72: Chapter 72 Contribution Revenue

The early spring sunlight filtered through the tall window lattices of the General Affairs Hall, casting neat patches of light onto the bluestone floor.

Lin Xuan stood in front of the counter, handing his identity jade token to the Deacon Disciple on duty. Today was the appointed day to verify the results of the mineral vein exploration.

The Deacon Disciple took the jade token, operated the Formation Plate for a moment, and a smile appeared on his face: "Junior Brother Lin, good news. The mineral deposit you reported has been surveyed and confirmed to be a small 'Gold-Veined Iron Associated Red Copper Mine' vein. The reserves are evaluated as 'Small' and have mining value. According to Sect regulations, for anything below a medium-sized vein, the discoverer can receive ten percent of the estimated total value as a reward. After calculation, that comes to a total of 230 Contribution Points."

As he spoke, his fingers lightly tapped the Formation Plate. Lin Xuan's identity jade token heated up slightly, and amidst flickering spiritual light, the number of Contribution Points jumped and increased.

Lin Xuan took the jade token and probed it with his Divine Sense: the balance was 580 points.

Adding the remainder from the tasks he had completed previously, the total was close to 600.

"Thank you, Senior Brother." He said calmly, but felt a sense of relief in his heart. This windfall brought him a big step closer to the Origin Returning Qi Concealment Formula.

"Junior Brother has good luck," the Deacon Disciple said casually. "Not many Disciples have reported mineral deposits recently, so you really struck gold. However, since the vein is small, the mining team has already moved in, so there is nothing left for you to do."

Lin Xuan nodded; this was exactly what he wanted. He never intended to get involved in the mining itself; being able to get a discovery reward was enough.

Leaving the General Affairs Hall, he did not return to Emerald Bamboo Peak but went straight to the Mission Hall.

The mission information on the jade wall was still scrolling non-stop. Lin Xuan's gaze swept over it quickly, and he already had a plan in mind.

He needed to continue accumulating efficiently, but safety must come first, efficiency second, and he should try to choose types he was good at handling.

Soon, he locked onto a target.

[Grade C, Mid-Upper] Clean up the Iron-Beaked Mountain Sparrow flock.

Location: Pine forest outside Donglin Town, 120 li from the Sect.

Target: About 50 mountain sparrows. The iron beaks can break wood and stone, harassing and attacking villagers and passing merchant caravans. Rank: First Order Low Grade.

Reward: 180 Contribution Points.

"A flock of flying Yao Beasts; the Thunder Net Technique is the perfect counter." Lin Xuan accepted the mission.

Three days later, in the pine forest outside Donglin Town.

Lin Xuan stood in a clearing in the forest, looking up at the gray-black flock of birds circling and chirping in the sky. These Iron-Beaked Mountain Sparrows had a wingspan of about two feet, and their beaks were metallic gray and truly sharp.

He formed seals with both hands, and the Thunder Net Technique was activated.

A blue-purple thunder net with a diameter of four zhang rose into the air, precisely covering the densest part of the bird flock!

"Crackle! Crackle!"

More than ten sparrows were enveloped by the thunder net, and they fell one after another amidst flickering electric light. The remaining sparrows were frightened and scattered in flight.

Lin Xuan was unhurried. He waved his startling thunder whip repeatedly, coordinating with small-scale Thunder Net Technique and Palm Thunder point shots. Half an hour later, the flock was routed, and the mission was complete.

Harvest: 180 points, plus a dozen pairs of complete iron beaks (can be sold for 30 points).

---

[Grade C, Top] Collect Moonlight Moss.

Location: Shady side of the Northern Cliff, 150 li from the Sect.

Target: Collect at least 20 mature Moonlight Moss (First Order Medium Grade spiritual plant). The growing environment is treacherous; must be collected at night.

Reward: 220 Contribution Points.

Late at night, on the shady side of the Northern Cliff.

Under the moonlight, the cliff wall was slippery and covered in moss. Lin Xuan used the Wind Control Technique to walk along the wall. The Herb-Seeking Mouse on his shoulder twitched its nose and quickly locked onto several locations with abnormal Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

Under the little guy's guidance, Lin Xuan easily found seven clusters of Moonlight Moss—this spiritual plant's leaves were silvery-white and would emit a faint, moonlight-like glow at night, with five or six mature leaves in each cluster.

Carefully picking 30 leaves, he over-fulfilled the task.

Harvest: 220 points, plus 10 leaves of Moonlight Moss kept for himself (worth about 50 points).

---

[Grade C, Mid-Lower] Investigate the Wraiths in the Ancient Graveyard.

Location: Behind the mountain of Wang Family Village, 100 li from the Sect.

Target: Recently, ghost fires have been drifting in the graveyard at night, and the villagers are terrified. Find out the reason and disperse the Wraiths.

Reward: 120 Contribution Points.

Midnight, the abandoned ancient graveyard.

Cold winds blew in gusts, and a few ghostly green ghost fires drifted among the broken tombstones. As soon as Lin Xuan stepped into the graveyard, three gray-white Wraiths shrieked and pounced on him.

He sneered, not even needing to use his startling thunder whip.

His right hand made a grasping motion, condensing Palm Thunder, and three streaks of lightning shot out!

"Sizzle—!"

The Wraiths were like snow meeting boiling water; they dispersed upon touching the thunder. The remaining Wraiths seemed to sense a natural enemy and retreated in terror behind the tombstones, not daring to come out again.

Lin Xuan carefully searched the graveyard with Thunder Spiritual Energy and found a new grave with loose soil, as if it had been overturned.

Digging it open, he found it empty—clearly, some corpse thieves or low-level Demonic Cultivators had been refining corpses here, and the Wraiths were the failed byproducts.

He informed the village head of the situation and suggested reporting it to the authorities; the mission was complete.

Harvest: 120 points.

---

[Grade C, Top] Transport Cultivation supplies.

Location: Deliver to the Imperial Capital of the vassal state, the Liang Kingdom.

Target: Escort the supplies and deliver them safely to "Tianlu Pavilion" in the Imperial Capital.

Reward: 200 Contribution Points.

This mission was more like a long trek, testing patience and vigilance. Lin Xuan rented a spirit horse and galloped along the official road.

The supplies in the Storage Pouch were sealed by the Sect; he had no right to check them, nor did he need to worry about them.

The journey was calm, occasionally encountering two groups of highwaymen, whom he casually punished.

Arriving at the Imperial Capital three days later, the delivery went smoothly.

The reward of 200 points was credited, and the exchange for the Origin Returning Qi Concealment Formula was not far off.

---

Over the course of a month, four missions, all without incident.

After many missions, Lin Xuan felt that many of the tasks were too unreasonable, very deliberate, and had traces of artificial manipulation. Lin Xuan felt that these were likely specifically arranged by the Sect for Disciples to test their skills.

During each mission, Lin Xuan would release the Herb-Seeking Mouse and the Pangolin to explore the vicinity.

Unfortunately, apart from finding a few worthless First Order Low Grade "hemostatic herbs" and "soul-calming flowers", there were no special gains.

On the path of cultivation, Opportunities are not encountered everywhere, after all.

In addition to the hustle and bustle of missions, Lin Xuan did not put down Talisman making.

In the Quiet Room, two stacks of Talismans were neatly arranged on the table: one stack of 43 First Order Low Grade Golden Light Talismans, and another stack of 47 lightning strike talismans.

These were the results of his practice over the past few months, with a success rate stable at around 50 percent.

"It is time to deal with them." He muttered to himself.

Carrying the Talismans, he went to the marketplace and walked into a medium-sized Talisman shop.

The shopkeeper was a lean middle-aged man who took the Talismans and checked them carefully, then nodded: "The quality is okay, the Spiritual Qi is full, and the drawing technique is steady. Three Contribution Points per Golden Light Talisman. Four points per lightning strike talisman."

Lin Xuan quickly calculated in his heart: The cost of a Golden Light Talisman was about 1.5 Contribution Points, with a profit of 1.5; the cost of a lightning strike talisman was about 2 points, with a profit of 2. It seemed profitable, but when counting the time and effort he spent drawing, as well as the Materials wasted on failures... the profit was extremely thin.

"Shopkeeper, can the price be higher? The quality of my Talismans is better than the ordinary goods on the market." Lin Xuan tried to negotiate.

The shopkeeper shook his head: "Little brother, for First Order Low Grade Talismans, the market is just like this. The volume is high, the barrier to entry is low, and many Talisman master apprentices are doing it. Four points is already out of respect for your good quality. If you have First Order Medium Grade Talismans, such as 'Thunder Shield Talisman' or 'Wind Slash', the price can multiply several times, and they sell well."

Thunder Shield Talisman?

Lin Xuan's heart stirred. The Thunder Shield Talisman is a defensive thunder-attribute Talisman. After activation, it can form a lightning shield that lasts for several breaths, combining defense and counter-damage effects.

Because the drawing difficulty is relatively high, it is indeed rare on the market.

"How much is the profit for a First Order Medium Grade Talisman?" He asked.

The shopkeeper became interested: "That depends on the type and quality. Ordinary First Order Medium Grade Talismans have an acquisition price between 15 and 18 points. For unpopular but practical ones like the Thunder Shield Talisman, if the quality is good, I will buy them for 20 points each. However, little brother, you..." He sized up Lin Xuan, "At the third level of Qi Refining, drawing First Order Medium Grade Talismans might be a bit strenuous."

"Just asking." Lin Xuan did not say much, took the 317 Contribution Points he got from selling the Talismans, and turned to leave.

Walking out of the shop, he touched his Storage Pouch.

After more than a month of running around, deducting daily expenses and replenishing supplies, plus the proceeds from selling Talismans, his current balance of Contribution Points was: 980 points.

He was only 220 points away from 1,200 points.

And the thought of the Thunder Shield Talisman took root in his heart like a seed.

Returning to his small courtyard, the night was already deep.

Lin Xuan stood in the courtyard, looking at the early spring starry sky. The evening breeze carried the fresh scent of budding plants.

He took out his Talisman brush and laid out a blank Talisman paper.

This time, he did not draw the familiar lightning strike talisman or Golden Light Talisman, but closed his eyes to recall the Talisman structure, Spiritual Qi circulation route, and drawing points of the "Thunder Shield Talisman" in the Elementary Talisman True Interpretation...

The tip of the brush fell, and Thunder Spiritual Energy was infused.

"Sizzle—"

The Talisman paper spontaneously ignited; it failed.

Laying out another one.

Failed again.

The third one, he managed to draw two-thirds of the Talisman, but the Spiritual Qi was unstable, and it was scrapped.

Lin Xuan put down the brush, not discouraged.

He knew clearly that drawing First Order Medium Grade Talismans had higher requirements for Spiritual Qi control, Divine Sense strength, and understanding of Talisman runes. This was not something that could be achieved overnight.

But, it was worth a try.

"First, save up enough Contribution Points to exchange for the Origin Returning Qi Concealment Formula." He put away the Talisman paper, "Then, focus on conquering the Thunder Shield Talisman."

Under the moonlight, the young man's eyes were clear.

The road was still long, but the goal was already within reach.