# Chapter 24: Mission Hall
After a week of intensive orientation and training with Azure Mountain Sect, Xìng Huáng had gained a comprehensive understanding of how human cultivation society operated in Radiant City. The successful purification trial had earned him provisional membership status, but true advancement required demonstrated contribution through sect missions—and more practically, he needed resources to support his continued cultivation development.
The Azure Mountain Mission Hall occupied the ground floor of the sect's primary tower, a cavernous space where the walls themselves served as massive display arrays showing available assignments, their requirements, and corresponding rewards. The constant flow of sect members examining postings, forming teams, and reporting mission completions created an atmosphere of purposeful activity that reminded him of the most sophisticated game lobbies from his pre-merger existence.
But unlike game quests, these missions carried real consequences for both success and failure.
AZURE MOUNTAIN SECT - MISSION CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM:
- BLACK IRON LEVEL: *Basic assignments, minimal risk, standard rewards*
- AZURE BRONZE LEVEL: *Moderate danger, specialized skills required*
- SILVER LEVEL: *High risk, team coordination recommended*
- GOLD LEVEL: *Extreme danger, expert-level capability required*
- PLATINUM LEVEL: *Elite missions, sect elder supervision*
- DIAMOND LEVEL: *Legendary assignments, city-level implications*
The mission board's organization was sophisticated, allowing sect members to filter opportunities by risk level, specialization requirements, reward types, and estimated completion time. Xìng Huáng's Gaming Prodigy talent immediately appreciated the efficiency of the system while his divine heritage whispered about the advancement opportunities hidden within the seemingly routine assignments.
CURRENT AVAILABLE MISSIONS: *(Selected Display)*
BLACK IRON LEVEL MISSIONS:
1. Retrieve the Lost Spirit Cat Bell - *Simple recovery, minimal combat*
2. Escort the Merchant Caravan through Foggy Pass - *Protection duty, routine patrol*
3. Defend the Village from Bandit Raids - *Community defense, group assignment*
AZURE BRONZE LEVEL MISSIONS:
4. Gather Rare Herbs from the Poison Swamp - *Resource collection, environmental hazards*
5. Explore Ancient Ruins and Map Hidden Chambers - *Archaeological survey, unknown risks*
6. Hunt the Rogue Beast Terrorizing Northern Forest - *Twin Ogre elimination, combat specialization*
The progression continued through increasingly dangerous assignments culminating in Diamond-level missions that involved threats like corrupted elder spirits, mythical beasts, and legendary dark sorcerers. But it was Mission 4 that caught his attention and refused to let go.
MISSION 4: GATHER RARE HERBS FROM THE POISON SWAMP**
Classification: *Azure Bronze Level*
Objective: *Collect samples of Crimson Ghost Lily, Void Moss, and Shadow Root*
Location: *Miasma Wetlands, 200km northeast of Radiant City*
Hazards: *Toxic environment, corrupted wildlife, spatial distortions*
Reward: *3,000 Sect Points, cultivation resources, bonus for quantity/quality*
Special Notes: *Samples required for advanced purification research*
The mission appealed to him on multiple levels. The reward was substantial for an Azure Bronze assignment, the objective aligned with his demonstrated purification specialization, and most importantly, his divine heritage was responding to something about the Miasma Wetlands with unusual interest.
HIDDEN INTERFACE: MISSION ANALYSIS
**CRIMSON GHOST LILY: *Divine Greed resonance detected - rare advancement opportunity*
VOID MOSS: *Cultivation enhancement properties, compatible with Blood Seeker class*
SHADOW ROOT: *Purification catalyst, potential trait evolution trigger*
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: *Significant but manageable with proper equipment*
OVERALL ASSESSMENT: *High value, moderate risk, excellent advancement potential*
"Considering the Poison Swamp assignment?" a voice inquired behind him. Xìng Huáng turned to find a sect member whose spiritual signature suggested Azure Bronze cultivation and considerable mission experience.
"I am. The resource requirements align with my purification specialization."
"Fair warning—that particular mission has claimed two previous attempts. The environmental hazards are more severe than the classification suggests, and the corrupted wildlife has proven unusually aggressive."
"Failed attempts or fatalities?"
"One team returned with partial samples and moderate toxin exposure. The other team... didn't return at all."
The information was sobering, but also confirmed his divine heritage's assessment of significant opportunity. Dangerous missions that had defeated previous attempts often provided the greatest advancement potential for those capable of succeeding where others had failed.
"What made the previous attempts fail?"
"Environmental underestimation in the first case—they treated it as a routine gathering mission rather than a survival challenge. The second team had adequate preparation but encountered something in the wetlands that wasn't mentioned in the original survey data."
"What kind of something?"
The sect member's expression grew more serious. "Organized corruption presence. Not random infected creatures, but coordinated entities that seemed to be actively protecting the herb locations."
DIVINE GREED TRAIT ACTIVATION: WORTHY OPPOSITION DETECTED
The revelation that organized corruption had established territory in the mission area transformed the assignment from resource gathering to direct confrontation with the same kind of structured infection he'd successfully purified during his sect trial. His divine heritage wasn't just interested in the rare herbs—it was responding to the philosophical challenge represented by essence thieves claiming authority over cultivation resources.
"I'll take the mission," he announced, moving toward the assignment registration station.
"Solo?" the sect member asked with obvious surprise. "Azure Bronze missions typically require at least a two-person teams, and this one specifically recommends three due to the environmental hazards."
"I have specialized capabilities that may be more effective with individual application rather than team coordination."
It was true, though not for the reasons anyone would assume. His divine authority operated most efficiently when he could fully manifest its principles without needing to explain unusual capabilities to teammates who lacked the spiritual perception to understand what they were witnessing.
The mission registration process was refreshingly straightforward compared to tribal bureaucracy. A Gold-level administrator reviewed his credentials, confirmed his purification specialization, and authorized the assignment with minimal questioning.
"Mission parameters logged," she announced. "Estimated completion time: 5-7 days including travel. Resource requirements: environmental protection gear, toxin resistance preparations, communication crystals for emergency extraction."
"What support does the sect provide for mission preparation?"
"Equipment loans available through the Requisition Department, tactical consultation with previous mission survivors, and access to specialized cultivation techniques relevant to environmental hazards."
Xìng Huáng spent the remainder of the day gathering information and resources. The sect's archives contained detailed surveys of the Miasma Wetlands, including topographical maps, wildlife documentation, and atmospheric hazard assessments. More importantly, they contained the partial reports from both failed attempts, providing crucial intelligence about the organized corruption presence.
MISSION INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY:
Environment: *Toxic swamp with shifting geography and unstable spiritual energy*
Wildlife: *Corrupted amphibians, poisonous flora, spatial distortion creatures*
Corruption Presence: *Estimated 20-30 organized entities, territorial behavior*
Resource Locations: *Deep wetland areas under corruption influence*
The tactical challenge was complex: navigate environmental hazards while engaging organized corruption forces and successfully harvesting rare cultivation resources that required precise timing and technique to collect properly.
But as Xìng Huáng reviewed his preparations and confirmed his mission departure for the following dawn, he felt the familiar anticipation that preceded significant advancement opportunities. His divine heritage was practically vibrating with eagerness to confront essence thieves who had claimed authority over resources meant for legitimate cultivators.
The Poison Swamp mission would test not just his individual capabilities, but his growing understanding of how to apply divine authority principles in hostile environments while maintaining the careful balance between effectiveness and concealment.
Tomorrow, he would venture into the miasma-shrouded wetlands where previous teams had failed, carrying with him the accumulated wisdom of the sect's mission hall and the hidden power of a god learning to walk among mortals.