Chapter 280: Chapter 271: Sea Emperor’s Small Thousand World

"What? When did I ever say that? Saint and Evil are just different methods of Cultivation. Why are you so narrow-minded? These days, fortune favors the bold. Give it a shot, you might just have a chance. I can tell she’s into you!"

Lately, Fan Hong had been swinging from one extreme to the other.

"Heh, you’re overthinking it." Wang Meng chuckled. He decided not to engage, not wanting to bring up Yang Ying and upset Fan Hong again.

Wang Meng knew Yan Yuyue must have summoned him for a mission.

The Cultivation Academy offered all sorts of missions handed down by the Star Alliance. Some were simple, like capturing Spirit Beasts, while others were major campaigns, like being dispatched to a Small Thousand Realm to wage a war of annihilation.

Based on how well a mission was completed, both personal and Sect-wide rewards would be granted.

The more Wang Meng learned about the Star Alliance, the more he had to admire their strategy. It was brilliant. They had roped every Small Thousand Realm onto their great ship, and who would dare resist? They didn’t just pay lip service to the various Sects; they held the elite of every Sect in their grasp. And the most cunning part? It wasn’t done through brute force or coercion. They used a carrot-and-stick approach, a combination of threats and enticements, making every Sect willingly—even eagerly—send over their best disciples.

There were over a thousand known Small Thousand Realms—a staggering number—but only half had earned the Star Alliance’s official recognition. The realms that hadn’t yet qualified were mostly still under observation.

Wang Meng arrived at the entrance to the Hundred Battles Pavilion as planned. After a short wait, Yan Yuyue approached with three other people.

"Let me make some introductions. This is Wang Meng. Like me, he’s a Sword Cultivator from the Four Directions Small Thousand World," Yan Yuyue said. "And these three are friends from the Dragon King Faction. This is Li Lishang, a Sword Cultivator from the Moon Devouring Small Thousand Realm."

Li Lishang clearly looked down on Wang Meng, but he held his tongue out of deference to Yan Yuyue, offering only an arrogant nod.

Only the best of the best could qualify for the Dragon King Faction.

"Lv Buwei, a Body Cultivator from the Love Law Small Thousand Realm and a member of the Dragon King Faction’s vanguard."

Lv Buwei, however, looked Wang Meng over with curiosity. "Here, let’s shake on it. Nice to meet you."

Lv Buwei’s large hand suddenly clamped down on Wang Meng’s, and an immense force washed over him. Wang Meng just smiled faintly, not using his Elemental Power to resist, because his opponent wasn’t using any either.

They weren’t locked in the grip for long. Lv Buwei grinned, having formed a decent impression of Wang Meng.

"Jiang Qingqing, a Technique Cultivator from the Red Face Small Thousand Realm."

Jiang Qingqing was quite attractive as well. The long, narrow corners of her eyes gave her an especially alluring look as she sized Wang Meng up. ’Going by my color theory,’ Wang Meng thought, ’she’s probably a classic Water Element type.’

Suddenly, a light flashed in Jiang Qingqing’s eyes.

"Qingqing, don’t cause trouble!" Yan Yuyue said suddenly.

Jiang Qingqing just smiled. "Sister Yue, I only want to test him a little. This mission of ours is pretty dangerous. It’ll be a big problem if he’s not strong enough."

Yan Yuyue shot Jiang Qingqing a cool look. "Are you questioning my judgment?"

Jiang Qingqing faltered for a moment. "Of course not. Sister Yue is the new leader of our generation in the Dragon King Faction."

Wang Meng could sense the undertones of a power struggle. The major factions, especially the three strongest, had a very clear hierarchy. The Dragon King had personally appointed Yan Yuyue as the leader of the faction’s Tier Three.

Tier One was the Dragon King himself. Tier Two consisted of the Dragon King Faction’s main generals and the core strength of their leadership. Tier Three was composed of new members—anyone who had joined within the past few years. For Yan Yuyue to become the leader of this new generation after only one year in the faction... well, not everyone was convinced.

"It’s alright. For a team operation, this is to be expected," Wang Meng said with a smile. "Isn’t there a saying? ’There’s nothing to fear from a god-like opponent, but you should be terrified of a pig-like teammate.’"

The three of them were taken aback for a moment, then couldn’t help but crack a smile. Lv Buwei nodded. "You’re an interesting guy. Qingqing, go on and test him. The place we’re headed has plenty of Enchanting Beasts. It’ll be a real hassle if he can’t withstand their attacks."

With everyone in agreement, Yan Yuyue couldn’t object.

A faint purple light once again shone in Jiang Qingqing’s eyes, and Wang Meng met her gaze casually.

...And absolutely nothing happened.

The purple light faded. Jiang Qingqing looked surprised. "He passes."

"Haha, excellent! Welcome aboard," said Lv Buwei.

The Hundred Battles Pavilion was one of the places at the Cultivation Academy for accepting missions, and it was bustling with Cultivators. Clearly, Yan Yuyue had already made all the arrangements. All Wang Meng had to do was follow her lead.

’But why did Yan Yuyue ask for me specifically?’

"Wang Meng, our mission is to go to the Sea Emperor’s Small Thousand World to hunt a Shadow Flood Dragon and retrieve its Inner Core."

Yan Yuyue only revealed this once they were inside the Teleportation Array. The other three exchanged glances. ’Don’t tell me this Wang Meng guy is only just now finding out what the mission is?’

Wang Meng nodded. "I’m here to work off my debt, so I’m at your disposal."

The array began to operate. A brilliant light flared, and the figures of the five cultivators vanished.

「Sea Emperor’s Small Thousand World」

The ocean covered ninety percent of this realm’s surface. It was teeming with Sea Beasts and served as a resource world discovered by the Star Alliance. This world had no native Cultivators; it belonged to the Sea Beasts.

Some of the Sea Beasts here were exceptionally powerful, with a terrifying few having reached the Great Perfection realm. Naturally, Cultivators gave those areas a wide berth.

The Shadow Flood Dragon that Wang Meng and the others were here to hunt was a type of Flood Dragon. It was about seventy to eighty feet long and could unleash a piercing shriek capable of launching a Heart Spirit Attack. It was an entity of the Water of the Five Elements, and its bite was also incredibly powerful.

With a flash of light, the five of them appeared in the sky. They all immediately used their Aerial Skill to hover in place, a vast, boundless ocean stretching out beneath them.

For Wang Meng, who had never seen an ocean before, the sight was a novelty. The deep blue sea stretched to the horizon, meeting the azure sky and invoking a feeling of true, boundless freedom.

It wasn’t just Wang Meng; the others felt the same.

"I’ve heard the Sea Emperor’s Small Thousand World was exceptionally beautiful, and seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation." Girls always appreciate beautiful things. As she spoke, Jiang Qingqing tossed out a Talisman that transformed into a large ship, which came to rest floating on the surface of the water.

Wang Meng and the others landed on the deck of the large ship. With their current reserves of Elemental Power, maintaining the Aerial Skill for a prolonged period wasn’t practical.

"As planned, Wang Meng, you won’t need to make a move at the start. Wait for my signal," Yan Yuyue said, her eyes fixed on the surface of the sea.

The other three grew even more curious. ’No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t seem like this Saint Cultivator named Wang Meng is here to help,’ they thought. ’It’s more like... he’s just being introduced to the group?’

Wang Meng nodded. ’I’m just here to repay my debt,’ he thought. ’Of course I’ll follow the creditor’s orders.’

"Qingqing, you may begin."

Jiang Qingqing nodded. She took an emerald-green flute from her Qiankun Bag and gently brought it to her lips.

A low, melodious tune began to play, its sound gradually spreading across the water. The others stood on high alert.

Unlike the others, who were on high alert, Wang Meng was quite interested in the sound of the flute. ’This must be a type of Magical Artifact,’ he mused. ’Back in my Four Directions Small Thousand World, we didn’t have anything like this. A sound-based Magical Artifact, and it seems to carry an Enchantment Class spell, too.’

At the Cultivation Academy, Enchantment Spells were a category of Magic, and a rather high-level and difficult one at that. Once a student reached a certain level, every Cultivator at the academy was required to learn how to resist Heart Spirit Attacks—so-called Enchantment Attacks. Many Demon Beasts from the various Small Thousand Realms were adept at this form of assault.

Someone like Jiang Qingqing, who was talented enough to cast such spells and was also a Technique Cultivator, was a rare find. No wonder she had been able to join the Dragon King Faction.