50: Consumption

Early the next morning, the mountain mist had not yet dispersed, and Luoxia Peak was half-hidden within the thin haze.

Yao Delong and Lin Qingxue returned with the morning glow, an unspeakable intimacy permeating between them.

Love filled Lin Qingxue's icy eyes; as she looked at Yao Delong, her gaze rippled with lingering shyness and satisfaction, and her favorability had quietly climbed to 90 points.

"Senior Brother," Lin Qingxue paused at the peak, her voice soft.

"My Realm has had a Breakthrough, and although Golden Core Perfection is achieved, my Spiritual Power still needs to be stabilized."

"I need to carefully comprehend the changes after the fusion of our primordial yang energy."

"I must return to go into seclusion for a few days."

Yao Delong nodded, his gaze gentle: "Junior Sister, feel free to go into seclusion. As for this trip... thank you, Junior Sister."

His words carried hidden meaning, and his tone was sincere.

Lin Qingxue's pretty face flushed slightly; she shot him a playful, reproving glance, then transformed into an ice-blue streak of light, vanishing into the courtyard deep within Luoxia Peak.

After seeing his Junior Sister off, Yao Delong felt the surging, unprecedentedly powerful Spiritual Power within his body.

Late Foundation Establishment Stage! His spirit sea was as vast as a golden ocean, several times thicker than that of an ordinary Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator!

However, he was also deeply aware of his own shortcomings—his Martial Skills were too monotonous, with only one set of Yellow Rank Medium Grade Five Elements basic sword techniques.

His Cultivation Realm had risen, but without suitable Martial Skills or Spells, it was even harder to unleash the power of his thick spirit sea and his extreme Yang Cultivation Technique.

"It is time to go to the Scripture Pavilion!" Yao Delong's eyes were full of anticipation. His figure flickered as he summoned his Flying Sword, transforming into a gray streak of light, and headed straight for the Scripture Pavilion in the core area of the Sect.

The magnificent Scripture Pavilion still exuded an aura of antiquity and vicissitudes.

Yao Delong stepped inside and walked straight toward the Human Rank Cultivation Technique area.

An array of Jade Slips and books were categorized, shimmering with a faint light.

Cultivation Techniques, Martial Skills, Spells, Alchemy, Formations... it was dazzling.

His goal was clear.

Martial Skills: First, a sword technique that could harmonize with the extreme Yang Cultivation Technique he practiced—the Pure Yang Sword Art (Human Rank Low Grade).

This technique was based on pure yang fire; the sword emerged like a scorching sun, fierce and overbearing, incinerating evil and breaking demons. Reaching the depths of this art could condense Pure Yang Sword Intent!

He had practiced the Five Elements basic sword techniques and had a Foundation in the power of the Five Elements, so he took a fancy to a combination of Formation and Martial Skill: the Great Five Elements Sword Formation (Human Rank Medium Grade).

This technique required five spirit swords to set up the Formation, evolving the mutual generation and restriction of the Five Elements, combining offense and defense with immense power, which happened to make up for his lack of powerful group attack methods and protective Martial Skills.

The Mixed Yuan Locking Dragon Technique he practiced had reached Perfection, but it was only Profound Rank Intermediate, with limited potential.

His gaze locked onto the Great Evolution Mixed Yang Scripture (Human Rank High Grade)!

This scripture was one of the Sect's mainstream pure yang Cultivation Techniques, absorbing the essence of the great sun to condense pure yang true fire, pointing directly to the Nascent Soul Dao!

The third volume of the Alchemy Scripture (Human Rank Top Grade) naturally could not be missed; this was the ladder for him to go further on the path of alchemy.

Holding these four heavy Jade Slips, Yao Delong walked confidently toward the registration desk at the entrance.

Beside the registration desk, that lazy purple figure was still leaning, it was Luo Tianying.

She was toying with a Jade Slip in her hand, looking at it absentmindedly.

When Yao Delong approached, the massive, scorching extreme Yang Spiritual Power fluctuations instantly made her lift her eyelids.

Her gaze swept across Yao Delong's face—the withered look was gone, replaced by a resolute countenance, showing the calmness and heroism of a middle-aged man.

Sensing his aura again, it was as thick as a mountain, with pure Spiritual Power—could it be that he was already at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage?!

Luo Tianying's eyes, which had held a hint of nonchalance, revealed clear shock and suspicion!

"Hmm?" She sat up straight, looking Yao Delong up and down as if seeing him for the first time.

"Yao Delong? You... have you reached Foundation Establishment? And you went straight to the Late Stage?"

Her voice carried a hint of disbelief. How many days had it been? This old guy had cultivated from the ninth level of Qi Condensation to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

His Spiritual Power Affinity was the disgrace of the Sect; how could he have been reborn like this in just a few days?

That scorching and pure Spiritual Power carried an abnormal fluctuation that even she found surprising.

"I was lucky to have a Breakthrough, thank you for your concern, Deacon." Yao Delong replied calmly, placing the four books in his arms on the registration desk.

"This Disciple wishes to exchange for these Cultivation Techniques and books."

Luo Tianying's gaze moved from Yao Delong's face to the pile of Jade Slips and books: Pure Yang Sword Art, Great Five Elements Sword Formation, Great Evolution Mixed Yang Scripture, Alchemy Scripture third volume...

Her expression became even stranger.

"Kid, your appetite is quite big, isn't it?" Luo Tianying said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"This Human Rank High Grade Great Evolution Mixed Yang Scripture is something only Golden Core Cultivators dare to try to practice; it has extremely high requirements for Comprehension Ability and Spiritual Power."

"This Human Rank Medium Grade Great Five Elements Sword Formation requires simultaneous control of five spirit swords, consuming a huge amount of Divine Sense."

"And this third volume of the Alchemy Scripture... are you sure you can learn it all?"

Her tone was filled with undisguised skepticism.

Was this still the same Trash with a Spiritual Power Affinity of 2 who was just waiting to die at Luoxia Peak?

Yao Delong's expression remained unchanged: "This Disciple wishes to try."

"Try?" Luo Tianying sneered, picked up the Jade Slips, and began to count.

"Fine, this Deacon will handle things according to the rules."

"Pure Yang Sword Art, Human Rank Low Grade Martial Skill, requires 300 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones or 3000 contribution points."

"Great Five Elements Sword Formation, Human Rank Medium Grade secret technique, requires 400 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones or 4000 contribution points."

"Great Evolution Mixed Yang Scripture, Human Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique, requires 500 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones or 5000 contribution points."

"Alchemy Scripture third volume, Human Rank Top Grade Alchemy Scripture, requires 650 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones or 6500 contribution points."

Hearing this price, Yao Delong nodded inwardly: It really is good to have a Sect background!

This price is much cheaper than at outside auctions!

He had just obtained the purple gold cloud pattern token from Yun Ruoning; if calculated at a 10% discount from the Chamber of Commerce, the price was still far off...

But what Luo Tianying said next made the composure on his face freeze instantly.

"However," Luo Tianying added slowly, a hint of playfulness flashing in her eyes,

"The Sect has rules: to exchange for books above Human Rank, in addition to Spirit Stones, you must pay the corresponding contribution points."

"If the contribution points are insufficient, no matter how many Spirit Stones you have, it's out of the question."

"These four of yours add up to a total of... hmm, 50+100+150+200 = 500 contribution points."

"Hiss—" Yao Delong gasped! 500 contribution points?!

He had been a salted fish for so many years, and the only mission he had ever done was the previous bandit suppression mission, and he had only saved up 50 points after working so hard!

That bit of contribution points wasn't even enough for the fraction!

Watching Yao Delong's expression instantly freeze and change,

Luo Tianying couldn't help but chuckle, her body shaking, adding a bit of charm to her lazy temperament:

"Hehe... What? Our great Genius, are your contribution points not enough?"

Yao Delong was extremely embarrassed, his face burning.

He had just been in high spirits, but he didn't expect to be strangled by contribution points in the blink of an eye.

He looked at the shimmering books on the desk,

Especially the Great Evolution Mixed Yang Scripture and the third volume of the Alchemy Scripture, and he really couldn't bear to part with them.