"I'm here to collect this month's Spirit Stones."
Elder Jing Zhen looked helpless. "If I weren't short on Spirit Stones, do you think I'd take on the miserable job of managing the Chore Yard?"
Jiang Chuan: "."
Jing Hui: "."
A miserable job?
What was miserable about it?
Could he stop lying with his eyes open?
We did all the work!
You call moving your lips a miserable job? Could you give this kind of miserable job to us?
After a brief conversation, Jiang Chuan and Jing Hui followed Elder Jing Zhen into the External Affairs Hall.
What met their eyes were palm-sized wooden plaques hanging across the ash-black walls.
"Purchase ten thousand jin of Cold Abyss Iron Ore, reward: one thousand Spirit Stones. Find the fiend who slaughtered a village, reward: two thousand Spirit Stones."
It was Jing Hui's first time at the External Affairs Hall. Looking at the task plaques covering the walls, his eyes were immediately dazzled.
Elder Jing Zhen headed to the second floor of the External Affairs Hall to collect the reward Spirit Stones.
Jiang Chuan, who had come here dozens of times in simulations, was thoroughly familiar with the place. He found the task of collecting ancient pill formulas, removed its task plaque, and walked to the center of the hall.
He stopped before Elder Jing Sha of the External Affairs Hall, who sat behind a wooden desk, half-asleep.
"Elder, this disciple Jiang Chuan has come to submit a task."
Elder Jing Sha, whose long brows hung to his shoulders, yawned upon hearing Jiang Chuan's voice. He took the task plaque, then pointed at the brush and ink beside him.
"Write them down. I'll assess the value of the pill formulas you write and give you a reward accordingly."
"Yes, Elder."
Jiang Chuan did not waste any time. He immediately picked up the brush and began writing down the formulas.
In a short while, Jiang Chuan had finished several dozen pill formulas and handed them to Elder Jing Sha.
Elder Jing Sha took the formulas and gave them a cursory glance. His expression abruptly changed. The drowsiness vanished from his face without a trace, replaced by solemnity.
"Jiang Chuan, you didn't dig up the grave of some elder from the Dan Ding Sect, did you?"
Jiang Chuan: "."
I've never even been to the Dan Ding Sect. How could I have dug up one of their elders' graves?
And do I look like a grave robber?
"Elder Jing Sha, these pill formulas were obtained by this disciple through a fortunate coincidence. They were not acquired by digging graves or robbing tombs," Jiang Chuan explained.
After studying Jiang Chuan for a moment, Elder Jing Sha slowly spoke.
"I hope it is as you say, and that they were not obtained from tomb robbing."
"These several dozen pill formulas are worth around one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones. You may choose to exchange them for Spirit Stones, or trade them for treasures."
"I'll trade them for treasures."
Jiang Chuan immediately chose treasures.
After all, Bodhi Temple was one of the foremost powers in the Qingyuan Realm, and its grounds held many treasures rare to the Qingyuan Realm.
Many treasures could not be bought even with Spirit Stones.
Now that he had the chance to exchange for them, Jiang Chuan naturally would not let it pass.
Elder Jing Sha took out a thick book and placed it before Jiang Chuan.
"Take your time choosing."
Filled with anticipation, Jiang Chuan opened the book.
A deep-purple treasure fan wreathed in lightning appeared before his eyes.
Low-grade Dao Artifact Wind-Thunder Fan, refined from Kui Ox Bone mixed with Star River Divine Sand. It was placed within the Nine Heavens' Gang Winds for a thousand years to absorb wind and thunder power, ultimately transforming into a Dao Artifact.
Price: two million Spirit Stones, or twenty Divine Crystals.
"Two million Spirit Stones!"
Jiang Chuan coveted it dearly, but he simply could not produce that many Spirit Stones.
"Sooner or later, I'll have Spirit Stones. Sooner or later, I'll have Dao Artifacts too!"
Thinking this, Jiang Chuan continued flipping through the book.
Very soon, Jiang Chuan chose the first treasure that caught his fancy: Earth Milk.
Earth Milk was a spiritual substance nurtured from the essence of the earth, and it possessed remarkable effects in tempering the body.
Jiang Chuan had obtained the Supreme Yang Limitless Body from Gong Suxin. Now, he could use Earth Milk to cultivate it.
"But this single jar of Earth Milk costs one hundred and twenty thousand Spirit Stones?"
Jiang Chuan's face twitched with pain.
The Low-grade Treasure Artifact ring-hilted blade Elder Jingyun had given him in the simulation had only been worth fifty thousand Spirit Stones.
Even a Mid-grade Treasure Artifact was worth only around one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
After choosing the Earth Milk, Jiang Chuan exchanged his remaining thirty thousand Spirit Stones for ten Hundred Herbs Soul Nurturing Pills.
Elder Jing Sha promptly took out an earthen jar and a yellow-skinned gourd, handing them to Jiang Chuan.
After accepting the treasures, Jiang Chuan bade farewell and prepared to call Jing Hui so they could leave together.
Then—
He discovered Jing Hui standing before the ash-black wall with a conflicted expression, his gaze constantly shifting.
Elder Jing Zhen, who had already collected the Spirit Stones, had somehow come downstairs again and was now standing beside Jing Hui.
Looks like Senior Brother Jing Hui's indecision disorder is acting up again, Jiang Chuan thought to himself.
"Jing Hui, if you're having trouble deciding, I actually have a task I'd recommend for you and Jiang Chuan."
Hearing Elder Jing Zhen's words, Jing Hui asked, "Elder, what task?"
Elder Jing Zhen raised his hand and pointed to a task plaque at the very top of the wall.
Jiang Chuan followed the direction of Elder Jing Zhen's finger, and the corner of his eye twitched slightly.
At Stone Lotus Ridge of the Cat Demon Tribe, build a palace to receive distinguished guests of the Nine Abyss Dynasty. Reward: one opportunity to comprehend the Dao Stele.
"Comprehend the Dao Stele? What is on the Dao Stele?"
"Starting from the fifth realm, cultivators must comprehend the Great Dao laws hidden within the unseen. The Dao Stele bears the imprints of the Dao comprehensions of Bodhi Temple's predecessors. Comprehending the Dao Stele is equivalent to comprehending a predecessor's Dao, and it will be of great use to your futures," Elder Jing Zhen explained.
Jiang Chuan let out a soft sigh. "Elder Jing Zhen, are you truly sure we can complete this kind of task?"
In the treasure catalog Elder Jing Sha had given him, one opportunity to comprehend the Dao Stele cost two hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
Two hundred thousand Spirit Stones!
That was already enough to buy a somewhat inferior Top-grade Treasure Artifact.
"The difficult part of this task lies in Ancestor Ziyun of the Cat Demon Tribe on Stone Lotus Ridge."
Elder Jing Zhen took down the task plaque. "Ancestor Ziyun is powerful and stubborn by nature. On top of that, she once followed an elder from a thousand years ago. Thus, the temple elders cannot resort to force. They have tried persuading her several times without success. She simply refuses to yield half of Stone Lotus Ridge."
"If the elders can't do it, we certainly can't," Jiang Chuan said with a shrug.
Jing Hui nodded like a chicken pecking rice.
"No, you can do it."
Elder Jing Zhen handed the task plaque to Jiang Chuan. "Ancestor Ziyun is on good terms with Senior Golden Wind. You've followed Senior Golden Wind these past few days and remained safe and sound."
"That shows Senior Golden Wind has quite a good impression of you. As long as you can ask Senior Golden Wind to put in a good word, I'm fifty percent confident we can complete this task."
Jiang Chuan: "."
Jing Hui: "."
What did he mean, they had still managed to remain safe and sound?
So from the very beginning, he had thought something might happen to them?
Jing Hui turned to look at Jiang Chuan.
They had not followed Golden Wind for the past five days. They had slacked off for five whole days.
Of course, Jing Hui did not dare say that.
Otherwise—
What awaited him would very likely be Elder Jing Zhen dragging him to the Chore Yard to chop firewood for five days and five nights.
Most importantly, Jing Hui did not believe that Golden Wind, whom they had met only once, would help them!
"Junior Brother, Senior Golden Wind's whereabouts are unpredictable. I don't think there's much chance of us completing this task. Let's take another one."
"No, we're taking this task."
Jiang Chuan shook his head, then took the task plaque from Elder Jing Zhen's hand.
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