Chapter 577: Forcing Others to Submit

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

The blood flowing around him returned to Chen Fei’s body, and he stood up to open the door of the practice room. Outside, he saw two individuals dressed in the attire of the Sea Dominion City Task Hall.

“Who are you two?” Chen Fei asked, puzzled.

“We have a task that requires your assistance. Here’s the task information. You need to report by noon tomorrow,” Fang Sifu said, his cheeks slightly elongated and his chin sharp, giving him a somewhat stern appearance.

At this moment, Fang Sifu directly took out a jade slip and handed it to Chen Fei without hesitation.

Chen Fei looked at the jade slip but did not take it. He glanced at Fang Sifu, then turned to look at the other person beside him.

“We’re from the Task Hall. Here’s our jade token; you can verify it,” Mo Xuyang said with a slight smile, taking out a jade token from his sleeve.

Members of the Task Hall each had their own identity proof to prevent unauthorized impersonation.

In times of war like now, anyone caught impersonating a Task Hall member would be apprehended immediately. If they resisted, they could even be executed on the spot.

Those imprisoned would have to undertake various dangerous tasks to have a chance of survival.

Therefore, there were almost no individuals daring to impersonate Task Hall members within Sea Dominion City.

“I don’t doubt your identities, but I refuse to accept this task,” Chen Fei said calmly, without looking at Mo Xuyang’s jade token.

“You refuse without even knowing the details of the task?” Fang Sifu’s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing Chen Fei’s words, his gaze turning displeased.

“I have completed an urgent task before. According to the rules of the Task Hall, I am not required to undertake any further tasks within a year,” Chen Fei explained, meeting Fang Sifu’s gaze.

Every urgent task assigned by the Task Hall was extremely difficult and naturally highly dangerous.

Therefore, the Task Hall had an additional rule: once an urgent task was completed, the individual was exempt from undertaking any other tasks for a year.

Chen Fei had previously discovered the Formless Realm Formation and had performed remarkably well in completing that urgent task. It was because of this that he had been able to remain peacefully in the practice room for the past few months.

“But things are different now. The situation outside has become extremely dire recently, and we can’t afford to have you comfortably practicing here anymore.”

Fang Sifu retorted, his displeasure evident in his eyes.

“You should also be aware that the number of sea demons outside the Sea Dominion City is increasing, and our manpower is somewhat insufficient,” he added.

Mo Xuyang maintained a gentle smile on his face as he looked at Chen Fei, continuing, “We understand that you completed an urgent task before, but you’ve also rested for several months. Now there happens to be a task that requires your expertise, which is why we’ve come to you.”

“That makes sense.”

Chen Fei nodded, but still didn’t take the jade slip, simply gazing at Mo Xuyang and Fang Sifu.

Mo Xuyang thought Chen Fei might have been persuaded by his words, but seeing that Chen Fei still showed no intention of taking the jade slip, he realized otherwise. However, if Chen Fei were to accept the jade slip and read its contents, regardless of his willingness, he would have no choice but to undertake the task.

This was because task information could only be given to those assigned to the task. If Chen Fei refused, it would be seen as a breach of security, which was not tolerated.

In such a scenario, even if Chen Fei had already completed an urgent task within the past year, he would still be obligated to undertake this new task.

This was precisely why Fang Sifu wasted no time in getting to the point as soon as Chen Fei opened the door to the practice room and even handed him the jade slip directly.

It was an attempt to catch Chen Fei off guard and compel him to accept the task passively.

During times of war, the Task Hall held considerable power. It wasn’t merely a place for task assignments; when situations required enforcement of rules with violence, it was the Task Hall’s responsibility to act.

Hence, when ordinary martial artists encountered members of the Task Hall, they would naturally feel somewhat subdued, especially if they were not familiar with the Task Hall’s regulations, making them more susceptible to persuasion.

Chen Fei, however, was unaware of the specific regulations of the Task Hall. Yet, as long as he didn’t accept anything from the Task Hall, there wouldn’t be any issues, especially considering he was in the right.

“What do you mean by this?” Fang Sifu’s voice grew stern as he observed Chen Fei’s indifference.

“As I said before, I refuse to accept this task,” Chen Fei replied calmly.

“Now is a special time, and Sea Dominion City needs your strength. Is this how you choose to respond?” Fang Sifu’s eyes narrowed slightly as his voice grew louder.

“I’m simply following the rules of the Task Hall,” Chen Fei’s expression remained unchanged.

“The situation is complex now, and the old rules may change at any time. You are the most suitable candidate for this task. Your refusal may lead to the failure of this task, and even if it succeeds, it may result in significant sacrifices,” Mo Xuyang said solemnly.

“If there are changes in the regulations of the Task Hall, please inform me promptly, and I will act according to the new rules,” Chen Fei didn’t acknowledge Mo Xuyang’s latter remarks.

What did it mean to be the most suitable candidate? The Thousand Feathers Alliance was vast, with numerous martial artists possessing various abilities.

Among the top ten influential forces alone, it was difficult to ascertain the exact number of formidable individuals they possessed.

Chen Fei had acquired martial techniques from several of these forces, so he was well acquainted with them. Under equivalent levels of cultivation, martial artists from these top-tier forces were undoubtedly stronger than their counterparts.

Not only were they powerful, but their auxiliary abilities were also at the top level.

Now, to coerce Chen Fei into accepting a new urgent task indicated that the task was certainly not simple. Chen Fei’s displayed cultivation level was only at the initial stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, so the task must be quite challenging, which was why it was assigned to him.

Ultimately, it boiled down to the perception that Chen Fei lacked strong backing, yet his abilities were relatively fitting for such tasks. In such cases, it was natural to assign more dangerous missions to individuals like Chen Fei.

Presently, the Task Hall consisted not only of members from the Thousand Feathers Alliance but also peak Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts from the other ten top forces.

Partiality in task allocation was almost inevitable, a fact that Chen Fei had anticipated long ago.

While the world of martial artists differed greatly from that of ordinary people, many fundamental aspects of human nature remained unchanged.

As for the possibility of casualties during missions being attributed to Chen Fei, if such a situation arose, Chen Fei would have no words of protest; it would be considered his responsibility.

However, how they chose to handle it was their concern; Chen Fei would not attribute such matters to himself, nor would he harbor any psychological burden.

After practicing martial arts for so many years, if Chen Fei couldn’t see through such things, then all his efforts in martial arts would have been in vain.

Fang Sifu and Mo Xuyang exchanged a glance, realizing they had no better options in dealing with Chen Fei’s stubbornness at the moment.

In truth, their actions today deviated somewhat from the rules originally established by the Task Hall.

Therefore, they could only resort to verbal persuasion. After all, according to the records, Chen Fei was relatively young.

Compared to other Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts who were often over a hundred or two hundred years old, Chen Fei was exceptionally young for his level of cultivation. And youth, sometimes, represented talent, and other times, it represented susceptibility to persuasion.

As long as they appealed to righteousness and applied a little pressure, many martial artists of this age could be persuaded to yield.

However, the outcome with Chen Fei was quite different. None of their tactics seemed to have any effect on him; he remained completely unmoved.

“Ignoring the bigger picture, hmph!”

Fang Sifu snorted coldly and turned away, while Mo Xuyang glanced at Chen Fei, shaking his head as if disappointed.

Observing this scene, Chen Fei couldn’t help but find it amusing. Even now, they hadn’t given up and were still attempting to provoke him once more.

However, one’s own life was a matter for oneself to handle. Others might be indifferent to Chen Fei’s fate, but he was responsible for his own life.

Closing the door to the practice room, Chen Fei dismissed the matters involving Fang Sifu and Mo Xuyang from his mind, focusing instead on cultivating his elemental energy and refining the three martial techniques.

After months of practice, the injuries to his Combined Aperture Tempering realm caused by the forced breakthrough to the Fourth Stage had mostly healed. It was estimated that with another month or so of time, his Combined Aperture Tempering realm would be completely restored.

At that point, Chen Fei would attempt to break through to the Fifth Stage of Harmonization.

Fang Sifu and Mo Xuyang frowned upon seeing the closed door of Chen Fei’s practice room.

As Chen Fei had anticipated, this particular task was indeed extremely perilous. In truth, among the top ten influential forces, there were numerous potential candidates for such missions.

Their earlier words, describing Chen Fei as the most suitable candidate for the task, were indeed merely persuasive tactics aimed at convincing him to accept it.

There weren’t many other traps associated with this task; it was purely dangerous. However, the rewards offered were quite substantial and commensurate with the level of danger involved.

But precisely because it was so perilous, the top ten forces were somewhat reluctant to send their members into harm’s way. If there were other Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts who could undertake the task, it would undoubtedly be a welcome development for these influential forces.

Hence, today’s assignment of this task through such a process unfolded.

Unfortunately, Chen Fei refused to accept any persuasion, steadfastly citing the rules of the Task Hall throughout, effectively countering all their arguments, leaving them helpless.

Unless the Task Hall were to truly amend this rule, Chen Fei would indeed be unable to decline. However, changing this rule might bring about other complications for the Task Hall.

After all, urgent tasks represented high risks. Completing one only to immediately undertake another was essentially leading individuals down a path of no return.

“Should we adjust the defense zone of the Primordial Sword Sect?” Fang Sifu couldn’t help but feel somewhat annoyed.

Although the defense zones around Sea Dominion City were generally similar, there were still some differences in detail. Some areas were indeed more dangerous, with higher casualty rates.

Mo Xuyang understood Fang Sifu’s suggestion but after some consideration, he shook his head.

While the Task Hall had the authority to adjust the defense zones of these forces, making too many adjustments would be too conspicuous. Moreover, Mo Xuyang had heard that Chen Fei seemed to be acquainted with the disciple of the Alliance Master, Gu Danying.

Gu Danying had mentioned Chen Fei’s name on some occasions, showing some appreciation for him. Adjusting the defense zone of the Primordial Sword Sect would essentially be tearing off the facade and confronting Chen Fei directly..