The Uses of Contribution Points

Jiang Donghua was so excited he nearly jumped up. This idle gain speed was like upgrading from a slingshot to a cannon!

It had shot straight from 2 points per hour to 5 points per hour—more than doubling his efficiency!

"Awesome!"

He could not help letting out a low roar, his fist slamming hard into the ground. The formation in the cultivation room rebounded the blow, leaving his wrist numb.

"Ugh... This thing really is hard."

He shook his hand, but the smile on his face did not fade in the slightest.

Still, time was precious. He could not waste this free trial opportunity.

So he immediately sat cross-legged, circulating the Sky-Burning Incantation and guiding Battle Qi surging through his meridians until it finally gathered in the qi vortex within his dantian.

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.

When the formation in the cultivation room flickered faintly, signaling that his time was about to run out, Jiang Donghua slowly opened his eyes and eagerly checked the system panel.

[Host: Jiang Donghua]

[Realm: Two-star Dou Master (196/2000)]

[Main Cultivation Method: Sky-Burning Incantation (Mysterious-grade Mid-tier)]

[Idle Gain]

Clone 1: 5 points/hour

Clone 2: 5 points/hour

Cultivation Room Bonus: +1 point/hour (Yellow-grade Cultivation Room)

[Current Total Gain: 11 points/hour]

"Holy shit?!"

Jiang Donghua's eyes widened, and he nearly sprang off the ground.

"A Yellow-grade cultivation room can even add an extra point?!"

He had originally thought idle gain was only related to the grade of one's cultivation method. He had not expected the cultivation environment to affect efficiency as well!

"Then if I enter a Mysterious-grade cultivation room, won't it be even higher?"

Jiang Donghua licked his lips, greed flashing in his eyes.

But he quickly calmed down.

"A Mysterious-grade cultivation room costs three thousand gold coins per session..."

He touched his flat coin pouch and sighed.

"Looks like I need to find a way to make money."

Just then, the formation in the cultivation room blazed brightly, and a gentle force enveloped him.

"Time is up. Teleportation activated!"

Jiang Donghua only saw a blur before his eyes. The next second, he was already standing outside the cultivation room.

Not far away, Elder Zhao was squinting at him, lightly tapping an ebony staff against his palm.

"Boy, how was it?"

Jiang Donghua quickly reined in his emotions and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Elder, for granting me this opportunity. This disciple has benefited greatly!"

Elder Zhao snorted, but his gaze lingered on Jiang Donghua for an extra moment, as if he had noticed something.

"Fire-attribute Battle Qi..."

He muttered under his breath before waving a hand.

"Enough. Get lost. Next time, you'll have to pay, though you can also use pills to offset the cost. The academy isn't that inflexible."

After Jiang Donghua left, Elder Zhao watched his retreating back, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Interesting kid."

Following the parchment map issued by the academy, Jiang Donghua crossed a small square paved with bluestone slabs.

The faint scent of pine lingered in the air, while several grayish-brown stone buildings stood in neat rows in the distance.

"Block C, Number 7..."

He stopped before a three-story stone building. The bronze plaque nailed to the doorframe gleamed with a steady luster beneath the setting sun.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, he was met by a smell mixed with sweat and ink.

Four iron bunk beds stood along either side, and three people were already organizing their belongings.

On the lower bunk by the window, a square-faced youth with bulging muscles was wiping a pair of Fine Iron Gauntlets.

Hearing the door open, he spoke without looking up.

"Zhou Mang, Seven-Star Battle Master."

Faint dark-red patterns marked the gauntlets, like dried bloodstains.

"New guy?"

A messy-haired youth suddenly poked his head down from the upper bunk. He pushed up the crystal lenses perched on his nose.

"My name is Wen Ziyu. I specialize in Fire-attribute Formations."

The parchment scroll spread beside his bed was densely covered in complex runes.

Jiang Donghua noticed that the lower bunk near the door was still empty, but a bulging bundle sat on the bedboard. Just then, the bathroom door abruptly opened, and a bare-chested youth emerged through the rising steam, water still dripping from his fiery-red short hair.

"Oh, the last roommate."

He casually draped a towel over his shoulder, revealing the Flame Tattoo on his back.

"My name is Shi Lei. I handle the weekly dorm cleaning duties."

He pointed at the duty chart on the wall, then added,

"You'll sleep in the bunk by the door."

Zhou Mang finally set down his gauntlets and said gruffly,

"The rules are simple. Don't pry into other people's secrets, and don't bring any shady people into the dorm."

"Whoever ranks last in the monthly assessment cleans the toilets."

Jiang Donghua sat cross-legged on his bed, listening as his three roommates took turns introducing the academy. Only then did he gain a clear understanding of the dormitory rankings at Jia Nan Academy.

"Block A is full of monsters."

Shi Lei wrung out his towel as he gestured exaggeratedly.

"I heard even the weakest are Seven-star Dou Shi, and there are even freaks at the Da Dou Shi level."

Wen Ziyu pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the light.

"Block B isn't simple either. They're basically all upperclassmen at the Dou Zhe realm or above."

Zhou Mang snorted coldly, unconsciously clenching his fists.

"During last year's year-end tournament, some guy from Block B broke my ribs with one punch. He only used thirty percent of his strength."

He pulled open his collar, revealing a vicious scar across his chest.

Jiang Donghua sucked in a breath.

Only then did he realize how lucky he was to have been assigned to Block C, Number 7.

According to Shi Lei, most new students spent their first year crammed into sixteen-person rooms in Block D, without even a place to cultivate on their own.

"Wait."

Jiang Donghua suddenly thought of something.

"If dorms are assigned according to strength, why was I placed directly in Block C? I'm only a Two-star Dou Master."

The room suddenly fell silent. The three roommates exchanged meaningful looks.

In the end, Wen Ziyu broke the silence.

"You don't know?"

He lowered his voice.

"Either your potential is extremely high, or the power behind you cannot be underestimated."

"Either way, there must be something about you or behind you that makes the academy willing to do this."

Jiang Donghua sat cross-legged on his bed, listening as his three roommates took turns explaining the academy's rules.

"The monthly assessments are the real life-and-death hurdle."

Zhou Mang's voice was low and rough. He was polishing the pair of Fine Iron Gauntlets with a soft cloth, the calluses on his knuckles a dark yellow beneath the lamplight.

The dark-red patterns on the gauntlets resembled dried blood, sending a chill down one's spine.

"Last year, there was a guy who ranked last for three months straight. They kicked him directly down to Block D."

He sneered and suddenly clenched his fist. His knuckles cracked sharply.

Jiang Donghua's eyelid twitched.

"What are the assessment criteria?"

He could not help asking.

"It varies from person to person."

Wen Ziyu adjusted the crystal lenses on his nose. The reflected lamplight obscured his eyes.

"Realm advancement, combat, pill refinement, formations... The academy doesn't restrict which path you take, but you have to prove that you're valuable."

Shi Lei was bare-chested, water still dripping from his fiery-red short hair. He casually tossed the towel over his shoulder, exposing the Flame Tattoo on his back as he grinned.

"But Block C is still pretty good. At least we aren't like those unlucky bastards in Block D, who don't even have a place to cultivate."

"If you end up in Block D, hardly anyone will talk to you about things like Contribution Points."

"New guy, you're pretty lucky."

Jiang Donghua gave a dry laugh, but his mind was already racing.

"Then... how do you earn Contribution Points?"

He asked tentatively.

"Ha!"

Zhou Mang scoffed.

"Now you're finally asking the right question."

"Contribution Points are the real hard currency!"

Wen Ziyu added slowly.

"Gold coins have limited use in the academy. High-grade cultivation methods, battle skills, pills... all of them require Contribution Points to exchange for."

"How do you earn them?"

Jiang Donghua pressed.

Shi Lei plopped down beside him, making the bedboard creak under the strain.

"Hunt magical beasts, gather Medicinal Herbs, escort merchant caravans... The academy's mission board has plenty of jobs."

He grinned, revealing gleaming white teeth.

"Of course, if you have special skills, like pill refinement or artifact forging, you can earn them even faster."