Spirit Treasure Pavilion

"A thousand and ten Spirit Stones?"

Fang Chen's eyes immediately widened.

One Spirit Stone could be exchanged for ten taels of gold, or a hundred taels of silver.

One thousand and ten Spirit Stones converted into silver amounted to one hundred and one thousand taels.

The plump old man nodded slightly. "That's right. Tian Hu was a senior handyman, so your fine is one thousand Spirit Stones. Zhang Tieniu was a low-ranking handyman, so your fine is ten Spirit Stones. That makes one thousand and ten Spirit Stones in total! Once you pay up, this matter will be settled!"

Fang Chen looked up at the old man. "Elder, but I don't have any money right now!"

The old man looked at Fang Chen as though he had expected this answer all along. He said mildly, "No matter. You may owe it for now and repay it gradually once you earn the money. But interest will be charged, and it's rather high—two percent per month!"

"Two percent?"

Fang Chen's gaze sharpened as he cursed the sect's darkness inwardly. One thousand and ten Spirit Stones came to one hundred and one thousand taels of silver. Just one month's interest would cost him over two thousand taels of silver.

If he had to earn money by cutting Exquisite Bamboo, then over two thousand taels of silver meant cutting more than two thousand stalks of Exquisite Bamboo.

But he had no other choice. Though it looked like daylight robbery, any problem that could be solved with money was not truly a major problem.

He had now broken through to the Qi Refining Realm. His strength had improved greatly compared to before, and so had his ability to earn money.

Afterward, he signed the judgment document and the loan contract, then left the Enforcement Hall burdened with debt.

After leaving the Enforcement Hall, Xu Yi smiled at Fang Chen. "Fang Chen, don't frown anymore. Your luck is actually pretty good!"

"My luck is good?"

Fang Chen looked at Xu Yi in confusion.

Xu Yi nodded. "Zhang Tieniu has a three-attribute Mixed Spiritual Root. He's very strong—even Tian Hu, a senior handyman, was no match for him. With his strength, it won't be long before he becomes a high-ranking handyman. He might even break through to the Qi Refining Realm!"

"Unfortunately, he had only just joined Dragon Tiger Mountain and was still a junior handyman. According to sect rules, killing a senior handyman incurs a fine of one thousand Spirit Stones; a mid-ranking handyman, one hundred Spirit Stones; and a junior handyman, ten Spirit Stones. The sect calculates your fine according to a handyman's rank. Looking at it this way, you came out ahead!"

"I guess that's true!"

Fang Chen nodded lightly. Zhang Tieniu really had been stronger than Tian Hu. Tian Hu's death had cost one thousand Spirit Stones, while Zhang Tieniu's had cost only ten. From that perspective, Zhang Tieniu had died rather unjustly.

Xu Yi smiled. "Let's go! I'll take you to the Library Pavilion now!"

Fang Chen was now an Outer Sect Disciple of Azure Cloud Peak in the Glazed Sword Sect.

Although Fang Chen had received the Glazed Qi Refining Art when he first came to the Glazed Sword Sect as a handyman, that qi refining art contained only one level.

After breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, one could advance to become an Outer Sect Disciple and obtain the complete Glazed Qi Refining Art for the Qi Refining Realm.

Though Xu Yi believed that Fang Chen had no spiritual root and would find it difficult to make any further breakthroughs even with the subsequent qi refining cultivation method—

—it was still a benefit Fang Chen deserved as an Outer Sect Disciple. Xu Yi carried out his duties properly and followed the procedure, taking Fang Chen to the Library Pavilion.

However, one could only enter the Scripture Depository to consult the Foundation Establishment Secret Method after reaching the great completion stage of the Qi Refining Realm, and there was only one free opportunity to consult it.

Xu Yi was now preparing to take Fang Chen to the Library Pavilion to look up the complete Glazed Qi Refining Art.

The cultivation methods and secret arts within the Library Pavilion all required Contribution Points to view.

Contribution Points were the sect's hard currency. They were immensely useful and could be exchanged for many things beneficial to oneself, such as Spirit Stones, cultivation methods, spiritual treasures, and more.

Although Contribution Points could be exchanged for Spirit Stones, Spirit Stones could not be used to buy Contribution Points. If one wanted Contribution Points, one could only personally complete tasks issued by the sect.

But where there were policies from above, there were countermeasures below. As long as one had money, one could hire others to complete missions alongside them, then have the Contribution Points credited to their own name.

Other than cultivation, sect disciples desperately completed tasks assigned by the sect, earning Contribution Points and exchanging them for more resources to pour into their cultivation.

The path of cultivation, bluntly put, was a road that burned money. Talent was necessary, and so were resources. Nearly every powerful expert had been built up with resources.

After leaving the Library Pavilion, Fang Chen and Xu Yi headed to the Treasure Pavilion.

As a newly promoted Outer Sect Disciple, he could select one low-grade Spiritual Artifact from the Treasure Pavilion.

Spiritual Artifacts were also called spiritual treasures or Magic Tools.

In the Barbaric Realm, Spiritual Artifacts were divided into ranks one through nine, from low to high. Above rank nine were Saint Artifacts, and above Saint Artifacts were Supreme Emperor Weapons.

Saint Artifacts could only be formed through a Saint continuously tempering them with their own saint power. They were incomparably precious and immensely powerful.

As for Supreme Emperor Weapons, only Great Emperor-level experts could nurture them. Every Supreme Emperor Weapon possessed boundless power.

Under normal circumstances, disciples of the Qi Refining Realm used first-rank Spiritual Artifacts.

Like the Qi Sensing Pavilion, the Treasure Pavilion was also a three-story building.

The moment Fang Chen entered the Treasure Pavilion, he smelled a strong stench of copper. The items inside were piled together in chaotic disorder, like a heap of garbage.

What kind of damned Treasure Pavilion is this? It's practically a garbage dump, isn't it?

Fang Chen could not help cursing inwardly.

The old gatekeeper had told him earlier that he had half an hour to make his selection.

Though somewhat displeased, Fang Chen still searched carefully, hoping to find a decent Spiritual Artifact amid this garbage heap.

Nearly half an hour later, Fang Chen finally found a sword. It was roughly three chi long and five fingers wide, forged from black iron and even broader than the Floating Immortal Sword. Its edge was riddled with chips, and more than half the inscription patterns carved into its blade had worn away.

This was the best sword Fang Chen could find.

"This is the one!"

Fang Chen took the Black Iron Sword and left the treasure vault. After registering with the old man guarding the gate, he found Xu Yi chatting with several other Outer Sect Disciples.

"Senior Brother Xu Yi, I've picked out my spirit treasure!"

Fang Chen spoke to Xu Yi. He knew that Xu Yi would next take him to where he would be living.

Xu Yi's gaze fell on the Black Iron Sword in Fang Chen's hand. He nodded slightly and praised, "This sword is quite good. It even has so many inscriptions on it. Once you've earned some money, find someone to restore the Aerial Formation Pattern, and you'll be able to use Sword Flight. Come on, I'll take you to find a place to stay!"

After saying that, Xu Yi summoned his flying sword and immediately stepped onto it.

Fang Chen promptly stepped on as well, grabbing Xu Yi by the belt.

Whoosh!

Xu Yi rode his sword into the air with Fang Chen.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Fang Chen and the others arrived above an area of low hills. Between those hills lay irregular patches of Spirit Fields. The grain within had already turned yellow and would soon be ready for harvest.

Xu Yi brought Fang Chen to the foot of a hill over a hundred zhang tall.

Courtyards dotted the hill, each one spacious. All kinds of fruit trees had been planted within them. Some peach trees were even laden with peaches, already ripe—pink and red, looking very...

Xu Yi brought Fang Chen down to the ground and said, "I'll take you to pay respects to the mountain now. We can only go on foot from here!"

"Alright!"

Fang Chen nodded, then headed up the mountain road with Xu Yi.

Xu Yi walked quickly. Fang Chen did not dare slack off and immediately quickened his pace, following closely behind him.

After walking for a while, Xu Yi led Fang Chen onto a narrow path. They followed it for roughly three hundred zhang before a massive boulder more than a zhang tall blocked their way. The words "Lingquan Mountain" were carved upon it, along with an oval indentation about the same size as Fang Chen's identity plaque. Behind the boulder was a white mist, through which nothing could be seen.