Can you stop telling lies with your eyes open?

"I'm here to collect this month's Spirit Stones."

Elder Jing Zhen showed a helpless expression. "If I weren't short on Spirit Stones, do you think I'd take on the thankless job of managing the Chore Yard?"

Jiang Chuan: "."

Jing Hui: "."

A thankless job?

Where was the hardship?

Could he stop lying with his eyes wide open?

We're the ones doing all the work!

He calls it a thankless job just by opening his mouth, could he let us have this thankless job instead?

After a brief conversation, Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui followed Elder Jing Zhen into the External Affairs Hall.

The first thing that caught their eye were the palm-sized wooden plaques hanging on the grey-black walls.

"Procure ten thousand catties of Cold Nether Iron Ore, reward: one thousand Spirit Stones. Find the village-slaughtering demon, reward: two thousand Spirit Stones."

Jing Hui, visiting the External Affairs Hall for the first time, was dazzled by the mission plaques covering the wall.

Elder Jing Zhen, meanwhile, headed to the second floor of the External Affairs Hall to collect his reward Spirit Stones.

Jiang Chuan, who had been here dozens of times in simulations, was familiar with the routine. He found the mission to collect ancient pill recipes, took down the plaque, and headed to the center of the main hall.

He sat down at a wooden table in front of Elder Jing Sha, the External Affairs Elder who seemed half-asleep.

"Elder, this disciple Jiang Chuan is here to submit a mission."

Elder Jing Sha, whose long eyebrows drooped to his shoulders, heard Jiang Chuan's voice and let out a yawn. He raised a hand to take the mission plaque, then pointed to the brush and ink beside him.

"Write it down. I'll estimate the value of the pill recipes and then give you the reward."

"Yes, Elder."

Jiang Chuan didn't waste any time and immediately picked up his brush to write down the pill recipes.

In a short while, Jiang Chuan finished writing dozens of pill recipes and handed them to Elder Jing Sha.

Elder Jing Sha took the pill recipes and glanced at them. His expression immediately changed. The sleepiness on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by solemnity.

"Jiang Chuan, you didn't rob the grave of some elder from the Dan Ding Sect, did you?"

Jiang Chuan: "."

I haven't even been to the Dan Ding Sect, how could I rob their elder's grave?

Besides, do I look like a grave robber?

"Elder Jing Sha, these pill recipes were obtained by this disciple through a fortuitous encounter, not by grave robbing," Jiang Chuan explained.

Elder Jing Sha sized Jiang Chuan up before speaking slowly.

"I hope it's as you say and not obtained through grave robbery."

"These dozens of pill recipes are worth about one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones. You can choose to exchange them for Spirit Stones or for treasures."

"I'll exchange them for treasures."

Jiang Chuan directly chose to exchange them for treasures.

Bodhi Temple was, after all, one of the top forces in the Qingyuan Realm, and it housed many treasures rarely seen in the Qingyuan Realm.

Many treasures couldn't be bought even with Spirit Stones.

Since he had the opportunity to exchange them now, Jiang Chuan naturally wouldn't miss it.

Elder Jing Sha took out a thick book and placed it in front of Jiang Chuan.

"Take your time and choose."

With anticipation, Jiang Chuan opened the book.

A treasure fan, deep purple and surrounded by lightning, appeared before Jiang Chuan's eyes.

Low-grade Dao Artifact Wind-Thunder Fan, forged with Kui Ox Bone mixed with Star River Divine Sand, placed in the Nine Heavens Gale for a thousand years to absorb wind and thunder power, eventually transforming into a Dao Artifact.

Price: Two million Spirit Stones or twenty Divine Crystals.

"Two million Spirit Stones!"

Jiang Chuan was very tempted, but he couldn't afford that many Spirit Stones at all.

I'll have Spirit Stones eventually, and I'll have Dao Artifacts eventually too!

Thinking this, Jiang Chuan continued to flip through the book.

Soon, Jiang Chuan selected his first desired treasure: Earth Milk.

Earth Milk is a spiritual item nurtured by the essence of the earth and has miraculous effects on refining the physical body.

Jiang Chuan had obtained the Supreme Yang Limitless Body from Gong Suxin, and now he could use the Earth Milk to cultivate.

"However, this jar of Earth Milk actually costs twelve thousand Spirit Stones…"

Jiang Chuan's face was etched with pain.

The low-grade treasure artifact, a monk's sabre, that Elder Jingyun had given him in the simulation was only worth fifty thousand spirit stones.

A mid-grade treasure artifact was about a hundred thousand spirit stones.

After selecting the Earth Milk, Jiang Chuan directly exchanged the remaining thirty thousand spirit stones for ten Hundred Herbs Soul Nurturing Pills.

Elder Jing Sha then produced an earthenware jar and a yellow gourd, handing them to Jiang Chuan.

After accepting the treasures, Jiang Chuan bid farewell, preparing to call Jing Hui to leave together.

Then...

He found a conflicted Jing Hui standing in front of a gray-black wall, his gaze darting around.

Elder Jing Zhen, having finished distributing spirit stones, had come downstairs to stand beside Jing Hui at some point.

"It seems Senior Brother Jing Hui's indecisiveness has struck again," Jiang Chuan thought to himself.

"Jing Hui, if you're having trouble deciding, I actually have a mission recommendation for you and Jiang Chuan."

Hearing Elder Jing Zhen's words, Jing Hui asked, "Elder, what mission is it?"

Elder Jing Zhen raised his hand and pointed to a mission plaque at the highest point of the wall.

Jiang Chuan followed the direction of Elder Jing Zhen's finger, his eyes twitching slightly.

The mission was to build a palace on Stone Lotus Ridge, a territory of the Cat Demon Tribe, to host distinguished guests from the Nine Abyss Dynasty. The reward was one chance to comprehend the Dao Stele.

"Comprehend the Dao Stele? What's on the Dao Stele?"

"Starting from the Fifth Realm, cultivators must comprehend the Great Dao laws of the heavens and earth. The Dao Stele is imprinted with the Great Dao of our Bodhi Temple seniors. Comprehending the Dao Stele is equivalent to comprehending the seniors' Great Dao, which will be of great help to your future," Elder Jing Zhen explained.

Jiang Chuan sighed, "Elder Jing Zhen, are you really sure we can complete this mission?"

Comprehending the Dao Stele, according to the treasure booklet Elder Jing Sha had given him, cost two hundred thousand spirit stones per session.

Two hundred thousand spirit stones!

That was enough to buy a relatively poor top-grade treasure artifact.

"The difficulty of this mission lies with Ancestor Ziyun of the Cat Demon Tribe on Stone Lotus Ridge."

Elder Jing Zhen reached out and took down the mission plaque. "Ancestor Ziyun is powerful and stubborn. Furthermore, he followed an elder from a thousand years ago. Therefore, the elders in the temple find it difficult to use force. Several attempts to persuade him have been unsuccessful; he simply refuses to yield half of Stone Lotus Ridge."

"If the elders can't do it, there's no way we can," Jiang Chuan shrugged.

Jing Hui nodded vigorously.

"No, you can do it."

Elder Jing Zhen handed the mission plaque to Jiang Chuan. "Ancestor Ziyun is on good terms with Senior Jin Feng. If you follow Senior Jin Feng these past few days, you should be able to remain safe."

"This indicates Senior Jin Feng has a favorable impression of you. As long as you can ask Senior Jin Feng to intercede, I have a fifty percent chance of completing this mission."

Jiang Chuan: "..."

Jing Hui: "..."

What did he mean by "should be able to remain safe"?

Did that imply he thought something might happen to them from the start?

Jing Hui turned to look at Jiang Chuan.

They hadn't followed Jin Feng these past five days; instead, they had slacked off.

Of course, Jing Hui wouldn't dare to say this.

Otherwise...

He might very well be dragged by Elder Jing Zhen to the Chore Yard and made to chop firewood for five days and five nights.

Most importantly, Jing Hui didn't believe Jin Feng, whom they had only met once, would help them!

"Junior Brother, Senior Jin Feng's whereabouts are unpredictable. I don't think we have a high chance of completing this mission. Let's pick another one."

"No, we're taking this mission."

Jiang Chuan shook his head and took the mission plaque from Elder Jing Zhen.