Income Soars

Central Origin Continent was vast beyond measure; it was said to encompass a full hundred prefectures.

Luo Cloud Prefecture was merely one of those hundred prefectures, yet it already covered more than a hundred million square kilometers. Among the hundred prefectures, it ranked only around the middle in terms of area. One could only imagine how immense Central Origin Continent truly was.

It was at least the size of dozens of Earths, perhaps even larger.

Each prefecture was governed differently. Some were ruled by sects, some administered by nations, some dominated by Demons and Ghosts, while others were a chaotic mixture of every kind of power...

Luo Cloud Prefecture was primarily governed by sects. The Five Elements Sect lorded over the entire prefecture, wielding absolute authority and strength as it managed the whole territory.

Among the many prefectures, Luo Cloud Prefecture's public safety ranked among the best. Thus, being transported here had been Qin Dongcheng's good fortune.

Had he landed in one of those chaotic prefectures instead, he might have been killed within days of arriving.

Even so, Luo Cloud Prefecture and the Five Elements Sect still had to face the threat of Demons and Ghosts. Although there were few Demons and Ghosts within Luo Cloud Prefecture, and the Five Elements Sect had already suppressed them, some surrounding prefectures lacked such strength. Demons and Ghosts from other prefectures invading was perfectly normal.

With Qin Dongcheng's current strength, facing those Demons and Ghosts would most likely mean certain death.

After all, he was only a Martial Artist in the Body Phase Realm. At most, he could deal with first-level Demons and Ghosts. Anything above the first level was beyond his ability to handle.

Fortunately, he was currently only a Herb Field Handyman. His main duty was managing the herb fields, and he had no sect missions to complete.

Unlike Official Disciples, who had to complete one sect mission every month. Failure to do so would not only reduce or revoke their benefits, but might even result in expulsion from the Sect.

With Demons and Ghosts invading and Luo Cloud Prefecture beset by danger on all sides, it was better for him to remain a Herb Field Handyman for now and not advance to Official Disciple yet.

He could consider advancing once things became safer. In any case, he was only at the Body Phase Realm, with a long road still ahead before reaching the Flesh Phase Realm. For now, he did not lack cultivation techniques.

Even when he eventually advanced to Official Disciple, it would be best to do so as an Alchemy Apprentice or an alchemist. That way, if he received mandatory missions, they would most likely involve alchemy and medicine-making rather than fighting and killing.

Even if he truly encountered a mandatory mission to slay demons and exterminate monsters, he could spend pills to hire other Official Disciples to deal with those Demons and Ghosts for him. The Mission Hall permitted this as well, so long as the mission was completed.

When it came to special talents such as alchemists, Artifact Refiners, and Talisman Makers, the restrictions were even fewer.

The Five Elements Sect assigned mandatory missions to help the Sect resolve problems, not to sabotage useful disciples of its own.

The demon invasion had changed many of Qin Dongcheng's thoughts. Thereafter, he cultivated with even greater diligence, devoting more and more time to it.

Without accumulating small steps, one could not travel a thousand miles; without gathering tiny streams, one could not form rivers and seas.

Cultivation and strength rose bit by bit through such accumulation, until one finally reached the point of being able to protect oneself.

"You practiced the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist once. Congratulations, you triggered a triple critical hit and gained triple rewards!"

"You refined one Golden Wound Pill. Congratulations, you triggered a fivefold critical hit and gained five Golden Wound Pills!"

"You harvested one seven-year Ginseng. Congratulations, you triggered a sevenfold critical hit and gained seven seven-year Ginseng plants!"

...

Cultivation, alchemy, herb gathering... he neglected none of them. His days were quite full, and before he knew it, another month had passed. Today was the day to hand over his herbs.

"Alchemist Qin, sorry to make you wait outside. We truly feel ashamed."

From far away, Liu Yuan hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting when he spotted Qin Dongcheng. The several attendants behind him repeatedly bowed as well. There was none of the usual arrogance they showed toward the other Herb Field Handymen.

Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought Qin Dongcheng was the steward, while Liu Yuan and the others were Herb Field Handymen.

This fellow really knew how to bend and stretch. Once he discovered that Qin Dongcheng had become an Alchemy Apprentice, with a status no lower than his own and perhaps even higher, he immediately seemed like a different person.

Remembering that the man had already apologized and was now behaving properly, Qin Dongcheng did not hold it against him. Smiling, he walked over. "You are too courteous, Steward Liu. This is part of my duty. It is only right."

"Besides the three baskets of herbs this time, there are also ten Blood-Replenishing Pills. See how much Sect contribution they are worth. There is no need for silver."

"Certainly. Alchemist Qin, your output is truly impressive. You can refine so many additional Blood-Replenishing Pills in a single month, along with so many herbs. Advancing to Official Disciple will be just around the corner for you." Liu Yuan was also surprised. He had not expected Qin Dongcheng to produce so many herbs and Blood-Replenishing Pills so soon after revealing his identity as an Alchemy Apprentice.

The herbs were one thing. Most likely, the surrounding Herb Field Handymen had given them to Qin Dongcheng specifically to curry favor with him.

But those Blood-Replenishing Pills could only have been refined by Qin Dongcheng himself. None of the surrounding Herb Field Handymen could make them.

In just over a month, aside from his own cultivation, he had produced an additional ten Blood-Replenishing Pills. Liu Yuan had heard that he had also sold some at the Bamboo Forest Black Market. That was truly a fine output.

It seemed his earlier decision to befriend him had been correct. With such ability, even if Qin Dongcheng could not refine a second type of low-grade pill in the future, he would sooner or later reach Body Phase Perfection, perhaps even higher realms. Becoming a steward would be as easy as turning over one's hand.

The other man's status, especially his future potential, far surpassed his own.

The smile on Liu Yuan's face grew brighter. The martial world was not all fighting and killing, but human relationships and worldly dealings.

Where were there so many grudges and blood feuds? When facing such a promising disciple, even if it were only a minor conflict—no, even if there were some real enmity—one had to find a way to resolve it as quickly as possible. That was the way of conducting oneself in the world.

The atmosphere between them grew increasingly warm. Before long, Liu Yuan had calculated the value of all the herbs and Blood-Replenishing Pills. It came to a full fifty points of Sect contribution.

Exchanging for the cultivation technique of the Third Realm of Martial Arts would require roughly several hundred points of Sect contribution. At his current rate of accumulation, he would need only around a year to exchange for the Flesh Phase Realm cultivation technique.

Besides, he had only just revealed his strength as an Alchemy Apprentice, so it would not be appropriate to bring out too many pills yet. By next month, he could increase the number of pills.

After putting away the herbs and Blood-Replenishing Pills and handing Qin Dongcheng his Sect contribution, Liu Yuan said somewhat regretfully, "It is a pity that Alchemist Qin is not an Official Disciple. If you were an Official Disciple of the Sect, these herbs and Blood-Replenishing Pills could be exchanged for even more Sect contribution."

"If there were relevant missions requiring these herbs and Blood-Replenishing Pills, the Sect contribution you could earn would increase by quite a bit as well. For now, there is only this much. I hope Alchemist Qin will not take offense."