Receiving a Quest

Only one cultivator was on duty at the item trading office. Hardly anyone came here to trade, and he lounged lazily in his chair.

A notice board at the trading office read: "Transactions restricted to sect contribution points only."

No wonder no one came here. It turned out that only sect contribution points could be used for transactions. This group of newly arrived outer sect disciples probably had not earned any sect contribution points yet.

"Greetings, Senior Brother." Qin Huaian walked over and greeted the cultivator on duty.

"Hello, Junior Brother. Is there something you need?" The duty cultivator perked up slightly.

"May I ask, Senior Brother, can items be sold to the sect?"

"Of course. What items does Junior Brother wish to sell?" The disciple on duty immediately became interested. In the past, many outer sect disciples who wanted sect contribution points but did not wish to risk their lives on sect missions would sell some of their own possessions in exchange for contribution points.

"How much will the sect pay for Qi Recovery Pills?"

"Qi Recovery Pills? Six sect contribution points per bottle. How many bottles does Junior Brother wish to sell?"

Qin Huaian was slightly taken aback. What a profiteer. The mission office bought them for eight sect contribution points per bottle, while this place offered only six. Something was off.

"Senior Brother, why does the mission office buy them for eight sect contribution points?" Qin Huaian asked doubtfully.

"Oh, the mission office? If you want them to purchase your pills, you must prove that you are an alchemist before you can submit pills of the corresponding grade."

"I see! Thank you for clearing up my confusion, Senior Brother." Qin Huaian understood. The pills submitted to the mission office had to be personally refined, while the trading office recognized the pills, not the person.

This was preferential treatment for those with specialized cultivation skills, encouraging disciples to study the hundred arts of cultivation.

It also prevented certain disciples from buying pills outside with spirit stones, then selling them to the sect in exchange for sect contribution points.

After all, many resources were difficult to purchase with spirit stones and could only be exchanged for with sect contribution points.

Several cultivators were looking over the mission board at the mission office, but no one was accepting missions yet. After all, they had only just joined the sect and needed time to familiarize themselves with things.

"Greetings, Senior Brothers. May I ask how one accepts the Qi Recovery Pill mission?" Two cultivators were on duty at the mission office.

"To accept the Qi Recovery Pill mission, first, you must prove that you are a first-tier alchemist. Second, within these ten years, each first-tier alchemist may submit at most five bottles of Qi Recovery Pills per day, and the quota may be accumulated." One of the cultivators sized Qin Huaian up and spoke indifferently.

"How do I prove it?" Qin Huaian asked.

"Just refine a batch here." The cultivator pointed to an empty space nearby, which seemed to have been specially reserved for this purpose.

"Alright. Senior Brother, can you provide one portion of spirit herbs for refining Qi Recovery Pills?"

"No problem." The cultivator took out a packet of spirit herbs.

Qin Huaian accepted the spirit herbs, patted his storage pouch, took out a pill furnace, and sat cross-legged on the ground to begin refining Qi Recovery Pills.

At this moment, several cultivators who had been watching the mission board gathered around as well.

"So impressive. He knows alchemy at such a young age."

"Who knows whether he can succeed? Don't tell me he's just putting on a show to draw attention."

"Don't alchemists usually start learning alchemy only after their cultivation stagnates? He looks quite young."

"Perhaps he's an alchemist specially trained by some family."

The onlookers chattered away.

Qin Huaian paid no attention to the discussions around him and focused on refining the pills step by step. With practiced movements, he placed each medicinal ingredient into the pill furnace. As time passed, the spirit herbs dissolved one after another into medicinal liquid.

More and more people gathered around, yet the discussions gradually grew quieter instead. Anyone with even a little understanding of alchemy could see that Qin Huaian's refining techniques were exceptionally skilled. He was clearly an experienced alchemist.

After the final ingredient entered the pill furnace, Qin Huaian concentrated and slowly guided the medicinal liquid to merge.

Pill Condensation! With a sweep of Qin Huaian's spiritual power, ten round, smooth pills fell into his palm.

"Impressive. At such a young age, Junior Brother has not only reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement, but has also become a first-tier alchemist!" the cultivator at the mission office praised.

"His cultivation has actually reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement already. He looks only around twenty."

"The resident alchemists at Rosy Cloud Pavilion in our Donglai Market are all at least forty."

The surrounding cultivators also praised him.

"Senior Brother Qin, you're amazing!" A young girl skipped over to Qin Huaian's side. Who else could it be but Lin Qingxuan?

Qin Huaian gave the girl a slight nod, then said to the cultivator at the mission office, "Senior Brother, this should be enough, right?"

"Yes, it is. Junior Brother is young and promising!" The cultivator smiled. "Bring me your identity plaque, and I'll register you. From now on, you may submit up to five bottles of Qi Recovery Pills each day. The submissions can be accumulated by days. For example, if you come once every ten days, you can submit fifty bottles."

"Thank you, Senior Brother. Here are five bottles of Qi Recovery Pills. Please inspect them." Qin Huaian took out five bottles of Qi Recovery Pills he had refined earlier and handed them to the cultivator.

The cultivator froze. He had not expected Qin Huaian to immediately take out Qi Recovery Pills he already had and submit them.

"Senior Brother, can't I submit them today?" Seeing that the cultivator had not taken his Qi Recovery Pills, Qin Huaian asked.

"You can, of course you can. Five bottles of Qi Recovery Pills are worth forty sect contribution points. Deducting two points for one portion of Qi Recovery Pill spirit herbs, that comes to thirty-eight points in total. I've recorded the sect contribution points on Junior Brother's identity plaque."

The cultivator accepted the Qi Recovery Pills, registered Qin Huaian, and returned his identity plaque.

"Thank you, Senior Brother," Qin Huaian said.

"Senior Brother Qin, where are you going now?" Seeing Qin Huaian preparing to leave, Lin Qingxuan hurriedly followed after him and asked.

"I'm going to the trading office to exchange for a few things, then I'll return to my cave abode." Seeing Lin Qingxuan follow him, Qin Huaian did not say much. After all, they were fellow disciples, and she was his neighbor as well. There was no harm in getting acquainted.

"Mm, let's head back together. I didn't get a turn yesterday, and I only collected my quota resources today." The little girl pouted.

"Let's go."

Qin Huaian arrived at the trading office. The cultivator on duty had already witnessed Qin Huaian's pill refinement earlier. Seeing him approach, he laughed heartily. "Truly, one must not judge a person by appearances. Junior Brother is so young, yet already a first-rank alchemist. Admirable, admirable."

"You flatter me, Senior Brother. Please help me collect nineteen portions of spirit herbs for refining Qi Recovery Pills."

"Sure. One portion of spirit herbs costs two sect contribution points. Junior Brother, hand over your identity token."

Qin Huaian passed over his identity token. After the duty cultivator deducted the sect contribution points, he handed Qin Huaian the token and nineteen portions of spirit herbs.

"Junior Brother, you're welcome to come by often."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." After thanking the cultivator, Qin Huaian headed out of the Affairs Hall.

"Senior Brother Qin, how long have you been learning alchemy?"

"Let me tell you, most of the alchemists in our family are old men who've been studying it for many years."

Qin Huaian and Lin Qingxuan chatted as they walked, though Lin Qingxuan did most of the talking.

They had just stepped out of the Affairs Hall when a man around twenty-four or twenty-five approached them head-on.

"Qingxuan, who is this?" The man sized up Qin Huaian as he asked.