Dungeon Harvest

After some discussion, the three of them—Tian Yong and his two companions—traded their shares for the copper ring, now renamed the Clear Heart Ring, and promised to compensate Ling Qing and the others with some points.

The three of them agreed to divide the remaining manuscripts and Stone Tablet.

Ling Qing took the Stone Tablet, along with the manuscripts for the Incantation of Heaven and Earth Purification and the Golden Light Mantra.

He hadn't done much to help kill the zombies, but he had provided the crucial Ghost-Repelling Pill. Later, during the cemetery purification, his contribution had been second only to Tian Yong's.

So Li Family Father and Son had no objections to this arrangement.

"You don't need to give us the originals. Just scan them and send over an electronic copy, along with an audio recording."

Tian Yong reminded him, "Don't you have a copy of the Five Animal Frolics, too? You could bring that out for us to check. If it's not a duplicate, you can trade it for some points.

"Even if it is a duplicate, you can still get an annotated copy to use as a reference.

"Those annotations are put together by experts from the military and the sports bureau. They're definitely better than fumbling your way through the practice on your own."

Ling Qing traded scans of the manuscripts and an audio recording for some points, and received an annotated copy of the Five Animal Frolics.

He also traded some silver coins for cash. After that, he left the fitness club with Tian Yong and Zhang Zhe. The club served as the Martial Arts Bureau's First Operations Division office.

When ordinary people encountered a dungeon, the things on them weren't brought into it. Instead, they were given a set of clothes and equipment based on their identity in the dungeon.

Only items brought out of a dungeon, or items with special properties, could be taken into the next one.

Tian Yong's Dragon Chant Sword, for example, had been forged from metal brought out of a dungeon, mixed with a small amount of metal from the real world.

As for bringing items out of a dungeon, anything that hadn't been obtained with the original owner's consent couldn't be taken out. It had to belong entirely to you.

The same went for people or animals with their own consciousness: they couldn't be brought out.

So Ling Qing's silver coins couldn't be exchanged merely as precious metal. They could be traded at a premium as special currency and materials.

He kept a small amount to use as funds for entering future dungeons and exchanged the rest for cash.

This haul was worth as much as several years of savings from his job.

Zhang Zhe had urged him to take points instead. After all, points could be exchanged for money, but it was difficult to turn money into points.

Still, for Ling Qing, who worked a nine-to-five job and lived in an urban village, ordinary currency felt more reassuring.

And his plans for the future would need money to support them.

Tian Yong understood perfectly and said nothing. He even stopped Zhang Zhe from continuing to argue.

The three of them chatted for a while, then went their separate ways after lunch.

They already had each other's contact information, so meeting up again would be easy.

Besides, three grown men weren't exactly keen on going shopping or sightseeing together.

After waving goodbye to the other two, Ling Qing returned to his rented place and began sorting through what he'd gained.

His experience and increase in profession level went without saying.

First were the two manuscripts and the special Stone Tablet.

Although Ling Qing had already mastered all the divine incantations, the manuscripts, handwritten by Daoist Wenxi himself, made it easier to understand the principles and knowledge within them.

It was like having an item that boosted the rewards from improving skill proficiency.

As skill proficiency rose, the efficiency of using a skill improved. It could also save a good deal of experience when leveling up.

Of course, without meeting the requirements, no amount of experience could get you to the next level.

As for choosing the Stone Tablet, it was mainly because Ling Qing had sensed a faint connection between it and the purified land.

Li Family Father and Son hadn't cared about it at all. They'd even seemed reluctant to take it.

So they'd also given him the Golden Light Mantra manuscript, which offered the best value for the price.

Ling Qing couldn't yet tell what the Stone Tablet was for, so for now, he could only set it aside.

Next came the Time Fragment and the Special Affairs Department.

The Time Fragments had brought new vitality to this world, greatly increasing individuals' strength.

But they had also introduced uncertainty. Those who entered earlier had a huge advantage over those who came later.

The difference between the talented and the untalented was just as vast, and that had shaken the current, stable order.

The Special Affairs Department kept newly awakened talents under control, easing the shock caused by the changing times.

At the same time, it used point exchanges to guide both new and veteran talents toward facing these changes in a positive, proactive way.

The two worked in tandem. Their existence meant that life would change dramatically from then on.

Compared with most people who knew nothing about what was happening, Ling Qing was already well ahead.

The Heart of the Druid could detect Time Fragments, so Ling Qing would probably have more chances than others to enter them in the future.

As for the Special Affairs Department, whether he joined it or made use of its platform, it could give him plenty of support.

For example, it could help him deal with a few minor hassles.

Over the next few days, Ling Qing quickly arranged the handover of his duties at the company and settled the matter of ending his lease. He officially became an unemployed drifter with no fixed abode.

Once everything was taken care of, Ling Qing picked up a large bag and hailed a taxi.

Following the navigation, the taxi drove out to a secluded resort in a mountain valley on the outskirts.

It was the property of the Martial Arts Bureau's Second Operations Division. It mainly served the Special Affairs Department's internal personnel, but was also open to civilian talents like Ling Qing.

They just had to pay with points.

At this stage, most talents had gained martial arts or simple spells that didn't involve fundamental laws from their dungeons.

Whether they practiced martial arts or spells, both pursuits came with needs beyond the ordinary.

Those from wealthy families naturally had people to run around for them; those affiliated with the state naturally had the state to provide for them.

But ordinary people like Ling Qing had two choices: take their time and prepare everything step by step, or use their newly acquired abilities to take shortcuts.

The shortcuts might only involve minor, harmless mistakes that would earn them a few days in jail at most if they were caught.

But once they got into the habit, they might eventually make a mistake that couldn't be undone.

For example, if Ling Qing wanted to complete Wild Shape, he needed to raise his Five Animal Frolics level and gain another means of self-defense.

He could sneak into a zoo under cover of night to get close to the animals. During the day, there were too many people around, and visitors couldn't spend long periods near dangerous animals.

Or he could apply for a job at the zoo and become a keeper, allowing him to spend more time near the animals. But that would take time, and there was no guarantee he'd succeed.

Now, however, Ling Qing could use points to buy the chance to get close to these wild beasts.

Imitative Boxing was a martial art that mimicked the traits and movements of various animals, as well as the fighting styles and daily mannerisms of different kinds of people.

It centered on using martial arts movements to imitate the distinctive actions of animals or people.

Whether passed down through history or acquired in dungeons, Imitative Boxing was an important part of Hua Nation's martial arts, practiced by many people.

To learn its essence, you first had to truly understand the animals you meant to imitate.

So the Special Affairs Department had set up a Beast Garden here specifically for people to observe them.

The resort also had an archery range, training grounds, a martial arts arena, a sparring ring, and other related facilities.

A place like the Beast Garden, built specifically for those practicing Imitative Boxing, was exactly what Ling Qing needed.