Plant Spirit Fields for Hundreds of Years

Spring gave way to autumn. The sunlight was perfect today. It had already been their first year since arriving at the Five Elements Sect, and they continued adding their Longevity Points to their magical power.

A gap opened in the restrictions around Medicine Valley. Chen Xun led Big Black Ox out with high spirits, carrying a Storage Bag filled with medicinal herbs—the full quota they needed to submit, not one stalk missing.

They made their familiar way to the Sect Main Hall. They lingered outside the hall for quite a while again, and fortunately, they did not run into Senior Brother Le today. Otherwise, they would have been lectured again.

The same old man was still inside the hall. Wearing his straw hat, Chen Xun respectfully said, "Martial Uncle, I've come to submit medicinal herbs."

"Mm." The old man seemed as though he had never fully awakened, answering lazily.

At the counter, Chen Xun emptied all the medicinal herbs from his Storage Bag. Not one more, not one fewer. Their spiritual aura wafted straight into the nose.

A sharp gleam flashed through the old man's eyes. He hurriedly counted them, then took out a Trigram Token and sent a stream of magical power into it. Understanding filled his eyes. "Not bad."

"Kid, it was you."

The old man saw Chen Xun's face beneath the straw hat, then looked at Big Black Ox. "You're the first disciple to enter the herb garden right after joining the sect, and still submit the full amount of medicinal herbs in your first year."

"Martial Uncle may not know this, but my family grew medicinal herbs. I have some experience with it."

"Quite good."

The old man was rather talkative today. A Trigram Token appeared in his hand. "These are your contribution points for this year. It's yours."

"Thank you, Martial Uncle!" Chen Xun was overjoyed. He accepted it respectfully and clutched the Trigram Token tightly in his hand.

"Just drip blood on it to bind it as your master. Go."

"Yes."

Chen Xun took Big Black Ox and ran. He had long since figured out where the Sect Contribution Hall was. "Old Ox, we've struck it rich!"

"Moo moo~" Big Black Ox bellowed with a wide grin.

As they rushed past, the surrounding disciples frowned. Where had this straw-hat fellow come from, making such a racket?

Once outside the hall, Chen Xun found an empty spot and hurriedly dripped blood onto the token to bind it. When he checked it, he found that it held 200 contribution points!

"Woohoo!"

Chen Xun jumped and shouted, looking at Big Black Ox. "Old Ox, we have two hundred contribution points!"

"Moo!" Big Black Ox was startled. It stood on its hind legs, sprawled against Chen Xun, and hurriedly looked at the Trigram Token.

The sect's minimum yearly contribution requirement for Outer Sect Disciples was only 100. They had actually exceeded it by double.

"Come on, to the Sect Contribution Hall! Today, we spend—spend like mad!"

"Moo!"

One man and one ox began sprinting. Today, they would bleed the Contribution Hall dry.

Half a Day later, Chen Xun and Big Black Ox emerged from the Contribution Hall with mournful faces. Chen Xun held a longsword in both hands, his eyes hollow and utterly devoid of the will to live.

"Damn it... what a Black Hall."

Chen Xun muttered under his breath, his lips opening and closing as he kept murmuring, "Black Hall..."

"Moo~" Big Black Ox's eyes were equally vacant. Their contribution points had now been completely emptied.

"One immortal sword, 50 contribution points. Yellow-Rank Low-Grade Magical Artifact."

"One Pill Refining Furnace, 100 contribution points. Yellow-Rank Mid-Grade Magical Artifact."

"Bigu Pill formula, 50 contribution points."

Chen Xun stared blankly at Big Black Ox, his voice rising from low to high. "Our contribution points are gone? Huh?! That's it?!"

"Moo!" Big Black Ox roared furiously. They should return to the valley, plow the spirit fields properly, and save up several thousand contribution points.

"Old Ox, back to the valley. Let's farm! Are we really going to let a mere Contribution Hall get the better of us?!"

Chen Xun said in fury, bursting with ambition. "We'll plant the damned fields for a few hundred years and haul this Contribution Hall empty!"

"Moo!" Big Black Ox rose to its feet and let out a long howl, the muscles all over its body bulging.

"What are you yelling for?! No noise outside the hall!" Several scolding voices came from within.

"Moo moo~"

"Let's go, let's go."

Chen Xun gave an awkward laugh, led Big Black Ox away while hunched over, and hurriedly fled. They moved so furtively that Law Enforcement Hall disciples checked their identities several times along the way.

The roads were filled with Five Elements Sect Disciples. They gathered in twos and threes, spittle flying as they chatted endlessly, all visibly excited.

"This year's Sect Competition is starting again. I heard Senior Brother Bai Shi came out of seclusion!"

"Heavens, he's the pillar holding up us Outer Sect Disciples! The Sect Master once praised Senior Brother for having the potential for Foundation Establishment."

"If he takes first place this year, then during the Southern Mountain Trip four years from now, I heard he can be directly rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill!"

"We Outer Sect Disciples shouldn't even dream about taking first. It's always monopolized by the Inner Sect Disciples."

"But we can still go earn some contribution points and improve our strength."

Several disciples passed by Chen Xun, speaking animatedly. They had no idea that a straw-hat man leading an ox stood beside them.

"Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, please wait."

Chen Xun gave a Light Cough and led Big Black Ox over. "How many contribution points do you get for participating in the Sect Competition?"

They were all startled. How had this fellow appeared like a ghost, looking like an old farmer?

"Hehe, this Junior Brother just joined the sect, didn't he?"

"Yes, yes. Please enlighten me, Senior Brothers." Chen Xun accidentally placed three Low-Grade Spirit Stones in their hands.

Oh!

The three exchanged glances. This was the first time they had met such a tactful Junior Brother. With One Hand behind their backs, they laughed. "We're fellow sect brothers."

"Exactly. We're all brothers, all brothers." Chen Xun laughed as well.

"Junior Brother may not know this."

The three found Chen Xun much more pleasing to the eye. "Only Qi Condensation Stage disciples may participate in the Sect Competition. If your ranking enters the top five hundred, you'll receive five hundred contribution points!"

"If your ranking enters the top hundred, you'll receive one thousand contribution points, and you may even be accepted as a disciple by one of the elders."

"If your ranking enters the top ten, you'll receive two thousand contribution points, be directly promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple, and may choose your own master."

"If your ranking enters the top three, then that would be incredible. Not only will there be all kinds of magical artifact rewards, there will also be things among them that we don't even know about."

The few men smiled A Trace, and longing could not help but surface in their eyes. If they could enter the top hundred, they would soar to great heights.

"How many people take part?" Chen Xun asked casually, though his heart stirred. Getting those five hundred contribution points would be enough.

He had just checked. The Foundation Establishment Pill formula cost three thousand contribution points. He would have to work for fifteen years and exchange nothing else to afford it.

"Generally, around thirty thousand."

"So many?!" Chen Xun was greatly shocked. In his previous life, he had not even made the top five hundred in an exam with a thousand people.

"Of course. Not only do many Inner Sect Disciples participate, but the descendants of those elders are involved as well."

The few men Shook Head slightly and sighed softly. "Those people have Yellow-Rank High-Grade Magical Artifacts and all sorts of spells to protect themselves. We can't compare to them."

"That's way too unfair. What's the point of competing, then?"

Chen Xun frowned. A magical artifact like that was like him holding a kitchen knife while the other person carried a Gatling gun. What the hell was there to play?

"The sect naturally considers people like us. The Inner Sect Disciples have their own matches; they only participate in the competition for the top hundred rankings."

"That still won't do. Isn't this just the Inner Sect Disciples entertaining themselves?" Chen Xun Shook Head. Cultivation resources were far too unequal.

"Then Junior Brother is mistaken. We Outer Sect Disciples produce outstanding talents too—like Senior Brother Bai Shi, at the Qi Condensation Tenth Layer. Who could contend with him!"

The few men bragged grandly, as though Senior Brother Bai Shi were themselves.

"Hehe, true enough. Then I won't disturb you Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers any longer."

Chen Xun led Big Black Ox away at a slow pace, deep in thought. Disciples kept racing past around them, while others rode flying swords and streaked through the air with whistling cries.