The tournament was over. The crowd had dispersed, their minds blown by the impossible victories of the "Trash Peak" disciples.
Jiang Chen walked away from the plaza with a swagger in his step. Behind him, Ye Kai carried the unconscious Wei Hong like a sack of potatoes, Su Ling was hyperventilating into a paper bag, and Wei Wu was using his stick to navigate the uneven terrain.
As they walked, a mechanical voice rang in Jiang Chen's mind, followed by a series of glowing blue text boxes floating in his vision.
Ding!
[Completed the "Face-Slapping Tournament" Mission.]
[Rating: SSS (You humiliated an Elder, a Genius, and a Grand Elder).]
[Received Top-Grade Earth Artifact — Titan's Gauntlets]
[Received Ancient Sword Art — Heart-Severing Scripture]
[Received Supreme Array Set — Tortoise Shell Absolute Defense]
[Received Five-Elements Divine Pill Bottle]
[At the same time, the "Sect Renovation" mission is activated.]
Jiang Chen stopped, a satisfied smile playing on his lips as he felt the weight of the rewards materialize in his spatial storage. "Disciples, hold on. The heavens are sending gifts."
Four balls of light materialized from the System interface into Jiang Chen's hands. He turned to his disciples, his expression turning serious as he held up a large porcelain bottle containing five different colored pills.
"Listen closely. This bottle contains the Five-Elements Divine Set. Do not mix these up, or you will explode," he warned, tossing the bottle to Ye Kai, who caught it with his free hand. "The red ones are Berserker pills that triple your strength for ten minutes at the cost of sleeping for three days. The blue ones cleanse mental demons, the green heal anything as long as your head is attached, and the gold are for daily cultivation to flush impurities."
Ye Kai nodded vigorously, looking at the bottle as if it were a roasted chicken.
Next, Jiang Chen tossed a bundle of glowing golden flags to Su Ling. "This is the Tortoise Shell Absolute Defense Array. It creates a barrier that can block a Nascent Soul attack for ten minutes. It is the ultimate bunker."
Su Ling grabbed the flags, tears of joy streaming down her face as she clutched them to her chest. "A portable safe house? Master, this is the best gift ever!"
A jade slip that felt cold to the touch appeared in Jiang Chen's hand next. He pressed the slip into the blind boy's hand. "Wei Wu, stop using that stick. This is the Heart-Severing Invisible Sword Scripture. It teaches you how to cut the 'Mind' and 'Intent' of your enemies. It doesn't need eyes, only the Void."
Finally, a pair of heavy, black metal gauntlets crashed into Ye Kai's hands, radiating a heavy gravitational aura. "Ye Kai, put down the Elder for a second. These are the Titan's Gauntlets. They increase your punching weight by ten times. Do not high-five anyone while wearing them, or you will turn them into paste."
"Thank you, Master!" Ye Kai put them on, gently tapping a nearby rock to test them. The rock crumbled into dust instantly. "Oops."
With their inventory full, they finally hiked up to Desolate Cloud Peak. From a distance, the peak looked mysterious, shrouded in the mist of legends. Up close, however, the reality was stark. It looked like a garbage dump.
The path was overgrown with thorny vines that snagged at their clothes. The wind howled through the dead trees like a dying cat. The main hall had no roof, and a family of raccoons stared back at them from the main shrine.
"It's... rustic," Jiang Chen lied, fanning himself to disperse the dust.
Su Ling immediately began running around with her feng shui compass, tapping the walls and checking the soil. Her face turned pale as she returned to Jiang Chen. "Master, renovation costs are high. Roof, soil, perimeter walls... we need at least ten thousand Spirit Stones."
Jiang Chen checked his pockets. He had exactly ten stones. "We are broke," he noted dryly. "We have treasure, but no cash."
He looked at the distant Main Peak where the rich administrative buildings were located, a plan forming in his mind. "We need funding. And I know exactly where to get it."
An hour later, Jiang Chen kicked open the doors of the Hall of Administration. Dozens of clerks looked up from their work, startled by the intrusion.
Jiang Chen marched to the main counter, his presence demanding attention. "I am Jiang Chen. The new Guest Elder. I am here for my Welcome Package."
The clerk stammered, shuffling papers nervously. "Elder Jiang... Grand Elder Feng blocked your budget. He sent a memo designating Desolate Cloud Peak as an 'As-Is' property."
Jiang Chen leaned in, smiling dangerously. "Is that so? Well, did you know that the Sword Elder, Fang Lie, is planning to use my peak for secret training? He needs a roof. If I tell him you blocked the funds..."
The clerk turned pale. Everyone in the sect feared the Sword Elder and his temper. "No! No need! I found a loophole! The 'Emergency Disaster Fund'!"
He frantically stamped a document and handed over a golden token. "Ten thousand Spirit Stones credit! Please take it!"
Jiang Chen took the token to the Sect Warehouse, commanding the keeper to open the doors. They walked into the massive storage vault, Jiang Chen pointing left and right with the authority of a king.
"Ye Kai, grab that cauldron. We need to make soup. Su Ling, grab those extra formation flags. We need more layers. Wei Wu, grab that sharpening stone."
"What about furniture?" Ye Kai asked, balancing the massive cauldron on his head.
"We take the best," Jiang Chen pointed to the VIP section. "Three Spirit-Feather Beds. One Mahogany Desk. Gold curtains. And..." He pointed to a massive wooden tub in the corner. "That Spirit Cleansing Hot Tub. And the bag of Dragon-Scented Bath Salts."
They walked out of the warehouse an hour later, loaded down with loot. Ye Kai was carrying a mountain of furniture, Su Ling was carrying bundles of flags, and Wei Wu held his new sword and the sharpening stone.
Jiang Chen fanned himself with the invoice, looking toward the gloomy silhouette of Desolate Cloud Peak. "We have the pills. We have the weapons. We have the money. And we have the hot tub."
He smiled, a look of pure anticipation on his face. "Now, let's go home. The 'Sect Renovation' mission has begun."