“Thank you for your trouble, Daoist Gao!” Zhou Qingang said with a smile, transferring 30,000 contribution points in the process.
This was naturally the reward for Gao Yuan. Resolving the matter with just 1,000 contribution points per cultivator wasn’t much, but it certainly wasn’t insignificant either—especially since it was just a matter of lifting a finger.
Both parties understood that this was only the beginning, with much larger matters to come.
Gao Yuan accepted the contribution points without hesitation and made a commitment: “If there are more ancient cultivators who wish to join the alliance in the future, feel free to come to me. I’ll make sure all the procedures are handled flawlessly without the slightest error.”
“To avoid drawing attention, though, it’s better to handle this in batches with intervals in between,” Gao Yuan added tactfully.
Zhou Qingang cupped his hands and said, “Daoist Gao, your foresight is commendable. We’ll be troubling you often in the days to come.”
Gao Yuan’s heart skipped slightly, and he lowered his voice. “Daoist Zhou, give me a hint—how many ancient cultivators are there in this secret realm?”
Zhou Qingang simply smiled and raised four fingers in response before leading the disciples of the Medicine King Sect away.
“Four hundred? This secret realm is quite vast. No wonder Zhou Qingang friend wanted to monopolize it…” Gao Yuan thought to himself, slightly startled.
Even so, he couldn’t have guessed that the “four” gesture Zhou Qing’ang made didn’t represent four hundred—it represented four thousand.
…
Instead of taking the 30 Medicine King Sect disciples who had obtained Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance identities into the Tianxuan Mirror’s inner space, Zhou Qingang led them to a residence in the central district of Congyun Immortal City.
In a chamber within the residence, more than fifty miniature Tianxuan Mirrors were neatly arranged.
“Each of you, familiarize yourselves with the basic functions of the Tianxuan Mirror,” Zhou Qingang instructed after demonstrating the usage once.
Though the Tianxuan Mirror was extraordinary, the disciples of the Medicine King Sect were well-versed in dealing with mystical artifacts. After a brief moment of amazement, they quickly got the hang of it.
“Each of you starts with 1,000 contribution points as a beginner’s benefit. Don’t worry; keep an eye on the missions about to be published in the Tianxuan Mirror,” Zhou Qingang said with a wave of his sleeve.
A light screen materialized in the chamber, displaying tasks with odd requirements but generous rewards.
Examples included:
– Seeking biographical details of an ancient sect cultivator from thousands of years ago.
– Requesting clarification on a particular cultivation method.
– Offering high rewards for ways to woo a specific female cultivator.
“These are the standard answers. Once the tasks are posted, just copy the answers directly.”
“Each of you should complete no more than two tasks. Don’t compete, and avoid redundancy,” Zhou Qingang instructed, summoning another light screen that showed the corresponding answers.
The disciples of the Medicine King Sect, quick on the uptake, immediately realized the purpose of the exercise. Excitement gleamed in their eyes as they divided the tasks among themselves. 𐍂Ａ𐌽О฿ÈⱾ
They waited anxiously in front of their Tianxuan Mirrors for the tasks to appear.
Soon, mechanical voices emanated from the mirrors, signaling the arrival of tasks. Each disciple successfully earned their first reward.
Satisfied, Zhou Qingang nodded, then waved his hand, causing a mountain of miscellaneous items to appear in the chamber.
“While waiting for more tasks, exchange these items for contribution points through the Tianxuan Mirror. Keep your earnings under 3,000 each,” he instructed.
The disciples complied without hesitation.
Once this task was complete, Zhou Qingang directed them to open a section of the Tianxuan Mirror called [Law Proliferates Across the World].
The section was bustling, with constant updates.
“Place your bets! Where will the ‘Friendly Exchange Meeting’ between the Five Elders Association and the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance be held?”
“Haha! I guessed it right— Old Fisherman appeared in Taihua Prefecture! Who could’ve expected him to travel so far?”
“Ultimate wager: How long will the peace between the Five Elders Association and our alliance last? High rollers, step up!”
The disciples were momentarily stunned but quickly got the hang of the betting system, following preset results to minimize losses while ensuring a net gain.
When each disciple had accumulated a reasonable amount of contribution points, Zhou Qingang stopped them.
“Now, select cultivation techniques suitable for your Golden Core stage. Tomorrow, we’ll continue.”
Faced with a dazzling array of techniques, the disciples were entranced.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qingang calculated silently:
“In total, we’ve spent 400,000 contribution points. Each disciple has earned about 10,000, effectively laundering 300,000 points. Not too bad.”
Not bad. This secret chamber and the missions and wagers within the Tianxuan Mirror are all channels for quickly clearing contribution debts.
As the saying goes, professional matters should be handled by professionals.
It’s merely a matter of spending more contribution points, something Li Fan could easily afford.
This group of people did not disappoint Li Fan; they were exceptionally professional. The methods of clearing debts were diverse and highly discreet.
Take the Tianxuan Mirror in this secret chamber, for example. Although it appeared to be centralized here, its true components were scattered across various locations of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.
This secret chamber merely provided an interface to extend its functionality. There was no need to worry about raising suspicion due to intensive contribution activities in a single location.
The debt-clearing process was highly efficient.
After three days, the first batch of disciples from the Medicine King Sect had already accumulated the required contribution points.
Elated, they exchanged their points for cultivation techniques.
Zhou Qingang then escorted them back to Shenhua Island.
Meanwhile, the next batch of Medicine King Sect disciples was already prepared to depart.
As Zhou Qingang was an official of the Immortal Alliance, he was too conspicuous and risked exposure.
Thus, the leader this time was the first lucky person to awaken—Xia Ye.
Although Xia Ye appeared slightly nervous, he managed to stay composed. Furthermore, he had already informed Gao Yuan in advance, so there were no issues.
Soon, everything proceeded as planned. The second and third batches of ancient Medicine King Sect cultivators transitioned smoothly and became members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.
One month later.
When Liu San, worn out and defeated, hurried back, what greeted him was the sight of the Medicine King Cauldron brimming with newfound vitality as the disciples flourished.
Liu San was utterly astonished.
At this moment, Li Fan asked, “Elder Liu, how did things go?”
Liu San’s face flushed red. Just as he was about to reply, he glanced at the disciples discussing something amongst themselves. In the end, he pulled Li Fan aside and spoke via sound transmission, “I’m ashamed to report, Young Master. Although I had studied the map, only by visiting the actual sites did I realize how much the landscape had changed.”
Liu San sighed deeply. “I couldn’t even find a trace of the places I remembered. It was as though I had stepped into an entirely different world.”
“Moreover, the Dao Integration cultivators here are far more perceptive than in our time. Even though I did my utmost to conceal my presence, I was still discovered.”
Hearing this, Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Fortunately, he thought I was a member of the Five Elders Association and merely issued a warning, saying something about a ‘Friendly Exchange Meeting’ approaching and advising me not to wander around carelessly. Otherwise, it might lead to unnecessary misunderstandings. Hmph…”
Liu San snorted coldly, his expression tinged with discontent.
However, after a brief pause, he looked somewhat helpless. “Sigh. I could sense that the other party was at the mid-stage of Dao Integration. If it came to a fight, I fear I wouldn’t be his match.”
Li Fan offered words of comfort: “The new cultivation methods harness the power of heaven and earth and contain inner cave-heaven and laws, giving their practitioners a natural advantage in combat compared to us ancient cultivators. Elder Liu, there’s no need to dwell on it. If you were to adopt the new methods, I’m sure your combat strength would rival theirs.”
This statement somewhat alleviated Liu San’s frustration.
Li Fan continued, “The cultivators required to refine the Longevity Pill are now assembled, and we’re counting on you to oversee the process, Elder Liu.”
“The contribution points used to exchange for the disciples’ cultivation techniques were all credited by Fellow Daoist Zhou and me. We urgently need to sell a batch of Longevity Pills to repay the debt.”
Li Fan explained.
Liu San nodded in agreement but soon furrowed his brows. “Currently, I’m the only one in the sect practicing the World-Saving Longevity and Lifespan Technique. The longevity essence I can produce is limited, and I fear the quality of the pills won’t be very high.”
After a moment of thought, Liu San frowned and said, “At best, I estimate the pills will be of mid-to-low quality, capable of extending life by only 200 to 300 years.”
“That’s more than sufficient. Elder Liu, please begin,” Li Fan said firmly.