Chapter 402: Assignment of Tasks

In a brightly lit room, Li Qingchan, Zhao Zhu, Zhou Yuan, and others were seated in their respective places.

"Elder Wu," Li Qingchan said, looking towards the head seat. An elderly man with white hair and a grey robe sat there, his face stern and unsmiling, giving him a severe appearance. This elder, Wu Lin, was the Genesis Sect's chief elder dispatched to Blackflame Province.

"I didn't expect you, Qingchan, to be leading the team this time," Elder Wu said, nodding slightly at Li Qingchan. Even a strict person like him showed a softened expression when addressing a Saint Son of the Genesis Sect. His gaze swept over everyone in turn, then suddenly paused on Zhou Yuan, who was seated at the very back. He was momentarily stunned, then frowned deeply, asking, "How can there be a fourth-stage Alpha Origin Realm disciple here? Which peak is he from? Is this the kind of mission someone of your level can get involved in? This is preposterous!"

Elder Wu Lin rarely returned to the sect, as he spent most of his time managing affairs outside. Consequently, he was completely unfamiliar with Zhou Yuan, who had only joined the sect six months prior. Seeing this, Zhao Zhu subtly smiled. Elder Wu Lin was known for his strict nature and intolerance for incompetence; he detested those who merely filled a position without merit. Zhou Yuan seemed to have run into some bad luck by encountering him. Beside them, Qin Hai and others secretly gloated.

Li Qingchan quickly interjected, "Elder Wu, this is Zhou Yuan, a new purple-sash disciple from Saint Genesis Peak. Although he only joined the sect half a year ago, his achievements are truly remarkable. He not only ranked first in the Mountain Selection Ceremony but also emerged as the top contender in the previous purple-sash selection. While he is currently only at the fourth stage of the Alpha Origin Realm, his combat strength is comparable to that of a seventh-stage disciple."

"Oh?" Elder Wu cast a skeptical glance at Zhou Yuan. "Even so, he is still just a newly admitted purple-sash disciple. Compared to seasoned purple-sash disciples like Qin Hai, he still lacks experience." Elder Wu seemed about to reprimand him further but ultimately sighed helplessly. Glaring at Zhou Yuan, he said, "Fine, since you're here, learn well and try not to be a hindrance."

Zhou Yuan sighed inwardly but could only nod in agreement to avoid further lecturing from the elder.

Elder Wu shook his head and withdrew his gaze, clearly treating Zhou Yuan as merely a disciple looking to gain some merit, without much expectation.

"Elder Wu, what is the situation with this matter?" Li Qingchan quickly changed the subject. After all, she had brought Zhou Yuan, and she feared that Elder Wu's anger might lead him to sideline Zhou Yuan, making his trip in vain.

Turning to the main topic, Elder Wu no longer paid attention to Zhou Yuan. He mused, "The 'Flame Marrow Vein' that appeared in Blackflame Province is quite valuable, which is why even the three major sects—the Sacred Palace, the Northern Sea Dragon-Subduing Palace, and the Hundred Flowers Immortal Palace—have been drawn here. Blackflame Province does not fall under the jurisdiction of any of our four major sects, so the ownership of this 'Flame Marrow Vein' is disputed."

Li Qingchan and the others nodded. If Blackflame Province were under the Genesis Sect's dominion, any other sect attempting to interfere would be declaring war. However, with the Flame Marrow Vein located in Blackflame Province, its ownership strictly speaking belonged to the local sects. Yet, they clearly lacked the power to claim it exclusively, so they had to reluctantly yield to the intervention of the four major sects. At most, the four major sects would take the lion's share, leaving them with scraps. That was simply how the world worked: power dictated what one could claim.

"Before you arrived, I had already discussed the distribution of this 'Flame Marrow Vein' with the Sacred Palace, the Northern Sea Dragon-Subduing Palace, the Hundred Flowers Immortal Palace, and some of the local top forces," Wu Lin said slowly.

"Oh? Has the distribution already been decided?" Li Qingchan asked with surprise.

"How could it be that easy? None of these factions are willing to yield," Wu Lin scoffed. "After discussions, the agreed method is still to rely on our respective capabilities."

Elder Wu waved his sleeve, and a surge of Genesis Qi formed an enormous map before Zhou Yuan and the others. "This is the map of the Flame Marrow Vein. It's deep underground, incredibly vast, and holds immense mining value," Elder Wu explained, pointing at the map. "Our final agreement is simple: in three days, each faction will send disciples into the Flame Marrow Vein to divide it."

He flicked his finger, sending ten beams of light towards Li Qingchan and the others. They received the lights, each revealing a palm-sized flag with faint Genesis Runes shimmering on its surface. "Each of these flags, once planted, can radiate its influence over a hundred-mile radius. As long as the flag remains undisturbed for one day, that hundred-mile area will belong to the faction of the one who planted it."

Li Qingchan, Zhao Zhu, and the others looked at the small flags in their hands with interest. This contest for the Flame Marrow Vein seemed quite engaging. These flags symbolized territory; whoever planted one would claim that area. Of course, the condition was to resolve all issues within that region within a day.

"Can each person only claim the territory of one flag? In that case, we can only occupy a maximum of ten hundred-mile areas, right?" Zhao Zhu asked. "Occupying ten hundred-mile areas would already be a great victory," Wu Lin said, shaking his head helplessly. "This central region is only a little over three thousand miles in total. If disciples from all four major sects claimed a piece, there wouldn't be enough to go around. So, in the end, it will inevitably become a situation where there are too many monks and not enough porridge. That's when the conflicts and battles will begin..."

Li Qingchan, Zhao Zhu, and the others' eyes narrowed slightly. They could imagine that fierce battles would inevitably erupt to seize these territories. After all, whether it was the Sacred Palace, the Northern Sea Dragon-Subduing Palace, the Hundred Flowers Immortal Palace, or the local top forces, who wouldn't want to claim more areas? The value of these areas once developed in the future would be substantial.

"We have already conducted a preliminary exploration of this Flame Marrow Vein. It is infested with Skyflame Lizards, which are Grade 4 Genesis Beasts, so be careful of them once you enter. Furthermore, our exploration revealed that the most valuable area of this Flame Marrow Vein is this section..."

He traced his finger across the map, and a large section in the central area gradually turned crimson. "Since the areas that can be occupied are limited, we must prioritize contending for regions rich in Flame Marrow."

Elder Wu pointed to the very center of the crimson area. "Li Qingchan, Zhao Zhu, you two are the strongest. You must swiftly seize and establish a foothold in this central area. Qin Hai, Bai Li... you will contend for the regions immediately adjacent to these." Elder Wu continued to give instructions, and as his finger tapped, the crimson area was repeatedly segmented into smaller sections.

Clearly, Elder Wu was assigning their respective tasks. In a moment, only Zhou Yuan remained without an assignment.

"What about me?" Zhou Yuan asked, seeing the situation.

Elder Wu glanced at him and sighed, likely feeling a headache over this perceived liability. After all, the combatants sent by various factions in such a contest would be formidable opponents, and Zhou Yuan's fourth-stage Alpha Origin Realm cultivation was conspicuously low. Even if Li Qingchan claimed his combat strength was not weak, who knew how much truth there was to it?

Elder Wu paused in silence, then finally pointed to an area outside the crimson zone. "This area will be your responsibility to contend for. You must secure it." Looking at that area, the expressions of Qin Hai and the others immediately became amused. That region was outside the core, and presumably, the Flame Marrow Vein there would not be very abundant. Clearly, Elder Wu did not believe Zhou Yuan was qualified to compete in the core areas, so for his safety, he had merely perfunctorily assigned him a simpler region. There shouldn't be too many formidable characters there.

Seeing this, Li Qingchan quickly said, "Elder Wu, Zhou Yuan's strength isn't as weak as you might think; he..." She knew that after returning to the sect from this Heaven-tier mission, contributions would be assessed based on performance. If Zhou Yuan was merely given such a perfunctory assignment, he might not even earn any Heaven-tier merit.

Elder Wu waved his hand, interrupting Li Qingchan. "I am responsible for the safety of my disciples. One should only take on what one can handle. If he overestimates himself and something goes wrong, I will also be held accountable. There's no need to discuss this further. If he truly has the capability to secure this area, then there will naturally be no issue." Elder Wu's tone was resolute, and he decisively settled the matter.

"All of you, proceed according to my earlier arrangements. When the contest begins in three days, exert your full strength to contend for your assigned areas." Hearing Elder Wu's stern voice, everyone immediately assented.

Zhou Yuan looked at the area assigned to him on the map and smiled helplessly. He didn't bother to argue pointlessly; since the task had already been set for him, he would first secure that area. Regardless, he was determined to earn Heaven-tier merit.