Chapter 477 - 209: Upstart (3)
Her tone was lively, tinged with a natural optimism.
Shen Qianshan stroked his beard and nodded, not surprised by his two nieces’ reactions.
Xiaojiu was proud and arrogant with high standards, so her judgment of people was naturally harsh. Xiaoba was open-minded and insightful, better at seeing the good in others.
He mused internally, ’He Yuzhou had Chen Qing deliver that message this time. How could I not sense the implication of a marriage alliance within it?’
’He simply wants Chen Qing to have the Shen Family’s backing so that his path in the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect will be smoother.’
’And this boy, Chen Qing, is indeed one of the most outstanding disciples the Wutai Sect has produced in the last century. His selection results were also presentable; he’s a promising talent.’
’If it really came to a marriage alliance, considering the family’s interests, I would be quite in favor of it personally.’
’It would both deepen our ties with the Wutai Sect and secure a rising star early on.’
’Although the Shen Family is prosperous now, we still need to cast a wide net and befriend future experts from all sides.’
’It’s just that...’
Shen Qianshan sighed softly in his heart.
Although he was the family’s Third Elder and held considerable power, the Shen Family was not his to command alone.
A marriage alliance, especially the marriage of a daughter from the direct lineage, was a grave matter. It required the joint discussion and decision of the family’s Elders, and more importantly, the willingness of the woman herself.
Xiaojiu was proud, her standards even higher; she clearly looked down on Chen Qing for now. Xiaoba had a better temperament and might be easier to persuade, but in the end, she would still have to agree herself.
Besides, it remained to be seen just how far Chen Qing could go.
Right now, the family’s focus was entirely on that True Disciple involved in the other marriage alliance.
......
Chen Qing held two Contribution Point Tokens. One was his own, with 950 points remaining, and the other was a gift from Shen Qianshan, containing 1,000 points.
Pondering Shen Qianshan’s words and the benefits that came with being a "True Successor Candidate," he headed straight for Wanxiang Hall.
Wanxiang Hall was located at the border between the Outer Peak and the Inner Peak. It was an immense and magnificent palace, covering a vast area.
The place was bustling with people, a hundred times livelier than the Scripture Repository on Ten Thousand Laws Peak.
The hall’s interior was spacious with a high, vaulted ceiling, divided into several areas.
Long lines formed at the Deacon’s Windows for exchanging resources, disciples crowded around the mission boards in discussion, and groups of three to five, clearly teams, were here to turn in missions or plan their next steps.
This place could be called one of the most vibrant spots in the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, where information flowed most freely.
Chen Qing’s gaze swept over the mission boards, which were densely plastered with all sorts of tasks.
There were missions to hunt specific Exotic Beasts or gather rare Treasure Medicines, with rewards ranging from tens to hundreds of points.
There were also long-term missions, such as guarding or assisting the Defender of a certain mineral vein, where Contribution Points were settled monthly.
There were even some missions marked with the word "Dangerous," offering rewards as high as several thousand points, but the requirements were extremely strict. They usually required a team or even an Inner Sect Elite to accept.
’It seems there are many ways to earn Contribution Points, but high returns are always accompanied by high risks or high difficulty.’
Chen Qing thought to himself, ’For me right now, challenging the Celestial Treasure Tower might be a more stable and efficient path.’
’The Contribution Points Elder Shen gave me are unregistered... The points themselves can be traded privately, or even... taken by force or deception.’
This thought made Chen Qing’s eyes narrow slightly.
Sect Contribution Points were so valuable they were practically equivalent to Cultivation Resources. If they could really be taken by force or deception, the competition in the shadows would be far more intense and brutal than what was seen on the surface.
Reining in his Heart and Spirit, Chen Qing walked toward a Deacon’s Window for resource exchange.
Although the line was long, the Stewards were quite efficient, and his turn came quickly.
"I’d like to receive the Inner Sect exchange catalog and redeem some resources," Chen Qing said, handing over his Identity Token.
The Steward behind the window took the Token, and after confirming it was valid, handed over a catalog several times thicker than the Outer Sect one.
"Inner Sect Disciple exchange Diagram. Look through it yourself. Your privileges will be verified and Contribution Points deducted upon redemption," the Steward said coolly.
After thanking him, Chen Qing stepped aside to a less crowded area and eagerly opened the Jade Book.
The items listed in the Inner Sect Diagram were indeed far beyond anything the Outer Sect could compare to!
The Elixir section alone had a dazzlingly vast array of varieties.
In addition to various Cultivation Elixirs with superior effects, he also saw many special pills with peculiar functions.
Soon, he found the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill and saw the price—six thousand Contribution Points!
Chen Qing’s brow shot up.
"Six thousand points?!"
He thought to himself, ’Old Deng, oh Old Deng, you really dared to name that price! I’d have to save up my monthly allowance for five years without spending a single point!’
Six thousand Contribution Points was simply too much for him at the moment.
It seemed he could only make a long-term plan for this matter and approach it slowly.
He shook his head, temporarily pushing the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill to the back of his mind, and continued flipping through the book.
There was a dazzling array of Upper-Grade Martial Arts, with prices ranging from several thousand to over ten thousand points.
But what was even more eye-catching was the separate listing for Unparalleled Martial Arts!
His gaze was instantly drawn to a Spear Technique—the *Hundred Blows of the Prairie Fire*!
It was an Unparalleled Martial Art!
Looking closely at the description, this Spear Technique was incomparably tyrannical. Once mastered to the Great Success stage, a single thrust would unleash Spear Intent like a prairie fire, burning everything in its path with world-shaking power.
However, its price was also staggering: eighteen thousand Contribution Points!
That wasn’t even the most critical part. Next to it, a line of small text noted the cultivation prerequisite: one must comprehend and master the ’Momentum’ of three different Spear Techniques to have any hope of wielding this Spear Intent.
"Three types of ’Momentum’..."
Chen Qing muttered to himself.
This meant he had to cultivate three different Superior Spear Skills to the Extreme Realm and comprehend their ’Momentum’.
Although cultivating one to the Extreme Realm would deepen his understanding of the Spear Path, making it much easier to learn other Superior Spear Skills, just finding three such skills was already extremely difficult, to say nothing of the time and effort required.
The threshold for Unparalleled Martial Arts was truly terrifyingly high.
In comparison, those Supreme Heart Methods priced at tens of thousands of Contribution Points, while equally tempting, held less appeal for Chen Qing, who already possessed Three True Astrals and was aiming directly for Five Astrals Fusion.
He was confident that the foundation he would build after achieving Five Astrals Fusion would be in no way inferior to the foundation laid by any Supreme Heart Method.
....