Three days later.
Chen Changming quietly slipped out of the Lingxiao Sect again, rode a Cloud Eagle from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to the Ziyuan Secret Realm, and watered the spirit fields once more.
The young lady still didn't show up this time. Someone else piloted the Cloud Eagle and escorted him back and forth.
After watering the fields for several months, the spirit herbs were thriving. Chen Changming had also quietly observed them and discovered that they might all mature in less than a year.
At the thought of losing his source of Spirit Gathering Pills once they matured, he couldn't help but feel anxious again.
Now that the Lingxiao Sect could no longer grow Spirit Rice either, nearly all his sources of income would be cut off by the time he returned a year later.
No need to rush. I should focus on comprehending the Dragon-Roaming Step...
Back in his cave dwelling at the sect, Chen Changming sighed softly and continued comprehending the Dragon Glide Step.
His aptitude was truly terrible. It took him a full half-month to grasp the Dragon Glide Step, and only then did he begin practicing it in earnest.
For Chen Changming, understanding the footwork and executing the complete technique were separated by a vast chasm.
It took him another month to perform a complete set of the Dragon Glide Step.
"So hard!"
The young man shook his head again and again.
Fortunately, he hadn't neglected the Evergreen Art during this time. His Qi Refining Realm cultivation had continued to improve, and he was now just one step away from the third layer.
From then on, Chen Changming focused mainly on the Dragon Glide Step.
He wanted to see whether it would take a hundred repetitions or ten thousand to break through the technique's limit.
"Dragon Glide Step, one hundred repetitions!"
Three days later, after completing one hundred repetitions, the long-awaited phenomenon appeared once more. A wondrous sensation stirred within him, filling Chen Changming with excitement.
The first enhancement of the Dragon Glide Step made him ten times faster!
Of course, the increased speed also consumed more spiritual power. Fortunately, Chen Changming's dantian held far more spiritual power than an ordinary person's and could easily withstand the expenditure.
"The gap between one hundred and one thousand isn't far. I might as well keep going and break through again..."
Chen Changming was extremely excited and continued practicing.
It seemed that all cultivation techniques from the cultivation world required one hundred repetitions for their first enhancement, while the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade was a martial arts technique from the mortal world. Its level was lower, so it started at ten thousand repetitions.
Now that he had figured everything out,
Chen Changming felt he needed to learn a sword technique.
After all, the entire Lingxiao Sect specialized in swordsmanship. As an outer sect disciple, he couldn't keep brandishing a blade day after day; it wouldn't get him anywhere.
At the thought of this, he sighed to himself.
Back when he had been an errand disciple, he hadn't felt safe, so he had diligently practiced the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade, his only offensive skill.
Now that his status had changed, the number of repetitions needed to enhance the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade further was truly terrifying. He decided it would be best to give it up.
Faced with this choice, he felt helpless, but he had no other option.
Now that he had become an outer sect disciple of the Lingxiao Sect, the world he encountered had grown broader. To grow stronger and gain a greater sense of security, he could only choose a better cultivation technique.
A little over a month later,
Chen Changming completed one thousand repetitions of the Dragon Glide Step and received its second enhancement.
The enhanced Dragon Glide Step brought him another pleasant surprise: his speed increased fivefold again, while the spiritual power it consumed dropped fivefold. Chen Changming was overjoyed.
This meant that his chances of escaping danger had greatly increased.
"All right. It's time to take on some missions and earn contribution points..."
Chen Changming left his cave dwelling and headed straight for the Mission Hall.
He was currently stuck at the second layer of the Qi Refining Realm. The one hundred Spirit Gathering Pills the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion gave him each month were no longer enough. Even with the ten Spirit Gathering Pills distributed by the sect every month, he still didn't have enough. He needed to take on missions, earn contribution points, and exchange them for Spirit Gathering Pills so he could break through to the third layer as soon as possible.
When Chen Changming arrived at the Mission Hall, it was crowded, with both outer and inner sect disciples present.
For any disciple cultivating in the Lingxiao Sect, the resources provided by the sect alone were nowhere near enough. They also had to complete missions issued by the sect to earn contribution points, which they could then exchange for all kinds of cultivation resources.
Inside the Mission Hall were four shadow walls, each displaying lines of mission text that flowed across its surface. Chen Changming was new here and unfamiliar with the place, so he headed for a shadow wall with fewer people and looked over the missions.
"A ghostly apparition has appeared in Penglai Village at the foot of the mountain, preying on cattle and sheep. Kill it to earn 200 contribution points."
"A first-level Tiger Demon at Tiger Leap Gorge often descends the mountain to attack people. Kill it to earn 100 contribution points."
"Purple Spirit Grass grows abundantly on Lingyin Mountain. Gather it and turn it in to the sect for 100 contribution points per stalk."
"..."
The sheer number of missions was dazzling. Chen Changming felt eager to give one a try and was about to accept one when he suddenly heard Yu Hailong's voice behind him.
"Chen Changming, my junior brother Chen, what are you doing taking missions here?"
"There aren't many people here."
Chen Changming turned around with a smile.
Yu Hailong came over, grabbed him, and pointed to the shadow wall on the west side. "The missions over here offer too few contribution points, so there aren't many people. Look at that crowd over there. You can tell the missions must offer a lot."
Chen Changming was taken aback.
Yu Hailong pulled him over to the shadow wall on the west side. They stood at the back of the crowd, rising onto their toes to look at the wall.
"There's been a beast tide on Cloud Mist Mountain recently. A lot of Demonic Beasts have come out and started causing trouble, eating quite a few commoners. The Lingxiao Sect isn't very close to Cloud Mist Mountain, but it's still issued missions for its disciples to go kill the Demonic Beasts."
Yu Hailong pointed at the wall, speaking excitedly. "It lists missions to kill all kinds of Demonic Beasts on Cloud Mist Mountain. Bring the corpses back to the sect after killing them, and you'll earn a handsome number of contribution points."
"I see."
Chen Changming nodded and studied the shadow wall carefully.
Yu Hailong was right. The rewards for killing Demonic Beasts on Cloud Mist Mountain were indeed generous. Even the lowest-ranking first-level Demonic Beasts were worth at least 200 contribution points, with the highest paying 600.
Chen Changming suddenly grew curious. "Senior Brother Yu, why do first-level Demonic Beasts of the same kind offer such different numbers of contribution points?"
"Demonic Beasts of every level are divided into lower, middle, and upper grades, corresponding to the different cultivation stages of us cultivators. For example, a lower-grade first-level Demonic Beast is equivalent in cultivation to a cultivator at the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm..."
Yu Hailong explained.
"That's nonsense!"
A male disciple turned around and sneered. "Demonic Beasts have innate abilities. At the same cultivation level, they're much stronger than human cultivators."
"I know. I just hadn't gotten to that part yet."
Yu Hailong retorted irritably.
Seeing how short-tempered Yu Hailong was, the male disciple fell silent and went back to studying the shadow wall.
After hearing their exchange, Chen Changming nodded to himself.
He now had a clear understanding of the strength of first-level Demonic Beasts.
As he continued looking over the shadow wall, Chen Changming asked in surprise, "Are there Level 2 Demonic Beasts on Cloud Mist Mountain too?"
"Of course, but Level 2 Demonic Beasts rarely come out. They all hide deep in Cloud Mist Mountain. As long as cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm like us don't venture too far in, we'll be fine."
Yu Hailong said nonchalantly.
Chen Changming asked again, "How strong are Level 2 Demonic Beasts?"
Yu Hailong replied, "Level 2 Demonic Beasts are equivalent to human cultivators at Foundation Establishment Early Stage, or the first through third layers of Foundation Establishment. Level 3 Demonic Beasts are equivalent to Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, while Level 4 Demonic Beasts are equivalent to Foundation Establishment Late Stage and peak."
"How do I accept a mission?"
Chen Changming was eager to give it a try. If he killed a lot of Demonic Beasts on Cloud Mist Mountain, he could earn a great many contribution points, and then he would have a way to get his Spirit Gathering Pills.
"Slaying Demonic Beasts on Cloud Mist Mountain is a major mission. Once you've learned about the Demonic Beasts there, just register with Elder Liu by the entrance. That way, the sect will know where you've gone..."
Yu Hailong pointed toward the entrance.