Once Ruyue was seated next to Damien, Tian Yang continued.
"Ruyue, you heard everything, didn't you?"
Ruyue nodded. She had just finished a long period of meditation and came to meet Tian Yang before doing some physical training, but she ended up overhearing an interesting conversation instead.
There were many things she was curious about. The Nox and the plans regarding them, the movements of the peak experts of the world, and most of all, the fact that Damien said his "homeworld" was also being targeted.
His homeworld? Ruyue wasn't stupid enough to not know what he meant by that, she was just too surprised to totally process the fact.
She thought back to their small argument about being well-traveled and realized why he could act so much wiser than her. Still, before she could ponder on it further, she was abruptly pulled into the conversation.
"Since you're both aware of the Nox and the devil worshippers in the world, I have something I want you to take care of. Think of it as a mission." Tian Yang said after receiving her confirmation.
The duo's interest was piqued at the mention of this. Missions were always assigned by the mission hall. That is, unless they were too important to go through such a wide selection process.
For specialized missions that came straight from an elder, especially a Grand Elder like Tian Yang, there had to be something much more important at stake.
"You both must be well aware of the Empyrean Dragon Realm opening in 9 months already. The event isn't too big of a deal in usual times, but with the probability of war on the horizon, this year's entrance holds much more significance.
"I will not go into details at the moment, but if you weren't already aware, the Empyrean Dragon Realm isn't a secret realm as much as it is a hidden world. The entire realm was actually the location of the Empyrean Dragon Palace that ruled the Cloud Plane in ancient times."
This information was new to Damien, but he wasn't exactly surprised. Even in the current world, the Supreme Fairy Paradise was said to reside in a hidden realm. Although, a hidden world seemed to be a much greater version of such a concept.
"The reason I bring this up is simple. There are plenty of forces that are planning to send their youths into the hidden world this time, just like every year. The problem is, we don't know how many of them are in collusion with the Nox.
"If any devil worshippers were allowed to gain an inheritance or legacy from the ancient sect, who knows what could happen. And that's if we don't even mention the true inheritance of the sect.
"The inheritances found thus far have been good enough for the secret realm entrance to be widely anticipated every 5 years when it opens. And even with such consistency, merely 1/3rd of the world has been explored. And even within that 1/3rd, only half the treasures have been claimed.
"What I want from you two is simple. I will give you the location where many wicked powers are said to have gathered, and you will investigate.
"As I said, only investigate, nothing more. If the information holds true, there will be many Law Connection powerhouses present. If you find anything of substance, leave immediately and report back.
"And if you get caught, crush these talismans and you'll be transported directly back to this pagoda."
Tian Yang pulled two slips of paper out of his spatial ring. They were both palm-sized and had a series of runic lines on them that seemed to be drawn in ink. Yet, the power of their aura clearly represented their might.
Taking his talisman from Tian Yang, Damien raised a question. "If it's as dangerous as you say, why do you need us to do this?"
"That's even simpler," Ruyue interjected, "wouldn't they be much more on guard if a powerhouse suddenly showed up? Even if we are powerful, our cultivation levels don't reflect it as much.
"As long as we have Chaos rank artifacts to disguise ourselves, we are the best choice for this kind of mission."
Damien nodded in agreement once he heard her reasoning. Indeed, it was a stupid question of him to ask. But his attention was drawn to something else.
"Chaos rank artifacts?"
"That's right," Tian Yang said, "for this mission, I've prepared Chaos rank artifacts for the two of you. Luckily, we already had them in the sect treasury, or I would have been forced to call in a few favors."
The artifacts Tian Yang pulled out were shaped like bracelets with entirely black surfaces. They truly had no defining features, looking as average as an accessory could get.
Looking at the first Chaos Rank artifact that he had ever seen, Damien was a bit disgruntled. He expected something more flashy for a rank with such a domineering name. Not to mention how powerful they were supposed to be.
Looking at his expression, Tian Yang let out a slight chuckle. "Don't be fooled by their mundane appearance. They are disguise artifacts, not weaponry, so naturally they are made to blend in. Their power is still as great as you imagine."
Damien nodded. He already knew it was like this, he was just slightly discontent. It was just him being an inconvenience more than anything else.
Ignoring Damien's grievance, Tian Yang pulled out the next item he would give them. "This is the final help I'll give you. It's a map of the location I mentioned previously and also the identities that you will be taking on. Furthermore, there is a list of all the potential powerhouses that might be present.
"I'm aware that this mission is serious, but your safety takes priority. If worst comes to pass, I will personally move to ensure that you both stay safe."
The duo nodded solemnly. If Tian Yang was giving this much assurance, there was really nothing for them to worry about.
This kind of mission was a new thing to Damien. They had just been talking about how he always used brute strength to force his way forward, and now he was being put in a situation where he could no longer do so.
He didn't know how he would fare on this mission, especially with its importance, but he wanted to do his best. Not only for the completion of the mission, but also due to the sense of duty he felt.
It was an odd thing, to say the least. He, who never cared for anything besides his own people, felt a sense of duty in the boiling conflict with the Nox.
He was only half lying when he said it was for the sake of his homeworld. While he didn't care about the people residing on the planet, he cared about the world itself.
It was bound to him. He didn't want to think about what would happen if it got destroyed or conquered by a race like the Nox. That connection was much deeper than the other ones he had to the random celestial bodies in the distance.
He had a gut feeling that as he was now, if the earth was destroyed, he'd inevitably die.
