Dual Cultivation God Returns Chapter 5: Mission Hall

Just a minute after Wu Long departed, the group burst into a frenzy of reactions.

"Who was that fellow? He's incredibly handsome!"

"So dashing, he carries an ethereal aura about him!"

The female disciples started giggling right away, their faces filled with dreamy looks.

"Damn, who is that cocky bastard?"

"Acting so overbearing at just the Body Transformation Realm, he has no clue how vast the skies truly are!"

In stark opposition, the male disciples felt irritated and unsettled by both Wu Long's demeanor and the girls' responses.

"How can anyone at the 3rd level of Body Transformation Realm even become a disciple?" a voice questioned, and this inquiry suddenly baffled the entire crowd.

Moments later, a disciple among them lit up with realization, as though a memory had just resurfaced.

"I recall him now! That's Wu Long, the sole disciple admitted despite his cultivation falling short of sect requirements." he declared.

"Ah yes, mentioning his name jogs my memory—there was quite the uproar over it. Rumors swirl that his origins are extraordinary, though nothing's been verified."

"Tch, figures a powerful background brings all the perks. No wonder he struts around so boldly despite his weakness." another disciple spat, envy dripping from his tone.

A strong background could outweigh personal power at times, though only if the foe's might didn't surpass the backing's influence.

So everyone chalked up his attitude to his lineage, while the female disciples, though hesitant, largely dropped their fascination since he offered little as a dual cultivation prospect.

Just the one male disciple who'd locked eyes with that chilling stare knew they were mistaken, yet he saw no point in arguing. Without sharing his ordeal, they'd dismiss him, and he'd only invite more mockery.

---

In the meantime, Wu Long headed to the Mission Hall, since picking up a mission remained his sole ticket out of the sect for now.

He could hunt for that Scarlet Fire Ginseng in the Treasure Hall, but amassing enough points would drag on forever; far better to leverage his vast expertise to hunt useful natural treasures beyond the gates.

His visit to the Treasury Hall served mainly as recon, letting him gauge the caliber of herbs and items available, thus sizing up the region's vibe and prepping for what lay ahead.

Best of all, once unbound outdoors, he could keep spotting and devouring fitting herbs, boosting his power while upping odds of unearthing rarer prizes.

The Mission Hall kept things straightforward, featuring mission boards and a handful of desks for disciple sign-ups.

Wu Long scanned the board for Outer Court missions suited to those under Qi Gathering Realm—mostly herb-foraging tasks. He picked one paying 5 points for delivering 10 stalks of White Spirit Grass, a basic medicinal plant.

The specific task meant little to him, so long as it let him exit the sect without drawing eyes.

He eyed the registration desks, briefly focusing on each attendant before zeroing in on a weary-looking man in his forties at the 7th level of Qi Gathering Realm. The fellow sported disciple-like robes accented with red trim and a red "retainer" emblem on his chest, marking him as a Sect Retainer.

Sects had plenty of disciples whose talent stalled early—typically one realm above fresh recruits—and who stalled on breakthroughs for ages, signaling they'd hit their limits.

Such cases formed the bulk of sect intakes, since advancing realms grew exponentially rarer at higher stages.

These disciples faced retirement, choosing between departing or serving the sect for a cozy, secure existence.

Most opted to leave, chasing slim breakthroughs via rare treasures or simply embracing freedom outside, unbound by sect rules.

Those who chose to remain and labor within the sect earned the title of Sect Retainers. They managed the registration desks across halls like this mission hall, handling assorted chores as well. Most selected this path for the security it provided in a thriving sect, ensuring they'd never lack work, meals, or lodging. Others clung to the profound sense of belonging nurtured during their active disciple days.

Active disciples could pick up long-term missions to handle these roles, offering novices a route to rack up achievements. Yet they typically filled minor spots like info counters, merely collecting applications without delving into processing.

"Disciple badge?"

The man questioned with indifference, and Wu Long handed over his disciple badge.

"Which number?" the man inquired next, noticing Wu Long arrived without a mission notice—signaling his interest in one of the board's permanent listings, repeatable without limit.

"Number 134"

"10 stalks of White Spirit Grass, 1st tier mission. You get 5 points for every 10 stalks. Incomplete batches get logged and added to your next attempt on this mission. Any questions?" the counter retainer recited in a droning tone, as if the lines were etched so deeply he could utter them in his sleep.

"No"

The man nodded, noted the details, retrieved a blank scroll, scribbled a few lines on it, applied multiple stamps, and passed it to Wu Long with the disciple badge.

"This is your mission permit. Flash it to the entrance guards for exit permission. It confirms you're on a mission outside the sect, so don't lose it. Do you have your own gear?" he asked afterward.

"No"

The retainer fetched a wooden token etched with "1st tier" and pressed a seal onto it. The seal shimmered, etching a radiant mark upon the token.

"Head to the Armoury Hall with this token. The spiritual seal will fade naturally in a day, giving you until tomorrow noon to redeem it."

Wu Long nodded and departed, while the retainer pivoted to wave over the next in line with his unchanging apathetic expression.

---

Roughly an hour following Wu Long's departure from the Mission Hall, a middle-aged man clad in blue robes marking him as a Sect Elder emerged from the building's inner areas, trailed by a guiding retainer.

They neared the counter where Wu Long had signed up for his mission.

"Disciple greets Elder Chen", the counter retainer's listless demeanor vanished in an instant as he rose to salute the blue-robed figure.

He ranked among the Mission Hall's overseeing elders. Sect elders carved out time for their own cultivation, thus rotating supervision of their domains. A senior elder loomed above them, yet intervened rarely, content with reports from and directives to those below.

The blue-robed man acknowledged him with a nod and queried, "Did disciple Wu Long show up here?"

The retainer rifled through his logs—seldom memorizing the hundreds of daily registrations—and courteously shared Wu Long's signup details. Upon hearing them, Elder Chen's brows knit faintly. The retainer who escorted him here grew visibly uneasy as well.

"Your memory falters it seems. Does the name Wu Long spark no recollection?" he remarked in a subdued yet displeased tone toward the registering retainer.

Puzzlement first clouded the retainer's face, unable to pinpoint his blunder, until abrupt realization dawned. Five months back, Mission Hall staff received orders: any mission registration by disciple Wu Long required elder approval prior to confirmation. He hastily bowed his head, a droplet of sweat trailing down his brow.

"My apologies, Elder Chen. This lowly one has never laid eyes on disciple Wu before, failing utterly to recognize him. Others mentioned he always arrives alongside Elder Hai, making him unmistakable..." he stammered, trembling noticeably.

"Hmm", Elder Chen rubbed his chin, lost in apparent contemplation. In truth, even he hadn't foreseen Wu Long arriving solo to claim a mission, an event unprecedented across his five months on duty.

"Forget it, Elder Hai likely had urgent matters during the registration, so he dispatched him solo. I'll shoulder any blame if trouble brews, just sharpen your vigilance on the job," he instructed the retainers. Truth was, he remained clueless about Wu Long's background too; he and the Mission Hall elders had simply been ordered by Elder Hai to monitor him. As Wu Long never once sought missions proactively or even stepped out of his living quarters throughout his sect tenure, their watchfulness had inevitably faded over time.

He couldn't truly fault the retainer, for memorizing every one of the thousands of disciples signing up for missions and spotting him instantly wasn't a standard demand for those in such roles. He personally had overlooked Wu Long long ago until the retainer accompanying him reported his presence in the hall.

As he voiced aloud, he figured Elder Hai had merely sent the youth alone to foster some independence, lingering just beyond the hall's entrance. Yet even if that wasn't the case, the deed was done, and given the elapsed time, Wu Long had likely vanished far beyond the sect's borders by now.

No matter what, Elder Hai held no lofty position in the sect, so to him, any mishap could be settled with an apology or suitable recompense.

Relief washed over the retainer at the elder's words. He shot a resentful glare at the retainer who had fetched Elder Chen. Had that one mentioned Wu Long to him earlier, he might have halted the departure or at least relayed it himself, sparing him this poor impression before the elder.

The other retainer breathed a sigh of relief, glad it proved no major issue; he had truly worried over potential fallout upon seeing Wu Long depart the counter with a mission token. Having registered him before, he recognized his face well.

He assumed Elder Hai lurked nearby too, since that timid, perpetually bewildered disciple wouldn't show up unescorted. Though he wavered endlessly, the nagging fear of punishment if chaos erupted compelled him to approach Elder Chen, today's overseer.

Wu Long had foreseen much of this scenario to some degree. He deliberately picked his mission registrar with precision, aiming to sidestep delays from those blocking his exit at the sect gates.

The former 'him' was typically escorted to the Mission Hall by Elder Hai. He further suspected Elder Hai trailed him covertly on external missions, though uncertainty lingered as the old Wu Long lacked the perception to detect a follower.

One certainty stood out: he was always pushed toward group missions alongside a handful of disciples, collecting greater hauls of ingredients from spots deeper afield than lone endeavors.

Wu Long realized his peculiar status in the sect, tied to enigmatic origins, and that Elder Hai's adoption of him likely stemmed from external pressure—he had detected a memory seal shrouding events before his sect arrival. Probing it now lay beyond him, for despite his vast knowledge and skills, reaching the Qi Manifestation Realm was essential to wield Spiritual Qi externally and shatter the seal.