Chapter 22: Bowls Overflowing, Basins Full!
“Hiss… hiss hiss…”
Outside the Spell Art Bureau, Lu Qingyang sucked in a breath through his teeth, his eyes full of bitterness.
“That’s really damn expensive.”
“This jade slip doesn’t even cost as much as a True Person’s single spell解读…”
Lu Qingyang’s heart ached so much he nearly spat blood.
But he had no choice but to accept it.
He didn’t have the guts to default on a Foundation Establishment True Person’s debt.
“Forget it. The matter of exchanging for Introduction to Formations can be set aside for now.”
Lu Qingyang sighed inwardly.
As he was now, he simply had no spare contribution points to exchange for anything.
“I just hope Old Huang can recruit a few more people, so I can earn a bit more contribution.”
Lu Qingyang thought with some melancholy.
He turned and returned to the Outer Gate courtyard…
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed.
During this half year, Lu Qingyang had been diligently cultivating.
And relying on what he gained from each month’s Simulation, he had finally pushed his cultivation into the seventh layer of Qi Refining!
At the same time, his physical cultivation had also reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining!
“Buzz buzz buzz.”
Medicine Hall, Deacon’s courtyard.
Lu Qingyang held a first-tier mid-grade formation plate in his hand.
This was something he had exchanged from the Spirit Artifact Bureau.
Besides the formation plate, he had also exchanged for an Introduction to Formations from the Spell Art Bureau.
At this moment, five Nightshade Shuttles were floating before him!
“Hoo…”
Lu Qingyang let out a quiet breath, opened his eyes, and sensed the operational changes of the five Nightshade Shuttles.
I never imagined that old thief’s jade slip formation would be of little use, but using a tool to inscribe a formation is actually a good idea.
Lu Qingyang inwardly sighed with emotion. His five Nightshade Shuttles were now each first-tier mid-grade Dharma Artifacts.
No longer the first-tier low-grade goods they had once been.
And according to the jade slip left behind by that old thief, through studying formations, he had actually inscribed the Object-Commanding Art onto a formation plate!
Relying on the formation plate, he could control five Nightshade Shuttles simultaneously.
It could be said to be quite formidable.
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
The Nightshade Shuttles hummed softly, spinning rapidly under Lu Qingyang’s control.
After a moment, they stopped spinning.
Lu Qingyang reached out and stroked one of the Nightshade Shuttles, a strange feeling in his heart.
In just half a year, he had gone from utterly destitute to someone with considerable wealth.
Such an achievement filled him with surprise and joy.
Of course, all of this was thanks to his sudden inspiration from half a year ago…
“Deacon Lu, it’s time for the lecture.”
Just as Lu Qingyang was lost in thought, Old Huang’s voice suddenly reached his ears.
“Oh, coming.”
Lu Qingyang collected his thoughts and walked out of the Deacon’s courtyard.
Within the Medicine Hall, nearly a hundred white-robed disciples were now standing or sitting.
Some were even perched on the walls, all craning their necks toward the Deacon’s courtyard.
“Deacon Lu is coming out!”
“Greetings, Deacon Lu!”
“Greetings, Deacon Lu!”
“Greetings, Deacon Lu!”
“…”
When the crowd saw Lu Qingyang, they first shouted in joyful chaos.
A moment later, it turned into a uniform cupped-fist salute as they called out together, “Greetings, Deacon Lu!”
“No need for formalities!”
Lu Qingyang smiled and swept his gaze over the crowd.
“This month’s lecture is about to begin. The technique being taught this time is the first-tier technique, Flame Burst Art.”
“I ask all Senior Brothers to work hard and strive to deepen your comprehension as soon as possible.”
Lu Qingyang announced in a clear voice.
Then he stepped forward, standing at the center of the crowd, but did not rush to demonstrate.
Old Huang abruptly darted out from the crowd.
Holding an identity jade token, he went one by one to collect contribution points from the disciples.
That was right!
This was the method Lu Qingyang had thought of half a year ago.
He had practically founded his own Hall of Preaching the Dharma in the Chaotian Sect’s Outer Gate!
And each time someone came to observe and listen to the lecture, it cost only five contribution points.
Don’t underestimate five contribution points. Lu Qingyang now held one session a month, and a single session brought in over five hundred contribution points.
In half a year, he had not only saved up the Age-Ripening Spirit Liquid the Medicine Hall needed.
At the same time, he had also outfitted himself with a new set of Dharma Artifacts.
The worth he possessed now was truly considerable.
Lu Qingyang was in a pleasant mood.
After Old Huang finished collecting everyone’s contribution points one by one, he began demonstrating the Flame Burst Art.
The Flame Burst Art was a first-tier technique, but its power was not small.
Lu Qingyang had spent half a year exchanging for several first-tier techniques, and all of them were now cultivated to the high grade.
This Flame Burst Art was even easier for him.
As Lu Qingyang waved his hand and formed hand seals, a fireball rapidly rose from his palm.
That fireball was suppressed by Lu Qingyang to the smallest possible size.
It looked no bigger than a thumb, but the terrifying might contained within was enough to make one’s heart palpitate.
“BOOM~~”
The fireball howled out into the air, leaving a series of sharp, ear-piercing sonic booms in the air.
“Boom~”
A muffled sound rang out, and the surrounding disciples immediately paled and stepped back several paces.
This scene left the surrounding disciples dumbfounded.
“What terrifying power!”
“A first-tier high-grade Flame Burst Art already has this kind of power. If it reached the peak grade, wouldn’t the power be even greater?”
“…”
The crowd was deeply shaken.
“The path of techniques is broad and profound, mysterious beyond measure. I hope all Senior Brothers will practice diligently.”
Lu Qingyang’s voice came at just the right moment.
“We respectfully obey Deacon Lu’s teachings!”
The disciples all came back to their senses.
“Alright, alright. This month’s lecture is over. Everyone may return.”
Old Huang, seeing this month’s contribution points safely in hand, quickly urged everyone to disperse.
Ma Han also helped on the side.
Ever since Lu Qingyang agreed to give the two of them fifty contribution points each per lecture, the two had been almost completely obedient to Lu Qingyang.
Lu Qingyang didn’t feel the two were taking advantage of him.
After all, almost all the disciples who came to listen to the lectures had been brought in by the two of them from within the sect.
Without these two, Lu Qingyang would not have made a qualitative leap in half a year!
“Hoo, the Medicine Hall’s matters are basically settled. As long as I irrigate it on time with Year-Ripening Spirit Liquid, five years from now there will definitely be a harvest.”
“And now there’s only two months until the Peak Selection Gathering. I have to hurry.”
Lu Qingyang watched the departing disciples, his eyes flickering.
Although his cultivation was only at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, his true combat strength was far beyond that.
With his physical cultivation plus his comprehension of techniques, even Lu Qingyang himself found it hard to estimate his true combat power!
But the disciples participating in the Peak Selection Gathering were almost all at least at the ninth layer of Qi Refining.
There were even legendary twelfth-layer Qi Refining disciples who had failed to break through to Foundation Establishment.
Lu Qingyang was confident he could defeat ninth-layer Qi Refining disciples.
But he had no confidence against a twelfth-layer Qi Refining disciple.
After all, such a figure had once been just a single step away from Foundation Establishment!
It seems I need to think of a way to raise my cultivation by one or two more realms before the Peak Selection Gathering.
Lu Qingyang’s thoughts raced.
The reason he was so anxious was also because the Peak Selection Gathering was not merely a combat trial.
According to legend, the Peak Selection Gathering had evolved over thousands of years, and nowadays, deaths were already common.
There were also the mysterious Inner Gate Three Peaks.
It was said that every Peak Selection Gathering was a time of upheaval for the Chaotian Sect.
Not only would the Chiefs of the Three Peaks appear.
Even the legendary Peak Lords would take the stage…