When Lu Yang walked out of the Cultivation Chamber, he was surprised to find that someone was already waiting for him outside the door. Lu Yang's heart skipped a beat. He saw that the visitor was dressed in a black Daoist robe, his expression sinister and grim.
It was none other than the black-robed Daoist who had assigned him to the Joyful Union Hall!
"Greetings, Senior Brother."
Lu Yang hurriedly bowed.
"You're quite something, a real talent."
The black-robed Daoist said with a grin, "I had originally heard that Yu Suzhen had lured a very capable young man into her room, and that breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm was just around the corner."
"But I never expected that venomous woman to actually fail."
At this point, the black-robed Daoist looked at Lu Yang with a peculiar expression. Three days, a full three days! Yu Suzhen's cries could be heard even outside the Cultivation Chamber.
Even though the black-robed Daoist considered himself worldly and experienced, at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of admiration. If this child does not die, he will surely become a pillar of the Saint Sect in the future!
"Come with me."
The black-robed Daoist was named Liu Xin. He was a Formal Disciple from one of the four inner sect peaks, Heaven Mending Peak, and was responsible for guiding newly promoted nominal disciples and explaining the sect's affairs.
"The four halls of the outer sect and the four peaks of the inner sect correspond to one another."
On the way, Liu Xin explained to Lu Yang with great interest, "Aside from the Sacred Flame Cliff where the Sect Master resides, our Saint Sect is primarily centered around the four inner sect peaks."
"Since you came from the Joyful Union Hall, you will naturally enter my Heaven Mending Peak. I'll take you to have your name registered in the records first."
Having someone to guide him was something Lu Yang couldn't have asked for.
"Many thanks, Senior Brother Liu."
"It's merely my duty."
Liu Xin said calmly, "After you've updated the registry, I'll take you to the other three halls. The benefits of being a Formal Disciple are quite numerous, a sort of welfare provided by the Saint Sect."
"According to the rules, each Formal Disciple can only claim them once."
Speaking of this, Liu Xin's expression turned a little wistful.
"Once you enter the inner sect, if you want to obtain items of the same level again, you'll have to complete missions issued by the Saint Sect and earn contribution points to exchange for them."
Lu Yang frowned.
"Contribution points?"
"It's the currency issued by the Saint Sect," Liu Xin explained.
"After you update your registration, Junior Brother, you should be able to see it on your disciple token as well."
Curious, Lu Yang followed Liu Xin to update the registry. The process was very simple. It was basically just moving the life lamp he had lit when he first joined the sect to a new location, from the outer sect area to the inner sect area.
Afterward, Lu Yang infused a wisp of True Qi into the token at his waist, and a line of text immediately appeared on it: "Formal Disciple, Lu Yang."
"As a Formal Disciple, the Saint Sect has gifted you 50 contribution points. Contribution points can be used to exchange for spirit stones, cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, cultivation abodes, and so on."
"After entering the inner sect, you will need to pay contribution points to rent a cultivation abode. The rent is 30 contribution points per month. Of course, you can also choose to purchase a cultivation abode. As a newly promoted inner sect disciple, you can enjoy a 20% down payment discount if you purchase a cultivation abode within ten years." —There were more than a dozen pages of such introductions.
After reading it all carefully, Lu Yang came to a conclusion: "This inner sect is all about money!" With contribution points, you could travel the world, with cultivation techniques, medicinal pills, and magical treasures all available. Without contribution points, you couldn't move an inch, not even able to afford a cultivation abode.
At the same time, Lu Yang also learned what Liu Xin meant by "welfare."
After any nominal disciple was promoted to a Formal Disciple, they could hold their disciple token and choose one magical artifact, one medicinal pill, one companion spiritual beast, and one dual cultivation cauldron from the Treasure Refining Hall, Pill Refining Hall, Beast Taming Hall, and Joyful Union Hall, respectively, without needing to pay any contribution points.
"Looking at it this way, it really is welfare."
With a thought, Lu Yang used his disciple token to open the list of redeemable items for contribution points. Lines of corresponding text immediately appeared. Cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, medicinal pills, spiritual beasts, and cultivation cauldrons all cost at least 100 contribution points.
In contrast, the rewards for missions within the Saint Sect were pitifully low, all in the single digits for contribution points, with very few reaching double digits. From this, it was clear that the free four-item set upon promotion to Formal Disciple was worth at least 400 contribution points, which was a huge sum even for a Formal Disciple.
While he was pondering this, Lu Yang had already followed Liu Xin to the Treasure Refining Hall. The person who received them was named Chen Hao, a deacon of the Treasure Refining Hall. It was said he was also a Formal Disciple, and being a deacon here was his mission.
According to Liu Xin, this kind of fixed-post mission was the most profitable in the inner sect. Not only did they offer a lot of contribution points, often enough to support a Formal Disciple on their own, but they were also stable, a true iron rice bowl.
Unfortunately, there were too many monks and not enough porridge; without connections, one simply couldn't get such a mission.
"Senior Brother Liu? It's been a while."
Walking into the Treasure Refining Hall, Lu Yang noticed that Chen Hao first sized him up before turning to Liu Xin and saying enthusiastically, "Bringing another new disciple over?"
"That's right."
Liu Xin grinned, his words seemingly carrying a hidden meaning, "Since you know, why haven't you quickly brought out the best magical artifacts in the Treasure Refining Hall for Junior Brother Lu to inspect?"
"Right away!"
Chen Hao nodded eagerly and then led them into the inner courtyard of the Treasure Refining Hall. However, as they walked, Lu Yang frowned in surprise.
"This... is a disciple's Cultivation Chamber, isn't it?"
To get a magical artifact, shouldn't they go to a warehouse or a similar place? Upon hearing this, Chen Hao first looked confused, then had a sudden realization and laughed heartily.
"Junior Brother Lu may not know, but the best magical artifacts are all in here."
Before his voice faded, the three of them stopped in front of a cultivation room.
"The Junior Brother in this room has been here for a long time. He was a nominal disciple in the outer sect for three years. Unfortunately, he's a bit stubborn and went astray in his cultivation technique..."
After saying this, Chen Hao pushed the door open directly. Lu Yang then saw a Daoist sitting on a cushion in the center of the room, his eyes tightly shut, muttering to himself as if in a dream.
"I've succeeded... I'm about to succeed..."
Immediately after, Chen Hao formed a hand seal. The Daoist in the room suddenly opened his eyes, and his previously dazed face was instantly filled with wild joy.
"Haha! This Daoist has succeeded!"
Boom!
Before his voice could fade, his entire body exploded with a boom. A shower of flesh and blood scattered in all directions, only to then reverse its course, flowing back and merging completely into the skeleton left behind. In just a short while, a living person had vanished.
In his place, a "bone sword," as crystalline as jade and perfectly segmented, landed gently on the cushion, still radiating the brilliant spiritual light of a magical artifact.
Chen Hao walked forward, picked up the "bone sword," and handed it to Lu Yang, then said with satisfaction, "The magical artifact 'Bone Jade Sword' is considered a high-grade item in the 'True Cavern Book of a Hundred Treasures.' This Junior Brother was truly a talent.
After so many years of arduous cultivation, his skill was profound, otherwise the spiritual light of the magical artifact would not be so pure." Lu Yang was speechless.
Looking at the Bone Jade Sword in Chen Hao's hand and recalling the experiences of his past life, Lu Yang felt a chill seep into his very bones, gaining an even deeper understanding of the Primordial Saint Sect's ways. It could be summarized in eight words: the strong prey on the weak, and everything has its use!
The sect expends resources to cultivate you nominal disciples, so you must create value for the sect. If you can't create value, the sect will help you create it! If you break through and get promoted to a Formal Disciple, then everyone is happy.
If you can't break through, the sect won't support you for a lifetime for nothing. Naturally, it will recoup the resources it invested in you to ensure the sect doesn't take a loss. Therefore, in the eyes of the Primordial Saint Sect, some disciples were clouds, and some were water.
They just did different things, but they were all talents. There were no useless people.
"This is truly... the sect lives up to its name."
Lu Yang closed his eyes and let out a long, turbid breath. Thinking about how he still had the Book of a Hundred Lives to fall back on, he had already regained his composure by the time he opened his eyes again.
"Junior Brother has an excellent temperament, truly a man of great talent!"
On the other side, seeing Lu Yang calm his emotions so quickly, a flash of surprise first crossed Liu Xin's eyes, and then the smile on his face grew even brighter. Next, Lu Yang followed Liu Xin to the Pill Refining Hall and the Beast Taming Hall in turn, receiving a "Qi Replenishing Pill" and a "Human-Faced Owl."
The former could nourish one's True Qi after consumption, while the latter was like a carrier pigeon, generally used by Formal Disciples to pass messages to one another. It wasn't until the final item, the cultivation cauldron, that Liu Xin seemed troubled.
"Junior Brother, you broke through too quickly."
Liu Xin shook his head and said, "You've only just joined the outer sect, reaching the Qi Refining Realm in a single day. The speed is too fast. The cultivation cauldrons reserved for the Joyful Union Hall haven't arrived yet."
"How about Junior Brother waits a few days?"
Lu Yang, of course, didn't care about any cultivation cauldron. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I will follow Senior Brother's arrangements." Liu Xin laughed heartily, then took out a jade slip and stuffed it into Lu Yang's hand.
"This is the secret true art of my Heaven Mending Peak. Take it back and cultivate it well."
Lu Yang took the jade slip and immediately circulated his spiritual sense to inspect it. In the next second, a cultivation technique of extreme complexity appeared in his mind. Innate Dao Scripture.