Chapter 69: The Difficulty for Cultivators

Chapter 69: The Difficulty for Cultivators

Book Tower stood tall and majestic, with two cultivators guarding the entrance.

"Excuse me, senior brothers, any requirements for entering Book Tower?" Wang Hong asked, handing two Spirit Stones to the guards.

The two guards, in good spirits after receiving the Spirit Stones, were impressed by Wang Hong's thoughtfulness.

"Haha, you're too polite, junior. You must be a new disciple. To enter Book Tower for reading or borrowing books, you just need to accumulate contribution points," one guard said with a friendly smile.

"Observing inside costs two contribution points per hour, while borrowing or duplicating depends on the content of the book, starting at a minimum of ten contribution points," the other guard added quickly.

"Moreover, only Golden Core Elders or those specially permitted by the sect can access the top floor of Book Tower."

Without contribution points, one couldn't even enter Book Tower. Wang Hong thought it made sense; after all, the sect's cultivation techniques were not handed out for free. It was a fair trade and encouraged disciples to contribute to the sect.

Wang Hong currently had no contribution points, so he could only go back and focus on completing tasks.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brothers. I'll come back when I earn enough contribution points. Farewell."

Wang Hong left Book Tower briskly, not in the mood to explore other places. He rode his Windsoar Boat back.

He was already proficient in refining Condensing Qi Pills, even achieving high-quality results. However, he didn't want to reveal his exceptionally high success rate. He had heard that most alchemists had success rates below fifty percent, and reaching fifty percent was considered skilled.

He decided to submit tasks with a forty percent success rate. If needed, he could take on more alchemy tasks next time.

Twenty-five furnaces of elixirs were effortlessly refined in just a few days. He obtained a total of two hundred and ten Condensing Qi Pills. Considering a forty percent success rate, he only needed to submit one hundred pills.

After gathering the required spiritual medicine for the task and storing them in Jade Boxes, he was ready to go to the Task Hall to submit the task. Just as he opened the courtyard gate, two cultivators approached his small courtyard.

"Excuse me, junior."

Wang Hong was puzzled, and one of them greeted him. One was an old man at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, with white hair and a face full of wrinkles, showing signs of declining life essence. The other was a middle-aged man at the seventh level of Qi Cultivation, thin with two strands of mustache on his lips.

"Senior brothers, what can I do for you?" Wang Hong asked.

"No need to be formal. We noticed a new neighbor and came to visit, get acquainted," the middle-aged man replied, pointing to the left and right small courtyards.

"That courtyard is mine," he pointed to the left, "and this one is Fellow Daoist Cheng's."

However, he couldn't blame anyone. From the perspective of sect interests, this was the best choice. If he were in the sect leader's position, he would also choose this without hesitation.

Long-term disputes between sects would only consume strength and resources, something no one wanted to see.

But how could Qi Cultivation cultivators do anything about it?

No one forced them; it was entirely voluntary to sign up, yet they had to participate to compete for the resources for Foundation Building.

Compared to the vast number of Qi Cultivation cultivators, Foundation Building pills were scarce. Although large trading houses occasionally auctioned them, the prices, reaching hundreds of thousands, were unaffordable for most Foundation Building cultivators.

Everyone had their reasons for doing this, driven by their own interests. Immortal cultivation wasn't as idyllic as Mortals imagined it wasn't just about enjoying wine and tea while watching the clouds. It required constant and arduous practice, facing challenges from the heavens, the earth, and fellow cultivators. It was like crossing a single-plank bridge amid a sea of thousands of soldiers.

This structural aspect could be seen in the composition of Qingxu Sect's cultivators: tens of thousands of Qi Cultivation cultivators, thousands of Foundation Building cultivators, and only a few dozen Golden Core cultivators.

Wang Hong, realizing this, took a big sip of Spirit Wine, feeling a sense of relief.

Filling the cup again, he proposed, "Dear neighbors, meeting is fate. Let's drink to this moment."

"Cultivation is tough. Perhaps tomorrow we'll be nothing but dry bones. It's better to enjoy life now. Today, there's wine, so let's get drunk. Old Cheng, you should also enjoy yourself," Xun Rui raised his cup, echoing Wang Hong's sentiment.

Cheng Zan also lifted his cup. It was then that Wang Hong noticed Cheng Zan had almost finished the plate of Spirit Jujubes in front of him, while Xun Rui's plate was still intact, having only a few eaten.

After finishing their drinks, Wang Hong asked, "Senior Cheng, is the Spirit Jujube not to your liking?"

Cheng Zan blushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. He replied, "Junior Wang's Spirit Jujubes and Spirit Wine are excellent, and they also help with cultivation. They are truly rare treasures."

After a moment of silence, Cheng Zan said, "Forgive my boldness, but could I take the remaining ones with me?"

"Of course, there's no problem. They were meant to treat Senior Cheng. Take as much as you want."

Although Cheng Zan's request was somewhat impolite, it wasn't unreasonable. These items could be sold for several dozen Spirit Stones in the market. Perhaps he was just frugal and couldn't bear to eat them.

"The Spirit Jujube tree in front of the door produces at least a few hundred Spirit Stones annually. I've noticed a group of Spirit Bees on the jujube tree. Junior Wang really knows how to make money," Xun Rui said admiringly.

"Senior Xun, you're too kind. I acquired the Spirit Jujube tree and Spirit Bees by chance. They barely sustain my cultivation needs," Wang Hong humbly replied. In truth, he didn't consider a few hundred Spirit Stones a significant amount. With his continuous production in the spatial realm and the efforts of his subordinates, he had it much easier than ordinary cultivators.

After chatting for a while longer, the two neighbors bid farewell and left.

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