At the beginning, I cleaned the Sutra Library and completed the incomplete skills.

Having dealt with the troublesome Li Lan, Elder Jian Chen seemed to think of something and continued:

"Also, now that you've joined Sword Spirit Peak, your future contributions will be credited to Sword Spirit Peak."

"When submitting your contributions to the sect in the future, be sure not to send them to the wrong place."

Hearing this, Li Lan felt the burden on his shoulders become heavier.

The Guangji Temple wasn't a charity; the eight taels of spiritual sand given as monthly俸禄 were not for nothing.

All outer sect elders and disciples were required to make sufficient contributions to the sect each year.

For example: carrying out various tasks assigned by the sect, eliminating the sect's enemies outside, providing cultivation resources such as talismans and formations to the sect for free, and so on.

In short, it boiled down to one sentence.

Within a year, you either had to create value for the sect or solve problems for the sect.

If no contribution was made after more than a year, one would be punished by the sect's disciplinary department.

Li Lan was very clear in his heart.

Successfully passing the grand ceremony and officially becoming an outer sect disciple was just the beginning, not the end.

From this moment on, his path of cultivation had truly begun.

Seeing Li Lan nod very sensibly without asking any unnecessary questions, Elder Jian Chen was quite satisfied.

"I heard that you and Tie Niu were both born in Qinglan Village?"

"That's good. If you don't understand anything, you can always ask your Senior Brother Tie Niu."

"In a couple of days, Tie Niu will be going out to perform a sect mission. You can go with him."

"Your teacher has been guiding Tie Niu for a year. Since you're new here, you'll be able to learn faster by staying by his side."

"Once you two return safely, you won't have to worry about your sect contributions for this year."

Li Lan remained noncommittal.

Seeing that there were no more benefits to be gained, he immediately asked to leave.

Tie Niu, seeing this, hurriedly followed behind.

After the juniors around the square gradually left, the Fire Spirit Peak Elder sneered.

"Elder Jian Chen truly has good methods!"

"With a few words, he pushed the trouble onto Junior Brother Zhou. This substitution trick is truly cleverly played!"

"He not only saved an investment of cultivation resources but also gained a chess piece to provide sect contributions, and obtained a good guard to ensure the safety of his disciple before the fourth level of Qi Refining."

"Tsk tsk, what a calculation!"

"I truly admire it."

Having his calculations exposed in public, Elder Jian Chen was not angry.

He ignored the Fire Spirit Peak Elder, took Tian Linggen Liu Yan's hand, and turned to board the immortal boat.

… …

On the other side.

Li Lan left the grand ceremony and pondered the matter of sect contributions in his heart.

How much work for the sect would be considered a contribution?

Guangji Temple had different standards for outer disciples based on their cultivation realm.

Although these standards weren't impossibly difficult, they certainly weren't easy either.

To varying degrees, there were different levels of danger involved.

Although Li Lan was now a Qi Refining first level cultivator, and the mana in his dantian was somewhat more abundant than others in the same realm,

his ability to cope with danger was infinitely close to zero.

In addition to improving his cultivation, it seemed he had to improve his ability to protect himself as soon as possible.

Li Lan thought to himself.

In the cultivation world.

The means by which cultivators could protect themselves were endless.

Magical artifacts, formations, talismans, talisman treasures, spells, spirit beasts, and so on, were countless.

Some of the lower-level items could be bought in the Guangji Temple's own market.

As long as you had enough spiritual sand and spiritual stones, you could buy them.

However, Li Lan had only eight taels of spiritual sand to his name.

He was very self-aware in his heart.

He knew that the self-preservation ability he wanted could certainly not be bought with just these eight taels of spiritual sand.

Therefore.

Li Lan didn't immediately set off for the market but instead turned and headed in the direction of the Sutra Depository.

He clearly remembered that when he was flipping through incomplete cultivation methods a few months ago, he had inadvertently glimpsed something interesting.

Halfway there, Li Lan stopped again.

He turned around and saw a dark-skinned young man following closely behind.

Tie Niu had been extremely conflicted all the way.

He had never imagined that Li Lan would actually pass the Dust Washing Ceremony.

Nor had he ever imagined that the other party would become his junior brother by becoming Elder Jian Chen's disciple.

So when all of this actually happened.

Tie Niu, who was inexperienced in the world, didn't know how to handle it at all.

He had been following behind Li Lan step by step, just like a year ago, when he had followed behind the other party, climbing all the mountains in search of the Dao.

Along the way, Tie Niu had racked his brains, thinking about how to open his mouth.

Now, seeing Li Lan suddenly stop and turn to look at him, Tie Niu was immediately startled.

His tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and he subconsciously stammered:

"Brother Lan… Fellow Daoist Li… Li… Junior Brother… Congratulations, you really broke through to the first level of Qi Refining."

Li Lan looked at him calmly, cupped his hands, and asked:

"Fellow Daoist Wang has been following me all the way. Is there something you need?"

Li Lan's tone was relaxed and calm, and there were no emotions on his face.

But in Tie Niu's eyes, there was a natural sense of alienation.

This immediately caused those polite words that he intended to use to get closer to be stuck in his throat, unable to be said.

After a long while.

Tie Niu spoke again:

"Fellow Daoist Li, Master said that we will go out together in a couple of days to perform a sect mission."

"Regarding this mission, if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

"Don't worry, this mission isn't as dangerous as you think. Besides, I, your senior brother, will be there to protect you…"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Li Lan.

"Fellow Daoist Wang may have misunderstood something."

"The outing in a couple of days is to carry out your own sect mission, and it has nothing to do with me."

Li Lan's calm words made Tie Niu stunned.

He looked at the other party in disbelief and murmured:

"But Master said…"

Li Lan interrupted again, correcting the other party's wording.

"Elder Jian Chen meant that if I am willing, I can accompany you and complete my sect contribution together."

"But he didn't force me to go."

"So, I don't want to."

"Fellow Daoist Wang, is there anything else?"

"If not, then please excuse me."

Li Lan decisively refused the other party's invitation and immediately turned and left.

Leaving only Tie Niu, with his bull-like eyes wide, stunned in place.

Li Lan would naturally not go with the other party to do any sect mission.

You must know.

Right now, he had nothing but mana.

In this situation, rashly leaving the protective range of Guangji Temple was no different from a sheep entering a pack of wolves.

Li Lan, who had always been careful and cautious, would certainly not do such a stupid thing.

He was not afraid that Tie Niu would complain, causing the Foundation Establishment stage Elder Jian Chen to personally come and demand an explanation.

After all, Li Lan had just become a formal outer disciple, and the one-year period stipulated for sect contributions was still far away.

At this time, even if the Great Elder, who was rarely seen, came out of seclusion, he would not be able to find any fault in this matter.