Only then did Qian Duoduo notice that behind each Golden Pillar were dozens of Wood Houses, which seemed to be the assessment areas.
A short while later, he saw a Disciple walk out of a Wood House, looking dejected. After a while, the door of another Wood House opened, and another Disciple with a Ash face walked out.
"It seems the assessment is quite difficult!"
Qian Duoduo wanted to peek through the crack in the door to see what was inside, but the door only opened and closed for a brief moment, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
He rolled his eyes and pulled an unfamiliar Outer Sect Senior Brother, shamelessly flattering him with many compliments before finally inquiring about the Golden Pillars and Wood Houses.
The ten Golden Pillars were divided into four for Material Identification and six for Artifact Creation. Artifact Creation was further divided into four for Artifact Replication and two for Artifact Innovation.
The Material Identification Golden Pillars corresponded to the spiritual plant Scroll, Spiritual Beast Scroll, Spirit Birds Scroll, and spirit mine scroll, testing memory.
Upon entering the Wood House, one would enter a space filled with separated Artifact materials. The assessor had to assemble complete Artifact materials within the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn. The more correct assemblies, the better the score.
The Artifact Replication Golden Pillars corresponded to the weaponry scroll, Defense Scroll, Utility Scroll, and Puppet Scroll, testing imitation ability.
Upon entering the Wood House, one would enter an Artifact Creation space. Within the specified time, the more Magic Treasures replicated and the higher their quality, the better the score.
The Artifact Innovation Golden Pillars corresponded to the Artifact Transformation Scroll and the Combination Scroll.
It was said that very few Disciples passed the assessment for these two scrolls. Few knew exactly how the assessment was conducted.
These ten Golden Pillars had a strict sequence; only after passing the first scroll would the second be given. If one had not passed the eighth scroll, the ninth would not be given at all.
There was no limit to the number of times one could participate in the Golden Pillar assessment; it could be repeated. The Golden Pillars only recorded the best score.
However, to become a Qi Apprentice, one only needed to pass the first scroll's assessment. To become an Artifact Apprentice, one only needed to pass the first four scrolls.
And to be promoted to an Artifact Refiner, one had to independently refine a Magic Treasure. The level of the Artifact Refiner was determined by the level of the Magic Treasure refined.
After listening to this Senior Brother's introduction, Qian Duoduo felt that becoming an Artifact Refiner was too difficult, and he no longer desired to be one, even thinking he wasn't suited for it.
In his opinion, these ten Golden Pillars were not Golden Pillars at all, but rather batons that incited Disciples to engage in internal competition.
And Qian Duoduo's ideal was to lie flat and slack off, not to be tested repeatedly between these Golden Pillars, and still have to work hard to leave his mark on the Golden Pillars.
With so much good time, why not do something else, instead of repeatedly grinding here?
Thinking of this, Qian Duoduo immediately felt that Cao Yueying was not domineering, but foolish.
To be obsessed with the illusory title of Ten Pillar Chief, wasn't that foolish?
Finding a reason not to participate in the assessment or challenge the Golden Pillars, the pressure on him instantly lightened a lot.
Qian Duoduo didn't want to stay in this chaotic and foolish square anymore and decided to go for a stroll in Wanjin Pavilion.
As he reached the entrance, there was a commotion in the square behind him.
"Look, look! The Fire Phoenix has leaped to the top of the pillar again! Seventh Pillar Chief, Senior Sister Cao is mighty!"
"Congratulations, Senior Sister Cao, first in the seventh pillar!" Many Disciples cheered in unison. This was Cao Yueying coming out of the Wood House.
"Senior Sister Cao, we await your Ten Pillar Chief, to shock the entire sect and send good news to the Five Great Immortal Mountains."
A Disciple bravely shouted, offering a verbal flower of praise.
Listening to these fanatical words, Qian Duoduo couldn't help but shake his head.
"They are all Cultivators swayed by the rules of the Golden Pillars. Unlike me, a clear-headed person in the Immortal Cultivation World."
Upon entering Wanjin Pavilion, it was much quieter inside.
Wanjin Pavilion both sold and bought Artifact materials. However, the buying price was 20% cheaper than the selling price.
This 20% price difference was considered the sect's profit.
Of course, those in charge of the Artifact material acquisition business were all Elders within the sect; the better the quality, the higher the price.
It was more practical here; Qian Duoduo enthusiastically looked at all kinds of Artifact materials.
These Artifact materials could either be used or converted into money, providing a sense of security.
This was exactly what he needed now. Thinking of money, he became even more clear-headed.
He had originally come to Wanjin Pavilion today to see how to become a Qi Apprentice. But becoming a Qi Apprentice was still for the sake of making money.
Now, it seemed that his chances of passing the Qi Apprentice assessment were not high, so he could only start with Artifact materials.
In Qian Duoduo's Golden Toad, there were still over a hundred chicken feet and dozens of chicken beaks. Those were leftovers from eating chicken when he had money.
Wanjin Pavilion also bought chicken feet and chicken beaks, but these hundred-plus items would only sell for a hundred-plus gold coins, which wouldn't solve any major problems.
If not, he would also dabble in Artifact materials. He would see if he could grow or raise them, then sell the resulting Artifact materials here. This could also solve the problem of lacking money.
The more Qian Duoduo thought about it, the more he felt it was right, and he began searching in Wanjin Pavilion.
This tiger tooth had a good price, selling for two thousand gold coins per piece. But this Spirit Tiger belonged to a battle beast, not something a Qi Condensation Level 3 like him could hunt. Give up!
This Luan Phoenix tail was three thousand per piece, but he couldn't catch it either. Give up!
This Mount Tai Elephant tusk was four thousand per piece, but he would have to search outside the sect for it. Give up!
After circling a few times, although Wanjin Pavilion bought many Spirit Medicines, Spiritual Plants, Spirit Beasts, and Spirit Birds, Qian Duoduo could obtain very few of them.
Either they were too expensive for him to buy, or he was too weak to control them.
If not, he would have to start with growing the lowest-grade plants.
In Wanjin Pavilion, there was a type of plant called violet clover. Both its leaves and seeds were bought here and could be used as feed for Spirit Chickens.
He considered it and felt that growing this violet clover was more suitable. The investment was small, the output was not small, it just required some hard work.
One jin of violet clover seeds cost only three gold coins, and five jin could plant an acre.
If he raised some Spirit Chickens as well, it would be even better. violet clover Grass could directly serve as Spirit Chicken feed, making the cost of Spirit Chickens almost zero.
Thinking of this, he quickly bought ten jin of violet clover.
He would go back and try it first, regardless of whether it worked, since there was plenty of empty land by the river.
Leaving Wanjin Pavilion, most of the people in the square had already dispersed. Cao Yueying must have left, otherwise, those fanatics wouldn't have left either.
In the few months since he came to this Immortal Cultivation World, Qian Duoduo had grown accustomed to the Disciples within the sect being fanatical about martial arts competitions and Artifact Refining.
But he couldn't consciously be like them; he always felt that there was another answer in this world, another path, also leading to an unknown destination.
The reason he always thought differently was because Jin Buhuan's cold corpse was always before his eyes, silently saying, "Working hard like me, enduring like me, is not necessarily the right thing to do."
Qian Duoduo had once thought of taking Jin Buhuan out and secretly burying him.
But as soon as he thought of this, he felt as if he was burying himself.
This might be due to the blending of some memories.
Anyway, there was plenty of space in the Golden Toad, so he would let Jin Buhuan continue to stay there.
Back at the Outer Sect residence, Huang Guiren was still paving the road.
Qian Duoduo told him about his idea of growing grass and raising chickens, and he exclaimed that it was a brilliant plan.
In Qian Duoduo's view, his reaction was a bit over the top.
This was just Qian Duoduo's choice not to conform to the rules of internal competition.
But perhaps for Huang Guiren, any idea Qian Duoduo came up with was correct and deserved unconditional support.
Especially since Qian Duoduo had helped him repay over a million in debt, he felt indebted to Qian Duoduo.
Of course, being able to permanently eat Spirit Chicken meat, for him, was creating a heaven for himself.
Before Qian Duoduo could say anything more, he ran to the spiritual plant Research Institute, and whether he bought or borrowed, took or stole, he came back with a pile of tools for planting grass.
After several days of work, the two of them cleared a patch of land in the courtyard and planted all the violet clover.
During this time, Qian Duoduo bought another hundred Spirit Chicken chicks and put them in his courtyard.
His and Huang Guiren's actions made Liu Boli laugh and cry at the same time.
Qian Duoduo's reverse thinking was a bit extreme; just by watching Cao Yueying brush the pillar chief, he no longer wanted to participate in the Artifact Refining test.
But it was good. Starting with Artifact materials would lay a firmer foundation for Artifact Refining.
Liu Boli believed that when the Artifact materials accumulated to a certain extent, Qian Duoduo would inevitably walk the path of Artifact Refining.
Liu Boli comforted himself inwardly: Mortal thinking is inherently different from a Cultivator's. Qian Duoduo engaging in Artifact materials also counted as being on the Dao of Artifact Refining.
During the days without money, Qian Duoduo practiced the Golden Rooster Sword and Golden Light Technique during the day, and studied the first volume of the Encyclopedia of Weapon Refining at night.
In case growing grass and raising chickens didn't work out, he would still have to reluctantly take the path of Artifact Refining.
But foolish things like grinding test questions to become a pillar chief were something he absolutely would not do.
A month passed, and the violet clover grew taller day by day, and the Spirit Chicken chicks grew bigger day by day.
When the Spirit Chicken chicks flapped their wings, wanting to fly in the courtyard, Qian Duoduo felt that growing grass and raising chickens had been proven successful, and he could find a way to expand it ten, a thousand, or even ten thousand times, just like his money-lending business.
The Outer Sect Disciple's small courtyard was definitely not enough, so he and Huang Guiren set their sights on the uncultivated land by the river.