Host: Zhang Su Cultivation Base: Blood Qi Realm Ninth Layer Triple Wave: Compatibility Rate 91% (Perfected Realm) Heaven-Swallowing Blood-Nurturing Technique: Compatibility Rate 100% (Perfected Realm) Compatibility Points: 8
On the panel, Zhang Su's Heaven-Swallowing Blood-Nurturing Technique had already reached the Perfected Realm.
In fact, as early as seven days ago, Zhang Su had exchanged one thousand contribution points for the Heaven-Swallowing Blood-Nurturing Technique and directly used eight Compatibility Points to raise its Compatibility Rate to 100%.
Only by relying on the perfected Heaven-Swallowing Blood-Nurturing Technique had Zhang Su broken through the Human Limit.
At present, the perfected Heaven-Swallowing Blood-Nurturing Technique could cultivate roughly eight strands of Blood Qi each day.
That was simply terrifying.
One had to know that Zhang Su had previously only been able to cultivate two strands of Blood Qi per day.
The Heaven-Swallowing Blood-Nurturing Technique truly deserved to be called an unrivaled technique.
This cultivation speed was far too fast.
However, its consumption was equally terrifying.
He needed to swallow four Blood Replenishing Pills every day.
Zhang Su used his last three hundred contribution points to exchange for Blood Replenishing Pills.
Together with the twenty Blood Replenishing Pills left over from before, they had barely supported him until now.
But now, the Blood Replenishing Pills had also been completely used up.
And tomorrow was the seventh day of the month. He had to go down the mountain.
He might be staying at the foot of the mountain for several days.
Yet his cultivation could not be delayed.
Without Blood Replenishing Pills, even with the Heaven-Swallowing Blood-Nurturing Technique at the Perfected Realm, his cultivation progress would be very slow.
Zhang Su could not stand such a slow pace.
Therefore, before going down the mountain, he had to replenish a batch of Blood Replenishing Pills. That way, even after leaving the mountain, his cultivation progress would not be delayed.
Moreover, Zhang Su still had eight Compatibility Points, one of which had been obtained after the Heaven-Swallowing Blood-Nurturing Technique reached the Perfected Realm.
These eight Compatibility Points were enough to improve an unrivaled martial skill.
To become one of the Top Ten Outer Sect Disciples, an unrivaled martial skill was indispensable.
But exchanging for an unrivaled martial skill required one thousand contribution points.
Exchanging for a batch of Blood Replenishing Pills would also require quite a few contribution points.
He did not have a single contribution point left now.
He was utterly penniless.
"Money..."
Zhang Su sighed softly.
They said scholarship bred poverty while martial arts bred wealth. It truly was so.
Without money, what martial arts could one even practice?
Zhang Su raised his head and looked toward Chu Dachuan and the other two.
"Do you three have any silver?"
"Uh... how could we have any silver?"
The three of them shook their heads.
Their pockets were cleaner than their faces.
If they truly had silver, they would have exchanged it for Blood Replenishing Pills long ago.
Why would their Blood Qi cultivation be progressing so slowly as it was now?
"Senior Brother, if you truly lack silver, there is a place that might temporarily solve your problem."
At that moment, Du Tian spoke cautiously.
"Oh? What place?"
Zhang Su asked.
"The Funding Association!"
"The Funding Association?"
Zhang Su carefully searched his memories.
It seemed... he had never heard of it.
He had no impression of it whatsoever.
Du Tian explained, "Senior Brother used to be... well, somewhat weak. Only Outer Sect disciples with considerable talent can join. The Funding Association exists to sponsor talented disciples of the Outer Sect."
"With Senior Brother's current status, if you go to the Funding Association, someone should be willing to sponsor you."
Du Tian's words made Zhang Su's eyes light up.
There was such a good place?
"Du Tian, I'll leave this matter to you. Spread the word to the Funding Association that I need sponsorship. Gather every willing sponsor and all the conditions they offer. I'll make the final decision."
Zhang Su handed the matter over to Du Tian.
Du Tian was overjoyed.
This was an extremely important matter.
Once he handled it well, his standing in Zhang Su's heart would rise greatly.
"Rest assured, Senior Brother. I'll settle this in the shortest possible time."
After saying that, Du Tian hurriedly left.
Zhang Su waited quietly.
About two hours later, Du Tian hurried back.
There was even a faint smile on his face.
It seemed that the matter Zhang Su had entrusted to him had gone smoothly.
Sure enough, Du Tian respectfully reported, "Senior Brother, the Mutual Aid Association has given you a very warm welcome. News of your need for sponsorship spread rapidly within the Mutual Aid Association. However, while there are many sponsors, the sponsorship they are willing to offer is not that much..."
Du Tian laid out a list.
The list contained all the people or forces willing to sponsor Zhang Su.
According to the Funding Association's rules, sponsorship was divided into five grades.
Fourth-grade sponsorship was the lowest, followed by third-grade sponsorship, and so on. Under normal circumstances, first-grade sponsorship was the highest level.
However, it was said that the Funding Association also had a "special-grade sponsorship."
But its conditions were extremely harsh.
Over so many years in the Guiyuan Sect's Outer Sect, no one had ever obtained special-grade sponsorship.
"How much does each of these five grades provide?"
Zhang Su asked.
"Senior Brother, for these five grades, fourth-grade sponsorship provides five hundred taels of silver each month. Third-grade sponsorship provides one thousand taels each month. Second-grade sponsorship provides three thousand taels each month. First-grade sponsorship provides five thousand taels each month."
"As for special-grade sponsorship, there is no fixed amount. It is said that both sides negotiate and decide it together."
With Du Tian's detailed explanation, Zhang Su also learned the rules of these five grades of sponsorship.
"Fourth-grade sponsorship... actually gives five hundred taels of silver every month?"
Zhang Su's heart jolted.
In other words, the five hundred taels of silver his elder brother gave him every month could theoretically sponsor a talented Outer Sect disciple of the Guiyuan Sect?
"Then what must the sponsored disciples do?"
Zhang Su asked again.
It was impossible to receive sponsorship for nothing.
These sponsors and forces all sought returns.
"If a sponsor encounters trouble and requests the sponsored person's help, then within the limits of their ability, the sponsored person must act and resolve the trouble for them."
"However, it should not happen too often. Usually, they only need to act once or twice a year. If the requests are too frequent, the sponsored person may refuse. And if the sponsored person feels they cannot resolve it, or if their life would be in danger, they may also refuse to act."
Zhang Su frowned.
These conditions were truly somewhat "unequal."
They favored the sponsored person too much—in other words, they favored Guiyuan Sect disciples too much.
Du Tian explained, "Senior Brother, what those sponsors seek is not necessarily for Guiyuan Sect disciples to act for them. They merely wish to establish connections with talented Guiyuan Sect disciples."
"They hope that the sponsored person can advance into the Inner Sect and become an Inner Sect disciple. At that time, merely bearing the name of an Inner Sect disciple could bring those sponsors enormous benefits."
"Therefore, the people they are most willing to sponsor are disciples with a great chance of advancing into the Inner Sect."
"And you... although you are very strong, and your talent in martial skills is obvious to all, Senior Brother has already exceeded the age limit. It will be harder for you to advance into the Inner Sect than for ordinary Outer Sect disciples."
"Therefore, the sponsorships sent by the Funding Association are basically all fourth-grade sponsorships."
Zhang Su examined the lists one by one.
Sure enough, they were basically all fourth-grade sponsorships.
Zhang Su understood very clearly the disadvantage he currently had compared to other Outer Sect geniuses.
That was his age!
According to the Guiyuan Sect's rules, Outer Sect disciples under sixteen who cultivated Internal Force could advance into the Inner Sect.
Zhang Su was already sixteen, exceeding the age limit.
Of course, the Guiyuan Sect had another path through which one could become an Inner Sect disciple.
But this path was far more difficult.
For overage disciples, cultivating Internal Force was not enough. To advance into the Inner Sect and become an Inner Sect disciple, they also had to pass an additional "Combat Assessment."
This "Combat Assessment" was extremely difficult.
Many overage disciples, even after cultivating Internal Force, still found it difficult to pass the "Combat Assessment."
Clearly, in the eyes of the Guiyuan Sect's higher-ups, the only value of overage disciples was their "combat power."
There was certainly no point in expecting potential from them.
Then all they could expect was combat power.
If their combat power was astonishing, they could still advance into the Inner Sect and receive the sect's training as well.
Likewise, the sponsorship these people offered now was actually based on their expectations of Zhang Su's combat power, not his potential.
That was why they offered fourth-grade sponsorship.
They were even taking a risk.
After all, they did not know that Zhang Su cultivated an unrivaled technique.
Only one sponsorship could be chosen.
Otherwise, if someone chose seven or eight offers, grabbed a fortune, and ran, the Funding Association would have no way to deal with it.
After all, although such sponsorship came with contracts, the sponsors as a whole were in a weaker position when facing Guiyuan Sect disciples.
If Guiyuan Sect disciples cared nothing for their reputation and refused to honor the contracts, those sponsors would most likely have no way to deal with it.
"One sponsorship can at most give me five hundred taels of silver per month. That's too little..."
Zhang Su shook his head.
Seeing that Zhang Su was dissatisfied, Du Tian said uneasily, "Senior Brother, if you wish to raise the sponsorship grade, then you must display your talent—or rather, your potential."
Zhang Su nodded.
He immediately rose to his feet and said to Du Tian, "Let's go. Take me to the Funding Association."
"Senior Brother, you truly want to go to the Funding Association?"
Du Tian was somewhat surprised.
"Of course. Only by going to the Funding Association in person can I display my potential and make those sponsors increase their sponsorship."
"Alright, then please follow me, Senior Brother."
Thus, Du Tian led Zhang Su out of the room and headed straight for the Funding Association.
Before you continue