40: Chapter 40: Items Exchanged in the Hall of Contribution

Having made up his mind, Yun Song's gaze fell upon the old man in gray robes moving through the hall.

The old man's footsteps were steady, and he carried an air of inviolability about him.

Wherever he passed, the people in the hall bowed respectfully and called out in unison, "Steward Lu."

He took a deep breath, raised his hand to straighten his somewhat worn clothes, and stepped forward quickly to bow, "Steward Lu, I am the Miner Yun Song, and I wish to exchange for some items here."

"Go ahead." Steward Lu waved his hand casually, his tone indifferent, "When taking items, touch the Restriction with your token, and you may take them yourself."

Yun Song's heart tightened slightly. After a moment of hesitation, he still couldn't hide his nervousness as he asked, "Can my contribution points... be used to exchange for all the items in the hall?"

Steward Lu heard this and raised an eyebrow with a faint smile, "Theoretically, of course you can. However, are you sure you have enough contribution points? Let me see your token first, so you don't find out you don't have enough after choosing, which would only cause unnecessary trouble."

Yun Song hurriedly and respectfully handed over his identity token.

Steward Lu took the token, concentrated a trace of spiritual energy at his fingertips to probe it, and then spoke indifferently, "Two thousand and eighty contribution points."

"Wait!"

Yun Song quickly took out the token gifted by the Man in Bamboo Hat and handed it over with both hands, "I have another one!"

The moment Steward Lu's fingertips touched the token, his pupils suddenly constricted, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Although he regained his composure in an instant, that flash of shock was still caught by Yun Song.

Steward Lu scanned his surroundings vigilantly, confirming that no one was paying attention to them, before lowering his voice to ask, "Where did this token come from?"

Yun Song was startled by the sudden, solemn questioning. His heart tightened, and he stammered, "It... it was a gift from someone. Is there a problem?"

Steward Lu waved his hand, pretending to be calm to cover up his loss of composure, "It's nothing. It's just that the number of contribution points inside is somewhat... astonishing." The words reached his lips but he swallowed them back, and handed the token back casually.

Although Yun Song had long suspected that the token was extraordinary, Steward Lu's uncharacteristic caution still made alarm bells ring in his heart.

Seeing the other party's demeanor, he immediately understood that this was a subtle reminder not to flaunt his wealth and to keep things quiet.

Therefore, he suppressed his curiosity, stopped asking about the specific amount, and just nodded silently to keep it in mind.

"Go choose your items quickly, and come back to settle the account when you are done," Steward Lu urged in a deep voice.

Yun Song acknowledged and walked quickly toward the classics section.

He picked up the "Fireball Technique," "Protective Spiritual Energy Shield," "tianhua miscellany," "chronicles of miraculous healing," and "Spirit Water Formula" one by one.

Mortals without Spiritual Roots have little hope of cultivating immortality, but he wanted to hold onto a glimmer of hope; what if there was a turning point in the future?

Afterward, he went to the weapons section and took the well-crafted mining hoe.

Passing by a table covered with yellow paper, although he couldn't understand the mysteries within, he was inexplicably drawn to choose five sheets.

After some selection, he came to the table where Medicinal Pills were placed and took thirty bottles of bigu pill before returning to Steward Lu.

Steward Lu glanced at the items he had chosen, a flash of complexity in his eyes—part pity, part confusion, "You are merely a Mortal; what use are these Spell classics to you?"

"The path of cultivating immortality, without a Spiritual Root, is ultimately just a reflection in a mirror or a flower in the water. However, the 'tianhua miscellany' and 'chronicles of miraculous healing' can at least broaden my knowledge when I have some leisure time."

Yun Song gave a helpless, bitter smile, "Let it be a memento; if one day a path opens up, it is better than being empty-handed."

As he spoke, he handed over the palm-sized yellow paper and asked humbly, "Steward Lu, what exactly is the purpose of this yellow paper?"

Steward Lu's gaze fell on the yellow paper, his expression slightly serious, "Do not underestimate these. They are not ordinary yellow paper, but genuine spiritual talismans."

"Cultivators use special methods to inject spiritual energy into them and then use talisman patterns to Seal them; their power is extraordinary."

"Spiritual talismans?"

Yun Song frowned slightly, his eyes full of confusion, "Then... can a Mortal activate these spiritual talismans?"

"Yes, these spiritual talismans do not require spiritual energy to activate."

Steward Lu explained patiently, "The spiritual talisman simply uses talisman patterns to Seal the spiritual energy that Cultivators rarely have inside it. As long as you throw it out, the friction with the air or the vibration of your hand will activate it on its own."

Yun Song immediately became interested and asked, "Then what are the specific effects?"

"It depends on the type of spiritual talisman." Steward Lu pointed to one of them, "For example, this fire spiritual talisman in your hand becomes a Fireball when thrown, which can be considered a defensive item in times of crisis."

Yun Song lowered his head to examine the yellow paper in his hand carefully, looking at the complex, intertwined talisman patterns, still feeling a bit skeptical.

But the next instant, the collapse of the Mine Cave flashed through his mind, "Perhaps, that person used something like this spiritual talisman that day?"

"How could I miss such a good defensive item?"

He made a prompt decision, turned back to the table where the spiritual talismans were placed, and chose twenty more spiritual talismans of different types.

Returning to Steward Lu once more, he asked in a low voice, "Steward Lu, I heard that one can also exchange for silver here? I walked around just now but didn't see any."

"The space in the hall is limited, so the silver is not displayed." Steward Lu smiled faintly, "How much do you need?"

"One thousand taels." Yun Song's eyes brightened slightly, his tone filled with irrepressible anticipation.

Steward Lu nodded slightly and tapped the Storage Pouch at his waist with his right hand.

In an instant, a soft spiritual light flashed, accompanied by a subtle fluctuation of spiritual energy, and a pile of shiny white silver was neatly stacked on the table, shimmering with an alluring luster under the lights of the hall.