Chương 45: Misty Swamp Town, the Blood God Cult's Lair

S-rank missions are a way to earn a huge amount of merit points!

In addition, the luck lottery doubles the merit points you can obtain.

This means that completing one S-level mission is equivalent to doing two!

The merit points earned from completing two S-rank missions can be used to exchange for coveted cultivation resources, and the merit points recorded upon completion of these missions serve as a stepping stone for advancement within the National Martial Hall.

Once you accumulate enough power, you can be promoted to Hall Master or Branch Master, gain real power, and even mobilize many martial artists in Shenghai.

At that time, even when meeting officers who hold military power, we can be on equal footing!

It would be a lie to say that Cang Lian wasn't tempted by an S-rank mission that she had the opportunity to complete.

"They were able to escape from the Blood God Cult's den of dragons and tigers, so they must... know the approximate location of the Blood God Cult's lair, right?" Cang Lian thought to himself, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"I've accepted this quest to find the Blood God Cult's headquarters!"

Without further hesitation, he walked straight to the counter on one side of the mission hall and spoke to the old man inside.

The old man slowly raised his eyelids, his cloudy gaze sweeping over Cang Lian, and asked leisurely, "Are you sure you want to accept?"

"Yes!"

"Are you aware that this is an S-rank mission?" The old man sat up straighter, his tone becoming serious.

"Although it's a reconnaissance mission, according to records, the mortality rate for martial artists who accept this mission exceeds 50%! That far surpasses A-rank missions. Are you sure you want to accept it?"

"The mortality rate is so high?" Cang Lian was startled; this was something he hadn't expected.

"Indeed, it's high." The old man seemed to sense his surprise and continued, "For so many years, the National Martial Hall has never been able to pinpoint the exact location of the Blood God Cult's lair. One reason is that too many people who accepted this mission have died; secondly, this place is truly too difficult to find, and almost everyone returns empty-handed. Moreover, the mission has a one-month time limit. Are you sure you want to accept it?"

Cang Lian quickly calculated in her mind that there would be no punishment for failing the mission, it would just be a waste of some time.

But as long as there is a glimmer of hope, the benefits are enormous!

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Accept! Also, I want to participate in a luck-based lottery!"

"Alright, I'll complete the record for you." The old man nodded, picked up a pen, and asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is Cang Lian!"

"Cang Lian?" The old man paused slightly as he wrote the name. He secretly glanced at the paper cleverly hidden by the counter in front of him. Cang Lian's name was outlined in a bright red circle, with "S-level candidate for destiny" clearly marked next to it.

"Alright." The old man calmly withdrew his gaze, pointed to an old-fashioned wooden box next to him, and said, "You can draw a luck ball from inside the box."

Cang Lian did as she was told and put her hand inside.

Just as he was groping, the old man casually rested his elbow on the counter, and a barely perceptible wisp of spiritual energy quietly emerged, like an invisible hand, precisely manipulating the only golden luck ball into the palm of the old man's hand.

A psychic?!

Cang Lian felt a chill run down his spine, but his face remained impassive. He grasped the paper ball, then slowly withdrew his hand and opened his palm.

A golden luck ball lay quietly in his hand.

"Holy crap! A golden luck orb? You're incredibly lucky!" A burly martial artist nearby, who was checking the quests, exclaimed in surprise, filled with envy and jealousy.

"Why can't I ever get one? You newbies at the Ming Jin stage are so lucky!"

"It's all luck!" Cang Lian smiled modestly, but he knew perfectly well what was going on. He wouldn't tell everyone that it was all Chu Zhaoxue's arrangement.

"A golden luck ball! That's double the reward!" People were buzzing with excitement.

"If you really find the Blood God Cult's lair, it's equivalent to completing two S-rank missions! In the past year, only our Deputy Hall Master, General Chu, has completed an S-rank mission by killing Yuan Ye. This has already been reported to the main hall and directly counted as a first-class merit!"

"So, S-rank missions are indeed difficult to complete?" Cang Lian asked casually.

"Exactly!" The man seemed to have opened a floodgate of words.

"Don't you see what kind of missions those are? It's either killing the leader of the 'Blood God Cult,' or wiping out the leader of the 'Soul Descending Society,' and dealing with those 'Vacuum Homeland, Eternal Mother' sects like Yiguandao, Tongshan Society, and Shouyuan Cult... The forces behind them are incredibly complex and powerful! Add to that the hundred-year-old demons and thousand-year-old evil spirits, without the strength of Gang Jin, who would dare to take them on? Wouldn't that be suicide?"

"That's true!" Cang Lian nodded thoughtfully.

"I also wanted to try my luck!"

"Young man, let me remind you, a promising young talent from a noble family, good luck to you." An older martial artist patted him on the shoulder, his tone heavy.

"The mission to find the Blood God Cult's lair has already cost two members of noble families their lives. Now, only martial artists who want to get rich overnight or try their luck will take it on."

"I understand!" Cang Lian had her own plans.

His purpose in returning was simply to obtain an address from those four people.

If they knew nothing about it, then he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to search for a needle in a haystack and take the initiative to investigate when faced with an S-level mission with a mortality rate of over 50%.

After completing all the formalities, Cang Lian left the base with a mission certificate in hand.

That same day, he returned to Old Huang's simple little courtyard.

The atmosphere in the courtyard was even more oppressive than before.

The aura of those people weakened even further, like candles flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Cang Lian skipped the pleasantries, fixing his gaze on the middle-aged man and getting straight to the point: "I've come to ask you all a question. Do you know the exact location of the Blood God Cult's stronghold?"

Upon hearing this, the four men's expressions tightened. The middle-aged man's face changed slightly as he said, "Why are you asking this? That place is a terrifying place, a living hell! You absolutely must not go there!"

"I'm just curious and want to know what's going on." Cang Lian's expression was indifferent, as if it were just a casual question.

Seeing that he didn't seem to be going to his death, the middle-aged man's tense expression eased slightly. He sighed and slowly uttered the name: "The Blood God Cult's lair is in a place called 'Mist Swamp Town'."

"Mist Marsh Town?"

"Yes!" the young man beside him added, his voice tinged with lingering fear.

"The terrain there is peculiar; it's surrounded by swamps, and a strange mist hangs over the town year-round. It's easy to defend and difficult to attack; you absolutely must not venture there!"

"Is the Blood God Cult in Misty Swamp Town? How many people are there?" Cang Lian pressed.

"The entire town is inhabited by members of the Blood God Cult!"

"What?! The whole town is like this?!" Cang Lian was shocked and couldn't help but gasp.

"That's right." The old man opened his eyes at some point, his cloudy pupils filled with boundless hatred.

"The entire town is just a facade! Ordinary people who walk in won't see anything amiss. The townspeople work at sunrise and rest at sunset, seemingly living a peaceful life. But it's all a lie!"

"Those members of the Blood God Cult, when the country is peaceful and prosperous, pretend to be better than anyone else. But once times of turmoil arrive, they completely unleash their wolfish nature! This warlord era is the perfect cover for their slaughter! They burn, kill, loot, and torture; in order to refine that damned Blood God Pill, they have slaughtered countless villages over the years—they are truly utterly depraved!"

No wonder!

Cang Lian finally understood why this seemingly simple reconnaissance mission had such a high mortality rate!

The entire town is inhabited by members of the Blood God Cult. If an outsider enters and asks even a few questions, they will immediately be watched by countless eyes.

Wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?

Is it still possible to escape?

"Thank you for telling me." Cang Lian clasped his hands in a respectful gesture of respect.

"May I ask how to get to Misty Swamp Town?"

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, but still told him the detailed route, and finally warned him not to go and die.

Cang Lian nodded in agreement and turned to leave the courtyard.

……

The following day, Cang Lian braved the elements and traveled day and night, finally arriving at the edge of a vast swamp, following the route.

The air was thick with the stench of rotting seaweed and silt, and a thin gray fog lingered over the area year-round.

Just as he approached the thin mist and was about to step onto the path leading to the town of Misty Swamp, a sudden change occurred!

He placed it inside his coat, and the Blood Soul Needle, wrapped in layers of cloth, suddenly produced a subtle but rapid vibration!

That wasn't excitement, but an instinctive longing for one's own kind and... hunger!

It's a vibration that wants to devour!

His pupils suddenly contracted, and the hairs on his body stood on end!

He instantly realized that everything the four men said was true!

This Misty Swamp Town is a huge, living den of predators!

Without the slightest hesitation, and without even glancing at the thin mist again, he made a decisive move, turned around and left!

His figure, like a ghost, quickly disappeared down the road he had come from.

The intelligence is in hand; the rest is none of his business.

Barefoot in; only a fool would do that.