Chapter 71

"Amazing! Senior Sister is truly exceptionally intelligent to come up with such a method of swinging the hammer." Yuan Ming's thoughts raced, and he flattered her with his words.

"Don't talk nonsense. How could I think of such a method? It was created by a master alchemist from a hundred years ago. This master was born frail and created this method to compensate for his lack of strength." Chen Wan's face turned slightly red, and she shook her head.

"Is that so? I wonder what the name of this alchemy master is? Is he still in the sect?" Yuan Ming asked curiously.

"Blackwood Master was one of the top alchemy geniuses in our sect over the past hundred years. Unfortunately, he mysteriously disappeared many years ago. If he were still around, our Bìluó Cave's alchemy level would not be just what it is now." Chen Wan looked regretful.

Yuan Ming had no interest in alchemy and could not appreciate Chen Wan's thoughts. Instead, he began to consider the matter of the Object Driving Technique.

He had been in the sect for half a month and had gained some basic understanding of Bìluó Cave. The Guicang Pavilion, as Chen Wan mentioned, was where Bìluó Cave stored spells, secret techniques, and cultivation methods.

Bìluó Cave was rather negligent in teaching its disciples. Apart from the inner disciples who were taken under the wings of the elders and cave masters, ordinary registered disciples had to go to the Guicang Pavilion to exchange for new cultivation methods and secret techniques, and then study them on their own.

As an official institution of the sect, the Guicang Pavilion was different from Toad Valley. Here, spells could not be exchanged for goods; instead, a system called "contribution points" was used.

For newly registered disciples, the sect would grant twenty contribution points to help them establish themselves, but these would only be officially distributed at the end of the month.

Yuan Ming could earn some contribution points by working in the fire workshop, but he would not receive them until the end of the month. Therefore, he could not exchange for any spells for the time being.

"Don't think too highly of it. Theoretically, using the Object Driving Technique to assist in forging is feasible, but in practice, it is fraught with difficulties. Although the technique is easy to learn, combining it with physical strength and applying it to alchemy is not easy, at least for Qi Condensation cultivators. Many of our sect's naturally frail individuals have tried this method, but very few have succeeded. You should weigh your options. I have something to do, so I'll leave first." Chen Wan reminded Yuan Ming and then turned to leave.

"If Senior Sister Chen has nothing else, could you take me to the Xingzhixiang Hall?" Yuan Ming called out to her.

"The tasks posted in the Xingzhixiang Hall are not simple. A slight misstep could cost you your life. You've just joined the sect, and it seems too early for you to take on tasks. Why not wait a while?" Chen Wan frowned and advised.

"No problem, I just want to take a look, not necessarily to take on a task." Yuan Ming waved his hand. At that moment, a sudden chill surged from his back, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

"What's wrong with you?" Chen Wan asked, puzzled.

"Nothing... I might have caught a chill." Yuan Ming touched his nose, catching a glimpse of a silver figure flashing by a large tree outside the forge.

"Are you still going?" Chen Wan asked.

"Let's go." Yuan Ming said, turning his gaze away.

The two left the fire workshop and walked down the mountain, soon arriving at a valley between three peaks. In the valley stood a tall gray stone tower, divided into three levels.

At the entrance of the stone tower stood a stone pillar with the three red characters "Xingzhixiang Hall" inscribed on it.

People were constantly entering and exiting the Xingzhixiang Hall, making it quite lively.

The Xingzhixiang Hall was where Bìluó Cave posted bounty tasks. Disciples could take on tasks here to earn contribution points.

Contribution points were very useful, not only for exchanging spells and cultivation methods at the Guicang Pavilion but also for obtaining elixirs, talismans, and other materials elsewhere.

Yuan Ming had heard of this place before but had been busy practicing forging and cultivation. This was his first visit.

"Alright, I've brought you here. I won't say more. Take care of yourself." Chen Wan said and turned to leave.

Yuan Ming stood there, looking at the gray tower for a moment, and was about to step inside.

"Junior Brother Yuan Ming, are you here to take on a task?" a timid voice came from behind, belonging to Qiqige.

"Senior Sister Qiqige, I'm just here to familiarize myself with the environment. Are you here to take on a task?" Yuan Ming, who had a good impression of Qiqige, smiled and replied.

"Yes." Qiqige was very shy and immediately lowered her head when her eyes met Yuan Ming's.

"Let's go in together. It's my first time here, and I hope Senior Sister can guide me." Yuan Ming said.

"Okay." Qiqige said softly and walked in with her head down.

Yuan Ming also entered the Xingzhixiang Hall. The interior was spacious, about a hundred feet in diameter. The first thing he saw was a long stone counter, where two elders in official attire were registering disciples who had taken on tasks.

Next to the counter stood a white marble stele, about twenty feet high and ten feet wide, displaying various sect tasks through magical means.

A dozen or so Bìluó Cave disciples were gathered around the stele, mostly registered disciples, discussing the content of the tasks in low voices.

"There aren't many people here. I thought there would be more disciples taking on tasks." Yuan Ming said.

"Most of the sect's disciples are busy with their duties in their respective halls and spend the rest of their time cultivating. Not many come to the Xingzhixiang Hall to take on tasks." Qiqige said softly.

"So, coming to the Xingzhixiang Hall to take on tasks is like doing odd jobs." Yuan Ming made an analogy.

"Exactly." Qiqige, slightly surprised, said.

Yuan Ming nodded and looked at the stele.

The tasks on the stele were varied. The simplest were errand tasks, such as delivering letters, mostly family letters written by Bìluó Cave disciples.

These tasks were safe but had pitiful rewards, only one or two contribution points.

Tasks with slightly higher rewards involved gathering tasks, such as collecting spiritual herbs and materials from dangerous places or hunting fierce beasts to obtain their materials. The rewards for these tasks ranged from a few to several dozen contribution points.

There were also tasks with higher contribution points, but they were much more dangerous than gathering materials or hunting beasts.

Yuan Ming's eyes fell on the task with the highest reward. It was an assassination task, targeting a cultivator named "Ma Xingkong."

According to the task description, this person was a defected disciple of Bìluó Cave, whose cultivation had reached the peak of Qi Condensation, and he possessed a spiritual beast as powerful as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Bìluó Cave offered a bounty of a thousand contribution points for his capture, dead or alive.

"Senior Sister Qiqige, do you know this Ma Xingkong? His name sounds like he's from the Central Plains?" Yuan Ming asked.

"I know a little. He is indeed from the Central Plains. He was originally a disciple of the Beast Taming Hall, said to have been a beast tamer. He was personally brought into the sect by Elder Mengshan. He suddenly defected a little over a year ago and has not been caught since." Qiqige, no longer as shy, spoke more.

"However powerful Ma Xingkong might be, he is still a Qi Condensation cultivator. Why would Bìluó Cave offer a thousand contribution points for his capture?" Yuan Ming asked, puzzled.

"I don't know." Qiqige shook her head.

Yuan Ming had just asked out of curiosity and soon dismissed it, continuing to examine the tasks on the stele.

He had come here today not just to look around. If there was a suitable task, he wanted to try it and earn some contribution points.

He didn't consider the errand tasks, as the contribution points were too few, and such tasks took a lot of time, often ten to fifteen days. He still had to work in the fire workshop and couldn't be away for that long.

Yuan Ming focused on the gathering tasks and soon found one that caught his eye.

"Collect Fire Jade: Go to Tali Volcano and collect Fire Jade. Five pieces can be exchanged for one contribution point. This task can be completed in a team."

After joining Bìluó Cave, Yuan Ming had deliberately inquired about the nearby geography and had heard of Tali Volcano, which was only about a hundred miles from the sect's entrance. A round trip would take no more than half a day.

This task could be completed in a team, with minimal danger, making it suitable for him.

"Senior Sister Qiqige, you can go about your business. You don't need to worry about me." Yuan Ming said to Qiqige.

Qiqige nodded, turned to the stele, and soon went to the long counter to take on a task, then left on her own.

Seeing Qiqige leave, Yuan Ming went to the counter, took out his identity badge, and handed it to a black-robed official: "I want to take on Task 35, the Fire Jade collection task."

"Fire Jade collection tasks are usually done in teams. There is a team currently recruiting members. Do you want to join?" The black-robed official took out a white jade token, tapped it on Yuan Ming's identity badge, and asked expressionlessly.

"I'm willing to join." Yuan Ming said immediately.

"Very well. The team is over there. You can go directly to them." The black-robed official returned the identity badge and pointed to a corner of the hall.

Yuan Ming followed the direction of the official's finger and saw four Bìluó Cave disciples standing there, all registered disciples. Among them was a familiar face, the bald Agula.

His brows furrowed slightly but soon relaxed as he walked over.

Noticing someone approaching, the four turned to look.

Agula's expression changed when he saw Yuan Ming.

"Is this junior brother also taking on the Fire Jade task? Haha, a new face. I wonder which hall's disciple you are?" A beautiful woman with silver ornaments on her head asked after sizing up Yuan Ming. She seemed to be the leader of the group.

The woman was in her early thirties, with a kind face. She wore a silver bracelet that shimmered with light, seemingly not an ordinary item, and a green spirit beast bag hung from her waist.

Next to her stood a black-skinned giant, wearing a piece of animal skin that exposed half of his chest. A red tiger head tattoo was inked on his shoulder, and he held a thick, black iron rod, clearly a man of great strength.

The last person was a young man with a triangular eye and a cold expression, giving off an aura of aloofness.

"I am Yuan Ming, a new disciple of the Fire Refining Hall. Greetings to my fellow disciples." Yuan Ming bowed.

"Fire Refining Hall? Agula, is he from your hall?" The beautiful woman looked at Agula.

Agula forced a smile at the woman but turned to Yuan Ming with a dark expression, saying coldly, "Yuan Ming, you've only been in Bìluó Cave for half a month. You probably don't even know three of the sect's paths. Rushing here to take on a task, are you looking for death?"