Chapter 218: Shangguan Qingyou
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After Mo Qingtian’s explanation, Mo Wen finally understood. He had a full understanding of the mutual relationship between the Executors in the Huatian Palace.
The Huatian Palace and the Executors of the four Palace Halls under it had a relationship equivalent to hiring. Executors would complete missions designated by the Huatian Palace, then based on the difficulty of the mission, they would be awarded the corresponding amount of Contribution Credits.
Contribution Credits were equivalent to the outside world’s Renminbi. It could be used in the Huatian Palace to purchase items, replacing the role of currency.
Of course, the items purchased in the Huatian Palace weren’t for daily use. Instead, they were items that were useful for an ancient martial art practitioner, such as high level practice techniques, high level martial arts, incredible weapons, pills to increase cultivation, treasures that supported practice…
It was said there were only things you couldn’t imagine; there was nothing the Huatian Palace did not have. If you had enough Contribution Credits, anything could be purchased.
In the Huatian Palace, there were treasures the outside world did not have. Who knew how many people had been drawn in by them.
In reality, more than 90% of the Executors from the Four Palace Halls were not trained by the Huatian Palace. Instead, they were disciples from various ancient martial art sects and factions in the ancient martial arts world who had been admitted into the Huatian Palace and could hold positions as Executors in the Huatian Palace.
As long as you passed the Huatian Palace’s assessment, then you could become an Executor of the Huatian Palace.
However, it was easier said than done. Who knew how many people in the ancient martial arts world wanted to join the Huatian Palace, but every year those that succeeded in joining weren’t many.
That was because the Huatian Palace’s assessment was too harsh. Normal people had no way to complete the assessment. Only those with exceptional talent could manage to be admitted into the Huatian Palace.
From a certain perspective, the Huatian Palace was like a school, but what they learnt was not astronomy, geography, physics or chemistry, but ancient martial arts practice.
Just like examinations, only by passing various levels of tests could one finally be admitted.
The Huatian Palace’s assessment was very strict. Only ancient martial art practitioners below the age of thirty were qualified to take the assessment. Those above thirty years old, unless they were exceptional talents, would not even have the opportunity to take the assessment.
The reason that people from the ancient martial arts world flocked with hopes of joining the Huatian Palace was the Contribution Credits exchange system. The Huatian Palace had resources that the outside world didn’t.
Some items, no matter how strong the ancient martial arts sect was, they did not have. Only the Huatian Palace had them. Only within the Huatian Palace, could those with exceptional talent receive sufficient development, breaking through realms non-stop, achieving their ideal standards.
It could be said that in the Huatian Palace, more than 70% of the ancient martial arts world’s genius youths were gathered. On the Heaven and Earth Lists, more than half were Huatian Palace Executors. From this, it could be seen as an enormous power held by the Huatian Palace.
Being admitted into the Huatian Palace did not mean that one could sit back and relax. After a certain period of time, one had to complete stage assessments. For example, after joining the Huatian Palace for a year, one must become a One star Executor. After three years, one must become a Two Star Executor. After seven years, one had to become a Three Star Executor.
If one did not achieve the set standard, they would lose their status as a Huatian Palace Executor, and also henceforth lose the opportunity to take the assessment again.
However, once one became a Three Star Executor, they could stay in the Huatian Palace for long periods of time. By then, the Three Star Executor would be given a chance to choose. They could proactively leave the Huatian Palace and return to their previous sect. Or, they could forever leave their sect and become a member of the Huatian Palace, no longer becoming a member of any other sect.
If the Executor chose the latter and became a member of the Huatian Palace, then they were qualified to come in contact with the Huatian Palace headquarters. Once one officially became a Huatian Palace Executor, the benefits that they got would increase in folds.
Mo Wen secretly sighed at the methods of the Huatian Palace. The Huatian Palace, with such a method, had basically poached all the sects in the ancient martial arts world, taking all the disciples with excellent talent and absorbing all of them into the Huatian Palace.
Hence, naturally they were indirectly weakening the influence of the ancient martial arts sects, monopolizing the new generation’s resources.
No wonder the Huatian Palace had so many young experts. On the way there, everyone they met was one. Now, Mo Wen finally understood why.
Contribution Credits could be used to exchange for items then be expended, but Contribution Merits would not be expended. Every time one received a Contribution Credit, then they would correspondingly receive one Contribution Merit.
Contribution Merits could not be used for transactions, but could be continuously accumulated and would not decrease. Once enough Contribution Merits were accumulated, the Executor’s rank would correspondingly increase by half a star. Because of this, so there were Four and a half stars, Five and a half stars Executor ranks.
As for the Contribution Merits name list, it was calculated based on the amount of Contribution Merits accumulated within a natural month. The more Contribution Merits accumulated within a month, the higher the ranking. The name list would be summarised at the end of every month to confirm the rankings, then cleared and reset for the next month.
As for the qualified benefits for being ranked on the namelist, it naturally was in the form of preferential treatment when exchanging items with the Huatian Palace. Simply put, it would be cheaper to do so.
Almost all the Huatian Palace’s Executors joined because of this exchange system. There were inexhaustible resources that could help them in their practice. For them, there was never enough Contribution Credits for them to use; there were too many items they wanted to exchange, but the ones they could afford to exchange were but a few.
So the discounted price, for the Executors who eyed the treasures of the Huatian Palace every day, was certainly valuable and very attractive. It meant that items that were once unaffordable, now finally could be purchased.
A playful grin popped up on Mo Wen’s face. The Huatian Palace could possibly have a immortal cultivator faction behind them. For immortal cultivators, the things they owned naturally were not what the ancient martial art practitioners could imagine.
Anything they had brought out, for an ancient martial art practitioner it would be a rare treasure. Using these to attract ancient martial art practitioners was a piece of cake.
Just like the Vigor Consolidating Pills he had, in the immortal cultivator world, they would be pills that were considered trash. However, for ancient martial art practitioners, it was enough for a Sea of Qi realm practitioner to increase one level, shaving off years, even decades of labor.
But what Mo Wen didn’t understand was that, for immortal cultivator factions, roping in ancient martial art practitioner geniuses was meaningless. No matter how incredible the ancient martial arts, it could not compare to immortal cultivation. An ancient martial art practitioner genius was practically worthless to them.
But why would the Huatian Palace still do so? They expended such a huge effort to rope in ancient martial art practitioner geniuses. Could it be just so that they could maintain social order and better manage the ancient martial arts world?
A glint of light flashed past Mo Wen’s eyes. There was surely something that he did not know of.
However the existence of the Huatian Palace indirectly gave Mo Wen a clear path. If the Huatian Palace truly could exchange anything, then could spiritual medicines be exchanged? Could magical treasures be exchanged? Could spiritual stones that immortal cultivators used to practice be exchanged?
If all these items could be exchanged, then it was practically like giving wings to a tiger for him. Maybe it could help him swiftly practice until the Golden Elixir realm, then find a way to become an immortal cultivator.
He knew that only after becoming a Golden Elixir realm ancient martial art practitioner could he possibly find a way to become an immortal cultivator. After all, a Golden Elixir realm ancient martial art practitioner, from a certain perspective, had reached the limits of ancient martial art practitioners, approaching the realm of immortal cultivators.
In other words, a Golden Elixir realm ancient martial art practitioner was half an immortal cultivator. So only after becoming a Golden Elixir realm ancient martial art practitioner could he possibly find a way to break through again.
As for practicing all over again, changing practice into practicing immortal cultivator martial arts methods, the chances of success were too slim. Back then, when he was in the Divine Pill Sect, he had failed. For the spiritual energy deficient Earth, it was practically impossible.
So his current goal was to first become a Golden Elixir realm ancient martial art practitioner, then find out the next step forward.
“Mo Qingtian, who is he?”
A chilly voice suddenly came from nearby, followed by a graceful silhouette walking over.
The person was in a snow white dress. She was very beautiful, her elegance peerless. Her face had no makeup on, a pure natural beauty. But her temperament was a bit cold. Her face was expressionless, giving off a feeling like she was keeping people at bay.
She walked over and the temperature seemed to have dropped greatly. Behind the lady were three or four other ladies. The others all looked different but each had their own beauty. Each of them looked curiously at Mo Wen, but ignored Mo Qingtian to one side.
Obviously, they knew Mo Qingtian. They did not find his appearance in the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall strange, but were surprised that a man like Mo Wen would appear here. Usually the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall did not allow men to enter.
“He is called Mo Wen. He is new around here. Please take care of him in the future.”
Mo Qingtian raised his eyebrows, pointing at Mo Wen as he said.
“New here? You are not saying…”
A girl wearing a red dress widened her eyes and looked at Mo Wen in disbelief. Mo Qingtian could not mean to say that this youth had joined the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall, right? Didn’t the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall never accept men?
“That’s right, Mo Wen will be a Vermillion Bird Palace Hall Executor. Also, he is my little brother. Hmm, please take care of him.”
Mo Qingtian raised his eyebrows and said. The Vermillion Bird Palace Hall was not a peaceful place. Wherever a group of women gathered, even if there was nothing, something could be made a fuss of.
Mo Wen was a Two Star Executor, was new and knew nothing. He may be bullied, so for some matters, it was better for him to arrange beforehand, in order to prevent Mo Wen from being disadvantaged later.
“Who let him join the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall? Mo Qingtian, you still don’t have such jurisdiction, right?”
Shangguan Qingyou’s facial expression chilled. In the hundred years of the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall’s rules, never had they accepted a man. Initially adding a not-quite-man, not-quite-woman transvestite was already an exception. At least Mo Qingtian was more beautiful than all the women in the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall. Looking so feminine, they had reluctantly accepted him.
But now, there was another man. Could they still be called the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall in the future? What was this? They would most likely become the laughing stock for the other three Palace Halls.
The Vermillion Bird Palace Hall comprised of all woman. This was the uniqueness of the Huatian Palace. Almost every woman who joined the Huatian Palace would choose to join the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall. But now, men were popping up in the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall one after another.
“Regarding who let him join the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall, that is not something you can concern yourself with. Regardless, he is now a member of the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall. No one can change that.”
Mo Qingtian looked askance at Shangguan Qingyou, and said plainly.