C2 Cultivation Point Is Not Easy to Earn

Ning Xiaofan had originally planned to trade ginseng for Spirit Stones. With a stash of hundreds, he could avoid sect missions for years and focus on his cultivation.

A Worker Disciple's monthly haul was a mere Low Grade Spirit Stone, but hundreds? That was a fortune squandered.

He removed Wang Xiao's storage bag and sifted through its contents, his excitement quickly dampening. The truly valuable items were likely with Wang Yun, whose bag had vanished in the flames.

The low-grade storage space was not only cramped but poorly defended—a real shame.

Upon contact with his spiritual sense, Wang Xiao's storage space sprang open, spilling out two pill bottles, ten Spirit Stones, and a wooden sword.

These items were fairly mundane. However, one sniff of the pill bottle revealed an Energy Refining Stage pill—just what he needed.

After consuming an Energy Refining Pill, he instantly felt a surge in spiritual energy.

[Ding! Congratulations, Master. Your cultivation base has increased, and your cultivation value continues to rise...]

So, ingesting medicinal pills could boost his cultivation points. Good to know, though by how much wasn't clear—it seemed insufficient.

He popped another Energy Refining Stage pill into his mouth, but this time, the system remained silent. Perhaps the pill's effects were still being absorbed.

Opening the second pill bottle, he was hit by a foul odor. It was Dissolving Powder, a lethal substance perfect for nefarious deeds.

With a gentle shake, the powder fell onto Wang Xiao's corpse, which began to bubble and dissolve as if doused in sulfuric acid. Moments later, Wang Xiao was gone, leaving only a dark stain on the earth.

Ning Xiaofan concealed the evidence with two large stones before vanishing from the outskirts of Phoenix Mountain.

It was risky to linger. He needed to head deeper into the mountains, circling back to the sect. The disappearance of the Wang brothers was no small matter—Wang Yun was an Outer Sect Disciple. As for a missing Worker Disciple, that was less concerning.

Over the course of two days, Ning Xiaofan managed to gather several Spirit Herbs, which could be traded for a couple of Spirit Stones. His hard work throughout the month had paid off.

Yet, there was no peep from the Immortal Cultivation System. Did it mean the system didn't acknowledge them as Spirit Herbs?

Near a murky stone pool, the air was filled with the distant rumble of thunder, the cries of a phoenix, and the roars of dragons and tigers. A clash of Demonic Beasts, perhaps?

The roars grew louder, and Ning Xiaofan hastened to the mountain's peak, where he witnessed two swirling masses of mist colliding in the sky.

"Little sparrow, you won't escape my wrath!"

"Little worm, it was just two fruits. Don't be so petty."

Amidst a fiery red cloud, a phoenix emerged, while a Demonic Dragon appeared from the blue mist. The two mythical creatures were locked in an aerial battle.

The phoenix opened its beak, releasing flames that morphed into a swarm of smaller phoenixes, charging at the Demonic Dragon.

The dragon retaliated, spewing a stream of blue liquid. Could it be a venomous dragon?

In the distance, a wildfire spread through the forest, the flames growing wilder by the second.

As Ning Xiaofan watched the fiery and watery forces collide, plumes of black smoke rose into the air. This was no ordinary skirmish. He needed to get out of there fast. Even a minor burn would be too costly, not to mention the threat of poison!

There's an old saying: when the city gates are on fire, the fish in the moat suffer. It was time to make a swift exit.

He could feel his cultivation level had advanced; he was now at Level 6 of the Energy Refining Stage. Upon his return to Sky Burning Valley, he'd be eligible to join the Outer Sect.

But for the moment, he couldn't risk it. If Wang Yun and Wang Xiao from the Spirit Herb Garden were to go missing, the blame could unjustly fall on him. Better to remain unnoticed, inconsequential as he was.

With the spiritual energy inside him fluctuating, Ning Xiaofan needed to find a secure spot to practice the Energy Refining Divine Technique he'd been rewarded.

True cultivation starts with forging a strong body and an even stronger spirit.

His body vanished swiftly into the distance. He had barely reached the mountain's summit when a fireball hurtled from behind, nearly detonating upon him. Damn! Run for your life!

The entire mountain peak was ablaze, the flames raging uncontrollably.

Heat waves from the fire buffeted Ning Xiaofan, his body nearly at its limit. He needed to get away—and fast.

Ning Xiaofan had just evaded the fireball when a drop of blue water surged toward him, even more potent than the flames. It seemed that if the fire so much as grazed him, he would dissolve instantly.

"Demonic Dragon, I want to see how much more poison water you can spew!"

"Little sparrow, I'm curious how much spiritual fire you have left to wreak havoc with."

The whole forest was a scene of devastation, scorched into barrenness or dissolved into a wasteland by the toxic water. In the sky, a phoenix and a dragon inflicted harm upon each other.

At that moment, Ning Xiaofan was utterly disoriented, desperately fleeing through the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the pervasive flames leaving him nowhere to hide.

Eventually, Ning Xiaofan dove into the river, seeking the cooler waters for a brief respite.

The aerial clash continued unabated. Clutching a reed, Ning Xiaofan submerged himself and had no desire to resurface.

The heat was unbearable, leaving him no place to hide or escape.

After enduring only fifteen minutes underwater, he couldn't stand it any longer. The river water turned scalding, and diving deeper brought a searing pain to his skin.

Silent in his agony, there was nothing to do but bite down hard and persevere.

The river was deep, and Ning Xiaofan dove further, pushing the water behind him, propelling himself swiftly downward.

As a sports student, his swimming skills were decent, but his body was frail. He made a mental note to strengthen it when he had the chance.

His time underwater was limited, and with his weak constitution, he could only last a few minutes before the pressure became too much.

Just one more minute, just a little longer. What now?

Before long, the crushing pressure from beneath the water exacerbated the discomfort in his body. The lack of oxygen was the most critical issue; his body simply couldn't withstand it any longer.

Should he venture out and risk being burned alive?

Or remain here and be suffocated?

His lungs felt ready to burst, and his mind was foggy. Ning Xiaofan realized he was reaching his limit.

This was no longer about making a choice; it was about survival.

"System, is there anything you can do to help me?"

"Underwater, you may activate the Five Elements Shield's Water Spirit Shield, which will consume one cultivation point."

It was down to using cultivation points again. He had to act fast or he'd be cooked.

"Activate it, now!"

With a 'ding', Ning Xiaofan felt a sudden lightness as a shield materialized around him, shimmering with a mystical glow.

The shield enveloped him in air, and taking a deep breath, Ning Xiaofan savored the sweetness of the oxygen.

"Ah!"

He sighed in relief, finding he could speak within the shield. The Water Spirit Shield was impressive, but he wondered how long it would hold.

He had three cultivation points left, which he knew not to squander carelessly—they could be lifesaving.

"System, is there also a Fire Spirit Shield?"

"Yes, Master. The Five Elements Shields include gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, each designed to defend against specific types of spiritual energy attacks. Each shield can be activated for half an hour, and their defensive capabilities depend on the master's level of cultivation."

With the shield active, Ning Xiaofan could see clearly underwater, observing the cooked fish and shrimp floating in the crystalline river. Below, the water was warmer, but not boiling like the surface.

As time slipped away, the half-hour mark approached. The sounds from above grew fainter, and the river's temperature had significantly decreased. Ning Xiaofan emerged from the water.

What was left after the flames was a landscape of charred earth covered in a layer of ash. The Phoenix Mountain Range had been utterly devastated by the Demonic Flames.

The air was tainted with a subtle, foul odor—the poison of the Demonic Dragon. It was uncertain which of the two Demonic Beasts had emerged victorious.

The air hung heavy with an unpleasant odor, but thankfully, the Water Spirit Shield hadn't fully dissipated yet. Ning Xiaofan didn't need to hold his breath; he could still inhale the air that had been filtered through the protective shield.

Perched atop a boulder on the mountain's summit, Ning Xiaofan gauged his bearings with a rough sense of direction. He had been navigating the mountainous terrain for over twenty days. If his calculations were correct, he'd make it back to Sky Burning Valley in five days.

He occasionally stumbled upon charred wildlife in the forest, and these past couple of days, Ning Xiaofan had indulged in an endless feast of these unexpected delicacies.

In the distance, a red and green aura caught his eye—it emanated from a mountain that had been engulfed by flames. Curiously, amidst the inferno, a green plant stood defiant. It bore red blossoms. Ning Xiaofan hastened towards it, eager to discover the nature of a plant that could flourish in such a fiery hellscape.

As he approached the plant, he noticed a Demonic Beast nearby, its form barely recognizable from the burns. It was a medicinal beast, one that had perished protecting the herb before it could fully mature, claimed by the searing Phoenix Flame.

What was this grass? Ning Xiaofan racked his brain, finally recalling an image from an ancient tome. It could be the Burning Herb, a sacred plant known to enhance fire spirit energy. Valuable in pill refinement, medicine making, or even consumed raw to boost spiritual power.

This herb might not fetch the same price as a century-old ginseng, but it was certainly worth a minimum of fifty Low Grade Spirit Stones.

With a flicker of light in his hand, Ning Xiaofan deftly used his dagger to excavate the Burning Herb, roots and all. The herb, now unearthed, glowed with a fiery red luminescence, a testament to its recent absorption of substantial fire spirit energy, which it continued to draw in voraciously.

The Burning Herb only revealed its dual-toned brilliance while assimilating a Spirit Herb, allowing Ning Xiaofan to spot it.

He retrieved Wang Xiao's storage space and gently placed the rooted Burning Herb within. With its roots intact, the value of such a spiritual herb could potentially double.

The Burning Herb can indeed be cultivated. If it goes to seed, it can be planted, but it requires very specific environmental conditions, making cultivation quite challenging. Should one succeed, however, it would become an invaluable asset to the disciples of Sky Burning Valley, ensuring a continuous influx of Spirit Stones.

Ning Xiaofan doesn't need to consume such a precious item; Energy Refining Pills are sufficient for his practice.

The Burning Herb is best used in medicine, as it's a key ingredient in several crucial medicinal pills. While valuable, only advanced cultivators can safely use it due to its potent nature. It's not recommended during the Energy Refining Stage, as misuse could be fatal.

With a thought, Ning Xiaofan's storage space flickered, and he stowed the Burning Herb away.

"Ding! Congratulations, Master! You've completed the Immortal Cultivation Mission: Collecting a Spirit Herb. You've earned a 10-point skill increase."

"Ding! Congratulations, Master! You've earned ability points for the first time. Your reward is the 'Spirit Herb Manual.'"

"Ding dong! The Immortal Cultivation System has issued a new mission: Refine an Initial Level medicinal pill."

Earning skill points is now possible, albeit the rewards seem meager. Completing missions grants skill points, which can be converted into Cultivation Points. This is somewhat intriguing.

Yet, for such a rare Spirit Herb, to only receive 10 skill points—equivalent to a mere 1 Cultivation Point—seems excessively frugal.

What rewards might refining a medicinal pill bring? Perhaps a pill refining technique? The path ahead is arduous; Cultivation Points are hard to come by and yet so crucial. In the perilous expanse of the hundred thousand mountains, danger lurks at every turn.

What other uses do skill points have besides enhancing Cultivation Points?

"Master, skill points can also enhance the power of your techniques, allowing you to master specific abilities."

So, there's this impressive feature as well. That means I can improve my cultivation techniques without extensive practice, achieving proficiency with ease. That's fantastic!

Now, how can I increase my skill value, as well as my karma, charisma, cultivation, and reputation?