"Lightless Sea Divine City?" Zane Wu stopped, raising his head to look at the characters inscribed above the city gate.
Maya Mu also exclaimed in awe, "There really isn't any light. The sunlight seems to stop exactly three feet before the entrance to Lightless Sea Divine City."
Not only Zane Wu and Maya Mu, but Joe Di was equally astonished. One couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of the universe—here, sunlight defied all common sense.
Just a few steps before Lightless Sea Divine City, the sunlight was bright and scorching, making one feel the intensity of the sun. Yet within the city itself, not a trace of sunlight could be found—the only illumination came from the Luminous Formation.
"Let's go in and take a look." Joe Di was the first to step past the line of sunlight, entering the Lightless Sea Divine City that was lit only by the Luminous Formation.
The city bustled with cultivators coming and going; among them, the trio of Joe Di, Zane Wu, and Maya Mu blended in seamlessly, drawing no attention at all.
"The spiritual energy here is so dense, and it even seems to carry a hint of..." As soon as they entered, Maya Mu exclaimed in surprise, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what else lingered in the air.
There were no guards at the city gate, nor was any entrance fee required. This was a relief for the three, as none of them had even a single shard of Divine Crystal on them—let alone enough to pay an entrance fee.
After stepping into the city, a chill swept through the air, accompanied by an even stronger scent of the sea—clearly, the city lay close to the shore.
A straight avenue of bluish stone, dozens of meters wide, stretched into the distance. On either side of the avenue, a variety of shops lined the way.
Joe Di swept his divine sense across the city. He couldn't determine the level of the Guardian Array protecting it, but everywhere beyond the main avenue was covered in Defensive Wards.
This straight avenue of bluish stone led directly to another city gate, connecting the east and west gates. Joe Di sensed that the sea breeze was coming from that other gate—traveling along this avenue and exiting through that gate would likely bring one straight to the ocean.
Since this city was called Lightless Sea Divine City, the sea beyond that gate was most likely the Lightless Sea.
At the center of the main avenue stood a particularly tall building, with the words 'Lightless Sea Mission Hall' inscribed on its exterior.
"Let's check out the Lightless Sea Mission Hall." Joe Di quickened his pace, and in just over ten minutes, the three arrived at the entrance of the hall.
If the city had seemed crowded when they entered, the Mission Hall was positively overflowing with people.
Even though the Mission Hall covered a vast area, everywhere you looked, there were crowds of cultivators.
Upon entering the Mission Hall, they were greeted by several enormous Array Display Screens.
The screens displayed team formation notices for the Lightless Sea, as well as requests to buy, missing person notices, shop and residence sales and transfers...
Anything you could think of was available here.
Both Joe Di and Zane Wu were Immortal Emperors. Joe Di hadn't even formed his Soulmark Foundation yet, while Zane Wu had at least begun to establish his Dao foundation and condense a Dao Seed.
Cultivators with low cultivation like Joe Di and Zane Wu weren't unheard of here, but they were certainly few and far between.
Most cultivators here had already condensed their Dao Seed. Aside from undergoing trials, many were searching for cultivation resources or opportunities to forge their Dao.
As for Dao Forging cultivators like Maya Mu, there were plenty here as well. Joe Di even sensed many cultivators whose aura was much stronger than Maya Mu's—clearly, these were either late-stage Dao Forging experts or those who had surpassed that realm.
"Brother Di, Sister Mu, look at the 137th mission on the task screen—we could take that one," Zane Wu whispered.
Joe Di's gaze fell on the 137th mission: harvesting Stacked Reed Grass. Each stalk earned a mid-grade Divine Crystal and one Lightless Sea Merit Point. Cultivators who accepted the mission would receive a special ring for storing the grass, as well as a Spirit Herb Jade Slip detailing the locations of various divine herbs—most importantly, the location of Stacked Reed Grass.
"Yes, this mission really does seem just right for us," Maya Mu said excitedly. But then she hesitated, a hint of doubt in her voice. "If this divine herb can be harvested and doesn't seem especially dangerous, why hasn't anyone taken the mission?"
But Joe Di knew this mission wasn't suitable for them. Stacked Reed Grass was a tier-three divine herb, used to refine the Spatial Veil Pill. The Spatial Veil Pill was highly valuable for cultivators seeking to master spatial techniques.
If that were all, having the location of Stacked Reed Grass would make the mission ideal for them. But Joe Di also knew the grass was precious for another reason—it had a potent corrosive property that eroded a cultivator's spiritual clarity.
Prolonged contact with Stacked Reed Grass would gradually dull a cultivator's spirit, even cloud their mind. Once a cultivator's spiritual clarity was lost, they'd never advance again—living out the rest of their life in mediocrity. It's no exaggeration to say their life would be ruined.
All of this was clearly explained in the World Tome. According to its records, Stacked Reed Grass must be stored using spatial storage methods; otherwise, it will wither and lose its efficacy.
Just as Joe Di was about to suggest they pick a different mission, the Stacked Reed Grass mission suddenly jumped to the top of the list—from 173rd to first. Its importance had clearly skyrocketed.
At the same time, the rewards for the Stacked Reed Grass mission changed: each stalk now earned ten Lightless Sea Merit Points and a Prime Immortal Crystal. If you found more than a hundred stalks, you'd have a chance to join one of the top sects in the Dao Domain—Origin Dao Sect—and qualify to hear teachings from its legendary ancestor.
"Ancestor Yan Yun has the deepest understanding of the Five Element Banners. If we could listen to his teachings, it would be decisive for our Dao path. I'm taking this mission!"
"Me too! What if I can join the Origin Dao Sect..."
"Count me in. Stacked Reed Grass may be toxic, but as long as we're well-prepared, it shouldn't be a problem."
......
After the mission rewards changed, the number of cultivators taking this mission increased dramatically.
Maya Mu whispered, "Brother Di, is Stacked Reed Grass poisonous?"
Joe Di knew that these cultivators who called Stacked Reed Grass poisonous simply didn't understand its true properties. Its ability to cloud spiritual clarity wasn't poison—it was a kind of rule-based corrosion. Their thinking was shaped by long-standing experience.
Those cultivators who harvested Stacked Reed Grass for long periods eventually found their spiritual clarity weakening and their cultivation stagnating. To them, it seemed like the symptoms of poisoning.
"It probably is toxic, and not mildly so," Joe Di said softly.
"Should we still take this mission?" Zane Wu asked immediately, deciding to follow Joe Di and Maya Mu's lead.
Joe Di chuckled. "Why not? We'll just find a way to avoid the toxic effects."
Joe Di was determined to take this mission—not only had the rewards increased tenfold, but he also wanted to hear Ancestor Yan Yun's teachings.
According to the surrounding cultivators, Ancestor Yan Yun was most skilled in the Five Element Banners. In fact, Joe Di had a deep understanding of the Five Element Banners himself, but he still felt he was lacking—mainly because Jaden Dai had left behind the Elemental Veil technique, and Joe Di still hadn't figured out its mysteries.
He didn't believe Jaden Dai would be so generous as to leave a legendary technique like Elemental Veil for anyone to use. Listening to Ancestor Yan Yun discuss the Five Element Banners might just help him break through in his understanding.
Even though the Stacked Reed Grass mission's rewards had increased tenfold and more cultivators were taking it, that was only relative. Most cultivators would rather miss out on Ancestor Yan Yun's teachings than accept this mission.
Joe Di and his two companions easily accepted the mission to find Stacked Reed Grass. Each of them received a free Lightless Sea mission token, a ring, and a simple Spirit Herb Jade Slip.
The Spirit Herb Jade Slip not only marked the main locations of Stacked Reed Grass, but also listed some common low-grade divine herbs found in the Lightless Sea.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)