Chapter 25: Bizarre Exchange List

Contribution points were the pseudo-currency in circulation within the Seeking Dao Sect; whether purchasing goods, dining at the cafeteria, or trading with fellow disciples, contribution points were always required.

Beyond that, the specially supplied prizes in the Mission Hall also demanded contribution points.

Take for instance the most popular yet completely unaffordable "One-Day Experience Tour of the Seeking Dao Sect Master"—as the name implied, exchanging for this reward allowed one to act as the Sect Master for a day, holding meetings with the elders, managing sect affairs, having others address them as Sect Master, commanding the winds and clouds, and enjoying the supreme privileges of a top leader among the five great immortal sects...

The benefits were numerous, but unfortunately, the required contribution points were too high, and no one had ever managed to redeem it yet.

It was said that several senior brothers had once wanted to pool their funds to redeem it just to satisfy their cravings, but they fell into a fierce dispute over the question of "who gets to be the Sect Master," refusing to defer to one another until they resorted to violence, ultimately ending up carried away to the Cauldron Peak for medical treatment, which drew a large crowd of onlookers.

Nowadays, those senior brothers were away on long-term missions outside and had not returned to the Seeking Dao Sect for a very long time.

Another example was the "Medicine King Spiritual Fluid," which the description claimed was a precious liquid specially concocted by the higher-ups of the Seeking Dao Sect, entirely unique to them, suitable for both internal consumption and external application; it could strengthen the physique, increase physical strength, solidify the divine soul, and consolidate one's cultivation base, so even though it cost a considerable amount of contribution points, its sales volume remained at the very top, making it exceptionally popular among senior brothers and sisters.

Taking a swig of it during a magical duel guaranteed that one's stamina and mana would be fully restored while accelerating wound healing, and everyone who used it spoke highly of it.

Yet another example was the "Flying Boat Accident Insurance," which could be purchased for just a single contribution point.

"Wait a minute, why is there such a thing as flying boat accident insurance?" Lu Yang felt that this vocabulary was not particularly comforting.

The senior brother issuing the missions replied as a matter of course: "It's quite normal, you know. There is no such thing as a one-hundred-percent safe mode of transportation. Even the flying boats operated by the Falling Gold Qian Chamber of Commerce can encounter accidents, like crashing into some grand expert, mechanical failure of the flying boat components leading to a failed forced landing, or the captain going on strike to demand higher wages... these are all very common accidents. Fortunately, they rarely cause fatalities, so there's no need to be surprised."

"After the president of the Falling Gold Qian Chamber of Commerce discovered that flying boats always seemed to encounter accidents, he felt this was somewhat of a risk, so he proposed having the passengers contribute a tiny fraction of money to be placed into a pool. Once an accident occurs to a flying boat, the Chamber of Commerce takes a large sum of money from the pool to compensate the passengers."

"This way, if the flying boat encounters no trouble, the passengers have only spent a tiny, harmless amount of money; if the flying boat does meet with an accident and delays the passengers' affairs, the passengers can also receive compensation."

"The Chamber of Commerce president named this model 'safeguarding against risk,' or 'insurance' for short, and vigorously promoted it across other commercial sectors."

"But you don't need to worry, our Seeking Dao Sect will never disappoint its disciples and has always been generous regarding insurance. When you entered the sect, various insurances had already been purchased for you, including the flying boat accident insurance. The flying boat accident insurance sold on the reward list serves to increase the amount of compensation."

The senior brother wore an expression that said "we are an orthodox righteous sect, completely different from those demonic sects that live today and die tomorrow, so every necessary insurance will be provided," looking considerably reliable.

"The development in our cultivation world is truly rapid, to the point where even things like insurance exist."

The corner of Lu Yang's mouth twitched. In his memory, insurance in his past life was a product of maritime transport, but he hadn't expected that in the cultivation world, it would be a product of flying boat transport.

He felt this thing brought too much bad luck, so it was better to buy something else.

In the cultivation world, one had to be somewhat superstitious.

As if hearing Lu Yang's inner thoughts, the senior brother spoke up again: "However, a grand expert who studies karma raised a point, wondering whether purchasing insurance establishes a karmic relationship with risk, thereby increasing the probability of risk occurring."

"The Chamber of Commerce flatly denied such a possibility, and the two sides argued for a long time without reaching any formal conclusion."

"This topic is highly researchable in the cultivation world. If your researched conclusion states there is a karmic relationship, that grand expert will look upon you with favor; if your researched conclusion states there is no karmic relationship, the Falling Gold Qian Chamber of Commerce will look upon you with favor—either way, it's a guaranteed win without loss."

Lu Yang thought to himself that if he were to research and conclude there was a karmic relationship, the Chamber of Commerce would probably slaughter him.

"One contribution point can be exchanged for one hundred low-grade spiritual stones, while one hundred and twenty low-grade spiritual stones exchange for one contribution point."

"Blood-Drinking Flying Sword, two thousand contribution points. The longer it is soaked in blood, the greater its power... from the description, why doesn't this look much like a righteous weapon?"

The senior brother explained from the side: "It doesn't absolutely have to be soaked in human blood; pig blood, cow blood, or duck blood all work fine. I heard that just two days ago, the owners of the shops selling Sichuan hotpot in the sect went to complain to all the major mountain peaks, demanding to know which bastard had secretly soaked a Blood-Drinking Flying Sword inside their duck blood?"

"After a thorough search, the culprit was found. The punishment given by the hotpot owner was to make him drink down a whole pot of red oil soup base. That scene was truly, tsk, I reckon he won't ever want to eat hotpot again in this lifetime." The senior brother clicked his tongue several times, his expression considerably subtle, as if unsure of what exactly he had witnessed at the time.

Lu Yang continued browsing: "A bottle of Fasting Pills of any flavor, one contribution point."

"Ancestral Barbecue Secret Recipe, one hundred contribution points."

"Precious Sword Levitation Formation, twenty-five contribution points. This formation can be engraved onto a weapon to make it float behind one's back, dispensing with the restriction of a scabbard for convenient use at any time, and it even comes with a protective formation to shield the precious sword from the wind and sun."

Lu Yang pondered it over and felt this set of formations was quite practical, so he readily purchased it.

This was a set of semi-hidden formations condensed in midair; when it settled upon the ancient sword, it resembled a water droplet evaporating into the air, vanishing completely, leaving the precious sword quietly levitating behind Lu Yang's back, looking extremely handsome.

As Lu Yang turned his body, the ancient sword moved along with him without the slightest lag or delay.

"Good stuff."

"Ten-Bull Strength Pill? One hundred contribution points, one thousand contribution points, ten thousand contribution points? A classic masterpiece by the Alchemy Master Wu Ming; after consumption, one can obtain the strength of ten bulls to sweep through thousands of troops, usable from the Foundation Establishment stage all the way to the Nascent Soul stage."

Lu Yang suspected that if it hadn't been refined by that Senior Brother Wu Ming, whose pills were half medicine and half poison, the price would have been even higher.

However, judging by the description, this medicinal pill really was good stuff that could have miraculous effects during combat, so he could buy one pill to test its effect.

"Junior Sister Tao Yaoye, I'm sorry, are you using your contribution points to buy anything? I would like to borrow five contribution points, and I'll return them to you next time after finishing a mission."

Contribution points could be transferred between individuals.

Tao Yaoye needed a great many contribution points to buy what she wanted, so having five contribution points more or less didn't matter much.

"Sure."

Lu Yang briskly purchased a single Ten-Bull Strength Pill.

The senior brother issuing the missions handed Lu Yang a small porcelain bottle containing a golden medicinal pill that slightly reflected the light under the sun, looking at a glance like no ordinary item.

"I said before that we should properly celebrate your Foundation Establishment. I've booked a table at the Baixiang Restaurant. Let's go, time to eat, I guarantee it's all stuff you love to eat." Meng Jingzhou laughed heartily and also warmly invited Tao Yaoye.

"Junior Sister Tao, do you want to come along?"

As the runner-up in entering the sect, Meng Jingzhou was Tao Yaoye's senior brother.

Tao Yaoye felt that although Lu Yang was afraid of heights, spoke a mouth full of lies, and had even poisoned her room without telling her, they were still comrades who had completed a mission together after all, so she should consider him a friend.

"I'll go."