Rise to God with Life Skill Professions-Chapter 482 - 471: Mission, Investigation

The next day.

Soft sunlight filtered through the clouds, illuminating every inch of the Tianyun Path.

The sunlight seemed to have an awakening effect, gradually breathing a misty vitality into the whole Tianyun Path.

The common folk began to rise early.

Some set up stalls on the street, others lingered in the corners.

Some gathered together to chat, while others ate breakfast in front of the stalls.

When the first ray of sunlight streamed through the window into the room, Qin An slowly woke up and hung the saber he had been holding by his side at his waist.

Despite the fine weather, Qin An did not waste any time. After rising early and washing up, he first had breakfast at a small stall outside, and only then did he return to the Evil Extermination Bureau and head to the Confidential Library alone.

Yesterday, Qin An had already sorted out all his plans.

He intended to accept a mission today, obtain some achievements, and then find a way to improve his proficiency as a butcher and blacksmith. Once both reached level seventeen, he could elevate the Power of Attack to the initial stage of the Void Shattering Realm.

On the way to the Confidential Library, many Tong Daoshuai passed by him.

Some had met Qin An yesterday, their eyes carrying complex expressions, while others had not and merely hurried past without giving him a second glance.

Tianyun Path was vast, and the Evil Extermination Bureau even more so. The warmth and friendliness here were much less than compared to Xunyang Prefecture.

Qin An could feel this indifference in the attitudes around him.

Fortunately, he came from Tianyun Path solely to seek further possibilities, so this cold demeanor did not bother him.

Before long, Qin An arrived at the Confidential Library.

Inside the Confidential Library.

A Daoist Official was sorting out some recent achievements. Noticing someone’s arrival, he looked up with a puzzled expression.

"Accepting a mission." Qin An picked up his waist token, waved it at the Daoist Official, and said.

The Daoist Official snapped out of his daze, then took out a thick bamboo slip from the side.

The vastness of Tianyun Path meant mission releases were relatively centralized, handled by the Daoist Official, quite different from Xunyang Prefecture and Lingzhou.

After a brief check, the Daoist Official took a few documents from the side and piled them on the table: "Sir, you are currently Tong Daoshuai under Lord Zhu Xueshuang. Therefore, a small part of the achievements from the mission you take next will be credited to Lord Zhu, which you understand."

Qin An nodded, indicating his understanding.

Only then did the Daoist Official point to the pile of documents: "These are the missions you can currently accept, including those far away and around Tianyun Path, all are available."

"I have already ordered them from closest to furthest, and from hardest to easiest for you."

This is the role of the Internal Affairs Department. On the surface, it seems like mere chores, but it plays a crucial role in the operation of the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Qin An nodded slightly and began to sift through the pile of documents.

His selection criteria were simple.

As he was new here, he decided not to take missions that were too far away, choosing to start within Tianyun Path itself.

After such a selection, only part of the documents remained.

Though they seemed few, each document was filled with extensive details.

After a quick glance, Qin An picked the closest mission and said, "I’ll take this one."

Upon seeing the mission Qin An pointed to, the Daoist Official looked surprised.

"You are a fresh face. I have a keen memory and have never seen you before. You must be new. This mission is difficult."

He kindly reminded Qin An.

He knew Qin An was aware of the mission’s difficulty, as it was marked.

These days, many new Tong Daoshuai would take on missions beyond their capabilities for achievements.

But in the end, best case, they’d get severely injured, and worst case, they could lose their lives.

Thus, the Daoist Official had reminded numerous times already.

Whether people listened could lead to a good fate, and if not, there was nothing he could do.

Qin An nodded, acknowledging his awareness, and asked the Daoist Official to proceed with the recording.

The Daoist Official could do nothing but let Qin An leave with the mission and record the process of Qin An taking the mission in the documents in detail.

Watching Qin An’s figure disappear at the end of the Confidential Library, the Daoist Official shook his head slightly.

"Another foolhardy youth, who knows how long he can survive. Even if he survives this mission by chance, he might not make it through the next one."

Thinking this, the Daoist Official no longer dwelt on it, burying himself in official duties and staying busy once more.

...

After accepting the mission, Qin An went to the Internal Affairs Department to receive a fast horse, and then went off in a direction.

In his mind, the details of the mission began to unfold.

The mission’s requirement was simple: to head to a peak fifty miles outside Tianyun Path to investigate an incident of demon creatures injuring people.

This peak used to have a downstream power present.

For some reason, this power was wiped out overnight, along with all the villages under it.

Naturally, the situation reached the ears of the Evil Extermination Bureau.

The Bureau issued this mission, classifying it as extremely difficult among Tong Daoshuai missions, resulting in few taking it.

But for Qin An, the mission offered great benefits.

Most importantly, he could gain a large amount of achievements.

With these achievements, he could refrain from taking missions for a while and focus on advancing the butcher and blacksmith to the next level.

No matter which advantage, Qin An could not refuse them.

As for the danger, Qin An had considered it.

In these times, any high-risk endeavor inevitably carried high rewards.

Qin An naturally had ample confidence.

Not to mention the supreme heritage, just the enormous achievements were reasons enough to take on this mission.

Moreover, if necessary, there was the escape needle as a means of retreat.

During the past confrontation with the black-robed Pseudo-God, the escape needle had been targeted.

But that was in Xunyang Prefecture.

Now in Tianyun Path, few knew about his escape needle.

Demon creatures or Pseudo-Gods here were clueless.

Thus, it was unlikely to be targeted.

He could rely on the escape needle as a last resort for survival.

With this in mind, Qin An rode the fast horse and had already reached the official path.

Many carriages were speeding along the official path.

Due to the extreme width of the Tianyun Dao highway, it does not inconvenience Qin An as he rides through on horseback.

And those carriages also follow the rules, traveling on the slower side.

A journey of fifty miles is nothing for the specially trained steeds of the Evil Extermination Bureau.

When Qin An reaches the foot of the mountain, the whole mountain is visible before him.

The mountain isn’t high, but its dense foliage creates a thick canopy.

Looking over it, one gets a sense of the lush wilderness.

Whether for sightseeing or other activities, it offers a pleasing atmosphere.

After a brief thought, Qin An ties his steed in front of a tree. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The ground underneath is lush with grass, enough to feed the horse for a long time.

Having completed this, Qin An walks alone in a particular direction.

...

In an abandoned village, there’s still an unsettling smell of blood lingering.

The earth is stained with fresh blood, a starkly desolate atmosphere permeating the village.

The houses are dilapidated, and one can even see wisps of evil qi rising from them.

With a straight blade hanging from his waist, Qin An’s silhouette becomes clear as he steps into the village.

The village has long been deserted; in other words, everyone has already died.

The bodies within were hastily removed by the people from the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Qin An’s visit is to investigate the cause of the massacre and to eradicate the pseudo-god-like demon menace.

Therefore, his primary focus is on the investigation.

Upon entering, he is immediately assaulted by the nauseating stench of blood, causing him to frown deeply.

Even though the corpses here have long been cleared by the Bureau, Qin An can still feel how brutally this village was once destroyed.

"Let’s find some clues first," Qin An thought to himself, rubbing the hilt of his blade.

He then starts searching through the village.

Going house by house, each time Qin An opens a door, the smell of blood rushes out at him.

This village was completely slaughtered by the pseudo-god creatures, and even after so much time, the bloody aura refuses to dissipate.

After roughly searching around, Qin An finds nothing.

"Looks like I’ll need to search elsewhere; there’s another sect above, also wiped out, maybe corresponding clues can be found there."

Finding clues isn’t urgent; Qin An knows the more anxious he gets, the harder it will be to find them.

After a brief deliberation, he plans to head to another village.

But at this moment, Qin An senses something unusual.

He hears faint footsteps.

If it weren’t for the absolute silence, Qin An wouldn’t have heard it at all.

He swiftly turns towards the direction of the sound and sees, under the hazy sunlight, a shadow as thin as hair fleeing somewhere.

Qin An promptly regains focus, demonstrating the Dragon Roar Shadow Step, and instantly arrives before the sneaky shadow.

Cold Star is unsheathed, Nine-Colored Void Essence enveloping it.

Qin An holds his saber downward, striking the ground ahead.

"Boom!"

A thunderous roar erupts.

From underground comes a wretched scream.

Immediately afterward, the ground collapses swiftly.

A plump figure emerges from within, falling to the ground and wailing in agony.

The emerging demon is corpulently built, its head crowned with two long antennae, possessing six arms, each covered in layers of black armor.

As it emerges, Qin An catches the nauseating scent of earth.

He swiftly approaches the demon, lifting Cold Star, plunging it into its abdomen, pinning it fiercely to the ground.

The demon lets out a shrill scream, but at the next moment, upon hearing a voice, the screams abruptly cease.

"My patience is limited, tell me everything you know, and who exactly you are, or I’ll cut your head off without delay."

The plump demon quivers, chest throbbing with pain, it wishes to yell, yet is silenced by Qin An’s icy qi, unable to utter a word.

Upon sensing that cold presence, it shows no signs of fear in its eyes, instead raising its six arms, shouting loudly: "Long live Lord Gu! Lord Gu’s immortality is boundless! Whoever defies Lord Gu shall die without a burial place, you will die too!"

With these words, fractures appear on the plump demon’s body.

Qin An senses something, channels the Nine-Colored Void Essence through Cold Star’s blade, infusing it into the demon.

Before the plump demon can react, its entire body’s energy flow is immediately severed.

Yet, the cracks on the demon’s body continue to multiply.

The next moment, a terrifying roar resonates.

Inside the corpulent demon’s body, countless tiny insects emerge, lunging towards Qin An.

Qin An’s expression remains calm, retreating two steps, Cold Star flashing repeatedly in midair.

With each swing, the Nine-Colored Void Essence annihilates masses of insects.

In just two or three slices, the insects are completely cleared out.

Yet, the plump demon’s corpse is no more, even its inner demon soul has vanished utterly clean.

"This final self-destructive move, it can even burn the demon soul?"

Qin An furrows his brow: "Tianyun Dao surely is peculiar, but what exactly is this Lord Gu?"

With this in mind, Qin An’s gaze turns to the mountain path not far ahead.

"Perhaps I don’t need to search another village; I should first take a look at the sect that was eradicated in this mountain."

Qin An decides without other thoughts, heading directly up the mountain path, going towards the mountain’s mid-section.

...

At the mountain’s mid-section, a ruined sect stands forlornly.

Inside the sect is long devoid of human presence, debris and remnants scattered everywhere.

Usually, the place is dead silent, even though bloodlust fills the air, nobody would come here.

But at this moment, the battered main gate shatters abruptly into countless pieces.

Qin An, dressed in black, steps forward slowly...