Getting Strong is This Simple

While Ning Qiu's parents were still alive, his mother had made a living by growing watermelons in the summer and garlic in the winter. Watermelons and garlic could be planted in rotation throughout the year.

Leaving Holy Soul Village, Ning Qiu arrived at a sunlit mountainside near the village entrance.

The mountain path was fairly easy to traverse. After all, the villagers of Holy Soul Village primarily relied on agriculture for income, so weeds were rarely seen.

Before Ning Qiu stood a dilapidated thatched hut. His parents had used it as a temporary residence in the summer when their watermelons were nearly ripe, to keep thieves from stealing them.

Ning Qiu's parents had been dead for several years, and both the land and the house had fallen into disuse. Spiderwebs hung inside, and the only table was covered in a thick layer of dust.

"System, how do I use the House Transformation Card?" Ning Qiu asked curiously.

Ding! To use the House Transformation Card, simply crush it inside the house you wish to transform.

"Is it really that simple?" Ning Qiu asked in surprise.

Yes, everything is that simple.

Following the instructions, Ning Qiu took the House Transformation Card from his system inventory.

Crack! Ning Qiu applied a little force. The House Transformation Card was extremely brittle and shattered with a pinch.

The shattered House Transformation Card turned into multicolored dust. Defying gravity, it drifted upward and began seeping into the crude bamboo-and-wood thatched hut.

Creak! Creak! Creak!

The cobweb-covered, crude bamboo-and-wood thatched hut sounded like an awakening monster stretching its body, its bones creaking loudly.

The sound was not loud, or it would have been enough to draw the attention of the villagers at the foot of the mountain.

Out of caution, Ning Qiu still ran outside the house when faced with such a strange transformation.

As the multicolored dust seeped in, the bamboo-and-wood thatched hut began to change. In just a few seconds, a modern two-story villa appeared before Ning Qiu.

The villa was exceptionally elegant.

The first floor of the villa had a living room and one bedroom, while the second floor had two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

The moment Ning Qiu stepped into the villa, he was stunned. It actually contained all kinds of modern essential furniture and appliances.

At the same time, Ning Qiu felt a warm sensation flow from his mind and nourish every part of his body.

"System, open my personal information interface," Ning Qiu ordered.

As soon as Ning Qiu finished speaking, a holographic screen appeared before him.

Name: Ning Qiu.

Identity: Probationary Village Chief of Holy Soul Village.

Martial Soul: Primordial Dragon Elephant.

Soul Power: Level 2 (225/495).

Soul Skills: None.

Soul Rings: None.

Contribution Points: 100.

Villagers: 0/1000.

Items: One Red Soil Land Transformation Card, one Myriad Worlds Travel Card.

Prosperity: 100.

During the Soul Power test earlier, I had no Soul Power at all. Now that I've completed the house transformation task, I gained 500 points of Soul Power and rose two levels, Ning Qiu calculated inwardly.

Ding! Host, your deduction is completely correct. The host required 55 points of Soul Power to advance to Level 1. Advancing from Level 1 to Level 2 required 220 points of Soul Power. The host just used the House Transformation Card and gained 500 points of Soul Power, which was enough to advance two minor levels in a row.

I gained 500 points of Soul Power just from that. If I use the Land Transformation Card, I can gain 300 points of Soul Power, which will be enough to raise me another level.

Ning Qiu walked outside the small villa, looked at the acre of mountain land before him, and took out the Red Soil Land Transformation Card.

Crack!

With a light squeeze of Ning Qiu's palm, the red Land Transformation Card shattered. It turned into dust that glowed red and seeped into the ground before him.

The color of the originally barren land changed at once. In just a few seconds, as though enchanted by immortal magic, it became a patch of red soil.

Ding!

Congratulations, you have completed the task. You used the Land Transformation Card to transform a plot of land. Soul Power gained: 300 points. Contribution Points gained: 10.

Ding!

Congratulations, your Soul Power has reached the requirement for advancement. Current level: Level 3 (30/880).

"I've risen another minor level. Haha, getting stronger doesn't seem so difficult after all!"

Ning Qiu was overjoyed as he looked at his personal information interface. He still needed 850 points of Soul Power to advance to the next level.

"Hmm, System, what are Contribution Points and Prosperity used for?"

Ning Qiu asked curiously.

Ning Qiu now had 110 Contribution Points and 101 Prosperity.

"Ding! In response to the host: Contribution Points can be used in the Exchange Mall to exchange for all kinds of items the host requires. Prosperity directly reflects the current prosperity of the village and has many uses. If the village suffers damage, its Prosperity will decrease. Given that the host is currently only the first in line to inherit the position of Holy Soul Village chief, Prosperity will only count all buildings over which the host has dominion."

To put it plainly, Old Jack was still the chief of Holy Soul Village. The Prosperity currently counted by the system only included everything Ning Qiu owned, such as the small villa before him and the plot of land beneath his feet that had been transformed.

"Exchange Mall? Where is it?" Ning Qiu asked.

"Ding!"

"The Exchange Mall has not yet been unlocked. There are two ways to unlock it. First, certain special missions reward treasures with mall-like properties. Second, when Prosperity reaches 1,000 points, the Exchange Mall function will unlock directly."

Ning Qiu browsed through the mission list. Sure enough, he found several missions capable of unlocking the Exchange Mall.

"Mission Eighteen: Kill a ten-thousand-year soul beast. Reward: One pawnshop."

Note: The pawnshop can accept items for pawning, and it can also consume Contribution Points to exchange for items at a high price. Mission duration: 480 hours.

"Mission Twenty: Persuade the female lead or male lead of a world to become a permanent resident of the village. Reward: Level-One Treasure Pavilion."

"Persuade the female lead, or the male and female leads, of a world to become legal residents of the village. This is Douluo Continent. The male lead is Tang San, and the female lead is Xiao Wu. Oh, System, does the one currently recuperating in the Lake of Life within the Star Dou Great Forest count as a female lead?" Ning Qiu asked.

"Ding! In response to the host: The Silver Dragon King mentioned by the host is also blessed by fate. If the host can make the Silver Dragon King a permanent resident of the village, this mission can also be completed," the system replied.

"The Silver Dragon King counts too?"

Ning Qiu looked stunned. Staring at the mission interface, he said, "The land has already been transformed, though its effects remain unknown. How can I do this sort of hard labor myself? It's time to recruit my first permanent resident under my command."

The first permanent resident under Ning Qiu's command?

Who should he recruit?

The Silver Dragon King was far away at the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest, while Xiao Wu would not appear at the Junior Soul Master Academy in Suotuo City until three months later. As for Tang San, with his personality, he considered himself extraordinary and had always wanted to see the outside world. He believed he could become one of the finest among men. He certainly would not stay in Holy Soul Village, a place like a grass nest, for the rest of his life.

"I've got it!"

A flash of inspiration struck Ning Qiu. He immediately followed the mountain path down the slope.