Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

He abandoned his laziness and became serious. "Sect contribution points are not like market spirit stones; accumulating them is as difficult as climbing to the sky."

Countless sect disciples painstakingly save for decades or even centuries, just for those two chances to exchange for third-tier spiritual items! And you've used up ten years' worth of savings in one go…”

Lin Zhao's contribution points came from several sources: 10,000 points earned from guarding Tianyun Market for ten years, 1,000 points distributed annually by the sect (totaling 10,000 points over ten years), 5,000 points earned from supporting Jinsha Market, and several thousand points previously held by the sect.

He counted on his fingers for Lin Zhao: "According to the sect rules, disciples have three ways to exchange for third-tier spiritual items. The first way is to honestly use contribution points to exchange for them, and each person has two chances:"

The first time, 100,000 points; the second time, 200,000 points. This is basically prepared for cultivators with ordinary foundational talent but who are willing to serve the sect diligently for nearly two hundred years. The sect is willing to give its disciples a slim chance to form their core.

"Secondly, exchange it for a 'Cloud Sea Jade Talisman'. That thing is a certificate issued only for completing certain special sect missions or making significant contributions to the sect, and it is usually linked to rewards at the Core Formation level."

These are prepared for those with high talent and advanced Foundation Establishment, or those nurtured and assigned by elders in the Core Formation stage, or those who are highly regarded by their sect and thus assigned high-value missions.

"The third option is to go out and fight. Take on the most dangerous pioneering, conquest, and exploration missions, or like Fang Yue, work for the sect in the shadows to try and win that possible third-tier opportunity."

Xu Chuan paused, looking at Lin Zhao, "You've clearly chosen the second path. But this path... is fraught with difficulties, with more wolves than sheep, and getting a mission won't be easy."

"If you invest your contribution points in second-tier divine soul resources now, it won't be so easy to accumulate the 100,000 contribution points needed to exchange for third-tier spiritual items later."

Lin Zhao's gaze remained calm and unwavering: "I'm certain. I've encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation, and it must be addressed as a priority. My spiritual sense has stagnated for a long time, and I urgently need external assistance to break through."

As early as the Qi Refining stage, he broke through the "Divine Barrier" ahead of schedule with his amazing talent, and his spiritual strength was comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

After successfully establishing his foundation, his spiritual sense increased tenfold, reaching the level of a typical late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

However, this rapid improvement seemed to have exhausted some of his potential. For the next ten years or so, no matter how much he cultivated, his spiritual strength stagnated. This almost became an invisible ceiling on his path of cultivation.

Fortunately, the divine power he conceived, the [Divine Soul Sword Tower], directly targets the very essence of the divine soul. Using this as a starting point, he can break free from his shackles.

This is why he has been accumulating contribution points over the years, never using them easily, all for this moment—he needs high-quality second-tier divine soul artifacts to prepare for constructing divine abilities.

He had enough contribution points after passing the fourth level of the Cloud Tower, but at that time he only had a superficial understanding of the supernatural power. It was only after obtaining the Dragon Claw from his family that he truly understood the structure of the supernatural power.

Without those magical artifacts, he might not even be able to protect his family. At best, he could only flee in a sorry state, clutching the Dragon Claw. Then one day, he might comprehend supernatural powers and return to avenge his family. But what would be the point? The dead cannot be brought back to life. This is not what he wants.

As for seeking help from the sect, senior brothers and masters, you need to demonstrate your value first. If you don't demonstrate your value, do you think your senior brothers will be so easy to talk to?

Helping you is a favor, but not helping you is perfectly normal. As for the family, it's impossible for them to rely on you entirely.

Lin Zhao owed her senior brother a favor because they were confident they could repay it, and they were willing to let Lin Zhao owe it.

Seeing that he was determined and had a clear mind, Xu Chuan stopped trying to dissuade him and nodded: "Alright, as long as you have a plan. Top talents always have some plans and confidence that others can't understand."

He slumped back into the recliner, his tone more relaxed. "So, what specific direction do you want? Nourishment? Stabilization? Tempering? Or something with special attributes, like pure yang, tranquility, or dispelling illusions?"

Lin Zhao already had a plan in mind: "It mainly nourishes and replenishes, and purifies the mind. I have a self-crafted magic artifact, the Bright Jade Lamp, which is modeled after a third-tier magic treasure. It is specifically designed to calm the mind and assist in spiritual cultivation. The chosen spiritual object should ideally complement the effects of this lamp."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan's eyes lit up with admiration: "The Bright Jade Lamp? What a treasure! It's made primarily of Crimson Sun Jade, isn't it? That stuff is truly a treasure for cultivating the soul."

He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. Combining his experience of handling countless supplies in the Qiankun Palace, he quickly named and described the characteristics of seven items. These were all quite precious second-tier spiritual items that met Lin Zhao's requirements, taking into account both efficacy and cost-effectiveness.

Lin Zhao carefully noted it down and confirmed that it was correct.

Once the business was over, the atmosphere relaxed again.

Xu Chuan's gossip-loving spirit, which he had suppressed for ten years, began to burn fiercely. He lowered his voice and began to spill out all the rumors and gossip that had been circulating in the sect over the years.

"You know Pei Yue, right? That madman, he's entered the Battle Hall! With his sharp command skills and reckless drive, he's now the captain of a battle team, managing more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators from the sect. He's riding high."

"The Yan family has been making quite a few moves lately, trying to recruit promising Foundation Establishment disciples everywhere. I've heard they're planning something big, but I don't know the specifics. However, their ambitions are certainly not small."

"And Jiang Wan..." Xu Chuan lowered his voice even further, with a hint of emotion, "She was as famous as Qin Tianjun during the initiation ceremony, that ice beauty. After entering the sect, she kept a frighteningly low profile, and there was almost no news about her."

Later, she went to Baijitang, but because there were too many admirers, she caused several conflicts. It was only later that it was revealed that she was from the Jiang family!

The Jiang family patriarch is a powerful figure at the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage, even higher in status than Qin Tianjun's patriarch at the early Nascent Soul stage! No wonder so many people pursue him.

"Speaking of Qin Tianjun, that guy went to the 'Heavenly Law Divine Sect' in Central Continent with the sect delegation for exchanges. They sparred with each other at the same level, and after ten matches, he had four wins, three losses, and three draws! Even he suffered a great loss. The Heavenly Law Divine Sect truly lives up to its reputation as the leader of the seven overlords. I wonder what kind of monsters are inside..."

"Young Master Bai is even more mysterious. I heard that he previously became a disciple of a Core Formation elder, but somehow he was also taken in by a Nascent Soul ancestor and snatched away to become a nominal disciple. The relationships behind him are very complicated and the waters run deep."

Lin Zhao listened quietly. Some of the names and stories were familiar, while others were unfamiliar. He noted down the information but didn't care much about it.

As Xu Chuan spoke, he sighed and said, "If you had stayed in the sect for the past ten years, with your abilities, you would probably have made a name for yourself. I've always felt that you're no worse than any of them."

Lin Zhao smiled, picked up the spiritual tea on the stone table, took a sip, and looked at the vast lake and mountain scenery outside the pavilion: "Everyone has their own destiny. Most of my resources in the Qi Refining stage came from my family. Being able to become a disciple of my master is also thanks to the blessings left by my ancestors."

If this cause and effect cannot be resolved, my Dao heart will not be at peace. The length of time one is in the Foundation Establishment stage, or the level of one's reputation, is of little significance.

The real contest is to see who can achieve the highest grade of elixir within a century.

"A top-grade Golden Core..." Xu Chuan pondered these four words, a look of longing on his face. "How easy is it? Of the more than six thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators in our class, only a handful will ultimately succeed."