Upgrade! Dao Diagram Mutation!

"This is..."

Across the window.

The woman took the bag, opened it, and glanced inside. Her eyes immediately lit up.

"A Golden Bone Sparrow that has awakened its intelligence and refined spiritual essence into its body is especially nourishing and beautifying."

She weighed it in her hand.

"Five Golden Bone Sparrows, four catties in total. I can offer sixty contribution points. Are you selling?" The woman looked eagerly at Lu He, a trace of excitement entering her voice.

"How much... sixty contribution points?"

Lu He's pupils abruptly contracted, and his heart immediately began pounding furiously.

He instinctively swept his gaze around.

Seeing no one nearby, he finally relaxed a little.

Sixty contribution points were roughly equivalent to all his earnings during an entire window period, enough to exchange for two Black Jade Pills!

"Just a few demon birds, and they're actually worth so much more than the spiritual things in the fields?"

He clicked his tongue inwardly.

"Of course I'm selling!"

Coming back to himself, Lu He impatiently handed over his jade token.

Not long after.

Outside the Miscellaneous Affairs Building, Lu He stared blankly at his jade token again and again, as well as the sixty-seven contribution points displayed upon it.

His steps were inexplicably unsteady.

"Eighteen contribution points... they deducted a full eighteen contribution points!"

At that moment, he felt as though something inside him had shattered, bleeding ceaselessly outward.

"Right, the cave dwelling. I need to rent a cave dwelling."

As if recalling something, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Lu He's dim eyes.

In the Medicine Garden, setting everything else aside, the efficiency of getting things done was truly high—especially when one had enough contribution points.

The person in charge of renting cave dwellings was a middle-aged man. His cultivation was mediocre, but his backing was extraordinary: he was the younger brother of a steward's wife.

The sky had already darkened.

By rights, it should have been time to rest.

When he heard Lu He wanted to rent a cave dwelling,

the man was surprised, but he still bustled about enthusiastically and handled everything with exceptional care.

Well, there was still none of that looking down on people through dog eyes. It actually left Lu He faintly disappointed.

Returning to Courtyard Thirteen, Section B.

He briefly packed his belongings... though there was really nothing to pack, only two or three changes of clothes and a thin quilt.

Creak—

The courtyard gate slowly opened.

The sound was especially piercing in the silent night.

But just then.

"Huh, Brother Lu, dressed like this... are you heading back to the dormitories?"

A startled voice suddenly came from next door, carrying a touch of disbelief.

This was followed by a flurry of hurried footsteps.

Bai Hao in the neighboring courtyard seemed to have been drawn by the commotion as well. He quickly opened his door and looked toward Lu He.

"Miss Su, Brother Bai, you're both here."

Lu He greeted them with a smile.

"Brother Lu, where are you going?" Bai Hao tugged at the bundle on Lu He's back, his face full of curiosity.

"I'm planning to move there."

He pointed toward the cave dwelling compound embedded in the mountain not far ahead and answered calmly.

There was no intention of concealing it.

Mainly because there was no point.

After all, those three cave dwelling compounds were extremely close to this place.

They would see each other every day. Even if he brushed them off this time, the two of them would definitely discover the truth later. Explaining it then would only be troublesome.

He might as well tell the truth directly.

Upon hearing this.

"Brother Lu, did you just say... you're moving into a cave dwelling compound?"

Bai Hao's expression abruptly froze. He almost thought he had misheard and could not help confirming it again.

At his side, even Su Lingchan's pretty face flashed with uncontrollable surprise.

Under their gazes.

Lu He nodded calmly.

"Hiss—are you crazy? Is a cave dwelling compound something people like us can afford to rent? Brother Lu, have you misunderstood something? I told you that day that the spiritual essence inside is rich and greatly helps cultivation, but..."

Bai Hao sucked in a sharp breath and stared at Lu He in stunned disbelief.

"That's only icing on the cake. We're still at the Foundation Establishment stage and have no ability to absorb the spiritual essence of heaven and earth. Spending twenty contribution points to rent that kind of place—isn't that just a waste?"

"Ah, the window period only comes once a year. You worked so hard to earn those contribution points, how could you—"

He sighed, hurriedly grabbed Lu He's hand, and made as if to rush outside.

"Come on, I'll take you to ask whether you can get it refunded!"

However.

"Brother Bai, don't try to persuade me anymore. I have my own plans."

Lu He gently patted Bai Hao's shoulder and spoke apologetically.

There was a trace of gratitude in his voice.

He knew the other man was sincerely thinking for his sake.

But that cave dwelling compound concerned the Golden Book and the Origin Creation Spirit Radiance. No matter what, he could not let it slip away.

As for why Lu He was in such a hurry,

it was because he was not sure when the spiritual essence node inside would fully form.

Thus, the sooner he moved in, the safer it would be.

A moment later.

Watching Lu He's retreating figure gradually disappear.

"Why didn't you say anything to persuade Brother Lu just now?"

Bai Hao stood where he was, regret flashing across his face as he turned to complain to Su Lingchan beside him.

"Why should I persuade him?"

Su Lingchan remained expressionless and turned to walk back on her own.

"Everything is Lu He's own choice. We are outsiders. If we say too much in persuasion, it will only harm our relationship. Don't bring up this matter again in the future."

"Only, it seems Brother Zheng had a day when he misjudged someone as well..."

Around the hour of the Tiger, all was silent.

By his usual habits, Lu He should have been in the spirit fields at this time.

But today was clearly different.

Compared with the small courtyard outside,

the cave dwelling compound where he now resided was undoubtedly far more luxurious.

Living quarters, a main hall, a kitchen, a cultivation chamber, and even a study—all were present.

The bookshelves in the study were even piled full of volumes of texts, covering most commonly used reference materials, so Lu He did not need to make a special trip to the Miscellaneous Affairs Building to borrow them.

Most extravagant of all was the cultivation chamber.

The spiritual essence inside was dense, and the floor was paved with square bricks made from some special green jade. They seemed to have a gentle, spirit-nourishing effect; simply sitting there made one's mind feel much livelier.

At this moment.

Lu He sat cross-legged on the jade-brick floor of the cultivation chamber, his eyes half-closed. Deep within his consciousness, the Golden Book flickered with rays of divine radiance.

The spirit radiance drifting across it had changed from the original two strands to four.

[Origin Creation Spirit Radiance]

[Quantity: 4 strands]

[Current number of white-grade pages that can be condensed: 1]

"I now have two blank pages. If I find a suitable inheritance method, I could consider using one to evolve another innate Dao Diagram."

Lu He murmured inwardly.

A trace of anticipation unconsciously flashed through his eyes.

Right, the Dao Diagram!

As though realizing something, he could not help looking at the Golden Book again.

[Current innate Dao Diagram: White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram]

[Level: 2 (299/300)]

[Grade: White]

[Innate talent:

Immaculate Heart Ape (Tier 2)]

"Only one point of experience left? Better to seize the day than wait for one. Tonight it is."

Lu He licked his lips and directly activated the White Ape Dao Diagram.

Time slowly passed. Before dawn arrived, the faint crow of a rooster could already be heard in the distance.

The tenant farmers in the Medicine Garden rubbed their sleepy eyes and walked stiffly toward the riverbank.

Inside the cultivation chamber.

Lu He's face was pale. Deep within his consciousness, the White Ape Dao Diagram gave off waves of trembling hums, as though undergoing some sort of transformation.

At a certain moment.

Lu He abruptly opened his eyes, though his expression was somewhat strange.

He seemed delighted, yet there was a trace of surprise mixed in.

It was within expectations that after the Dao Diagram rose to Level Three, the enlightenment boost of the Immaculate Heart Ape would rise once more, but...

"The White Ape Dao Diagram actually gained a new innate talent!"