The tasks of the Danqian Palace ranged from one-star to ten-star, with difficulty levels scaling from easy to hard.
For core disciples, tasks below five stars held virtually no challenge, and the rewards were hardly worth their attention.
Jiang Chen browsed through some five-star tasks. The rewards were passable enough, but for someone desperate for resources, this tier of tasks still wasn't particularly attractive.
He moved on to check the six-star tasks, but after looking them over, he remained unsatisfied.
The rewards couldn't fill Jiang Chen's appetite, and moreover, these tasks were all extremely time-consuming.
If Jiang Chen were planning to stay in the sect long-term, these tasks would have been suitable enough.
But he had already promised Mu Gaoqi to explore the Spirit Wood Spring in three months. So over the next three months, he clearly couldn't take on tasks that demanded such a significant investment of time and energy.
"Are there no higher-level tasks with more technical substance and shorter time commitments?" Jiang Chen muttered to himself as he arrived at the seven-star task area.
The person in charge of the seven-star task area was a middle-aged man, who smiled upon hearing this. "Tasks with high technical substance do exist. However, I'm afraid they might not be suited for young folks like you."
Jiang Chen quickly asked, "They really exist?"
The manager looked at him in surprise. "You're not joking, are you?"
"I'm quite serious. If such tasks exist, I'd be grateful if you could recommend a few."
The manager sized Jiang Chen up and down, then chuckled. "Recommending a few is out of the question. But our Danqian Palace does have certain tasks that have been hanging up there for a long time. Many young geniuses have been tempted by the rewards and attempted them. But as of yet, no one has ever completed any of them."
"Exactly what I'm looking for," Jiang Chen said, his face lighting up with delight. He thought to himself — just because others can't do it doesn't mean I can't. I, Jiang Chen, specialize in solving all manner of difficult problems.
The manager laughed. "I know of an eight-star task posted by a senior elder of the sect. This elder had already held his position back in the era of the previous Palace Master. Now that Sage Dan Chi is in power, this elder has been elevated to the rank of Supreme Elder. Within the entire Elder Council, he holds a position among the top five."
A high-ranking elder with deep seniority and tremendous standing — such a figure would have accumulated vast resources and extraordinary wealth. If he had posted a sect task, the rewards would surely be generous.
Upon hearing it was an eight-star task, Jiang Chen's interest was immediately piqued.
He did a quick mental calculation. If he could complete an eight-star task, it would cover the resources he and his entourage consumed for at least the next two years.
For the next two years, he wouldn't have to worry about resources at all.
There was no reason for Jiang Chen to pass up such a task. He promptly said, "What is this task? I'll take it — I'm applying for this eight-star task."
"What the task specifically entails, I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that in recent years, at least a dozen or so people have applied for it, but not a single one has succeeded."
"This is the one," Jiang Chen said without further hesitation.
"Are you sure? Don't say I didn't warn you. I've heard that those applicants who failed before all suffered quite a bit in front of that elder."
Jiang Chen grinned. "Sure, sure. Hurry up and hand the task over to me."
What others couldn't do didn't mean he, Jiang Chen, couldn't. If it was a task related to pill refining, he didn't believe there was anything in this world that could stump him.
As long as it wasn't the kind of task that devoured time and effort, when it came purely to technical expertise, with his past life's experience as a grandmaster of the Dao of Pills across countless realms, what problem could he possibly fail to solve?
The manager handed the task token to Jiang Chen. "This token bears the divine consciousness imprint of that lord. You simply need to infuse your own divine consciousness to read the task details within. The location, the requirements, the demands, and the rewards — everything is recorded on there."
Jiang Chen accepted the task token and strolled out of the Four Seasons Hall in a leisurely manner.
He channeled his divine consciousness into the task token, and his mind stirred slightly. It was obvious that this token had been specially treated by that elder.
The instant Jiang Chen's divine consciousness entered and collided with the elder's imprint, his mind shivered ever so faintly.
Task Content: Six-Pattern Black Dragon Pill.
Task Location: Cloud Nirvana Cave Abode, Hundred Elders Peak, Danqian Palace.
Task Requirement: Improve the quality of the Six-Pattern Black Dragon Pill's refinement.
Task Reward: One thousand Foundation Cultivation Pills, one half-sage artifact, a vast quantity of Spiritual Medicine.
The earlier details didn't concern Jiang Chen — what he cared about was the reward. Upon seeing it, his heart immediately stirred.
One thousand Foundation Cultivation Pills!
One half-sage artifact, and a vast quantity of Spiritual Medicine.
"As expected of a Supreme Elder — now that's what you call a generous hand!" Jiang Chen was thoroughly tempted by the rewards.
A Supreme Elder of such high standing who had lived for so long — pills like the Foundation Cultivation Pill were probably something he popped like roasted beans.
Forget a thousand, even three thousand would likely pose no burden to someone of his stature.