I long to return home!

On the main peak square.

Xu Tao and his two companions had been waiting there for Xue Wu's arrival. They were fully prepared and had all the necessary supplies ready in case of any inconvenience.

After a while, Xue Wu rushed over. Xu Tao shook his head helplessly when he saw that Xue Wu was late: "Junior brother, you should learn to fly on a sword too. We will inevitably fly on swords this time when we leave the sect for a mission. You... sigh."

"It's alright, isn't there Brother Xu?" Xue Wu scratched his head awkwardly and said with a grin.

"Huh, didn't Ling Jiao come along?" Gu Qingcheng looked behind Xue Wu and asked in confusion.

“I asked her, and she’s cultivating and doesn’t want to go,” Xue Wu replied.

"It's normal that she's not going. After all, she'll be going to the Foundation Establishment Holy Land as a contracted spirit beast, so she doesn't need any contribution points," Xu Tao explained. Then he added, "Let's go register for the mission, and then we can set off." With that, Xu Tao led the way towards the sect's mission management office.

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded and followed Xu Tao to the management office to register their departure.

...

At the sect mission management office, even though it was such a crucial time at the Foundation Establishment Holy Land, there weren't many disciples queuing up, and it wasn't long before it was Xu Tao's turn.

"Four people leave the sect for a ghost-slaying mission in Fengyun City," Xu Tao said calmly to the old man sitting inside.

"Alright." The old man stroked his white beard and spoke calmly, then handed the four tokens to Xu Tao.

Xu Tao took the token and handed it to Xue Wu and the other two. Just as he was about to leave, Xue Wu immediately stepped forward, took out a large number of beast cores from his storage bag, and placed them in front of the old man: "Grandpa, could you please help me see how many contribution points these can be exchanged for?"

The old man stared wide-eyed at the dazzling array of beast cores before him, especially when he saw the core of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle, which was still imbued with the aura of lightning. He exclaimed in shock, "This...this...nine hundred contribution points!"

Nine hundred! Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. They hadn't expected these beast cores to be worth so many contribution points. Xu Tao's initial estimate was too low.

What they didn't know was that the core of this Purple Winged Thunder Eagle was already very close to that of a fifth-tier magical beast, and it still contained residual lightning element, making it extremely valuable.

"What's your name?" the old man asked Xue Wu.

"Xue Wu, could you please exchange these contribution points for me?" Xue Wu said.

The old man was taken aback upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "So it's this kid..." He then accepted the beast cores, and at the same time, a blue light shone on Xue Wu's token, which clearly showed four hundred contribution points.

Xue Wu waved the token engraved with four hundred, feeling quite satisfied. But before he could feel satisfied for long, Xu Tao patted him on the shoulder and said, "Alright, we should go."

Xue Wu was satisfied and put the token back into his storage bag, then followed behind Xu Tao.

...

Outside the sect.

Xu Tao flew through the air on the Reverse Cold Water, while Xue Wu gripped his shoulders tightly, just like back then. Su Changfeng, Gu Qingcheng, and the others followed on either side, their feet resting on flying swords formed from true qi.

Xue Wu couldn't help but admire the beautiful scenery at his feet. This was his first time leaving the sect to do a mission, and he could take in all the beautiful scenery of the world. The vastness of the world shocked him. The neatly arranged mountain peaks, the dense forests, and the villages full of life were all like a painting, which made him feel intoxicated.

Meanwhile, in the village, a group of children, watching Xue Wu and his companions fly overhead, tugged at their parents' clothes and excitedly shouted, "Dad, Mom, look! They're immortals..."

Seeing this kind scene, Xue Wu felt a stirring in his heart. He also wanted to go home, so he had to cultivate diligently and strive to return home as soon as possible...

Although they were flying on swords, it still took them half a day to reach the border of Fengyun City.

Xu Tao looked at the outline of Fengyun City in the distance and said calmly, "Fengyun City is just ahead. Although there is no real danger in this mission, there are a lot of vengeful ghosts. According to reports, the city started to be haunted in the middle of the night. The nearest sect is Xuanzong. If we encounter any emergencies, we can go to Xuanzong for help."

"Understood." Xue Wu and the other two responded in succession, and followed Xu Tao to the city gate.

As soon as you arrive at the city gate, the eerie atmosphere of the city becomes apparent. The pedestrians coming and going all have gloomy faces, as if they haven't rested for days and nights. Even the guards stationed at the city gate have heavy dark circles under their eyes, as if they are shrouded in a shadow, which makes people shudder.

"Why do these people look like they haven't slept for days? They're so weak," Xue Wu said softly, afraid that it would be overheard by passersby and cause a bad reaction.

"I don't know. I guess it's because evil spirits roam around at night, causing the neighbors to live in fear all day long and have no time to rest," Xu Tao said casually.

As Xu Tao and his companions carefully observed their surroundings, they entered the city. Inside, the situation was even worse. The once bustling streets were deserted, and shops were closing one after another. The entire city felt chilly and desolate, making Xue Wu feel like he was about to sneeze.

"What's wrong, scared?" Xu Tao teased Xue Wu, who was trembling beside him.

"No, I'm just cold. I'll show you who looks more like a ghost tonight," Xue Wu said firmly through gritted teeth.

Xu Tao shook his head helplessly. The group walked along the street and, after several inquiries, found the only inn that was still open at a corner.

As the group entered the inn, they saw a middle-aged man at the counter rubbing his hands together with a smile: "Are you here for a meal or to stay the night, gentlemen?"

Xue Wu felt a chill run down his spine, sensing that something was off about the boss, and the bloodstain on his forehead glowed slightly.

"Boss, I'd like to stay at the inn, in a superior room. I also want to ask you about something." Xu Tao took out ten taels of silver from his storage bag and placed it on the counter.

"Sir, what can I do for you?" The shopkeeper greeted him with a smile, casually stuffing the silver into his bag.

"Why is this city so deserted?" Xu Tao asked casually, without explicitly stating that he had come to exterminate ghosts, lest any complications arise.

"This gentleman looks like he's from out of town. This city... I don't know when it was corrupted by evil spirits. It started with the Li family in the west of the city being haunted, and many people died. Then, for several days in a row, the city was haunted, and the ghosts appeared at night, killing anyone they saw. Gradually, this city turned into a ghost town. Alas."

"Sir, let me remind you, do not go out at night, lest you be taken by that evil spirit."

“Understood, we will be careful. There’s one more thing I’d like to ask: Shouldn’t this city be under the jurisdiction of the Xuanzong Sect? Why haven’t any immortals come to remove this evil spirit?” Xu Tao asked, puzzled.

"Sir, you don't know this, but the Xuanzong Emperor has no time to care about the lives of us mortals. He hasn't sent anyone here in the past few years, let alone come to get rid of this evil spirit," the shopkeeper said calmly.

"Okay, then we'll go upstairs first." After saying goodbye, Xu Tao led Xue Wu and the other two to a guest room and immediately closed the doors and windows.

As soon as Xu Tao and the others went up, the shop owner's face immediately turned sinister. He put the silver into the drawer, and the moment the drawer was opened, a bloody severed arm could be vaguely seen inside.