"Haha, good, good. That's definitely how remarkable the pills I make are."
Elder Gay praised his pills as he stroked his beard with one hand while patting the side of Senior Cutie's arm with the other.
"I remember the time when even the Sect Leader praised me for my vitality pill. His accurate words were, 'my stomach has never trembled so much, ah, what a wonderful remark from him."
Elder Gay told them as he continued singing praises of his pill-making skills, that is, alchemy.
Senior Cutie smiled while sighing as he had just avoided a big tragedy that could have fallen on him but now he had to hear the boasting of this elder.
Senior Cutie moved closer to Zhao Luo.
'The stomachache was real and more intense than anything you can imagine.'
He whispered to Zhao Luo causing him to be stunned.
"Then from trembling..."
Zhao Luo mumbled as he imagined an awkward image of Xin Wang who was holding his stomach and clenching his muscles of the abyss.
"Hah."
Zhao Luo laughed it off and presented the posters to the Elder.
"Elder, these are the missions we want to embark on."
Zhao Luo informed him but he didn't know what was going to happen.
'Will he do something?'
Zhao Luo wondered while Elder Gay took the mission posters from him and went inside his office.
"You four."
He addressed them while glancing at everyone.
"I know how strong all of you are. Especially you, young man."
Elder Gay pointed his finger ar, Zhao Luo.
"But I will recommend you four to take things slow."
"Five missions at the same time will mean that you will have to complete all of them in a single trip."
"Will you be able to do this, without resting while going through the outrageous conditions of the Sara desert?"
Elder Gay asked them since the only thing he could do was to test their resolve.
"As for your decision, I will respect it."
He told them while inspecting any minute change that could appear on their faces.
But, Zhao Luo was calm.
Not only him, Xiao Yu, Pi Hao, and Senior Cutie weren't worried in the least.
The two of them were already in the top ten as Zhao Luo stood at the summit of the outer hall.
While Xiao Yu even after losing to Zhao Luo, considered him his equal thus that only left Pi Hao as the odd one. But even being the weakest of the group didn't affect him.
"We can complete them."
"No."
"We will complete them!"
Pi Hao stepped forward as his voice was shaking with overflowing confidence.
"I see."
Elder Gay mumbled while looking at the deep expression on Pi Hao's face.
Then he glanced at the others and found them looking at Pi Hao with a smile on their face.
"Good!"
'Not only they are strong but their bond is strong too.'
Elder Gay deduced as he brought his hand out of the glass window.
"Give me your badges."
Elder Gay told them and they followed his instruction.
After passing their badge to the elder, Zhao Luo turned to Senior Cutie while the elder was busy putting the four badges on the mission posters one by one.
"What is he doing?"
Zhao Luo asked Senior Cutie while peeking at the Elder's hand in between his question.
"He is registering us. The badges not only show our level but each badge has a name embedded in it. The name of the person to which it belongs too. As the elder placed our badge on the poster, the mission poster has registered our names."
Senior Cutie explained to Zhao Luo since he couldn't get a chance to tell him this before.
"Interesting. I didn't know that before."
Zhao Luo commented as he indeed had no idea that the small badge which was always on his chest had such a function too.
"Here you go."
The elder returned the posters to Zhao Luo after registering their names on these missions.
Zhao Luo inspected the five posters one after another.
'I can't find my name or theirs here.'
Zhao Luo thought as he hadn't realized the change yet.
"Look here."
Senior Cutie placed his finger at the end of the poster.
The poster in Zhao Luo's hand had the fruit-gathering mission in the dread forest, and Senior Cutie's finger was just beneath the 'disciple' part.
[ Disciple: 4/10 ]
"Hmm."
Zhao Luo realized the change and stored the posters in his storage space.
"Thank you, Elder Gay."
Zhao Luo and the other bowed their heads while the Elder nodded as he looked at their respectful manner.
Looking at them, he slowly opened his mouth.
"I already told you, that you don't need to be so respectful to me. Just consider me as your friend too."
Elder Gay told Zhao Luo while his words were soft showing that he wasn't kidding around.
Zhao Luo raised his head and looked at the smile on the Elder's face.
"It will be my pleasure."
Zhao Luo told him but then Senior Cutie moved forward.
"Gay, can I treat you as a friend too?"
Senior Cutie generously asked while already treating the Elder as a friend.
"Haha, let me tell you my answer after I leave this office."
The elder got up from his seat and as soon, as he tried to leave the office, Senior Cutie started shaking his hands.
"Elder, it was just a joke. I wouldn't dare to speak casually to you."
Senior Cutie turned his friendly tone to a respectful one.
"Good. Now go."
Elder waved him off as he told the others to set out for their journey.
"Yes!"
Senior Cutie, Xiao Yu, and Pi Hao replied as they turned towards the direction of the exit.
"We will be back soon."
Zhao Luo let out his comment before turning towards the exit too.
In a while, Zhao Luo and the others had left the mission hall and ultimately leaving the mission zone.
"First we will get to the TPC building then to the 12th City, the lawless city."
Senior Cutie told them the plan while moving towards the exit of the outer hall.
