After listening to the system's explanation, Ye Cang understood why the Nine-Color Lotus was more valuable than the Thunder Bead.

On his way back home, Ye Cang said, "System, can I hand in my task now?"

"Yes, but if you hand in the task now, you will receive another mission. Do you want to submit the task?" the system replied.

Ye Cang looked around and thought, "Taking new tasks in this place... I'm in the middle of the forest. God knows what ghost mission this system will give me..." After considering his options, Ye Cang decided to submit the task after returning home, at least giving him some time to rest before starting a new one. "No," he responded.

It took him three hours to return home, and upon seeing the familiar surroundings, Ye Cang was almost moved to tears. Only he knew the extent of his suffering during those three days – with no place to sleep at night and being constantly bitten by mosquitoes. After the first day, he had grown accustomed to the mosquito bites, only to start having nightmares about the flying ship he had seen on the first day. He had to remain cautious even while eating and drinking, lest he attract any beasts. Seeing his home before him now filled him with profound relief.

After regaining his composure, Ye Cang declared, "System, hand in the task!"

"Are you sure?" the system asked for confirmation.

"Yes."

"During the three days, you have collected 50 D-level treasures, 30 C-level treasures, 10 A-level treasures, and 2 SSS-level treasures... Evaluating... Your task completion is rated 'S'... Congratulations, Host, for completing your first mission. Rewards are being issued..."

"Ding... Congratulations, Level 1 System Store is now open."

"Ding... Congratulations, you've received 50 wish points."

"Ding... Congratulations, you've received a Tier-6 Alchemy Card."

"Ding... Congratulations, you've received Medical Skills."

"Ding...Congratulations, you've received 10+ Charm Value."

"Ding...Congratulations, you've acquired the skill 'Mist Walker'."

"Ding...Congratulations, you've acquired Tailoring Skills."

"Ding...Congratulations, you've received an Alchemy Furnace."

"Ding...Congratulations, you've won ten consecutive draws."

Seeing the wealth of rewards pouring in, Ye Cang was overjoyed. He now understood that the rewards were based on the completion level of the task. For this mission, he had achieved an 'S' rank completion, resulting in such a bountiful haul. If he could complete future tasks at the SS or even SSS level, he could only imagine the caliber of rewards that would await him.

As Ye Cang neared his home, brimming with joy over his recent acquisitions, the ground suddenly began trembling violently, akin to an earthquake. Initially, he assumed it was caused by a beast on the move. However, he quickly recalled that there were no traces of beasts near his home, leaving him puzzled as to the source of the disturbance. Only a behemoth, tens or even hundreds of meters tall, could trigger such tremors. As he raised his head, a meteorite pierced through the distant horizon, rapidly descending from the sky! The violent shaking was caused by the meteorite's descent.

Ye Cang's face paled as he recalled the UFO (flying ship) he had witnessed on his first day in this world. "Are aliens going to invade Earth?" he thought, before dismissing the notion, remembering that he was no longer on Earth. Even if aliens landed in this place, there would undoubtedly be many formidable beings capable of confronting them.

Boom——

In an instant, Ye Cang was jolted from his stance on the ground, immediately scaling a tall tree to gain a better vantage point and peer into the distance.

In the distance, an explosion with shocking visuals akin to an atomic bomb detonated. Unstoppable flames swallowed everything in its path! The forest in that area was instantly incinerated, leaving a barren circle tens of thousands of meters wide.

Ye Cang's pupils shrank in disbelief. "What the f*ck is that?!"

He considered leaving, thinking it was too dangerous to approach. But then he remembered his home was near this place. If he wanted to continue living here, he had to investigate the source of that inferno.

Should he go or not?

"F*ck it! I need to check this out!"

Ye Cang took a deep breath and jumped down from the tree, proceeding cautiously forward. He held his breath, careful not to attract unwanted attention. If anything seemed amiss, he'd escape using teleportation. As he neared the blast site where a forest once stood, everything in sight had been razed to the ground, leaving a deep crater probably hundreds of meters wide. The soil smoked faintly, still hot from the explosion.

"Strange, why haven't any beasts been drawn here? There's no dangerous aura or powerful boss. Were they just scared off?"

Ye Cang inched closer, still holding his breath cautiously. When he reached the edge of the crater, he peered down.

There was something...no, someone at the bottom!

Ye Cang rubbed his eyes, disbelieving. A person? Here? Even a UFO would be more plausible than someone surviving that fall...and with their clothes intact? Although the cultivation world defied scientific logic, this stretched credulity. Shouldn't some principles still apply? What level of cultivation would allow that?

At that moment, the system chimed:

"Ding...you have triggered the task [Save Mu Qianxue], rewards: Alchemy Fire, random high-grade spiritual weapon, Ice attribute, and Mu Qianxue Favorability +30."

"Task tool: Alchemy Fire

Task penalty: Host loses Wish system

Task duration: 1 Day."

Ye Cang was stunned into silence by the system notification.