Chapter Two: The Crimson Star

To the vast majority of cultivators, gold and silver were but worldly possessions; only sect contribution points were truly worth their tireless pursuit.

Within the sect, one could earn valuable contribution points by completing specific tasks or offering up rare treasures. These points could usually be exchanged for essential elixirs and weapons, but only on certain days designated by the great sect could they be traded for rare manuals and magical artifacts. The Pavilion of Hidden Treasures was the Hundred Flowers Sect's vault, and without a large number of contribution points, one was not even qualified to enter for a mere glimpse.

It was said that treasures were piled as high as mountains within the Pavilion of Hidden Treasures—every kind of immortal elixir and miraculous medicine could be exchanged there, as well as legendary cultivation manuals, immensely powerful artifacts, and divine weapons…

The last time the Pavilion had opened, Lin Feng and Du Songsong had not accumulated enough contribution points. They could only watch helplessly as more than a dozen fellow disciples boarded lotus-leaf boats and vanished into the misty summit of Mount Qiyun.

“What are you thinking about?” Du Songsong subconsciously patted Lin Feng on the back, and the next second a piercing scream nearly shattered their eardrums.

“Tsk tsk, that useless genius kept his mouth shut before, now he’s howling like a ghost…” Outside, a group of young people passed by, laughing and joking.

Du Songsong gazed at his leader with a look of dejection, his messy hair making him resemble a tabby cat that had just squeezed through a bramble thicket.

“Get moving! Go rack up those contribution points, bring plenty of wound salve and antidote pills, and be careful not to get eaten by a beast!” Lin Feng waved his hand dismissively, lowering his head to flip open a yellowed ancient book.

“So… I’m really going?” Du Songsong stood up, looking at his companion.

“Go on, go on! Don’t be so fussy!” Lin Feng shook his head vigorously.

Du Songsong gave a silly grin, pushed open the door, and strode out.

Closing his scroll, Lin Feng lit an oil lamp, pulled a green oval jade slip from his pocket, and quietly studied it. Etched on its surface was a pink petal, and beneath it, faint black numbers: 925.

“Still seventy-five points short… If nothing had happened this time, I would have made just enough by keeping at it. Then I could exchange for a Feng Shui Gathering Essence Pill—maybe that could repair my dantian. Two months left… I’ll just have to fight for it!”

The youth clenched the jade slip in his hand, his expression resolute, yet a graceful white figure drifted through his mind.

He shook his head hard, a bitter smile playing at his lips. That girl, even the Sect Leader would respectfully call her ‘Senior’ upon meeting her! In a world where strength was supreme, age was no longer the measure of seniority.

Anyone who could command a magical artifact to soar through the sky was at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. Over the years, Lin Feng had read extensively to unravel the mysteries of his own dantian, and was well-versed in the common knowledge and secrets of the cultivation world. To mortals, a Foundation Establishment cultivator was a figure of myth, whereas Lin Feng, now stripped of his former genius, was merely an entry-level disciple.

Sighing, Lin Feng attempted once more to gather spiritual energy—no surprise, as always, the energy dissipated instantly upon reaching his dantian.

“Rest for a night. Tomorrow, it’s time to set out…” The youth shook his head bitterly, snuffed out the oil lamp, and lay down on his wooden bed, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

At dawn, Lin Feng pushed open the door, a long spear slung over his back, a dark bundle hanging from the tip, and strode up toward the mountain summit.

The Qiyun mountain range had five main peaks, and the Outer Sect resided on Heaven’s Gate Peak, the only one open to outer disciples. Lin Feng was heading for the “Treasure Exchange Hall” at the summit.

Morning air in the forest was exceptionally pure, and many diligent disciples were already busy—not only striving for one last chance before the Pavilion of Hidden Treasures opened in two months, but also pushing to break through to the early Qi Refining stage before they turned eighteen, in order to remain in the sect.

Though he still harbored a faint hope for a miracle, Lin Feng had quietly begun making plans for the future six years ago. Unable to gather spiritual energy, he would eventually be expelled, so he might as well take the chance to learn other skills—enough, at least, to survive in the wider world.

Clever and studious, he chose the spear—the king of all weapons—and used his accumulated contribution points to exchange for a scroll of “Solar Spear Technique” from the Treasure Exchange Hall. Through years of relentless practice, he had achieved modest success.

The mountain wind was invigorating, pores opening to the fresh air. In the distance, apes howled, cranes called, and pines rustled like curtains. After half an hour, Lin Feng finally reached the summit.

At the edge of a broad crescent-shaped clearing stood several grand buildings, red walls and glazed roofs gleaming in the rising sun. In the center, wisps of smoke curled from a massive bronze cauldron.

“Hey? Lin!” In front of the Treasure Exchange Hall, many others had arrived even earlier—clearly, everyone was desperately striving for contribution points. Du Songsong was among them.

“You’re early. Heading into the mountains?” Lin Feng eyed Du Songsong’s gear—bulging pack, bag of rations, bamboo tube, machete—he was weighed down like a pack mule.

Du Songsong grinned, pointing to a few others in the distance. “The few of us are heading to Great Creek Ravine. There are rumors of a rooster-crowned silver-ringed python in the area. If we catch it, each of us can earn ten contribution points.”

“Congratulations in advance. Great Creek Ravine is full of poisonous creatures, be careful,” Lin Feng patted his friend’s head, a trace of envy in his eyes.

No one wanted to team up with someone as useless as him, of course. Besides, a second-tier beast like the rooster-crowned silver-ringed python wasn’t something just anyone could handle.

“Boss, is your injury alright? When I get back, let’s go to Pine Wild Ridge and collect purple-luo fruit. We can earn a point a day that way,” Du Songsong comforted Lin Feng, having noticed his gloom.

“I’m fine! Our Hundred Flowers Sect’s wound salve is the best in the world—look at me, back to full strength,” Lin Feng said with a smile.

“More like a bear than a hero…” muttered a young man in long robes, glancing over with cold disdain, arms crossed as he leaned against a stone pillar, eyes closed.

Though his words were quiet, every disciple present heard them clearly and laughter erupted.

“Luo Shangqing! Say that again!” Du Songsong exploded, grabbing his weapon and pointing it at the young man.

Lin Feng quickly held him back. “Don’t cause trouble, Song!”

“Hmph! A useless wretch and a beggar at the eighth level of Longevity Technique dare challenge me?” Luo Shangqing didn’t even lift his head, but suddenly a powerful aura burst forth, causing the thin morning mist to vanish instantly.

“Just you wait!” Du Songsong knew he was no match, but couldn’t swallow his pride. His face flushed, prompting another round of laughter from the crowd.

“Brother Luo, why make things difficult for them?” A lazy voice drifted from the Treasure Exchange Hall, followed by a handsome youth in blue robes and black boots, pale as paper, waving a fan with an unrestrained air.

It was him! Everyone recognized the infamous “Prince of Corpses,” Nangong Ke, one of the top three in the Outer Sect, at late Qi Refining stage. Compared to the brash Luo Shangqing, Nangong Ke was even less to be trifled with—his very nickname made people keep their distance.

Luo Shangqing opened his eyes and shouted to a group in the distance, “Aren’t you coming?”

“We’re coming…” The group hurried over, joining Luo Shangqing and Nangong Ke. Clearly, they were banding together for a mission as well.

The allure of the Pavilion of Hidden Treasures was irresistible to all.

“Useless and cowardly!” Someone passing by sneered, the words stabbing Lin Feng’s heart like a needle.

“Lin, I should go now…” Du Songsong awkwardly tugged Lin Feng’s arm—his teammates had gathered and were waiting.

“Yeah… Be careful.” Lin Feng let go, stepped aside, and waved to his only close friend.

As the sun climbed higher, idlers on Heaven’s Gate Peak gradually dispersed. Lin Feng steadied himself and strode into the Treasure Exchange Hall.

“What do you need?” The manager was a genial old man, courteous to all, dressed in blue robes with bright, penetrating eyes that hinted at hidden strength.

A deeply concealed elder—Lin Feng had long made this judgment.

“Master Fei, do you have any aromatic beetles?” The youth wore a faint smile as he glanced around the counter.

“Oh? Are you sure you want aromatic beetles?” Old Fei hesitated, looking meaningfully at the youth. “From what I see, your cultivation must have improved again?”

Lin Feng's heart skipped, but he maintained his mild smile. “Master Fei flatters me. My Solar Spear Technique is only at the seventh level—hardly worth mentioning compared to them.”

“Heh.” Fei smiled amiably, fetched a small blue bottle from the shelves, and placed it on the pine-wood counter. “Here’s what you want—two contribution points. Or, have you something to barter?”

“Please take a look at this…” Lin Feng glanced around, then produced a tightly wrapped bundle from his bag.

Fei’s eyes lit up. After managing the Treasure Exchange Hall for more than thirty years, he was always amazed by the unexpected items this boy brought him.

With anticipation, the old manager lifted a corner of the handkerchief, revealing a lustrous black object—half stone, half iron, exuding a faint fragrance. Traces of red, like broken lotus threads, shimmered mysteriously across its surface.

The youth watched Fei's expression closely, and from the delight in his eyes, judged that the item was indeed valuable.

“Blood Star! It’s actually a Blood Star!” Fei’s fair right hand, wrapped in the handkerchief, brought the item close for inspection, careful not to sully the treasure. His eyes burned with fanatic excitement, momentarily ignoring Lin Feng.

Lin Feng was in no hurry, patiently waiting with a smile. Fei examined the object repeatedly, then narrowed his eyes, pondering for a few seconds before speaking. “Only when the blood of a third-tier Jade Centipede falls into stone resin and ages for a hundred years does it form a Blood Star. Yours is pure and soft in color, a rare top-grade specimen. May I ask where you found it?”

The youth scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. “A few days ago I was chasing a silver fox and by chance found this under an old tree in Snake Vine Valley. It looked unusual, so I picked it up.”

“Fortune indeed!” The old man laughed, then turned serious. “Do you know its value? Or what it’s used for?”

Lin Feng shook his head quickly. He hadn’t even known its name, let alone its use.

Fei placed the Blood Star gently on the counter, gaze solemn. “A pure natural Blood Star like this can increase the success rate of refining a Foundation Establishment Pill by thirty percent. The resulting pill is of the highest quality, with at least a sixty percent chance of success. With artificially cultivated herbs, the success rate is only ten or twenty percent. Do you understand its worth now?”

The youth was breathless with excitement. So this Blood Star was a key ingredient for Foundation Establishment Pills—treasured as much as a common magical artifact! Outer Sect disciples could never hope to obtain one.

All the spiritual herbs and rare stones in the world had long been carved up by the various sects. Among all essential elixirs, the scarcity of Foundation Establishment Pills was legendary. Without the resources of a major sect, it was nearly impossible to gather the ingredients—and even then, failure in refinement was common, leaving all efforts wasted! Even those who obtained the pill faced a high risk of failure upon consumption.

Even the Hundred Flowers Sect, famed for its medicines, produced only a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Pills every century. Unless a disciple was exceptionally gifted, it was hard to earn one even after reaching late Qi Refining stage.

“How many contribution points do you think it’s worth?” Fei prompted, seeing the youth lost in thought.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and ventured cautiously, “Would twenty points be fair?”

The manager chuckled and shook his head, encouraging him to guess higher.

“Thirty points?”

“Guess bigger!” Fei stroked his three-inch beard, his rosy face growing even more animated.

“Could it be… a hundred points?” Lin Feng stuck out his tongue, his breath quickening.

“Haha…” Old Fei laughed heartily, his eyes alight with mischief. “Eight hundred points! Surprised?”

Lin Feng’s mind exploded—the world spun. He stared at the Blood Star on the table, speechless with shock.