Chapter 141: Completing the Plot Mission

Chapter 141: Completing the Plot Quest

"Thud..."

Nanmen Luo tossed Lu Tiannan’s severed head right in front of the man in white.

The man’s face darkened, and he glared at Nanmen Luo in sheer fury, wondering where this ugly fellow had come from to be tossing heads around so recklessly. However, when his gaze landed on the face of the head on the ground, his expression shifted instantly.

"Sect Leader..."

The man in white fell to his knees, trembling, and picked up Lu Tiannan’s head. After verifying it multiple times, he finally confirmed it was indeed Lu Tiannan. He then threw the head far away, leaped high into the air, and tore off his white robe.

"Lu Tiannan is dead! Lu Tiannan is really dead!"

Discarding his white robes, the man scrambled back up Heavenly Mountain. His cries echoed across the mountain, even louder and more piercing than the howling of the celestial hound earlier.

The entire mountain erupted in an instant.

"Lu Tiannan is finally dead!"

"No wonder that scoundrel Lu Mingyuan ran away. Lu Tiannan is dead! Hahaha..."

"Hahaha..."

The shouts of "Lu Tiannan is dead" rang to the heavens. More and more disciples in white began rushing toward the foot of the mountain, eager to catch a glimpse of the head.

The base of Heavenly Mountain was transformed into a sea of white. Several disciples were seen tossing the head around, heedless of the blood staining their hands, their faces filled with triumphant excitement.

...

"Whoosh..."

A wave of Foundation Establishment-level spiritual pressure swept across the base of the mountain. The previously boisterous disciples instantly paled, collapsing to the ground, not daring to move a muscle. The clamor vanished in a heartbeat, leaving only the distant, mournful howls of the celestial hound coming from the peak.

Nanmen Luo kicked and dragged the fellow who had run up the mountain shouting earlier from the pile of cowering disciples. Under his forced identification, several other minor leaders were hauled out for Jiang Yan to interrogate.

Through the interrogation, they were stunned to learn that the strongest expert of Heavenly Mountain, Lu Mingyuan, had fled. Upon receiving a talisman message, he had escaped that very night. Since his departure, not a single disciple above the fourth level of Qi Refining remained. Furthermore, news had been filtering in for days: Lu Tiannan was dead, they had offended the Foundation Establishment experts of the Mount Hua Sect, and they were about to be annihilated.

Though these rumors persisted, the disciples had suffered enough under Lu Tiannan’s volatile temper that none dared to defect until now. Seeing his head, the long-repressed frustration finally burst forth in a roar.

"Ding! The final stage of the plot quest has been triggered. Do you accept the mission?" The voice of the Sect Leader System rang abruptly in Jiang Yan's ear.

After all this time, the plot quest was still ongoing. Jiang Yan’s interest was piqued; based on past experience, the rewards for completing this quest would surely be generous—likely on par with a main storyline mission.

Jiang Yan accepted without hesitation.

He opened the transparent interface and glanced at the quest log, his eyes widening...

*Plot Quest: Recruit Heavenly Mountain Disciples. Requirement: Bring all disciples of Heavenly Mountain, excluding the core members, into the Mount Hua Sect.*

The Mount Hua Sect was currently short on manpower. Incorporating these disciples wouldn't be a bad idea; it would help fill the empty outer sects and populate the peaks surrounding the main summit, giving Mount Hua the appearance of a major sect.

Many of these disciples were young boys and girls, and upon checking their potential, Jiang Yan found their aptitude to be decent—most sat between 20 and 30, promising enough for potential Foundation Establishment or Core Formation. Even if they didn't achieve much, they could serve as attendants to maintain the prestige of the Sect Leader.

Jiang Yan summoned Nanmen Luo and explained his plan. Nanmen Luo was hesitant; there were over a hundred disciples, and bringing them all into Mount Hua might invite trouble if their quality was poor.

Jiang Yan waved his hand dismissively, "I, the Sect Leader, have my own ways to ensure they dare not act against Mount Hua."

Seeing his Sect Leader had a plan, Nanmen Luo raised no further objections. Since their master’s passing, Jiang Yan’s decisions had proven wise, and the sect was flourishing under his lead.

Jiang Yan summoned Ning Qian and Zisu, issuing his orders. He then signaled to Nanmen Luo, and the two released their Foundation Establishment-level aura, their spiritual and divine sense pressure enveloping the mountain as they soared toward the peak.

On the ground, the disciples remained pinned to the earth. Ning Qian and Tang Wan (Zisu) hovered above on their Heavenly Cranes. Zisu, looking cold and arrogant, had her Water Round Shuttle spinning above her head, emitting purple light to intimidate the trembling disciples.

Ning Qian, acting with gentle refinement, explained the terms. He divided the disciples into two groups: those willing to join Mount Hua and those who were not.

After counting, he found that the vast majority were eager to join, especially the young boys and girls. Only about thirteen or fourteen refused. Seeing the faces of those excited to join compared to the few who didn't, Ning Qian felt a strange heaviness.

"To think that in such a large sect, only one or two in ten were truly loyal. Sigh, and this was a Second-Grade Sect..." Ning Qian murmured with a sigh.

"What is the point of being loyal to a sect like this?" Zisu interrupted coldly, nudging her crane forward. "They treated lives like grass, were bloodthirsty, and bullied the weak. It’s better that they weren't loyal; loyalty to such a place would only lead to one's own demise."

Ning Qian looked at her back in silence. She was right. Lu Tiannan’s reputation in the Linqing Prefecture was abysmal—he was short-tempered and had killed many of his own disciples.

Zisu pointed downward, and her Water Round Shuttle carved a bright purple line between the two groups. "Those who refuse to join Mount Hua, I give you one last chance. After three breaths, our gates will be closed to you forever."

The dozen or so disciples remained cold and indifferent. One of them even snorted at Zisu, his face filled with arrogance.

A flash of anger crossed Ning Qian’s gentle face. *These fools, daring to look down on Mount Hua? I’ll show them soon enough.*

"Clang!" The shuttle embedded itself in the ground. Zisu looked at the stubborn disciples and stated, "Blood must be paid with blood. Since you are disciples of Heavenly Mountain and refuse to join us, you are enemies of Mount Hua. The crimes committed by your sect will be paid for by the thirteen of you. From now on, you will pave our roads, build our bridges, and construct our halls..."

...

Jiang Yan and Nanmen Luo arrived at a stone building against the cliffside. Jiang Yan ordered, "Junior Brother, this is the storehouse. Open it and see what those fleeing scoundrels left behind."

With the help of the Sect Leader System, Jiang Yan had easily located the vault. Nanmen Luo slashed a beam of golden light at the iron-reinforced door, shattering it. He stepped inside and growled, "Sect Leader, aside from a pile of rocks, there's nothing here but trash!"

Jiang Yan entered, sighing, "These bastards really cleaned us out, leaving nothing but useless stone."

Nanmen Luo kicked a chunk of blue stone, frustrated. "Sect Leader, should we hunt down that Lu Mingyuan? He’s a loose end. It’s never good to leave the roots behind."

The stone he kicked struck the wall with a shower of sparks. Jiang Yan’s eyes locked onto the stone. He walked over, picked it up, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"This is a spirit stone, Junior Brother!" Jiang Yan exclaimed excitedly.

"A spirit stone?" Nanmen Luo picked one up, smashed the outer shell, and saw the glimmering core. He let out a joyful shout and immediately started stuffing his treasure pouch full of the stones.

As Jiang Yan leaned down to collect more, the familiar chime of the system echoed in his ears.

"Ding! Plot Quest 'Conquer Heavenly Mountain' completed. Reward..."