18: The essentials of peeling

"Rise!"

Guo Chunxiao chanted a mantra, summoned a Spirit Talisman, and injected Spiritual Qi into the Yao Beast hide, while simultaneously producing a soul banner in his hand.

As the soul banner waved, the soul of a giant bird with vacant eyes was injected into the hide.

The lifeless hide suddenly trembled, its mouth opened, and it rapidly expanded.

After a few breaths, the hide appeared to be a real, flesh-and-blood Yao Beast.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Guo Chunxiao laughed: "This is crafted from the hide of a Ninth Level of Qi Refining Yao Beast, the Five-Thunder Roc. Junior Brothers, please step onto it and follow me back to Skinning Peak to report!"

As he spoke, he deliberately raised his voice, drawing the attention of the group of new Disciples.

Guo Chunxiao felt secretly smug. Being able to use such a treasure to transport Outer Sect Disciples was enough to demonstrate how much Skinning Peak valued its new recruits. Through word of mouth, perhaps even more Disciples would come seeking to join next year.

However, the new Disciples of his peak didn't give him much Face. They stared at one another, all waiting for someone else to be the first to "eat the crab" and step on.

A bunch of useless trash that couldn't be helped!

Guo Chunxiao cursed inwardly and was about to lash out, when he saw Fang Huai leap up and land steadily on the back of the Five-Thunder Roc.

"Not bad!" Guo Chunxiao praised, simultaneously feeling a bit more favorable toward this Junior Brother who possessed no Spiritual Root.

Although his Aptitude was lacking, his courage was decent; this type of person was best suited for Skinning Peak.

Skinning Peak had to Face all sorts of strange Yao Beasts and Evil Monsters every day. If everyone was too cowardly to get close, no work would ever get done.

————

Fang Huai and this group of newcomers were assigned to the Ding-1-7 Skinning Room.

This Skinning Room was originally a Yi-grade Skinning Room, bustling with people and many masters of skinning.

But while skinning a feigning-death Yao Beast at the Qi Refining Perfection, the beast had actually advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage and slaughtered all the Disciples there.

From then on, it was known as a place of ill omen and was downgraded to a Ding-grade Skinning Room.

"Our Skinning Peak has always valued fairness and justice. As long as you are willing to work, you can earn contribution points!"

The Disciple in charge here was named Wu Liu, who was at the Seventh Level of Qi Refining. She was a survivor of the room-extermination incident and was now the manager.

At this moment, with her nose in the air, she introduced the tasks to the newly arrived Outer Sect Disciples:

"Yao Beasts at the Qi Refining stage range from the First Level to Perfection. Processing the corpses of Yao Beasts with different cultivation levels yields different amounts of contribution points.

Our Ding-grade Skinning Room handles Yao Beasts at the Early Stage Qi Refinement. A First Level of Qi Refining Yao Beast is worth ten contribution points, the Second Level is twenty, the Qi Refining Third Layer is thirty...

As for those above the Middle Stage Qi Refinement, hmph, wait until you are working in a Bing-grade room before you talk about that!"

Fang Huai listened patiently. Although Wu Liu's attitude was terrible, she was his direct superior, and the information she shared was useful.

After finally finishing the lecture, the newcomers collected their Storage Pouches and each found a spot to sit.

Unlike the Storage Pouches held by Servants, the ones issued by Skinning Peak were true spiritual items. They had a space of five cubic units, were small and lightweight, and could be accessed by a gentle tap, allowing one to retrieve stored items according to their will.

Inside the Storage Pouch were the "Outer Sect Manual," the "Essentials of Skinning," skinning tools, a change of clothes, and an empty soul banner.

Aside from these, there was nothing else.

Before officially starting to skin, Fang Huai first flipped through the Outer Sect Manual, and his brows couldn't help but furrow.

Although Skinning Peak provided accommodation for Disciples, it charged one hundred contribution points per month as rent.

Furthermore, regardless of the number of skins processed, one had to hand over an additional one hundred contribution points every month as a monthly tribute.

In other words, if one wanted to avoid wandering outside at night, one needed to complete at least two hundred contribution points of work per month.

And after reading the "Essentials of Skinning," his Face turned even darker—

If a Yao Beast corpse was damaged during skinning, one had to pay compensation in contribution points.

For example, damaging the hide of a First Level of Qi Refining Yao Beast required compensation of thirty contribution points.

Additionally, the skinning tools needed to be activated with Spiritual Qi, but Fang Huai was unable to perform Drawing Qi into the Body. Once the Spiritual Qi in his body was depleted, he could only rely on Spiritual Plants or Spirit Stones to replenish it, which invisibly increased his burden.

One could exchange for Spirit Stones with Wu Liu, but the rate was staggering: it took one hundred contribution points to exchange for a single Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

Despite this, Fang Huai gritted his teeth and exchanged for one.

Seeing him spend a hundred contribution points immediately, Wu Liu's eyes lit up instantly, thinking he was the descendant of some Loose Cultivator Family.

But when her gaze swept over Fang Huai's tattered clothes, she curled her lips, and her interest vanished completely.

Fang Huai didn't care about the change in Wu Liu's expression; he was here to earn contribution points, not to look at someone else's Face.

But when he returned to his original spot holding the Spirit Stone, he found that the place had already been occupied by an old Disciple.

"Get lost, this is my spot!" The old Disciple glanced at him, his tone full of provocation.

This person clearly had his own spot, yet he came to occupy his; it was clearly bullying him as a newcomer who had just arrived.

Knowing the other party was looking for trouble, Fang Huai was not angry. He left silently and found a spot in the corner.

【Zhang Yuan】

【Second Level of Qi Refining】

【Evil Qi into the Body (Gray)】【Skinning Proficiency (White)】

【Skinning Proficiency (White): Years of hard work have led to a certain improvement in technique】

At Skinning Peak, if a newcomer had no backing and nothing to offer as tribute to the seniors, they would often be tripped up by the seniors.

But while they could provoke others, by provoking him, Fang Huai, Zhang Yuan had kicked a steel plate.

With great effort, he moved the First Level of Qi Refining Yao Beast, the 【Sharp-toothed Porcupine】, onto the skinning table. Fang Huai moved his thoughts and swapped away Zhang Yuan's 【Skinning Proficiency】.

At this moment, Zhang Yuan was focused on processing a Second Level of Qi Refining Yao Beast, but the next second, his eyes suddenly became dazed. The Skinning Technique he had practiced for years became blurry and unclear in an instant.

Panic filled his heart, his hands trembled involuntarily, his knife slipped, and the hide was damaged.

"Zhang Yuan damaged the Yao Beast hide, penalty of sixty contribution points!" Wu Liu had sharp eyes and spoke immediately.

"Damn it, days of work wasted!" Zhang Yuan cursed angrily, slapped himself, and felt frustrated for making a mistake at this critical moment.

Unlike Zhang Yuan, Fang Huai's heart was like still water. His left hand held the porcupine steady, while his right hand carefully cut open the hide.

The "Essentials of Skinning" introduced many Skinning Techniques for common Yao Beasts, including the Sharp-toothed Porcupine.

Although this Yao Beast was relatively large, its hide was relatively soft, making it the first choice for newcomers to practice.

With the support of 【Skinning Proficiency】, Fang Huai was handling it with ease. At the same time, a line of information appeared in his Sea of Consciousness:

【Skinning Technique Entry Level: 1 / 100】

————

Three hours later, Fang Huai wiped away his sweat and looked with satisfaction at the processed Sharp-toothed Porcupine on the skinning table.

And the progress of his Skinning Technique had already reached 17.

The predecessor plants the tree, the successor enjoys the shade.

My good Senior Brother, thanks to your years of effort, I was able to quickly get started.

Fang Huai glanced toward Zhang Yuan, but at this moment, Zhang Yuan looked somewhat miserable.

After damaging yet another Yao Beast corpse, he screamed and yelled in a breakdown, and was dragged out by Wu Liu and thrown away.

The sky grew dark. Wu Liu knocked on the wall and said loudly: "Those who need accommodation, come to me to register. Those who don't, pack your things and leave immediately!"

When Fang Huai heard the words "accommodation," his heart suddenly tightened.

Wandering the streets?

He never wanted to wander the streets again in this lifetime!

Remembering his experience at the Human Puppet Hall, he still felt lingering fear.

If he slept outside, there was no telling if some Senior Brother or Senior Sister would see him alone and sell him off for benefits.

If that really happened, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.

Thinking of this, Fang Huai went before Wu Liu and respectfully handed over his Identity Token: "Senior Sister Wu, please trouble yourself to arrange accommodation for me."

【Fang Huai】

【Identity: Outer Sect】

【Accommodation: Bing-14-0817】

【contribution points: 17】

Another 100 contribution points were deducted. This time, not only Wu Liu, but the gazes of the other Disciples were also focused on him.