138: Chapter 138 Without money, you can't move an inch, so go rob... oh no, earn it.

"Poor."

Gu Yan held the Storage Pouch upside down and shook it vigorously. Apart from a few broken Spirit Stones that fell onto the table with a crisp clatter, there was nothing else.

Three days after moving into the Shafeng Cave, he faced a severe problem: the air in the Yunlan Sect was good, but it couldn't be eaten as a meal.

The maintenance of the Formation here required Spirit Stones, buying high-grade Yao Beast meat to replenish his Qi and blood required Spirit Stones, and even the System, which had secretly upgraded its "Simulated Battlefield" component in the middle of the night yesterday, had overdrawn his last remaining savings.

[Host, stop shaking it. You won't shake a wife out of it no matter how much you shake.]

The System interface popped up at the right moment, accompanied by a meme that said, "Poverty has limited my imagination."

[Data shows that your assets have fallen below the poverty line. Given your current level of consumption, if you don't want to go to the Law Enforcement Hall cafeteria to steal food, it is recommended that you open up new sources of revenue immediately.]

[Ding! Sub-quest triggered: Expand the harem... ahem, recruit core technical talent.]

[Target locked: Alchemy Pavilion.]

[Reason for recommendation: Soft rice... oh no, Medicinal Pills are the primary productive force of cultivation. Furthermore, a female Cultivator with a 'special Physique' has recently appeared in the Alchemy Pavilion, which meets the System's SSR-level recruitment standards.]

Gu Yan casually swept the few broken Spirit Stones into his sleeve, his gaze landing on the flashing red dot on the System map.

The Alchemy Pavilion was located near the Black Stone Vein.

What a coincidence.

The high-risk cleanup mission just released by the Mission Hall was at the Black Stone Vein.

"Kill two birds with one stone."

Gu Yan smoothed out the wrinkles on his Guest Elder Dao robe and pushed open the door to his Immortal Cave.

The Shafeng blew into his face, which he casually inhaled into his belly, turning it into a trace of warmth.

Earn money, and by the way, see what that so-called "SSR" is actually made of.

...

Yunlan Sect Mission Hall.

This was the noisiest place in the Sect, with thousands of Outer Sect and Inner Sect Disciples coming and going, fighting over the missions scrolling on the light screen.

Until Gu Yan crossed the threshold.

The originally noisy hall became instantly quiet, like a duck whose neck had been pinched.

The crowd automatically parted to the sides, leaving a wide path. Countless gazes fell on Gu Yan, filled with awe, curiosity, and deep wariness.

That slap at the Law Enforcement Hall three days ago was too loud.

Even those who hadn't seen it with their own eyes had heard of the reputation of this "humanoid Vicious Beast." Even a senior deacon of the Law Enforcement Hall had been slapped into a wall; who would dare to provoke him?

Gu Yan didn't look sideways and walked straight to the "Class A Mission" window, which only Elders were qualified to use.

The female Disciple behind the window was so frightened that her hand shook, and her pen left a long ink mark on the paper.

"El... Elder, are you here to take a mission?" The female Disciple's voice trembled, and she didn't even dare to look Gu Yan in the eye.

"Black Stone Vein, Yao Beast cleanup."

Gu Yan was concise and to the point, tapping his fingers lightly on the counter twice.

"Ah? But..." The female Disciple gathered the courage to look up, "That mission has been hanging for three months because a group of Peak Foundation Establishment 'Gold-Eater Beasts' appeared in the depths of the vein, and there might even be a Third-Stage Yao King. Two batches of Inner Sect elites went before and..."

"Accept it."

Gu Yan didn't want to hear nonsense and only spat out one word.

The female Disciple shuddered, not daring to advise him further, and quickly processed the paperwork, handing over a crimson mission token with both hands.

Gu Yan took the token and turned to leave.

It wasn't until his figure disappeared into the teleportation array that the hall erupted into chaos again.

"Is he crazy? How dare he go to a place like the Black Stone Vein?"

"Gold-Eater Beasts have thick skin and flesh; Magic Treasures can hardly hurt them. He, someone who relies on his Physical Body..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! He's a ruthless person who can catch lightning techniques with his bare hands. Maybe he's going there for a buffet!"

...

The Black Stone Vein was located in the northwest corner of the Yunlan Sect, adjacent to the Herb Garden of the Alchemy Pavilion.

The sky here was grey all year round, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur. The ground was barren, with exposed black rocks everywhere. High temperatures twisted the air, and an ordinary person would dehydrate after staying here for a quarter of an hour.

As soon as Gu Yan stepped out of the teleportation array, a wave of scorching heat rushed towards him.

He didn't use any Spiritual Qi to protect his body, letting the high temperature bake his skin. This level of heat was not even one-tenth of the Shafeng Cave to him; instead, it slightly accelerated the blood flow in his body.

"Roar—!"

From the depths of the mine in the distance, the roar of a Yao Beast could be vaguely heard.

Gu Yan was not in a hurry to enter the cave.

He stood on high ground, his gaze passing over the pitch-black mine pit and towards a lush valley a few miles away.

That was the Herb Garden of the Alchemy Pavilion, which formed a sharp contrast with the dead silence here.

[Beep! The target is moving.]

[Distance: 800 meters.]

[Status: Surrounded.]

[Suggestion: Host, although the script of a hero saving a beauty is cliché, it's effective! Hurry! Adjust your hairstyle and get ready to make an entrance!]

Gu Yan ignored the System's suggestion. His figure flickered, turning into a blur, and he swept silently towards the direction of the Herb Garden.

Eight hundred meters, arrived in an instant.

He didn't rashly show himself, but landed behind a huge black rock, concealing his aura, as if merging with the rock.

Below, there was a herb field growing crimson Spiritual Plants.

At this moment, on the open space beside the herb field, the most common scene in the cultivation world was being played out—bullying the weak with power.

The person surrounded in the middle was a woman.

She was wearing the moon-white long dress unique to the Alchemy Pavilion, with a few elegant Green Lotuses embroidered on the hem. Even with her back to Gu Yan, one could tell that she had an excellent figure, with a slender waist, yet her back was held straight, revealing a stubbornness that would rather break than bend.

Opposite her stood three male Cultivators in fancy clothes.

The leader had a slick face, shaking a folding fan in his hand, with a nauseatingly playful smile on his face. On the jade pendant at his waist was carved a blood-red Zeland flower.

People from the Lin family.

"Jiang Wanrou, this young master's patience is limited."

The slick-faced male Cultivator closed his folding fan and took a step forward, crushing a newly picked Spiritual Plant with his toe: "Cousin Zixuan is currently in seclusion to break through his Bottleneck and urgently needs your 'Green Lotus Fire' to assist in Alchemy. If you are sensible, hand over the fire seed obediently, and I can go back and complete my mission."

"If I hand over the fire seed, my entire Alchemy cultivation will be ruined."

The woman's voice was cold and clear, like pearls falling on a jade plate, but it carried suppressed anger: "The Lin family is trying to cut off my Dao path."

"Dao path?"

The male Cultivator sneered, his eyes scanning her body unscrupulously: "You are just a Chief Disciple of the Alchemy Pavilion. Without the fire seed, you can still marry into our Lin family as a concubine. With your figure, Cousin Zixuan will not treat you unfairly."

"Shameless!"

Jiang Wanrou had an extra crimson Medicinal Pill in her hand, her fingertips trembling: "This is the territory of the Alchemy Pavilion. Do you dare to make a move?"

"Alchemy Pavilion?"

The male Cultivator laughed loudly, and the two lackeys around him also joined in: "Nowadays, the Elders of the Alchemy Pavilion are all discussing matters on the main Peak. This Herb Garden is in the middle of nowhere; even if we deal with you, who would know?"

As he spoke, the three of them approached in a triangle Formation, releasing their Spiritual Pressure; they were all at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Jiang Wanrou's face turned pale, and her fingers holding the Medicinal Pill turned white from the force. She was an Alchemist, and her combat power was not strong; facing three Cultivators of the same rank, she had no chance of winning.

Behind the rock.

Gu Yan watched coldly, showing no signs of anger.

He was evaluating.

[Scanning complete.]

[Name: Jiang Wanrou.]

[Identity: Chief Disciple of the Alchemy Pavilion.]

[Physique: Profound Yin Fire Physique (Rare).]

[Special Skill: Control of 'Green Lotus Earth Heart Fire' (Although it is a sub-fire, it has great potential).]

[Comprehensive Evaluation: SSR. A top-notch auxiliary partner, not only can she give birth... ahem, can continue an excellent Bloodline, but also provide a steady stream of Medicinal Pill support. She is simply a walking healer!]

Gu Yan nodded.

She is indeed a talent.

The Lin family wants to rob her fire seed for Alchemy? It seems that Lin Zixuan's so-called "Bottleneck" has a lot to do with the Blood Sacrifice Formation.

"Since it's what the Lin family wants, it's what I must rob."

Gu Yan stood up straight.

He didn't rush down to save her, but first glanced at his empty Storage Pouch, and then at the bulging money pouches at the waists of the three Lin family Cultivators below.

This is the so-called...

Delivery to the door?

Below, the slick-faced male Cultivator had lost his patience and reached out to grab Jiang Wanrou's shoulder: "If you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, don't blame this young master for getting rough!"

Jiang Wanrou closed her eyes in despair, preparing to crush the Explosive Pill in her hand and perish together with them.

Just at this moment.

Boom!

A huge black rock fell from the sky, smashing into the open space between them like a meteorite.

The earth shook violently, and dust rose everywhere.

The powerful shockwave sent the three unprepared Lin family Cultivators stumbling backwards, covered in dirt.

"Who?!"

The slick-faced male Cultivator was shocked and angry, staring at the center of the dust.

The dust slowly dissipated.

A tall figure stood at the edge of the deep pit, hands in his sleeves, looking down at a Spiritual Plant by his feet, his tone seemingly a bit regretful:

"Such a good Rehmannia, what a pity to have stepped on it."

Gu Yan raised his head, his gaze passing over Jiang Wanrou and landing on the three "walking wallets" opposite.

He didn't smile, but his eyes were greedier than the Evil Qi in the mine pit:

"Gentlemen, this is a robbery."

"Leave the money pouches, and... get lost."