Becoming Immortal? Isn't It as Easy as Having Hands?

First floor of the Miscellaneous Affairs Building.

By the time Lu He entered, quite a few people were already inside. They had all gathered before a newly opened service window, unable to hide their delight as they chatted animatedly.

Without exception, they were cultivators who had obtained quotas as Spirit-Slaying Envoys a few days ago.

One look at their expressions was enough to tell that they had reaped quite a harvest today.

Lu He swept his gaze around. Perhaps because they had only become cultivators recently, there was no one among them whom he knew.

Carrying his bag, he quietly took his place at the very back of the line according to the order of arrival, then closed his eyes to rest.

There were no incidents of people cutting in line or picking fights.

Everyone behaved themselves.

The line slowly moved forward.

He waited for nearly half an hour.

Inside the window sat a young woman who appeared to be around Lu He's age. With willow-leaf brows and a graceful neck, she was exquisitely dressed, carrying an ethereal air that made people hesitate to look at her directly.

So strong—far stronger than the stewards. Such a young Qi-Feeding cultivator... Could she be a genius disciple from the Inner Garden's Pill Institute?

After only one glance, Lu He lowered his head and handed over the bag containing the spirit creature corpses.

"Two Green Scab Bugs and one Thread Mantis. Together, they weigh two liang and three qian. They are all unranked spirit creatures, valued at one contribution point per liang."

The woman opened the bag, gave it a glance, weighed it in her hand, and spoke without raising her head.

At her words—

"Unranked spirit creatures are worth only one contribution point per liang?"

Lu He frowned and began calculating unconsciously.

While waiting in line earlier, he had overheard others discussing the exchange price of Black Jade Pills.

A low-grade Black Jade Pill—the kind he had taken before—cost thirty contribution points per pill.

The Blackleaf Spirit Wheat in the fields would be harvested next month.

In other words, the entire window period would last roughly thirty days.

Based on today's gains, he could earn two to three contribution points a day. In thirty days, at most, that would be ninety contribution points, enough to exchange for around three low-grade Black Jade Pills.

"Three Black Jade Pills—even if things go poorly and I can only exchange for two, that should be enough for my Body-Shedding Realm cultivation... All that remains is to condense the remaining six True Talismans of the <Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram> as soon as possible."

"Perfect. As a second-class seed, I get seven free visits to the Enlightenment Pavilion every month."

Lu He thought excitedly.

Yet immediately afterward, a faint thread of doubt arose in his heart.

So far, the Body-Shedding Realm—even the entire three realms of Foundation Establishment—seemed to have no real threshold.

Was Body-Shedding Realm cultivation difficult? Was condensing Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Intent Runes difficult?

Wasn't it simply a matter of having enough resources...

Why did everyone else in the Medicine Garden, even so many seeds, seem to find cultivation so arduous?

Even the stewards seemed to think so.

Could it be... that I've overlooked something?

At that moment, a somewhat impatient voice suddenly exploded beside his ear, interrupting Lu He's thoughts.

"Stop wasting time. Give me your jade talisman! After the contribution points from selling spirit creatures have been deducted for the portion owed to the steward of the corresponding spirit field, the rest will be recorded directly on your jade talisman."

Coming back to himself—

Lu He saw that the woman behind the window had a dark expression.

She seemed rather displeased that he had failed to hand over his jade talisman on his own and had made her waste time prompting him.

Lu He froze for a moment, then abruptly realized.

"Right. Sixty percent of the contribution points I earn from selling spirit creatures must go to Steward Lu. In that case, I'm afraid I'll have to delay completing my Body-Shedding Realm cultivation by another two months, until I receive my second Black Jade Pill."

He sighed inwardly.

Then he hurriedly handed over his jade talisman.

He did not feel much resentment.

This was the Medicine Garden's rule, not something aimed at him alone.

To be fair, Lu He felt immensely grateful that Steward Lu had yesterday brushed aside all objections and forcibly secured a second-class seed quota for him.

Though the other party had attached conditions.

For Lu He, however, those conditions happened to be just right.

After all, if the other party had truly asked for nothing, he would instead have been left on edge.

Taking back his jade talisman from the window—

"Two point three contribution points. I get forty percent, so that comes to... one point six?"

That wasn't right!

Lu He stared at the two additional intricate symbols on his jade talisman. They were the numbers of this world, representing one point six.

For a moment, he began to doubt whether he had been poor at mathematics in his previous life.

Or perhaps the woman had made a mistake?

The instant that thought arose, Lu He threw it straight out of his mind.

In this world, immortal path cultivators possessed terrifyingly powerful minds as early as the Foundation Establishment stage. A thousand thoughts in a single breath was no empty phrase.

Much less for an immortal master who had already stepped into the Qi-Feeding Realm!

So then...

"The only possibility—second-class seed status also receives special treatment when it comes to the Spirit-Slaying Envoy's share!"

Having figured it out—

Lu He could not help feeling speechless.

"Couldn't they have explained all the benefits for seeds at once? Acting all mysterious is going to get people killed."

Right, that cave dwelling courtyard!

As if suddenly recalling something, his eyes lit up.

In that case, in just another six or seven days, he seemed likely to gather twenty contribution points.

Over the past day and night—

The thought of renting that cave dwelling courtyard had grown increasingly intense in Lu He's mind.

Its priority had even faintly risen above purchasing pills for cultivation.

Lu He knew better than anyone that he had gone from a lowly tenant farmer to a Spirit-Slaying Envoy and a second-class seed of the Medicine Garden step by step.

First, through diligent cultivation without rest, day and night.

Second, through the state of enlightenment granted by the [White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram] evolved from the Golden Book, along with its boost to his extraordinary comprehension.

That was the capital he relied on to survive.

The Golden Book still had a blank page. He could, in fact, imprint the <Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram> upon it and evolve a [Scarlet Horned-Dragon Dao Diagram].

But he had never considered doing so, for fear that once he used it, there would be no more afterward.

If he later obtained Dao and Dharma capable of evolving an even higher-grade talent Dao Diagram—

What then?

And if the thing inside that cave dwelling truly was as he suspected, capable of helping the Golden Book condense new pages—

A trace of longing flashed through Lu He's eyes unconsciously.

A single [White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram] had directly propelled his talent into the first tier of the Medicine Garden, perhaps even higher.

If, in the future, he possessed hundreds or thousands of talent Dao Diagrams—

Was becoming immortal difficult? Wasn't it as easy as having hands!

At that thought—

Lu He's steps as he headed back grew quicker, carrying a touch of urgency.

Tonight, while he still had half a Black Jade Pill left, he would cultivate once more and further increase his strength.

Then, he intended to eat, drink, and even sleep in the spirit fields.

The window period was short.

He had to seize as many contribution points as possible. Once this village was past, there would be no such shop again.

Time always loved to toy with people. The more Lu He hoped it would pass slowly, the faster it slipped away.

Immersed in relentless work day and night—

Before he knew it, nine days had passed.

It was as though he had returned to three months ago.

He was even busier now than he had been then.

During that time, Bai Hao came to find Lu He once, determined to bring him along to the seeds' tea gathering.

He seemed to want to use the opportunity to regain face and show everyone that it was not because he lacked strength, but because he had truly been careless that time.

However, once Lu He learned that there was no prize at stake in this tea gathering—

He decisively refused.

To be sure, after digesting that Black Jade Pill, the strength of one of his arms had quietly reached nineteen hundred jin.

Combined with his complete True-Intent Runes, he could unleash a terrifying force close to four thousand jin. Even among the veteran seeds, he could not be considered weak.

Compared with Bai Hao... Forget it, there was no need to compare.

He would presumably be able to claim a fine rank on the Tea Gathering Rankings, perhaps even make a whole crowd's jaws drop.

That was right—Lu He had already discovered that his efficiency in utilizing resources far surpassed others'. At first, he had assumed it was due to the Red Qiu True Talisman, but now he was certain that his talent Dao Diagram also played a part!

The [White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram] seemed not only to have improved Lu He's aptitude and comprehension, but also his physical aptitude.

Therefore, when cultivating with the same Black Jade Pill, Lu He was certain that his results were most likely among the very best.

But compared to such trivial empty fame—

He felt it was more meaningful to hurry and earn contribution points.

With that thought—

Lu He unconsciously took out his jade talisman, his gaze falling upon the contribution points he had painstakingly earned during this time.