Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

Chapter 471: Chapter 207: Resources (3)

When Chen Qing heard that the Hidden Peak allowed disciples to bring their families under the Sect’s protection, his heart stirred.

If his mother, Ms. Han, could receive such protection, he could truly travel and practice his Cultivation without any worries for what he left behind.

The benefits and foundation of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect were truly profound.

As they walked, Huang Changming eagerly pointed to the distant Nine Great Inner Peaks, which were wreathed in clouds and mist, presenting a magnificent sight, and began introducing them one by one.

Chen Qing’s gaze swept past the various peaks, finally landing on the mysterious Hidden Peak.

He could only see its summit shrouded in flowing clouds, its full form hidden from view.

He couldn’t help but wonder, ’I wonder how many mighty True Essence Realm experts with vast Divine Techniques are hidden away on that peak?’

’And in those depths, hidden beyond the clouds, are there old monsters who have surpassed the True Essence Realm, cultivating in seclusion?’

As the two walked and talked, Chen Qing steered the conversation toward his primary concern: Contribution Points. "Junior Brother Huang, what are all the amazing uses for these Contribution Points?"

A look of envy appeared on Huang Changming’s face as he laughed. "Their uses are endless! You could say they’re the very foundation of our life in the Sect!"

As he spoke, he took a slightly worn parchment booklet from his robes and handed it to Chen Qing. "Brother Chen, this is the exchange catalog for the Outer Sect. You can use it as a reference for now. Inner Sect Disciples can exchange for a much wider variety of items. After all, the Sect strictly controls many rare resources. If your status isn’t high enough, you can’t exchange for them even if you have the Contribution Points."

Chen Qing took the booklet and flipped through it quickly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Although this was only the Outer Sect version of the catalog, it was already all-encompassing and quite astonishing.

Flowing Cloud Sword Technique: 2,500 points. Thick Earth Technique: 3,800 points...

Various Upper-Grade Martial Arts were priced anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 points.

There was a dazzling array of Low-Grade and Middle-Grade Treasure Artifacts, and even a good number of Top-Grade Treasure Artifacts, with prices ranging from several hundred to a few thousand points.

There were even a few items labeled as "half Spiritual Treasures," with prices exceeding 3,000 points.

Chen Qing’s gaze sharpened. Just as he’d expected, he saw the Metal Attribute Exotic Treasure, Sharp Gold Essence, priced at 2,500 points, and the Fire Attribute Exotic Treasure, Earth Fire Heart Lotus, priced at 1,800 points.

The prices were similar to what he had estimated. Different Exotic Treasures had different effects, so their prices varied.

He made a mental comparison. His own Earth Essence Marrow Pearl, which could slowly improve the quality of his Earth Element True Astral, would definitely be worth far more than an ordinary Earth Attribute Exotic Treasure if it were listed here.

As for his other two Exotic Treasures, they were probably quite ordinary.

Flipping further, he reached the Elixir section. The Astral Condensing Pill, which was extremely precious in the outside world, was listed for a shocking 3,000 points each!

There was also the Dragon Tiger Bone Forging Pill for tempering the body at 500 points a bottle, and the high-quality Yuan Recovery Pill for rapidly restoring True Astral at 100 points a bottle, among others.

Finally, there was a section for rare and exotic treasures. Chen Qing’s eyes swept over the list: an adult Golden Feathered Eagle mount, only 2,000 Contribution Points!

His heartbeat couldn’t help but quicken, and a gleam flashed in his eyes.

Adult Golden Feathered Eagles were renowned for their incredible speed. If he could obtain such a mount, it would be extremely convenient for chasing enemies or escaping, should the need arise.

’When I have enough Contribution Points, I’ll exchange for one,’ he thought.

Countless treasures that were priceless or even unheard of in the outside world were clearly priced here, available for exchange with just Contribution Points.

Among them were many tribute items from vassal sects, including the Wutai Sect’s Centennial Earth Core Milk. Here, a single drop could be exchanged for a mere ten Contribution Points.

"These one thousand Contribution Points are nowhere near enough!"

Chen Qing looked at the mere 1,000 Contribution Points in his token and was once again struck by this realization.

Huang Changming chimed in at the right moment, "Brother Chen, this is only the Outer Sect catalog. The Inner Sect catalog is surely even more extensive. I’ve heard that if you have enough Contribution Points, it’s possible to exchange for anything, even Unparalleled Martial Arts or Great Pills like the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill!"

’The Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill!?’

Chen Qing remembered that he still owed Master Li a Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and asked, "Besides the monthly stipend, are there other ways to earn Contribution Points?"

Huang Changming answered immediately, "Yes, of course! The monthly stipend from the Sect is just the basic guarantee. The main way to get more is by completing Sect missions."

"There’s a mission board in Wanxiang Hall. Depending on the difficulty and time required, the Contribution Point rewards range from tens to thousands. Some long or extremely dangerous missions can even grant several thousand Contribution Points in one go!"

He paused, then lowered his voice. "Moreover, the monthly amount you receive varies greatly depending on your status. Outer Disciples like us only get ten points a month. Inner Sect Disciples, like you, Brother Chen, get one hundred. True Disciples are said to receive a full six hundred points! And if you’re an Elder, especially one of those great figures with unfathomable Cultivation who has reached the True Essence Realm, you receive a fixed stipend of a thousand points every month!"

’Six hundred for True Disciples, one thousand for the True Essence Realm...’

Chen Qing calculated silently, once again feeling the strict hierarchy and resource disparity within the Sect.

"Besides that, there’s climbing the Celestial Treasure Tower!"

Huang Changming’s tone grew excited, as if he were talking about something incredible.

"Climbing the Celestial Treasure Tower?" Chen Qing’s interest was piqued; he recalled the recent selection trials.

"Exactly!"

Huang Changming nodded. "The first eleven floors you experienced, Brother Chen, were mainly trial and selection floors for outsiders. Starting from the twelfth floor, that’s where the strength of Inner Sect Disciples is truly tested! The Sect stipulates that Inner Sect Disciples have several chances to challenge the Celestial Treasure Tower each month. For every floor you successfully pass, you get a one-time reward of Contribution Points!"

As he spoke, a look of shame crossed his face. "I’ve been in the Outer Sect for decades, and even with all my effort, I’ve only managed to pass the seventeenth floor. When I cleared it, I got a thousand Contribution Points in one go."

"With your strength, Brother Chen, you reached the Eighth Layer on your first attempt. If you were to challenge these assessment floors, in my opinion, passing the twenty-second floor should be no problem at all! You’d get at least two thousand Contribution Points in one go! That’s much faster than doing any mission!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing had a moment of clarity. He thought to himself, ’So that’s how it is. The Celestial Treasure Tower isn’t just a selection tool; it’s also a key method for the Sect to motivate disciples and distribute resources.’

Compared to the time-consuming, strenuous, and potentially risky Sect missions, climbing the tower based on his own strength was clearly a more attractive option for him.

Huang Changming was a sharp fellow. Seeing Chen Qing’s interest, he added, "And the tower-climbing rewards aren’t just a one-time thing. As long as your strength continues to improve and you can clear higher floors, the Contribution Points will keep flowing in. Many of the senior brothers and sisters in the Inner Sect, and even the True Disciples, consider climbing the tower their primary way of earning Contribution Points."

Chen Qing remarked with a sigh, "The benefits of Contribution Points are truly unimaginable."

Having spent decades in the Outer Sect, Huang Changming was a seasoned veteran. He glanced around, lowered his voice even more, and revealed, "Brother Chen, the uses for Contribution Points go far beyond what’s officially stated. Because they’re a hard currency and can be traded anonymously, they have many private uses. Quite a few people will use large amounts of Contribution Points to post... let’s say, less-than-proper missions. For example, hiring experts to explore dangerous secret realms outside the Sect, or... to ambush and kill enemies they have a grudge against. As long as the price is right, there will always be people desperate for resources who are willing to take the job."

When Chen Qing heard this, his pupils contracted imperceptibly. He now understood completely.

"I see. Thank you for clearing that up for me, Junior Brother Huang."

Chen Qing slowly exhaled. He now had a clearer and more profound understanding of how the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect operated.

’The ranking competition in six months!’

He could already imagine how intense it would be.

’The lion’s share of the resources all depends on that ranking!’

The higher the rank, the more Contribution Points you’d surely receive each month.

He immediately thought of the hundred-odd geniuses from all over who were on Xu Wang Mountain.

Fighting his way through that crowd to compete for a higher rank would be no easy task.

After all, the selection trial ranking wasn’t a perfect measure of strength. Chen Qing was ranked twenty-ninth, placing him above many Mid-stage Astral Force experts, and they were surely unconvinced of his superiority.

These six months were an adaptation period, but likely also the beginning of a period of observation and competition.

The resources on Xu Wang Mountain were limited. If you wanted more, you had to climb over the shoulders of others.

The rules of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect were even more naked and pragmatic than those of the Wutai Sect.

However, Chen Qing had already anticipated this. The Haisa Sect’s internal rules had been modeled after the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect’s, so he had seen something similar before.

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