Yuan’s Ascension

"There’s a risk of death?" Wu Yuan responded with a muted smile. "No problem at all, I’d like to give it a try." This was all included in the information he had purchased from the Starcom Consortium.

The Pleiades Guild's assassins were categorized into seven ranks; one-star being the lowest, seven-star the highest. The higher the rank, the more high-level missions they could undertake and the more resources they could obtain from the guild. Even a Grandmaster-level newcomer could only attain a three-star assassin ranking at most. Want to rise up the ranks? Then complete your missions.

Wu Yuan had come to the Pleiades Guild with two goals in mind: acquiring more blood-red mist and finding worthy opponents to hone his skills against. Naturally, a one-star ranking wouldn't suffice.

"Very well," the man in the black robe nodded, extracting a mask from a nearby cabinet. He softly instructed, "Put it on."

"I will serve as your guide in the guild, and you may call me Custodian Qin. There are a few things I must disclose to you in advance."

"The Pleiades Guild operates in the shadows; confidentiality is our utmost priority. Within the guild, you are known as Thousand Mountains, but once you step outside, no one cares about your identity."

"Remember, never reveal your true identity or appearance to anyone." The figure in the black robe locked eyes with Wu Yuan from behind his mask.

"Thank you, Custodian Qin." Wu Yuan nodded, accepting the mask, and putting it on. His first impression of it was that it was quite comfortable. Once the mask was on, only his eyes were exposed, but small perforations on each side ensured that his breathing was not affected, minimizing any hindrance to him while he fought.

"Follow me," the man in the black robe stood up and pushed open the door. Wu Yuan followed him as they exited the room.

Outside was a spacious courtyard surrounded by tall walls, designed to shield against prying eyes from the outside world.

Wu Yuan scanned the scene, taking in the five figures standing in the courtyard, each of them concealed behind a mask. Judging from their physique, aura, and stride, Wu Yuan understood that they were at least Adepts. It was evident that this base of the Pleiades Guild was one of their strongholds, potentially hiding more experts within the surrounding houses.

"This here is Thousand Mountains, a recent addition to our Pleiades Guild. He intends to increase his rank to two stars," the man in black robes scanned the five, "Which of you five wish to test him? If you win, you will earn 500 merits."

"Thousand Mountains, if you are defeated but manage to survive, you will owe the guild 500 merits in the future," the black-robed custodian looked at Wu Yuan.

"Merits?" Wu Yuan showed a trace of confusion.

"One merit can be exchanged for one tael of silver," the custodian casually remarked. "Completing assignments earns you silver taels or merits."

Wu Yuan nodded in understanding. So these merits were like contribution points within a sect. 500 merits were equivalent to 500 taels of silver?

"Haha, you're called Thousand Mountains? A rookie who just joined the guild wants to rise a star right away? Did the custodian not inform you about the difficulty? Let me enlighten you. Rising to the two-star rank isn't as easy as you think." A deep, low voice echoed. Among the five, the one farthest away from Wu Yuan stood up. He was a burly man wearing a mask that portrayed a laughing face.

"Hold on!" Wu Yuan suddenly interjected.

"What? Scared?" the man with the laughing mask sneered.

"Thousand Mountains, what's going on?" The custodian turned to Wu Yuan with a trace of displeasure.

"Custodian, if winning against one person promotes me to two stars, what’s the test for advancing to three stars?" Wu Yuan asked calmly.

Immediately, the expressions of the five assassins in the courtyard changed. This Thousand Mountains sure was full of himself. In particular, the burly man was filled with rage. This newcomer was looking down on him.

"Three-star?" The custodian himself was taken aback, giving Wu Yuan a long look. "If you can defeat three of them at the same time, you may rise directly to the rank of three-star assassin."

Three of them joining forces?

"Haha! I can’t be bothered to choose," Wu Yuan chuckled, his eyes lazily scanning the five figures in the courtyard. "Custodian, let's save time and have them all attack me at once."

"How arrogant!"

"Such audacity." The assassins in the courtyard were incensed. Those who chose the path of assassination were hardly meek. With their identities anonymous, their actions grew even more uninhibited.

"Do you truly mean this?" the custodian asked, his brow furrowed.

"Absolutely," answered Wu Yuan, the epitome of calm.

"Fine, I see you have spirit. Then you five may test your mettle against him," The custodian didn't bother to intervene. "Try not to go too far." He retreated a few steps, leaving the space open for them.

In battles between experts, who would dare to hold back? Hence, the custodian had warned Wu Yuan earlier about the possibility of death.

Whoosh! A figure blurred across the courtyard. It was Wu Yuan, arriving almost instantly at the center. His speed caused the five experts surrounding the courtyard to grow serious.

He doesn't seem much slower than a first-rate Adept. The custodian was also surprised.

Speed and agility were related, but not synonymous. To possess high agility, one must be able to unleash bursts of speed. However, pure speed did not necessarily indicate high agility.

Nevertheless, moving at high speed indicated an astounding physical constitution.

Whoosh! Whoosh! The five experts moved from their positions, surrounding Wu Yuan.

"Boy, you're far too arrogant. Don’t blame us if you die," growled the burly man behind the laughing mask.

Swish! Swish! He drew two short axes from his waist.

"Enough talk," Wu Yuan said indifferently. "Let's end this quickly so I can become a three-star assassin."

His words fanned the flames of fury within the five experts.

"Attack!" a voice boomed. One of the assassins, notably smaller in stature, conjured a dagger seemingly out of thin air. He lunged at Wu Yuan, swift as a bolt of lightning.

"Prepare to meet your end!" A muscular figure brandished his short axe, striding across the courtyard. He swung his weapon, aiming for Wu Yuan's head.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Three other experts moved simultaneously, some wielding long sabers, others brandishing sharp swords, all of them as swift as the wind. Although these five had never fought as a cohesive unit, they demonstrated a remarkable synergy.

Among the five, only the burly man possesses second-rate strength, while the remaining four are somewhat inferior to that level. Wu Yuan swiftly assessed.

His audacious attitude stemmed from a certain confidence.

Clang! Clang! Clang! The clash of weapons echoed through the air. Wu Yuan swiftly drew one of the three battle sabers strapped to his back, effortlessly blocking the onslaught of attacks from the five experts.

Of the three battle sabers, two were fifth-grade superior weapons, each worth only hundreds of silver taels. The Black Mountain Saber? That weapon was reserved for formidable adversaries. Against these five? It wasn't necessary to bring it out.

What a swift saber strike! Observing from the sidelines, Custodian Qin's expression shifted and he held his breath in anticipation, Even the branch master's swordsmanship isn't this swift.

Custodian Qin made an immediate deduction. This seemingly young man, codenamed Thousand Mountains, was at least a first-rate Adept!

Where did he spring up from? Custodian Qin wondered silently.

He had met many of the first-rate Adepts in Southdream Province, yet Wu Yuan's movements and battle style were unlike any he had witnessed before. Southdream Province might be large, but the number of first-rate Adepts was limited, and most of them were well-known.

Inscrutable! Mysterious!

So powerful. Where did this expert come from? The five Adepts encircling Wu Yuan grew increasingly anxious as they fought.

Though they had only exchanged a few blows, all five of them were competent Adepts with keen eyes. They quickly discerned that Wu Yuan's strength far exceeded theirs. However, the pride they had as Adepts prevented them from conceding.

As they continued to battle him, some even harbored hope of defeating Wu Yuan with their numbers. Little did they know that Wu Yuan was purely just using them for practice.

This is just about enough. These are the only moves these Adepts can muster. None of them have comprehended Power Surge. Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. None of their techniques impressed him.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Without warning, Wu Yuan's saber techniques accelerated. Dozens of blade rays seemed to streak across the night sky. All five Adepts felt a strange and terrifying force surging through their weapons into their hands, as if they had been dealt an electric shock. Their palms involuntarily recoiled in an instant.

Thunk~ Thunk~ Thunk~ One by one, their weapons fell to the ground.

Whoosh! Wu Yuan darted out of the encirclement, arriving in front of the dumbfounded custodian. With a smile, he asked, "Custodian, how’s that?"

"Thousand Mountains, you?" The custodian looked at Wu Yuan, wide-eyed. Even a first-rate Adept might not be able to instantaneously disarm five Adepts. It was harder than killing them outright. Today, he was able to recruit such a terrifying expert?

"This!"

"He?" The five Adepts were even more shocked, a sense of terror lingering in their hearts. With the strength Wu Yuan had demonstrated, killing the five of them would be as simple as slaughtering chickens. How foolish they had been to provoke him earlier!

"Custodian Qin?" Wu Yuan spoke again. "Can I consider this my victory?"

"Haha, certainly," replied Custodian Qin, his tone taking on a friendlier note. "Your saber skills are as swift as lightning, one of the fastest I've ever seen in my life. Truly formidable."

"With the strength you possess, it won't be long before you become a four-star member." Custodian Qin expressed his admiration.

Wu Yuan flashed a smile. Three-star? Four-star? According to the intelligence he had acquired, it was normally only first-rate Adepts that had the chance to become four-star assassins. Five-star assassins were generally Savant experts.

"Thousand Mountains, come with me." Custodian Qin smiled. He guided Wu Yuan towards a building on the side of the large courtyard, leaving behind the five perplexed Adept experts.

"Thousand Mountains?" The burly man sighed, "I sense the birth of a formidable assassin in Southdream Province." The others nodded, in full agreement.

...

Custodian Qin led Wu Yuan down a corridor, arriving at a soundproofed room with dim lighting.

"Thousand Mountains, your strength is extraordinary. Even the rank of a three-star assassin seems insufficient to encapsulate your abilities." Custodian Qin stated gravely. "But the Pleiades Guild has its rules, you may only start off as a three-star member."

"Also, to become a true member of the Pleiades Guild, you must complete at least one official mission."

"This is your final test. Now that you are a three-star assassin, you must complete a two-star mission, at the very least," Custodian Qin informed him.

"A mission?" Wu Yuan's eyes lit up. He came to the Pleiades Guild with this exact purpose in mind.