin Jing understood, and he continued to ask, "Senior Brother, are there any peculiarities in harvesting spirit bamboo?"
He had been diligently studying various knowledge about Spirit Plants, but his learning time was still relatively short.
"Golden Pearl Origin is located in a canyon between two mountain peaks north of the Beast Taming Sect; there's a sea of bamboo there, rich in spirit bamboo. If I remember correctly, this type of spirit bamboo must be chopped with an axe possessing wood element properties to preserve its attributes."
"Oh, using wood-themed magic should have the same effect, like the Pine Leaf Mouse's Flying Leaf Technique. Elder Yu just mentioned, it was because he saw you have a Pine Leaf Mouse that he entrusted this task to you." Senior Brother Ziran once again revealed a look of envy.
"This task's rewards are quite generous. Even for tasks available to inner sect disciples, none might have such lavish rewards."
"However..." He observed Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Mouse.
"Is your Pine Leaf Mouse still at Qi Cultivation Stage 3? From what I understand, spirit bamboo is extremely tough, even a mid-Qi Cultivation Pine Leaf Mouse using the Flying Leaf Technique probably requires several attempts to chop down a single spirit bamboo, making it extremely labor-intensive!"
"For the Pine Leaf Mouse to use the Flying Leaf Technique to cut down spirit bamboo, it might be a bit challenging."
The situation suddenly dawned on the senior brother in charge. He had been wondering why Elder Yu was so generous earlier.
Just now, he was pondering if the rewards were overly generous; turned out Elder Yu assessed that this junior brother's abilities weren't enough to harvest much spirit bamboo, if the main intention is to help improve the Flying Leaf Technique, then it made sense.