"Hey, junior brother, what are you staring at?"
Zhang Jing was watching Senior Brother Yangchu's retreating figure when he suddenly felt a heavy slap on his back, followed immediately by Senior Sister Tong's voice beside his ear.
Hiss-
He could not help baring his teeth and sucking in a breath of cold air.
He had already noticed it earlier: this senior sister's strength bore no relation to her petite frame. They were practically opposite extremes.
"Senior Sister Tong, did you need something?"
Zhang Jing hurriedly turned around and lowered his head slightly to look at her, afraid she would slap him again.
"Ahem, junior brother." Meeting Zhang Jing's gaze, Tong Yao's pretty face flushed. Then she clasped her hands behind her back again and asked solemnly, "What's your relationship with Senior Brother Yangchu? You both have the surname Zhang."
That was it?
Something inexplicably twitched inside Zhang Jing.
Seeing the solemn expression on her face, he had thought this senior sister was about to say something important.
Zhang Jing first gave her a strange look, then answered without hesitation:
"Senior sister, that's only a coincidence."
"Ohhh-"
Tong Yao drew out the sound, putting on an air of profound understanding. "I understand, junior brother. Since we have some time now, let me give you a brief introduction to the Luodu Squad."
"Please go ahead, senior sister." Zhang Jing immediately focused his attention.
"Our squad ranks third in the Outer Court. At the top, we have one captain and five deputy captains, all at the tenth level of Qi Refining."
She paused, then continued:
"Below them are seventeen stewards, with cultivation at the seventh level of Qi Refining at minimum. Senior Brother Yangchu, whom you just met, is one of those seventeen stewards. Below the stewards are ordinary members like us."
Senior Brother Yangchu, a steward, at least the seventh level of Qi Refining?
Zhang Jing suddenly recalled the powerful auras he had sensed on the island when he arrived. Not one had been weaker than Senior Brother Yangchu's, but their number did not match what his senior sister had said at all.
In that case-
Zhang Jing sank into thought.
Then he remembered that this senior sister had just returned from a mission, and asked curiously:
"Senior sister, how do we usually accept Demon-Suppression Missions? Does everyone carry them out together?"
"Well, that depends."
Senior Sister Tong considered it before answering slowly:
"For some low-level missions, a few people can accept them together. The Dao Merit reward is then divided according to each person's contribution during the mission."
"For high-level missions, a steward or captain needs to lead the team. Of course, they take the lion's share of the rewards, but we can obtain large quantities of demon corpses, natural treasures, and other resources. All told, the gains far exceed those from low-level missions. They're just a little more dangerous."
"Also, once our cultivation reaches the fourth level of Qi Refining or above, the squad allows us to accept missions alone. Naturally, doing missions alone brings greater gains. But that approach demands far too much overall strength. Currently, only nine senior brothers in our Luodu Squad habitually carry out missions alone."
"Senior sister, how much Dao Merit does an ordinary low-level mission reward?" Zhang Jing continued.
"Anywhere from fifty to eighty."
Senior Sister Tong answered frankly.
"Then how long does it take to complete a mission on average?"
"If it's quick, a little over ten days. If it's slow, that's hard to say. It could take several months."
Whew-so that was how it worked?
Zhang Jing could not help thinking it over.
Since his current strength only allowed him to accept low-level missions, the returns from working in a team were a little too low. If he carried out Demon-Suppression Missions alone, his Five-Law Spirit River and numerous Law Techniques with additional traits would be enough to handle them.
Only-
The rate of earning Dao Merit was still too slow.
If he wanted to avoid delaying his cultivation, he might only be able to carry out three to five missions a year. Others might consider the Dao Merit he earned a great deal, but compared to Zhang Jing's goal, it was merely a cup of water against a blazing cartload of firewood.
Not to mention the requirement of reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining.
After turning it over in his mind, Zhang Jing felt that Senior Brother Liu was right. Saving enough Dao Merit through missions to exchange for an Upper-Grade Inheritance was indeed difficult.
His hopes would still have to rest on making talismans.
This was the inspiration Zhang Jing had gained from his last conversation with Senior Brother Qiu.
Compared with alchemy, artifact refining, and formations, Talisman Making had low costs and better suited an impoverished cultivator like Zhang Jing. More importantly, making talismans took relatively little time, making it convenient for him to grind skill proficiency.
At this thought, Zhang Jing made his decision.
Coming back to his senses.
He cupped his hands and took his leave:
"Thank you for your guidance, senior sister. I'll return to my cave abode and settle in first, then visit another day."
"Go on, go on." Senior Sister Tong smiled and waved upon hearing this, then seemed to remember something and reminded him, "Junior brother, once we've chosen a mission, I'll come let you know."
"All right, senior sister. I'll leave you to your business."
With those words.
Zhang Jing turned and headed outside.
But before he reached the door, he heard another curious question from behind him. "Oh, right, junior brother, I forgot to ask. How exactly do you cultivate? Those were First Grade prodigies! The Dao Academy might not produce even one in several decades, yet you were only a hair behind them?"
"Senior sister, I just cultivate normally."
Zhang Jing answered, his steps unconsciously quickening.
Only after he had gone far from the Merit Hall.
Did he breathe a sigh of relief, take the Jade Key out of his spirit pendant's storage space, and extend his spiritual sense into it.
In an instant, a specific location ahead and to his left faintly appeared in his perception.
Holding the Jade Key.
Zhang Jing quickly headed toward the location he sensed.
A little under an hour later.
A bronze door enveloped in spiritual light appeared before Zhang Jing, radiating powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy.
Written upon it were the words "West No. 23 Cave Abode"!
The bronze door adjoined a graceful little hill, its slopes lush with greenery. Birds and monkeys called out from time to time, while a small lake, clear enough to see the bottom, lay before the door amid the trees.
Zhang Jing's eyes lit up.
Nestled against a hill and beside water, with abundant spiritual qi and brimming with life.
It truly was a fine place. No wonder a cultivation cave abode had been built here!
He walked straight to the bronze door, poured spiritual energy into the Jade Key, then pressed it against the door.
Instantly, the Jade Key shone with a lustrous glow.
Rumble-
The bronze door opened little by little, ripples spreading through the spiritual light covering it.
Suppressing his excitement.
Zhang Jing stepped into the cave abode.
The instant he entered, he was engulfed by spiritual mist surging toward him.
The spiritual qi within this cave abode was actually so dense that it had condensed into wisps of mist.
The faint sound of a great river's surging waves rose from within Zhang Jing's body. Drawn by the dense spiritual qi, the Five Viscera Water-Origin Guiding Commentary had begun circulating on its own.
Spiritual energy flowed ceaselessly into his Dantian.
In just an instant, he felt his cultivation increase a fraction.
The absurdly dense spiritual qi within the cave abode left Zhang Jing staring wide-eyed.
Before arriving, he had imagined that the spiritual qi inside the cave abode would certainly be dense, but he had never expected it to reach such an unimaginable degree.
Compared with this, the Cultivation Chamber in Dragon Marsh Market... wait, why compare them?
He, Zhang Jing, knew nothing of any Cultivation Chamber.
Only after briefly touring the cave abode did Zhang Jing discover that not only was its spiritual qi dense, but its interior was also outrageously spacious.
It even had areas set aside for raising Spirit Plants and spirit beasts.
A Cultivation Chamber, an inheritance chamber, and every other sort of functional room were all provided. It embodied the extravagance of "you may not use it, but you must have it"!
Zhang Jing swiftly took out all his luggage, sorted it, and put it away.
Then he eagerly entered the Cultivation Chamber.
Before long.
The deep roar of a Flood Dragon faintly resounded.
The dense spiritual qi within the cave abode surged into the Cultivation Chamber like a tide. At the same time, spiritual qi from the earth veins flowed continuously into the cave abode.
The next day.
Zhang Jing emerged from the Cultivation Chamber, thoroughly satisfied.
After a night of cultivation, his cultivation had taken another small but unwavering step forward.
Judging by this rate.
In less than two months, his cultivation would naturally reach the third level of Qi Refining.
Since his cultivation progress had far exceeded his expectations, it was time to put obtaining a Talisman Making inheritance on the agenda as well.
At this thought.
Zhang Jing took out the Middle-Grade Inheritance exchange voucher. After examining it before his eyes, he turned and headed outside.