CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53: EXCLUSIVE TASK (PART 2)

Xu Nian’s expression turned grave as he looked at the task issued by the System. An Exclusive Task? Does that mean only Junlin and his team can complete this? This task is clearly troublesome. The Blood Demon Sect has even sent out a Grandmaster. Relying solely on Junlin’s team to clear it will probably be very difficult. Jin Yutang will definitely try to get the Nine Dragon Key from them. If pushed to the brink, that old fellow might even leak the information. Once that happens, the entire Jianghu could come looking for trouble with the Profound Yellow Sect.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Nian stepped out of the Great Hall and glanced at the players outside. "Where is Junlin? Have him come see me."

Having said that, he turned back and waited inside the Great Hall. The Sect Leader’s persona must not be compromised!

The players outside stared at each other, confused. Junlin? Why was the Sect Leader suddenly looking for Junlin?

"What’s going on? Can any Lord tell us if there’s a task for us this time?"

"There should be. That Wang Sanjin definitely looks like a plot NPC."

"Let’s wait and see. Junlin and his team are over there, aren’t they? We can just ask them when they come out."

"I have a bad feeling. Do you guys think the Game Designer is going to give Junlin special treatment?"

Junlin was also puzzled. They rarely interacted with the Sect Leader on a normal day. Except for those dimwitted players who tried every trick in the book to get Contribution Points from him!

"You guys wait a moment. I’ll go see what’s happening," Junlin said to Poisonous Panda and the others, then hurried towards the Great Hall.

As soon as he entered the Great Hall, Junlin felt an indescribable pressure emanating from Sect Leader Xu Nian. It seems our Sect Leader is also a formidable presence, he thought.

"Sect Leader, you were looking for me?" Junlin stood at the entrance, perplexed.

Xu Nian glanced back at him and asked, "Is the Nine Dragon Key with you?"

Junlin recalled his Black Dragon Dagger, which the Abbess had sold him. What does it have to do with the Nine Dragons Secret Treasure? I was even planning to check out this Nine Dragons Secret Treasure later when I got the chance, he mused.

"Yes, it is." Junlin pulled the Black Dragon Dagger from behind his waist and offered it to Xu Nian.

Xu Nian didn’t take it. Instead, he said, "Wang Sanjin, who visited today, is the chief steward of the Jin Family in Fengxiang Prefecture. He invited us to be guests at the Jin Family estate. However, the Jin Family’s Patriarch, Jin Yutang, was the previous owner of the Black Dragon Dagger. Moreover, this visit will undoubtedly be a Hongmen Banquet. They might make a move because of the Black Dragon Dagger. This item is yours now, so I want to know your thoughts."

Junlin was stunned by this. As Xu Nian finished speaking, Junlin also received a task notification—it was an Exclusive Task.

[Exclusive Task: Nine Dragon Key]

[Description: The Nine Dragons Secret Treasure, the greatest treasure in the Jianghu, has surfaced. People with malicious intent are appearing one after another. As one of the holders of a Nine Dragon Key, you must accompany the Sect Leader to unveil the mystery of the Nine Dragons Secret Treasure.]

[Reward: 500 Contribution Points]

Seeing this reward, Junlin couldn’t help but be tempted. 500 Contribution Points?! The last task that offered 500 Contribution Points involved the entire sect. This time, the entire task has fallen squarely on my shoulders? I never expected the Black Dragon Dagger to come with an attached Exclusive Task! Good thing I bought this dagger back then; otherwise, it would have been a huge loss!

"I want to go with the Sect Leader!" Junlin accepted the task without hesitation.

At this stage, we’re back to doing daily life tasks, which are a complete waste of time for us. Now that an Exclusive Task has practically landed in my lap, how could I refuse? Accept! I absolutely have to accept!

"You alone won’t be enough. Find a few more people. Tomorrow, you will accompany me to Fengxiang Prefecture City," Xu Nian said calmly. "This task is perilous. Remember to be extremely careful and try to stay by my side."

"Yes!" Junlin quickly nodded in agreement.

A team task? Isn’t that perfect for the few of us from Lingxiao Hall? Me, Poisonous Panda, Under the Phoenix Tree, Evil Queen Morgana, Abbess, Don’t Love Me! Five of us sharing this task, following the Sect Leader to complete it... isn’t this reward practically being handed to us on a silver platter?

Beaming with joy, Junlin immediately ran out.

"Huh? He’s out, he’s out! Quick, go ask Junlin what’s going on!"

"Look at his radiant expression; it seems he got some benefit from the Sect Leader."

"What’s it got to do with us? He’s not the Top Player anymore."

"Lingxiao Hall isn’t recruiting us anyway. They’re taking the high-level player route; let’s not worry about them."

Junlin, for his part, immediately added Poisonous Panda and the others to his team and shared the task he had received. The other four stared wide-eyed at this Exclusive Task.

Does this count as triggering a Hidden Task? At this stage among the players, this is probably the only Exclusive Task, right? they thought.

Junlin explained, "I’ve accepted the task. Tomorrow, we go with the Sect Leader to Fengxiang Prefecture City. This is an Exclusive Task. It looks like only the five of us will accompany the Sect Leader. The other players can only watch."

To them, this task was incredibly exciting. The game’s premier weapon, and it actually comes with a Hidden Task! It’s a good thing the Abbess sold it to Junlin. If Flourishing Flowers and his group had gotten it, we could only watch. Now it’s Flourishing Flowers and his cronies who can only watch in envy!

News of the Exclusive Task spread rapidly among the players. Upon learning that Junlin and his team had received an Exclusive Task, the players were overcome with envy, jealousy, and a touch of resentment.

"Holy crap, does this count as a Hidden Task?"

"Is that Damn Game Designer picking on us second-batch players? If there had been enough slots, the Black Dragon Dagger might have been ours!"

"Stop dreaming. The Abbess was the one who got the Black Dragon Dagger as a drop; Junlin just bought it from her."

"So jealous! Triggering a Hidden Task just like that! Why doesn’t good fortune like this ever fall to us in Cloud Lament?"

When Flourishing Flowers learned of this, he felt helpless too. The Exclusive Task had fallen to Junlin, and since they were competitors, there was no way for them to get involved. This task was clearly not simple. It was very likely a chain task, especially since there wasn’t just one Nine Dragon Key. This meant that any subsequent tasks stemming from this one would have nothing to do with them.

So frustrating! The first Hidden Task, and it landed right in Junlin’s lap! And the reward for this task is so high! Future rewards will probably be even more substantial. The gap we just closed seems to be widening again!

With no new tasks appearing at this stage, players could only resort to construction tasks and daily life tasks.

"Everyone, go do daily life tasks. Try not to let the gap widen too much," Flourishing Flowers gave direct orders: "All of you start doing daily life tasks. Those of you who are out exploring should also try to trigger Side Quests. If you find any Hidden Tasks, report back immediately. We can’t afford to fall too far behind!"