About fifteen minutes later.

Chu Mu emerged from the northwest exit of the Jade Emperor Black Market, stepping onto a cliffside platform over a hundred meters above the ground.

He glanced up at the sky, then down, checking the contents of his Storage Talisman with his senses. He was practically speechless.

He remembered having five or six hundred Lower Spirits in his Storage Talisman when he entered the Black Market.

He then sold a few Long Rainbow Swords, recouping over two thousand Lower Spirits.

And now... fifty-three.

’Yep, I’m not mistaken.’

After one trip around the Black Market, nearly three thousand Spirit Stones had dwindled to just fifty-three.

’What did I buy?’

One Artifact Refining Formula, one Pill Recipe, and one Upper Grade Magical Artifact Pill Furnace.

He had only managed to find a small portion of the Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Materials needed for the recipes, and his Spirit Stones were already down to fifty-three.

’It seems you can never have enough Spirit Stones.’

Back then, he’d struggle for a month over a paltry two or three Spirit Stones, wishing he could break a single Broken Spirit in half to make it go further. Even then, it was never enough.

Now, even as his wealth grew and his Cultivation rose, the amount of Spirit Stones he needed to consume had become even more immense.

He couldn’t even imagine how he would survive in the Cultivation Immortal Realm without his Alchemy inheritance to generate wealth!

BOOM!

Not far away, at the foot of the mountain, a sudden roar echoed. Turbulent waves of Spiritual Qi spread out, snapping trees and sending leaves flying.

Even from nearly a thousand meters away, the scene was clearly visible.

Chu Mu gazed into the distance, a sense of understanding dawning on him.

’If I didn’t have my inheritance to generate wealth... I’d probably be one of them.’

Murder and arson are the paths to riches.

’If you waste your whole life without any hope, what’s the fucking point of morality?’

With his thoughts turning, Chu Mu got his bearings and leaped. He soared like a gliding goose for several hundred meters, his toes tapping lightly on a treetop before he launched himself into the air once more.

After a few such bounds, he vanished into the mountains.

There were two other Black Markets near Jade Emperor Valley, but neither was Chu Mu’s destination.

He was heading toward the Fengming Mountain Black Market, a place that had left a considerable psychological scar on him years ago.

The journey was long, but it had been manageable for him in the past, and it was certainly no obstacle for him now.

He remembered the route as being nothing but mundane, untrodden wilderness. This time, however, he could occasionally sense turbulent fluctuations of Spiritual Qi even in these remote lands.

Chu Mu even saw seven or eight Cultivators besieging a man wearing a Longevity Sect Magic Robe.

From what he saw along the way, danger clearly lurked everywhere.

’But it seems most of this danger is aimed at... the Longevity Sect?’

Chu Mu wasn’t certain. Lost in his speculation, he arrived at Fengming Mountain before nightfall.

Just as Chu Mu was spacing out, a rising sense of crisis instantly snapped him out of his thoughts.

In an instant, he layered several Flame Barriers in front of himself as a volley of Fireballs shot forth.

Simultaneously, a faint gleam flashed before Chu Mu. A loud crash followed as a corpse fell from a large tree.

The Fireballs appeared to have done no harm to the cultivator.

The corpse on the ground was perfectly intact, its clothes showing no signs of damage.

With a thought, a streak of light appeared in Chu Mu’s hand. The light dimmed, and as he closed his fist, he grasped something invisible yet tangible.

With the Flying Needle in hand, Chu Mu glanced at the corpse. The man’s eyes were wide with a look of disbelief and terror.

A single, distinct drop of blood was visible between his eyebrows.

With a flick of his Divine Sense, the items from the man’s robes floated into his hand.

One intact Storage Talisman, several Spirit Stones, and one Lower Grade Magical Artifact.

He pocketed his spoils and, as he turned to leave, casually tossed a Fireball. The corpse incinerated, turning to ash in a matter of moments.

By then, Chu Mu had already vanished into the vast forest.

After several years, the Fengming Mountain Black Market was still much the same as before.

The same Puppet still guarded the entrance. After handing over a single Lower Spirit, Chu Mu stepped into the Black Market.

After a cursory stroll through the Black Market, he found himself before the low-slung building with its half-open door.

Chu Mu looked down at the Blood Killing Order in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.

After a moment’s deliberation, Chu Mu pushed the door open and went inside.

This time, he knew the way. He placed the Token in the recess, and the Puppet before him whirred to life.

"This Blood Killing Order has not been used to complete a mission in over three years. As per the Pavilion’s regulations, a Yellow Tier token inactive for three years is demoted one grade."

"Blood Killing Order number 573 has been demoted from Yellow Tier Middle Grade to Yellow Tier Lower Grade."

"Here are five Yellow Tier Lower Grade missions. Choose one."

The Puppet droned on, then with a wave of its hand, a light curtain materialized.

Chu Mu glanced at the Puppet before him. Although the Puppet hadn’t changed, judging by the tone, the person behind the Puppet seemed to have been replaced.

As for the so-called demotion, he didn’t care too much.

To him, at this point, the Blood Killing Pavilion was merely one of many options.

An option he could take or leave.

The Blood Killing Pavilion didn’t impose any obligations, and he, in turn, didn’t have any strong feelings about it.

Coming here was just to use the Blood Killing Pavilion to get a clearer understanding of the current situation.

The information on the light curtain was clear, listing five Yellow Tier Lower Grade missions.

There were a few more choices than on his last visit.

However...

As Chu Mu stared at the list of so-called Blood Killing Pavilion missions, he gained a clearer understanding of the chaos outside Jade Emperor City.

All five of the missions shown to him were bounties.

Bounties on the lives of Longevity Sect disciples, and on disciples from various clans like the Sun Family and the Xie Family... 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

It seemed that the Longevity Sect and these nearby clans were all using the Blood Killing Pavilion’s platform to post missions against each other.

Of course, it was also possible that someone was just trying to fish in troubled waters.

But even if that were the case, there would certainly be plenty of Cultivators willing to take advantage of the chaos.

After all, the rewards for each mission were extremely generous.

The life of any random Longevity Sect disciple or clan disciple was worth hundreds of Spirit Stones.

’I wonder how they tell them apart,’ Chu Mu thought. ’Quite a few disciples from the clans also serve in the Longevity Sect.’

’With bounties like these, what if you ended up collecting a bounty on one of your own...’

"Which one are you taking?"

Seeing Chu Mu remain silent for a long time, the Puppet asked with some impatience.

"What’s the use of the grade?"

Chu Mu didn’t answer but asked a question in return.

He had been wondering about this for a long time.

His Cultivation had been too low before, so he hadn’t dared to ask.

The Puppet replied robotically, "At the Profound Tier, you can view all available missions at your rank. You also gain access to the Contribution Treasure Vault. The Contribution Points you accumulate from completing missions can be exchanged for corresponding treasures within the Vault."

"You can also post missions through the Pavilion, as long as you provide enough Spirit Stones for the fee and the reward..."

"At Profound Tier, the mission time limit changes from three years to six years. As long as you complete one mission within six years, you can ensure your current grade is not lowered..."

Chu Mu gazed at the five missions on the Light Curtain Panel, lost in thought.

The Puppet asked again, "Which one are you taking? Have you decided?"

Chu Mu shook his head, picked up the Blood Killing Order, and turned to leave.

The Puppet didn’t press him. The moment Chu Mu turned, its awakened form went dim.

After pushing the door open and stepping outside, Chu Mu had only taken a few steps before he suddenly stopped. He looked back and saw a black-robed figure push open the same door and enter the Blood Killing Pavilion’s contact point.

Chu Mu’s brow furrowed. He replayed the scene in his mind, along with the Puppet’s words, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

’Contribution Treasure Vault...’

He was familiar with the term.

As far as he knew, whether it was a Sect or a Clan, they all had a detailed and strict system of rewards and punishments internally.

The most important part of this was the so-called contribution system.

Disciples of a sect or clan could accumulate contribution by completing assigned tasks.

These Contribution Points could then be used to exchange for items of corresponding value in the organization’s internal treasure vault.

According to the information previously revealed by Sun Tao, the Longevity Sect’s Contribution Treasure Vault contained almost innumerable types of Spiritual Materials and Treasures.

The Foundation Establishment Pill, which is rarely seen in the outside world, could be easily obtained from the Longevity Sect’s Contribution Treasure Vault as long as one had enough Contribution Points.

All sorts of Spiritual Materials, Magical Artifacts, Elixirs, Cultivation Techniques, and Secret Skills were available.

Within the Longevity Sect, Contribution Points were the key to everything, far more valuable than Spirit Stones.

Things that couldn’t be bought with Spirit Stones could be acquired with Contribution Points. Things that could be bought with Spirit Stones could also be exchanged for with Contribution Points, and usually for a better price.

It was said that within the Longevity Sect, even access to special cultivation grounds and Secret Realms required Contribution Points.

Clearly, Contribution Points were a form of internal currency, leveraging the vast resources of a major power to create an alternative reward system.

After all, he was a prime example. If he wanted to buy something, he had to run around various Black Markets and Marketplaces to try his luck, with no guarantee of success.

But if he were in the Longevity Sect, he would only need to focus on completing the Sect’s tasks to accumulate enough contribution. As long as the Sect had something, there was a chance he could obtain it.

’And with the Longevity Sect’s resources, what could a mere Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator like me possibly need that the Sect doesn’t have?’

’And the Blood Killing Pavilion...’

Chu Mu was tempted. Having been a Loose Cultivator for so long, his biggest problem was no longer how to earn Spirit Stones.

It was the fact that no matter how many Spirit Stones he earned, he couldn’t necessarily buy what he wanted.

Because many things were firmly controlled by the major powers and would never appear on the open market.

Even if they did, their appearance was fleeting.

What he lacked was a reliable channel.

And the Blood Killing Pavilion, it seemed, could provide just that...

The appeal of the Blood Killing Pavilion as an option had grown significantly in Chu Mu’s mind.

Weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Chu Mu wandered aimlessly around the Fengming Mountain Black Market. Finally, he spent a few Spirit Stones to rent another stall, and the sale of Long Rainbow Swords began again.

Just as he’d done at the Jade Emperor Black Market, he sold a few Long Rainbow Swords, bought out a round of goods, and then headed straight for the next Black Market to repeat the process.

In the current climate, this process was naturally not without its hitches.

Fortunately, thanks to his Illusionary God Mask and his cautious hit-and-run tactics, he didn’t attract any attention from those he couldn’t afford to provoke.

Even when trouble did arise, it was mostly within his ability to handle.

Over the next ten-odd days, he moved from place to place, fought several battles, and took several more lives, becoming stained with the scent of blood.

Only then, with his bags full of spoils, did Chu Mu finally begin his journey home.

...