Heaven Concealment Art

According to the Five Elements Sect's rules, even Chore Disciples could undergo another assessment if they advanced to Body Phase Perfection within three years. If they passed, they could become Official Disciples.

This was also to avoid overlooking hidden pearls in the vast sea. After all, even Chore Disciples had been carefully selected by the Five Elements Sect.

Qin Dongcheng, however, had reached Body Phase Perfection in only a few short months. As long as he reported this matter, he would most likely be able to become an Official Disciple.

What was more, he possessed skill in alchemy. With both factors combined, becoming an Official Disciple was as certain as a nail driven into a board.

However, given the current situation, he definitely would not take the assessment and become an Official Disciple.

The greatest benefit for Official Disciples was being able to exchange Sect Contribution for cultivation methods of the Fourth Martial Realm and Fifth Martial Realm. Everything else was merely Sect Contribution and silver.

Qin Dongcheng could earn those himself. He also had no current need to exchange for cultivation methods of the Fourth Martial Realm and Fifth Martial Realm, so temporarily remaining an Official Disciple had little impact on him.

After spending several days consolidating his cultivation realm and adjusting to his rapidly increased strength, Qin Dongcheng continued cultivating in peace.

From time to time, he would also visit the Bamboo Forest Black Market to sell Golden Wound Pills and purchase resources he needed.

The demon invasion continued. More and more Official Disciples received mandatory assignments and had no choice but to head throughout Luo Cloud Prefecture to slay demons and eliminate evil. Every so often, news came of an Official Disciple dying.

It was said that even Steward Liu Yuan's son had received a mandatory assignment. He had no choice but to suspend his attempt to break through to the Skin Phase Realm and descend the mountain to slay demons and eliminate evil. No one knew whether he would return safely.

Liu Yuan was deeply worried about his only son, who had considerable talent. Even when he came to collect the monthly herbs, he seemed listless and dispirited, clearly concerned for his son.

Whenever he chatted with Qin Dongcheng, he could not help praising Qin Dongcheng's foresight. Now truly was not the time to become an Official Disciple. Even if one had sufficient strength, it was best to wait until the situation calmed down before considering becoming an Official Disciple.

It was said that, in order to slay demons and eliminate evil, several experts at the Flesh Phase Realm and above from the Five Elements Sect had been mobilized. Some had suffered severe injuries, and some had even fallen.

Even experts of that level could not withstand those Demons and Ghosts, much less a rookie of the First Martial Realm like Qin Dongcheng. It was indeed safer to stay honestly in Bamboo Forest Valley.

After all, this was where the Five Elements Sect's headquarters stood. Few Demons and Ghosts could invade this place. Even if some slipped through the net, they were low-level Demons and Ghosts that patrolling disciples could handle. Handymen like them basically faced no danger.

The Herb Field Handymen remained as peaceful as ever. At most, they encountered Ground Rats, Yellow Weasels, and the like at the level of wild beasts. Killing them also improved Qin Dongcheng's combat experience and fighting techniques considerably.

Though he could not be called a master of combat, he could still be considered something of a minor expert.

The reason he improved so quickly was naturally thanks to the Heaven Rewards Diligence System. The effect of reaping what one sowed was simply astonishing. No matter how large or small a battle was, he could gain combat experience and improve his techniques. What was more, there could even be critical hits.

In other words, Qin Dongcheng only needed to keep bullying weaklings in the beginner village to swiftly become an expert at fighting and killing. There was no need for him to contend with enemies whose strength was no weaker than his own, or even stronger.

Unlike other Martial Artists, who often had to fight and kill opponents of the same level—or even stronger opponents—in order to improve their combat experience and fighting techniques and become powerhouses among Martial Artists of the same realm.

The Heaven Rewards Diligence System's cheat ability would undoubtedly allow Qin Dongcheng to avoid many dangers.

By evening, the sun was setting.

After disguising himself and putting on a cloak, Qin Dongcheng headed to the Bamboo Forest Black Market once more to sell the Golden Wound Pills he had accumulated during this period.

Once he sold this batch of Golden Wound Pills, his wealth should exceed six hundred taels of silver. In his previous life, that would have been equivalent to savings of around two million.

In his previous life, he had been utterly ordinary. At his wealthiest, he had only saved ten thousand yuan, and that had been after receiving his year-end bonus. He had never expected that, less than a year after transmigrating here, he would already have amassed so much savings.

Silver here had greater purchasing power than money from his previous life. Six hundred taels of silver was enough to cover an ordinary family's expenses for a lifetime.

If he used it to marry and have children, he could choose any village beauty within a hundred miles. He could even marry several delicate young ladies from the counties and prefectures.

The life of a wife, children, and a warm bed that he had most longed for in his previous life could be achieved here in minutes. Unfortunately, that was no longer what he pursued.

Immortality and being without rival were what he pursued now.

Immortality was for attaining the Dao, while being without rival was for protecting the Dao.

Attaining the Dao and protecting the Dao were originally one and the same.

Thanks to the havoc caused by the Demons and Ghosts, Golden Wound Pills continued selling well. Their price had even risen somewhat, and he sold them for nearly a hundred taels of silver, pushing Qin Dongcheng's savings past six hundred taels in one stroke.

He did not leave the Bamboo Forest Black Market immediately. Instead, he purchased materials for refining Blood-Replenishing Pills, Golden Wound Pills, and Detoxification Pills, replenishing what he had consumed during this period.

The critical-hit rewards he obtained through gathering herbs had long since been insufficient to keep up with his consumption.

Besides that, he also searched for resources and treasures that interested him, hoping to find something that could speed up his cultivation or increase his strength.

"Top-tier secret art, the Heaven Concealment Art! It can conceal even the heavens, much less a person! Only one thousand taels of silver for a copy! Don't miss it as you pass by! Heroes who want it, hurry and buy it!"

"If you miss today, you will have to wait another half year! Who knows when it will be sold again next time? Everyone, cherish this opportunity!"

A startling cry of advertisement rang in his ears. Someone was actually selling a top-tier secret art. One had to know that on the Central Origin Continent, the strongest known secret arts were top-tier secret arts.

In this world, cultivation methods, combat techniques, and secret arts were all divided into five tiers: unranked, low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and top-tier. The Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist Qin Dongcheng cultivated and the Diamond Skin Refining Fist he had exchanged for were both top-tier Body Strengthening and Skin Refining Techniques.

Across the vast Luo Cloud Prefecture, only a generous sect like the Five Elements Sect would allow anyone who became its disciple—even a Chore Disciple—to choose the finest Body Strengthening and Skin Refining Techniques.

That was precisely why the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist was so difficult to comprehend, and even more difficult to get started with. If the original owner had not known so little about martial cultivation, he would never have chosen such a top-tier Body Strengthening Technique from the outset.

Lu Gen, Wang Kun, and the others were much the same. Of course, some Herb Field Handymen who had learned the news in advance had not chosen the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist, so they had not come to seek Qin Dongcheng's guidance.

Otherwise, with so many Herb Field Handymen around, it would not have been only a dozen or so who came to ask Qin Dongcheng for instruction.