Translator: AnubisTL
"Hmm, regarding casualties, in the past, only the four great clans—primarily the Giant Spirit Race and the Tree Spirit Tribe—entered the Heavenlight Secret Realm. Fierce conflicts were common, but deaths were rare."
"However, if our human race secures a spot this time, the situation might be different. After all, on the Tonggu Continent, we humans lack any real backing."
City Lord Lingxu chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Li Qing replied solemnly, "Senior, your protection of the human race here is truly admirable. Your merits will be remembered for eternity."
"Hahaha, enough with the flattery. The Heavenlight Secret Realm won't open for a few more years yet. Use this time to recover from your injuries and carefully consider whether you wish to enter the realm."
To be honest, Li Qing couldn't help but be tempted by the Condensed Light Lake. After all, it might offer even a sliver of assistance in his future advancement to the void refinement realm.
Even with his injuries healed, Li Qing's cultivation remained at the early divine transformation realm. In the Heavenlight Secret Realm, he would likely face opponents at the late divine transformation realm.
This matter truly required careful consideration.
With that, Li Qing bid farewell to City Lord Lingxu. Descending from the city lord's manor in the sky, he landed before a massive stone stele in the city center.
This stele was remarkable. By touching it with his hand or activating it with his divine sense, one could access a vast amount of information.
The information consisted of missions issued by the city, including those from the city lord's manor and others posted by individuals. Most rewards were merit points, though some offered spiritual objects as compensation.
Collect Fire Spirit Essence from the fifth layer of the Fire Domain. One Fire Spirit Essence is worth 20,000 merit points!
Bounty Mission: Eliminate human traitor Li Fengyuan, cultivation at the late divine transformation realm. Corpse required. Reward: 70,000 merit points!
Collect natal feathers from any three fifth-tier demonic birds. Each feather is worth 20,000 merit points!
...
As Li Qing scrolled through the missions, he gained a clearer understanding of the value of merit points.
Even the arduous missions for cultivators in the divine transformation realm only offered rewards of tens of thousands of merit points, underscoring their immense value.
"It seems the stall owner's offer of 30,000 merit points for the Lihuo Profound Jade leaves plenty of room for negotiation."
"I'll try to secure it for 10,000 merit points later!"
Accepting missions was straightforward: simply imprint one's spiritual signature onto the token, press it against the mission stele, and select the desired task.
The contribution points would then be automatically transferred to the token, making the process remarkably convenient.
Within Profound Ancient City, the entry token was indispensable. It served not only as proof of identity but also as a crucial tool for transactions.
Committing a serious crime within the city would trigger the grand formation to record the offender's spiritual signature. Even altering one's signature would make it nearly impossible to re-enter the city. Of course, those who committed such crimes rarely survived long enough to attempt an escape.
As Li Qing continued his survey, he spotted several artifact refinement missions.
The contribution points offered weren't much, only a few hundred points each. These were treasure refinement missions posted by core formation realm cultivators seeking artifact refiners.
Li Qing didn't rush to accept any. He quietly noted down the artifact refinement missions before leaving the plaza where the mission stele stood.
"First, I'll find that Alchemist Jian and ask how many contribution points it costs to refine the Dustfall Pill."
Before leaving, City Lord Lingxu had told Li Qing where to find him—in a cave abode within the inner city.
The inner city of Profound Ancient City was even more tranquil, with dozens of artificial mountain islands floating in the air. Each island contained numerous cave abodes carved into its interior, all available for rent.
As Li Qing approached the inner city, a dense wave of spiritual energy washed over him.
"It's almost comparable to a sixth-rank spirit vein," Li Qing marveled, clicking his tongue. "This city truly is a feng shui treasure trove." He gazed at the floating peaks and islands one by one.
Finally, he located Alchemist Jian's cave abode on a mountain shaped like an overturned bowl.
"This humble one is Li Qing, here to pay respects to Master Jian. I wonder if..."
Before he could finish speaking, the cave abode's restriction dissolved, and a dense aroma of medicinal pills rushed out.
Li Qing inhaled the scent, confirming he had found the right person.
He stepped into the cave abode and saw wisps of green smoke swirling around stone pillars. A lean, elderly man with thick hair stood facing an incense burner, silently chanting scriptures.
Moments later, before Li Qing could speak, the old man, still facing away, said:
"Your meridians are severed. You've come seeking meridian restoration?"
"I see your qi and blood are abundant, and your fleshly body is strong. I happen to have a potent medicine suitable for you—the Dragon-Tiger Meridian Restoration Pill. Its efficacy is remarkable, though it exerts a considerable strain on the body. I believe you should be able to withstand it."
Li Qing hadn't even stated his purpose, yet the old man had already discerned the injuries within his body.
Despite this, the man was merely at the divine transformation realm, not yet at the void refinement realm. He couldn't detect that Li Qing's aura remained unassimilated with this world.
"Ahem, though my injuries are critical, before we reconnect my meridians, I'd like to ask Master Jian how many contribution points it would cost to refine a furnace of Dustfall Pills here."
Upon hearing Li Qing's request for Dustfall Pills, the Alchemist Jian abruptly turned around, a peculiar glint appearing in his cloudy eyes. He scrutinized Li Qing from head to toe before finally speaking:
"Oh?"
"You want Dustfall Pills? Could you be the ascended cultivator everyone in the city has been buzzing about?"
Li Qing chuckled dryly. "If no other cultivators have ascended to the city recently, then that must be me."
The Alchemist Jian clicked his tongue in amazement, his gaze fixed on Li Qing. "Truly remarkable! To see an ascended cultivator in this remote, dilapidated place! Even on the Heavenly Origin Continent, such an event might occur only once or twice every few thousand years, wouldn't you say?"
"Hmm, but even if you are an ascended cultivator, I won't offer any discounts on my pill refinement services!"
"Dustfall Pills are fifth-rank pill. Though the refining technique isn't particularly difficult, we must adhere to the established rules. For me to refine a furnace of fifth-rank pill, it will cost this much!"
As he spoke, Alchemist Jian raised five fingers.
Five thousand merit points! This pill refiner is truly greedy! Li Qing thought to himself.
"If you lack the spirit herbs for pill refinement, this old man can provide them. I happen to have some ingredients for refining the Dustfall Pill on hand."
"However, the price for these will be calculated separately. While not particularly rare, they aren't exactly common either."
Alchemist Jian chuckled softly, his expression remarkably amiable.
Watching this scene unfold, Li Qing fell into a brief silence.
The man was certainly easy to talk to, but every sentence revolved around merit points!
(End of the Chapter)
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