Chapter 1

"Six pieces of Bingxin Jade Ore, eight Tianlan Grass plants, are low-grade first-class items, totaling fourteen points; one Bai Chan Silk, a mid-grade first-class item, totaling two points; one Nieshai Flower, two Longyan Ginseng roots, and five Eroded Bone Worm corpses, all high-grade first-class items, totaling twenty-four points. Hmm, in total, that’s forty contribution points. ... Fang Tianshan, have you checked if there are any mistakes?" Behind the counter, an old man wearing a green robe, with a plump figure and a face full of smiles, casually counted the few items on the counter, then looked up at the young man in front of him and asked kindly.

"There’s no need, it matches my calculations, that’s exactly the amount." The young man’s face showed a hint of fatigue, and he looked wind-worn, clearly it was Fang Tianshan.

"Hehe, ..." The old man chuckled, his gaze on Fang Tianshan filled with cunning, "If I remember correctly, even with these forty contribution points, your total still hasn’t reached a thousand, right?"

"Yes." Fang Tianshan nodded calmly. Having calculated his contribution points many times, he was well aware that so far, his total contribution points amounted to only nine hundred and forty-one, still fifty-nine points short of a thousand. Since he came to Qingyun Sect three years ago, every time he made an exchange, he always sought out this plump shopkeeper Meng, and they had become quite familiar with each other.

"Perhaps seeing Fang Tianshan’s composed demeanor, the old shopkeeper Meng nodded slightly, looking at him with a meaningful expression, and said, "According to your bone age test, in half a month, you will be eighteen years old. ... In half a month, to complete a task worth fifty-nine contribution points, given your current strength, it’s quite difficult."

As he spoke, Shopkeeper Meng displayed a look of genuine concern for Fang Tianshan.

After all, both Fang Tianshan and Shopkeeper Meng were part of Qingyun Sect. Of course, Fang Tianshan still had the option to choose again. Since his contribution points in Qingyun Sect were still below a thousand, he was not yet considered a formal disciple of the sect. However, most major sects had similar criteria for selecting disciples. Unless your talent was outstanding among your peers, you would be selected by the higher-ups within the sect. Otherwise, you would have to work hard step by step, just like Fang Tianshan.

The formal disciples of Qingyun Sect were divided into inner sect disciples and outer sect disciples.

Becoming an outer sect disciple was the first step to integrating into the entire sect. Any young man aspiring to join Qingyun Sect, as long as they reached the Huajin realm before the age of twenty, could be promoted to an outer sect disciple. For martial artists, advancing from Mingjin to Anjin, and then to Huajin, without the special cultivation of a sect, relying solely on personal effort, was extremely difficult.

Therefore, for ordinary young men without a family background, Qingyun Sect also stipulated that those who accumulated over a thousand contribution points before the age of eighteen could also be promoted to outer sect disciples.

Without this rule, Fang Tianshan knew that with his mediocre talent, he would have no hope of joining a major sect in his lifetime.

Even so, Fang Tianshan had left his village three years ago and come here, working hard until now, and had only managed to accumulate a little over nine hundred contribution points. From initially earning a dozen or so contribution points per month to now earning thirty to fifty points per month, he had gradually accumulated and grown. However, once he turned eighteen, even if he completed the task of a thousand contribution points, it would be in vain.

Thinking of this, Fang Tianshan’s face couldn’t help but darken slightly.

...

"Based on your usual habits, each time you delve deep into the Yuming Mountains, it takes you about a month to search for herbs and other items. The value of the items you obtain is generally between thirty to fifty contribution points." Shopkeeper Meng looked at Fang Tianshan and said, "Now, with the deadline of eighteen years approaching, I’ve always been curious. With your strength, you should have already reached the Anjin realm, right? Why don’t you try forming a team with others to go and search for items?"

After all, one person’s strength is limited. Forming a team allows you to use collective strength to defeat higher-level demonic beasts. After all, there are many young men aspiring to join Qingyun Sect.

In the area where Fang Tianshan was located, there were three major forces: Qingyun Sect, Bihai Sect, and Taixing Gang. Each sect or gang had similar criteria for selecting young disciples. However, Bihai Sect specialized in weapon forging, and new disciples generally sought materials related to forging to earn more contribution points. This involved challenging more demonic beasts and finding special minerals, which was very dangerous.

Taixing Gang, on the other hand, focused more on adult martial artists. The gang had many factions and a complex membership.

For Fang Tianshan, who had no background, a sect like Qingyun Sect, which developed evenly in martial arts, forging, and alchemy, was more suitable. Moreover, Qingyun Sect was very fair in calculating contribution points for new disciples, basing it entirely on the grade and completeness of the items.

This was why Fang Tianshan chose to join Qingyun Sect when he first arrived three years ago. For example, a low-grade first-class item was worth one contribution point, a mid-grade first-class item was worth two points, and a high-grade first-class item was worth three points. This applied to herbs, minerals, and beast materials alike.

For second-class items, the starting contribution points were ten.

Fang Tianshan knew he didn’t have a high cultivation talent and was, in fact, quite poor, making very slow progress. All his growth was achieved through self-exploration. Moreover, due to his physical condition from a young age, Fang Tianshan was weaker in both strength and speed compared to other martial artists of the same level.

If he wanted to form a team with others, the final harvest would be distributed based on the strength level of each member. Fang Tianshan’s performance was far below his strength level, so in the past three years, few people would team up with him to explore the Yuming Mountains.

Fang Tianshan had also become accustomed to working alone.

...

In response to Shopkeeper Meng’s question, Fang Tianshan could only smile helplessly and shrug.

Fang Tianshan had always exchanged his items for contribution points with Shopkeeper Meng. Shopkeeper Meng was quite familiar with Fang Tianshan’s situation. Each time Fang Tianshan exchanged items, they rarely exceeded his strength level, giving Shopkeeper Meng the impression that he was steady and determined.

"Alright, I know you’re not very popular. But you, little guy, have quite a few tricks up your sleeve." Shopkeeper Meng looked at Fang Tianshan and said, "If you didn’t have a hundred percent confidence to accumulate a thousand contribution points, I don’t think you would have chosen to return at this time. You would have waited until the final half-month deadline, wouldn’t you?"

Saying this, Shopkeeper Meng glanced at the bundle behind Fang Tianshan and said, "If you have any good items, bring them out quickly. Do you think I would cheat you?"

"Hehe, ..." Fang Tianshan casually placed the bundle from his back on the counter and smiled, "I knew I couldn’t hide anything from you."

Fang Tianshan had always been striving to become an outer sect disciple of Qingyun Sect. Since he chose to return half a month early, he was well-prepared. He didn’t want his three years of hard work to go to waste. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, Fang Tianshan would make his final effort in the Yuming Mountains.

"Hey, ..." Shopkeeper Meng opened the bundle, took a look, and said curiously, "It’s actually the tail bone of a third-class demonic beast, the Earth Dragon, and a small piece of its tail skin. Not bad, not bad, ..."

A third-class demonic beast was as powerful as a human martial artist in the Huajin realm. The Earth Dragon, in particular, was a high-grade third-class demonic beast. Given Fang Tianshan’s displayed abilities, even ten Fang Tianshans might not be a match for an Earth Dragon, let alone hunt one.

As the shopkeeper in charge of the contribution point exchange for all young men aspiring to join Qingyun Sect, Shopkeeper Meng mostly dealt with martial artists in the Mingjin and Anjin realms, rarely encountering third-class or higher items.

"However, you must have been lucky to find it, right?" Shopkeeper Meng carefully examined the Earth Dragon’s tail bone and analyzed, "The fracture on the bone is very neat, definitely cut by a high-grade weapon. This small piece of skin must have been stripped from the broken tail of the Earth Dragon. Hmm, it’s just a bit small, otherwise, ... What a pity, what a pity, ..."

Fang Tianshan remained outwardly silent in response to Shopkeeper Meng’s musings. Internally, he felt a flicker of excitement. Shopkeeper Meng’s analysis was largely accurate. Fang Tianshan had indeed found this piece of the Earth Dragon’s tail by chance, but the process had been extremely dangerous.

Now, Fang Tianshan was looking forward to the contribution points Shopkeeper Meng would offer. After all, this item, taken from a high-grade third-class demonic beast, was certainly more valuable than first- or second-class items.

Missing this opportunity, it would be very difficult for Fang Tianshan to make up the fifty-plus contribution points in the remaining half-month.

This would affect Fang Tianshan’s entire life.

Fang Tianshan’s gaze on Shopkeeper Meng gradually became more expectant.

———

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