BAM!
With two Qi Blood Pills in his stomach, a rosy glow erupted as Xiao Ran's aura surged violently.
Only after personally forcing Xiao Ran to absorb the pills did Wang Jian calm down, as if he wasn't the one whose face had just been contorted like a savage beast's.
"Now that's more like it!"
Wang Jian casually tossed Xiao Ran aside like a sack of trash, then dusted off his hands with a satisfied expression.
"GACK!"
Xiao Ran knelt on the ground, his face contorted in agony. One hand clutched an ancient black ring pendant while the other was shoved in his mouth, trying to claw the Qi Blood Pills back out.
Unfortunately, the Qi Blood Pills were already absorbed. Xiao Ran dry-heaved for a long time to no avail, and an unnatural flush crept across his face.
He glared viciously at Wang Jian, his eyes full of venomous hatred.
Though the pills were supposed to be sweet and fragrant, to him, they were a terrifying plague.
Wang Jian, however, was in a good mood. "Everyone, get inside. Senior Brother Zheng is waiting for you. If you have any questions, you can ask him."
The other Demon Disciples all cast a pitying glance at Xiao Ran.
'Serves him right for being so defiant in the Demon Sect.'
...
Ripples spread across the array.
The great doors of the Scripture Pavilion boomed open.
The Demon Disciples were shocked to discover the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion was enormous. It had only looked to be a few hundred square meters from the outside, but the interior seemed boundless.
Thousands of towering golden stone pillars stood within.
Intricate scriptures were carved onto every pillar, but a mystical fog from the array shrouded them, preventing anyone from reading a single word.
"My name is Zheng Qi, and I am the Incense Master of the Inner Sect's Ten Thousand Laws Altar."
A slender Demon Cultivator in green robes sat atop a yellow meditation cushion, his eyes closed. He spoke in a soft, ethereal voice, without breaking from his cultivation.
"As newcomers, you may choose one of these two free Divine Techniques. Of course, if you want better Cultivation Techniques, you can exchange Contribution Points for them."
Although he was a Demon Cultivator just like Wang Jian, there was a world of difference between them. If Wang Jian was a pond, Zheng Qi felt as deep and unfathomable as a vast ocean.
Behind Zheng Qi, there was also a giant Blood Pool.
Many Demon Cultivators at the Qi Cultivation Fifth and Sixth Layers stood with pale faces, lining up one by one to slit their wrists and let their blood flow into it.
The Blood Pool seethed, gurgling as bloody bubbles rose to the surface. The sight was enough to make one's skin crawl.
A Demon Disciple plucked up the courage to ask, "Zheng Xiangzhu, may I ask what Contribution Points are?"
'The Holy Sect really is a place with a rigid hierarchy where strength is everything.'
As a Copper Sword Steward at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer, Wang Jian could only feed on the blood of new Demon Disciples at the Qi Cultivation First and Second Layers. Yet Zheng Qi had cultivators at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer willingly offering their blood to sustain him.
This only intensified the disciples' yearning for power. They grew desperate to obtain Cultivation Techniques and Divine Techniques to raise their own Cultivation.
"Contribution Points are the currency used within the Sect to exchange for all Magic and Pills. You can think of them as the gold and silver of the mortal world. They must be earned through missions, which reward anywhere from 10 to 100 Contribution Points each."
"As newcomers, you currently lack the ability to take on missions. If you need Contribution Points, you can take out a loan from me. The monthly interest is a mere three percent."
Hearing this, the Demon Disciples were all dumbfounded and couldn't help but start cursing internally.
'Damn, what a fucking shark.'
A so-called three percent monthly interest meant a 3% monthly rate, which came out to 36% annually.
A mission was worth a minimum of only 10 Contribution Points. If they borrowed 100 points, they would have to pay 36 points in interest alone by the end of the year!
'I absolutely cannot take a loan,' Li Fan thought. 'Otherwise, knowing these animals from the Holy Sect, they'll trap me in a lifetime of debt.'
Not long after arriving at the Blood Demon Sword Sect, even someone as naive and kind-hearted as Li Fan understood what kind of rotten place it was.
At this moment, most of the Demon Disciples shared Li Fan's thoughts.
'There are free techniques, anyway. Only a fool would take out a loan.'
Zheng Qi smiled without a word and waved his hand.
Qin Xuan and the nearly one hundred other new Demon Disciples, all at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer, saw a flash of brilliant light. The scene before them changed abruptly.
Intricate array patterns lit up, and the innumerable scriptures vanished.
Inside the entire Scripture Pavilion, only four ancient golden stone pillars remained.
Lines of ancient, tadpole-like seal script emerged on the golden pillars.
Somehow, a corresponding description appeared in the minds of the Demon Disciples, as if the text had been force-fed into their brains.
"Taotie's Greedy Yuan Skill: Mystic-tier Top Grade. Use a Secret Technique to draw Taotie's Qi into the Dantian. Cost: 400 Contribution Points. Contains the Magic [Devouring Heaven and Earth]. Upon reaching Great Success in cultivation, one can devour all things and obtain the Divine Technique [Inner Universe]."
"Celestial Demon Soul-Catching Strategy: Mystic-tier Middle Grade, a Divine Sense Cultivation Technique. Use a Secret Technique to strip one's own three souls and refine them into a [Heart Soul Demon Seed]. Cost: 200 Contribution Points. Contains the Divine Technique [Ten Thousand Thoughts Heart Demon Net]. Upon reaching Minor Achievement, one can possess the Flesh Body of those with lower Cultivation and control the minds of others."
Seeing the first two techniques, the Demon Disciples gulped, their faces flushing with excitement. They never imagined the Holy Sect's techniques could be so powerful—powerful enough to devour the world and control the minds of others!
Their respective Stewards had briefed them before their arrival.
The Holy Sect was extremely generous with its techniques, unlike the Daoist Sect, which kept its methods under lock and key.
The Holy Sect's techniques were graded according to four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow.
Each tier was further divided into top, middle, and low grades.
These Mystic-tier Divine Techniques could even be used all the way to the Purple Mansion Realm!
'Too bad. One costs 200 Contribution Points and the other costs 400. I'd better look at the free ones.'
At the same time, the Demon Disciples became even more wary of those around them.
'If the Sect's techniques are this powerful, wouldn't the senior brothers who've already cultivated them be even more terrifying?'
'I have to be extremely careful. Otherwise, I could be killed by a fellow disciple one day and not even know how it happened.'
The descriptions for the remaining two Cultivation Techniques appeared.
"Flame of the Nine Netherworld Springs: Mystic-tier Low Grade. Free. Refine the Nether Spring Fire into your Dantian on your own. Contains the Divine Technique [Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs], which can incinerate all things. The Magic [Nether Flame] carries a risk of backlash."
"Netherworld White Bone Yin Talisman: Yellow Grade High. Free. On a night of the full moon, take the skull and bones of one who died unjustly and carve a Yin Talisman, refining them into [Bone Shadow Soldiers]. Contains the Divine Technique [Wanguai], which can summon a skeletal behemoth. The Magic [Yin Talisman Soul Lock] carries a risk of backlash."
WHOOSH!
After everyone read the descriptions, an uproar swept through the Scripture Pavilion.
The Demon Disciples were dumbfounded.
'What a fucking rip-off!'
After reading about the last two techniques, everyone's hopes were dashed.
'They had all planned to pick a free technique. It was advertised as a choice between four techniques, but in reality, wasn't it just a choice between the first two?'
The latter two techniques both carried the risk of life-threatening backlash!
"My dear junior brothers, are there any among you who require a loan?"
Zheng Qi opened his eyes, a smile glinting in his pitch-black pupils.
"For those who take a loan from me now to cultivate Taotie's Greedy Yuan Skill or the Celestial Demon Soul-Catching Strategy, I can use a Secret Technique to help with their Qi Refining and Seed Transformation, guaranteeing their safety.
As for those who choose the Flame of the Nine Netherworld Springs or the Netherworld White Bone Yin Talisman, well… you're on your own."
The Demon Disciples looked at each other, hesitating.
The disciples who had made it to the Scripture Pavilion had all been screwed over by the Stewards before.
They worried about not being able to repay the loan, and they feared that Zheng Qi would pull some trick while performing the Secret Technique.
Qin Xuan was also pondering which Cultivation Technique he should choose.
'There's definitely something fishy about this Holy Sect loan.'
Just then, the giant ball of light in his mind flickered, and four Ancient Bamboo Sticks flew out from within.
[Top-Top Lottery: Choose the Cultivation Technique 'Netherworld White Bone Yin Talisman'. No loan. Obtain one Seventh-Grade Opportunity. Cultivation is simple and can be upgraded later. Greatly auspicious.]
[Middle-Lower Draw: Choose the Cultivation Technique 'Celestial Demon Soul-Catching Strategy'. Obtain one Ninth-Grade Opportunity, but the difficulty is extremely high. Contains a hidden danger to the Divine Soul and causes unbearable, excruciating pain. Ominous.]
[Middle-Lower Draw: Choose the Cultivation Technique 'Taotie's Greedy Yuan Skill'. High difficulty, no opportunity. Contains a hidden danger to one's flesh and blood. The backlash is intense, with a potential risk of death. Ominous.]
[The Worst Draw: Choose the Cultivation Technique 'Flame of the Nine Netherworld Springs'. You will suffer Qi deviation and become cultivation fodder for others. Deadly omen.]
Reading the divination, Qin Xuan was horrified.
He never expected that among the four Cultivation Techniques, the one with the lowest grade, the White Bone Yin Talisman, was actually the least harmful.
The other high-grade Cultivation Techniques all had backlash and hidden dangers buried within them!
'As expected of the Demon Sect. They begin controlling their disciples right from the most basic techniques...'
Just then, a voice suddenly reached the ears of the Demon Disciples.
"Zheng Xiangzhu, I choose the Celestial Demon Soul-Catching Strategy. I ask the Incense Master to grant me a loan of 200 Contribution Points."
A tall figure with a torn corner of his mouth still dripping blood stepped out from the crowd.
Qin Xuan followed the voice with his gaze and saw that the person was none other than Xiao Ran, the one who had been tormented by Wang Jian earlier.