Chapter 163: S-Rank Mission! Target! Jin Ning City!

"It's an S-rank mission, involving a Tianming Sect branch."

Xu Jingming did not conceal it.

S-rank mission: Confirmed through intelligence channels that a Tianming Sect branch exists in Jin Ning City, Zhejiang Province. Please go investigate, find the branch's exact location, and annihilate it.

Reward: 10,000 credits.

The school has many missions regarding the Tianming Sect, and there are quite a few S-rank missions as well.

But only this mission has confirmed the existence of a Tianming Sect branch.

For Xu Jingming, who wanted to kill the Divine Blood Emissary and obtain ability points, this was undoubtedly the best choice.

Moreover, destroying a Tianming Sect branch might also yield quite a few good things.

Additionally, Zhejiang Province is the neighboring province of Modu.

Jin Ning City, located in Zhejiang Province, is only 309 kilometers in a straight line from Modu.

Even if some unexpected situation occurs over in Jin Ning City.

He could also call upon Vice Principal Hearing Ling Shuang, a nuclear weapon of Grandmaster level, to descend at any time and deliver a dimensionality-reducing strike.

Therefore, upon discovering this S-rank mission, Xu Jingming chose to accept it right away.

"An S-rank mission?"

Song Qiuyun's apricot eyes widened, and combined with her slightly parted, rosy little mouth, she looked rather cute:

"Alright then, I can only silently wish you all the best back at school."

Song Qiuyun had a very clear sense of self-awareness.

Although she had the Guardian Necklace, it could only be used once every 24 hours.

If it were an ordinary B-rank or A-rank mission, she might still be able to help out a bit.

But for an S-rank mission, once the Guardian Necklace was used up, she would only be a burden to Xu Jingming......

"You're not planning to take a Tianming Sect mission?"

Xu Jingming's sword brows lifted slightly as he said with a smile: "This is a good opportunity to earn credits."

Although Song Qiuyun came from a Grandmaster family, no one would complain about having too few credits.

"I do."

Song Qiuyun first nodded, then sighed with slightly furrowed willow brows:

"But I still haven't found suitable teammates."

The Tianming Sect is a cult organization, so having teammates to coordinate with naturally makes things safer.

Now that more than half of the first semester for new students has passed, she has met quite a few female friends.

But including her roommate Qi Dongxia, none of these friends have broken through to the second tier yet.

The gap in strength between them and her is too large, so it's not really suitable to act together.

Although some senior sisters from the Meteorite Club had also extended invitations to her.

For people she wasn't very familiar with, Song Qiuyun actually wasn't very willing to engage.

Not to mention such extremely dangerous missions require trusted friends to act together.

So she chose to politely decline them all.

"I can actually recommend a good candidate for you."

"Who?"

"Senior Jiang."

Xu Jingming said with a smile.

"Sister Chuxuan?"

Song Qiuyun was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Jiang Chuxuan, who was at the mid-stage of the second tier and possessed an A-rank ability, was indeed a good teammate.

But isn't she busy refining pills right now? Where would she find the time?

"I went to find her at noon. She just happened to have recently refined a batch of pills and was looking for something else to do."

Xu Jingming explained, seeing Song Qiuyun's confusion.

Although Jiang Chuxuan was now mainly focusing on the path of an alchemist, this didn't mean she had relaxed her own cultivation.

In reality, Jiang Chuxuan maintained sufficient training every day.

It is worth mentioning that

after Jiang Chuxuan switched up the style of her uploaded videos a few months ago, she temporarily entered a Low Valley Phase.

But then she subsequently saw a surge in traffic, and her follower count had reached roughly twenty million.

Regarding this, Xu Jingming could only sigh inwardly — looks like looks really are victory......

"Alright, then I'll go ask Sister Chuxuan in a bit."

Song Qiuyun's beautiful eyes lit up slightly.

Song Qiuyun still had another class next, so Xu Jingming left the teaching building alone.

He prepared to head back to the dormitory to learn the specific details of this mission in detail.

On the way, he received several calls inviting him to do Tianming Sect missions together.

There was senior brother Liu Ming, whose body had just recovered and who was ready to make a big splash, as well as several vice-presidents of the Meteorite Club.

Even the always incredibly busy club president Wu Yuan had called.

But Xu Jingming had already chosen his mission, so naturally he declined them all.

"Eva, I need the detailed briefing for this S-rank mission."

In the second-floor living room of Villa No. 32, District 3 dormitory, Xu Jingming sat on the sofa.

Above the coffee table, pale-blue virtual light converged, coalescing into Eva's adorably blank holographic projection.

"S-rank student Xu Jingming, the mission you've selected is located in Jin Ning City, Zhejiang Province. It was first discovered as an anomaly by the Jin Ning City Public Security Bureau..."

Xu Jingming spent a few minutes getting a general sense of the mission.

But what surprised him somewhat was that this mission actually required cooperation with the Jin Ning City Public Security Bureau.

Before setting out for Jin Ning City, he still needed to give them advance notice.

"Well, after all, they're the ones who found the lead. It's only natural they'd request cooperation."

When the nation issues a kill order, every unit at the provincial and municipal levels will coordinate in the operation.

With such a tremendous merit as potentially uncovering a Tianming Sect branch, the Jin Ning City Public Security Bureau wouldn't possibly give it up.

So Xu Jingming took out his phone and dialed the contact number left on the mission file for the Jin Ning City Public Security Bureau.

"Hello, Jin Ning City Public Security Bureau. How may I help you?"

Unlike most of the disengaged civil servants from his past life, the bureau staff on the other end of the line was extremely friendly in attitude.

"Hello, I'm Xu Jingming from Magic City University. I've taken on the mission to search for a Tianming Sect branch in your Jin Ning City.

I will arrive in Jin Ning City at 8 p. m. tomorrow. May I ask if you have any arrangements on your end?"

Xu Jingming said briefly.

Actually, he could have set out today, but a few days ago he'd promised his cousin Tang Qi and the others that they'd get together tomorrow afternoon, so naturally he couldn't break that appointment.

Besides, since he didn't know how long he'd be staying in Jin Ning City this time, he also needed to ask his various course instructors for leave tomorrow.

"Understood, please hold a moment. I'll check with the leadership."

After a brief silence, the staff member's voice sounded again:

"Respected Mr. Xu, hello. We've already arranged the liaison personnel.

Please arrive at the Muxi Café on Yangping Street in the downtown area at 8:30 tomorrow afternoon to meet with them."

"Muxi Café? Got it."

Xu Jingming gave a slight nod, hung up the phone, and checked his spatial ring.

In the spatial ring: an A-rank combat suit, the Blue Sky Black Jiao Spear, and a large quantity of pills.

As well as the cultivation resources that could be used on this trip — everything was already fully prepared.

"But since this time we're going to scout a Tianming Sect branch, being too flashy probably isn't a great idea either."

After a moment's thought, Xu Jingming rose and left the villa, heading for the Combat Techniques Library.

At Magic City Ability University, a nineteen-year-old third-rank ability user like him wasn't all that eye-catching.

After all, among the student body there were even stronger third-rank peak, and even fourth-rank, ability users.

But out in the world, a young man whose rank reached third-rank would absolutely be the most dazzling one in any crowd.

Going to investigate leads on a Tianming Sect branch under such an identity would easily arouse suspicion.

So, he needed a combat technique that could conceal an ability user's aura.

And the Combat Techniques Library happened to have exactly such a technique.

【Breath-Concealing Art (B-rank)】: Can restrain one's own aura and disguise the ability user's rank.

Students at Magic University had always disdained hiding their own strength.

Rather than spending time learning a trick like playing the pig to eat the tiger, they'd rather learn a practical B-rank combat technique.

So the Breath-Concealing Art was a relatively obscure technique in Magic University's Combat Techniques Library.

And B-rank combat techniques didn't need any special storage either — they could be found right on the shelves on the third floor of the Combat Techniques Library.

So, after entering the Combat Techniques Library, Xu Jingming quickly found the technique and began flipping through it.

Compared to top-tier S-rank combat techniques, a B-rank technique's manual was ridiculously simple.

Xu Jingming spent only a little over half an hour and basically comprehended the full contents of the technique.

Then, in one go, he spent 1,150 ability points to max it out to Advanced before turning and leaving the Combat Techniques Library.

The next day, fully prepared, Xu Jingming asked his various course instructors for leave.

After gathering at five in the afternoon with his cousin Tang Qi and Zhou Mingyang and a few others,

he set out alone for Magic City's high-speed rail station and boarded the 7 p. m. train bound for Jin Ning City, Zhejiang Province...