However, Zhou Xuan did not do as they had.
After the crowd dispersed, he simply turned around with a calm expression and headed back toward the lifeless Miscellaneous Affairs Department.
For him, Gold Touch was the most important thing right now.
Rather than pinning his hopes on other people's charity, it was better to keep his fate firmly in his own hands.
In the valley, Zhou Xuan moved among heaps of discarded materials, his hands probing them like a miner exploring a mountain of treasure. He kept touching things that others regarded as garbage.
[Ding! Absorbed the residual spiritual energy in discarded Talisman paper. Metal Touch Value +1!] [Ding! Absorbed the residual spiritual energy in corrupted medicinal dregs. Metal Touch Value +2!] [Ding! Absorbed the residual spiritual energy in fragments of a damaged Dharma Artifact. Metal Touch Value +1!]
He worked tirelessly, processing every newly dumped piece of refuse in the area that the system could convert.
Only when the sun sank in the west, dyeing the valley a golden red, did he straighten up and let out a long breath of stale air.
[Metal Touch Value balance: 217 points!]
Looking at the pitifully small number on the system panel, Zhou Xuan couldn't help giving a wry smile.
A few days ago, he had finally saved up 1,000 Gold Touch Value and used it to enlighten his Spirit Root, upgrading it from Five Elements Waste Spirit Root to Four Elements Waste Spirit Root. His hard-earned savings had been wiped out in an instant.
And when he checked how much Gold Touch Value he needed for the next upgrade, his scalp went numb.
The Gold Touch Value required to upgrade Four Elements Waste Spirit Root to the next stage, Three Elements Waste Spirit Root, was—
A whole ten thousand points!
That number drove home just how difficult the road ahead would be.
He sighed.
He had heard a little about how Spirit Roots were ranked. At the very bottom were the Five-Star Impure Spirit Roots common among Chore Disciples like them, followed by Five Elements Waste Spirit Roots.
Then came Four Elements Waste Spirit Roots, followed by Three Elements Waste Spirit Roots. Those with Three Spirit Roots were considered the most ordinary cultivators. They could cultivate, but their limits were extremely low, and few ever accomplished anything great in their entire lives.
Above them were Dual Spirit Roots, which made up the bulk of the Cultivation World's cultivators. The true darlings of heaven possessed Heavenly Spirit Roots, or even the fabled Mutant Spirit Roots.
"At this tenfold rate of increase, once I've finally enlightened all these types of Waste Spirit Roots, will the next step be a single Spirit Root?"
Zhou Xuan thought to himself with self-deprecation.
"And if I want to eventually upgrade to a Heavenly Spirit Root, how astronomical would that number have to be?"
He shook his head, casting these impractical thoughts from his mind.
It was far too early to think about all that. A meal had to be eaten one bite at a time, and the road had to be traveled one step at a time. For now, the most important things were to accumulate Gold Touch Value and take care of what was at hand.
Thinking of this, Zhou Xuan took the marriage contract made from Green Copper out of his robes. The copper sheet gleamed softly in the setting sun.
"By my reckoning, Senior Brother Zhao Zhen must be getting anxious by now." He murmured to himself.
It was time to deliver this good turn.
Having made up his mind, Zhou Xuan didn't linger. He put away the copper sheet and set off toward Red Sword Peak, where the Inner Sect Disciples lived.
Red Sword Peak brimmed with spiritual energy, and immortal cranes flew through the air. It was like a different world from the desolate valley behind the Chore Servant Courtyard.
Zhou Xuan kept his head down along the way, avoiding the Inner Sect Disciples coming and going. With the token Zhao Zhen had given him, he made his way without hindrance to the Cave Abode Zhao Zhen had mentioned.
The Cave Abode was nestled beside a quiet bamboo grove, with a simple ward shimmering at its entrance.
Just as Zhou Xuan was about to announce himself, the Stone Gate of the Cave Abode rumbled open on its own.
Zhao Zhen, dressed in a blue Daoist robe and looking somewhat haggard and anxious, happened to step out.
"Senior Brother Zhao." Zhou Xuan hurried forward and bowed respectfully.
When Zhao Zhen saw Zhou Xuan, he first froze. Then uncontrollable delight burst from his eyes.
He hurried over to Zhou Xuan, his voice trembling slightly. "Junior Brother Zhou! You're here! Do you have news?"
Zhou Xuan said nothing, only smiled as he took the copper marriage contract from his Universe Bag and handed it over.
"I've lived up to your trust."
The moment Zhao Zhen saw the familiar Green Copper sheet, he went completely rigid.
He reached out, handling it with utmost care, his hand even trembling slightly as he gingerly took the marriage contract.
He repeatedly brushed his thumb over the familiar engravings. His eyes reddened at once.
"I found it. I really found it!"
Overcome with excitement, he could hardly get his words out. He clutched the marriage contract tightly, as if he held the most precious treasure in the world.
"Wonderful! Junior Brother Zhou, you've done me a tremendous favor! I don't even know how to thank you!"
Seeing him like this, Zhou Xuan couldn't help being moved. He said calmly, "Senior Brother Zhao, you should put it away first. This is your most important keepsake. Be sure not to lose it again."
"Right, right!"
Zhao Zhen came to his senses as if waking from a dream and hurriedly tucked the copper sheet away against his body.
His gaze toward Zhou Xuan was full of gratitude and approval. Not a trace remained of the agitation and loss of composure he'd shown when they first met.
"Junior Brother Zhou, words can't express my gratitude!"
As he spoke, Zhao Zhen promptly took a delicate White Jade Vial from his Universe Bag and held it out to Zhou Xuan. "Your senior brother doesn't have much to offer. There are some Qi Gathering Pills in here. They're not of a high grade, but they should be of some use to you at your current level. You must take them!"
Zhou Xuan looked at the vial but shook his head.
He had already reached the seventh level of Body Forging, so Qi Gathering Pills wouldn't do much for him. Besides, pills weren't what he needed most right now.
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Zhao."
Zhou Xuan cupped his hands.
"But I was lucky enough to obtain some pills a while ago, so I'm not short on them for now. If it's convenient for you..."
He paused, then asked tentatively, "Would it be possible to exchange this vial of pills for a Demon Core?"
"A Demon Core?"
Zhao Zhen was taken aback, clearly not expecting Zhou Xuan to make such a request. For disciples in the Body Tempering Realm, pills had gentle medicinal effects and were easier to absorb.
Demon Cores, on the other hand, contained violent energy. If handled improperly, they could easily damage one's Meridians, so they were usually used to make pills or refine artifacts.
He looked Zhou Xuan over, then seemed to realize something and nodded. "That makes sense. You're stationed at the Miscellaneous Affairs Department. Perhaps you have some other use for one."
Zhao Zhen didn't ask any questions. He said readily, "If pills are no use to you, then forget them. As for Demon Cores, I do have one more here. I got it on my last mission for the Sect. If you want it, just take it!"
As he spoke, he put the vial of pills away, then took something else from his Universe Bag and handed it to Zhou Xuan.
It was a pitch-black Demon Core, about the size of a pigeon's egg.
Zhou Xuan reached out and took it. The Demon Core felt cold in his hand, and he sensed an energy that was both pure and somewhat ferocious.
But the moment his fingers touched the Demon Core, the system's prompt in his mind left him rooted to the spot.
[Ding! Detected a Second-rank Low-grade Demon-tainted Tiger Core. Contains pure spiritual energy and a different kind of demonic energy. Can be converted into 200 Gold Touch Value!]
Two hundred points!
Zhou Xuan's heart gave a hard thump.
A single second-rank Demon Core could actually be converted into two hundred Gold Touch Value?
It was simply inconceivable!
The best first-rank Demon Cores he had absorbed before had only yielded a little over ten points. The difference was far too great.
He forced down his shock and carefully examined the Demon Core in his hand.
Beneath its pitch-black surface, he noticed a few barely perceptible wisps of black mist slowly coiling and drifting around.
Could that be the demonic energy the system had mentioned?
Seeing Zhou Xuan staring at the Demon Core, Zhao Zhen assumed he didn't know what it was and explained, "I cut this out of a Demon Tiger in the early Foundation Establishment stage."
"But that beast seemed to have been infected by demonic energy. So although the spiritual energy in this Demon Core is pure, it's been tainted and can't be used directly for cultivation. It's also liable to make a pill furnace explode if used in alchemy."
"So it isn't worth much—probably about the same as the vial of pills I offered you."
So that was it!
Zhou Xuan's heart immediately burned with excitement.
Unable to use it directly for cultivation? Likely to make a pill furnace explode?
Those qualities, which were fatal drawbacks for others, were no problem for him at all!
The system absorbed energy regardless of whether it was spiritual energy or demonic energy!
In other people's eyes, this tainted Demon Core was useless. To him, it was a treasure worth more than ten times as much!
A bold idea took shape in his mind.
Zhou Xuan's breathing grew hurried. He looked up at Zhao Zhen with shining eyes and asked urgently, "Senior Brother Zhao, do you have any more Demon Cores infected by demonic energy like this?"
When he saw Zhao Zhen shake his head, he immediately added, "Or do you know where I could get one? I'm willing to pay you in Spirit Stones!"
Before you continue